Why Become an Educational Game Developer?
-with Terminal Two Game Developer Alex Meyer
The team at Terminal Two is a passionate group whose love for fun and addictive gaming runs as deep as their passion for using those games to help children learn vital life skills. We interviewed Alex Meyer, one of the team’s game designers, to illustrate where that passion comes from, and to give Terminal Two fans a peek into the lives of the artists behind our games.
Why did you become a game developer?
Gaming has been a huge part of my life since childhood, and once I started learning about software development it was only natural that the side projects I would gravitate toward would be my own versions of this. Pursuing these projects of my own quickly took over everything else as I realized I enjoyed the challenges and possibilities of development and it has had my focus ever since. All software can be interesting, but games especially are such a unique and compelling area to work in.
Why did you decide to join the Terminal Two team?
Actually thinking about it.. I don't know that I did! I started out working on a small project and just found myself being pulled in deeper as requests for helping out on more things just kept coming. I love game development and I think building knowledge and enthusiasm in the next generation of software developers is a cool mission so it made it very easy to keep saying "yes" to working more and more with the team.
What excites you about educational gaming?
I've always liked the idea of teaching through fun activities. Kids engage more when they are looking forward to spending time in an activity, and instead of becoming bored or resentful of topics they can develop lifelong interests.
What is your favorite game?
My favorite game of all of them is tough, but if I had to pick just one, I would have to say Nintendo's Pikmin series. Something about leading those cute little guys to victory in battle or overcoming an obstacle just feels good. My favorite Terminal Two game would be Frog Squash, I enjoy trying to find a good plan for my frog code to see how far I can get before that dude meets whatever spike filled doom is in his future.
What do you think will be the biggest change in the game world in the next decade?
I think it will be continuing to push into VR/Augmented Reality. Immersive experiences can be very powerful and the more we can feel a part of some of these worlds either through visuals or natural controls and feedback the more it will draw people in.
What's your mantra for making great games?
Pay attention to user feedback and be adaptable. As developers its very easy to make assumptions about what people want / how they will interact with a thing but that doesn't always align with what people actually need or want. Watch your users early and often and they will provide the most valuable feedback. I'm constantly shocked at the unexpected things people do or like in games and the more you are ready to adapt to what you learn from these observations the more your games will resonate with your audience.