Game creator Jason Alejandre is the President and Creative Director for Game Mechanic Studios. He and his studio have worked on top-grossing game franchises such as “Call of Duty,” “Medal of Honor,” and “Mortal Kombat.” With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Jason has established himself as one of the go-to talents. He’s worked with such directors as Quentin Tarantino and Gore Verbinski, and his projects have shared the stage with Mark Zuckerberg and been featured by Apple at one of Steve Jobs’s final keynotes.
More recently, Jason’s studio has worked on “The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners,” as well as the remastered “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2,” set for a 2020 release. You can usually find secondhand copies of both at The Old School Game Vault. We got a chance to talk with Jason about how he got into the industry, the struggles of starting a business during the recession, and the future of the gaming industry.
You completed your first title in 1992 for the Sega Genesis. How did you break into the video game industry?
JA: “At that time the industry was really small. To build a game took maybe four people maximum. Now AAA games like those are built with 100+ people. A buddy and I ended up calling a company every single day until they finally decided to let us come in for an interview. They knew our names by then, which was pretty funny. That’s how it all began.”
What are some of the challenges you faced heading your own independent studio as opposed to working for someone else in the past?
JA: “In an established company, the structure is already in place. It might not be the exact team you would have put together if it were your own studio, but it works, and you can get the job done. At our studio I was responsible for putting all the pieces together to try and build not only a successful business, but also a championship dev team. It takes time because there are so many components needed on the business side, development side, and then timing is a huge factor that plays into it.”
Are you able to work from anywhere remotely (home, vacation), or do you prefer to work from the office?
JA: “Building games is very team dependent. There are artists, designers, lighters, character modelers, testers, engineers, VFX, SFX, and many more that collaborate to build a game. Every person plays a key role, like any sports team. It can be done [remotely], but it isn’t the best option.”
When did you first discover your love of video games?
JA: “I was playing the Atari, and I just started playing Pac Man and I never stopped. I would play it around the clock, and that’s when I knew I’d discovered something amazing.”
What is your proudest accomplishment of the video games you’ve worked on?
JA: “You know, it’s hard to say because I feel like I haven’t had that moment yet — but I’m getting closer every day, which is why I continue to work so hard.”
What happens if you achieve that moment?
JA: “If I’m lucky enough to experience that moment, I’ll let you know.”
Have you always been an entrepreneur?
JA: “Easy answer: yes. The funny story is that I wanted to be a game developer no matter what, but I didn’t know if I could do it straight away. So I was thinking, ‘Well, maybe I’ll just sell games first. Save up my money while I’m selling games, and then start the game developer.’ Luckily I didn’t go that route and went straight to starting up Game Mechanic Studios.”
Is there such a thing as work-life balance?
JA: “It depends on who you’re asking. If you ask Jobs, Musk, or Gates, I wonder what they would say? I think some people dedicate their life to their craft and I am one of them. Time is very precious, and we don’t know how long we have to make our mark, so I want to use every minute wisely and, while I’m in that moment, do it to the fullest.”
What advice would you give to someone trying to break into your industry?
JA: “My advice is to find out what you’re best at and then try to focus on that. Ask your friends for feedback. Know the industry inside and out; it shows a deeper dedication. Attend conferences, meet your peers, and reach out to industry professionals to get some guidance.”
What does the gaming world look like 10 years from now?
JA: “I’m excited about all the women entering the gaming space (it’s really exploded). We are going to see so many new and exciting projects roll out from them over the next 10 years from their creative POV, and it will give the video game industry a much-needed balance while pushing everyone to do bigger and better things.”
Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
JA: “We are rereleasing an updated game we did on mobile for consoles called ‘Wizards: Wand of Epicosity’ on August 4th. We helped on the production of a classic video game that was remastered, drum roll… ‘Tony Hawk,’ which comes out September 4th. Stay tuned though, because a lot more cool stuff is coming that I can’t talk about just yet.”
For more information on Jason, please visit: jasonalejandre.com.
