GM Edge

Jay, more commonly known as Polystyrene Man, is a good friend of mine. He is also probably my favorite Game Maker user, and has brought us instant classics like A Day in the Life of Bob, Plaxis, Absolute Zero, Xochitl, and more recently vim. Being the fountain of inspiration and brilliance that he is, I decided to ask him a few questions.
Zane: So, what exactly got you into creating games? You say you’ve never owned a console.

Jay: It’s true that I’ve never owned a console, but I’ve always had a PC. When I was younger, I enjoyed playing games such as Roller Coaster Tycoon and The Sims. I wouldn’t say that these influenced my decision to begin game making, though- mainly, I was bored with playing my PC games and wanted to see if I could make something better. So Game Maker served as a challenge and a creative outlet.

Zane: What inspires you artistically? Any artists in particular?

Jay: I love all things abstract and experimental. My favorite artists are Salvador Dalí and M.C. Escher. I also draw a great deal of inspiration from music; bands such as Radiohead, Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine, and The Helio Sequence have a large influence on my games. It’s hard for me to explain exactly why that is, but I try to reflect the complexity of their music into my games. Music is very much a visual experience for me, and sometimes when I listen to a song I enjoy, I find myself coming up with ideas for games.

Zane: Did your former chemical habit have any influence on your creations?

Jay: If you experiment with drugs, any of your creative pursuits are bound to be influenced. Games such as vim, Farmer Fred’s Psychedelic Garden, and Another Day in the Life of Bob have all been influenced by my experimentation. I wouldn’t call it a necessary part of game making, and I don’t suggest that anyone begin taking drugs, but we all draw inspiration from various points. That’s just one of them.

Zane: You describe vim as your perspective of humans. What exactly does that mean to you?

Jay: I’m an incredibly cynical person with a bleak outlook on human life. I also hold the belief that all people should be free to do whatever they want (that includes, for instance, doing drugs, polluting the atmosphere, eating animals). Without a doubt, the animals in vim are symbolic of humans: Behind all of our social constructs and abstract country borders, we’re all just selfish individuals whose purpose in life is to eat, drink, and reproduce. At least, those are the primal instincts. It’s survival of the fittest when you get right down to it; I hope to convey that in vim.

Zane: How long does it usually take for you to complete a game?

Jay: It depends on whether or not I have Internet access when I’m working on my game. My first four games (A Day in the Life of Bob, Gyroscope, Absolute Zero, and Miner!) were all finished within a couple of months, because I didn’t have Internet access at that time (well, I did, but I was on dial-up). Since I got broadband, it’s taken me a lot longer to make games. vim was on-and-off for over a year, “Bob 2″ is still in the works after more than two years, Farmer Fred’s Psychedelic Garden is on hold for an undetermined amount of time… the list goes on. The Internet is a terrible distraction for me. When I want to get serious work done, I take my projects to my laptop and remove the wireless card.

Zane: Could you tell us anything about Farmer Fred’s Psychedelic Garden? How’s it progressing?

Jay: I haven’t made any progress in months, but I looked at the source recently and the code is actually relatively neat, so it would be easy for me to pick it up again. I don’t want to say that I’ve cancelled the project, because it’s a beautiful game and I would hate to see it lost.

Zane: Will Another Day in the Life of Bob ever see the light of day?

Jay: I’d rather play Another Day in the Life of Bob than make it. Maybe that’s what’s slowing me down so much- I have a ton of ideas for the game, but I can’t must the energy to add them. It’s slow going because I actually don’t enjoy making the game. I have a feeling that completing “Bob 2″ will kill my enthusiasm for game making, and will likely end up being my last hurrah.

Zane: Any advice for other game makers?

Jay: Do the newbies a favor and release your editables. That’s how I learned how to code- by editing other people’s games. I’ve released the source to all of my games, and I’ve had absolutely no trouble.

Zane: Any final words?

Jay: Keep your eyes on the stars, spread your wings and fly! You can do it if you really put your mind to it! Don’t let those bumps in the road get you down!