tfs
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A New Project
🕑 Added 2018-09-14 18:27:46 +0000 UTC Hey Patreon dudes, it’s Kirran. I wanted to give you all a peek into something that’s close to my heart. All throughout middle and high school I was infatuated with the idea of making games. I made a few text adventures on my TI-83 (you know, instead of doing math [probably why I’m so bad at it]). I messed with RPGMaker on and off for years, never really seeing anything through but always making some short, dumb things to show friends. One of ‘em was just a fight between Darth Vader, Char (of Gundam fame), and King Harkinian (of YouTube Poop fame). It was magical.My passion for game design never truly waned. Throughout college I designed so, so many stories and concepts that I looked back on and thought, “you know, these would make pretty kickass games.” I could be all sad and go “kids these days aren’t reading books anymore!” but I’m trying to look at it more optimistically. While books captured my imagination, video games enraptured my heart, because I continue to see their potential. Video games are the final frontier of communication. And recently, I don’t think anyone else sees that quite like Yoko Taro.
Most recently Yoko Taro has captured my heart with his unique approach to game design. There’s a moment in NieR: Automata that spoke so deeply to me I wrote a whole 15 page essay talking about it. Maybe I’ll finish that one day. Yoko Taro has a GDC talk entitled “Making Weird Games for Weird People,” and I highly encourage anyone interested in video games to check it out here. In it, he reinforces that games are the most unique vehicle for communicating with others. Video games require the participant to engage with them and explore. Video games can convey ideas, emotions, and all sorts of cognitive experiences in a way that other media may never truly achieve. I’ll keep harping on that because that’s truly what’s important, what the player takes away.
Video games offer up an entirely new realm of communication that we’ll probably never see fully in our lifetime. That sounds pretty grandiose but I truly believe that. I still love my films and my books, of course, but man, video games are really darn cool. His passion for the future of game design rekindled my desire to explore this hobby I left behind so many years ago.
I, too want to see what they’re capable of and what kind of crazy things they can accomplish. I want to make people cry. I want to make people laugh. I want to grab people by their brain balls (read: eyeballs) and force them to think about something. I want to make video games.
I’m in a very fortunate and unique position to kind of explore whatever I want to right now, and I haven’t taken that for granted. With the support of all of Team Four Star, and especially you patrons, I’ve been able to turn my closet hobby into my job as of late. In my free time I’ve been teaching myself Blender, Unity, FL Studio, and every other little software I’ve had to use to conjure these virtual dreams.
Alongside learning software I’ve had to actually draft out what it is I want to do, what style I want to go for, you know, all that fun stuff that working from scratch allows. As someone who started off in making parodies, the freedom of a project that’s all you is intoxicating and a little frightening. I haven’t really shared something that’s only me, you know?
Inspired by Yume Nikki, Serial Experiments Lain, .hack, The Ring, and every other thing in my life, my first game is a short mystery about games. Also isolation. Two things I know a lot about! It’ll feature a tiny, claustrophobic apartment, an escape behind a screen, and some scary stuff for players to investigate in this virtual, virtual world, like forum posts, news feeds, and websites. That’s about all I can share for now.
With much coaxing from the rest of the team I’ve been pushing through my anxieties to see these games through. I hope you look forward to all the weird shit I’ve got stirring in my head. I don’t know exactly when this first one will be out, but I figured it’s about time I told a few more people what I’ve been up to.
Comments
SRIJITH R
Hey! I'm new to the patreon, and I think this is what I'm most excited about! Go for it, Kirran my man! Wish you the best in your endeavors :)
Arabella Collins
Hey! I'm a game development student in England and I have to say, you're doing great! Using engines etc for the first time can be incredibly daunting, but the world is really your oyster if you put the work in. Looking forward to playing it! Put it on itch, you never know.
DarkLordPopo
We always look forward to the weird shit stirring up in your head Kirran! Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Lucy in Bookland
This sounds like it’s going to be awesome!
Will Bruce
I'm looking forward to what you have coming out. You're the man Kirran you've got my support
ForbiddenSun
VideoGames? I'm in! Good Luck! Hopefully more details on these games to follow!
DyfanDew
Saw this post while I was at work today, and although I couldn’t right away I wanted to write a small show of my support. I have a similar infatuation with game design and am graduating a few days from now for game art and design. I look forward to seeing a creation that is 100% your own. I know you’ve got the rest of the TFS crew, fans, and friends saying this already, but keep pushing forwards. with Pushing through a cramped dev with class-mates was hell, but is still the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done. You and everyone else at TFS have done some amazing work before, but with more original works coming I know we have yet to see the best of what you can offer. I can’t wait to hear more about what you’re making and what you’ll convey to us, the players.
SanosukeDA
Thanks for sharin' with us Kirran lunarLove
Dave
Excellent post and really cool stuff, thanks for sharing!
The7thDraconian
As someone who finally got up the nerve to start his first novel, I wish you luck in your own creative endeavor. Awesome to see you pursue your dream! Excited to see what you make.
Landy K Hayes
I am intrigued. Looking forward to see what you are wanting to do.
Minous
That is great to hear Kirran! I've been dabbling in game development in Unity myself as well and am even going to school now for my Game Development and Programming degree so I'm looking forward to the things we all create moving forward! ❤️
Lyner
Awesome. I look forward to whatever crazy, weird stuff you come out with Kirran.
Jimmy Jones
You've got my support, as someone who has also wanted to create his own worlds for people to just experience things in. That is what drove me to get in to Dungeons and Dragons with as many groups as I can to get a variety of worlds and stories that I couldn't experience myself or come up with myself.
Nick
This is so amazing, I'm so happy that through just making random people laugh with paradises you get to explore a passion and I'm even happy that I can contribute even though it's only a dollar and month. I can't wait to see all the weird stuff in your head!! Good luck Kirran!!!!
Kenny Richardson
Awesome, I'm sure you can make something great Kirran and we'll all look forward to giving it a shot when you're ready!
Kinan Eldari
I am happy you can pursue something that I can't, Kirran, and that you have the freedom to do so. I'm curious to see what you got cooking in that head of yours! : D
Lukas Spirig
That's fascinating! I'm looking forward to see what you create. On another note; As I am someone who was utterly captivated by NieR: Automata, is this essay of yours available somewhere? I'm very much interested in your thoughts on it.
Brendan Michael
This is amazing, you will crush this.
Antonis Roussos
My body is ready! So excited to see your project Kirran! Also, Yoko Taro will eventually be the god of our new world,i trust in thy On a serious note,I am always really glad to see people put their whole personas (pun intended) in their passion projects,i am really looking forward to this!
Tom Keithley
This sounds amazing. I can’t wait to see more! Keep at it fella! You guys at TFS have also inspired me to pursue my own passion of writing stories.
Uriah
That's great! Glad to see your passion for this.
