Congratulations to Marc Greiff, developer of our September GameSalad Game of the Month, Run Rob Run!
Our September winner is a comedic, 8 bit themed game, featuring one button gameplay. Run on down the page to check out our interview with Marc!
GameSalad: Tell us a little about yourself and your experience as a game developer. Are you a solo creator, or part of a team or company?
Marc Greiff: My name is Marc Greiff and I’m from Toronto, Canada.
Who I am as a game developer is a question that I often ask myself. In the past, my games and other creative endeavors were often more about emulation rather than expression–relying on other games to provide the template for my voice as a designer. However, during the course of making Run Rob Run, my design philosophy has shifted into exploring new game mechanics and narratives that I find personally interesting. A direction that I’m eager to build on for future projects. I’m a one man army, a Rambo-developer if you will.
GS: It sounds like your new game developing strategy is working well so far! What got you interested in GameSalad?
Marc Greiff: Thanks to GameSalads visual editor and drag-and-drop coding modules, it has the most approachable learning curve compared to any other game development kit out there.
GS: Well we’re happy to have you! How long have you been using GameSalad?
Marc Greiff: I’ve been using GameSalad off and on for about four years and have watched it come a long way in terms of features and performance in that time.
GS: I think we’re all excited for the things to come from GameSalad! Have you been pleased with the final product?
Marc Greiff: During the creation process, keeping perceptive can be difficult as one tends to see only the flaws and missed opportunities in their own work. However, now that the game is published and I have some distance from it, I can say that I am very pleased with the final result.
GS: That’s great to hear! How long did it take you to develop Run Rob Run?
Marc Greiff: Run Rob Run was not always Run Rob Run. Initially, the game was a twitch-based platformer in the vein of Super Meat Boy and starred a ninja as the main protagonist. That ninja then turned into a blob of jelly, that jelly turned into a businessman, then into a repairman, and so on. Essentially, the game was just a collection of platforming mechanics and ill-conceived caricatures and was subsequently annexed to the Folder of Shame on my hard drive. No, not that one, the other one.
GS: Care to share any words of advice or tips with your fellow GameSalad devs?
Marc Greiff: Find your voice.
GS: Short and sweet. Thanks for the tip! What do you plan on doing next?
Marc Greiff: At the moment I’m really in love with super difficult, one button, 8 bit themed games, so I suspect my next project will be something along those lines as well.
GS: We’re all excited to see what else you create!
Congratulations again to Marc Greiff and we wish you the best of luck with your endeavors! Run Rob Run is FREE on iTunes and Google Play so go get it! If you need more convincing, check out the trailer!
