Staying ahead of the game

SHIGERU Miyamoto, the master craftsman behind the Mario series, The Legend of Zelda, and countless other legendary titles from our childhood till today ushered in the age where games are designed by designers, not engineers.
Following in his path is Anisa Nadhirah Abu Fatah Sanusi (known professionally as Anisa Sanusi in the UK, and Anisa Nadhirah to her friends in Malaysia). Her passion for art led her to pursue a career in it, but it was her experience with video games that steered her to join the gaming industry.
Her strong interest for both brought her to the UK, where the 26-year-old now resides and works as a User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) designer with many games under her belt.
“Games are a form of interactive entertainment, and I love how versatile and adaptive they can be. Personally, it’s very rewarding to be responsible for some of these experiences,” expressed the Petaling Jaya native.
Could you recall your path to becoming an UI/UX designer in the video game industry?
Right after SPM, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the arts. I attended The One Academy to study digital animation, and completed my degree in computer animation at Teesside University in the UK. I did some entry-level animator jobs and the occasional freelance work.
I was quite happy to stay in animation but I needed a working visa to stay and work in the UK, then I chanced upon an opening for a 2D artist at a video game company that also offered a visa sponsorship. From there I started from scratch, learning all I can about User Interface (UI) art, and most recently, about User Experience (UX) design – but focusing on video games.
What was your relationship with video games like, growing up?
It was video games that attracted me to computer animation, to begin with, as I remember being blown away by the cinematography of Kingdom Hearts on PlayStation 2. I grew up playing the games consoles that belonged to my older brothers, including the Sega Mega Drive and Playstation. I would hog the Game Boy Color all the time!
Tell us about the games you’ve worked on.
My latest and proudest work would be Planet Coaster (released 2016, PC), a theme park management game where you can build your own amusement park and roller-coaster rides. I worked as a UI artist, and it was this project that pushed me to look further into UX design.
Previous games I’ve worked on as a UI and 2D artist include Elite: Dangerous (console/PC), Tales From Deep Space (iOS/mobile), RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (iOS), Frozen Synapse Prime, PixelJunk Monsters and PixelJunk Shooter (PS Vita). I’ve also freelanced for indie games like The Siege and the Sandfox (console/PC) and Planet Flip (iOS).
How has your profession changed since you began?
My specific skills as a UI/UX designer are actually quite niche and depending on studio size, may not be prioritised.
Thankfully, as games expand into mainstream entertainment, there’s a growing emphasis on creating games that are accessible and user-friendly. Even for developers, tools with good UX allow games to be created more efficiently. It’s an ever-expanding area of the industry that I’m humbled to be a part of.
Lastly, what’s your aspiration for the video game industry?
The games industry can be quite insular in some ways. A 2014 survey conducted by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) revealed that 76% of respondents are male, and 79% are Caucasian. Most of these respondents come from North America and Europe.
It doesn’t represent true statistics, but it does accurately reflect the environment I’ve been in. These days video games are marketed to a wide audience; it is no longer a space or service that benefits only a few people. To show that we are tolerant and inclusive, the push for diverse games comes from within. Women, and people of colour, often feel discouraged from entering the industry due to many reasons and I’d like to help fix that.

TRIVIA
Upcoming game to play: Persona 5.
Favourite candies: Kinder Bueno and Ferrero Rocher.
Biggest pet peeve: Warm seats after someone sat on it.
Favourite animated series: Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel, The Legend of Korra.