Who is Mr. M?

My obligatory backstory

I am a tech enthusiast and polyglot who loves video games and animation. As a kid, I was fascinated by all the behind-the-scenes action of my favorite video games, cartoons, and movies. This eventually grew into dreams of someday becoming an animator and game designer.

Later in my childhood, I discovered that much of the “magic” behind games and animation simply involves math, art, and computer skills. So, this led me to pursue a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science in college. After completing my undergrad, I decided to further my education with a M.S. in Management Information Systems to learn more about technology and develop my business skills.

Throughout my studies, I focused on the intersection of people and technology, also known as Human-Centered Computing. This passion ultimately inspired me to start my business, Mr. M Interactive, where I create games and other media as a side hustle.

What kind of stuff do you make?

I grew up in the early 2000s and was interested in retro games and old cartoons. All of this still holds a special place in my heart today. As a result, many of the projects I work on are inspired by the Y2K era and retro entertainment. This will mean it will incorporate old art-styles such as Frutiger Aero. This also supports my goal of making everything simple to produce and accessible to people with lower-end hardware. That is also why I built this website on the Indie Web; although it may appear a bit rough, it reminds me of the old, quirky internet I grew up with (and it is not super bloated, either!)

How are you doing all of this?

I mostly use free, open-source software to create games, graphics, and music. Sometimes, I will use royalty-free assets and/or hire freelancers when needed. I do this to support the communities and small creators who provide affordable tools and services. I also believe in owning what I create instead of putting it in the hands of large corporations with proprietary software or services. This way, my games and other media can be preserved without too much copyright nonsense.

What platforms are you publishing on?

I will primarily focus on PC and web games, with plans to incorporate mobile games in the future. PC will be the leading platform for any paid games I develop. For web games, I intend to create smaller interactive games reminiscent of classic Flash games. Mobile games will mostly follow a free-to-play model and feature simpler gameplay inspired by old Java phone games.

What is this "global audience"?

Well, I speak multiple languages and like learning about and exploring different cultures. Beyond the fact that I plan to localize my games in other languages that I know (as well as the ones I'm learning eventually), I might even make some games that showcase aspects of certain cultures I find interesting. I will also potentially consult individuals if there are cultural or linguistic aspects of something I want to display accurately and respectfully.

I am mainly looking to expand my games into Asian markets, as those are often overlooked by developers in the West. Additionally, I find their gaming market history interesting and something I would like to try my hand at. It will primarily be India and Japan, with further expansion into Mandarin-speaking communities.

What languages do you plan to support or localize your games in?

Please know that some games may not be available in multiple languages due to the linguistic nature of certain games.

How do you plan to navigate any censorship efforts due to cultural or political tensions?

Let me make myself clear. My brand is not necessarily meant to participate in or appeal to political ideologies or campaigns. However, I am aware that all forms of art and expression are inherently cultural and political, regardless of whether we want them to be. That said, this is my personal brand to publish games and other content, not a large corporation trying to keep an image. I am open to criticism if I make something that is genuinely harmful, oppressive, or offensive. However, I am not in the business of making anything that is simply meant to make people comfortable. Some of my work will probably feature NSFW story elements, scenes, characters, and/or subtle social commentary. There may even sometimes be what some may consider politically or culturally "controversial" content. However, in general, most of my work will be pretty tame. Although I am doing all of this with the intention of making money, I have no plans or interest in caving in to censorship. I will find alternative ways to publish content if I can not on certain platforms.

Since I am trying to primarily make games and other media inspired by the late 90s and Y2K era, I will need to clarify some things here. Even if most of my content is safe for work, adults are still my target audience. Moreover, one of the main highlights of that era was the counterculture of the time. It would simply not be a complete reimagining without rustling some feathers. Although activism is not necessarily my intention, I intend to create media that reflects the diverse world we live in, makes people think, and even innovates by showcasing what often is not discussed or explored in popular discourse. There is simply no way I can do that with censorship.

I am unsure if it is appropriate to call this a content warning. However, if you are a person who is looking to engage with content that fits within your own bubble of how the world should be or what is "normal" or "correct", I will have to respectfully and sternly ask that you look elsewhere. People of that nature are not the target demographic of Mr. M Interactive.

What do you think about the use of generative A.I. and do you use/plan to use it in any of your work?

TL;DR I think in 99% of the cases it is used, it sucks ass, but it did not need to be that way. I may sometimes use it sparingly for some code (within reason), but I am against publishing anything with stuff like A.I. art because its unethical.

For those wanting my more in-depth opinion... Considering my educational background, I am aware of the current trends in using generative A.I. and unfortunately, although I do not think generative A.I. in itself is bad, the majority of cases in which it is used is often unethical or even potentially illegal, especially in creative spaces. There are environmental, security and academic issues with the use of generative A.I. that most people outright ignore. Another issue is that generative A.I. is not just some tool that magically outputs whatever you request to it. Most of these tools have error due to being probabilistic, sometimes pull data from dubious sources and often are not even useful when used incorrectly or without much insight.

To put it bluntly, ironically enough as a tech nerd, although I have no issues with A.I. (after all, it IS used in games too), I have had quite enough of the A.I. slop that has infested the mainstream internet and even gaming space. I have no intentions further contributing to any of that. Although I may sparingly use it for some coding related stuff, that would probably be the extent of it. I said before, I plan to use freelancers or royalty free assets for my games, so I have no intentions of using things like A.I. art tools.; there are a lot of copyright and ethics issues with using them because of plaigiarism and recent attempts to try to "replace" actual artists.

Unsurpringly, my target audience is meant to be for people who liked what existed before all of this low-quality A.I. slop became popular. Like I said before, I am not a corporation. I not only want to replicate the media I grew up with, but I want it to be contributed to by an actual person, be it me or someone else. I am not going to be old-fashioned and not use modern tools. We also can not completely replicate the past. (and probably should not either) However, I am not in support of the current trend in business of replacing people with soulless A.I. tools that produce lackluster content.