Airstrafe Interactive is an indie game studio founded in 2019. They value self-expression and creating dynamic games that focus on systems-heavy gameplay. The team of five people (Michael Duan, Nancy Duan, Yiming Wang, Jordan Grayson, and Anne Chen) developed Saleblazers, a game that focuses on systems-heavy, dynamic gameplay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Q1. Please provide us with a brief bio of yourself and your background.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nancy<\/strong>: We are a small indie 5-person team composed of Michael Duan, Yiming Wang, Anne Chen, Jordan Grayson, and me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michael Duan<\/strong> founded Airstrafe Interactive in 2019 to create systems-heavy, dynamic games that provoke a sense of wonder among players and allow maximum expression. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With her background in finance, Nancy volunteered to help with operations and business administration. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Southern California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yiming Wang<\/strong> has been studying computer science in the United States for 7+ years, specializing in object-oriented programming. He attended the University of Southern California and received his Master’s in Game Development. USC provided him with many projects and opportunities that exposed his skill sets to the gaming industry and opened up many ways to connect, which is how he discovered Airstrafe two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jordan Grayson<\/strong> studied Game Design at NYU Game Center. He was originally from Southern California. After Jordan finished his studies in New York, he was delighted to return to SoCal to work at Airstrafe on Saleblazers. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, playing board games, and hanging out with his two cats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anne Chen<\/strong> is a game developer who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in computer science\/computer graphics in 2021. She enjoys the technical and artistic aspects of games. She worked on a few small games with friends and enjoyed making assets, concept art, and coding for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q2. What led you to become a Game Developer \/ Marketer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We were gamers long before we became developers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Yiming plays games, he likes to think about how all the mechanics and visual aspects shape the whole game. The rush to make a ball roll in Unity in high school made Yiming realize that making games was his destiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jordan has been fascinated by games since playing them with his father as a child. NYU’s program made him realize he could make a career out of creating the kinds of games he loved so much as a kid, and he jumped at the opportunity to do so. As soon as he started working on his first little game, he became hooked on the feelings of freedom and discovery that come with making a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anne became a game developer because she was interested in the diverse applications of computer science in games. She also enjoys incorporating creative and artistic input into her work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q3. What is your role in the company, and wha traits should a game developer\/marketing professional possess to be successful in their role<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yiming’s contributions and areas of expertise as a Senior Software Engineer range from crafting gameplay systems and multiplayer networking to optimization. Yiming believes that a game developer must have skill versatility, adaptability, and agility. As a game developer, you never know what new problems you will have to solve, so you must act quickly, act accordingly, and act to the best of your knowledge. With the rapid development of new technologies, developers can never stop learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jordan is a Senior Game Designer. His role involves conceptualizing and detailing many of the mechanics and features that breathe life into Saleblazers. Throughout the development process, he has dedicated himself to shaping the narrative and quest structure of the game. The opportunity to create and refine playable areas related to gameplay and quests is a privilege he cherishes, as it allows him to make Saleblazers’ world as immersive and satisfying as possible. Jordan believes that a successful game developer has a love of games at their core. Playing games and learning from them is incredibly valuable, but constantly enjoying games instills a sense of what fun can be, which is essential to creating something fun yourself. We strive to make a game that we love and hope it brings the same joy to our players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a Software Engineer, Anne’s work involves programming new game features and resolving any issues that may arise. In her opinion, a successful game developer should always keep their eyes on the bigger picture in terms of their project and the game industry. This broad perspective is crucial to our success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q4. Tell us about more your studio\/company.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Airstrafe Interactive is a studio that seeks to bring self-expression to the forefront of gaming through emergent sandbox interactive experiences. We achieved this with our debut title, Saleblazers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Q5.<\/strong> What is your own definition of a great game?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A great game attracts, educates, and inspires creativity. Great games allow you to immerse yourself in a world where you can be whoever you want and carve your path. They allow you to connect with others through collaboration, competition, or shared experiences. Above all, great games give you an enjoyable experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Embark on an epic adventure across the lands as a humble shopkeeper! Build your shop exactly the way you want it, sell goods from your travels, and defend your base from nightly horrors in this open world survival RPG for 1-8 players \u2026
(Read more at NYX Game Awards<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n