bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Rachel Cheung

Deadheads is a new first-person shooter game for mobile phones. It was created by Hong Kong-based company Cmune and features a full episode set in the city. Yet none of those who worked on the project are from Hong Kong.
Cmune, which was established in 2007, is a multinational team of about a dozen people, including Kostya Plutenko from Ukraine, the lead 3D artist; Lee Turner from Scotland, the lead server developer; and Matti Lamberg from Finland, a client developer.
The co-founders, Shaun Lelacheur-Sales from Australia and Ludovic Bodin from France, chose Hong Kong as their base to tap into the emerging Asian markets as well as to attract foreign talent, many of whom find the prospect of living in Hong Kong quite appealing.


“You can’t make it on your own if you want to build a big game,” says Lelacheur-Sales. “You need to have a really talented team of people with different specialisations, such as database, front-end development, artificial intelligence, sound, gameplay and system engineering.”
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Though Lelacheur-Sales was very keen on recruiting Hongkongers, they were unable to find the right people even after conducting many interviews.
“There was a lot of talent, but they were more focused on building apps for business, particularly fintech. In terms of people with experience that we need, it’s very challenging in Hong Kong,” says Lelacheur-Sales, who believes a revolution needs to take place in the city to make game development a more viable career option.
“It’s not the same as having a job in a big company that’s very steady. By the same token, game development is a very rewarding career. You learn so much every day. We never suffer from boredom at all,” he says.
This is especially true with Cmune, whose games often break new ground. Hong Kong connections aside (another notable video game set in this city is Sleeping Dogs by United Front Games and Square Enix London), their latest title, Deadheads, stands out as a premier multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) for mobile phones.
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Given that the majority of gamers are used to PC and consoles for the FPS genre, the team has had to adapt the game to new form factor and input devices, which is one of the greatest challenges they face.
“We spent many months working on it, how to adapt the control system, what’s going to be natural for people,” says Lelacheur-Sales. “We have a lot of intelligence systems running in the background, looking at how you’re tapping and swiping.”
There was a lot of talent, but they were more focused on building apps for business
Shaun Lelacheur-Sales
Now players navigate the map with one hand while shooting and pointing with the other, which takes a while to get used to.
“It’s harder with touch, but we don’t think that needs to take away from the shooter experience,” he says.
On top of that, Deadheads has a sci-fi storyline, complete with futuristic weapons and gear. The concept of the game is inspired by the Hugo-award winning science fiction novel Hyperion, by Dan Simmons. The game is set in the future and players return to a deserted earth, only to find it crawling with aliens.
One of the nine episodes is set in a dystopian Hong Kong. The skybox of the Hong Kong scene – the 3D graphics of the skyline and buildings – was built by Joaquin Catala, a 3D environment artist who is based in Spain and has never even been to the city. He drew a dark, abandoned cityscape using reference images sent to him by his Hong Kong teammates.
 Deadheads gained more than 50,000 users while still in its beta phase and was officially launched in May .
Lelacheur-Sales, who met his business partner, Bodin, while learning Chinese in Beijing, first ventured into the game industry when Paradise Paintball, a game Lelacheur-Sales built as a hobby, became a surprise hit with several million players. The duo were developing 3D business apps, but decided to build on their successful game and developed it into Uberstrike, Cmune’s first flagship game.
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Launched in 2008, Uberstrike was the first multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) game on PC and had more than 25 million players around the world. While the launch of Lelacheur-Sales’ career as a game developer was purely accidental, the popularity of their games is no coincidence.
Paradise Paintball, for example, was the first real-time shooting game on Facebook. Leveraging the social media, it transforms the gaming experience into a social one.
“People were just looking for a community. The game was only secondary for some of the players. But we provided somewhere where they can hang out, chat, go on a forum and interact with one another,” says Lelacheur-Sales.
Taking what they had learned from the previous two games, Cmune incorporated the social factor into their latest project. The community has been helpful for the team, giving constructive feedback, spotting glitches and reaffirming the value of their work.
And it goes beyond the game. “We have had people announce their weddings, write poetry or have political discussions,” he says. “People quite often just want to be part of something. The game is just there as a means to attract people. At the end of the day, life is not just about game.”


Hong Kong game developer that can’t find local talent says it’ll take a revolution for Hongkongers to see industry as a viable career

A screenshot from the game shows the Hong Kong skyline. Photo: Cmune

This image show Ukrainian Kostya Plutenko working on a character in multiplayer shooting game Deadheads developed by Cmune, at their office in Cyberport. 12MAY17 SCMP / Rachel Cheung [05JUN17 FEATURES DIGITAL]

This image show (front row, left and right) Shaun Lelacheur Sales, and Kostya Plutenko; (back row, left and right) Matti Lamberg, and Lee Turner, are part of the game developer Cmune, and build multiplayer shooting game Deadheads together at their office in Cyberport. 12MAY17 SCMP / Rachel Cheung [05JUN17 FEATURES DIGITAL]

This screenshot of mobile game Deadheads developed by Cmune. Photo: CMUNE [05JUN17 FEATURES DIGITAL]

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Founder of company behind Deadheads, pioneering first-person shooter game for mobile phone users, uses lure of city to build a multinational team of talents


Mobile gaming