This interview was featured in the very first issue of Pure Nintendo magazine. (first issue HERE) Make sure to keep an eye out for our next issue that will feature a Skyward Sword preview, Wii U talk and more. The next issue will hit the virtual shelves on November 7th.

PN: Why did you get into the video game industry?

JW: It’s my Dad’s fault really. He brought a ZX Spectrum home one day, when I was about 8 years old, and I was hooked on games ever since. What was great about the computers released in the UK , such as ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Atari ST, and Amiga, is that you could actually make your own games by programming or using game making software. Shoot’Em-Up Construction Kit (SEUCK) was one “game” that I really enjoyed messing with on the Commodore 64 and Amiga when I was about 13. It was an editor that enabled you to make sprites and backgrounds and set up the rules for your game.

PN: How did you get into the game industry?

JW: There is a pivotal moment in my life where I was presented with a choice. At the age of 17 I stumbled across EMAP Images in Farringdon, London. I was taking a stroll on my lunch-break from college. EMAP Images was a large magazine publisher in England, and I had one of their video game magazines on me at the time – as you do! The choice I had was to walk into this imposing marble-clad building and ask for a job, or walk by. It didn’t take me very long to decide. I looked at the contents page of my magazine, The One, and found the editor of the magazine was named Ciaran Brennan. To cut a long story short, I got a job as Trainee Staff Writer. I know it wasn’t due to my writing skills. I was cheap and enthusiastic! This position put me in contact with many game developers, which eventually led to me jumping over to the development side of the industry, starting out as a pixel artist at The Sales Curve.

PN: What are some of your favorite video game memories growing up and now?

JW: When I got my own computer, the Spectrum +, was a special moment for me. My Dad already had one, and now I had my own. I felt pretty fancy! As far as games, I spent many hours playing Jet Set Willy on the Spectrum. Fast forward a few years, I’ll never forget the moment I first saw Super Mario World on the SNES. It looked like nothing else I had ever seen. Up to that point I had been exposed mainly to computer games. Super Mario World single-handedly brought me over to the console side of gaming. In more recent years, platforms such as the GBA SP was a favorite system of mine, which has since been eclipsed by the DS Lite and now the 3DS in terms of awesome hardware that I take on the go.

PN: Were did the name Renegade Kid come from?

JW: I have always been fond of names that combine two opposing themes, so the words renegade and kid were a fun combination of tough and edgy with young and playful. Gregg Hargrove and I went through a lot of different name ideas, always checking to see if the .com was available before falling too much in love with the name. Before Renegade Kid, we were going with Troubled Kid, which is cool – but perhaps a little too edgy. :)

PN: How do you think Nintendo is handling the 3DS? Is the criticism fair?

JW: I think it seems pretty obvious that the 3DS was released too early. I’m sure Nintendo had their reasons for releasing the 3DS when they did, but the fact that there was a serious lack of decent games to buy after the initial titles were released was a huge misstep. If the 3DS was released now-ish, with a price tag of $189.99, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and a fully functioning eShop in place it would be more attractive to casual players and gamers alike. However, I think Nintendo have handled the situation extremely well. Dropping the price to $169.99 was a bold move that was needed. The launch price of $249.99 was way too expensive, and the fact that Nintendo addressed this issue so quickly and with such a reduction in price is impressive. Sure, it may have a short-term negative effect on some people, but in the long run it is a brilliant move. Is the criticism fair? No, I don’t think it is. The only thing that Nintendo could have done better was delay the release of the 3DS to allow for the games to catch up. Other than that, the system has sold well, it is great, and I love it! It will be a huge success.

PN: What games are you playing right now, besides your own?

JW: Star Fox 64 3D.