Dean Hall, the creator of the seminal zombie survival game DayZ and founder of RocketWerkz, has spoken about the profound and life-altering impact his breakout hit had on him. First released as a mod for Arma 2 in 2012, DayZ's overwhelming popularity drastically reshaped Hall's existence.
"When DayZ happened, it was like dying," Hall told PC Gamer. "It ended my old life. My relationship with everyone who I knew up to that point changed completely." Despite the personal upheaval, he acknowledged the incredible opportunity the game presented. "It was obviously an amazing thing that happened to me," he added. "I loved making the mod, and I loved that feeling, and I've been chasing it ever since."
The game's journey began as a mod for Arma 2 and its Operation Arrowhead expansion. Its immense reception led Bohemia Interactive, the developer of Arma 2, to fast-track a standalone version, with Hall at the helm as project lead.
Hall, who identifies more as a modder than a traditional game developer, offered advice to aspiring game creators. "People think I'm a game developer who came up from [being] a modder, and I would say I'm a modder who makes games during the day," he explained. "I was born a modder, and I will die a modder. And I think if there's a lesson out there for any aspiring game devs, I think it's mod games. You will learn even faster than making them."
In 2014, Hall departed from his role on the DayZ project to establish his own studio, RocketWerkz. The company has since released titles such as the VR strategy game Out Of Ammo and the space survival simulation Icarus. RocketWerkz is currently developing Kitten Space Agency, a project that also serves as a demonstration of Hall's innovative contribution-based development model. "With Kitten Space Agency, the game is completely free," Hall stated. "It's funded entirely by contributions. So that really puts it in front of the gamer's face. If you want this game to exist, how much is it worth? Because it's all on you."