In episode 02, we sit down with Benjamin Johnson, or Mr. Benja as he’s known online, who is a designer and creative living in SoCal best known for being the lead designer on Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis and being a prominent open-world scripter for Red Dead Redemption.
Early on, he was introduced to the arts, but when he came across video games, he quickly decided to make game development his focus. Benja obtained degrees in Information Systems and Software Engineering from Florida A&M University and Michigan State University, respectively.
From there he went on to create and design video games for companies such as Sony Santa Monica, 3DO, WowWee, and, of course, Rockstar Games San Diego.
Afterward, he turned his focus away from the corporate and has since moved into creative ventures including podcasting, gallery curation, and a fine arts project called The 8Bit Cubist. And as he explains, “Life Imitates Game.”
----more----
Chapters:
- (0:00) Who is Mr. Benja?
- (01:01) Intro Theme
- (01:27) Are Games Art?
- (04:56) A Toast: JÄGERMEISTER & Peloton de la Muerte Mezcal
- (11:22) Falling in love with video games
- (17:29) Learning & Applying DirectX
- (23:10) Committed to Getting a Game Dev Job
- (28:27) Interviewing at the 3DO Company
- (41:21) Being a Gameplay Engineer at 3DO
- (55:49) Playing Grand Theft Auto 3
- (01:06:36) Can I be a Rockstar?
- (01:14:26) Lead Designer for Rockstar Presents Table Tennis
- (01:34:54) Red Dead Redemption Bounty Hunter
- (01:43:52) Game Design is Dead
- (01:50:47) Q&A - Suprise from Chris Bourassa
- (01:53:00) Mr. Benja Farewell
- (01:56:06) John's Recap
- (01:57:26) Next Episode Teaser: Mayling Tan
- (01:57:58) John's Outro
----more----
Additional Resources:
The 8Bit Cubist Mr Benja's ADD Experience Follow Benja on Twitter @mrbenja
Follow Benja on Instagram @mrbenja
Follow you host John R. Diaz on Twitter @elkingpin
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.