#118 Indie Game Dev Jabrils talks about AI, Anime, and How to Build Games
Apr 5, 2024
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Indie game dev Jabrils discusses AI in game development, childhood gaming memories, balancing authenticity in content creation, collaborating with artists, and the value of curiosity in pursuing passions.
Passion and innovation drive content creation and game development.
Scope management is crucial in game development to avoid derailment.
AI tools enhance productivity in content creation and game development.
Feed curiosity to explore and learn in creative endeavors.
Blend entertaining narratives with impactful messages in storytelling projects.
Deep dives
Passion-driven Content Creation
The journey from working odd jobs to finding his calling in content creation showcases the passion-driven nature of creating videos that combine exploration of new concepts with an entertaining presentation.
Viral Video Success and Normalization
Experiencing viral success with videos like the 'Infinite Staircase' and '48-hour Game Jam' highlighted the transient nature of fame, leading to a normalization of content creation as more videos succeeded.
Lessons in Game Development Evolution
The evolution of game development tools, from GameMaker to Unity, reflects the changing landscape of indie game development, with a shift towards accessibility and versatility in game creation.
Approach to Video Creation and Game Development
Balancing genuine passion for exploring new ideas and presenting them in an engaging manner defines the approach to creating videos and developing games, focusing on innovation and entertainment for the audience.
Jibrill's Journey in Game Development
Jibrill shares insights into the diverse paths game developers navigate, from creating games for a living to seeking funding and engaging with audiences through platforms like YouTube. The common thread among developers is their passion for storytelling and gaming, emphasizing the importance of scope, passion for game development, and targeting existing audiences.
Scope and Creativity in Game Development
Understanding and managing scope is a critical aspect of game development to ensure projects are completed. Jibrill emphasizes the significance of honing the skill of scoping out game elements and goals effectively, avoiding scope creep that can derail projects. The focus on shipping games is emphasized, highlighting the balance between creativity and the practicality of releasing finished products.
The Intersection of AI and Game Development
Jibrill discusses his fascination with AI stemming from childhood observations of video game enemy behaviors. He highlights the productivity benefits of using AI tools in various aspects of content creation, from video advice to game feature inputs. While recognizing AI's impact on efficiency, Jibrill advocates for incorporating AI as a valuable tool while understanding its limitations and room for improvement.
Curiosity and Hacks Where IP
Encouraging individuals to feed their curiosity is a guiding principle for Jibrill's creative journey, motivating exploration and learning. His upcoming project, 'Hacks Where,' is unveiled as a vast intellectual property centered around a galaxy of shonen battle stories. The narrative explores themes of struggle, growth, and overcoming challenges, with plans for a manga, interactive experiences, and video games within the IP.
Insights into Storytelling and Inspired Creations
Jibrill shares his aspirations of storytelling impact akin to the profound themes embedded in popular IPs like X-Men. Through 'Hacks Where,' he aims to blend entertaining narratives with underlying messages, echoing the power of storytelling. His long-term vision focuses on sharing compelling stories that resonate with audiences, channeling creativity into impactful projects that provoke thought and entertainment.
On this week's episode of the podcast, I interview Jabril. He's an indie game developer who's building a turn-based fighting game called ultrabouters.
Jabril has developed tons of other games as well. He runs the popular Jabrils gamedev focused-YouTube. He's also published a 5-hour introduction to programming course on freeCodeCamp.
We talk about:
- How Jabril got into gamedev as a kid when he got a copy of GameMaker - Jabril's career working at a comedy club and a radio station - The anime that Jabril's been working on for years - Jabril's advice to gamedevs who want to make a career out of building video games
Can you guess what bass line I'm playing on my bass during the intro? It's a 2009 song that became popular in the 2010's by being associated with a meme.
Be sure to share this podcast with a friend. Let's inspire more folks to learn to code and build careers for themselves in tech.
Also, I want to thank the 8,909 kind people who support our charity each month, and who make this podcast possible. You can join them and support our mission at: https://www.freecodecamp.org/donate
Links we talk about during the interview:
Jabril's full length Programming for Beginners course on freeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/programming-for-beginners-how-to-code-with-python-and-c-sharp/
That time Quincy angered the entire BTS army with a confused tweet: https://twitter.com/ossia/status/993171422863417344
"The best episodes of Shark Tank are the bad ideas." How Jabril created a Fake Shark Tank Episode Generator using AI tools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcGjYivktyc
Subscribe to Jabril on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Jabrils
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