#blue void

Story by Trevor Green

UAT alumni Jessica Lang, Parish Regn-Stillwaggon and Russell Sakolsky have formed game development company Blue Void Studios, along with former UAT student Nicholas Pfisterer. Their first full game, Blink, is a first-person, puzzle platformer that puts gamers in control of a character suffering visual extinction, a neurological condition where a person cannot interpret two stimuli at the same time.

Blink is being created on Unreal Development Kit (UDK). Lang and Pfisterer are in charge of game design, level design and 2D/3D art duties. Pfisterer is also tasked with audio (music, sound effects) and programming in UnrealScript. Regn-Stillwaggon does scripting, level design and other tasks, using Hydra Development Kit to work with UDK.

Lang's goals for Blink are for the game to be released and challenge design conventions, giving players "a fresh and immersive experience." The visual extinction aspect affects gameplay, as players switch between two versions of the world to see different realities-though the game takes fictional liberties with the disorder.

(See the group's Kickstarter video at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bluevoidstudios/blink-a-surreal-first-person-gaming-experience.)

"Unlike real-life visual extinction, what players cannot see really isn't there. In one version of the world, you might see a platform on which you can stand, but in the other is a gaping crevice leading to your death," says Lang.

The group launched a Kickstarter online fundraising campaign to raise money for development costs. The effort raised $14,580, beating their $10,000 goal. (Their backup financing plans include a PayPal option on their website, soliciting Indie Fund for assistance and (worst case scenario, according to Lang) finding a publisher.) She notes that they want to turn their hobby into full-time work.

"Game development is what we're passionate about. Isn't that why we attended UAT?"

Blink originated with this year's Global Game Jam (a 48-hour contest to create a playable game), but its roots were established several years prior. The team formed in 2009 with two members (Lang and Pfisterer) dedicated to create a game for the Gamma 4 one-button design challenge.

While they did not finish in time for the contest, the endeavor inspired them to accomplish several goals by creating a full-fledged horror game that players could enjoy. Regn-Stillwaggon, a horror game fan, came onboard as programmer.

"[Pfisterer and I had] been talking about independent development for a long time and it's what we both want for ourselves, so it became a natural fit to become a part of Blue Void," says Regn-Stillwaggon.

A meeting with motion controller developer Sixense at the 2010 Game Developer's Conference netted them a development kit and a second programmer in Sakolsky.

The team works from both coasts, using Skype and Google Calendar to coordinate work and schedules, a challenging feat for the members. Regn-Stillwaggon uses a set schedule to stay on task and remain refreshed.