Amanda Fitch is an important figure on the Casual RPG Games scene. Her Aveyond series has reached popular heights thanks to the balance of enthralling storylines, ease of play and endless entertainment. Mel and Edward are now returning in a new instalment: Aveyond 3: The Lost Orb for another adventure that may change the face of Aveyond forever! Amaranth Games, Amanda’s company, is also releasing A Gypsy’s Tale in March 2010. With two great games about to be unleashed we caught up with Amanda on her dreams, hopes and taking over the world!

Cat On The Wall: What’s the story behind the company’s name, Amaranth? How did you come up with the logo?

Amanda Fitch: In Greek, Amaranth represents a flower that does not wither. I figured it would be a good luck charm to name the company after an object that is sure to be around for a long, long, time.

COTW: When you started designing games, did you ever think it’d take off like it did? Did you have a business plan in mind or did everything happen to fall into place in a sort of snowball effect?

AF: I'd hoped, but no, I hadn't expected it to take off. I'm insanely happy that it did. My life is so much different than it was four years ago, and it's wonderful to have a job with a purpose that I enjoy. At the beginning, I didn't have a business plan, but as the years have gone by and I've begun to hire folks to help me, the business plan has become a necessary yearly task to keep everyone on the same page.

COTW: Do you think you’ve opened a new path for other women games developers and players in the previously male-dominated game development and gaming world?

AF: I hope so. I don't think I've opened a new path, but I am attempting to widen an existing path that I found thorugh my inspiration, Roberta Williams.

COTW: Where do you draw your inspiration for storylines and characters, their backgrounds and their evolution (especially in Aveyond 3)? There are a lot of thoughts behind the dialogues, the cut screens, much more than a lot of RPG games out there. Having played a lot of RPG, I must say that Aveyond has spoilt me and I cannot stand for lesser quality stories even when the graphics look superb. Do you think having a degree in English has helped you write stories for games?

AF: I pretend I'm writing a novel. I first focus on an interesting place for my protagonist to start (quaint peaceful village) and then I decide how I want the protagonist to end up (firey demon dungeon). Then I draw up some polarizing figures and force them to work together. The whole process does not happen in one sweep. I usually write a quick outline and start filling things in here and there. As I fill things in, things start to click together into a complex picture.

The English degree helped, but it was my training as a technical writer that helped me the most. After completing dozens of software manuals, I've learned to structure and write books quickly.

COTW: You’ve mentioned before that you were thinking of moving to “books” type games, where the story would evolve in different chapters. Was this spurt on by Aveyond 3, which is split in two parts, called Book 1 Lord of Twilight and Book 2 Gates of Night, with Book 3 The Lost Orb soon to be released?

AF: The chapter idea has been on the back burner for a long time, but two things made me decide to persue it:

1) Even though Aveyond 3 was finished, there was room for a much larger, more exciting adventure.

2) 2009 was a VERY scary year for Amaranthia. Prices for casual games were plumeting all over the Internet. Our games were around 20-30 hours long while the most popular casual games were around 5 hours long. My production time was way out of scale with the rest of my industry. I had to change my strategy to keep Amaranth Games afloat.

COTW: How do you find and choose the artists who create the artwork seen of the first menu screen? Do you give them a brief of the story or do you specify a particular scene/atmosphere you want them to create?

AF: I write up a story around the scene. For example, for Aveyond: Lord of Twilight, I wrote something like this for Greg:

"It's twilight and the sky is filled with stars. A menacing harvest moon hangs low. A vampress and her warlock stand on a cliff, peering across a valley at a dark castle in the distance. The castle is their final destination. They fear what they will find, but they have no choice, destiny has brought them here. Though they may die the final death, they must face the monster that awaits."

Then I sent Greg some details about the characters. Te'ijal: tall, slender, elegant, dangerous, wicked grin, fangs. Spiky red hair with a silver streak, a magical bow on her back. Galahad: strong, solemn, stone, dirty blonde hair, scars from long fights, deadly grace, a sword in hand.

COTW: The music is an important part of the game, it sets the mood for each area, be it a village or city, battle scenes or cut scenes. It can enchant and terrorise, bringing the player straight into the action that takes place at the time. How did you come across Walz Music and how does your business relationship work?

AF: Aaron had a popular midi site on the Internet. We both love Final Fantasy and he recreated a midi-version of the early Final Fantasy songs. He had some custom midis and I loved them. I thought they were just as good as the Final Fantasy songs. I asked him to produce some music for me, he said yes, and the rest was history! I contact Aaron each time I finish the design document for a game. I give him a list of areas that need music. Like the cover art, I try to create an environment for Aaron to envision.

COTW: As well as creating and marketing your own games, you also offer indie games through your website. Some have become quite popular and have been picked up by other retailers such as BigFish and PlayFirst. This is an incredible thing to do to go out and discover those games and make them available to a wide community. What made you move in that direction?

AF: I LOVE watching talented people find their calling and flourish. I supose I'm a bit of a voyer, but it's such a thrill for me to be part of the process. Like American Idol, it's fun to watch unknown, talented individuals rise to become stars.

COTW: Your staff team seems to be growing by the minute! How do you see Amaranth Games expand? Are you planning on taking over the world?

AF: Ha ha ha! When I started, I thought I wanted to take over the world. Now, I just want to grow a nice apple tree, sit under it, watch the apples grow, feed the squirrels, and read. On a serious note, yes, I am slowly expanding Amaranth Games. There's too much work for one person!

COTW: Finally a couple of games will be released this year: Aveyond 3: The Lost Orb and A Gypsy’s Tale. Can you tell us a little about them without divulging secrets? Pleeease!

AF: Sure!

The Lost Orb is the third book in the Orbs of Magic series. In this book, Mel discovers that the most dangerous orb, the Orb of Death exists, and that dark forces want it desperately. The Darkthrop Prophecy begins to unfold, and at the end of the book, Mel's life takes a shocking turn in a new direction. She is not happy about this, put I think players are going to be excited!

Gypsy's Tale is an adventure/HOG that takes place in a remote, magical kingdom. Reylin, a curse-breaker, comes to the kingdom to unravel a web of dark magic. Her quest takes her into a dark forest filled with strange creatures, and finally to a tower shroud in secrets. There is a twist in this game. Some secrets should never be revealed.

Aveyond 3: The Lost Orb out on February 15th
A Gypsy’s Tale out on March 25th

http://www.amaranthia.com/

Aaron Walz has been producing music since his childhood. He has collaborated with many games makers and he’s known in the Casual Games community for creating the soundscapes for the Aveyond series. Cat On The Wall wanted to find out more about Aaron, his work and his passion for games. He kindly responded to our call and uncovered more about his life than we had hoped for!

Cat On The Wall: Can you introduce yourself and your work?

Aaron Walz: Sure thing! My name is Aaron Walz. I’m half Australian and half American and I live in San Francisco, California. I have been composing music and playing games since I was under ten years old. In fact, even at that time, I always wanted to be a game composer. I did a lot of freelancing and had another day job during and after attending University to obtain my BA in music. Then in 2007, I decided to get more serious and I started my company, Walz Music, and left my day job. I formed a board and brought together a team. I mostly do the composition, but the others help me with all kinds of things from playing instruments to updating our YouTube channel. Recently I created a complete discography and it seems I have produced about 400 songs for a total playing time of about 13 hours. I am very proud of my work and always attempt to create game music and artistically as possible.

COTW: You are well known in the casual games industry as the composer for the music of the Aveyond series. How did you get involved in this mammoth project?

AW: Great story! One day when I was in University, Amanda Fitch approached me and wanted to use some of my work for a game: Ahriman’s Prophecy. However, she didn’t have any budget and this was a free game. So I allowed her to use my music and she had a lot of success with the game! Later, she got more serious and wanted to create Aveyond. Thanksfully, she came to me to make all the music. I created about 30 songs for Aveyond 1. Then, I was able to convince her to let me use live orchestral instruments. So I hired players through the University and from the community and we created a soundtrack that won Game Tunnel’s Soundtrack of the Year in 2006. I have composed for the series ever since.

COTW: In your opinion what are the perfect ingredients for a game soundtrack?

AW: Well the songs can never be annoying or obviously repetitive. Every piece is its own little world and has a soul. You have to change instrumentation, key, volume and length for different emotions. You have to always remember how the player will experience the music. The more you can create an immersive interactive environment, the better. One thing I love to do is meet enough of people’s expectations, but then throwing in a creative twist… familiar yet different. Although I have strong influences, I don’t want to sound just like someone else. So, originality makes a great soundtrack. And about all else, memorable melodies.

COTW: Do you have a typical way of creating soundscapes for a game like Aveyond? What is your creative process?

AW: Well I create a spreadsheet with all the songs I need and notes from Amanda. Then I assign instruments for each piece. Like, for example, flute and harp. This means I can only use these instruments. Limitation is a great composition technique. I’ll do the same thing with other aspects of music, like… this one can only contain 6 different notes. I often write melodies first, often by just singing things. Sometimes I throw words in. For example, listen to “Shaenlir Castle” from Aveyond 2. I wrote the melody to the rhythm of the words, “Splendid, beautiful and cold, Castle Shaenlir.” I also plunk around on the piano. Often I find cool chords or rhythms and these become the basis for a new piece. I jump around a lot and create lots of sketches. I never throw anything away.

COTW: When working on a game soundtrack do you create by yourself or do artists featuring on Walz Music collaborate with you?

AW: Both. I myself have composed all the Aveyond songs. It’s my baby. However, my team plays the live instruments. I co-wrote one of the songs from Amaranth’s other game, Yummy Drink Factory, with one of my team members. They have also helped me write for other projects and often help me with the original design process. Sometimes when they play my pieces, they offer suggestions and note changes. I am lucky to work with really talented and creative people. Eva, Jason, Krisha, Matt, Cyndi, Teresa, Pete, LP… all of them are awesome and I couldn’t ask for more in a team. I’m so lucky and grateful. Of course, the best team member is studio mascot kitty, Palmer. He always sits and watches us record to make sure we’re doing a good job.

COTW: You are also a member of the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus, how do you juggle your different musical activities?

AW: Yes I have always enjoyed spreading myself thin and like to do lots of things. I also sing with the small ensemble of GGMC, Counterpoint, so I have two rehearsals a week. I used to also sing with the San Francisco Choral Artists, so that was three nights a week! I also lead a quartet of singers and am in involved at piano bars and other local performance scenes. It keeps me feeling alive and involved when I’m busy. Honestly, how do I do it? Hmm I think I don’t waste a lot of time. I’m very pragmatic, organized and efficient. I also rarely ever watch TV or movies. And I don’t mind working really late. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m lazy just like everyone else. I love just sitting in a hot tub for hours when I get the chance, or by a pool.

COTW: What are your plans for the near future?

AW: Well I’ve been trying to woo some new clients for some time so I’ll continue to do that, even in this really hard economy. Luckily people still like and will pay for games. I haven’t taken a real vacation in several years, so maybe I can somehow manage going to Australia this summer to see loved ones. I’m going to start a few new projects pretty soon, oh and I’m trying to finish my second dance pop album this year. As always, I’ll be ramping up marketing and just trying to be seen and heard and known. Thank you very much for asking me to do this interview. It was my pleasure. I send out lots of love and appreciation to my fans and especially Aveyond players! And also to my awesome game developer clients!

http://www.walzmusic.com/

Karen Petrasko is an American illustrator with heaps of talent! Cat On The Wall initially discovered her work with Yummy Drink Factory by Amaranth Games and was astounded by her graphics! Her work is charming, colourful yet muted, giving a sense of ease and comfort to the viewer. Karen is able to create atmosphere and personality within her characters and she is one artist to follow. We chatted with Karen about her work, her inspirations and cats, of course!

Cat On The Wall: Can you introduce yourself and your work?

Karen Petrasko: I'm a digital illustrator who specializes in creating background art and character design for games. I spent a significant part of last year as the lead artist on A Gypsy's Tale, creating environments, sprites, and pretty much anything else Amanda could throw on my drawing board.

COTW: Do you have a favourite subject you like to work with again and again and if so can you tell us about it?

KP: I generally tend towards animals and organic imagery, but I can't say that I have one specific subject that I like drawing above others. Mostly my interest in painting depends on colors. If I can imagine an interesting way to use color, then I love creating it.

COTW: You like cats. So do we. Where does your passion for cats come from?

KP: Cats are fantastic creatures. I grew up in a rural area that had a lot of barn cats, so I've always been around them. I've been living with a modest clowder of three since then. Mostly I'm drawn to them for their own individual quirks. I love that nearly every day I have my work interrupted by one of them doing something odd or funny. It keeps the place interesting.

COTW: How did you get involved with working on A Gypsy’s Tale?

KP: Amanda stumbled upon my work a year before and contracted me to do a few backgrounds for Yummy Drink Factory, one of her previous games. It turned out that we share an interest in fantasy stories and games, so she invited me back to work on A Gypsy's Tale.

COTW: When you work on a project like A Gypsy’s Tale what is your method/process in creating the illustrations?

KP: It usually begins with a lot of reading. Amanda provides me with a design document and script that outlines the details of the scenes and the general gameplay. She does the hard work of creating the ideas while my part is simply to construct them. The process is a lot like furnishing a set. I imagine what should be in each scene, where the characters might live, and what kind of props they would have. I select the lighting and colors based on what will be happening in each area. I try to establish all these things in quick sketches and color studies. Then it's followed by many hours spent with the paint brush in Photoshop.

COTW: I notice that the current showcased artworks for the game on your website all bear some continuity in design whilst managing to portray different scenes. What was your inspiration behind those particular pieces?

KP: It was established in the beginning that we would create something like an old 2d adventure game. I thought about what drew me to those games and tried to bring that into the visual style of A Gypsy's Tale. I created overlapping layers of scenery with attention to the little details and props that would add to the story. I'm especially nostalgic for the sense of discovery in those games, so I tried to create something unique and memorable for each new area.

COTW: What are you plans for the near future?

KP: Mostly I just want to keep freelancing, making art for games, and having fun doing it.

http://www.karenpetrasko.com/

It seems only a while ago the animated quartet known as Gorillaz was storming the world with their album 'Demon Days', with such irritatingly popular songs as 'Feel Good Inc' and 'Dare'. Gorillaz were, and are indeed now, one of the world's most popular and very nearly only animated bands. With a large degree of hits under their belt with a confusing array of genre hopping, it's a little wonder people are going mad with their return.

Gorillaz, for all who are unaware, are helmed by Jamie Hewlett of Tank Girl and Damon Albarn of Blur. However, Gorillaz as we know them are in fact run by four cartoon characters.

Murdoc Niccals, foul smelling egocentric bass player with green skin, a broken nose and a penchant for insanity and violence. Stuart '2D' Pott (formerly Tusspot), idiotic but well meaning blue haired eight ball fractured beanpole vocalist. Noodle (Just Noodle), teenaged Japanese killing machine shrouded in mystery with a knack for guitar and Russel Hobbs, a mountain of possessed drummer.

As the world’s biggest animated band, Gorillaz who formed in 1998, have since sold 12 million copies over two albums Gorillaz (2000) and Demon Days (2005). They have hit the number 1 spot in more than a dozen countries and picked up awards including Grammys, Novellos, VMAs and EMAs. Since then even the 2006 Apollo has shown that these characters have near enough disappeared from the map. Most people have forgotten their very existence and waters seemed calm and pretty empty... Now, it seems the water's beginning to ripple as Plastic Beach, the band's latest animation/music foray, sails into the airwaves. Why and indeed how has the return taken place? Murdoc Niccals, through his Twitter account, has given a few insights, it seems:

"Tedious. 2010 being stuffed with Jordan’s knockers, her orange-skinned entourage and other baboons squabbling. Thought that was last year.” he frankly, but perhaps rightfully, stated.

Truth be told, we've only heard from Murdoc Niccals upon the matter of his monkey-based helm's return, and even he doesn't seem so sure. Today he in fact made use of a pirate radio station to take over NME and Yahoo's stations to give us a little info, assisted by several crates of rum and several old CDs (including Plastic Beach itself, which he misplaced at the time.)

Starting off to a rough start with shouts of 'OH CHRIST!' and 'HELLO WORLD!' he went on to state he was at a 'New Stinking Palace of Sin' in 'The Middle of Nowhere'. And now...'I'M BAAAAACK!'

According to the Egoistical stinker from Stoke, they're now living on an island of Plastic, pieces of humanity, and basic junk called Plastic Beach. Complete with a Lighthouse radio station (much to the bassist's excitement), a carnival and a Submarine. The original Gorillaz animated studio has been torched, Kong Studios now being no more (the new studio can be seen on the album cover)... Point Nemo FM's (48 degrees south, 123 degrees west) broadcast has given us a 'full' catch up.
He had to split - heat got too heavy, according to him. Grabbing the cash and the copters, he made his way out of there. After demanding we listened to Kirk (Douglas), and letting out some feelings upon how 'alone' he was, along with a summarisation of 'THE HEEEAAAAT', he continued to give us a summary.

Apparently, he was selling a gang of Somalian Pirates some 'big bombs' in an effort to make some extra funds. After this plan ended as a failure due to the fact they didn't work, they came looking for our hero in their jets and copters. He gave them some guns to keep them quiet and ran off to this island.

'Just me...and a thousand crates of rum...'

He was going to play us some brand new Gorillaz tracks but decided to debate with himself about a track he had originally dubbed 'Stinkfish'. The song is now 'Quarg' which he decided upon the end of the show. What a tease.

'So, my little listeners...I don't even think there are any listeners...'

The vocalist, 2D, has been kidnapped by the bassist and is apparently stuck in a glass room underwater, being guarded by a large whale. No word from Russel or Noodle, who is now nineteen. Murdoc is wondering whether Noodle is 'no more', continuing from their iconic 'El Manana' video, in which she's shot at by helicopters and eventually bombed. She was meant to parachute off, but no confirmation on whether she did is seemingly present to him. It's worth noting these copters were the aforementioned pirates. It seems the part of Noodle is being played by an android made of scrap metal, with a remarkable likeness to the girl (although it's 'not the same, really...').

So, much to everybody's surprise, Murdoc is doing this album by himself. And 2D held at gunpoint to sing. He's also brought in such guests as Bobby Womack, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and previous collaborators De La Soul.

The marketing of the new album has brought everything into a very odd angle. The Gorillaz website, www.gorillaz.com, now has a countdown, a map showing the travels of our island and several promo videos, the majority of which - rather excitingly - are in a new animation technique to the band - claymation.

Murdoc Niccals is helming the lot, taking over NME and Yahoo's radio stations with more on his ever-growing hit list. NME is seemingly getting the most coverage but it appears that Q magazine is due to have a tell-all feature upon the upcoming album next month. Much to Murdoc's excitement, he twittered upon the 20th of January 2010:
“A leak! A leak! Plastic Beach has sprung a leak! One of those Russian pirates has put a bullet hole in my island! My single's leaked! STYLO!”

As a result the official website has made it available for listening. The track, largely electronic and perhaps even rather haunting, features Mos Def and Bobby Womack, and has been stated to be Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record in the World.
Stylo shall be available for download on January the 26th. Plastic Beach shall be released by Parlophone on the 8th of March, 2010. The album is produced by Gorillaz themselves. Murdoc apparently plans to take over NME's radio yet again within the next week as excitement peaks amongst fans of what is now seemingly a solo act of a slightly sozzled bass-player.

Article by Jordan Mooney

http://www.gorillaz.com/

Check out this rather massive track 'Our Time' by Ocelot & DVJ Burzhuy in video form below. If you like it you can also download a free remix of the track by London's Calvertron here.