What’s your role at FlatPonies?

I’m a student working in production! That means I help out with all sorts of planning work, making sure everything we want to make can get made – and will get made! It also means I get to bother and annoy all the other people on the team, which is one of my most valuable skills. I get to learn a lot about what everyone is doing and imagine how everything is coming together. It’s awesome.

What makes a great work environment?

Genuinely, it’s a group of people having fun making games, while also being serious about creating the best game they can. Most of all, though – and it’s definitely a cliché, especially in game dev – it really is an incredibly people-first place to work.

What excites you most about our current project?

Seeing the passion and focus that goes into it being rewarded with positive responses from testers and players. That never gets old, and it’s always the thing that helps you push on.

What’s been the biggest ‘aha’ moment in development so far?

Probably seeing the planning work I’m doing help the team make big and important decisions about the game. Sometimes production can feel like you’re not working on the actual game, so it’s gratifying to see how the work I’m doing can really make a difference in what the game becomes.

What’s a fun or unexpected fact about you that your teammates might not know about you? 

I worked for almost three years as an apprentice to a master woodworker. It was mostly cabinetry work, but also some fine furniture. Super fun and interesting – and a bit different from making games (but not that different). Let me know if you have any wood questions!

If you could jump back in time, and play your favorite childhood video game, which one would it be and why? OR What’s a gaming moment from your childhood that you’ll never forget?

I’ll never forget playing NBA Live ‘09 on the Wii with my older brother. We played well over 1,000 games against each other. My brother established himself as a serial winner (as in, he won every single game we played). Finally, after monumental and continuous effort on my part, my foe was defeated: Denver Nuggets 89 – 78 San Antonio Spurs. People rejoiced in the streets; church bells rang out their brassy peals in celebration of this historic achievement. Then my brother told me he let me win – and I cried. Core gamer moment.

Tell us about your pony—why is it designed this way?

A wizard never reveals his secrets…

*Nick’s pony avatar is still being designed – so, stay tuned!*