HTML5 Game Developer Spotlight – Ed Farias

For our third developer spotlight, we would like to introduce to you Ed Farias. Ed has a very rich history in the gaming industry. From Arcade-in-a-Box to Construct2Tutorial, Ed continues to show his love and support for the gaming community. We hope you’re able to learn a thing or two from our interview with Ed, and don’t forget to check out his Construct 2 tutorials if you’re looking to start making HTML5 games.

GameMix: Hi Ed, when did you first become interested in game development?

Ed: I started programming when I was really young using QBASIC on my ADAM computer. Back then I just copied programs out of magazines, never really understood what it was doing. I never really did anything with it until I got to College and started learning Visual Basic 3.0. Then I made a few baseball games based on dice rolls and statistics. I was playing baseball in college at the time, so it was fun to combine my 2 loves. From there, I stopped doing games and just started creating windows apps that were useful to my jobs. I’ve always had a love for making programs that made my job easier 🙂

GameMix: How did you get started with HTML5 game development?

Ed: Every few years I would get a bug to try and create a game. First in visual basic, then rpg maker, then game maker. I never finished anything. Then the bug came around again and found Construct 2. I fell in love and finally finish my first game, Ground Control. It’s nothing amazing, but finishing it was something to be proud of :).

GameMix: Do you develop games full-time or part-time?

Ed: Part time. I have a full time network admin job, plus a wife and 2 kids.

GameMix: What was the first game you ever made?

Ed: The first game I ever made was in QBasic and it was a game similar to an old baseball board game called Super Star Baseball. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4642/sports-illustrated-baseball My roommate and I in college would play it almost daily. I started on a visual basic version of it, but never finished it.

GameMix: Are there HTML5 tools and/or game engines that you prefer to use over others?

Ed: I have only tried Construct 2. The engine is amazing, the cost is perfect, and they update it at least once every few weeks. I really can’t say enough good things about Construct 2.

GameMix: What has been your favorite HTML5 game development project?

Ed: My favorite is one I am currently working on. It’s been the first project I was able to hire graphics artists to create the sprites and backgrounds for me. It really adds so much to a game to 1. have a graphics person that knows what they are doing when it comes to 2d games, and 2. To make everything look awesome and consistent. The game is called Hungry Hal and should be out by the new year.

GameMix: Do you have any plans to develop on other platforms?

Ed: The amazing this about HTML5 is the ability to create a game once and make minor tweaks to wrap it to many other platforms like iOS, Android, Windows 8 and more. With that being said, I have started to learn Unity3d as I feel it might be the next logical step in game development, depending on how I want to continue.

GameMix: What excites you most about HTML5 at this point in time?

Ed: I think just the fact that is runs on so many devices without the need for plugins and installs. It continues to grow and new things are added and discovered all the time. I don’t think we are far away from having a SIMPLE solution for online gaming with HTML5.

GameMix: What are a few of the major challenges you find as an HTML5 game developer?

Ed: Right now it’s the ability for Google, Apple, and Microsoft to come to a common consensus on HTML5. Not needing a plugin in awesome, but if there is no consistency on how HTML5 is run with each platform/browser, then it’s a moot point. As a developer, I want to know that my game will run the same on every platform.

GameMix: Any big plans for future development that you would like to share?

Ed: Nothing I haven’t already mentioned. Though this interview has made me think about creating my baseball game again with some multiplayer aspects. We’ll see :).

GameMix: Care to share something about you that’s unrelated to HTML5 game development?

Ed: Not too much to share. I’m 37 years old, I’ve been married for 13 years and have two amazing kids. My son, who is 8, is really wanting to make a game soon. My next project might be a father/son built game :).

GameMix: Thanks, Ed!