Game on, Lim Chian Song. Innovating new ways to play in the digital gaming world.
What’s your story?
After secondary school, I took a game development course in Nanyang Polytechnic with no knowledge of programming just because I wanted a course near my home. By the end of the course, I’d fallen in love with programming and decided to enter Digipen after my national service. I joined my other two co-founders, Chin Yong Kian and Jonathan Ong who had a dream of starting their own game company since Polytechnic. We started the company developing web based games and transited to bigger project builds like Spacejacked for the PC and now for game consoles.
What excites you most about your industry?
The Power to CREATE almost anything !!! Since the birth of digital gaming there’s been so many games created but new mechanics and technology are always re-defining new ways to play. It’s a never ending innovating industry.
What’s your connection to Asia?
I was born and raised in Singapore
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Singapore, is the creative game hub of Asia. It gets exposure to both western and eastern cultures for game development. At the same time, the Singapore government is very encouraging and supportive of new startups.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
There are many battles to be fought in life. Sometimes you might win the battle but lose the war. So pick your battles well. There is no point arguing with someone if the end result is just for self pride. Fight only if the end result is important and would make a difference in your life and your partner’s life.
Who inspires you?
My co-founders. Just seeing how motivated and hardworking they are inspires me to work harder and sometimes feel ashamed at how lazy I can be. We grew up playing different genres of games which allowed us a great exchange of ideas to create games that have unique mixture.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
This is rather random, but I was watching a documentary on bioluminescence. It mentioned how Scientists are extracting the genes from jellyfish and adding it to trees. So it might be a possible scenario that streets lamps can be replaced by these luminescent plants in the future. I find this fascinating.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Regarding our business, I wish we had delayed the game launch slightly and improved the way that we marketed Spacejacked. But I am the type of person who looks back and thinks if I had all the information I had then would I have made the same choices?. And if the answer is yes, I don’t think about it again.
How do you unwind?
Playing computer games especially Blizzard games or making model kits such as Gundams or One Piece Ships (to avoid looking at the computer screen).
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Japan, although it is not somewhere I go to often, as a geeky person, I feel it is a great mix of modern pleasure and captivating nature spots. I like going into figurine/toy shops and looking through the latest anime/game figurines. Then if you get bored of the city, you can head to a shrine or the mountains for a hike.
Everyone in business should read this book:
One Man’s View of the World Lee Kuan Yew, it might not be an self help book but it always amazes me how far sighted one can be.
Shameless plug for your business:
We have released Spacejacked on Steam. Get it here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/390680/ or wait for it on PS4 and Vita. At the same time, we are developing a mobile game, “Fates & Constellations”. Check us out on www.rottenmage.com or like our facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/rottenmage.
How can people connect with you?
Just drop me a mail to [email protected]
Twitter handle?
@rottenmage
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
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