From Left to Right --Anna Arphan-programmer, Heidi Foland- Concept Artist, Andreja Djokovic- Founder of Babaroga Games, Arlette Resendiz FGAN, Jeff Sugar-Babaroga Games Producer, and Jayme Neverton- Concept Artist
Babaroga Games Interview
January 14, 2010
Chicago, IL
By Arlette E. Resendiz
“The Chicago Reader opened an entry level position in a company, and I signed on as a tester, and here I am. It all started 15 years ago” – Andreja Djokovic Founder of Babaroga games shares with us.
Babaroga is a Chicago, Illinois-based video game developer specializing in mobile games. They have created licensed games for publishers such as Electronic Arts, and Disney Interactive. They are also known to work with Jamdat, Gameloft, and Microsoft among others.
If you think the Mobile video game industry is not a vast market, think again! Located in right in the heart of downtown Chicago, IL, Babaroga games is one of the leading mobile licensed video game companies today. Babaroga games has received distinguished awards by different video game medias including: the Pocket Gamers.co.uk with the Bronze medal for the game “Sim City” in 2006; Mobile Game FAQ’S.com with the Gold award for the game “Muppet’s Dance Party” game in 2006; Air Gamers award for the mobile game “Spores” in 2008; as well as the prestigious: IGN’S Best of 2008 for “Spores” in the category of Mobile game of the year. Just to name a few.
So what’s the difference between consoles or hand held systems and mobile games? Heidi Foland, one of Babarogas talented concept artists explains. “We work with mobile, so we work with small devises that only have so much power. Sometimes we’ll do the concept art for spores where you have a crazy ameba, with crazy colors, and crazy textures but then you port it to the mobile device and you end up with 16 colors. We also have to work and adapt to what the hardware can do. “Jayme Neverton, another of Babarogas talented concept artists, agrees and shares her thoughts with Heidi. “Working with small devices resembles the history of game design today. When you are working with phones with a screen that has the size of a postage stamp, you feel like you are making Super Mario. You have 16 colors and you have to make pixel-small shapes to make everything cohesive. And then you work on an Iphone, where you have to design for devices as powerful as a Play Station 2.”
Mobile games might be small, but they are not easy to design, especially if you work with different developers. Anna Arphan, one of Babaroga Games programmers, shares: “Well, they have different standards and procedures. Also the coding is different so you work in switching back and forward. I’ve been here for 3 and half years, so as mobile devices change, so is your work. Its part of what you have to do. Also, testing a game is not easy. When the testers spot a wrong pixel or something visually wrong, you need to step back, look for it and fix it. Another challenge is to meet deadlines but keeping everything visually clean”
Jeff Sugar is Babaroga Games Producer and he explained some the challenges you have to overcome when you work for the video game industry. “I learned to stand on my toes at all times. Every day is a new venture and a new challenge, whatever you know and learn today, might not matter tomorrow, and you’ll need to know something else entirely different. I picked up some of the skills working for Babaroga like 3d, pictures, and cuts but it needs to be done. It’s really about learning and taking things in to a new level. I don’t sleep. While working for Babaroga, I was also working somewhere else for a period of year and a half, but I cared so much I made time for it. I make time. I find a way to be here when I’m needed and beyond. Working here doesn’t suck. ”
Although Founder Andreja Djokovic says there is a low possibility for Babaroga Games to work for Hand-held or video game consoles in the future, he remains firm and faithful to his team. “When you have a team of 22 very talented people, it’s amazing what you can do and accomplish in a certain amount of time.“ says Djokovic.
Award winning games, extremely talented staff, and prominent success, Babaroga games will continue to be one of the leading mobile video game companies in the industry today.
“We make games. We make good games. Our games do not suck. Our games rock. You have played our games. You are playing our games. You know what I am talking about. In the world where all game developers are "leading" and no one follows, we make games that matter. We make super-duper games”
Babaroga Games