Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Annie Award's 2014 Video Game Nominee: Tiny Thief Interview

Three games are up for Best Animated Video Game Award at this year's Annie Awards for Animation. TTDILA will be covering the star-studded night of animators ... well some of the voice actors are okay to look at, but before hand will be talking to those in the video game nomination threshold. We're starting with nominee Tiny Thief, published by Rovio of Angry Birds fame and developed by 5 Ants. The games playable through Google Play or Itunes. 5 Ants' Creative Director Max Bevilacqua shared his views on being nominated for the award.

JB: I've yet had the time to play Tiny Thief, please describe it for those who haven't played it.

Max: Tiny Thief brings back the magic from the point-and-click adventure games of old, charming you with its very own visual style and offbeat sense of humor. The main character is an unconventional hero who uses cunning and trickery to out-smart his opponents across six epic medieval adventures. The game throws some seriously mind-boggling puzzles at you, with tons of surprising interactive gameplay elements along the way. Embark on an epic quest to save a princess and kingdom in peril!

How do you feel about being animated, I mean nominated for an Annie? I see the nomination went up on on the Tiny Thief web-site, so either your pr is good or you guys really care.
We are very proud about the nomination, moreover considering the other nominees. It's a great recognition for our studio and very rewarding overall, considering the time it took to develop the game.

What made you think the Annie's gave you the nod?
We are really happy how Tiny Thief turned out animation-wise. I feel the variety and sheer quantity of unique animations throughout the game (over 3.000) makes the game feel very special.

How does animation and video games go together in your head?


For our game it certainly played an important role, since there was no text and no voice acting. This meant that all the narrative, emotions and attitudes are conveyed via animations
If you do win, will someone be there to pick up the award? Both Journey and Limbo have won and no one showed up or made any plans at previous ceremonies. 

Sure, the animators will be there and wouldn't miss the chance to celebrate and meet other people in the industry.
If coming to sunny Los Angeles what will you do here other than the Annie's, if not haha. It's so nice and sunny here.

5 Ants is Barcelona based so we have plenty of sun over here - that said LA has its unique spots you don't want to miss! No plans but I guess we will figure that out, any suggestions?
Yes, check out this site Mr. Bevilacqua.