Jon Hamblin: Big Ideas Digital

Name: Jon Hamblin

Company: Big Ideas Digital

Profession: Lead Designer

Favorite Classic Game: Police Quest II

Quote: “Ok, the Sierra games weren’t as cool as the Lucasarts adventures, but Police Quest II is a perfect storm of Miami Vice action and procedural pedantry, making it one of the greatest cop comedies ever. Far from the parking violations of the first game, the sequel revolves around Miami Vice-style jailbreaks, kidnappings, terrorism and motel sieges. But the key to Police Quest II’s brilliance is that they let ex-Highway Patrolman Jim Walls design the game. Imagine if Fast and Furious had been directed by a driving instructor (“Sorry Vin, you didn’t check your quadrants before jumping the flaming car into the fireworks factory – we’re going to have to do another take”), and you’ll start to get an idea of what I’m on about. Every time the game threatens to get exciting, good old Jim steps in and shows you how things would really go down. Don’t declare your gun before pursuing a suspect through an airport security metal detector? Shot dead by the Security guard. Challenge the terrorist on the plane without correcting the sighting on your gun at the range? A missed shot and a face full of machine gun kisses. Forget to put on your gas mask while running through the sewers? Death from a pocket of methane fumes.

Seriously, this a game in which you can die simply by crossing the road without waiting for the little green man. After a while, I began to think – maybe Jim Walls isn’t a pedant – maybe he’s just incredibly accident-prone. I mean, the poor man must be unable to open a can of beer without accidentally slashing his wrists open, only to be greeted with a giant hovering image of his own gurning face, telling him what a moron he is. Hilarious.”

Bio: Big Ideas Digital makes apps and games for all smart phone platforms. If you have great content, we have Big Ideas.

Project: Say What You See: The Collection

Project Info: Our current games project is Say What You See: The Collection, a hidden object-game where you have to find movie titles cryptically hidden as rebus puzzles in beautiful hand-painted scenes. It’s great fun to play with friends in a bar, at home on the couch, or even in the John. Some players have even dreamt solutions to its devious puzzles – why not give it a go and see if you can escape it’s cryptic clutches?

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