Interview: we spoke with Zlatan, the creator of the first Bosnian-Herzegovinian RPG game

These days, you have surely witnessed a large number of news reports on all gaming portals, as well as some mainstream news outlets, about the success of a developer from Bosnia and Herzegovina who published his first game titled Converter.

Zlatan Salkanović, the creator of the sci-fi RPG game Converter—in which the player is placed in the role of an astronaut for the "Bosnian Space Agency"—answered some questions for our portal and gave us three Steam keys to share with you.

RespawnBA: Hello, could you introduce yourself and tell our readers a bit more about Funkyzeit Games?

Zlatan Salkanović: Greetings to the editorial staff and readers of Respawn.ba. My name is Zlatan Salkanović, and I am a 33-year-old game developer, hobby photographer, and fitness enthusiast from Sarajevo. I am a graduate computer science engineer, which in our language means a programmer. I noticed that many media outlets are officializing Funkyzeit Games, but it is not an official studio yet, although I plan for it to become one in the future. Currently, it exists as an "informal online entity" in the form of an indie developer and publisher, and it got its name because the online nick 'funkyzeit' has followed me for about half my life.

RespawnBA: You recently published your first game on Steam, Converter! It’s about an astronaut from the fictional Bosnian Space Agency who explores space in his ship called “Burek Ad Astra”! Where did the idea for this title come from?

Zlatan Salkanović: As someone who has been in touch with video games to a greater or lesser extent my whole life, I always wanted to have something of my own, made according to my own taste. Converter started as a private test project but very quickly became the realization of an idea that is a mild parody of certain internet movements from the middle of the last decade. Space has always been fascinating to me; I’ve always felt somewhat sorry that I was born too early to explore it, and because of that, the primary theme of the game is the sci-fi exploration of a distant, mysterious planet. Mix that with a burning hatred for soy that I developed over ten years on various fitness forums, and you get Converter.

“Burek Ad Astra” is not the name of the ship, but rather the slogan and part of the BOSA (Bosnian Space Agency) coat of arms, but in the beginning, I didn’t want to correct people and spoil the fun. The ship itself has no designation, but the suit, on the other hand, has a full-on fancy name: BOSA Suit Hepek-11 Series, ID: H34-RT.

RespawnBA: In which engine was the game made, and can you reveal how the creation process went, considering you did everything yourself, even the voice acting?

Zlatan Salkanović: The game was made in Unreal Engine 4. It started as occasional testing and practicing the creation of some mechanics and game components—something that would serve as a decent CV in the form of a small demo in the future. Eventually, the components began to show potential to work with one another, and I started connecting them into a single whole. Curiosity also arose in the form of "if I add this too, what will happen?" and it was key in transforming the project into a full game. Every day after work, I couldn't wait to add something new, and very quickly I reached the point where I realized the only logical next step was to turn everything into a complete game with as much soul in the small details as possible, including the satirical "one-liners" the game is full of. I also used knowledge from some long-term hobbies, including photography and related tools, to create the game's visual style and get the most out of what was available to me.

RespawnBA: Will the game perhaps receive an expansion?

Zlatan Salkanović: I have a lot of ideas right now that could turn into something, but we'll see about that later. I wouldn't want to promise anything too early; however, it definitely won't stop here.

RespawnBA: From a commercial side, are you satisfied with the success of the game?

Zlatan Salkanović: Considering the game had zero active marketing before the HCL video, I am relatively satisfied. Our region is not exactly known for being very active in buying games, but I was pleasantly surprised again. Together with international sales, as of a few days ago, Converter can boast of being a Bosnian game with buyers from every continent. Still, an instant boom and planetary popularity rarely happen with games made by a single person, so I am focused on promotion and long-term plans. It is necessary to create several quality domestic digital products that will motivate people to be both creators and consumers, thereby creating a more mature market, but also a perception of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country capable of genres other than war dramas.

RespawnBA: What are your plans for the future?

Zlatan Salkanović: My plan is to actively participate in creating that market with new games, but also to eventually officialize the studio and work on larger projects that will be worthy virtual ambassadors of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

RespawnBA: How do you view the gaming scene and industry in BiH?

Zlatan Salkanović: Very few people in BiH see the potential of this industry, and the entertainment industry in general. While our neighbors have respectable gaming companies and work on very large projects, in BiH (with the exception of a few firms), the greatest life goal is moving papers from one end of a table to another in some state-owned company, and entire families raise and direct their children to be sycophants with a very narrow range of interests. That pathetic way of thinking has led us to a point where every creative hobby, as well as creative work in the entertainment industry, carries the label of "nonsense" and "selling smoke." Unfortunately, for years I have watched many people who, because of that label, actively discourage each other from any kind of self-improvement and work on things that interest them. This has also reflected on our gaming scene, which exists as a very shy area limited to local Counter-Strike, Dota, or PES/FIFA competitions, unfortunately labeled by the environment as an unserious, "loser" hobby in the background, from which a talented streamer, e-sports competitor, or developer only occasionally emerges.

On the other hand, what made me very happy is the number of messages and emails that young people from BiH and the region sent me in a very short time, inquiring about game development and looking for guidance for their learning. I didn't know that so many kids of 14, 15, or 16 are secretly at home learning to make smaller games and program, and I gladly set aside time in the evening to answer them and send all the resources that were available to me during my learning. Who knows, maybe in five or ten years I will be working with them on big things.

RespawnBA: A final message?

Zlatan Salkanović: Whenever someone tells you that "it can't be done here," or generally tries to pull you into their circle of infinite procrastination and discourage you from your goals and hobbies, remember that one "gym-bro" learned to make a full 3D game in one of the most advanced game engines in the world in two and a half years. Ignore or, in the end, cut out such toxic people and groups from your schedule, and very quickly you will see how your life changes for the better. Everything is possible.