Regan Music

Lecturer, School of Technology/School of Animation

Research interests

• Refurbishment of old video games
• Shader technology
• Interaction design paradigms

Current research

Refurbishment case study of Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII is a world-class favourite among gamers and has had a large impact on the lives of many. The game is strangely close to a lot of people's hearts, which is quite unique for a video game. This refurbishment case study of an old game involves reproducing it with current tech and comparing development problems of the time with today.

As the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In a way, this is a tribute to the years of enjoyment the game, and the development team behind it, has brought to many. Regan has begun replicating it in a technical, narrative and artistic context and, in the process, has discovered a wealth of information about old practices and design patterns that has perhaps been lost in standard development approaches today.

The case study is uncovering many interesting facts about changes in the game development process, particularly in regards to how modern practices are geared around optimisation and effective use of time given that large-scale productions are often squeezed into a single year.