A So-Called "Anomaly"

Gaming monopoly?!

And no, I’m not talking about the game Monopoly (which sucks as well, but that’s a different story…).

I saw this on G4 a while ago and meant to blog about it, but i always get distracted. So I had to hunt down the story. Sadly, I couldn’t find the video the debate that they had, but I did find this article.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7052420.stm>EA Predicts Death of Consoles

Basically, EA says that they think that consoles will eventually disappear and a single, open gaming platform will emerge.

I say, “HA.”

And that’s the general consensus among gamers. I checked out some of the comments from G4 viewers and all of them were completely against it.

One benefit I see from this is for the developers. It would be beneficial for consumers if they could concentrate all their energies into creating a kickass game instead of worrying about what systems it could be compatable on. Another benefit would be that it’d make choosing a system a lot easier (because I wouldn’t have a choice) and a lot cheaper (cause right now I don’t have the cash to get a Wii and a PSP so that I can play both Bleach: Shattered Blade and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core when it comes out).

However, a single platform? We live in a society that thrives on the ability to choose. We like variety so saying we only have one platform is like saying, “Well, you can only have McDonalds now because we’re doing away with Wendy’s and Burger King and everything else.” It’s a pile of BS, if you ask me. Each console has its own strengths. If you have a single platform, will they be able to compile that all successfully? Will this single platform still have the ability to allow for the Wii’s motion controls as well as having the multiple buttons of the XBox controller? And what about my portables? What will happen to the PSP and the DS? Or will they monopolize there too?

Let’s face it, certain games are tailored for certain platforms. To try and translate them would be ridiculous and a crime against humanity. Having a single platform would cut the diversity of the industry significantly and it would probably turn off a lot of gamers as a result. We like variety. After all, people do say is the spice of life. And if so, it’s kinda like choosing between the cafeteria’s chicken patties and Burger King’s spicy chick’n crisp sandwich. I’ll let you decide.

Ron Paul Revolution

Summary (Topic): 

If you’re like me, you find the entire presidential race more than a little boring- every candidate is watered down, boring and unwilling to take a stand on anything.  And if they do, they’re pretty much crazy.  So who are we left with?  Not much.  Unfortunately, that has led to a great deal of voter apathy in the past years, but to be honest, I can’t blame anyone. 

One presidential hopeful however is someone I can almost completely endorse.  Ron Paul.  Now, granted, my own politics are not really any place for a game, but when you look at Dr. Paul’s position, he is the ideal focus of a game:  A relatively unknown presidential candidate is forced to take on big business, a liberally slanted media, conservatively biased radio broadcasters, and hope to garner enough support in the primaries to achieve victory of some kind. 

Our game is going to be a spoof on the current presidential race from the perspective of Ron Paul.  Love him, hate him or just don’t care, that’s not really important.  We’re hoping to poke fun at the circus that is presidential campaigning.

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Gameplay:

Based in Flash, Ron Paul’s adventure will be brought to you in the form of a 2D platformer. 

However, the game will give Ron Paul RPG-like stats which grow as he collects finances, increases his reputation, finds pieces of the constitution, etc.  These stats are essential, because they allow Ron Paul to unlock abilities to help him defeat harder obstacles in later levels.

The basic strategy is simple.  Each level gives Ron Paul an objective.  For example, in level one, he is required to have a status of at least 60% in order to become a candidate.  To do so, Paul is required to make contact with 6 of the 10 Republicans in the level, while avoiding Democrats.  The reward of this tutorial level will be the Republican nomination.  Players can then begin the game. 

Players are able to fully explore levels and may go backwards, forwards up or down in order to find every object necessary for 100% completion if they so choose.

At the end of every level will be a boss battle, wherein they must use their unique Ron Paul abilities to defeat the politician.  Of course, gameplay will include highly exaggerated battles and abilities to place emphasis on the ridiculous debating done by each candidate.

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Graphics:

The advantage of being Digital Media students means that we will be able to tailor our own unique characterizations of each member of the presidential race.  The graphics will be highly stylized and will place an emphasis on a comedic sort of appearance when it comes to bosses.

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Controls:

All of the controls are currently tentative and may be changed in the games final phase.

• W- Look up
• S- crouch/duck
• D- move right
• A- move left
• Space- Jump
• Mouse- select options from the menu
• Esc- Open menu

 *more controls will be added upon necessity.

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Sounds:

The game will employ actual audio clips from the presidential campaign, in particular, audio that portrays the candidates in a comical light.  Other than these, the game will feature very basic sounds that will be activated by their respective action:

• Jumping
• Ducking
• Attacking
• Collecting Money
• Negative Event
• Taking damage
• Dealing damage to enemy
• Success
• Game Over
• Level Completion
• Tallying

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Game Flow:

The games overall flow is determined by how entertaining players find the game.  Those who are entertained will find the absurdities pointed out to be comical and spur them on further to discover more comedic nuances.  The game begins with a tutorial level and then sets players out to finish the remaining levels.  For this class, this may be limited to two or three levels with a boss battle. 

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Levels:

Also intended to be highly stylized and comical looking, these will range from streets to legal buildings.  The goal again is to create a sort of cartoonish element to the surrounding environment to continue with the satire feel.

The final level is decidedly a debate stage, where Ron Paul will do battle with a presidential candidate.

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RPG-style stats

As previously mentioned, the game uses RPG styled stats in order to measure the players’ overall achievements in-game and to give a very elementary idea of the candidates need to consider when running.  Here is a basic overview:

Player Stats:            

Support:

Players raise support by successfully keeping away bad media, avoiding “bad money” and keeping their policy unchanged, and kissing babies.  Players support can fall by dealing with the elderly, illegal immigrants, and negative media.

Influence:

Players raise or lose influence depending on their confrontation with bad money, and crooked politicians.

Finances:

Players gain finances by picking up both bad and good money. However, support will fall by picking up bad money. When finances level up

Network:

Players increase their networking by contacting positive media and helpful politicians.           

Policy:

Players increase their policy by picking up “bills” or constitution fragments. Their policy falls by dealing with shady politicians.                        

Total:  

Potential Threats and Enemies: 

· Bad Money · Shady Politicians · Illegal Immigrants · The Elderly · Negative Media · Debates 

Potential Help: 

· Legitimate campaign funding · Positive media · Kissing babies · Debates · Helpful Politicians 

Players unlock abilities based on their statitistics and their finances.

New abilities will allow them to more successfully defend themselves and progress through the levels eith greater ease.

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This is a very basic overview.  Once the game has been tested and more work has been done, the resulting modifications made to this data will be posted.

DEWmocracy

Main Entry: de·moc·ra·cy 

Pronunciation: \di-ˈmä-krə-sē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): pluralde·moc·ra·cies

Etymology:Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos + -kratia-cracy

Date: 1576

1 a: government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections2: a political unit that has a democratic government3capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the United States Democracy— C. M. Roberts>4: the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority5: the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges  

Based off the definition of democracy, I think that Mountain Dew’s new campaign is aptly named. They’ve created a contest where the consumers are in charge. The company has given them the opportunity to create a new Dew. Initially, I thought, “Don’t change it!” but further reading shows that it’s only a new line, much like Code Red now. It doesn’t mean that the original Mountain Dew is disappearing, it just means that something new will be in shelves along side it.

I think it’s a neat idea. Interactivity and having say in what I spend my money on is always good. It’s a good marketing scheme—give the people what they want and get more money for it. Win-win, if you ask me. Well, at least for one lucky group. Cause after all, it’s a democracy and it’s majority rule.

This particular campaign seems to target the online community, especially gamers. It has a sci-fi/fantasy feel to it. It starts out with a story that society has fallen under strict corporate rule and creativity of any sort is not only frowned upon, but punished. So in this cold world of grey, you get to play the role of the “Seeker” who finds this magical glass bottle that has the power to free your people from this tyranny. (Can I just say, though, that the random Native American guy in a white and purple tux and his magical elevator is really strange? lol) So now, armed with this relic and the thirst for freedom, you travel into a mythical world to create the drink of choice.

There are seven levels, or chambers. At the start of each, the resident guardian asks you to choose the qualities of your drink, such as taste, color, etc. Then you proceed into the chamber to complete several quests, and finally you meet the inhabitant spirit, each who has his or her own story to tell.

In terms of plot, it’s a little corny, but it’s captivating enough to draw you in. Graphics wise, it’s okay. There’s a certain rough, 3D quality to it that I’m not sure if I like or not. In terms of gameplay, the puzzles are cool, but any game that asks you to move quickly sucks. Maybe it’s just my machine reacting slowly (though I doubt it since I haven’t done anything to mess it up just yet…) but there seems to be a lag between the time you hit the arrow keys and the time your character actually moves on screen. And, of course, by the time “Nobody” reacts, you’ve been hit by the nymph’s moving gaze, been bounced off the walls and into your opponents 3 times in a row, taking out the 3 HP you actually have. Wonderful. (Note: The suitor game is a pain in the ass…) But, what quality can you expect from something like this, that isn’t built to last?

A nice feature, though, is the repeatability of the quests. You can continue to do each game until you’ve reached the max points. So by the end of the River Chamber (that’s the second one, it’s all they’ve released so far) you should have 4200 points. Depending on your time, you can make it onto the scoreboard. Oh, I forgot to mention that you can reset your times to try to finish each game faster. So actual skill doesn’t matter that much. If you memorize what to do and do it quickly the second time around you can get it. I’m lazy, though, so I’m content with being 658th. Besides, I think I’m the only one who’d go for Berry Pomegranate Raspberry Mountain Dew with none of that taurine/enhancement bullcrap you find in energy drinks cause those taste funky.

The trials and tribulations of making a machinima

Soooo…

Brian and I are nearly done with our World of Warcraft/Zoolander machinima and we’ll post a link once we’re through tweaking it. It’s been an interesting process. Making a machinima is definitely more difficult than I had anticipated. It certainly is time consuming. I’ve memorized that one scene, shot by shot, line for line, and the funny thing is that I still haven’t seen the rest of the movie. And after watching that one scene over and over and over and over…I don’t even know if I want to watch the rest. If I do, I’ll probably fast forward through those four minutes.

Making characters to represent the actors was easy enough. Finding a location to film…not so much. And running seven or so characters to the chosen spot isn’t exactly a tea party either. I feel bad because after we spent a night of filming in one spot in Silvermoon, I decided the next day that this little haven in Eversong Woods would be a better place and I ran all the characters there. And Brian couldn’t argue since I had spent an hour re-locating everyone. Sorry, Brian. ^^;

To film, one of us controlled our “camera character” while the other would act out two or more characters. Let me just say that this was a pain in the ass. It would have been so much easier if we had other people to control the host of characters, but all our friends were busy. Boo to everyone having a life…

The next day in class, we discovered that we had to make a storyboard. We had already written out a verbal storyboard, but having pictures definitely sped up the process. We knew exactly what the shot had to look like instead of trying to interpret out nearly illegible notes (that we had written around 3 in the morning) that said things like, “Zoo turn and close up over Hans and co shoulders”.

To further speed up the process, we made macros for each line and action. I even sat there and timed everything according to the sound clip (that we finally got after hours of driving ourselves crazy with several different programs). I had everything synched up nearly perfectly and I was so proud of myself! But then Brian got back from class and we continued filming and I realized that I just wasted my time. We had to shut off Windows Media Player because it was slowing down my frame rate. And I was sad, but I’m used to it. I always spend so much time obsessing over little features and I end up not using them. It’s just my curse, I guess.

Anyway, now it’s all up to editing. Brian’s much better at this than I am since he’s had experience with editing programs. If you want insight on this part of the process, refer to his blog.

And that’s the whole story. I only have three complaints about using WoW to make a machinima. 1) WoW lags like nobody’s business so we had to re-film so many shots and we had to readjust the screen size and the fps on Frapps over and over and over. It gets very monotonus very fast. 2) Varying schedules and periods of availability + filming outdoors = lighting problems. Expect to see periods of evening and night time mixed together. And 3) WoW emotes are very limited so it was difficult trying to synch every word and action up. This process involved a lot of improvising and editing, but I guess that’s a part of every cinematic experience.

Here are some other things I discovered in the process…

1) While NPCs are convenient, they are no substitute for real people. Don’t film near them. They’re annoying and will do things like laugh or walk away at inopportune times.

2) Real people, though, can also be a pain in the ass. People are inherently nosy and if you’re standing in a large group, they will walk up to your face and emote you back.

3) Quadruple boxing is possible, though not recommended.

4) WoW runs surprisingly well at a 11 frame rate.

5) Just as Rome was not built in one day, [good] machinima cannot be made in one night. Have lots of caffeine ready.

PotM: If my computer could have expressed emotion, it would probably would have been @_____@

Smart development insight

I was checking my Yahoo mail account the other day and a link reading “How to get your girlfriend to play video games” came up in the newsfeed. I intended to take a look at what had been said, but I got distracted and forgot. So just a little while ago I typed it into search and got this:

Wiki-how

It makes sense. And it’s pretty amusing from my perspective. Especially the “If you do find a girlfriend who already loves video games…keep her.” tip.

[/targeted subliminal message]

Hehe… ^^;

Anyway, I originally wanted to comment on this, but I found a different article that I thought would be much more significant to this class blog.

SXSW: Getting Girls Into The Game: Designing and Marketing Games for Female Players

What the article basically gets at is that girls like the same kinds of games that guys do. Have you ever seen us show interest in a game like Wedding Dash or Dogz/Catz/Horsez that are clearly targeted for girls? I have one thing to say about those games…

LAME.

I’ll take a stab at Resident Evil over that any day.

So the point that the article makes is that you can’t categorize girls into their own group because we’re just as diverse as any other demographic. Some of us may be more inclined to play Mario while others are more into Halo. Essentially, we’re just like guys. We like games. We like the same stuff as you do. So the solution, or at least the heart of the problem, is marketing. Games need to be marketed girl-friendly. How that’s to be done isn’t covered, but it’s a good point. A lot of good games are lost to us because we don’t see it. Take Zone of the Enders, for example. I wouldn’t have given that game a second look if I saw it in stores, but Brian introduced me to it and I love it!

Oh, and listen to this…

“According to the panelists, ‘Please don’t lock your game up in EB Games, girls don’t like to go in there. And don’t put a chain-mail bikini babe on the cover.’”

Amen to that.

For one thing, it’s offensive. For another, we already get enough shit from traditional media about needing to look good. We don’t need it from a new source, thankyouverymuch. But that’s a blog for a different day. ^_^

PotM: Coming Soon.

My Persona Project

Instead of me babbling, I’ll just provide links to my animation so you can watch. ^_^

Day 1: Interview with my Mom

Day 2: Survey with Mom’s Co-workers

Day 3: Finished Product

PotM: None for now because I left my external hard drive at Marist.

Heavenly Sword

So I had planned on blogging about female game characters and how they’re always scantily clad, but I’ve successfully been diverted from the subject. This rant was spurred on by fanart done by one of my favorite Deviantart artists. It was a picture of the heroine of the new game for PS3, Heavenly Sword. Now, I like to know a little bit about what I’m gonna complain about before I go and open my mouth—you know, to make sure I don’t make an ass out of myself when someone brings up something I wasn’t aware of (ignorant is not something I like to be tagged as)—so I took a look at the official website. Needless to say, I was blown away.

I ended up watching the videos for the making of the game, because I’m a nerd like that. (I’ve always enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stuff just as much as the actual work.) The first thing that knocked me off guard was the fact that Andy Serkis was the dramatic director and that Weta was involved in the development. For those who don’t know, Andy Serkis was Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Weta did the special effects for the movies. And for those who don’t know, I am such a massive LotR fangirl. It’s what got me into digital media in the first place.

Anyway, from the moment I discovered that they had worked on the project, I was intrigued. I spent the next hour watching the complete making-of series and the animated intro sequence. Honestly, this is the first game that I’ve been really excited about in a long time…besides Bleach: Shattered Blade…but that hardly counts because it’s only because I have a crush on Ichigo. All that aside, though, this game kinda makes me want a PS3.

First of all, the main character is a girl and she kicks ass. ^__^ But besides that, the graphics for this game are intense. So much work went into the making of it. If you watched the production videos without knowing what it was for, you might think it was all for a movie, and that itself is a thrilling prospect…well, for me at least.

I want to work for movie production and special effects/animation. The fact that that sort of production is bleeding into the gaming industry is really exciting because it’s a combination of two things that I love. I know that this sort of work has been going into games for years, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen it. This is the first time that I’ve been aware of the time and effort that’s gone into a game. It’s also the first time that I’ve seen an extensive use of actors, and that’s exciting in a different way. This shows that the gaming industry is on the rise. It shows just how serious it is as a new form of media. It proves that the gaming industry is a forced to be reckoned with. And if that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is.

I do agree that it’s really unfortunate that gameplay took a backseat to graphics, especially because gameplay is what video games are all about—hell, GAME is in the word and game implies playability. However, I’m an optimist. I believe that this is just the first step in a new generation of gaming that incorporates this sort of graphic intensity, and usually first attempts are lacking. I’m sure that with time and more work, future games will better incorporate and improve upon all the aspects that make a game an incredible source of media.

PotM: Portrait of Nariko done by Shiramune. You should check out his amazing gallery. He’s also done fanart from World of Warcraft and Starcraft, just to name a few.

The hedgehog game!

The Garden Life

That’s a link to my first game that I created for class. We had to make the “Catch the Clown” game and edit it to put our own spin on it. I cannot program for my life, even on really simplified programs such as Game Maker, so I concentrated on what I know—art.

That little ball of cuteness floating around is a hedgehog. I made him from scratch, pixel by pixel. And the grass. Not the bushes. I tried to make my own but they came out really messed up so I had to borrow from the internet somewhere.

I also wanted to concentrate on graphics because I wanted to make a point. I wanted to place emphasis on how graphics can make or break a game. Essentially, this game is the same as “Catch the Clown” but because of the art used it feels more approachable. It’s friendlier and more appealing than that ugly clown that floats around. The fact that I made it aside, I would rather play “The Garden Life” than “Catch the Clown” but it may be just me since I mentioned before that I am more inclined to aesthetics. I like pretty things! ^_^

PotM: My friends Brian and Amanda’s pet hedgehog, Astranaar!

Women and gaming

And now for the entry I’m sure most people had wanted me to write from the start: Women and gaming. More specifically, why aren’t there more women in the field?

Maybe it’s just because I’m a girl, but I really don’t see how it’s much of a mystery. Honestly? It’s because most guys alienate themselves. Although part of he problem is a of lack of interest in games on a woman’s part, it’s mostly because of the gamer’s “stigma” that seems to have developed. I know it’s a stereotype, but in my experience it’s mostly been proven true. I’m not saying that all men in the industry are like this, but a good portion of them are.

Allow me to clarify.

A lot of boys grow up playing video games. They sit themselves down in front of their PCs or TVs and stay there for hours, hardly ever leaving the comfort of their digital glows. Years go by and pretty soon they’ve developed into men who lack the social skills that they should have, but don’t because the only other people they’ve encountered have been NPCs, the digital aliases of other gamers just like themselves, and the guy at the counter of Best Buy who knows them by name and rings up the games that they buy. They invest so much into the false worlds that they inhabit that when they have to step outside of them they’re at a bit of a loss for what’s going on. They lose touch with reality and things that should be easy, like holding a conversation with females, seems more impossible than downing the final boss of the latest game that they bought.

It’s sad, but true. I’ve seen it happen to so many of my friends and family members. Unfortunately, this is the rep that has been branded on gamers. And even more unfortunately, a lot of boys forgo everything, including hygiene, for their digital conquests. Thus, these few bad apples further ruin the already rotting bushel. I feel bad because I know that there are a lot of good guys hiding amidst the trash, but like I said before, in society this has become the stigma for gamers.

Because of how we (women) are raised to think (damn you, Barbie) we hold appearance to unhealthy standards. Not just our own, but other people’s too. A lot of us spend hours in the morning primping and preening to look just right, and anyone who doesn’t take the same care is thought to be repulsive/unworthy/undesirable/etc. We’re raised believing that our Prince Charmings will be exactly that—charming. No matter how sweet or humble any girl is, it’s in our natures to be a little bit vain and fickle. On a psychological level, women are more inclined to be moved by aesthetics. We like things that look pretty. And unfortunately, with the reputation of being dominated by smelly, greasy and unkempt men, you can’t blame us for straying away from the gaming industry. I’m sorry, but those words do not fit in our vocabulary.

And as I mentioned before, this isn’t the only reason for a lack of estrogen in the digital gaming field. A lack of interest in games on women’s parts is also to blame. Ask mostly any girl what her hobbies are and you’re guaranteed to get either “shopping” or “hanging out with my friends” or both. Women are social creatures (haven’t you ever noticed how we travel in packs?) so games that limit our ability to interact with other human beings tend to not catch our attention.

And also, it’s just how we’re raised. Boys are raised to be strong, aggressive, and active. Girls, on the other hand, are taught to be more passive and gentle. And it’s not like we can be mad at society for that. It’s been like this since the dawn of time. Historically, men have always been the hunters and protectors of the home, and women have been the gatherers and caretakers. These traits are inherent and inborn in every one of us. So men are more inclined to want to participate in violent video games.

It’s a bit of a vicious cycle, too, because the industry was founded by men. They made games that interested them, games that appealed to men. As it grew, they attracted more men who made more games for men. Sure, there are some women who joined in the fray, but for the most part games are still targeted toward the one group that the industry knows will be most willing to hand over the cash—boys. It’s a marketing scheme. You always aim for the group that will make the most profit. Sure, some companies, especially Nintendo, have been trying to reach out and bring in a wider demographic, but it will be a while before we ever see a surge of women in the gaming workforce.

So what I’m trying to say is don’t hold your breath. Maybe in a few years, but that all depends on how the industry continues to develop. And how the future employees develop.

In short, here’s the message: Break the cycle and get away from the computer or television set for a bit. It won’t kill you, your game won’t go anywhere, and it’ll help to improve your socialization skills. In doing so, you may be paving the road toward a better view on geeks and gamers.

And don’t gawk at girls when you see them. I know they look a lot better than they did in your brand new game, but staring is awkward and a gigantic turn-off.

Oh, and shower. You should shower. Showers are good.

PotM: This is me hiding under the covers while playing WoW. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a “closet geek.”

Bloxorz

Bloxorz stole about an hour and a half of my life…

Addicting? Yes. Easy? Not so much. Although I did get to level 28!…with some help. My friends Tim and Matt worked a couple of them out with me. Brian may or may not have completed a few of them for me. But that’s what boyfriends do—they help girlfriends out when they’re stuck in digital games. So it’s okay.

Maybe it’s just the fact that my new laptop doesn’t run as fast as my grandmother, but the game ran very smoothly. The controls were simple and the rules and such were easy to understand. Overall, the playability of this game was good. I would have kept playing but we got board and decided to play Naruto instead.

I enjoy puzzles and brain teasers and the like so this was fun. I’ve discovered that I can figure out the paths to the hole easier when I work backwards. Also, I noticed that the introduction of switches doesn’t just test your ability to maneuver through a confined area, but it also challenges your memory. Sometimes you have to commit seppuku just to restart the level and avoid that soft switch the second time around.

All in all, I enjoyed the game. It was more intellectually challenging than I originally thought it would be. It’s a good way to waste some time cause it’s not mindless and you actually have to use your brain, which is a nice change.

PotM: Brian intently playing Naruto and Tim watching after about an hour of Bloxorz.