Why are you studying games?
I'm studying games because, in high school, I realized I had to justify why I spent so much time playing them.
On a more serious front, I'm studying games because they've always been my passion. No matter what I was studying, games were my primary resource for articulation. This has a dream of mine before I realized it was possible.
Describe your favorite project made by a classmate.
The Singing Bone by Owen Bell, Jingin Jiu and Alex Feigenbaum was a word association game about finding a murderer. I hadn't seen a game about trying to see how vague words and phrases work together and their game ended up being really fun to play.
What's your secret weapon?
My charisma. Also, my astonishing skill for remember names and dates.
Describe one memorable lecture, assignment, or exercise you've had at the Game Center.
When Jack Fletcher spoke about vocal direction in games, he noticed my name was Alex after making a comment and my classmates reacting. When I asked a question later, he responded with my name. Needless to say, I was shocked and flattered.
How has the Game Center changed your thinking about games?
Game Center has given me the community I've always wanted. I'm finally able to think about and discuss games at any point in my day. One of the biggest things Game Center has shown me is the importance of iteration. Nothing is good at the first draft and refining ideas into a polished game is at the core of this department. It's amazing to see how open everyone is with their design processes.
What do you hope to accomplish after school?
After school, I want to teach. I love discussing games and I feel that lecturing and fostering a strong game community is something I'm very happy doing. I also want to work on games blended with unique narrative situations.
What's the last great game you played and what's great about it?
I replayed Final Fantasy VII a few months ago. I was staggered by how synergistic the battle system was with the field. By having magic obtainable in the field, abilities could be given out and specific points and created a wonderful justification for what the party could do. I hadn't ever noticed how brilliant it was before.
