Nadav Bar Kama, founder and Project Manager at NAFNA Games, is a self-described optimist whose exuberance for games comes through clearly as he describes the games he is currently playing. He says, “I try to play as much as I can. I play for both professional reasons and for joy, although sometimes I find it hard to distinguish between the two.”
A Game Connoisseur
He plays iPad and Browser Flash games. These days, his favorites are “BADLAND, an outstanding game; Zombie Tsunami, a technically brilliant game with a lovely sense of humor; Toss the Turtle, a great mix of gore and humor; Zombotron 1 and 2, both easy ambient adventure shooters, and the very intense Spell Sword, and Super Crate Box.” He also mentions Little Inferno because he just “loves burning stuff.” He prefers iOS for personal use, although for games development, his goal is to have their games on as many platforms as possible.
Love at First Ninjump
Nadav became a convert to the games industry when a friend let him play Ninjump from Blackflip Studios, on his device. It was, he says, “instant love. The mix of art and technology that form instant moments of joy just captivated me.” His first step was to start playing games, a lot of games! The next step was forming a team to begin developing games. Collectively, they have a lot of experience in programming, animation and design, so they simply needed to adapt their skills to the specifics of game development. The first step in this process was skinning a casual game, resulting in Footy Tap. The second step, now in process, they consider more innovative: the development of their new title, Asslay Gore, featured in the Indie Prize Showcase at Casual Connect Europe.
Although he is just getting started, Nadav feels the best thing about the industry is the people, saying, “There are so many great and talented people in the games industry; it is an honor mixing with them.”
Focus and Philosophy
The essence of Nadav’s work lies in keeping the team focused on their plan. Their short term objectives change, they have developed new knowledge and abilities, and new standards and tools become available almost daily, so constant adaptation is essential. But their long-term objectives and project philosophy remain. Nadav analyzes games to understand all the game elements, including game art, game play, user interface, menus, features, and sound tracks, among others. Then he tries to blend these insights into their philosophy of game development.
Trends Come and Go, Gaming Remains
As Nadav considers what the future trends in the game industry may be, he maintains that they must create an abstract game development philosophy that is beyond, and can contain, any trend or new technology. When there is a promising new trend, they will study it and see if it can blend into their project. But he insists, “Trends will come and go, but it is the basic human need for fun, competition, entertainment, distraction, and social connections that are the core of game and play. We hope they shall always be present in our creations.”
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