I recently met with Alessandro Profenna, a Ryerson Unversity student pursuing a BSc in Computer Science. He will be participating in LevelUP TO this year, and we talked a bit about his work and his game, COLHEX, that he will showcase.
TGD: Thank you for meeting with me here. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Alessandro Profenna: I’m a third year student at Ryerson University pursuing a BSc in Computer Science. I’ve enjoyed math and art since I was a young child, with an initial interest in studying Architecture. After a year in the program, I discovered LevelUP online, which is what made me want to switch to Computer Science. I love art and design, and some of my favourite game series are Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. The gameplay in these titles is flashy and beautiful. For example, the visuals of shooting a spell make it more satisfying to play.
TGD: Wow, so LevelUP inspired you to switch programs?
A.P: Yes, it definitely helped with my decision. I knew that a degree in Computer Science would give me the skills necessary to pursue game programming and design. Architecture and game development actually have a lot in common. They are very similar in the design process, keeping a strong emphasis not only on engineering and functionality, but also on aesthetics.
TGD: You have a few games that you’ve made. You already have a game available on iOS, Infinity Wheel, and you participated in LevelUP TO last year with SHATTERFALL.
A.P: Yes, I started making iOS games and learned SpriteKit. Through this I created Infinity Wheel, and released it in November 2015. In the game, your press and hold the screen to move the wheel faster and guide the ball through the obstacles.