Uprise Games – Norwich’s newest independent games studio, and the brainchild of Access Creative College alumni Dylan Wilson, Cody Miller and Michael Beckwith. These three intrepid young game developers have already had some big successes, including welcoming new team member Dominykas Jucys.
We had a chat with them to find out why they started Uprise Games, what inspires their work, how Access helped them launch this incredible venture and more. Read our exclusive interview below.
Tell us about yourselves.
Dylan (DY): Hi, I’m Dylan—a streamer and content creator active across multiple platforms. In my free time, I enjoy exploring graphic design and coming up with new game concepts. I’m also the founder and director of Uprise Games, where I lead our efforts in bringing creative projects to life. Alongside Uprise Games, I’m working on other ventures that are currently in development.
Dom (DO): Hello! I’m Dominykas: A Programmer, Video Editor, Story Writer, Network Engineer, and everything in between. I broke into the Games Industry a bit over half a decade ago. I have been learning and evolving ever since, constantly rising to new heights with no signs of slowing down any time soon, and a penultimate goal of creating fun and immersive games that the community enjoys playing!
Michael (M): Hi, my name is Michael. I’m a 3D artist and game designer with 3 years of education and experience in games under my belt. I usually stick to making characters and designing more mature-themed games with an older audience in mind as these are the types of games I mainly played growing up. Speaking of, I went into the games industry with great inspiration from the uncharted series and a passion for storytelling, immersion and thrilling gameplay experiences ever since I was six years old. In my free time, I play video games, of course, alongside strumming the guitar, reading about philosophy and history, learning new languages and much more.
Cody (C): Hey, my name is Cody. I am a 3D Digital Artist and general game developer. I have had 3 years of education at Access Creative College and plan on getting another 4 years of experience on a games development course at university. Alongside studying I have been working with Uprise Games to assist in the development of a variety of games. I plan on continuing my work with Uprise whilst still at university.
What made you want to start Uprise Games? How did you start it, and how is it going?
DY: Breaking into the industry is tough. You typically need to spend three years in college followed by another three to five years at a university to earn a degree. Even after those eight years, there’s no guarantee you’ll land a job in the field.
Many graduates leave university only to struggle to find a position at a game studio. And even if they do, job security is shaky with the constant risk of layoffs. That’s why, in my opinion, starting your own studio is not only easier but also more rewarding. Ever since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of making games that bring joy and create lasting memories for players.
We started our journey in September 2021, just after completing the Level 2 Games Development course at Access Creative College, where I met Michael. At the time, I didn’t know much about Cody, but when I shared the idea of starting a game studio with Michael, he introduced Cody into the mix. That’s when Uprise Games was born. In October, we participated in our first game jam, and that’s where everything took off. Since then, we’ve only grown.
As of 2024, things are progressing well! We took part in our first major event, the Norwich Games Festival, where we gave a talk on how Uprise Games is evolving. We also pitched our studio to various investors and other industry professionals. Although we didn’t secure funding, the advice and feedback we received were invaluable. Unfortunately, we haven’t officially released any games yet, but we’re optimistic that this will change soon.
C: I always enjoyed playing games. I never had my own console but despite that, I always managed to get my hands on my brothers’ consoles. For instance, I used to play on his GameCube and Gameboy all the time. As time went on, my brother started building computers. Once he had his first computer, I would watch him play games for hours at which point I fell in love with games and their construction of them alongside my passion for building computers
M: I always wanted to start my own games company to allow me the freedom to create my own visions rather than someone else who’s being bossed around by investors. It’s incredibly important to me that Uprise Games is built with our own hands rather than any investors that could sway our direction. This freedom, with building a reputation similar to Valve or Naughty Dog one day is my dream. With the direction Uprise Games is heading in, I see that being a reality. We’re working on our first major release, a 3D zombie game which we’re hoping to show off in a year or two.
DO: My time at Uprise has been an incredible journey so far, and, if there’s anything we can tell from the path we have forged so far, the future seems bright! Everybody we had spoken with had commented on how great our progress has been, having taken part in game festivals and hosted talks on the games industry, all of which were done in less than 2 years after the founding of Uprise. With a passionate team, and a firm understanding of games, the community can expect wonderful things.
How do you approach and begin developing a new Project?
DY: New projects have gone through me as I am the Project Manager and Director for each of our projects. I am the one who ensures that the project Is being worked on and everyone Is meeting their deadlines. We use Jira which Is the Industry Standard for games this Is how we track the progress of our games.
When It comes to a new project, It’s always important to discuss the Idea with the team. So when It comes to doing this we will Invite everyone Into a Teams Meeting and begin the discussion of a game concept we have come up with a begin to expand on It. Once we have a generalised Idea we will then move this Into our own Game Design Document where we will have a daily meeting to discuss any changes that need to be made.
M: An important part of working on a games project is staying motivated and willing to put the work in. Because of this, we have learnt the hard way that we all need to have the same interest and fiery passion for a game idea. We all add our own opinions and ideas into the mix over meetings, design sessions, research etc until we’ve designed something we think will be fun to play and we’ll enjoy making.
What are some of the challenges you face when developing games?
DY: We haven’t faced any challenges except for the lack of motivation from the entire team when it came to developing De’vot. It was originally a game which was going to be remastered and improved to give the full true potential of a platformer. However It went downhill earlier this year because our team had lost motivation to complete the project, We had to push through to ensure we had a game which was playable for the “Norwich Games Festival 2024”. De’vot has now been scrapped and will no longer be completed and released unless we can find some developers who would like to continue the game for us!
Now we have all left Access Creative College some of us are going straight into work, like me meaning It’s hard to find time to work on the project myself and the others are going to university meaning development will be slower.
DO: The primary challenge would be the amount of time we can each dedicate to game development and Uprise in general, due to everyone having work, university, social lives, family, and all sorts of other commitments to balance as well, and with everything constantly moving about and changing, allocating time to Uprise has been difficult. When people start settling into things, and getting into the rhythm of life again, this problem should all but disappear.
M: Dylan mentioned some of the challenges we’ve faced and are facing. However, one thing that isn’t touched on by a lot of people is the emotional side of things, giving up time with your family, making sacrifices and prioritising work over other things, handling the stress of a project and keeping others motivated alongside yourself. It takes a lot of determination and willpower to push through these barriers and make those hard decisions, and it’s a challenge we’ll face for the rest of our careers. This isn’t just in the games industry; this is with most jobs in general, but it weighs a lot more when trying to start a business. However, there is no benefit to giving up, you get nothing from it so why do it?
What are some Game Studios that inspire you and why?
DY: Honestly, some of the studios which inspire us to do better are the ones that are in direct competition with us. Recently, after meeting some of the new studios which have popped up around Norwich, I have felt more and more inspired to do better and create something truly amazing.
On the other hand, some of the Studios that Inspired me to get into games were Rockstar Games and Wildcard. Both studios have created some incredibly fun games, and I don’t know where I would be If these games didn’t exist at such a young age. Lots of my friends have all been met through video games and that’s where it holds a special place in my heart.
M: As mentioned before, I am inspired by many of the studios that dominated my entertainment systems since I was a young age. Naughty Dog, Valve, Insomniac Games, Rockstar Games, Skybound etc. I want Uprise to be like some of these studios, not in the way you may think but in such a way that they create awesome games that feel like the developers enjoyed making it, games that leave a lasting impact on you, games that push boundaries and say my creativity knows no vices, only growth and freedom.
D: I am motivated by myself and the idea for the final product rather than some other game studio. All game studios are different and comparing us to others will lead to motivation problems as we will always find something that will lead to a hit to our motivation, be it because they’re more successful than us, or they’re doing something better than us. Instead, I might research other similar studios, see what they did right and what they did wrong, and see what we can learn from that.
How did you find your time at Access Creative College?
DY: Without a doubt, Access Creative College has improved a wide range of my skills when it comes to Management and Game Design. I believe that it’s one of the greatest colleges in Norwich and hopefully will continue to be like that through the years.
Everything we have learned through Access Creative College has been used in some way or another in the growth of this studio.
M: Access has aided in the start of Uprise Games. There were many great role models such as our teachers and we got to improve our skills with what they taught us alongside attending events such as Nordev con, Oll XP events etc. However, aside from the obvious answer it has improved us in another way. We got to develop our social skills and learn how to network, communicate more effectively, gain confidence and overall, it changed us in more ways than one.
What are some of the games that are currently being developed, and what does the future look like?
DY: Well, as of writing this message on the 22/08/2024. We are currently working on our first 3D Game. Which has not yet been announced. You can follow this project on our Instagram and find updates there.
However, in terms of the future, we feel like we have got this in the bag. It will be a slow growth as everyone Is moving Into Universities meaning some projects may need longer deadlines to ensure full completion. The future for us Is bright and in the next year or two we could have our own office space In Norwich and begin taking on new members!
What advice would you give to someone who would like to start their own game development studio?
DY: Start as soon as you possibly can, whether that’s on your own or with friends. Anything Is possible with the use of social media. If you are serious about getting into this Industry, starting your own studio may be the way to go. We began by developing games for a Game Jam Community Discord In which we got 50th place out of 200 teams. This helped boost and understand how everyone worked in the team allowing you to make changes.
This Industry Is highly unpredictable and in the next few years, I feel like there will be some serious changes to the way people Join. The growth of artificial Intelligence Is on the rise and in the next 10 years, a large amount of the game’s development cycle will be replaced by AI.
So personally, start as soon as you can and go for It. The worst that can happen Is you fail, but that’s the fun part of It. It’s all about learning from mistakes and improving them for the future.
M: Don’t wait for the right moment because it will never come. Just start making games, any game, make it and share it. This will help you build a portfolio of games, improve your skills and get recognised. During this stage, you will probably think of a game idea that you believe will do well and is within your capability to make which can be affected by team size, experience etc. Doing this will show you the reality of making games but it’s important not to give up and keep pushing it. Eventually, after much hard work you will create a successful game and continue building your business.
In terms of actually starting a business just be aware of the laws you’ll have to follow and the responsibilities you’ll have as a company director. You will have to file reports on your income, write a business plan and pay a couple of fees to submit reports to HMRC. It’s also important to know about any possible bills you’ll have to pay depending on what software you are using. For example, Unreal Engine is free however once you have sold one million copies of your game, Epic Games will bill you roughly fifty thousand dollars. Alongside this, they will take a five percent cut of each sale.
And if you’d like to follow in the footsteps of Uprise Games, a great place to start is our games courses, available nationwide. Check out our Gaming Pathway page for more.
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