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A First for Interactive Storytelling - Nazar Interview with Simay Dinc at DevGaMM
Combining FMV with platforming elements, Nazar takes huge leaps forward for video game storytelling.
Audio transcription
"Alright, I'm here in Lisbon for the DevGAMM event and this was very ad hoc.
Simay, thank you so much for joining us because I didn't know about your company and your game and Nazar looks amazing.
But before we talk about Nazar, tell us a little bit more about the studio, about Recontact and what you guys do."
"Sure. Hello everyone, I'm so glad to be in DevGAMM in Lisbon.
So, I'm co-founder of Recontact Games. I have been in the gaming industry for almost 10 years.
My brother, and I'm the co-founder of Recontact Games, and my brother was a film director, I was a film producer.
So we transformed our indie film studio into the gaming studio 10 years ago."
"And first we launched the first game in Recontact:Istanbul and it was an amazing entrance because Apple chose us the best mobile game from Turkey and we amazingly reached out to gamers, amazing gamers from 153 countries.
So then, like, because, you know, it's, those days the gaming industry is so tough and struggles and there are challenges.
But if you're, like, being authentic, being original, if you come up with a new idea, it will take attention and you can meet gamers from all around the world."
"So, please keep going and don't leave the gaming industry.
If you're a gamer and if you love to produce games, please keep going.
And the gaming industry, I'm so, you know, hopeful for the future of the gaming industry.
So, like, up then, so we created Recontact:Istanbul, Eyes of Sky, and then Recontact London."
"Imagine working with one of the actors from Game of Thrones.
We closed the British Museum for filming, working with the fashion tech designers, working with the architecture companies.
Imagine the film, fashion, photography, cinematography, and we combine all the art disciplines and creating a new art form, which is games.
So, our vision are, like, we are, like, seeing a game as a beyond entertainment, as a cultural piece and also as an art form."
"So, all these experiences lead to the Nazar.
It's a new IP, and my brother created Nazar with the 10 years of experiences in film and the game.
So, maybe you have, have you been to Istanbul or Turkey or Cappadocia?
So, because we filmed in Cappadocia, it's an ancient city, and we had opportunity to work with Inon Zur."
"Inon Zur is a very well-known music composer.
Normally, he's working AAA.
He's Emmy Awards, BAFTA nominated many times.
So, like, we just really loved working with amazing artists because we are in the creative industries, right?
Not just thinking about just gaming industry."
"It's not just about coding.
It's also working with other creative mindset in different part of the world.
It's so important to inspire you and inspire your gamers, right?
So, and my brother Eray Aydinc created the Nazar."
"And after two years of development, working with Inon Zur, filming Cappadocia, now it's ready on Steam.
A few days ago, if I'm correct.
Just a few days ago. We are so excited.
Congratulations."
"Thank you so much.
Because we are mobile-first company now.
We shifted into the PC, and then we will launch in other platforms very soon.
The thing is, when you will start to play the game, you will see the..."
"Because every time, in every game, we would like to come up with a new idea, a new genre.
So, this time, Eray blended 2D platform genre to the interactive cinema.
So...
I think it's the first time that happens."
"Full motion video is a side-scrolling adventure with platforms and puzzles and rituals.
But it's full motion video, and then the interactive elements are put on top of that, right?
Yes, it's true.
Because when I say FMV or interactive cinema, the people think like that it's so primitive way."
"Right choice or left choice.
No, it's not about that.
It's all the videos, all the narrative, it's designed for that game.
And also, we blended ancient rituals with sci-fi for the narrative, for the level design."
"Hopefully, they will like it.
Quantum physics and a bit of a time-twisting element, if I'm correct.
Yes, yes, yes, you're right.
So, I don't want to give so much clue, but..."
"Yeah, no spoilers here.
But what are we supposed to do?
What's going on in this world, which is in the Cappadocia, as you mentioned before?
Yeah, yeah."
"So, you're a fortune teller.
Alright.
You use specific powers to change the world.
No, I'm just...
Am I a fortune teller?
Yeah, you're a fortune teller."
"But you have...
We're going to have a good day today.
And you have like superpowers to, you know, because the game design and maybe, you know, the people loves to fortune telling and to create new narratives, right?
We also use that side."
"And also, there is a Zen-art card element.
So, also there is like...
Imagine like you are playing board games.
So, we transform that one into the game design."
"So, there are like not just one ending, there are multiple endings.
So, because it's an interactive cinema, it has to be end.
So, we don't provide endless stories, but we will add more episodes.
Hopefully, in the near future, we will film in different ancient cities and we will add new episodes to that."
"But yeah, it's...
How did you work on this?
How did you go to this beautiful...
I mean, Cappadocia, for those who don't know, it's like where East and West meet in a very special place with both architecture and also nature."
"So, how did you get to work there?
How did you...
It's a lot of planning, I guess, to get your stages right and the way you should so that you can then implement that in the game."
"Yeah, Eray and his team did an amazing job because you know the caves?
Like building thousands of years ago, they transformed that caves into the level design.
So, and it was very...
It's not easy to film in that spot, as you can assume that."
"But it's a cultural thing and we would like to show and blend that culture into the game dynamics.
So, if you are passionate about it, you will find a way.
It's your entrepreneurial skills.
And also, you need to..."
"Because if you work with the mayor or if you would like to do something like that, if you would like to do something, a game about your culture, your city, just please knock the door of the mayor.
Tell about your project."
"I believe that there are really supports to do.
For sure.
Because sometimes it's very hard to enter that caves and that places.
But it's also promotion of the city."
"It's also promotion of the culture.
We've seen this recently with some indie guys doing a game about Don Quixote.
But then they don't get the cultural support you're supposed to get when you're talking about your heritage.
But you're right that sending the message that they have to keep pursuing that, right?
Right now, the mayor and also..."
"We are an indie company and we would like to keep indie with the AAA mindset.
But it's very hard to...
When you come up with the original idea, one of the thing is very hard to reach out the fundings.
Especially if we see also publishers because they want to see the reference point."
"But if you come with the original idea, it's very hard to show the unique idea.
It's never been done before, right?
Yes.
So you can apply grants, cultural grants, creative industries grants."
"Think about that.
Think about outside of the box.
I don't know if this has to do with the message that you are also sharing here in your panels.
So today you were talking about investment and tomorrow you have a keynote."
"So as a final question, what can you tell us about what you are sharing here at DevGAMM Lisbon 2024?
So the guys, don't watch...
No, please watch and please attend that kind of conferences.
Networking is so important."
"It's not just, you know, please be active.
Okay, you can watch that kind of conferences possibly also from your computer.
But it's really, you know...
You should come, be part of the industry, enjoy to be part of the industry and make network."
"When you meet with the other indie developers like you and you share your experience with them, the challenges, you know...
Because we are human beings, first of all.
When we share our challenges, struggles and opportunities and then we can expand our network and expand our vision."
"So one of my, you know...
Please take away, please come to that kind of events.
More so after the pandemic.
So it really makes a lot of sense."
"Also the community building is so important.
If you are making PC game...
Because mobile gaming and PC gaming is so different in terms of the marketing.
So if you are working on PC games, you need to start community building from the day one."
"And also the monetization.
And the community building needs to start from the day one.
Usually they make mistakes because they are so eager to make their games but they forgot how to monetize, how to reach out to the community."
"So it's just one of the mistakes usually the indie developers make.
So please do in the first day.
Start from the first day.
That's a message for young developers, of course."
"So Nazar is available on Steam.
When can we expect it to release on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox?
On Apple it's going to be on every platform in 6 months.
In 6 months time."
"Thank you so much for your time.
Congratulations on the release and looking forward to playing it myself.
Amazing. And looking forward to see you in Istanbul.
Nice, thank you so much."
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