Consequently, Langmead had to let go of the project’s original programmer due to a lack of funding. Unfortunately, this didn’t work out either as the campaign didn’t reach its funding goal. A publishing deal with Ouya was never secured however, so Langmead set up a Kickstarter to secure additional funding. Originally, Bears Can’t Drift!? was in development for the ill-fated Ouya Android console as part of a five-day Unity project. “I then started my own company when I was in my second year and started working on client projects – really boring training games and things like that before progressing into my own stuff.” I went to Southampton University and started training as an artist there to get into 3D design”, says Langmead. Langmead, who currently works at Solent University as a lecturer on Video Game Art, took an alternative path into the games industry compared to most developers. The development of Bears Can’t Drift!? has been anything but conventional. I spoke with Arran Langmead, Founder of Strangely Named Studios, at this year’s EGX Rezzed show to find out how Bears Can’t Drift!? is revitalising the kart racing genre. And yet it’s easy to forget that at one point the market was so saturated with kart racing games, it was rare to find a franchise that didn’t have a gratuitous karting spin-off.īears Can’t Drift!? is attempting to fill this void, a retro-inspired kart racer developed almost entirely by one passionate fan who spent their youth playing the likes of Diddy Kong Racing, Crash Team Racing and of course Mario Kart. Unless you own a Nintendo Wii or Wii U, kart racing games are in seriously short supply on current consoles.

Kart racer drift