Maker of "CRUNCH!", we asked John Ardussi to step up to the plate and field a few questions before the showers…
1 – Auxiliary Power, Inc…hmm… Why’d you set the company up?
I wanted to make games that were fun. Working at/for other companies, I was pigeon holed into being a programmer. For some reason people think that there is something called a "game designer" that only people who do it, can do it. Not true. As in actors can make great directors, programmers can make great game designers. So for me to have input on the design of the games I was working on, the best chance I had was to strike out on my own.
2 – What made you want to get into the games industry in the first place?
I played Atari games way back when. When I first learned how to program, I started trying to copy games I had played. Then I wrote a Zork-like text parser in college. Then I spent a few years away from games. Then in 1992, I took a job porting Sargon V to the Macintosh. That got me back into the game industry again. And I have been at it since.
3 – CRUNCH! – What’s all that about then?
CRUNCH! is a demolition derby game. It is not meant as a simulation type game. Instead, it is meant to be a simple chance for people to beat up on cars. It is a short term diversion rather than a major time commitment game. And yet, people seem to spend a lot of time playing it. It is dedicated to all those people who start up other racing games only to turn their car around and try to cause a head on collision.
4 – Why? (Not necessarily about Question 3)
While the correct answer would be "Why not?", my answer is "Because I am compelled to do so. Anything else would be against my nature."
5 – CRUNCH! will sell millions around the world, making you a multi-millionaire overnight. People will flock to your door as if you were Elvis or someone similar. What would you spend your first million on?
My first million goes toward making more games. I want to make a game company the correct way. I want to be to computer games what Henry Ford was to cars. That way people who make games can actually make a good living at it.
6 – What are your PC’s specs?
Currently I have a dual processor 500Mhz PIII with 512MB of memory and 45GB of disk space. I use a Matrox G400 video card and a 21" monitor. I am upgrading soon.
7 – Relaxation is usually saved for the weekends or the evenings, or in cases where the person involved is a night worker, then it can be during the day. What do you do during your "Free Time"?
Suprisingly, I play a lot of video games. Other things include soccer (football), softball and making videos. I am definitely a movie director wanna be.
8 – The Spice Girls: All Female Supergroup or Waste of Space without Geri?
I can’t say that I have seen them since Geri left. She was my favorite.
9 – Have you ever been abroad? What do you think of Foreigners?
If abroad means to Canada, then yes. I think Canadians are what Americans would be like if we didn’t have television. And foreigners are the best. I thrive on alternative viewpoints and alternative ways of thinking.
10 – Any messages to anyone who reads this?
Always be yourself. Unless you are wanted by the law.
