I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing PEA HEAD GAMES, Owner and Lead Developer, Japes Hirons. I wanted to take some time to talk to them about their upcoming game and their development history.

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1 INTERVIEW WITH OWNER AND LEAD DEVELOPER, JAPES HIRONS

INTERVIEW WITH OWNER AND LEAD DEVELOPER, JAPES HIRONS

First, tell us a bit about Pea Head Games. When was it first established and what was the motivation?

Pea Head Games was started last year after a development team I was with started falling apart. I have always had a passion for game development; I would question how games work as a child and it grew from there.

I decided to go with the name Pea Head Games as my partner always mocks me for having a “pea head” and I thought it was quite a catchy name (haha).

How long have you been in gaming development and what was your inspiration?

I’ve been developing games for 11 years, now coming up to the twelfth this year. I got into games at the age of 5 watching my Grandad play Desert Strike on the Amiga since then I’ve been hooked.

Do you have a large team?

Actually I get asked this question a lot, but no I’m currently developing Neon Sword by myself. Hopefully I can grow Pea Head Games into something larger in the future.

What software or tools do you use before and during development?

I use Unity as an engine and I use Qubicle and Blender to model.

How did your partnership with Keystone Games come about?

I had posted a few screenshots to social media when they contacted me; we spoke for a while about our love for Cyberpunk and all things Sci-fi. I later found out that Jane Whittaker was from the same city. Not only was he from the same city, but from just a few streets away from me; everything seemed to click into place from there.

Tell us about your upcoming game, Neon Sword, which will be published by Keystone. What is it all about?

Neon Sword is kind of a revenge story that gives the player choices which will shape the city around them; i.e causing crime in a district will reduce the worth of businesses you own in that area. If a district becomes too run down you will see a rise in boarded buildings and personal security bots.

The images look like something from the original GTA games. What inspired the game, or where did you get the idea?

I’ve always been deep into the 80’s Cyberpunk/Sci-fi films which reflects around Quaid City. The Idea for Neon Sword came about in 2012 when I first started making the game, at that point I had a story outlined, but not defined, and I started creating 2D assets. After a month I had created a full district in 2D and I decided it didn’t feel right so I scrapped it. Then I joined a group on another game but inside me I really wanted to go back and make Neon Sword.

How long has Neon Sword been in development?

I started working on this version of Neon Sword just over 6 months ago now.

What does it feel like to finally have the game published by someone as reputable as Keystone?

Everyone at Keystone are amazing and I’m truly grateful to have them working alongside and helping me with my passion. It is an amazing opportunity and I feel very lucky to be working with Keystone.