Interview
Dave Proctor
Mighty Yell, Canada
In his decade-long journey in the gaming industry, Dave Proctor has not only been creating games but also leading the charge at Mighty Yell. This studio, under Dave's guidance, is dedicated to the development of innovative, original, and non-violent gaming experiences.
1 Please provide us with a brief bio of yourself and your background.
My name is Dave Proctor, and I've been making games for 10 years this month (whoa). I've been running Mighty Yell for 6 years and am grateful every day that this is my job!
2 Tell us more about your studio / company.
Mighty Yell is a studio focused on making new, novel, and non-violent game experiences. Our first game, The Big Con, came out in 2021 and A Knight in the Attic, our second (and first VR) title was released earlier this year. We're fully remote, we mostly work in Toronto, and we believe in supporting our team to give them the time to make weird and wonderful things.
3 What is your own definition of a great game?
A great game is one that turns your head sideways, something that makes you surprised with what it wants you to do. Any game that's willing to change its loop, or redefine what the expected mechanics of its genre are -- that makes a game great, to me. Also it should have a kickin' soundtrack.
4 Describe the genres of the game(s) your studio / company specializes in, as well as its main characteristics.
We don't really specialize in any one genre, but games that reward exploration, experimentation, and to a degree puzzle solving, seem to be a major throughline in our work. Our goal is always to make a game that changes or challenges the mechanics that are expected of it. With A Knight in the Attic for example, it's not just a puzzle platformer, there are full room-scale puzzles (or its not just a VR puzzle game, there's a tilting world to explore).
5 Tell us more about your ideation process.
For A Knight in the Attic, our creative directors Andy and George had a concept that we were lucky enough to turn into a full team project. The idea of tilting, of novel interactions between the board and the world, that came first, alongside the idea of telling a new take on the Arthurian legend. After that we start to imagine where the game takes place, what story and narrative structures are on top of it, and that usually requires a lot of close and exciting conversation about things that excite us about the project. We work together, very closely, a lot to try to create something that we can all believe in.
6 Congratulations! As the winner of the NYX Game Awards, what does it mean for you and your team to receive this distinction?
Honestly, to be recognized for passion, for experimentation, and for making something that stands out as an Indie VR title is the most exciting thing we could hope for -- being independent and creative and enthusiastic about making games is what Mighty Yell is all about. It's really an honour, and we're really very grateful.
7 How has the country, you are based in, helped during your ideation process?
Living in Canada we get to have access to a lot of resources to encourage innovation and even just making games full stop. Between our provincial and federal governments there's a lot of energy and financial support given to teams that want to make something new and weird -- we're so lucky for this.
8 What are the current trends in the game industry that you are most excited about?
We're not a team that follows trends super closely -- a good game is always going to be a good game regardless of changes. I will say, I've noticed some AAA games willing to take messier risks and that kind of thing is SUPER exciting to me. Street Fighter's World Tour mode being a kinda strange open world RPG is such a fun, strange thing for an established franchise. More weird stuff like that please!
9 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Always know what you're working on next and don't get too hung up on sales projections. We don't focus too heavily on what a game might do beyond what it does for the team and what it does for our players. Getting lost in projections and trends is a great way to be disheartened, but if you're always thinking about the next game, working on the next thing, you're always inspired, energized, and excited.
