WEBVTT 00:00:00.060 --> 00:00:03.480 Hi, this is Frank Klepacki, and you're listening to the Scene World Podcast. 00:00:20.257 --> 00:00:22.417 So, it's the Scene World Podcast. 00:00:22.417 --> 00:00:25.437 I'm AJ, that's Jörg over there. 00:00:25.437 --> 00:00:26.297 Hi. 00:00:26.297 --> 00:00:31.397 And this is our Close to Christmas episode. 00:00:31.397 --> 00:00:31.997 Really? 00:00:31.997 --> 00:00:32.837 Yeah, true. 00:00:32.837 --> 00:00:33.957 Yeah, true. 00:00:33.957 --> 00:00:34.917 Yeah. 00:00:34.917 --> 00:00:35.357 Yeah. 00:00:35.357 --> 00:00:37.937 So, in a minute, we'll be talking to... 00:00:39.757 --> 00:00:41.477 Brandon Casteel. 00:00:41.737 --> 00:00:42.717 Let me say that again. 00:00:42.717 --> 00:00:47.757 In a minute, we'll be talking to Brandon Casteel from 3D Realms. 00:00:47.757 --> 00:00:48.917 Exactly, exactly. 00:00:48.917 --> 00:00:49.057 Yes. 00:00:49.157 --> 00:00:51.117 We'll be talking about the... 00:00:51.117 --> 00:00:53.117 Oh my god. 00:00:53.117 --> 00:00:53.597 Yeah. 00:00:53.597 --> 00:00:59.897 He is the lead game designer of Tempest Rising. 00:00:59.897 --> 00:01:00.737 Yes, Tempest Rising. 00:01:00.737 --> 00:01:05.517 That is their new real-time strategy game. 00:01:05.517 --> 00:01:06.357 Yes, indeed. 00:01:06.357 --> 00:01:08.337 So, that'll be in a minute. 00:01:08.337 --> 00:01:15.677 Before then, while my brain is still somewhat in my head, let's do some news. 00:01:15.677 --> 00:01:16.177 Yes. 00:01:16.177 --> 00:01:17.477 Well, you start. 00:01:19.357 --> 00:01:21.437 The only thing I had, I don't have anymore. 00:01:25.317 --> 00:01:30.337 So, by all means, you go ahead while I desperately search for something else. 00:01:30.397 --> 00:01:31.417 Okay. 00:01:33.317 --> 00:01:43.697 Well, the Play, Watch, Listen Podcasts archives of old episodes has been unlisted. 00:01:43.697 --> 00:01:51.657 And now it has been added to the main channel on YouTube. 00:01:51.657 --> 00:01:59.117 That means it's still unlisted, but now you can officially see the old episodes again. 00:01:59.697 --> 00:02:03.757 It's actually interesting because that is something I thought of myself. 00:02:03.757 --> 00:02:30.297 What do we do if we ever hit the 2,000 maximum, if ever, of number of episodes for our podcast, or if we ever hit the 1 megabyte size limit of the RSS feed? 00:02:30.297 --> 00:02:31.697 Well, let's figure this out for a minute. 00:02:31.697 --> 00:02:33.197 We did two a month, right? 00:02:33.197 --> 00:02:36.037 So that's 24 a year. 00:02:36.037 --> 00:02:39.397 So 2,000 divided by 4. 00:02:40.097 --> 00:02:40.937 Yeah. 00:02:40.937 --> 00:02:44.817 I think the first episode was in June 2014. 00:02:44.817 --> 00:02:51.897 Well, if we keep on the rate that we're going, it'll take us about 82 years to get to 2,000. 00:02:51.897 --> 00:02:55.377 So I don't think we have an issue with that. 00:02:55.377 --> 00:02:56.597 82 years. 00:02:56.597 --> 00:02:57.417 Yes. 00:02:57.417 --> 00:03:03.077 So I'll be, what, like 140 something? 00:03:04.217 --> 00:03:05.057 No. 00:03:05.057 --> 00:03:06.957 No, 120 something. 00:03:06.977 --> 00:03:08.497 Oh, okay. 00:03:11.357 --> 00:03:12.457 I'm not saying it won't happen. 00:03:12.457 --> 00:03:27.877 I mean, maybe we'll be 120 year old sitting podcasting from our hospital beds, talking about the newest C64 news in the year 2078. 00:03:32.597 --> 00:03:34.257 All right. 00:03:34.397 --> 00:03:37.617 You see, it's very unlikely. 00:03:37.617 --> 00:03:40.017 Still, a lot of podcasts make seasons. 00:03:40.017 --> 00:03:41.217 We don't do that. 00:03:41.217 --> 00:03:44.497 No. 00:03:44.497 --> 00:03:46.257 It's easier just to do one at a time. 00:03:46.257 --> 00:03:48.237 Well, we're making it up as we go along. 00:03:48.317 --> 00:03:49.337 We've gotten better at it. 00:03:49.337 --> 00:03:58.577 We've gotten a little bit more organized, sticking to a schedule now instead of whenever we happen to have a guest. 00:04:00.377 --> 00:04:02.297 But yeah. 00:04:02.297 --> 00:04:02.557 Yeah. 00:04:02.557 --> 00:04:13.777 Well, that also means it's more difficult now because you always have to make sure to get two per month. 00:04:13.777 --> 00:04:15.917 Well, yeah. 00:04:16.397 --> 00:04:17.837 We haven't had an issue. 00:04:17.837 --> 00:04:19.757 We're doing good. 00:04:19.757 --> 00:04:20.697 Yeah. 00:04:20.697 --> 00:04:22.217 Sometimes in the last moment. 00:04:23.797 --> 00:04:36.537 It's not like in the beginning anymore when we had like so much of a backlog that we had recorded episodes for weeks and months to come. 00:04:36.537 --> 00:04:38.777 That's actually not happening anymore. 00:04:40.057 --> 00:04:41.137 Yeah. 00:04:41.177 --> 00:04:44.097 But, well, yeah. 00:04:44.097 --> 00:04:49.197 Well, I mean, anyway. 00:04:49.197 --> 00:04:50.857 Yeah. 00:04:52.497 --> 00:04:53.677 We are going on there. 00:04:53.677 --> 00:05:03.977 Well, anyway, next piece of news is a new C64 game has been released and can be downloaded for free on HIO. 00:05:04.657 --> 00:05:11.937 It's called Sailor Tron and is a barbarian-like C64 product. 00:05:11.937 --> 00:05:13.337 Okay. 00:05:13.337 --> 00:05:16.297 Yeah, I saw that, actually. 00:05:16.297 --> 00:05:17.277 Yeah. 00:05:17.557 --> 00:05:18.917 What is it called? 00:05:23.457 --> 00:05:24.137 Soiled Iron. 00:05:24.137 --> 00:05:25.517 Yeah, Soiled Iron. 00:05:25.577 --> 00:05:26.617 Soiled Iron, right? 00:05:26.617 --> 00:05:27.857 I'm a little confused about that, but yeah. 00:05:27.857 --> 00:05:32.637 Yes. 00:05:32.637 --> 00:05:34.077 Yeah, it looks pretty good. 00:05:34.077 --> 00:05:49.797 There was also a game released, and on topic for when this is being released, Santa's Workout 4 was released by Vector 5 Games. 00:05:50.217 --> 00:05:50.757 It's an arcade. 00:05:50.757 --> 00:05:52.477 Santa's Workout 4? 00:05:52.477 --> 00:05:54.777 Santa's Workout 4, yeah. 00:05:54.777 --> 00:05:58.537 The C64 game, it's an arcade puzzle game. 00:05:58.537 --> 00:06:03.137 So you have to send a link to that because I don't have it here. 00:06:03.157 --> 00:06:04.377 I will send that to you. 00:06:04.377 --> 00:06:05.997 All right. 00:06:05.997 --> 00:06:06.177 Yes. 00:06:06.177 --> 00:06:08.337 It was also really quick. 00:06:08.337 --> 00:06:12.937 There was a, god, it must have been, it was a while ago. 00:06:12.937 --> 00:06:17.997 We talked about a game that was being worked out, which was called Parallaxian. 00:06:18.077 --> 00:06:24.837 It was a, I think it had a Kickstart or something and- 00:06:24.837 --> 00:06:25.257 Oh, yeah. 00:06:25.257 --> 00:06:26.237 A long, long time ago. 00:06:26.237 --> 00:06:26.477 Yeah. 00:06:26.477 --> 00:06:28.817 Really nice interlaced graphics. 00:06:29.317 --> 00:06:32.237 Yeah. 00:06:32.237 --> 00:06:38.357 Apparently, they've released an early build of the game, which was back in March, evidently. 00:06:41.377 --> 00:06:56.497 But while they released that early build, the developer apparently discontinued it and is no longer doing anything on the C64, which is a shame because it had promise. 00:06:56.497 --> 00:06:58.757 It was a really cool looking game. 00:07:01.417 --> 00:07:04.917 So what is the platform which you've never developed now? 00:07:05.257 --> 00:07:07.137 Not at all. 00:07:07.137 --> 00:07:11.637 Well, I don't know what he's doing now, but I mean, the game is no longer being developed by him. 00:07:11.637 --> 00:07:13.517 And you said it was a Kickstarter? 00:07:15.557 --> 00:07:19.197 There was a fundraising thing attached to it. 00:07:19.197 --> 00:07:20.317 Yeah. 00:07:20.317 --> 00:07:23.797 I remember because I don't think he made it. 00:07:25.517 --> 00:07:26.257 But it was released. 00:07:26.257 --> 00:07:26.817 Oh, okay. 00:07:26.817 --> 00:07:27.777 No, I'm sorry. 00:07:27.777 --> 00:07:29.017 A pre-release wasn't released. 00:07:29.017 --> 00:07:29.717 It was cracked. 00:07:38.297 --> 00:07:42.737 I'm looking at the CSDB right now, and the build is from March of 2023. 00:07:44.557 --> 00:07:45.757 So from last year? 00:07:45.757 --> 00:07:45.957 Yeah. 00:07:46.177 --> 00:07:46.937 It's a little old. 00:07:46.937 --> 00:07:51.617 Yeah, but they've just released it now in December 2024. 00:07:55.737 --> 00:08:01.377 So you think if they're going to go through the process of cracking it, maybe they could change the thing, you know? 00:08:05.537 --> 00:08:07.337 Too bad. 00:08:07.337 --> 00:08:10.877 What was that crowdfunding thing? 00:08:10.877 --> 00:08:13.337 I don't know what the crowdfunding thing was. 00:08:14.697 --> 00:08:18.397 Because I don't remember that, to be honest. 00:08:18.397 --> 00:08:25.177 I have some data collection of it, but I don't recall all of it. 00:08:25.177 --> 00:08:26.077 I remember mentioning it. 00:08:26.177 --> 00:08:31.957 I don't recall what the whole of Shabab was. 00:08:31.957 --> 00:08:39.517 I know that there was a little bit of disappointment from the guy. 00:08:42.277 --> 00:08:42.877 I'm looking right now. 00:08:54.125 --> 00:08:58.585 Okay, we mentioned it in the new section of Episode 66. 00:08:58.585 --> 00:08:58.785 Yeah. 00:09:05.333 --> 00:09:06.573 But all the news that I'm reading about. 00:09:06.573 --> 00:09:09.013 Oh yeah, indeed, it was a Kickstarter. 00:09:09.013 --> 00:09:11.253 It was a Kickstarter, okay. 00:09:11.253 --> 00:09:11.913 Right. 00:09:11.913 --> 00:09:13.313 But it was unsuccessful. 00:09:13.573 --> 00:09:16.813 Yes, it did not meet its goal. 00:09:16.813 --> 00:09:21.193 An unsuccessful Kickstarter. 00:09:21.193 --> 00:09:21.873 Right. 00:09:21.873 --> 00:09:24.073 And I think he announced- 00:09:25.653 --> 00:09:26.913 Back in 2019. 00:09:29.273 --> 00:09:34.533 He announced that he will be working on it anyway. 00:09:34.533 --> 00:09:35.433 Right. 00:09:35.433 --> 00:09:39.673 But I guess he gave that up last year or whatever. 00:09:41.113 --> 00:09:45.473 Yeah, Kodiak64 is the homepage. 00:09:45.473 --> 00:09:48.233 And John Woods is the guy's name. 00:09:48.233 --> 00:09:50.053 Exactly. 00:09:50.053 --> 00:09:51.673 Jonathan Woods, exactly. 00:09:52.253 --> 00:10:01.933 And the last work in progress is also the last update on Kickstarter, which is from November 2022. 00:10:01.933 --> 00:10:05.473 Yeah, he was trying to raise about $15,000, $16,000. 00:10:05.473 --> 00:10:10.013 He made $8,500, $157,000 backers. 00:10:10.053 --> 00:10:11.453 I mean, that's a... 00:10:14.613 --> 00:10:15.033 Yes. 00:10:17.533 --> 00:10:21.753 If you visit the site, it says the site is no more. 00:10:21.753 --> 00:10:25.093 It's actually not there anymore. 00:10:25.093 --> 00:10:25.813 Right. 00:10:25.813 --> 00:10:27.233 Wow. 00:10:27.233 --> 00:10:29.113 That's a pity. 00:10:29.113 --> 00:10:34.413 The last update on the Kickstarter was in November of 22. 00:10:34.413 --> 00:10:36.033 That's what I'm actually looking at. 00:10:36.033 --> 00:10:36.413 Oh, is it? 00:10:36.413 --> 00:10:37.273 Okay. 00:10:37.313 --> 00:10:42.193 Yeah. 00:10:42.193 --> 00:10:43.953 Well, and... 00:10:45.793 --> 00:10:47.493 It's a shame because it was a cool-looking game. 00:10:47.733 --> 00:10:55.633 It was a decent-looking game and it had some promise. 00:10:55.633 --> 00:10:57.233 It was neat-looking, but... 00:11:00.373 --> 00:11:04.173 That's the problem with the 64 is that, like, you know... 00:11:06.693 --> 00:11:14.113 Trying to make a game and make money off of a game on the C64 these days is just not a... 00:11:15.533 --> 00:11:24.553 It's just not really a workable business plan, you know? 00:11:27.933 --> 00:11:36.813 Like, there are some developers that can sell their stuff, but even Sam's Journey, I don't think that made a whole lot of money. 00:11:36.813 --> 00:11:40.493 The guy is not rolling in cash because of it. 00:11:40.493 --> 00:11:41.873 No, no. 00:11:41.873 --> 00:11:44.213 By then, he also did an NES version. 00:11:44.213 --> 00:11:44.413 Right. 00:11:44.413 --> 00:11:46.653 But nevertheless, I mean, it's not... 00:11:47.353 --> 00:11:50.573 It's really kind of a labor of love more than anything else. 00:11:50.573 --> 00:11:53.573 Like, you're not going to make a living doing this anymore. 00:11:54.253 --> 00:11:55.013 Right. 00:11:55.013 --> 00:11:57.193 You know, those days have long gone. 00:11:59.113 --> 00:12:00.713 Well, it's surprising. 00:12:00.713 --> 00:12:07.493 He already got 8,157 backers after all. 00:12:07.493 --> 00:12:08.753 Right. 00:12:08.753 --> 00:12:12.013 I mean, eight grand is more than I ever made for programming. 00:12:13.673 --> 00:12:17.873 I think the most I made for programming was like $200, $300. 00:12:17.873 --> 00:12:21.733 I mean, that's back in the day when things were still being sold. 00:12:24.273 --> 00:12:28.853 Such things are better for flexible funding at Indiegogo. 00:12:31.073 --> 00:12:31.653 Yeah. 00:12:31.653 --> 00:12:40.833 But even, again, like even back in the day, if you were an independent programmer, if you got picked up and published, you're looking at a couple of hundred dollars. 00:12:40.833 --> 00:12:47.393 If you work for a developer, if you work for something like electronic arts, then you're getting your daily salary. 00:12:47.393 --> 00:12:50.673 But you're not going to get that, here's a big publishing thing. 00:12:52.593 --> 00:12:54.753 You're not going to be rich off of it. 00:12:54.753 --> 00:12:56.713 Right. 00:13:01.553 --> 00:13:08.513 It was never really like a great living off of it job. 00:13:08.513 --> 00:13:14.573 Not since the last game, which officially was Lemmings has been released. 00:13:15.813 --> 00:13:18.413 We actually tackled this in the last news. 00:13:19.193 --> 00:13:25.273 But I mean, even Lemmings, even Lemmings though, like how much did they get for working on Lemmings? 00:13:25.273 --> 00:13:30.313 You know, again, I'm sure that the people that worked for the company, they're getting their daily thing. 00:13:30.313 --> 00:13:34.913 Someone like your own Tel who does the music, you know, is he getting like a flat rate or something? 00:13:34.913 --> 00:13:38.793 He might be getting paid for the use of his music, a couple of hundred bucks, maybe a thousand. 00:13:38.793 --> 00:13:40.693 You're not going to live off that. 00:13:43.033 --> 00:13:47.893 Well, I mean, that is why he worked on a couple of platforms at once. 00:13:48.133 --> 00:13:49.193 Exactly, exactly. 00:13:49.193 --> 00:13:50.633 Right, right. 00:13:50.633 --> 00:14:02.293 So, you know, hoping to make a buck off of a C64 game, you know, even back then wasn't really feasible, you know. 00:14:02.293 --> 00:14:06.853 There are a lot of original games that made quite some. 00:14:06.853 --> 00:14:08.653 I mean, there were companies that lived off it. 00:14:08.993 --> 00:14:15.453 I mean, think, just think like, you know, Accolade, Microprose and so on. 00:14:15.453 --> 00:14:16.833 I'm not talking about companies. 00:14:16.833 --> 00:14:18.613 I'm not talking about the companies, right? 00:14:18.613 --> 00:14:18.993 Yeah. 00:14:18.993 --> 00:14:19.373 Okay. 00:14:19.373 --> 00:14:25.773 So if you're Accolade or Microprose or whatever, you can make a good amount of money off of something. 00:14:25.773 --> 00:14:27.433 Microprose is still around, by the way. 00:14:27.433 --> 00:14:28.273 Right, right. 00:14:28.273 --> 00:14:39.833 But if you're the guy that wrote the game, okay, you're getting paid, if you work for Accolade, if you're an employee, you're getting paid your hourly rate or whatever they pay you, your salary, that's what you're getting paid. 00:14:39.833 --> 00:14:51.153 If you're an outside contractor, that comes in to do a conversion or you submit your own game to them, you get paid for the publishing rights of that game. 00:14:51.153 --> 00:14:53.713 So you get however much they want to pay you for it. 00:14:53.713 --> 00:14:56.913 They're going to make more than you do. 00:14:57.073 --> 00:15:16.493 That's what I'm saying is that as a programmer or an artist or a musician or whatever, unless you work for the company full time, writing something and getting it published is not going to, because most of these contracts were for intellectual property and everything. 00:15:16.493 --> 00:15:19.693 So as soon as you sign that thing, that game doesn't belong to you anymore. 00:15:19.693 --> 00:15:23.233 Your name might be on it, but they have the rights to do whatever and you're not getting anything from it anymore. 00:15:23.233 --> 00:15:25.433 You're not going to get a residual from that. 00:15:26.653 --> 00:15:39.233 Perhaps, I don't know how much Prus Artvik made for Microsoft for working on the flight simulator. 00:15:39.233 --> 00:15:40.013 I'm sure. 00:15:40.013 --> 00:15:40.413 Yeah. 00:15:40.413 --> 00:15:46.933 I mean, but again, that was for that one. 00:15:46.933 --> 00:15:49.513 He's not getting paid for the new ones. 00:15:50.413 --> 00:15:51.153 Probably not. 00:15:51.153 --> 00:15:53.873 Because they're totally from games. 00:15:53.873 --> 00:15:59.753 But again, I also don't think that he wouldn't be getting residuals from the sales of those. 00:16:01.313 --> 00:16:02.973 They probably bought the rights from him. 00:16:02.973 --> 00:16:05.853 It became Microsoft Flight Simulator instead of Sublogic. 00:16:07.913 --> 00:16:17.733 And then once he wasn't on that team anymore, he's not making, again, if you're on the team, if you're working for the company, you're getting paid, it's a job. 00:16:18.173 --> 00:16:18.793 That's different. 00:16:18.793 --> 00:16:23.413 I'm talking about being an independent programmer, writing a program and submitting it. 00:16:23.433 --> 00:16:24.293 Right. 00:16:24.293 --> 00:16:26.133 Doing it on your own. 00:16:26.133 --> 00:16:34.893 I don't, you know, maybe back in the early 80s, when this was still all big and stuff and you might, they might pay you a lot because there is no spreadsheet. 00:16:34.893 --> 00:16:37.773 So they need that, you know, that might be one thing. 00:16:38.233 --> 00:16:47.393 But, you know, later on, when you're writing a game of which there are, you know, 75 other games just like it, you know, it's not going to get you that much money. 00:16:48.373 --> 00:16:55.013 I mean, and then, and then, and then, even then, back then, you worked on multiple platforms. 00:16:55.013 --> 00:16:56.373 Right, exactly, yeah. 00:16:56.373 --> 00:16:56.853 Right. 00:16:56.853 --> 00:16:58.173 To convert your game, I mean. 00:16:58.173 --> 00:16:59.333 Right, right. 00:16:59.333 --> 00:17:10.973 I mean, just think of Turrican where Manfred Trenz did the NES version himself, which is actually why the music sounds so horrible. 00:17:10.973 --> 00:17:11.333 Right. 00:17:11.333 --> 00:17:14.193 Because he's not a music guy whatsoever. 00:17:14.193 --> 00:17:25.413 Yeah, and the people that have programmed games or have designed programs, done music for or drawn for games, you don't see them doing, okay, I made Wing Commander, now I can sit back forever because I'm set for life. 00:17:25.413 --> 00:17:26.613 No. 00:17:26.613 --> 00:17:30.193 You go and do other stuff because you have to do other stuff. 00:17:30.193 --> 00:17:30.873 Right. 00:17:30.873 --> 00:17:31.293 Right. 00:17:31.293 --> 00:17:33.313 But Chris Roberts is a special case. 00:17:33.313 --> 00:17:38.433 I mean, he's working on a game that's supposed to be never finished. 00:17:38.433 --> 00:17:39.573 He's taking forever. 00:17:39.893 --> 00:17:43.793 But I'm just saying, I'm just picking a name out of a hat here. 00:17:43.793 --> 00:17:44.933 Right. 00:17:44.933 --> 00:17:46.393 Right. 00:17:46.393 --> 00:17:50.333 Because Star Citizen, will it ever come out? 00:17:50.333 --> 00:17:57.833 We don't know, but that's Chris Roberts, actually. 00:17:57.833 --> 00:17:58.553 Yeah. 00:17:58.553 --> 00:18:18.973 Anyway, speaking of games, Milestone, which actually is the studio in Italy that also has the MotoGP license and also does the HotWheel games. 00:18:20.673 --> 00:18:26.933 They announced a successor to the 90s racing game Screamer. 00:18:28.433 --> 00:18:29.273 Oh, okay. 00:18:29.273 --> 00:18:30.053 Yeah. 00:18:30.053 --> 00:18:33.013 So that's coming back in 2026. 00:18:35.033 --> 00:18:35.373 All right. 00:18:35.373 --> 00:18:35.693 All right. 00:18:36.933 --> 00:18:38.093 Yeah. 00:18:38.093 --> 00:18:44.293 And they released a trailer for the release. 00:18:45.313 --> 00:18:45.853 Okay. 00:18:45.853 --> 00:18:46.133 Cool. 00:18:46.133 --> 00:18:46.793 Yeah. 00:18:46.793 --> 00:18:51.273 Let's go put a link to that somewhere, or maybe we'll just stick it right here, whatever. 00:18:51.273 --> 00:18:59.653 And last but not least, the last news I've got, the demo scene portal Bitfellas is back. 00:18:59.833 --> 00:19:00.133 Okay. 00:19:00.133 --> 00:19:11.153 Bitfellas is also the news supplying portal for Puet, and they have been down for a few months. 00:19:11.153 --> 00:19:12.693 Okay. 00:19:12.693 --> 00:19:18.393 I know that because I always supply our podcast episodes to them. 00:19:18.393 --> 00:19:19.613 Right. 00:19:19.613 --> 00:19:23.153 And I couldn't because the site was down, so it's back up. 00:19:23.153 --> 00:19:24.853 It's good to know. 00:19:24.913 --> 00:19:25.433 Yes. 00:19:25.433 --> 00:19:27.433 Yes, indeed. 00:19:27.433 --> 00:19:29.233 And that's all the news I've got. 00:19:29.233 --> 00:19:29.573 Okay. 00:19:29.573 --> 00:19:31.753 Well, that's all I got too. 00:19:31.753 --> 00:19:33.853 Awesome. 00:19:33.853 --> 00:19:37.253 We'll jingle on down the road to Brandon Casteel. 00:19:37.253 --> 00:19:41.953 Happy, happy 2025 and Merry Christmas. 00:19:41.953 --> 00:19:43.033 Yes, indeed. 00:19:43.033 --> 00:19:47.073 And let's see what's happening in the New Year. 00:19:47.133 --> 00:19:49.133 Bye. 00:19:49.133 --> 00:20:03.653 Today, we have another interview with another guest, and we actually have Brandon Casteel from 3D Realms, and you are the lead designer of Tempest Rising. 00:20:05.313 --> 00:20:10.533 Yeah, I keep telling people, if I'm dreaming, don't pinch me because I'm enjoying it. 00:20:10.533 --> 00:20:11.313 Wonderful. 00:20:11.313 --> 00:20:13.593 So welcome to the show. 00:20:13.593 --> 00:20:14.533 Yeah, I'm glad to be here. 00:20:15.933 --> 00:20:17.653 I'm glad to be a part of this. 00:20:17.653 --> 00:20:19.053 Awesome. 00:20:19.053 --> 00:20:30.373 Yeah, I mean, the very special thing about Tempest Rising is, and that was actually transported early on, it's a homage on the Command and Conquer franchise. 00:20:33.613 --> 00:20:35.413 I didn't want to interrupt. 00:20:35.413 --> 00:20:44.613 So certainly Command and Conquer is one of our inspirations, but we are trying hard to stand up as our own thing, as our own game. 00:20:46.533 --> 00:20:56.033 Fred, the head of 3D Realms and myself, we bonded over a mutual love of the original Command and Conquer and of Hyperion Sign and Red Alert 2, the classics. 00:20:56.033 --> 00:21:03.773 But we're trying to be more than just an homage to Command and Conquer. 00:21:03.933 --> 00:21:04.933 Obviously. 00:21:04.933 --> 00:21:06.853 But I mean, there has to be a starting point. 00:21:06.853 --> 00:21:08.433 I guess that was it. 00:21:09.453 --> 00:21:28.833 I mean, shortly after we interviewed Frank Lepecke, you actually announced, I think, a week later that Frank Lepecke is also doing the soundtrack for the game, who also did the soundtrack for Command and Conquer, actually. 00:21:29.873 --> 00:21:32.813 Yeah, we were really glad to get Frank on board. 00:21:32.833 --> 00:21:35.093 He's a great and phenomenal guy to work with. 00:21:35.733 --> 00:21:38.533 He's not doing the whole soundtrack for the game. 00:21:38.873 --> 00:21:40.893 He's one of four or five composers. 00:21:40.893 --> 00:21:44.733 I'd have to double check exactly how many we ended up with. 00:21:44.733 --> 00:21:50.933 But yeah, he was phenomenal to work with and a great addition to our audio landscape. 00:21:50.933 --> 00:21:51.733 Awesome. 00:21:51.733 --> 00:21:56.433 Yeah, perhaps I should mention a bit of my relation for a second. 00:21:56.433 --> 00:22:07.833 It was actually the first game I bought when I was 15 in a Toys R Us, in a 96 from my own pocket money. 00:22:07.833 --> 00:22:10.913 So this was my relation. 00:22:10.913 --> 00:22:17.293 So it was very dear to my heart, and that's why I'm very happy that we finally do this interview. 00:22:17.293 --> 00:22:22.353 But perhaps let's start with the beginning of you a bit, if we may. 00:22:22.353 --> 00:22:31.833 What was your starting point in getting involved into computers, computer games, and finally being working on Tempest Rising? 00:22:32.033 --> 00:22:37.853 If you can make perhaps a short roundup of your history to this point. 00:22:37.853 --> 00:22:38.993 Yeah, absolutely. 00:22:40.133 --> 00:22:43.773 So I come to computers from my dad. 00:22:43.773 --> 00:22:48.233 My dad started out as a nurse in a hospital and ended up moving to their IT department. 00:22:48.233 --> 00:22:50.553 He's always loved technology. 00:22:50.553 --> 00:22:58.953 When I was a kid, he would take my brothers and I to computer shows at a local college and they would have all kinds of gadgets and video games. 00:22:59.813 --> 00:23:07.953 I remember getting a copy of the original StarCraft there, but it wasn't a US copy, it was an international copy, so it had like three languages in the manual. 00:23:10.493 --> 00:23:19.053 Because of that, my dad really being into gaming and technology when I was younger, that started me on the path. 00:23:20.133 --> 00:23:25.273 Red Alert 2 was a huge awakening for me when I was a young teen. 00:23:27.773 --> 00:23:35.273 I remember having Halo parties with my friends, and I'm sneaking off into the corner to play Red Alert 2 on the computers instead of Halo. 00:23:38.353 --> 00:23:46.593 Anyway, about 10 years ago, I was working in IT and I realized that I wasn't super happy in my job. 00:23:46.593 --> 00:23:54.293 I was talking with this programmer friend of mine, and she was like, oh no, I accidentally stayed up until 2 AM writing some script. 00:23:54.353 --> 00:23:58.653 And I was like, wow, when was the last time I was that passionate about something? 00:23:58.653 --> 00:24:01.893 And I realized for me, it was real-time strategy games. 00:24:01.893 --> 00:24:06.573 So in 2014, I started a blog called Wayward Strategy. 00:24:06.953 --> 00:24:08.873 That's still out there. 00:24:08.873 --> 00:24:10.693 I'm really proud of it. 00:24:10.693 --> 00:24:14.273 But from there, it kind of parlayed into some game design work. 00:24:14.413 --> 00:24:20.093 I've worked on a number of indie games, and the market's really volatile. 00:24:20.093 --> 00:24:22.053 So a lot of them, unfortunately, haven't come to light. 00:24:23.373 --> 00:24:34.213 But that kind of turned into membership in a think tank that 3D realms were running for what ended up becoming Tempest Rising. 00:24:34.213 --> 00:24:39.053 I guess they like what I said because after that, they offered me the role. 00:24:39.053 --> 00:24:42.513 Like I said earlier, it's really a dream come true. 00:24:42.513 --> 00:24:49.773 I am very, very passionate about real-time strategy games, and I'm very, very passionate about game design. 00:24:51.033 --> 00:24:54.753 I feel so fortunate to be able to be a part of this. 00:24:54.753 --> 00:25:02.273 But yeah, that's the width and breadth of my experience and what brought me over time to this point. 00:25:03.393 --> 00:25:05.493 Okay. 00:25:05.493 --> 00:25:11.333 You said sometimes you would like to be pinched, so you never thought it would end up. 00:25:11.333 --> 00:25:12.073 No, don't pinch me. 00:25:12.833 --> 00:25:15.433 Let me continue on with this dream. 00:25:18.093 --> 00:25:19.973 Yeah, it's quite interesting. 00:25:19.973 --> 00:25:36.133 So perhaps we should talk about the differences mainly, because as you mentioned, Tempest Rising tries to be much more than the Command and Conquer franchises at the beginning. 00:25:36.653 --> 00:25:45.873 And one of the major differences I saw is you have FMVs, but they are not by actors, but animated. 00:25:45.873 --> 00:26:02.553 And, I mean, I was reading a piece of article recently saying that FMVs with real actors is kind of dead, because you need a studio, you need actors that are expensive. 00:26:02.833 --> 00:26:18.633 But, on the other side, there is a genre reviving since the last five years, where you actually have FMV thriller games, mainly from China and Japan, interestingly. 00:26:18.633 --> 00:26:22.333 And even I saw some games coming out from Ireland. 00:26:23.433 --> 00:26:37.113 So, what was your decision making in not, well, you know, continuing the tradition of having real-time actors? 00:26:37.113 --> 00:26:40.513 I mean, Command and Conquer was not the only game that did that. 00:26:40.513 --> 00:26:44.973 There was also the series Act of War, who also had actors. 00:26:47.373 --> 00:26:53.873 So, with Tempest Rising, with any video game, studio has to lean into their strengths. 00:26:53.873 --> 00:27:06.513 And with Tempest Rising, with our studio, our strengths don't really lend ourselves well to something like studio space and props and costuming. 00:27:07.873 --> 00:27:15.253 But we do have a lot of really talented 3D artists, and we do have a lot of really talented animators. 00:27:15.253 --> 00:27:24.013 So when we were presented the opportunity to use Unreal Engine 5 and its MetaHuman technology, that's where our strengths as a studio play. 00:27:26.753 --> 00:27:29.273 So I love seeing games that do this. 00:27:29.273 --> 00:27:32.553 There's a couple of indie games coming out that are also doing this. 00:27:32.553 --> 00:27:38.133 And in some cases, it's one or two guys that are doing this themselves. 00:27:38.133 --> 00:27:40.673 And I love that. 00:27:40.673 --> 00:27:47.553 I think Dying Breed is a kind of an isometric, another homage to classic RTS that's coming out. 00:27:47.553 --> 00:27:52.013 And the lead developer is playing one of the characters himself, and he's doing all the costuming himself. 00:27:52.513 --> 00:27:54.473 And I love seeing that. 00:27:54.473 --> 00:28:01.033 But as a studio, we had to make the decision to focus on what we did well. 00:28:01.033 --> 00:28:04.813 And for us, we felt like that was a better bet. 00:28:06.893 --> 00:28:08.633 So that's pretty much what it comes down to. 00:28:09.033 --> 00:28:13.613 It was trying to stay with what our studio does well. 00:28:13.693 --> 00:28:19.433 It's actually interesting that you mentioned it, because 3D Realms is not really known for RTS games. 00:28:19.433 --> 00:28:24.053 More for first-person shooters or jump and runs. 00:28:24.053 --> 00:28:25.593 Not really for RTSs. 00:28:25.593 --> 00:28:31.733 So it's kind of a tapping into a new genre for this studio as a whole. 00:28:31.733 --> 00:28:43.293 So the way I put it, because I've had interviews kind of like this before, and what I feel like 3D Realms is about, is about bringing classic gaming experiences back. 00:28:44.633 --> 00:28:50.473 And we have done that with the shooters, and we're branching out for sure. 00:28:50.473 --> 00:28:52.933 This is a big step for us. 00:28:52.933 --> 00:28:59.793 But I think it's the same philosophy that drives Tempest Rising, that drives our other projects. 00:28:59.793 --> 00:29:08.133 And it's about finding what's so enduring about these experiences from the 90s and early 2000s and bringing them back. 00:29:09.053 --> 00:29:11.813 And I really feel like that's what we're trying to do with Tempest Rising. 00:29:12.933 --> 00:29:13.473 Awesome. 00:29:13.473 --> 00:29:14.853 Awesome. 00:29:14.853 --> 00:29:15.253 Yeah. 00:29:15.253 --> 00:29:28.193 I mean, you as a lead designer, what is your point where you say you want to stay similar, and where you want to differ a lot? 00:29:28.193 --> 00:29:36.833 I think the last demo of the game had something called the fair, the spares, the rolling balls. 00:29:37.253 --> 00:29:38.833 The tempest sphere. 00:29:38.833 --> 00:29:39.633