Week 8 ... Story time.

Week 8, Task eight … Bec’s blog catch up saga continues. (day 2)

Is everyone settled? … then I shall begin .
Storytelling in games. There main purpose to help aid escapism from the “real world” because lets face it, the world has gone to pot. It could be salvaged but everyone is to busy burying there heads in work, personal matters and stressing about money to think about the bigger issues.

So this is were the game comes in an excuses to have a moment buy yourself to relieve the stress of life killing a few zombies or problem solving. Don’t get me wrong I know the majority of people who play games are teens. But in 2days world school is all about surviving one long day at a time, without ending up in some kind of domestic and is far more stressful than people realize.

Storylines are important in the fact that they determine what challenges and obstacles u will come to in the game, however when I get addicted to a game the storyline becomes unimportant and I just want to see what’s around the corner. Like in Zelda “storyline….what storyline?” but the puzzles are great and when I’m in the mood, oddly easy.

I think storylines help u get into a game at the beginning but after that there’s little relevance because everyone knows that the end is gona be a huge letdown.

The games that are more “social” such as second life and w.o.w have no real storylines at all and become some what boring after a wile unless u join a little guild and have a little clan get together. just like being in Starbucks with the buds only this way u never have to met the annoying shits or make any effort what so ever. XD “bad bad games”

Much rather have quoted bits of Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan. But alas its course work, so no such luck.

Its a hit.

LADIES and GENTS

I have an announcement.

I have made an appearance on Google.

Me on Google, top result, AMAZING.

But then I realized what for …”Play zool Nintendo 90’s”

How lame is that, if anything makes me feel more geeki than ever before. I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact, and I was doing so well, but now I feel more like hanging myself. U know when its on Google your doomed for life.

Oh and if u leave out the “90’s” I’m 4th result. XD

(thinks positive for once) any-hoo WHOOP WHOOP … MY BLOGS ON GOOGLE.

Week 7 ... Peeps up top.

Week 7, Task seven-ness-ness… and the blogging saga continues (I’m whooping its ass)

Art Directors.
“I think video games are at such infancy in terms of art style, actually developing it. We're dealing with 4000 years, really, of art and conceptual design.
For it really not to be utilized, and for the industry to basically dwell in a certain type of genre which has been around the 1980s up to present time, it's pretty much all they're embracing.
It's the same way, you have Star Wars and the original Stanley Kubrick movie 2001. And people embrace that genre of outer space, so to speak. And it's continued to this very day. Hopefully people will wake up someday.” Moby Francke, art director on Team Fortress 2.

As far as art direction goes I totally agree with this dude above ^ think I even touched upon it in the week 6 blog. These art directors may have lots of responsibility but they don’t seem to do anything original with it. These guys are just way to business minded and want to see a large return. Did any of them ever think that maybe people are craving something visually new. A new image if correct will surly appeal to a larger market.

The art directors job it a big one. There the ones that decide the final aesthetics of the game, works with the project manager to make sure budget and schedule are ok, delivers constructive feedback, supervises reviews, mentors the less experienced artists on the team and lots lots more.

True these guys need to have a history in art and be a talented artist themselves in order to give criticism and advise to the people doing the work. But them themselves really have no particularly creative input in the game, they just do the typical “that’s good …that’s crap… .ok carry on.” because there to busy to give any more creative input than incoherent grunts and moans.

NOTE TO MIKE : these topics are not very picture friendly. 0_o

Week 6 ... Game Design *falls asleep*

Week 6, Task Sixxx … what was that? u want me to tell u about Game design? Well ok.

*makes more tea* now I shall begin
What I’ve learnt so far, game designers work in close nit groups, each member is aloud, no mater what there specialty to give there opinion towards the topic in hand, to help improve the game/game play. Gone are the times of programmers designing the entire game play. In next gen games its far more about the realism of the environments/characters and animations, not just the story or the method in which u can kill things. Granted these aspects are just as important, to hold the players attention and original story lines are becoming rare.

Most games are just variations of the same. Designers are scared to think to outside the box to much because they are trying to appeal to a wide audience, so they stick with a game style that sells. Now days there are less technical restrictions on the games they can create, they can make much more visual stunningness-ness than they could have even dreamed of back in the nes days. So why they don’t just out right make some mental game staring ninja pirate pig I don’t know.

“Game Design = is the process of designing the content and rules of a game. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in an actual game as well as documentation that describes such a design.”

One of the many purposes of game design is to determine the constraints. such as target audience and technical aspects. these depend on the style of game they wish to create.

Ben Mathis

I love Ben Mathis. (no not in that way. tut tut) The guy is a talented little bean. I shall steal him and mine him of all his knowledge. I would just like to say its great that someone like that would spend time helping us younglings with are work. His advise was priceless, and I’m feeling rather inspired. Not only by him but the environment created especially with the second and third years working along side us and being able to see them work. I still have lots to learn, and now I feel confident that if I put in more time I can achieve better standards. It dose not seem impossible anymore.

Week 5...Journalism Malarkey

Week whatever (I’ve lost count) Task five-ness-ness… loosing hope

Game journalism *sips tea* where to start.

Firstly after reading all that reference material its amazing how much longer it takes u to read something that really does not inspire u. suppose that could really be said for anything, like how it used to take twice as long to get to school than It did to get home. Or twice as long to draw a still life than a cool axe murder. Its just the way things go.

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However with this new game journalism malarkey, I find that it makes the read much more entertaining not only are they telling u about the game, they tell u about the random thoughts they had, what they ate while playing. There personality really comes through, a great example of pure nuttiness is the worshiped Zero Punctuation (not saying I worship him, its just that half the class starts drooling when u mention his name.)

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I personally have never really paid any attention to reviews. Granted I’ve looked at them to find out what the story is about and such. But really all I want to do is play the game not waste even more of my time reading about it to.

When I think of new age journalism. What comes to my mind is the amazing Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a book by Hunter S Thompson. I original got the book because it had wacky illustrations. But when I actually read it I loved it. All this guy does it write about his experiences. On his way to and during his actual review job. (not that this review is in the book) he just goes off on one huge druggy raving. Amazingly more entertain than the actual main stream review he was supposed to have done.

So yea I’m all for the waked out review, its just finding them.

Speed Paints.

So after reading the next blog task. It was like yawn …. Am a bothered…..

Yes, yes I am bothered (kinda)….BUT FIRST… ill post my speed paints. XD. Never realized id done so many. Posted in the order I did them newest first.

Word = eye = 50 min. very rough shape, was really just messing with the brushes.

Word = Cow = 45 min. worked from refrence.

Word = Cataclysm = 30 min. Totaly fell out with this one, needs so much more detail.

Word = Easter island = 45 min. worked from refrence.

Word = Hills = 45 min. The only thing i like is the colours. comp and perspective is so off. must have been asleep when i did this.

Word = Weasle = 30 min. I dont like weasles.
Word = wizard = 30 min.

Word = Impact = 45 min. scribbles.

BUT First.

Ok ok so I finally started to feel guilty for not doing my blog.
Guess I just flatlined.

What with it soon to be new years, my new years revolution will be to actually do the weekly blog tasks (on time). I know I know I’m being highly ambitious, but first … I NEED to catch up. How hard can it be? I only have to do *counts* six blog entry’s o_0 and I will really really REALLY try not to be boring.

BUT FIRST……
Before I actually do some work for once. I’m going to brag about how happy I am and tell u all about my newwwww little puppy Hugo. XD

Note : I had nothing to do with the poor things name. blame my mom. “lets let the kids name the dog………NOT”

However the little guy is amazingly cute and currently sleeping in my lap, keeping me company. This does make it amazingly hard to type and my legs are somewhat dead….but I don’t mind one bit. Hue does seem to get away with a lot though, me jealous of a dog…never. So any-hoo I took a little photo to show him off (sorry mike) XD. Its of him sleeping, cos its near on impossible to get a photo when he is running around like a maniac. (which is all the bloody time)