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The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

From Silent Hill to Immortality with Sam Barlow

Oct 24, 2022
Sam Barlow, Game Director at Half Mermaid, talks about his career in the gaming industry, working on the Silent Hill franchise, and his decision to go indie. They discuss the challenges and experiences that led to his first indie project, creating games that require a full film crew, and the design of his newest title Immortality.
02:31:32

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Sam Barlow's early experiences in game development involved salvaging a challenging project by focusing on creating a dumb, fun, and violent game that appealed to teenage boys.
  • Working on Silent Hill games at Climax Studios allowed Sam Barlow to showcase his interaction design skills and deliver a classic Silent Hill experience.

Deep dives

Working on Crusty Demons

Early in Sam's career at Climax Studios, he was involved in the creation of the game Crusty Demons, which was based on the motocross group. The project faced numerous challenges, including a negative response from testers, but Sam and the team managed to salvage it by focusing on creating a dumb, fun, and violent bike game that appealed to teenage boys. The game received mixed reviews but provided Sam with valuable experience in writing, working with actors, and being part of a game development team.

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