FullMetalShinobi
09-30-2007, 04:13 PM
So uh, I obviously stole this from Gunzfactor, but I used search and I could not find a thread, this is just for those who do not go to GunzFactor xP.
Feature Article:
Interview w/ SKiNG
Gunz-Related
1) What do you think about Gunz's future?
I realize GunZ is becoming very stale at the moment and releasing sets each month is simply not enough. GunZ needs more content and fresh ideas. The future of gunz can be bright, but we'll have to wait and see how much support we can obtain from Maiet. If Maiet can support us with even the littlest things, then we've made progress.
2) What are Ijji's plans for improving Gunz?
Currently, we have submitted a list of suggestions and ideas to Maiet. They have already made their comments on some ideas and will move foward with them. I believe taking one step at a time will help get the community its needs. Maiet has expressed that they are open to new ideas and ways to improve their game. From a service standpoint, we will continue to do our best and provide events and promote fairplay. Plans for in-game mods are already in progress and various other things will be added soon. We've also added many things from the backend to provide a better gaming experience. Although I can not speak of those things in detail.
3) How does ijji, as a company, hope to improve their gaming community?
I believe we do our best to combat abusive users and keep things sane with what resources we're provided with. We've made a lot of changes since GunZ opened and we'll continue to evaluate our process and make things better. As stated in a previous answer, we've already begun our planning for pub mods in GunZ. This is our first step in improving the community. Recently, we have made a stronger presence in-game and we will continue to do so.
4) Is there any possibility of ijji hosting a tournament or skill-oriented competition sometime in the future, and if so, could you provide a rough estimate of when that will come about?
It is possible. It's been in the back of my mind for quite some time now. It will take a lot of planning to make sure it's fair. Currently, Soldier Front's tournament is being promoted on a big scale with US Nationals coming soon and eventually World Championship which will be televised. GunZ may be aways from this but there will be something.
5) Does ijji have any advetising plans to entice more players to join their online gaming community?
Advertising is a tough area because of costs. This will depend heavily on our revenue. For now, there are no plans.
6) Does ijji plan to have unique suits for their version of GunZ, or plan to have suits released before other versions?
An event is out for users to create a set for ijji GunZ. Other plans are in the works.
7) What is ijji working on for GunZ right now?
Deciding what new items/weapons/events to put out next.
8) As you know, many weapons like pistols and shotguns seem to be unbalanced as a result of the unexpected entrance of K-Style and such. Will ijji have a hand in fixing these balance problems, and if so, when would you project results to arrive?
I personally do not see any balancing issues that will be brought attention to at this time. It's been this way in-game since the game was released. But if GunZ were to ever see a larger community that was worth it for Maiet to re-look at their content, then I don't see why not.
9) If ijji is truly working on a advanced GunZ technique tutorial, how much say will insightful players such as Slap and C3rberus have? Is there possibility of capable elements of the community co-authoring such a guidebook?
We look foward to having much insight from veteran players. Athough, I have to honestly say I do not know what players (other than the 2 you mentioned) that would be right for this. As for the guidebook, it's a good idea but let's get the online tutorial up first.
Personal
1) How did you get into this field of work?
I began working as a tester for Konami about 9-10 years ago. Since then, I have worked for Sega, Eidos, Maxis, EA, and now ijji. After 6 years of testing, I became a build engineer for Sega. Almost every 1st party release on the Dreamcast should have my name in it Some of you see me as stricly a GM for GunZ and SF. But in actuallality, im the Project Manger for both games. When we began the opening of our games, we did not have any GMs. In order to fill our needs, employees had to work double work loads/shifts. Now, I'm the Project Manger for SF and GunZ. Lead GM for SF and GunZ and Forum Administrator for the entire forum. While we have the additions of real GMs now, we still work long hours with the growth of our user base.
2) How long have you been working for Ijji and how do you find the company?
It has now been 1 year and a few months. I found the company through GM_slider, or some of you know him as DSChang.
3) How does one get into the gaming companies?
It would depend on what position and what type of company.
Game Tester - is probably the easiest. You can usually find job postings through a large temp agency, or online job search. Pay usually runs between $10-16 an hour depending on experience and company. Big companies are easier than smaller companies. However, bigger companies can replace you easier. Testers have almost no room for growth. Your grammar must be satisfactory and you must be creative.
Game Design - usually game designers start off as level designers. This is entry level. As for pay, im not quite sure but it's probably not desired at first. There is however room for growth and it's a good place to start if you enjoy design and programming. You can find job postings the same way you would for a game tester.
Game Producer - This one is tricky. Most probably have some sort of college degree but I do know a few who have become producers from being a tester. It was just being in the right place at the right time. Most producers start off as entry level positions in the industry and move their way up to producer. Scheduling skills and meeting milestones is a must to be a producer.
Marketing - Marketing Degree obviously. Marketing is a tough area. In big companies, I see marketing employees come and go really fast. A bad game doesn't make this job easy.
There are other positions but usually easier to find more info through working there first.
Interviewer: Yuna92
Interviewee: SKiNG
Feature Article:
Interview w/ SKiNG
Gunz-Related
1) What do you think about Gunz's future?
I realize GunZ is becoming very stale at the moment and releasing sets each month is simply not enough. GunZ needs more content and fresh ideas. The future of gunz can be bright, but we'll have to wait and see how much support we can obtain from Maiet. If Maiet can support us with even the littlest things, then we've made progress.
2) What are Ijji's plans for improving Gunz?
Currently, we have submitted a list of suggestions and ideas to Maiet. They have already made their comments on some ideas and will move foward with them. I believe taking one step at a time will help get the community its needs. Maiet has expressed that they are open to new ideas and ways to improve their game. From a service standpoint, we will continue to do our best and provide events and promote fairplay. Plans for in-game mods are already in progress and various other things will be added soon. We've also added many things from the backend to provide a better gaming experience. Although I can not speak of those things in detail.
3) How does ijji, as a company, hope to improve their gaming community?
I believe we do our best to combat abusive users and keep things sane with what resources we're provided with. We've made a lot of changes since GunZ opened and we'll continue to evaluate our process and make things better. As stated in a previous answer, we've already begun our planning for pub mods in GunZ. This is our first step in improving the community. Recently, we have made a stronger presence in-game and we will continue to do so.
4) Is there any possibility of ijji hosting a tournament or skill-oriented competition sometime in the future, and if so, could you provide a rough estimate of when that will come about?
It is possible. It's been in the back of my mind for quite some time now. It will take a lot of planning to make sure it's fair. Currently, Soldier Front's tournament is being promoted on a big scale with US Nationals coming soon and eventually World Championship which will be televised. GunZ may be aways from this but there will be something.
5) Does ijji have any advetising plans to entice more players to join their online gaming community?
Advertising is a tough area because of costs. This will depend heavily on our revenue. For now, there are no plans.
6) Does ijji plan to have unique suits for their version of GunZ, or plan to have suits released before other versions?
An event is out for users to create a set for ijji GunZ. Other plans are in the works.
7) What is ijji working on for GunZ right now?
Deciding what new items/weapons/events to put out next.
8) As you know, many weapons like pistols and shotguns seem to be unbalanced as a result of the unexpected entrance of K-Style and such. Will ijji have a hand in fixing these balance problems, and if so, when would you project results to arrive?
I personally do not see any balancing issues that will be brought attention to at this time. It's been this way in-game since the game was released. But if GunZ were to ever see a larger community that was worth it for Maiet to re-look at their content, then I don't see why not.
9) If ijji is truly working on a advanced GunZ technique tutorial, how much say will insightful players such as Slap and C3rberus have? Is there possibility of capable elements of the community co-authoring such a guidebook?
We look foward to having much insight from veteran players. Athough, I have to honestly say I do not know what players (other than the 2 you mentioned) that would be right for this. As for the guidebook, it's a good idea but let's get the online tutorial up first.
Personal
1) How did you get into this field of work?
I began working as a tester for Konami about 9-10 years ago. Since then, I have worked for Sega, Eidos, Maxis, EA, and now ijji. After 6 years of testing, I became a build engineer for Sega. Almost every 1st party release on the Dreamcast should have my name in it Some of you see me as stricly a GM for GunZ and SF. But in actuallality, im the Project Manger for both games. When we began the opening of our games, we did not have any GMs. In order to fill our needs, employees had to work double work loads/shifts. Now, I'm the Project Manger for SF and GunZ. Lead GM for SF and GunZ and Forum Administrator for the entire forum. While we have the additions of real GMs now, we still work long hours with the growth of our user base.
2) How long have you been working for Ijji and how do you find the company?
It has now been 1 year and a few months. I found the company through GM_slider, or some of you know him as DSChang.
3) How does one get into the gaming companies?
It would depend on what position and what type of company.
Game Tester - is probably the easiest. You can usually find job postings through a large temp agency, or online job search. Pay usually runs between $10-16 an hour depending on experience and company. Big companies are easier than smaller companies. However, bigger companies can replace you easier. Testers have almost no room for growth. Your grammar must be satisfactory and you must be creative.
Game Design - usually game designers start off as level designers. This is entry level. As for pay, im not quite sure but it's probably not desired at first. There is however room for growth and it's a good place to start if you enjoy design and programming. You can find job postings the same way you would for a game tester.
Game Producer - This one is tricky. Most probably have some sort of college degree but I do know a few who have become producers from being a tester. It was just being in the right place at the right time. Most producers start off as entry level positions in the industry and move their way up to producer. Scheduling skills and meeting milestones is a must to be a producer.
Marketing - Marketing Degree obviously. Marketing is a tough area. In big companies, I see marketing employees come and go really fast. A bad game doesn't make this job easy.
There are other positions but usually easier to find more info through working there first.
Interviewer: Yuna92
Interviewee: SKiNG