Saturday, November 25, 2006

debate on story eh! cant we just shoot each other instead(BF2142)

The story of games is the most integral part of a game without an in depth story there would be no game, the story is what keeps a gamer going through the intense and challenging level, if your stuck behind a wall with a barrage of gunfire blocking your way, its not will I ever get past this section of the game keeping you going its what’s in store for me when I get to the next section will that guy I’ve been chasing since the start of the game be finally in my crosshairs or will I have to take down a gigantic boss will 12 legs and a flame throwing head. I have played many games were the story is rather boring an I have played all the way through them just in hope of the story line picking up but to my dismay it didn’t and I never play it or speak of it again other than to discredit it to other gamers. There are games out there that seem to have little story to them but are there just for graphics or a little bit of fun most of these games are usually sequals made just for obtaining more money off the back of the first games quality story line for example oblivion, also other style of games like beat’em ups they have little story line to them but we still play them for the chance to kick the crap out of people without getting a bruise or be able to do that Bruce lee flying kick that we’ve always wanted to do but cannot due to our lack of skill and fitness of a real fighter. To be honest most games I play have little story due to there genre like first person shooters (battlefield 2142) that has little story because it’s all about skill who’s the best team who’s the best shot who can run crazy around a massive map taking out every online gamer without breaking a sweat. It’s just pure fun, your not trying to find out any answers to the story and it doesn’t feel like another episode of lost were your told so much but never given any f*cking answers, it is a breath of fresh air to have a game without a major story just so you can have fun but don’t get me wrong I love playing games with story but haven’t you noticed how similar they’re getting, I thing they’re all funning out of ideas.

wow! art direction

What does an Art Director do? Who are they responsible to? Do you think it?s a creative role? How is art direction in Games similar to or different from Film, for example? What qualities do you think you?d need to develop if you want to become an Art Director in the future?



An art director controls and focuses the crew on the main aspect of a game he/she chooses the direction and style of the game, without an art director there would be no focus and with many different artists there would be many different styles making the game seem like a patchwork quilt nothing would fit or go together. Different parts of the game wouldn’t go with others and the way they feel and look would be totally out of place with the previous section of the game. Art directors keep the artists together controlling there direction and keeping them in tune with each other much like an instrument, if one string is out the whole song would be awful and out of tune. As I’ve always been told, people see the bad things easier than the good so if there is one small mistake people will see that and forget about the good aspects.

Of course it’s a creative role, art directors choose the mood and style of a game if they don’t like it its not in the game. Without a creative art director the game would be flat and lifeless, true an art director does do the boring paper work but he also has creative input in the way the artists work and what they can produce is decided by the art director.

Art direction is very much identical to art direction in a film as art directors focus the workers just like the film director, art directors control the mood and style like a film director, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if an art director could change places with a film director and pull of the same quality of work.

Being able to focus people is a big quality an art director needs, if you cant keep the artists working to the same standard and style then you are useless. Being able to convey ideas easily and quickly through speech and sketching is a useful and essential tool an art director needs, if an art director cant get across the meaning behind a game then how can the artists.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

boom headshot! ha! take that gameplay!

What is meant by Game play? Who are the leading lights in Game Design? Where does Game Design take place in the modern Developer? Is it a single person's responsibility? Do different genres require different design principles? What's important for you, when you play?


Game play is large area of gaming, it means the feeling of the game or it can mean the way a game plays, if a game plays badly its game play for example the movement system is to complex then the game play would be poor but much like a car it can be fast pace and exciting as well as sluggish and boring. It depends on the game you are playing. Different genres have different game play styles. Game play is in the name, its how the game plays, moves, feels and flows.

The leading game designers is so broad that its not worth going into detail as there are many different companies that are toe on toe with each other at the top for example, Microsoft, Sony.. Which are the big companies but then I could go into actual focused game companies like Nintendo, EA, Sega, Id, Ubisoft, Square Enix. These are some of the big companies but there are more out there. You could go into subjective way of seeing this as I feel the leading lights in game design are upcoming game designers and just kids as we decide what games make it or not.

I feel different genres need different design principles as this further separates the genres. Every game needs a different style and every genre needs a different style these needs require much variety and if they had the same design principles then they would be to similar and many would not be played. No new ideas would be established if the design principles were the same that’s like creating all the films in the world off the same storyboard, its impossible.

For me my preference is on first person shooters, I require fast action game play coupled with a great in depth storyline the graphics only add to the experience they don’t make it, so they do not matter that much. Also need a large amount of atmosphere to make the game feel more real. When I run round the corner into a fire fight and pretty, greatly sculptured, beautiful landscape is being ripped to pieces by the yo-yoing fodder of the opposing forces I just want to stop and wait a moment to take it in….. at that point I’m shot in the head by an awaiting camped sniper. I need that dark destructive atmosphere I cannot find in the real world.

Monday, November 13, 2006

week five task

Review some of these links on Game Writing write your blog entry, and consider the following questions: What issues face reviewers? Who pays their wages? Is an objective ranking system for games necessary for sales is it even feasible? What are your feelings about the NGJ? What are the particular qualities of NGJ? What other forms of games writing can you find? How do you feel about your own writing, do you value objectivity or subjectivity?

Reviewing is one person’s thoughts and opinion of a game so when one person makes an opinion, so does another but that does not make either one right. One person may have a total different opinion to another and if that opinions creator is more credible than the other then the judging of the game will become bias. This rouses a point in which reviewing a game cannot be taken as fact or used to determine a games quality it can merely be used as a starting point. If I made a review on a game saying it was amazing and the graphics were superb but a well know games journalist says it was the worst game he has ever experienced, who’s opinion will be right. So the major issue facing reviewers are other reviewers.

Reviewers wages can be paid by a newspaper they work for or magazine company but there are reviewers out there who are not paid they are just gamers like me or you and have a little spare time to share there opinions on the latest news or game.

In modern day society this ranking system telling people what’s hot and what’s not on the gaming market is very important as there are many people out there who do not know anything about computer games and need a little help to choose what to buy for a friend or relative. But my opinion is that this ranking system is absurd, all it is, is a companies way of selling a product, through a bit of cash around for advertising and you can get a few more points on your games score. Its meaningless to rank a game as there are so many different aspects to take in. to me I would give project gotham racing a very low score due to the fact I hate racing games but as it shows in the review, some people like it and rate it one of the best games for 360. Rating is another way of giving an opinion, people like games for different things like graphics and game play or storyline it cannot be entirely accurate and for people to use ranking systems to decide what to buy is stupid as all your doing is buying the most popular game not necessarily the best.

Games are not just for intellectuals so when a new games journalist spews out this kind of stuff young gamers or even not so bright gamers will be thrown, to write in this way is to segregate game lovers, I think games journalism should stick to the points at hand and keep it factual, stay away from the imagination for a while games have that fantasy area covered.

New games journalism does have some good points, like it keeps in with a story feel and flows allot better due to its narrative. It is a fun way of reviewing a game and it gives a bit of excitement to an all-round boring factual look at a game. It also show that the writer has had a detailed look at the game instead of just playing it for five seconds then writing a load of dripple contesting its brilliance. NGJ can go a bit deeper into a game which cannot be found in standard games journalism. It gives a games review in a games way.

Games writing can be found in many places due to its massive world wide market, its in places like blogs discussion boards, websites build especially for it or it can be found in game online from person to person reviewing the game as they play or in a magazine devoted to the games world. Games writing is not just devoted to the games world either it also lends its ear to the world of movies and books, as we all know many books have become games and many games have become movies these all have been reviewed and written about.

I believe both opinions and facts are useful in most writings as they help give a better picture of what’s going on. Instead of focusing on one aspect of writing we must consider all points of view and all facts thrown at us in order to produce a worthwhile piece of writing. Both types of writing should be used to understand the factual point of view and the opinionated point of view.