MG’s first exclusive interview with programmer Aubrey
Murray on his game Stella Spella. Aubrey gives us the inside track on what it really takes to release a game in this modern society.
Stella Spella is an arcade adventure based around Stella and Miles’s quest to spell words to free them from the enchanted forest.
A split-screen arcade adventure, it re-frames the problem and gives players ample opportunities for action, and to cooperate and solve the puzzle, which lies at its heart.
The game sounds like a fantastic idea, it is educational and fun, where did the idea come from?
The idea actually came from my daughter, I sat down with her and asked her what sort of game she would like to play. So the inspiration behind it is all her, she sketched it out and I created it.
The game sounds like a fantastic idea, it is educational and fun, where did the idea come from?
The idea actually came from my daughter, I sat down with her and asked her what sort of game she would like to play. So the inspiration behind it is all her, she sketched it out and I created it.
That’s amazing, must be nice having a father that can create a game for you from scratch, why do you think your game is important?
There is a huge gap between ‘games’ that are just for fun and educational games. When children are playing educational games it feels too much like a chore and less like a game. For me, it was important to bridge the game between play and learning. It should be one and the same thing. As a parent it was important for me to create something that would be good for a child, their attention will be caught and held, they are having fun and they are learning. That is missing from other games currently.
This game is great not just as a learning tool but as a social one as well. The game is split-screen so two people can play it at the same time, it’s not about competing but co-operation and this to me was very important. The social aspect of the game, other games you just give your child the iPad or tablet and leave them to their own devices but with this, you actually interact, it raises questions, the bonding aspect for me was high on my priorities. That’s something that’s great about gaming it brings people together and I didn’t want to miss out on that aspect when creating a game.
The two main characters in the game are black, was this important to you?
Yes, very important. It was at the forefront of my mind and the characters are of course based on my two children so yeah they would be black. It is important to create black characters because there isn’t enough representation. If we don’t put black characters in games no one else will. The idea of showcasing black children learning in today’s society was necessary.
Representation is, of course, an important message that we fully support.
The idea of social gaming is something we love to champion at MG and we love the idea of interacting on a game such as this, as I understand it this game was released earlier this year and it was a rather arduous process trying to get the game published, please tell us more about this.
(Laughs) Yes, it wasn’t easy.
You had to, in fact, create an entire company just to publish the game! Is the system rigged against individuals trying to publish a game?
Well yes and no, but for me that was the only way, starting my own company (GN Developments) to publish a game because…the problem is twofold. I am a programmer that’s my background and what I do so entering the sort of design -side, everything was new to me, there was a lot of closed doors and things I honestly didn’t know. Creating a company and publishing it that way was the only option I saw. The only other way to publish a game is to get someone to invest in the game, you have to appeal to these larger publishers and unless you know someone well your game isn’t getting published.
Aubrey Murray has also created the game: Nubian Jak it is a digital version of the original board game. Designed to teach and reinforce black history and achievements.
That’s a shame and I can’t imagine how many games are going unnoticed and unpublished because of this very reason. It’s strange to me that there isn’t a system in place for an individual who wants to publish a game.
That’s the thing, if there is and maybe there is but I don’t know about it. Only recently have I started going to events to network, events like yours, POC in play, Level Up Link Up and Bame in Game. Those places felt safe for me, because I was already outside my comfort zone trying to publish a game when I knew nothing about publishing a game, but I knew at places like this (MG, POC in Play Level Up Link Up, Bame in Game) there was a place for me to gain some understanding.
I went for 20 years not seeing another black programmer, this intimidated me, it was why I didn’t ever like the idea of networking, you walk into a room a not a single person looks like you, it’s not a good feeling.
When I saw a base that I could go to, surrounded by people who look like you it just feels you with inspiration, there are more of us out there, the situation isn’t as hopeless as it seems.
We are fortunate that these spaces are available and I believe they are all trying to push for more representation and of course a safe space, sometimes just seeing someone that looks like you is all you need. Something so simple but it means so much. Now that you have started networking, things can only get better from here so what’s next on the agenda?
Expanding StellaSpella, creating a section where people can input custom words. For example, if your child comes back from school with a list of words to learn for homework, you can input it into the game. Having spoken to you I know that I can try to exhibit my game at gaming conferences. This is why networking is important, I didn’t know that.
I am Annabel or creativelyanzy as I’m known online! I am the founder of Melanin Gamers: a gaming community that promotes diversity and inclusivity in the video games industry, with a special focus on content creators; whiles also providing a safe space for people of colour to come together and game