Matt Chat 132: Fracture, Force Unleashed, Clone Wars, and More with Mark Soderwall

In the final segment of my interview with Mark Soderwall, we chat about his work on Fracture, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Clone Wars, and much more. We also talk about the importance of game history, what it takes to be a professional game developer, and Mark's choice of reading material.

I spent 12 hours making this video. Will you spend 12 seconds to give me a dollar for all my work?
http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/3793

Check out Mark's amazing Game Creators' Vault here:
http://www.facebook.com/GameCreatorsVault

Ale of the week:
Alaskan Barley Wine Ale. Learn more about it here:
http://www.alaskanbeer.com/our-brew/limited-edition/pilot-series/barley-wine....

Darn good brew!

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• matt chat
• mark soderwall
• clone war
• Clone Wars (Star Wars)
• fracture
• games
• videogames
• interview
• graphics

[MazokuRanma]

I'm rather curious about the Tass Times game that you talked about with Burger Becky.

Also, how cool was it to find out someone you respect and admire so much in the industry owns your book? =D That must be pretty sweet.

[blacklily8]

@MazokuRanma Well, we did give him a signed copy. I was more impressed than he'd actually read it. :)

[topdog72]

Wonderful, enlightening show as usual, Matt.

I have a curiously different question, unrelated to the video. You mentioned that you're on sabbatical this semester. May I ask if you have a special project that you're working on during this time, either school or non-school related? I am familiar with music department sabbaticals, since I work at a University as a pianist; but I am curious to find out how professors in the English department savor their hard-earned semester off from school.

[blacklily8]

@topdog72 My research area is new media and technology, but mostly wikis and videogames. The upshot is that when I'm playing a game, I'm doing research, much like a literature professor reading his or her favorite books.

[EdwardElric555]

The whole game makers aren't gamers doesn't surprise me at all.

[blacklily8]

@EdwardElric555 It really shocks and disappoints me. Much like hearing an actor say "I never watch movies." Huh? I'm sorry, but if you got no love for the industry, you need to move the hell over for someone who has true passion.

[LOLyourmumLOL]

Jagged Alliance

[SnatcherNL]

Great Video Matt. The first game is good and in some parts even great, but the second one is better. Shame that after Gothic 2 the series went downhill. Great chalice btw, cheers mate :)

[haniblectre]

@blacklily8 When a filmmaker watches a movie, he is watching the film with a filmmakers eye. He understands the cinematography techniques, the tricks, the special effects, etc. In the same way, as a game engineer, when I play a game, I'm analyzing it as I'm playing it, thinking about the technical flaws, etc. I can't really play a game anymore without doing that. That doesn't mean I'm not passionate about game development. John Carmack has said that he enjoys coding more than playing.

[codykonior]

Retrospective game recommendation: Freespace 2 (or the original, but 2 is superior)

[codykonior]

Sometimes you interview these guys who I don't know up front, but quickly come to realise are intellectual giants, and a pleasure to listen to them talk about art and life; the kind of guys you wish were your big brothers. It's awesome. Soderwall is now one of them.

[IgorHardy]

@blacklily8 I was shocked and disappointed too. But in your comparison don't you mean directors, editors and such rather than actors?

From what I hear in interviews with actors they often treat their work as elaborate role-plays and don't have much interest for the "uninteractive" side of movie experience.

[IgorHardy]

Great interview! Even though I'm normally more interested in different kinds of games Mr Soderwall was a pleasure to listen to.

The advice for aspiring devs/artists and what kind of mindset to have about your work was also very reasonable and motivating.

[DOSBoxMom]

@blacklily8 Thank you!

[EdwardElric555]

@blacklily8 I wanna be a game designer because I love games and the potential they have for enriching people's lives be it something entertaining & fun (the right way) or just pure thought provoking. I have passion, but no game right now cause I'm lazy T_T.

[EdwardElric555]

@blacklily8 I know it hurts Matt. I slowly more and more angry at the human race for making the CoD series so stupidly popular. The reason it didn't surprise me was because I used to watch a lot of press events from Developers and they say some downright stupid and retarded things like the conversation wheel in Mass Effect being innovative O_O or a more recent case with the DmC game where the producer said the 1st game came out 15 years ago, FUCKING RAGE right there.

[XENON3120]

@blacklily8 you know what I'm gonna talk to few people on TGS TheGameStation (same people that partnered my channel) and I'm gonna let them know about your channel. TGS is looking for some talented people like you and that will definitely boost your chances of getting partnered with them in the near future.Its pretty basic stuff.You get the contract,you sign,you wait for youtube to get in contact and active your partner account,after that you get payed for all the video you do.