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'''Alec Holowka''' is a Canadian [[Indie gaming | independent game developer]], co-founder of an independent game company [[Bit Blot]],<ref name="bitblot">[http://www.bit-blot.com/?page_id=3 Bit Blot]</ref> and [[Infinite Ammo]] where he works as lead programmer, musician and game designer. He collaborated with [[Derek Yu]] to create the award-winning game [[Aquaria (video game) | Aquaria]] and [[freeware]] game ''[[I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator]]''.
'''Alec Holowka''' is a Canadian [[Indie gaming | independent game developer]], co-founder of an independent game company [[Bit Blot]],<ref name="bitblot">{{cite web|url=http://www.bit-blot.com/?page_id=60|title=Bitblot - company|publisher=Bit Blot|accessdate=2008-11-18}}</ref> and [[Infinite Ammo]] where he works as lead programmer, musician and game designer. He collaborated with [[Derek Yu]] to create the award-winning game [[Aquaria (video game) | Aquaria]] and [[freeware]] game ''[[I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator]]''.


==Background==
==Background==

Revision as of 13:37, 18 November 2008

Alec Holowka
Occupation(s)Programmer, Designer and Musician, Bit Blot, Infinite Ammo


Alec Holowka is a Canadian independent game developer, co-founder of an independent game company Bit Blot,[1] and Infinite Ammo where he works as lead programmer, musician and game designer. He collaborated with Derek Yu to create the award-winning game Aquaria and freeware game I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator.

Background

Alec Holowka was introduced to programming at the age of eight when his father purchased him a book Basic Fun. Eventually he began working with a free ware group called Zaphire Productions. Since then he worked on a number of failed start ups, including one in Winnipeg, Canada working on a PC multi-player fantasy action title and a combat racer in Vancouver, Canada for the Xbox 360.[2]

Holowka acted as sound engineer on the 2006 freeware title I'm O.K - A Murder Simulator as a response to American lawyer Jack Thompson's A Modest Video Game Proposal. Holowka met Derek Yu in the comments section of popular technology website Slashdot in a post regarding Jack Thompson's proposal and along with Chris Hanson and Phil Jones formed satire company Thompsonsoft for the once off release.[3]

After its release Holowka introduced Yu to a project he had been working on independently, Yu was interested in the project and the two officially developer Bit Blot the week before the Independent Games Festival deadline.[6] The project was released in 7 December 2007 under the title Aquaria and was the recipient of the Independent Games Festival Seumas McNally grand prize for best game in March 2007.

Current projects

  • Official Soundtrack to Aquaria with a possible boxed release
  • Untitled project with Infinite Ammo
  • Apple iPhone game with Mark Johns and another with Phil Fish[4]

Gameography

I'm O.K.

I'm O.K, main menu

I'm O.K. is a side-scrolling satirical platform shoot-em-up, which was created by Derek Yu (art), Alec Holowka (sound), and Chris Hanson (code) as a response to Jack Thompson's open letter, "A Modest Video Game Proposal." It is a "retro" style arcade game, which parodies various famous games, game companies, and game developers. The main protagonist of the game is Osaki Kim, who blames the video game industry for the death of his child. The player takes the role of the Osaki Kim as he shoots his way up to the E3 Media and Business Summit, killing game developers along the way.

Aquaria

File:Aquaria-screenshot-veil.png
Area called The Veil, part of Aquaria's game world

Aquaria is an action adventure game, based heavily on exploration. It is an epic story about adventures of Naija, an amnesiac underwater creature, who is in search of information about her family and her past. She explores many ancient ruins of Aquaria, an underwater world created by a mysterious creator. Created by Derek Yu and Alec Holowka, Aquaria is their first commercial game and the winner of the Independent Games Festival's 2007 Seumas McNally Grand Prize.[5]

Owl Country

In early 2008, Holowka along with a group of other independent developers during a week long Game Developers Conference in Montreal, Canada created a project with most of the work being done at there hotel, the Holiday Inn. Holowka acted as musician and programmer and the project was created to be submitted to the Gamma 256 game design contest. [6]

Paper Moon

On 15 August 2008 Holowka along with newly formed developer Infinite Ammo created Paper Moon, a game that was submitted to Montreal’s GAMMA 3D game design contest, it was picked along with another 5 to be showed cased at this years GAMMA event. [7]

Everyone Loves Active 2

Holowka wrote the music for Kyle Pulver’s freeware game, Everyone Loves Active 2.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Bitblot - company". Bit Blot. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  2. ^ Wallis, Alistair (October 23, 2006). "Road To The IGF: Bit Blot's Aquaria". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ 2007 Independent Games Festival Winners
  6. ^ [3]
  7. ^ [4]
  8. ^ [5]

Interviews