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10 questions :: 10 game industry questions - adam mckern

10 Game Industry Questions - Adam McKern

AUSTRALIAN GAME INDUSTRY Q and A - 10 Questions with Adam McKern - Owner of Nigredo Studios


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Fullname: Adam Tebbutt McKern

Nickname: amckern

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Current Company: Nigredo Studios

Current Project: Codename ‘Prime’ (Unsigned)

Gaming Systems Owned: The good old PC & a Sega Master System Plus (One of those ones that came with a Built-in Game, and card + slot readers (I think the ACMI has one in the basement show room))


1. What is your job role where you work and can you explain what it entails?

I am one of the partners at Nigredo Studios a Start up in Sydney’s Baulkham Hills, Where we are working on a FPRPRTS Hybrid for the PC.

What dose my role entail? A normal day can involve anything from development work (programming, level design etc), to public relations and HR, all while trying to reach the vital objective of finding an investment partner.

One of the things I have had the most fun doing in the past year was Black Turtle AI (An advanced version of the AI found in Left4Dead), and adding a balanced ‘commander’ mode to single player.



2. What games have you been directly involved with previously?

My experience comes from years of Modifications, yet I have worked with Nocturnal Central (as many people would have) on the UAG Pack & Catapult IDE for the GBA.

But to rattle off a few things people might know of:

    Source (Half-Life 2)
  • Night Fall – Game Play, AI & Effects Programmer
  • Incoming Source – AI Programmer
  • Nuclear Dawn – Weapons & Optimisation Programming
  • Half-Life 2 Capture The Flag – Level Design
  • AVP – My pet project that I have no time for at this moment
  • I also founded, and worked on the CST Compiler.
    GoldSrc (Half-Life 1)
  • Sven Coop – Level Design
  • Natural Selection – Level Design
  • Sex Drugs & Beer Can – Programming
  • Strong Bad Mod – Programming
  • ZHLT 3.0 – Optimisation Programming
    Doom 3
  • Sapphire Scar - Programming


3. How did you get your start in the gaming industry?

Talking to people at Free Play 2005.



4. What has been the most positive experience of working in the games industry so far?

One of the best things I have found is the amount of talented people willing to give there best to a common goal (God how textbook does that sound?). I am also happy that I can join a random IRC chat channel with my avatar, and people go, OMG Its him, the guy who makes games for a living!



5. What has been the most negative experience of working in the games industry so far?

The lack of people working at publishers that are willing to give start ups a chance.



6. What advice can you give to other people looking to get into a position such as yours?

If you want to move into owning your own start up, read as much as you can, take your experience, and watch the rumour mills about what publishers are doing. Also invest in an artistic person that has a back ground in advertising, as there marketing experience will be the best investment in your life! You will be nocked back for funding MANY times when you pitch your game, so establish a good budget for at least 1-2 years of pre-production, look at what engines are around and see if you can use a restricted engine (Almost like ‘mod code’) to build a demo of the game, and once you receive funding take a licence out on it.



7. How do you see Australia as a market when compared to the rest of the world?

The Australian market is small, but we have so much talent here, I can see why the big guns are setting up satellite studios to partner with there marketing and distribution offices like Inter Zone, and Sega.



8. Got any good stories you want to share?

I’ll just give you my saying: "The best stuff is always the worst to clean up."



9. What are your favourite games and why?

  • Siberian Strike (Sagem/Mobile) – Every one has to love a mobile game
  • Aliens (Sega Master System Plus) – One of the best title screens I have seen in my life
  • Mech. Warrior 3 (PC) – I always expected mech’s to be square, and MW3 did this for me. Sadly the increase in polygons in MW4, and the XBox versions of the game made them to round and organic looking.
  • Natural Selection (Modification) – I was at first sceptical at the hype when it first came out, But after picking it up and having a few rounds on GamingSA’s server I fell in love with it. I am now one of the lead administrators at CustomFactor, Australia’s largest NS Community (And a reasonable commander as well).
  • Guild Wars (MMO) – I play this because it’s free. I treat it as a casual game; enjoy the story line, as well as the well-designed environments.



10. If you could meet any gaming character in real life, who would it be and why?


If I meet Crow Teams Serious Sam, I would be wrapt! Why? All that fire power, and still the ability to pull one-liners at the best of times.


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