Pocket Gamer Connects London 2019 will take place on January 21st to 22nd. To give you a taste of what to expect, we'll regularly be publishing interviews with the speakers at the show.
For more details on PGC London and to book a ticket, head to the website here.
In today's Speaker Spotlight we're talking to Unbound Interactive lead designer/community manager Ryan Nisbet.
Born in Hertfordshire and studying in Staffordshire, Nisbet is a trans guy with a huge passion for making games. Whilst currently working on the transgender awareness game, Transhaping, and inputting his own experiences in the game, he is also using Unbound Interactive’s following to raise money for charities that support the trans community.
PocketGamer.biz: Can you tell us a bit about the company?
Ryan Nisbet: Unbound Interactive is an indie studio based in Staffordshire, UK. The team consists of three university students who became friends in their first year and have stuck together since.
Our aim is to make unique games that cater to a varied audience. We're currently working on our first game which aims to educate people on the issues that transgender people face on a regular basis.
What does your role entail?
My usual day consists of making assets for the game we are developing but also keeping an eye on social media and interacting with our community.
As well as this, I keep an eye out for any issues currently facing the trans community so I can make people aware of this on our social channels and support the community.
Why did you want to work in the games industry?
I started off as a website designer and I didn't even think about getting involved with the games industry until the idea of creating the company was mentioned.
I have a huge passion for games and my original job title was going to be website designer. However, we lost half of the company before we even started, being left with three people.
This meant we hired an external website person so I could be more involved in the creative process of the games. Since then, my passion quickly shifted from websites to making games.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into it?
Just try it! You don't need to know the ins and outs of it if you have people around you that are willing to show you the ways. Network with people in the industry and get some tips from them.
What are your thoughts on the industry in the last 12 months?
At the start of the past 12 months we saw the massive up-rise of the (very controversial) battle royale genre.
We're currently working on our first game which aims to educate people on the issues that transgender people face on a regular basis.Ryan Nisbet
Personally, I have been playing Fortnite since this happened and I love the game. I love the fact they are constantly updating the game with new unique items.
Alongside the rise of Fortnite, we saw the fall of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds due to its loot boxes and bugs. I never played PUBG due to it's bugs so I can see why the game fell so fast when the free-to-play Fortnite came out.
What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?
Due to Epic Games' recent additions and changes it has implemented into Fortnite, and the game dominating the battle royale market right now, I feel that Fortnite will slowly lose its player base over the next couple of months and the battle royale genre will be taken over by a different one.
With games coming out such as Cyberpunk 2077 and the new Elder Scrolls, I think that open-world RPGs will make their comeback.
As well as this, we have the release of the much anticipated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate which will encourage more of the younger generation of gamers to get into fighting games.
How has the games industry changed since you first started?
I haven't been in the industry long enough for there to be a lot of change.
Which part of the Connects event are you most looking forward to and why?
I'm looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone. I'm an incredibly timid person and I rarely have the confidence to network with people.
I'm looking forward to being able to network with people in the industry and also spread the word about Transhaping.
PocketGamer.biz's two-week UK Special is shining a spotlight on the country's vibrant games industry ahead of Pocket Gamer Connects London on January 21st to 22nd 2019 - the largest B2B mobile games event in Europe.
