FAITH IN YOURSELF, TRUST IN ASSOCIATES
Leo Tot is a new, multi-important member of the Vibe factory team, both because of his knowledge and experience, and even more because of the great energy and creativity he radiates.
Who is Leo Tot?
"I consider myself a versatile figure within the regional video game industry, which is obviously not able to deal specifically with just one job, because I am interested in many different things, some of which are from the segment of video game production, education, event management and journalism. The consequence of all this raw interest and the projects I am implementing - I can't find a suitable title that would descriptively elaborate my function within the industry, so I invented a suitable title that would encapsulate my entire stay in the industry, while defining my level of egocentrism. ”. This certainly allows me a wide range of abilities and possibilities to adapt very quickly to the project environment I am working on, and to be useful where I need them, which is actually my greatest pleasure, because no one likes useless figures. ”
What's Leo's story?
Characteristically, and adapted to the industry in which we live, one of my first memories is the poignancy of PONG on the old Atari system and the drama of mastering the basics of coordination and control of pixel blocks on the cathode screen, black and white TV, on "controllers" that are in fact mechanical oscillators with minimum and maximum value. It's funny now, but those were the days… when you only had the ability to move up and down and chase a few pixels around the screen.
I think there has always been a genuine interest in pursuing an occupation within the industry as a profession, but it all started when I started rummaging around remodeling existing and then developing some early prototypes of video games, all on to the first event (Reboot InfoGamer ) from which I, as a volunteer, influenced well-organized organizations, which would, for the first time, enable me to have a more seriously paid engagement. As I started doing this job, all the other possibilities began to slowly unfold, as it usually happens, and everything else in the sequel to this day is a matter of legend."
I like to say that the production, i.e. the development of video games is in the first place, because something creative always itches me and I have to express it in the way I know best, but considering the amount of work around event management and their frequency, I believe that somehow this organizational part shares a place with production. But as I emphasized at the beginning, I just can't do only one job, so I would say that everything really depends on the project I'm on, whether it's production, event management, education or journalism."
What's precious for the Vibe factory team is Leo's knowledge of the gaming community both in the Republic of Croatia and globally, but also his vision of the path of development and general promising industry.
"My perspective on the community, i.e. industry in the Republic of Croatia, as well as on the global one, is in principle identical. The global video game industry is one of the youngest industries in general, which would mean that the industry and the community in the Republic of Croatia are even younger with this template. I am not a person who will have strictly defined views and attitudes about our industry and community, because it can change and turn upside down at an abnormal speed, within an impressively short period of time, so in principle I am guided by the rule "who manages to adapt to change , will both survive and prosper ”. What is evident from any perspective, that we lack a lot of professional staff, in almost all segments of the industry, especially from the technical and organizational / administrative aspect, but it is a consequence of the youth of the industry, which is gradually being put in order by various formal and informal educational projects. I generally look at the industry as an industry with unlimited potential if you step through it smartly and practically.
Just as I don't like to have strong attitudes and views, due to the flexibility and diversity of the industry itself, I don't like to anticipate anything. There are some indications that are still in focus at the moment, and which could achieve a kind of "boom" in the market, and that is AR / KSR / VR gaming, NFT gaming (whatever that means - I personally shudder at the thought that this is thing ”, whatever). Certainly an indispensable segment is mobile gaming, which still leads in revenue compared to other gaming systems, but it is certainly the result, i.e. the law of numbers, which is multiplied by the factor of availability and distribution of mobile devices. What I would say is constant, that the core gaming segment will not necessarily change much, except for adapting to cross-platform gaming, which I personally am very glad about because it opens up new possibilities for the development of both single-player and multiplayer games. ”
The INDIE community is very inspiring, but especially sensitive. Because of the complexity it implies, this community is especially dear to Leo. "Indie developer is personally my favorite type of developer in the industry, because of their ability to come to the surface with their projects / games, including the most expensive AAA titles, relying on creativity, innovation and the message they send through in-game media small teams and with masterfully meager budgets, sometimes as solo developers. I often like to emphasize that indie developers are the last of those original game developers and that they are, so to speak, a pillar of creativity on which the entire video game industry thrives. Working with them from any perspective can be extremely interesting but also challenging, due to all the obstacles they have to bypass in order for their projects to fall into the hands of players. Some of my currently favorite titles came from the hands of indie developers with whom I personally associate and with whom I collaborate, so the general experience is always positive. As long as there is an industry, the indie category of games will always exist, because originally indie developers are individuals and studios that push the boundaries of creativity and the way we play.”
We especially found ourselves in the observation of the topic concerning informing the public about the good sides of gaming.
"Apart from those already proven and scientifically proven benefits such as improving the coordination and cognitive abilities of the individual, I believe that another very important aspect of the benefits is the mental health of the individual who play games. Realistically, this aspect should be much more represented in the media, but I believe that in a short period of time it will be achieved, because the mental health of an individual has often been mentioned lately outside the gaming segment."
And then the question of whether eSport is a sport.
“Absolutely. If it requires discipline, training (both physical and mental preparation), and at the same time has strictly defined rules and regulations of competitions and organizations that conduct them, it would be extremely frivolous not to consider it a sport. In front of us comes the introduction of Esport as an Olympic discipline, ok, realistically more because of its popularity and the potential of the so-called marketability, but that doesn't diminish the value of the skill and effort that goes into bringing players to the top and competing among the best.”
Finally, it is clear why Leo is a member of the Vibe factory team, but it is also clear why Vibe Factory challenges Leo.
“Vibe Factory is a brand new brand in the regional video game industry with unlimited growth potential. Given the geographical location, the period in which it should happen and the general popularity of gaming culture, to say anything less than excellent would be utterly rude of me. We will all vibe together, right!”