Greg Heffernan
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GreG Heffernan AKA COSMO D
Greg Heffernan, the winner of the A MAZE. Long Feature Award in 2018 is back as nominee for the 9th A MAZE. Awards. His nominated work is the first part of his series called TALES FROM OFF-PEAK CITY VOL. 1 . Enjoy the his answers.
A MAZE.: How would you describe yourself?
Greg Heffernan: Game developer from New York City. Roots as a musician, cellist to be specific.
A MAZE.: Are you a wild heart? If yes, what makes you think you’re a wild heart?
Greg Heffernan: Yes. I think I'm a wild heart because you have to be a wild person to fully commit to the act of making games and all the challenges that entails. Wildness to me means feeling occasional discomfort and uncertainty, but also adventure and discovery.
A MAZE.: Why did you start making games or playful media works?
Greg Heffernan: I wanted to see how I could stretch into this realm from my comfort zone of music, which I was feeling restless in. As a musician, I'm an entertainer at heart. I wanted to entertain people in a place they were probably most relaxed and engaged - at their screen!
SCreenShot From Tales OF OFF-Peak City Vol. 1
A MAZE.: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration? Think beyond games too - musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, scientists, …
Greg Heffernan: Film director Wong Kar Wai
A MAZE.: Where can we find this in your work?
Greg Heffernan: In the urban mood and atmosphere of my games, with hints of wistfulness and longing.
A MAZE.: What message(s) are you sending out with your works?
Greg Heffernan: Step into another world. It might feel a little strange and unsettling, but it's also comforting and there's a groove you can lock into.
A MAZE.: Is there a repeating pattern in all of your works the players may experience?
Greg Heffernan: Themes of music, general disaffection with the status quo and the artist's triumphs and struggles.
A MAZE.: What influences your work more: Past (history), present (contemporary) or future (scifi) and what are your sources?
Greg Heffernan: I think squarely contemporary, with nods towards both future scifi and history.
A MAZE.: What does responsibility towards your players mean to you as an artist?
Greg Heffernan: As I mentioned above, I want to entertain my players. I want them to step away from my games having felt something extraordinary and singular.
A MAZE.: What impact is the current pandemic having on you and your work?
Greg Heffernan: It's making me look inward, but it's also making me connect with people I wouldn't otherwise. As far as my work, the course remains steady.
SCreenShot From Tales OF OFF-Peak City Vol. 1
A MAZE.: If there is something wrong in the field of games / playful media, what would you fix first?
Greg Heffernan: I'd seek to provide professional opportunities more readily available in my home city, NYC. Past that, I'd advocate for a standardized set of professional parameters (work hours, pay, etc), even at game jams and in the freelance world.
A MAZE.: What are the three games someone who never played a game before should play? Why those?
Greg Heffernan: Code Names - party game that elevates your brain; Skull - so simple and fun, best for bars; Dungeons and Dragons (or another RPG) - with a good group and the right dungeon master, it gets to the primal desire for communal storytelling like nothing else.
A MAZE.: How do you relax and find balance?
Greg Heffernan: I jog in the park. I cook. I take strolls through the streets of my home city. I play board games. Simple pleasures.
A MAZE.: What are the main challenges for artists in your country to sustain themselves?
Greg Heffernan: Finding work, maintaining a healthy balance of making stuff and living life, navigating an uncertain global economy and cultural upheaval. You know, just the usual stuff.
A MAZE.: How do you see interactive arts in 10 years from now? In 2030! Tell us your vision.
Greg Heffernan: VR becomes more integrated, but mouse / WASD is still a thing. Steam is running on every microwave. Laptops are both good and affordable.