Meet the Team: Ian Bell
Each week we’re going to be going behind the scenes here at Slightly Mad Studios to give you a brief insight into the minds and backgrounds of the team. First up is Head Of Studio, Ian Bell!
What games have you worked on?
GTR, GT Legends, GTR2, BMW M3 Challenge, Need For Speed: SHIFT, SHIFT 2 Unleashed
What does your job involve?
As Head of Studio I’m involved in many different aspects from defining the direction and philosophy of the company to setting fast lap times for the team to beat ;o)
What influenced you to get into the games industry?
A bit of a rebellious nature I guess – I remember being scolded by my mum as a 15-year-old coder that there would never be a future in what I was doing and I should go and get an education instead. So I did both – I studied for a PhD in Human Computer Interaction and then formed SimBin.
If you weren’t working in videogames therefore, what would you be doing instead?
I’d be a psych lecturer
What’s been your proudest moment working at Slightly Mad Studios?
Forming SimBin originally, forming Blimey! Games thereafter and subsequently saving the team with the formation of Slightly Mad Studios. Oh, and shipping GTR2 exactly how we wanted it ;o)
You’ve worked on a number of racing titles – are there any other genres you’d like to work on also?
With our newly-formed sister company Gamagio the possibilities are endless for the creation of any number of titles in existing and new genres so watch this space, we’ve got some exciting titles outside of racing already up our sleeve!
What’s your favorite game of all time?
Elite – ground breaking, engrossing, and influential. Simply the best.
What was your first car you bought, and what car do you drive now?
A 1984 XR2 Fiesta – I think it was just £3200! At the moment I have a Ferrari 599 and a Porsche Cayenne
Where do you see gaming going in the future?
We’re already starting to see huge growth coming from free-to-play, iteratively-updated titles with the revenue instead coming from addons/expansions/downloadable content. Micro-transactions are they key.