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Ten Questions with Erik Svedang on Game and Player

Ten Questions with Erik Svedang

Jeremy Steeves  //  April 28, 2009


Interviewing the Seamus McNally Grand Prize winner.

I

ndependent developers have often brought us some of the most innovative, charming, beautiful and enjoyable games. At this year's Independent Games Festival, Swedish mastermind Erik Svedang won the Seamus McNally Grand Prize for his project Blueberry Garden. I got the chance to talk to Erik about what it's like to be an independent, and to get a few hints on what Blueberry Garden is all about.


Thanks for doing this, Erik. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm 22 years old and I live in Sweden, where I work at the University of Skövde, teaching game design. I like to create things.


Congratulations again on winning the Seamus McNally Grand Prize at the 2009 Independent Games Festival. What was the festival like, and in particular, the moment when you realized you had won?

Thank you very much. Well, it was pretty rad, the whole thing; especially meeting all the great minds I've only read about on the internet before. Realizing I won the prize was kind of surreal, but great!


I'm eager to learn more about Blueberry Garden, but I'm curious, what are some of the other projects you've worked on?

Yeah, sure. I've created games for a very long time but it's only recently I've released anything to the public. The things that are OK are on my website. In the past I've also made a lot of short films and played in some bands.


What sorts of games do you play, and in what ways do they influence what you create?

Right now I don't play very many console or PC games at all, but rather board games and card games. The last few lunch breaks at work we have played a psychological bluffing card game called Saboteur — highly recommended!

Almost all of my favorite video games are on SNES and PlayStation 2. The latest consoles are so boring it makes me sad. I will sell my Xbox on Monday. Braid is the only thing I've finished on it.

A lot of the indie games from recent years have inspired me to make Blueberry Garden. Their inspiration wasn't in the form of ideas, though, but rather in the way they showed what one person can do; and to not to be afraid of doing strange things. If it weren't for people like Kyle Gabler and Nifflas I would probably have tried to get a job in the biz. Or done something completely different.


What are the benefits of being an independent developer?

You can do whatever you want.


Now, I've done my homework on Blueberry Garden, but I'm still not sure I understand what it's all about. Can you give us a feeling for what you've set out to create?

Wouldn't it be more fun if I didn't tell you?

Anyway — it's basically a 2D platforming game where you explore an open world, but with some unusual elements. The most important part is probably that I'm trying to give the player a lot of room for thought. It's not a game where you get clear instructions on what to do; you have to think for yourself.


I'm sure I'm not the only one eager to experience Blueberry Garden firsthand. Have you got a solid date for its release yet?

I have a feeling it will launch in the end of May . . .


Any chance of us seeing Blueberry Garden on other platforms than the PC down the road?

I don't know, really, but I will try to make my future games more cross-platform for sure.


Are there any other projects you've been working on, or plan to start working on now that you're nearing the end with Blueberry Garden?

I've got some new inspiration after Independent Games Festival so hopefully I will start on something new after the summer or so. It's only abstract ideas so far though.


Finally, where do you see yourself, and independent developers in general, five years from now?

Filthy rich, making clones of each other's games.





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