CM GAMES
Interview by CultureDot
Guest: Vlad CEO at CM Games
December, 2023
Vlad - Very glad to have you here. Tell us about your passion for game development. What are some of your earliest memories?
I fell in love with the craft in the late 90s when I randomly found a program called build.exe on my Pentium MMX PC. It was the level editor for Duke Nukem 3D, and it transformed my world, allowing me to create my own gameplay. Games meant so much to me, I instantly felt like there was nothing else I'd rather do instead. When Half-Life became my new favorite FPS, I progressed to Worldcraft (now Valve Hammer Editor, or VHE), and was obsessed with building CS 1.6 and CS: Source maps for several years, until it was time to focus on my BSc in programming.
25 years later I still get echoes from that period. Recently, someone on Twitter posted a screenshot from my best CS map - turns out, it's still in rotation on some servers! And last year, I was able to contact Ken Silverman - the guy who coded the Duke Nukem 3D engine and build.exe - to thank him for his work that eventually shaped my career. He responded in detail the same day - what a legend!
Do you have a dedicated setup? Software, Hardware, Other?
Ask me about it! :) This year, I completed my dream home office/man cave. It features an XL desk from Secretlab, housing my PC (5900X & 3080 in a Corsair 5000x case), a 32" curved display, and Steelseries peripherals, all in matte black with RGB accents (I'm still an 11-year-old at heart). For VR, I primarily use the Quest 3. On the software side, I'm a huge fan of UE5 and enjoy exploring how its latest features can streamline processes or spawn new experiences.
“We seek paths that allow for early player involvement and real-world validation…”
Take us through the stages of your workflow. Any favorite parts of the development process? Least favorite?
At CM, our game development mirrors a start-up incubator's approach. Ideas or prototypes undergo a pitching process, and if greenlit, the authors receive a budget to form a core team and build an MVP.
We prefer starting small and addressing the biggest risks early. If a game relies on a hypothesis that can only be verified deep into production, we're going to be very skeptical about it. We seek paths that allow for early player involvement and real-world validation before escalating costs and team fatigue.
The final push before shipping is always the toughest, whether when developing solo or running a studio. This is when the ability to make compromises and take calculated risks under pressure becomes decisive.
The most fun part is getting the first playable build into the players' hands and witnessing the excitement. It always reminds me why we choose this career.
What would you like to see implemented within current technologies that would bring the gaming industry to the next level?
We're still at the doorstep of truly leveraging AI and ML in game development. People who have embedded GenAI into their daily lives are still few and far between, and it's even tougher for organizations. At CM, we really sunk our teeth into AI and ML very early, and one of the outcomes is our awesome IAP pricing tech that yields us a 5-15% gain over baseline LTV. But even for us, it will take months if not years until we master all the tech that exists today and integrate it into our pipeline.
“Our venture into VR started with a "passion project" of an exceptionally talented team member that evolved into one of the best-selling and top-rated VR games of the last two years.”
Mythical Games and Nitro Nation. How did this collaboration come about?
Mythical Games approached us in mid-2021 with the idea of taking our racing game IP onto their platform. We were already contemplating a Nitro Nation successor with an open car marketplace, aligning perfectly with their vision. What really stood out was their "great game first" approach, a philosophy we share. Although we've been involved in blockchain gaming since 2018, we've always viewed it as a technology that enhances gameplay rather than defining it.
Music festivals, Pop-up shops in Tokyo with Deadmau5. Can you elaborate on these events?
One of the foundational ideas of World Tour is that it's more than a racing game where players grind their way to top-tier cars and upgrades. The larger-scale view is that of a global festival celebrating cars and racing, while also intersecting with global and regional pop culture. Although the game is in very early stages, there are already glimpses of this vision, with much more to come next year.
” …the foundational ideas of World Tour is that it's more than a racing game…The larger-scale view is that of a global festival celebrating cars and racing, while also intersecting with global and regional pop culture.”
Who else would you like to work with in the future?
We would like to do more with our existing and upcoming automotive brand partners. We've run very cool joint promotions for the original Nitro that brought together the players, cars and content creators in a fun and cost-efficient manner. There's even greater potential for innovative partnerships with Nitro Nation World Tour.
We noticed you like to develop with Virtual Reality as well. Where do you see the future of VR heading?
Our venture into VR started with a "passion project" of an exceptionally talented team member that evolved into one of the best-selling and top-rated VR games of the last two years.
I see VR gaming as a field still exploring its potential and limitations. Long-term, it's hard to imagine a world where having infinite, easily portable screens layered on top of the real world doesn't appeal to consumers. Today, though, there are obvious cost concerns resulting from relatively low production volumes and design limitations of existing hardware. For example, eye tracking can be a real game-changer for UI and user experience, but the added complexity and cost keep it out of current mass-market devices like the Quest 2 and 3.
Any upcoming projects you’d like to mention?
Continuing with VR, we're thrilled to announce the sequel to our hit game 'Into The Radius'. The response from players and the surge in Steam wishlists for the sequel has been overwhelmingly positive and is something we eagerly anticipate in the coming year
If CM Games hosted a metaverse event - which video game characters, would you invite?
I think that Lara Croft and Aloy would perfectly embody our passion for exploration, resilience and connection with technology.
End Interview.
Photo Credits: Photos provided by CM Games.
Photos Above: Nitro Nation World Tour
Photos Below: Into The Radius 2
