I’m Benoit Freslon, I’m 31, based in France, and I’ve liked making games since my childhood. I studied in a gaming school and earned experience in a game studio in Paris before becoming a solo indie game developer in 2009.
EnigmBox on iOS is a compilation of 56 different puzzles that make you “think outside the box”. Use all the iPhone functionalities: move it, touch it, take pictures, capture videos, plug in accessories, use location service, all buttons and the mobile features. At Casual Connect Asia this game won the Best in Show Critics Choice and the Most Innovative Game awards.
David Lease, CTO of 5th Planet Games, is responsible for all technical aspects of the company, including development, execution, hardware, software, data storage, and product stability. Lease joined 5th Planet Games at an early stage, as the first full-time onsite employee. He joined other 5th Planet Games members to discuss creating a game studio.
Lease left a career involving the development of point-of-sale systems for the largest stone exporter in the world where he ran a large staff of developers for the better part of a decade, gaining abundant real world experience in such areas as scheduling, stability, and long-term functionality. This is all knowledge he uses in the challenges at 5th Planet Games.
Growing Together
Many of 5th Planet’s employees had different levels of experience when they begin working for the company. Watching the staff grow professionally, in part through the processes and tools 5th Planet Games puts in place, is an experience that offers Lease many proud moments. But the most exciting thing about the games industry, for Lease, is the creative and driven people he works with. “Taking a project from basic idea to full digital launch, with passionate people, is a uniquely rewarding experience,” he said.
Lease feels the biggest challenge facing the games industry today is balancing the creation of original and innovative products with the profitability necessary to make any business realistic. 5th Planet Games has concentrated on making games they find compelling and innovative above all else. Consequently, the profitability of the business has followed close behind.
Dawn of the Dragons is just one of the games in 5PG’s portfolio
Mobile is the Future
In the near future, Lease believes we will be seeing a single device for gaming, entertainment, and communication. Although this is not a new idea, he anticipates that it will come through smartphones. 5th Planet Games is responding by making mobile a large part of their future plans.
In his free time, Lease has fun with software development as well as training for and running marathons. He’s an avid gamer of physical and digital games. He grew up playing on PC, but today his preferred platform is mobile. “Lately the variety and depth of content coming out on mobile is awe-inspiring,” Lease said. He has been playing a lot of Flick Kick Football Legends because of its CCG and RPG elements in a sports setting, a combination he finds both interesting and addictive.
