Driven by a desire to create games that come alive and resonate with players, Vladimir Funtikov co-founded Tallinn-based Creative Mobile, and after only four years, it became one of the largest mobile gaming companies in Northern Europe. His passion for games began with his first PC, and almost immediately, he started creating games, beginning with basic Warcraft and SimCity scenarios, then moving to single-player levels for Duke Nukem 3D, and eventually making multi-player maps for Counter-Strike.
“As an evangelist, we’ve seen many projects and spoken to many developers and the central issue whenever there is a problem with a project, it’s always architecture,” Rustum Scammell told his audience during Casual Connect Asia 2014. “The problems that are faced from a shaky foundation arise much later on in the project, and by that time it’s really too difficult to go back and start all over again.”
Rustum Scammell is a product evangelist at Unity Technologies, as well as the owner of the game studio, Craft Colony. He describes himself as a traditional gamer with a preference for playing on PC. Recently, he has been spending time playing Tropico 4, saying it has amazing production value and is very immersive and funny. He does become involved in free-to-play games and admits to spending far too much gold on Travian many years ago. But he must be less immersed in console play, since as yet he doesn’t own either Xbox One or PS4; he just hasn’t bothered to get them yet.
When not gaming, Scammell loves to travel where he can see things beyond his comfort zone. Not long ago he visited Masai Mara. He says of this experience, “It hits you pretty deep when you realize you are so close to where it all began. It’s also a unique feeling to know you could easily be dinner out there!”
Scammell initially began working for Unity Technologies externally and found the experience went very well. So when the opportunity arose to become their product evangelist, it made sense to him to join the company. An aspect of his work that he particularly enjoys is sharing his story and hearing how other people’s lives have led them into the industry. He points out, “I have heard so many journeys, and so far each is unique. I suppose that’s why we all get attracted into this world. It’s really varied, and there’s always a surprise around the corner.”
Not long ago he visited Masai Mara. He says of this experience, “It hits you pretty deep when you realize you are so close to where it all began.”
Finding The Path
The most exciting time Scammell remembers in his career came when he shipped his first game. He believes everything he went through to reach this point was necessary and emphasizes this belief, “All experiences in life, good and bad, shape you and lead you down the roads that you visit in your life.”
When considering the future of the games industry, he insists the most important direction to proceed is a return to the basics: good story, characters, gameplay, and high production values.
