Interviews// Industry Insights: Andrew Smith, Spilt Milk Studios

Posted 16 Apr 2013 16:10 by Svend Joscelyne

As part of an ongoing series, SPOnG gets the unedited, open and highly informed opinions of developers, producers and more in the vast world of computer games.

Industry Figure: Andrew Smith
Job Title: Founder/Designer
Company: Spilt Milk Studios
Best Known For: Hard Lines (iOS, Android), co-created with Nicoll Hunt

Andrew Smith is living the mobile dream right now, having established Spilt Milk Studios and released Hard Lines (a modern take on classic mobile game Snake) to critical acclaim. There's no crying over spilt milk here. Haw haw (you're fired - Ed).

But Andrew actually hails from something of a console background, working with Ruffian Games on Crackdown 2 add-on content before founding his own studio. At the moment, in between client work for AppyNation, Andrew is hard at work on two new projects - Lazarus: Ultra Robopug Adventures (iOS, PC and Mac) and Smash the Block (iOS).

Here are his thoughts on the next generation, always-online and the need to have a constant stream of new IP.

Smash the Block

Do you feel that an always-online future would be a positive one, for both developers and gamers?

I think it opens up a lot of interesting possibilities for games designers, and therefore for the games players will have access to. I’m not sure furores like the one surrounding SimCity will help, but I often refer to how people once responded to Steam.

Back when it launched, it was attacked and labelled as bad for the industry and bad for games by certain sectors. But now everyone seems to think it helped ‘revive’ PC gaming. Regardless of the truth, it take a good few years and a lot of trial and error to prove new tech’s worth. I’m sure we’ll see it before long.

One thing I’m excited about is just how much more social an experience (I don’t just mean via twitter plugins) most games will become. Recently a mate of mine sent me a text after seeing a boast displayed in Mario Bros U, and that was a new and exciting thing for me – it shows a glimpse of how this kind of thing will unfold.

Following Sony's PlayStation 4 reveal event, how successful do you think next-generation consoles will be in capturing the indie and mobile gamer?

Mobile gamers are a different breed, one much less interested in gaming as a hobby than indie or core gamers. Of course, I’m painting with a broad brush here but generally mobile gamers don’t tend to see 'console' or 'PC' gaming as a thing they’d be interested in.

I believe there will always be some crossover, but in terms of general competition over the same dollars… I’m not sure I think that even exists. Someone umming-and-ahhing over spending Ł40 on a 40hr game to play every weekend for a few months with their mates on a home console is not going to base their decision on their mobile gaming habits, and vice versa.

Even the time they spend gaming is of a different variety. I game on the loo with my phone, in bed with my 3DS, and in front of my telly with my consoles. Therefore I don’t think the big consoles need to capture anything mobile.

As for indie games, they will always exist first on PC (again, broad brushes) so it’ll be hard to see them moving away and using Sony as their first port of call, no matter how appealing they make it. That said they’re making great moves and Sony are to be applauded for their attitude in this regard.