Gamer of another stripe
Whizz-kid Brandon Kynoch has got Apple’s attention, writes Debashine Thangevelo
JOHANNESBURG-born Brandon Kynoch is 16 years old. But he’s a far cry from your typical high school student. Kynoch is the brainchild behind two mobile games – both are available on the App Store (Apple).
Of the two, Torus has been a huge hit. Ssingled out as Game of the Day in more than 130 countries. It ended up getting 100k downloads.
Shedding light on his gravitation towards gaming, he says, “I’ve always loved video games and technology. At 11, I decided I was going to create my own game and so I turned to the internet and started teaching myself everything I could about programming, graphics design and game development.
“Initially, I became more interested in graphic design and digital art. I focused primarily on this for about two years, after which I started doing a lot more programming.
“I discovered that game development is the perfect combination of graphic design and programming and this is why I enjoy it so much. At 14, I focused on studying algorithms and algorithm analysis as it was required for my advanced programming. I am completely self-taught, for free, through the internet.”
The gaming world is a competitive, not to mention evolving, one. Kynoch loves contributing.
He adds, “It’s a fun thing to do – I really enjoy developing mobile games and it is extremely rewarding to create something that is enjoyed by people around the world.”
The teenager reflects on his two contributions to the gaming world: Blast: A Tank Game and Torus.
He says, “Although I have been developing for just over five years, I only published my first game in February this year. ‘One of the biggest problems I had faced with game development is that I would never finish the games I had started working on. “My first published game, Blast: A Tank Game, came about because I had decided to see a project through to the end and publish it. It was in development for just under two years. “Although it didn’t do as well as I had hoped it would, I am extremely proud of it because it showcases my talent – I created it from start to finish. It also caught the attention of Apple. “After Blast, I decided I wanted to move into developing smaller games because they hold so much potential for success. Because of school, I didn’t have as much time to work on another game as big as Blast. “Torus was developed in three weeks and was chosen as the Game of the Day in 137 countries, receiving 100000 downloads in its first day. Torus also made its way to number one on the Top Charts on the App Store multiple times. “It is amazing to have my work recognised and enjoyed by players around the world.”
On juggling life as a school-going teen with being the mastermind behind two mobile games, Kynoch share.
“Game development is my passion. School takes up most of my time and the only chance I get to work on my games is the holidays.
“This is the main reason for me moving into developing smaller games.”
And he maintains his pulse on the gaming scene.
Kynoch explains: “Action games are big. Fortnite is huge and then I guess also mobile action games like Torus, that you can play anywhere and at any time.”
As for his personal preference, he says: “Ever since I started developing games, I stopped playing video games. This is because I have very little free time and I would rather spend the time that I do have working on my games.
“However, I still love playing games, especially action games, hopefully, I’ll have more free time for it in the future.”
Meanwhile, he is taking the attention he is getting in his stride.
He reveals, “I am hugely appreciative of all the media interest and to be recognised as a talented and inspirational developer. It inspires me to work even harder and to do amazing things in the future.”
After matriculating, Kynoch plans to moveto the US to study computer science at MIT or Stanford. Thereafter, he plans to make bigger footprints in the gaming space!