Most of the time when you encounter a character on television its the same old soap characters and their unbelievable storylines where nobody is ever happy. They have character names but they are just people and thus do not really help you to connect unless you are going through the same as them. Drama series and the like will throw interesting characters at you until you drown in them. Looking at Heroes which just ended recently had so many characters that you followed and could connect with throughout the story. You cared when characters had bad things happen to them and potentially risked their very being, especially half way through upon discovering that Peter Petrelli was the one who went nuclear and destoryed half the city. His urgency to pull all the other heroes together and formulate a plan, got you hoping he would find a way to prevent the tradegy. Then finding out that is impossible and that the city still explodes is a massive shock to
the viewer.
In one of the last books I read, Akiras brother is put into a coma while playing a game and the story begins about 10 minutes before he falls under. The rest of the story after that details how Akira struggles with her real life as she gets bullied by the Tennis Team and the trounament thereafter and when she plays as BlackRose inside the game to find out what could put someone into a coma. Most of the time while in the game, you can feel Akiras urgency to discover the darkest
part of the game while helping her friends with their problems, such as Kite. Her real life however is no cakewalk due to her family falling apart after her brother didn't
wake up so she has to hold the family together and look after her other baby. It is compelling to
follow Akira to see if she suceeds or what part of her life will go wrong next.
In both of these cases, the characters befall a hardship and then more weigh them down as the story goes along. With the constant misfortunes it is easier for the viewer to pick up on the integrity of the character especially if they can no longer cope with the situation and break down. To be honest, most links with a character are based upon at least one bad thing happening to them. However this is quite difficult if a character doesnt speak such as Link or Mario which
makes it difficult to understand them and their full characters.
In conclusion, it is required for a story to put certain strains on characters and place them in certain situations for the reader/viewer/gamer to understand what they would do and what type of person they are. Without these events, characters are pretty two-dimensional like those Soap 'characters'.
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
Week 9: Ergonomics
Game controllers have always been an important part of the games industry and part of the main three that a consumer would look at. The first being the console itself, the second being the controllers and the third being the games available.
The first mainstream input for games was the keyboard because the majority of games were all text based adventures therefore it was essential that you could input words. The arrow keys or numpad would not be used because games didn't call for directional input. A key board is very comfortable to use as
long as the user is sitting in a proper position, not slouching over the board or slipping half way
under the table. The gradient put into these were used to give acess to all the keys easier than
having to reach alot further.
This was only initally however, as the joystick became the main gaming peripheral for gamers. It features 360 directional movement
(even if the games at that time didn't have those kind of mechanics) and a comfortable handgrip
which is designed to be held in the same way you would hold a glass. The indentations made into
the sides also help the lay of the users fingers to give a better grip on the joystick and maintaining comfort. Keeping the joytick fixed to the table gave it a wrist movement compared to an arm operated device. This would of course cause problems eventually.
After a while of gaming and computing, the mouse was brought about to bring new dimensions. For computing it meant new interfaces could be brought about such as windows and
visual menus. For gaming, users could now click on objects and places to move about the game in conjunction with the keyboard. These days, the most common genre of game on the PC is the First Person Shooter as everyone wants to shoot guns. (Also MMORPGs) Using a mouse, gamers can move their crosshair across the screen and also move their line of sight to the next target or for cover. Looking at the mouse, it is shaped to fit inside of a hand quit well. The bottom end is large and rounded to fill in the palm and the buttons are curved downwards to allow the hand to be in a relaxed position as it clicks and moves the device.
From the PC, to the home console, we bring ourselves to the gamepad, the most common of gaming input devices. Comparing the pads of the three leading companies over the last two generations will give us an idea of what is happening in the way of ergonomics. Starting with Sony, the PS2 and PS3 controllers are near identical if for a cable and a single button on the top. This type of pad fits comfortably in two hands and access to the joysticks and face buttons is done with the thumbs while the shoulder buttons can be pressed with the fingers. It does work however trying to press the buttons closest to the middle and bottom can be a pain due to their awkward position. These pads also lock your arms close together restricting movement quite a lot.
The new pioneer in the field is the Wii which allows the left and right arm to be kept seperate but still achieving the same effect is a pad. The Wii remote fits perfectly into the hand and seems it was modelled with the relaxed hand in mind and the attachments can be moved far away from the main remote for movement. The current nunchuck is great for using a thumb on the stick and a finger on the C button but it doesnt work too well once another finger is brought in to press Z. The remote faces a problem too in that it its a bit too long for one hand. It is difficult to reach the 1 and 2 buttons during gameplay, even the +,- and home buttons are a bit of a pain to get too while holding the remote properly.
So as a mini review it seems that ergonomics has been brought into the gaming indsutry very steadily and is shown easily through how the pads are much easier to hold compared to the NES. Some handhelds may need a bit of work but the main consoles are becoming easier to use with each generation.
The first mainstream input for games was the keyboard because the majority of games were all text based adventures therefore it was essential that you could input words. The arrow keys or numpad would not be used because games didn't call for directional input. A key board is very comfortable to use as
long as the user is sitting in a proper position, not slouching over the board or slipping half way
under the table. The gradient put into these were used to give acess to all the keys easier than
having to reach alot further.
This was only initally however, as the joystick became the main gaming peripheral for gamers. It features 360 directional movement
(even if the games at that time didn't have those kind of mechanics) and a comfortable handgrip
which is designed to be held in the same way you would hold a glass. The indentations made into
the sides also help the lay of the users fingers to give a better grip on the joystick and maintaining comfort. Keeping the joytick fixed to the table gave it a wrist movement compared to an arm operated device. This would of course cause problems eventually.
After a while of gaming and computing, the mouse was brought about to bring new dimensions. For computing it meant new interfaces could be brought about such as windows and
visual menus. For gaming, users could now click on objects and places to move about the game in conjunction with the keyboard. These days, the most common genre of game on the PC is the First Person Shooter as everyone wants to shoot guns. (Also MMORPGs) Using a mouse, gamers can move their crosshair across the screen and also move their line of sight to the next target or for cover. Looking at the mouse, it is shaped to fit inside of a hand quit well. The bottom end is large and rounded to fill in the palm and the buttons are curved downwards to allow the hand to be in a relaxed position as it clicks and moves the device.
From the PC, to the home console, we bring ourselves to the gamepad, the most common of gaming input devices. Comparing the pads of the three leading companies over the last two generations will give us an idea of what is happening in the way of ergonomics. Starting with Sony, the PS2 and PS3 controllers are near identical if for a cable and a single button on the top. This type of pad fits comfortably in two hands and access to the joysticks and face buttons is done with the thumbs while the shoulder buttons can be pressed with the fingers. It does work however trying to press the buttons closest to the middle and bottom can be a pain due to their awkward position. These pads also lock your arms close together restricting movement quite a lot.
The new pioneer in the field is the Wii which allows the left and right arm to be kept seperate but still achieving the same effect is a pad. The Wii remote fits perfectly into the hand and seems it was modelled with the relaxed hand in mind and the attachments can be moved far away from the main remote for movement. The current nunchuck is great for using a thumb on the stick and a finger on the C button but it doesnt work too well once another finger is brought in to press Z. The remote faces a problem too in that it its a bit too long for one hand. It is difficult to reach the 1 and 2 buttons during gameplay, even the +,- and home buttons are a bit of a pain to get too while holding the remote properly.
So as a mini review it seems that ergonomics has been brought into the gaming indsutry very steadily and is shown easily through how the pads are much easier to hold compared to the NES. Some handhelds may need a bit of work but the main consoles are becoming easier to use with each generation.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Week 8: Storytelling in games
I suppose the story isn't the first thing that comes to mind when talking about games but it really is one of the bigger points to consider. If it wasn't, would we really have a whole group of people called Ludologists?
I don't particularly want to place myself into a group as I really enjoy games as they are and would prefer not to go into what goes into a game and thus ruin it for myself. I know I'm a wanna-be game artist and knowing what goes into games is now my thing but when I buy a new one I prefer to take it as it's there.
However that isn't always possible. Some games will take a story and show it to you in the instruction manual or through an opening story and then thrust you into the game. That;ll be the last you hear of it for some games coming out now such as MMOs. They rely on the player creating a story for themselves, doing what they want to progress in the game and essentially be a part of the world
itself. The stories shown to you in this manner are not integral to the enjoyment of a game nor do
they affect how the game will play out. Other games require little or no story at all. Racing and sports games have no stories, just
objectives to be better than the competition. FPS games didn't really have a story either until
recently. Bioshock, even though I haven't played it, does have a story which explains the little
sisters and the Big Daddies. The majority of others are merely a circumstance such as Gordon
Freeman running. I'm playing HL2 right now and I barely have any idea why he is a wanted man.
Finally, the big genre of games that has a main selling point of stories is the RPG. Without a story, these games would be like FPS's in the way you direct a character from A
to B and kill some things on the way. With a story, you have a reason for going to different areas in the world and for killing all the evil doers. It adds depth and motivation to all the characters in the world, the links between the characters and their cities, the characters and other characters too. A well written story will also envelop the player into sticking with the game and keeping them
immersed for hours at a time. It can be what has a player starting up for a second playthrough or having it being put on the shelf never to be finished. Since I'm a big fan of RPGs I will give stories a big thumbs up and say they are definitely recommended for a majority of games that can have one.
I don't particularly want to place myself into a group as I really enjoy games as they are and would prefer not to go into what goes into a game and thus ruin it for myself. I know I'm a wanna-be game artist and knowing what goes into games is now my thing but when I buy a new one I prefer to take it as it's there.
However that isn't always possible. Some games will take a story and show it to you in the instruction manual or through an opening story and then thrust you into the game. That;ll be the last you hear of it for some games coming out now such as MMOs. They rely on the player creating a story for themselves, doing what they want to progress in the game and essentially be a part of the world
itself. The stories shown to you in this manner are not integral to the enjoyment of a game nor do
they affect how the game will play out. Other games require little or no story at all. Racing and sports games have no stories, just
objectives to be better than the competition. FPS games didn't really have a story either until
recently. Bioshock, even though I haven't played it, does have a story which explains the little
sisters and the Big Daddies. The majority of others are merely a circumstance such as Gordon
Freeman running. I'm playing HL2 right now and I barely have any idea why he is a wanted man.
Finally, the big genre of games that has a main selling point of stories is the RPG. Without a story, these games would be like FPS's in the way you direct a character from A
to B and kill some things on the way. With a story, you have a reason for going to different areas in the world and for killing all the evil doers. It adds depth and motivation to all the characters in the world, the links between the characters and their cities, the characters and other characters too. A well written story will also envelop the player into sticking with the game and keeping them
immersed for hours at a time. It can be what has a player starting up for a second playthrough or having it being put on the shelf never to be finished. Since I'm a big fan of RPGs I will give stories a big thumbs up and say they are definitely recommended for a majority of games that can have one.
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Week 7: Art Directors
In the games art industry, there are different levels of artist in the hierarchy. Art Director is at the top of the list and is what we will all hope to aspire to. While they are not at the top of the chain, they still hold alot of responsibility which could essentially make or break a game. Gamers are always looking at how a game looks and are very upset when things seem out of place or just plain wrong and it is the job of the Director to make sure the gamers are kept happy.
We can say that an Art Director is responsible for the look and feel of all the elements in a game. They will decide how buildings and streets should look, then proceed to describe this to the artists below. As these elements are being created, the director will overlook production and suggest ways
to improve what is already there. For example; if a building doesn't look run down enough, they will come up with solutions
of how to overcome this problem. It is their visualisation that the game needs to meet, so they are supposed to improve anything which doesn't live up to standards. In this respect, it is fair to say that they are the most creative people on the team. Coming up with the visuals for an entire game will take alot of research and imagery and therefore will take a very imaginative person for the task.
Art Directors are expected to be skilled at public relations so that they may interact with their team in a respectful manner and also to communicate their ideas successfully. In addition to these, it is important that a director have some connections within and outside of the industry. Considered that an Art Director will be required to know what things look like, it is useful to seek help from people in the know rather than guessing or even to see what objects and scenery look like.
One Art Director from the games industry is probably interchangeable with the other forms of industry whether it be screen or print as they are fundamentally the same. They will be trained to communicate ideas, with people and how to visualize images and scenarios. However it may be difficult to place a Games Director into film due to the differences in software and in principles. Films generally being 90-120 minutes long while Games can be anywhere from 20-40 hours long. This could cause problems since a game director may have been working in alot lower quality in films and other restrictions. At the core, I think Art directors are interchangeable between industries with minor discrepancies.
We can say that an Art Director is responsible for the look and feel of all the elements in a game. They will decide how buildings and streets should look, then proceed to describe this to the artists below. As these elements are being created, the director will overlook production and suggest ways
to improve what is already there. For example; if a building doesn't look run down enough, they will come up with solutions
of how to overcome this problem. It is their visualisation that the game needs to meet, so they are supposed to improve anything which doesn't live up to standards. In this respect, it is fair to say that they are the most creative people on the team. Coming up with the visuals for an entire game will take alot of research and imagery and therefore will take a very imaginative person for the task.
Art Directors are expected to be skilled at public relations so that they may interact with their team in a respectful manner and also to communicate their ideas successfully. In addition to these, it is important that a director have some connections within and outside of the industry. Considered that an Art Director will be required to know what things look like, it is useful to seek help from people in the know rather than guessing or even to see what objects and scenery look like.
One Art Director from the games industry is probably interchangeable with the other forms of industry whether it be screen or print as they are fundamentally the same. They will be trained to communicate ideas, with people and how to visualize images and scenarios. However it may be difficult to place a Games Director into film due to the differences in software and in principles. Films generally being 90-120 minutes long while Games can be anywhere from 20-40 hours long. This could cause problems since a game director may have been working in alot lower quality in films and other restrictions. At the core, I think Art directors are interchangeable between industries with minor discrepancies.
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Week 6:
Gameplay is a term that is used to describe how a game is shown and how it interacts with the user. A first person shooter game will have fast gameplay requiring quick reflexes whereas an RPG will have slower gameplay requiring a stronger mind to get the best out of your party. However game play can be used as a more general term used in reviews to talk about everything the game has to offer and how well
it handles as well as how easy or hard the game is. Game play is a hard term to pin down but I believe you can use it to compare games to eachother especially when you look at fundamentals. Taking out the story and context of a game will make alot of them seem very familiar. Alot of RPGs involve you saving the world from some madman same with platformers too. Both these games expect you to avoid many hazards while going from point A all the way to point Z and Sports and racing games all boil down to being better than the competition.
It is from these foundations that visuals and stories are thought up. It is the job of the artists to draw down some designs of places and people from descriptions that the storyline writer has given. While it may be up to only one writer, it could be the job of many artists to show everything that the gamer will see. After these designs are given the go ahead, they are modelled in 3D. Some companies may want to produce sculptures of their characters and objects in order to show every angle and perhaps how movement can be portrayed. As well as character and object artists, there are also the level designers who will show what an environment will look like. Whether it be the inside of a science lab or a dense rainforest, the level designers will work on showing these elements. It is certainly cheaper to hire a limited amount of all around designers but for a better visual, a company should hire specialists in to create the look. While working on a game like Doom, it would be far better to hire people who specialise in creating aliens and non-humans and people who can make caves and sterile interiors rather than those who specialise in the militia and large fields.
it handles as well as how easy or hard the game is. Game play is a hard term to pin down but I believe you can use it to compare games to eachother especially when you look at fundamentals. Taking out the story and context of a game will make alot of them seem very familiar. Alot of RPGs involve you saving the world from some madman same with platformers too. Both these games expect you to avoid many hazards while going from point A all the way to point Z and Sports and racing games all boil down to being better than the competition.
It is from these foundations that visuals and stories are thought up. It is the job of the artists to draw down some designs of places and people from descriptions that the storyline writer has given. While it may be up to only one writer, it could be the job of many artists to show everything that the gamer will see. After these designs are given the go ahead, they are modelled in 3D. Some companies may want to produce sculptures of their characters and objects in order to show every angle and perhaps how movement can be portrayed. As well as character and object artists, there are also the level designers who will show what an environment will look like. Whether it be the inside of a science lab or a dense rainforest, the level designers will work on showing these elements. It is certainly cheaper to hire a limited amount of all around designers but for a better visual, a company should hire specialists in to create the look. While working on a game like Doom, it would be far better to hire people who specialise in creating aliens and non-humans and people who can make caves and sterile interiors rather than those who specialise in the militia and large fields.
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Week 5: New games journalism
All writers aim to set out a convey something to the reader. Wether it be a story, an article about modern life or telling people about a piece of upcoming entertainment, all writers face issues. Reviewers
tend to come under alot of pressure from many sources. Firstly there are the people who make the games will always push onto the reviewers to
have them write good reviews on their game. In this case they may be paid off like many of the
specialist magazines. I'm pretty sure Official Nintendo Magazine get some money to say good things about first party titles. Just reading one magazine
will show that the third party developers will get worse reviews compared to the likes of Mario. In
one of the links I read, the company flew a developer across the atlantic to make the reviewer see
that their game was 90% worthy rather than 80% worthy. You also want to keep a developer happy
so that they keep sending you games to review otherwise part of your business will be gone or theyll
tell other companies about your magazine. (OK thats just a guess but it may happen like that).
Reviewers also need to score games and maybe even add a little list of pros and cons. It can be hard
to pick out two things that you really enjoy out of a whole game and two things you don't like. This
rating could also make and break games. If a con is written that someone doesnt like, they will
avoid the game entirely. A score is required too. As Mike says 97% of what? He is right, there is
no full 100% of anything, it's just a number . We can assume that 100% is a perfect game and the higher this number is the better a game it is. However this is just in the reviewers opinion. I found Sonic and the Secret Rings deserving of a higher score than it got and Nintendogs a
lower one. So it is entirely the reviewers idea of how a game is and that is where bias is introduced.
So that is the games review business. New games journalism is about games but using them as a subject rather than a reivew about them then placing a score on the end. An interesting piece I read from edge was how Prince of Persia is a completely new style of game. The entire game is a story being told by the main character and the events have already happened. But at the same time, this story hasnt even happened. It was completely prevented
before the game began. The piece went on to say how games need to go in this direction, a fresh
direction to what we have seen and played time and time again. Another piece, which I remember reading years back and refreshed my memory of today,
is of the game Rez which comes with a vibrator. The game itself isnt reviewed part from the fact
that it is loud and is like a long acid trip but it talks about the very random periphiral that it comes packed with.
These new game journalism pieces are mainly written in a subjective view that fully expresses the writers opinions on a matter, much like other journalism. In a very professional standing, it would be difficult to write about a vibrating game in
an objective point of view. You could only really say; "It shakes with the music" and thatd be the end of. Subjective is a lot more fun to read as it can give you a link with the writer and also make you want to return to any of their future works.
will show that the third party developers will get worse reviews compared to the likes of Mario. In
one of the links I read, the company flew a developer across the atlantic to make the reviewer see
that their game was 90% worthy rather than 80% worthy. You also want to keep a developer happy
so that they keep sending you games to review otherwise part of your business will be gone or theyll
tell other companies about your magazine. (OK thats just a guess but it may happen like that).
Reviewers also need to score games and maybe even add a little list of pros and cons. It can be hard
to pick out two things that you really enjoy out of a whole game and two things you don't like. This
rating could also make and break games. If a con is written that someone doesnt like, they will
avoid the game entirely. A score is required too. As Mike says 97% of what? He is right, there is
no full 100% of anything, it's just a number . We can assume that 100% is a perfect game and the higher this number is the better a game it is. However this is just in the reviewers opinion. I found Sonic and the Secret Rings deserving of a higher score than it got and Nintendogs a
lower one. So it is entirely the reviewers idea of how a game is and that is where bias is introduced.
So that is the games review business. New games journalism is about games but using them as a subject rather than a reivew about them then placing a score on the end. An interesting piece I read from edge was how Prince of Persia is a completely new style of game. The entire game is a story being told by the main character and the events have already happened. But at the same time, this story hasnt even happened. It was completely prevented
before the game began. The piece went on to say how games need to go in this direction, a fresh
direction to what we have seen and played time and time again. Another piece, which I remember reading years back and refreshed my memory of today,
is of the game Rez which comes with a vibrator. The game itself isnt reviewed part from the fact
that it is loud and is like a long acid trip but it talks about the very random periphiral that it comes packed with.
These new game journalism pieces are mainly written in a subjective view that fully expresses the writers opinions on a matter, much like other journalism. In a very professional standing, it would be difficult to write about a vibrating game in
an objective point of view. You could only really say; "It shakes with the music" and thatd be the end of. Subjective is a lot more fun to read as it can give you a link with the writer and also make you want to return to any of their future works.
Saturday, 3 November 2007
Week 4: 2000s onward
The new decade/millenium begun with people playing on their playstations and their N64s having great fun with the relatively new 3D graphics. Games such as Final Fantasy VII and Ocarina of Time being the leading games on their respective consoles. I personally don't know much about the PC since I didn't bother with it too much.
Then it happened, the brand new PS2 was released showing brand new graphics, characters and environments looking more realistic than ever. Games also became a lot longer due to the DVDRs holding more data than the standard PS1 discs. Its processor was alot better too which allowed more objects to be shown at once, longer fields of view and for it to handle more animations.
2001 was a big year for gaming as Sega pulled out of the console wars saying that no more games would be produced for the Dreamcast. In the time that the Dreamcast was released, it released games that looked better than those on the PS2 and Gamecube and also had steady online play, majorly through Phantasy Star Online.
Nintendo shower out their successor to the N64 with the Gamecube. It did lack in power compared to the XBox and the PS2 but it was the cheapest and continued many of the series that Nintendo fans had come to love. On the handheld front, the Gameboy Advance was released featuring smaller carts, better graphics and faster games than the gameboy colour.
Microsoft, growing rapidly in the computing industry, released its own efforts into the console market with the XBox. Because the XBox was produced by microsoft, it was able to have many of the components a PC does making it the most powerful machine on the market at the time. It had the greatest capabilities of all three consoles and also had an easily accessable online gaming community.
Games progressed alot since the release of these consoles with all of the launch games playing and looking inferior to those released at the end of their lives. Resident Evil 4, easily one of the best looking (and best game full stop) on the cube came out towards the end of its life and pushed the system to its limit.
That may have been a year ago but those consoles set the base for the new upgrades. The Playstation 3 and the XBox360 following tradition and going for larger hard-drives, better looking games and faster/quicker loading games. The Nintendo Wii venturing off the path after having been around for so long and making games accessable to everyone. Games that are cheap, easy and fun to play, a more pick up and play style rather than spending an hour or so trying to learn a game. I'm probably a bit biased because I have a Wii but it really is more fun than playing just better looking games.
This approach works well for Nintendo as selling a good console cheap, and games that cost less to make, they are making a lot of profit. It is also cheaper for developers as they can re-use gamecube developer kits therefore not wasting time having to learn anything new. Sony on the other hand, have had rumours that they might be pulling out of the console market. With the newer games looking as good as they do, they take a lot longer to make and alot more money to produce. Because the games are costing so much to produce, they need to be sold at a higher price to even come close to breaking even. Paired with the high price of the console and the higher price of the games mean that Sony are losing business and money.
So as far as gaming goes, it is apparent to see that it is much easier to sell family friendly games that look a lil bit worse but are more fun than it is to spend millions into games that look good but wont have much of an audience.
Then it happened, the brand new PS2 was released showing brand new graphics, characters and environments looking more realistic than ever. Games also became a lot longer due to the DVDRs holding more data than the standard PS1 discs. Its processor was alot better too which allowed more objects to be shown at once, longer fields of view and for it to handle more animations.
2001 was a big year for gaming as Sega pulled out of the console wars saying that no more games would be produced for the Dreamcast. In the time that the Dreamcast was released, it released games that looked better than those on the PS2 and Gamecube and also had steady online play, majorly through Phantasy Star Online.
Nintendo shower out their successor to the N64 with the Gamecube. It did lack in power compared to the XBox and the PS2 but it was the cheapest and continued many of the series that Nintendo fans had come to love. On the handheld front, the Gameboy Advance was released featuring smaller carts, better graphics and faster games than the gameboy colour.
Microsoft, growing rapidly in the computing industry, released its own efforts into the console market with the XBox. Because the XBox was produced by microsoft, it was able to have many of the components a PC does making it the most powerful machine on the market at the time. It had the greatest capabilities of all three consoles and also had an easily accessable online gaming community.
Games progressed alot since the release of these consoles with all of the launch games playing and looking inferior to those released at the end of their lives. Resident Evil 4, easily one of the best looking (and best game full stop) on the cube came out towards the end of its life and pushed the system to its limit.
That may have been a year ago but those consoles set the base for the new upgrades. The Playstation 3 and the XBox360 following tradition and going for larger hard-drives, better looking games and faster/quicker loading games. The Nintendo Wii venturing off the path after having been around for so long and making games accessable to everyone. Games that are cheap, easy and fun to play, a more pick up and play style rather than spending an hour or so trying to learn a game. I'm probably a bit biased because I have a Wii but it really is more fun than playing just better looking games.
This approach works well for Nintendo as selling a good console cheap, and games that cost less to make, they are making a lot of profit. It is also cheaper for developers as they can re-use gamecube developer kits therefore not wasting time having to learn anything new. Sony on the other hand, have had rumours that they might be pulling out of the console market. With the newer games looking as good as they do, they take a lot longer to make and alot more money to produce. Because the games are costing so much to produce, they need to be sold at a higher price to even come close to breaking even. Paired with the high price of the console and the higher price of the games mean that Sony are losing business and money.
So as far as gaming goes, it is apparent to see that it is much easier to sell family friendly games that look a lil bit worse but are more fun than it is to spend millions into games that look good but wont have much of an audience.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Week 3 1980s +1990s
A big thing to note is that during this period EA was set up and continued producing games during these two decades and are still successful even today. Successful is a loose term as I wouldnt touch many of EAs games with a large pointy stick.
Well it seems that some legendary games were released before the first wave of PCs and consoles. MAny people have heard of Defender being the first game as a side scrolling shooter and rather pretty good as I remember. I played it ages ago and I found it pretty hard because my reflexes suck. However, I haven;t been back to replay it since I'm sure my reflexes still suck. Afantastic game that I just looked at that came out in 1981
was 3d Monster Maze. You essentially run through a maze (made to look 3D through angled lines) to get to the exit, however there is a T-Rex that wants to eat you. You get points by running away from it and by completing the room.
Also in 1981 was a game titled Space Panic which featured a space man fleeing up ladders and across platforms to avoid aliens that wish to kill him. This game looked very similar to the original Donkey Kong with its platforms, ladders and dodging of items that will end your life.
Another game I played was Pole Position. Released in 1982 i had sprites which switched to show your car turning. This same method was used in Mario Kart 64 where it seems those karters had less sprites than Pole Position. The game [PP not MK64] was pretty hard to beat beyond the training level as your car came with the acceleration of cotton wool on velcro.
In 1982, the Commodore 64 and the ZX spectrum were released. The UK preferred the ZX Spectrum for its games whereas the Americas enjoyed the Commodore more. The Speccy was one of the first colour consoles and the spectrum was to signify the colour it had. Even if it was still 8 bit, it was a big revolution and gained alot of software and hardware during its 18 year life time.
With the invention of the mouse it was now possible to create many more games. LucasArts being the first to change the previous text based adventures into new point and click adventure games using their patented SCUMM engine. For the rest of the 80s, it was all about developers beginning to work with mice and experiment with new games.
Good old Nintendo brought out their 8bit NES in 1985 which became the biggest home console (non-pc) of the time. Many games were promoted on this console that we still have today such as Mario, Legend of Zelda and Megaman.
The NES ruled the console markets until newer consoles came out such as the Game Boy and a bit later; the Playstation and the N64 with their 3D graphics. One of the first games in full 3D was Super Mario 64 which introduced many things
such as camera work and actual exploration. It is thought of as one of the greatest games ever
along with Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
It was also during the 90s that many genres were created such as Survival Horrors and MMORPGs. Even more game franchises were added in the form of Metal Gear Solid, Sonic the
Hedgehog and Pokemon (whilst it was '99 it really has become one of the biggest game franchises
ever).
So that is a quick history of gaming while I was alive. Technically I only alive for half of it but that
was when everything happened.
This is also a 5 minute video showing many of the games and their progressions starting from Pong
and ending in the present
A History of Videogaming
Well it seems that some legendary games were released before the first wave of PCs and consoles. MAny people have heard of Defender being the first game as a side scrolling shooter and rather pretty good as I remember. I played it ages ago and I found it pretty hard because my reflexes suck. However, I haven;t been back to replay it since I'm sure my reflexes still suck. Afantastic game that I just looked at that came out in 1981
was 3d Monster Maze. You essentially run through a maze (made to look 3D through angled lines) to get to the exit, however there is a T-Rex that wants to eat you. You get points by running away from it and by completing the room.
Also in 1981 was a game titled Space Panic which featured a space man fleeing up ladders and across platforms to avoid aliens that wish to kill him. This game looked very similar to the original Donkey Kong with its platforms, ladders and dodging of items that will end your life.
Another game I played was Pole Position. Released in 1982 i had sprites which switched to show your car turning. This same method was used in Mario Kart 64 where it seems those karters had less sprites than Pole Position. The game [PP not MK64] was pretty hard to beat beyond the training level as your car came with the acceleration of cotton wool on velcro.
In 1982, the Commodore 64 and the ZX spectrum were released. The UK preferred the ZX Spectrum for its games whereas the Americas enjoyed the Commodore more. The Speccy was one of the first colour consoles and the spectrum was to signify the colour it had. Even if it was still 8 bit, it was a big revolution and gained alot of software and hardware during its 18 year life time.
With the invention of the mouse it was now possible to create many more games. LucasArts being the first to change the previous text based adventures into new point and click adventure games using their patented SCUMM engine. For the rest of the 80s, it was all about developers beginning to work with mice and experiment with new games.
Good old Nintendo brought out their 8bit NES in 1985 which became the biggest home console (non-pc) of the time. Many games were promoted on this console that we still have today such as Mario, Legend of Zelda and Megaman.
The NES ruled the console markets until newer consoles came out such as the Game Boy and a bit later; the Playstation and the N64 with their 3D graphics. One of the first games in full 3D was Super Mario 64 which introduced many things
such as camera work and actual exploration. It is thought of as one of the greatest games ever
along with Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
It was also during the 90s that many genres were created such as Survival Horrors and MMORPGs. Even more game franchises were added in the form of Metal Gear Solid, Sonic the
Hedgehog and Pokemon (whilst it was '99 it really has become one of the biggest game franchises
ever).
So that is a quick history of gaming while I was alive. Technically I only alive for half of it but that
was when everything happened.
This is also a 5 minute video showing many of the games and their progressions starting from Pong
and ending in the present
A History of Videogaming
Monday, 22 October 2007
Week 2 1950-1970
When asked what the earliest game that people can remember is, most will say Pong or for newfags it would be the first Mario game. However there will be those that remember the good ole days of Tennis for Two. Personally I would have said pong until a lil bit of research was conducted.
Only those who were there back in 1952 would be able to say about the Tic-Tac-Toe game that A.S.Douglas created. It was merely a single player game but it spurred the beginning of human interaction with computers.
6 years later, in 1958, William Higinbotham created Tennis for Two. One would assume he'd just finished the Tic-Tac-Toe game by this point and wanted a bigger challenge. This game was created for the Brookhaven National Laboratory to draw in a larger amount of visitors. It definitely worked and is now regarded as the first fun video game. From what I've seen and read this game is played using an analog joystick and a single button however I cannot understand the control as there is no player or bats on screen. Unfortunately, this game wasn't shown much (2 years) but did become a great inspiration for the brilliant pong.
Before that though, the Tech Model Railroad Club created the game known as Spacewars! in 1962 This group consisted of wayne witanen and j. martin graetz along with 25 year-old steve russell. The main objective of the game was to kill or be killed as two spaceships fought to gather supplies for their dieing homeworlds (story get). Much like Tennis for Two, spacewars! did not seek a copyright or patent as their computers were too big and would cost far too much.
Four years after Spacewars! Ralph Baer worked on seven prototypes that worked with a TV called the Brown Box. (Not to be confused as a rubbish version of the new Orange Box). His first game was liscenced by Magnavox titled Chase. It was literally two dots chasing eachother. He was also the first person to create a Light Gun.
Even though it is a little beyond the realms of what was asked, I feel I should mention that pong was created in 1972.
Only those who were there back in 1952 would be able to say about the Tic-Tac-Toe game that A.S.Douglas created. It was merely a single player game but it spurred the beginning of human interaction with computers.
6 years later, in 1958, William Higinbotham created Tennis for Two. One would assume he'd just finished the Tic-Tac-Toe game by this point and wanted a bigger challenge. This game was created for the Brookhaven National Laboratory to draw in a larger amount of visitors. It definitely worked and is now regarded as the first fun video game. From what I've seen and read this game is played using an analog joystick and a single button however I cannot understand the control as there is no player or bats on screen. Unfortunately, this game wasn't shown much (2 years) but did become a great inspiration for the brilliant pong.
Before that though, the Tech Model Railroad Club created the game known as Spacewars! in 1962 This group consisted of wayne witanen and j. martin graetz along with 25 year-old steve russell. The main objective of the game was to kill or be killed as two spaceships fought to gather supplies for their dieing homeworlds (story get). Much like Tennis for Two, spacewars! did not seek a copyright or patent as their computers were too big and would cost far too much.
Four years after Spacewars! Ralph Baer worked on seven prototypes that worked with a TV called the Brown Box. (Not to be confused as a rubbish version of the new Orange Box). His first game was liscenced by Magnavox titled Chase. It was literally two dots chasing eachother. He was also the first person to create a Light Gun.
Even though it is a little beyond the realms of what was asked, I feel I should mention that pong was created in 1972.
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Week 1
The blog I looked at was titled bannable-offenses. @ http://bannable-offenses.blogspot.com
I'm sure when I remember html, I'll be able to put these as links instead of just text.
The guy writing calls himself GM Dave and is a GM for Final Fantasy XI. The reason for this is because he does not want to get fired by his boss for leaking company secrets and the like. Dave himself
is the stereotypical PR guy who hates people. It isn't really his fault, the players
are just really stupid. Dave does seem like a good guy, maybe with a little superiority complex but he does blog some funny stories. Maybe he is a hero of sorts, eliminating the criminals of intelligence and protecting the general public.
Perhaps not but he makes it sound like so much fun to be a GM.
Essentially this blog is so interesting is because he has a conversation with a player in each entry and generally insults them. After he has used alot of the unbanned curse words, he will ban them. This will also happen in an intriguing way, rather than just logging them out and banning them, he will warp the player(s) to a dungeon with no exit and let Jourgamund eat them. Ok, maybe not every player got banned but at least Jourgamund got fed every entry. These are just of his adventures in-game, he also talks about what it is like in his office. Normally about how the employees get stupidly drunk during server checks and patches and this being the reason they always take over 5 hours. Dave personally likes to annoy his boss at certain points as well in order to look like he is working or to avoid having to do something. More recently, he has slowed down his writing to talk about his wife/girlfriend and the tales of his ignoring her in order to play FFXI. Also he throws in rants about pregnancy and his new, albeit messy, baby. Although he does love his wife/girlfriend and child he seems to find something new to rant about. Unfortunately these are few and far between as some of the GM Dave and Susan skits are some of the best.
Hopefully in the future I will be able to develop a style of blogging similar to his as making people smile grabs their attention and brings them back. I kept going back to GMDave's blog because of the tales of idiocy he told and of course the dragon eating. It is a shame that nowadays his blogging has been sent to the bottom of the pile.
I'm sure when I remember html, I'll be able to put these as links instead of just text.
The guy writing calls himself GM Dave and is a GM for Final Fantasy XI. The reason for this is because he does not want to get fired by his boss for leaking company secrets and the like. Dave himself
is the stereotypical PR guy who hates people. It isn't really his fault, the players
are just really stupid. Dave does seem like a good guy, maybe with a little superiority complex but he does blog some funny stories. Maybe he is a hero of sorts, eliminating the criminals of intelligence and protecting the general public.
Perhaps not but he makes it sound like so much fun to be a GM.
Essentially this blog is so interesting is because he has a conversation with a player in each entry and generally insults them. After he has used alot of the unbanned curse words, he will ban them. This will also happen in an intriguing way, rather than just logging them out and banning them, he will warp the player(s) to a dungeon with no exit and let Jourgamund eat them. Ok, maybe not every player got banned but at least Jourgamund got fed every entry. These are just of his adventures in-game, he also talks about what it is like in his office. Normally about how the employees get stupidly drunk during server checks and patches and this being the reason they always take over 5 hours. Dave personally likes to annoy his boss at certain points as well in order to look like he is working or to avoid having to do something. More recently, he has slowed down his writing to talk about his wife/girlfriend and the tales of his ignoring her in order to play FFXI. Also he throws in rants about pregnancy and his new, albeit messy, baby. Although he does love his wife/girlfriend and child he seems to find something new to rant about. Unfortunately these are few and far between as some of the GM Dave and Susan skits are some of the best.
Hopefully in the future I will be able to develop a style of blogging similar to his as making people smile grabs their attention and brings them back. I kept going back to GMDave's blog because of the tales of idiocy he told and of course the dragon eating. It is a shame that nowadays his blogging has been sent to the bottom of the pile.
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