Swipe This!: The Guide to Great Touchscreen Game Design

Developer Interview 4: Blade Olsen

Developer profile: Blade Olsen recently graduated from USC’s prestigious interactive media department. His senior project, Dance Pad, was the star of demo day: a showcase where industry professionals scout new talent. As a result, Blade landed a job as an assistant producer with EA games.

Last completed/published project: Dance Pad (iOS)

Company website: http://gamepipe.usc.edu/usc_gamepipe_laboratory/R&D/Entries/2010/12/14_Dance_Pad.html

Blade, thanks for taking the time to talk with Swipe This! What excites you about designing games for touchscreens and tablets?

I originally wanted to make a game involving funk music and have it be really energetic. However, I conceded early on that I’m a lazy video-game player and wanted to make sure the “energy” of the game didn’t translate into an overly active experience. I don’t have anything against active gaming a la the Kinect, Wii, and Move; I just personally have the patience of a toddler, the energy level of a sloth, and muscles that have atrophied from years of gameplaying. When I want to play video games, it’s because I need to relax.

In the end, my college buddies and I thought the idea of physically using your fingers as tiny legs was hilarious and immediately recognizable to anyone who owns a pair of hands. Consequently, we decided “dancing with your fingers,” for example, the moonwalk, the ...