Developer Interview Series: Ben Wong
In this interview, we speak with Ben Wong, the very first employee hired to work for Boomzap back in 2006! He is an Artist/Animator based in Malaysia and has worked on almost all the games developed by Boomzap.
What course/degree did you take in college? While you were studying, was there an option for you to take any classes regarding game art or video game development?
Way back then there weren’t any specific game development course per say. I studied graphic design, switched to classical animation in a local college before getting my computer animation training in Sheridan College.
How does the Boomzap game development process usually work for you? What kind of directions are you given for a specific game and how do you move forward?
Are there any particular artists that inspire you?
There are so many that I could not begin to list them out. Also because I don’t know most of their names. Nowadays I get inspired from our own talent pool who produce these amazing artworks. Keeps me wanting to make their art come a little more to life through my animations.
What are your personal favorite video games to play?
GTA series, DragonAge series, Fallout series. OMG. Fallout2, is like my most favourite game of all time.
What do you do in your spare time when you’re not making art for Boomzap games?
I try to catch up with life. And the occasional casual gaming.
What advice do you have for those that are aspiring to be game artists?
I don’t think it applies only to artists but to game developers in general. Try to keep working on your own skills but try even harder to work with other people. Game development is… as cliche as it sounds, a team game.