Personal review of the second year

Well the year has nearly come to an end and I can say whole heartily that I have enjoyed every moment of it. It was not as stressful as I thought it was going to be, as last year I was struggling to meet deadlines. But this year it was more of how can I make my work look better. I guess this is what makes a person’s work look more attractive to a potential employer, if he/she can decide on what aspects can be improved instead of leaving things how they are.

This is something I have learned from studying at this University along with many other perks. Universities are in place for students who want to further expand their knowledge in their required field, and offer valuable tuition to students who intend to learn more about their topic. This University has allowed me to enhance my skills and knowledge in the way I think about game companies.

I used to think that if you are good at drawing and have a passion in gaming then that would be enough to land you a job in the games industry. However in these two years I have found that game developers look at your skills as a person and if you can benefit them in the long run. I have also learnt that once a person has been accepted in the games industry it is not all fun and games. It is just like any other type of job- if not harder.

At the end of my university course I hope that I am ready as an artist to achieve my goal in becoming a successful character artist, and be able to have a creative attitude towards the gaming industry. I hope that I am ready to meet the standards required to be a creative individual. Making sure I keep to the basic foundations, which I have learnt during the time at university and also to build and expand on them.

I would like to be a character artist working oversees; this requires me to have a vast knowledge on how to create a character. During the Queens Project one of the assets that I took an interest in, was a statue. My team mates seen my reaction towards it and gave me full responsibility. In the future I would like to take up more roles as a character artist and try to be the best I can in something I would like to do as a full-time job. I am even thinking about doing characters for my FMP.

During my years at University I have found out that the best method for learning something is to go out and learn it yourself, and not wait for someone to tell you that this is how it’s done. This allowed me to learn the things that I wanted to and be able to put that knowledge in to practice. I think in this way I have learned much more than I have been taught. Universities are not like school where you are spoon fed all the time, it is more about how much you can learn as an individual.

In the third year I would like to expand my knowledge and focus on my target, learning as much as I can from my peers and also learning and developing my own skills as an artist. 

Dear Final Fantasy, What Happened To You, Man?

I played Final Fantasy XIII. I waited a long time. I didn’t like what I had heard – the linearity, lack of exploration, and unfortunate embracement of seemingly every shitty JRPG stereotype turned me way off – and so I can’t say that it was, despite the fact that the FF series contains some of my all time favourite games, a first day pre-order.

What happened to this once glorious series? FFX, despite doing a spectacular job on a technical and gameplay level, failed to excite me in the same way previous entries had; FFXI is a not terrible, but negligible entry in the MMORPG canon; FFXII, despite some restoration, bounced back in the story and drama department a big plus, but the gameplay felt like a chore; and FFXIV, which I admittedly have not played, seems to have been a failure from the word go. And in the middle of all that is FFXIII.

FFXIII is a disappointment coming from a much loved geek of Final Fantasy, I do not think I have been this disappointed with a game before. They make us wait years for a new title and this is what I get. I just hope the part 2 is a better game

Task 23: Life Changing or Career Building?

Education in games is something not everyone is familiar with, I know this because my grandmother still tells me “what the heck are you playing at, why don’t you learn something that will benefit you in the future”. No-matter how many times I try to explain it to her she still thinks that studying Law or Physics is far more beneficial than studying about Game Art.

This seems to be the general conception on everyone’s minds. But more and more people are accepting that you do not need a degree on something that everyone’s does to get a decent future.  

Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects, which allow the person to be recruit-able in the long term if he/she is looking for a job. Soft skills are great for developing as a sociable person; however this alone would not be sufficient as a job prospect.

We do not know exactly what sort of requirements are needed for the future, but we can prepare ourselves. One way we can do this is by going to the right places to find the right education that suits you. I think if the industry is to grow then we as students need to grow, we need to adapt to new learning methods whilst keeping and following the specific technical skills that have already been set. I don’t mean constantly being told to learn new software and packages.

Having a learning structure on the basis of a game companies needs is very difficult to maintain. As game companies are always changing in terms of what they want from students, it is hard to keep up with demands. The competition is tuff, when there are game companies going bust leaving ex-employees searching for jobs, is there a chance of us newbie’s getting a job. It’s hard to say. 

Game companies want people who are versatile in what they can do and achieve for their company. Some game companies wanting 2d artists and some wanting programmers. It’s good that most education facilities are versatile in this way the student can benefit from both worlds. He/she can never expect to for-see the future. At one point he wanted to be a concept artist but at the end of the course he changed his minds and wanted to be an environment artist which is fine as he studied both. So he gets the best from both worlds.   
Nearly done all the blogs for this year, just got one more blog to go, the review of the year which I will do after the formative assessment.  

Task 22: Creativity, the talent myth and craft

Being a creative person is central in our daily lives, we tend to asses things with our mind without even realising, but it’s the people that are creative who asses things differently. Creativity is used a lot in the media world where creative minds come together from all corners of the world to make a project whether it is big or small.

There was a recent article on CNET, which talks about kids being more creative because of video games. I don’t think kids become more creative just because their playing his/her favourite game, it’s more to do with the experience and issues they have to deal with within the games. This makes the kids more aware of what is happening within the game, making him think more. Kids in their early ages are always learning and experiencing new things in life, and gaming is just one of those things that kids can enjoy and learn at the same time.

When creativity in books is compared to creativity in games, video game requires more involvement and creative input and it also offers opportunities to be active and sociable. Lucy Prebble, who is best known for her financial satire Enron mentions that people’s misconception of fat boys and girls playing games and eating crisps all day is just a delusional way of neglecting the use of video games. She said gaming was similar to writing, in that both are private, creative activities very different to watching films or reading books, which involve less input.

Video games require the user to make decisions, giving them the chance to influence the story and even in part design the world in which the game is played out. Creative minds are not limited to only in the art sector, it can also be found in programmers, technicians and even writers.

We as human beings are all creative, no one is born being very intelligent or being very creative, it’s the things we do in life that makes us who we are. Some people say that reading is the best form of broadening your mind. I don’t think this is entirely true. It’s not the best, I would say the best for broadening your mind is going out and exploring the world.

There was quote by Auguste Rodin on being a creative artist which really fascinates me and gets me thinking:

"The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation."

Links:

http://www.gladwell.com/2002/2002_07_22_a_talent.htm

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-20129058-247/new-study-links-video-gaming-to-creativity/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-news/9077458/Video-games-more-creative-than-reading.html

Task 21: From generalist to specialist?

I have heard a lot of people talking about how the games industry is not all fun and games. Bruce from bruceongames.com says “Playing video games is fun, it is entertainment. So you might think that making video games is fun. It isn’t. Not more or less than other jobs. Because that is what it is, just another job”. Although this is true, if a gamer has a similar passion in making games as to playing them, then I think making games should be equally fun. At the end of the day a job is still a job, you work to earn money and thus make a living. But if you earn money whilst working on something you enjoy, surely that’s something to be happy about isn’t it?

It’s hard to say as I have never worked in the games industry myself. Growing up playing games since I was a wee lad, I have always been fascinated by the games industry on how things move when I tell it too or how we get attached to a certain character. This has always been my motive and still is.  

There are some points that I agree with, Bruce states “Being keen about video games is no qualification whatsoever for working in the industry. Being a good computer programmer or artist is a much better basis. Game companies want people with the skills to make games and being an enthusiast isn’t a skill. Game companies will not take on future employers just because they played all the games out there. They will look at how you would benefit them in general terms, how you could make them money.

Millions of people play games and thousands of people want to work in the industry, but the games industry are very strict in who they recruit. So many game companies are closing down just because they are not selling games. Even Electronic Arts has got rid of 1 ,500 people. This leaves good game developers looking for jobs, so do we newbie’s have a chance?

Its hard times, getting a job is not an easy task whether it be game job or an office job. Once I finish my studies I will be on the hunt for a job in the games industry. But before that I would like to get work experience from a game company, even if that means not getting paid for work. I think getting firsthand experience is vital in landing a proper job. I have always been passionate about games, regardless of what people say and I will strive to be a part of the games industry.

Links:

http://www.bruceongames.com/2009/11/12/you-dont-want-to-work-in-the-video-game-industry/

http://kotaku.com/5344934/want-to-work-in-the-japanese-gaming-industry-heres-how

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/

Task 20: Elements of game technology, part three: interaction design

Developers use a lot of interactive elements to make a game more compelling and interesting. They also use game mechanics; this allows the user to come up with their own ideas in executing how the player reacts to certain buttons being pressed. For example in Tekken the player has to input commands so that the AI can do moves, but it is up to the player what moves he would like to do, this works well with combos.

Seeing the success of the Wii’s motion controllers Microsoft and Sony have implemented their own take on motion controllers. The Wii has managed to outsell the other competitors in terms of sales this is due to Nintendo trying something different with the Wii. The Wii has changed the way we play games using a remote followed by the movement of the body. This has managed to gather not only young customers but also the older customers, where the older customers play titles which allow fitness training; no longer would you need to go to the gym to get your own personal trainer.

I do not think that control pads would ever seize to exist, however I do think that motion controllers would have a more positive role in the future. The control pad is limited in terms of how many buttons can be pressed but a motion controller is almost limitless not only does it have buttons to be pressed but also the gestures you make with your body. This is apparent in the new PS Vita it has got buttons on the front with a touch screen interface; it has also got a touch pad at the back. This allows the user to press buttons and have touch screen all working together at the same time. Developers know that just having buttons will not satisfy the needs of gamers any more if they wish to obtain new customers.

Sony and Microsoft have also come up with their own take on motion sensors. Sony with the Playstaion Move and Microsft with Kinect. The Move is pretty much on-par with the Wii, however it’s the Kinect that intrigues me. It allows the player to move about freely without the need of a controller. It gets rid of the burden of holding on to a controller whilst you are working out on the fitness games.

The need of a controller will always be there but given 2 or 3 years in the future its quite fascinating to see what the big companies come up with. I for one think the next gen would allow the AI to be controlled by the brain, leaving your hands free to do as they please (no dirty thoughts please). 

 

Links:

http://bokardo.com/archives/game-mechanics-for-interaction-design-an-interview-with-amy-jo-kim/

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LewisPulsipher/20091108/3505/Interaction_in_Games.php

Task 19: Elements of Game Technology, part two: sound for games

Sound is used in all most all games whether it be for consoles, Pc’s or mobile devices. Sound in music allows the player to hear the atmosphere and allows the player to feel the situation. For instance in Residental Evil sound is used when a zombie jumps out in front of you, this builds up tension. When I was young I really hated the Residental Evil franchise just because of the background music they had.

While you are playing through the level the music was calm but when you begin to open a door to get the other room the door would make an eerie sound. Not only that but when you actually get to the other room the level would go in to a cut scene and a loud noise would be playing instantly to emphasize a zombie munching on a body. To make matters worse the camera would zoom right in to the zombie face. To this day I have not forgotten that moment.

There are many music composers out there, but one great composer is Bill Brown. He composed music for the Command and Conquer franchise, Tom Clancy’s: Ghost Recon and Tom Clancy’s: Rainbow Six franchises. However a composer that stands out to me as I am a Final Fantasy fanboy is Nobuo Uematsu he is the legendary music composer for the Final Fantasy series. He is so well known that he had gigs in cities across the world to play all of his music. He will always be my favourite composer. Favourite song would be “Zanarkand” from Final Fantasy 10. Aaaah brings back memories.....

Music composers are out there in their thousands but a true music composer is the one that could capture the feelings and emotions of what the player is seeing.         

Task 18: Elements of Game Technology, part one: game engines

The Unreal Editor founded by Epic Games is a powerful engine that utilises various components to make up a modern Unreal-based game, these components are brought together to give you a quality real-time experience.

The first game that would utilise this engine is called Unreal this was launched back in June 1998, it received a warm welcome from the PC gaming community. It was arguably one of the best looking games released at that time.

 Epic spawned off many more games using the Unreal Editor

List of games:

1.       Unreal (June 1998)

2.       Unreal Tournament (November 1999)

3.       Unreal Championship (September 2002)

4.       Unreal 2: The Awakening (February 2003)

5.       Unreal Tournament (March 2004)

6.       The list goes on.....

The unreal engine can be used by anyone as it is a free software that consumers can download. It’s mainly used for aspiring mod makers or fledging game designers. Also for anyone who has ever wondered exactly what kind of work goes into making his favourite game.

The next engine that I would like to talk about is the Cry Engine developed by Crytek the makers of Crysis. The engine was first used as a technology demo for Nvidia, but when the company saw its potential they turned it in to a fully fledged game. Resulting in games like Farcry and Crysis.

List of games:

1.       Farcry (2004)

2.       Crysis (November 2007)

3.       Crysis 2 (March 2011)

 

The Cryengine is also a free non-commercial software that anyone can try out for free. The cry engine is mainly used for first person shooters this is where it has got its recognition from. Whereas the Unreal Engine can be used for a variety of games. The graphics that are used in the Cryengine look mature and lend more towards the realistic sides of things, whereas the Unreal Engine has a graphics system where almost any format of game would fit perfectly with the engine.

More and more developers are using Unreal Engine this is because of its usability to port a game on existing platforms, it has also spawned a fair amount of successful titles such as Gears of War and Unreal Tournament most of the reviewers commenting on the vibrant graphics. I think the Cryengine is still in its early days so it may take years for developers to start taking the engine seriously. I know that THQ has acquired the licensing rights to develop the successor to Homefront on the Cryengine so things are looking bright for the engine.

Links:

www.udk.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unreal_Engine_games

www.mycryengine.com

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryEngine

Book:

Mastering Unreal Technology published by SAMS

Task 17: Elements of game design, part six: documentation

I am going to create a fantasy based game where the world would be seen as a third persons view. My aim is to create a world where the player is always amazed by the amount of colour and vibrancy that the atmosphere has to offer. I want the player to find himself comfortable in the area he his in where he will be greeted by the public, whereas in games the player has to go up to the AI to interact with them.

The platform it is going to be on is the PS Vita reason being is that I want to take full capabilities of the touch screen on the front and back. My audience would likely be from ages 6 and over as there won’t be any sort reference for adult material.  I would be developing on UDK this is because I am most familiar with this engine, also it is more suited to the specific graphics I am looking for. I will be using 3DS Max 2012 for modelling assets and Photoshop for texturing. I will also be using Zbrush for high poly modelling.  

The lead characters name is Leon he is the protagonist of the game, the whole budget of the game will be under 700 000 tris including the main lead. Leon’s tri limit will be under 50 000 tris. The actual game would not last more than 30 minutes. A lot of detail would go in to the main character and minor details to the secondary characters. The rest of the tris would go in to the lush environments.

There would be one vehicle where the player would need to cross over the river he would be travelling on a boat. This would be during the middle of the game. The area where the player would be in is full of richness of saturated colours making it seem almost surreal to the human eye. The area would be using a lot different lighting aspects, to create the atmosphere that is needed. The area would be built entirely from scratch so I would need to research on what sort of elements would go in to building this level:

·         Futuristic

·         Clean area

·         Heavily lighted

·         Sun reflecting areas

·         Particle effects

The props are more of static meshes that are really there for the player to see and admire, such as:

·         Clock tower

·         Statue

·         Apartments

·         Skyscrapers

·         Trees/bushes

·         Boat

Specifications

Character

The theme of the character should be a fantasy based where he would wear a full futuristic gear. Concepts are needed. 

Characters must be created in 3D max using Photoshop and Zbrush. Fully rigged.

·         Main character – under 50 000 tris

·         2 Secondary characters – under 7 500 tris each (15 000 in total)

Environments

The area should be worth interesting to look at along with interactive objects. Should look modern there should be no areas of oldness, everything should look new. Almost as if the area was just built. Concepts needed

·         500 000 tri limit for the whole of the environment excluding props.

·         Efficient use of lighting.

·         Sounds should also be included

Props

Concepts needed

·         Clock Tower - 20 000

·         4 Apartments – 15 000 each

·         Statue  – 10 000 tri

·         Skyscraper – 5 000 tri

·         2 Trees – 5 000 tri

·         Boat – 5 000 tri

The 30 000 tris left will go on anything else I could add.

PS Vita’s crazy pricing for games

The PS Vita has been out for couple of weeks now and the buzz around it is actually pretty good considering the Nintendo’s 3DS performed quite bad at launch, it was only the after the 3DS got a price cut things started to pick up pace.

I have not got a PS Vita yet, but I will get one eventually. I have seen in many places that the games are ridiculously expensive for a small card, ranging from £25 for small games such as Ridge Racer and upwards to £45 for bigger games, Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

Things are changing fast in the gaming industry and everyone has a budget on how much money they can spend on games. Sony has met competition from OnLive and other cloud gaming services, and millions of people are jumping towards app gaming, which will certainly damage Sony’s market share no matter how good their PS Vita is.

Millions of people are moving towards the app generation where they spend little amount of money on games where they can pick up and play anywhere. However for hardcore gamers the PS Vita is gaming haven for graphics and gameplay in a small compact device. The games have got great reviews but a change in pricing needs to take place or else the economy would fall in to the cheaper app generation or else Sony could face losing millions of customers.

I think any games that are over £40 are too expensive, and anything below is great. In my opinion the PS Vita is on a different world for full on true gaming, and I don’t even own the BLOODY THING!!!

http://www.game.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HubArticleView?hubId=141806&articleId=162279&catalogId=10201&langId=44&storeId=10151

www.techradar.com/reviews/gaming/handheld.../ps-vita.../review

Finished my trash project

When I finished my treasure chest I was well in the first
week of my next project THE TRASH. With the trash project I was not worrying
about it that much, as it was just a bunch of boxes all placed randomly. My
initial thought was that I wanted to get it over and done with because I wanted
to start on the mortal engine project. It took me about 2 weeks to finish the
trash project which is a record for me as I never finished a project so quick.
It just shows that I am getting faster in using 3d max which is fantastic.
Although I did say to myself that I would try and add more objects other than
boxes....I kind of added a lot boxes:/ however I did add a big cone to the mix
which is not a box everything else is pretty much boxed shaped.

More than the modelling I particularly like the use of my
texturing, not only did I make it look dirty and scruffy (I think) I also added
a small text on the box, which says;

12/12/2011 WAB

Keep area clean or pay 1p fine

All proceeds go to JRahman Corp

If you’re wondering what WAB means then it stands for WEN
AM BAK!!!

Task 16: Elements of game design, part seven: level design

Level design is similar to environment design, the way an
environment artist would start planning what he would have in the scene a level
designer would also have to start planning its process. Level design can fall
in different categories when it comes to developing, it can be as missions,
levels or stages. Level design is not something that is done visually (which is
widely regarded by a lot people) it is more to do with intellectual side in
terms of planning and construction within a game formality.

Level design usually starts with concept art, sketches, renderings, and physical models. When the initial
process of planning is complete then these concepts will go in to documents,
and thus making a model of an environment.

I think planning the
level is vital as it not only allows the fundamentals to be laid but it also
allows the basic shapes to be in place. Planning is not something that will
allow an artist to finish all his work, but it does allow the work to be completed
at a faster and a much smoother rate. If you think about it when an artist
makes a concept for a level, rather than having to think of what to do next he
would have everything he needs in front him, this in turn would allow the level
to be created at a much smoother rate. The planning process in level design is
called Preproduction this is just a document stating what you are going to
create? And how it will look and play?

I think level design needs
to have a few elements which are required in terms of building a good
environment. Planning is first and foremost, because without planning there are
no real fundamentals. Secondly is
Visuals, taking in regards to color theory, lighting, architecture, landscape
and also what the player would see and not see. Thirdly is Gameplay, which
includes the players movements in the level, how fast he would move and what he
would encounter on the environment.

Most of these issues are usually
completed by the level designer who is responsible for creating environments
and scenarios using level editor. Some of the celebrated level designers are
from PC First Person shooters such as John Romero who made the levels for Doom.

Many believe that level
design is just to do with the artistic side of developing, this is not so as it
also requires a lot of technical process. This is due to the amount of conceptualizing
that needs to be done before any of the creating can be done.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_design

http://www.worldofleveldesign.com/categories/level_design_tutorials/why-i-failed-for-years-at-level-design-and-game-environments.php

Finished the Treasure Chest

So I finally finished my treasure chest the other day actually a few days after the deadline..... I know
I should not have but there is always something I forget to add. This year we
have the freedom of working towards our own deadline which was pretty daunting
at first as I thought about how I would manage projects. Last year at every
deadline we had our work marked if it was not handed in time then it just would
not have been marked it was as simple as that. However this year we have to
manage our own time but all the work needs to be handed in before Christmas.

So back to the treasure chest. I was actually quite pleased with the final
outcome. It came out just as I wanted with a few errors of course. I did not
want to copy the exact reference image; I wanted to add my own twist. So I
decided I would make the legs a bit different, instead of making the top of the
legs connect to each other I made them go in to the main box.

This did not change the main basic shape but it did make it a bit unique as mine was the only one that
had this. I also changed some of the colours instead of adding a wood texture
all around I played with the colours a bit. On the legs I added a plastic
texture to the wood part which also gives it a nice feel.

I am pleased with what I have achieved considering I was gobsmacked when I first saw
the project last year. I thought to myself that looks very hard to do. But now
that it is over with I am well chuffed with the end result :)

Task 15: Elements of game design, part six: visual composition

Painting, sculpting or sketching, all of these need some sort of
composition to make the final image appealing. Without the right composition
the image would just look like another piece art work without any sort of
meaning. Composition is usually used to arrange certain elements to form
something. R. Berdan mentions “Effective
images are those that command attention and communicate some feeling to an
audience. Capturing a "feeling" and your viewers' attention is a
demanding task that requires practice, experimentation and study”. I think
an image needs to capture the audience in terms of what their feeling and what
they are thinking when they look at an image. This is something that is missing
from a lot of work that people do including mine; I think this is vital as most
people produce work for the audience so the audience needs to feel attracted to
the image.

To organise a scene is very difficult it requires a lot attention
to detail. I think it is a lot easier for a painter to come with a nice
compositional art; however I think if an artist goes to photograph something
then it would be a lot more challenging for him to get the right the scene, as he
would need to go out and search for he’s desired scene. But I think a painter
can just put down on paper on how he wants he’s final image to be laid out. I think
natural composition is usually the best lay out for forests and jungles, with a
few minor placements of your own.

For artists the composition for any scene requires planning, an
artist needs to plan where he would put objects to make a believe atmosphere.
There needs to be countless amounts conceptualising to get the right
composition, only then can someone come up with an interesting scene. R. Berdan
also says “Improving our visual sensitivity requires
quieting our minds, relaxing, and preparing by learning as much as we can about
our preferred subjects”, this is also something that needs to be taken in
consideration. In my experience I have found that I cannot work when there are
loud noises. For instance if I am drawing I need to be alone with only my
sketchbook and pencil.

Learning about something before we start to interact with it
is also an interesting fact, as this allows us to better understand what we are
about to tackle. When we see a scene that is interesting we need to isolate
everything that is not necessary and focus on the important visual elements.

People should study intensely on composition; this would make the
artists think a lot more when they are producing a sketch and also in turn come
up with a final outcome.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts)

http://photoinf.com/General/Robert_Berdan/Composition_and_the_Elements_of_Visual_Design.htm

http://goshen.edu/art/ed/Compose.htm

Task 14: Elements of game design, part five: planning and concepting

Planning is something everyone should do before they start
on something whether it be writing a story or making a game. I think planning
needs to be grafted well in order for something to be realised. For instance game
directors often plan and process ideas among the team before they even start
creating the storyboards. Planning a game can lead to ideas being seen and judging
what needs to be cut out and what needs to go into the final product.

Planning also allows a fundamental foundation in which the
director and the team can base the game off. The game designer is usually the
one who takes some sort of lead in creating the game. Game designer usually produces initial game documents,
that contains the concept, gameplay, feature list, setting and story, target
audience, requirements and schedule, staff and budget estimates. Different
companies have different procedures regarding game design and development.

When niche developers want to make a game they need plan and
concept their ideas and make the appealing as they can. They need to sell their
product to publishers; if they agree then the publisher will fund the project
hoping it can get a return in terms of profit. However that is not always the
case as even the big developers lose money when it comes to profit. I have
noticed that most commercial games do not make profit, no matter how much
effort is being put in to it, if the game does not grasp the attention of the
audience then it just will not sell.

Back in the days when gaming was just a fraction of what it
is today it only took one person to make a game; he was responsible for programming,
graphical design. sound effects etc. It only took about 6 weeks to create a
game, but know it can take years to create a game employing over a 100 staff.

I do try and plan my work before I start any of my work; I find
that it does help with the flow of something that is being created. I think it gives
an incentive in which I can base my ideas of. I do need incorporate it more within
my work, as I would like to integrate it more with my 3d work and visual design
stuff.

While researching I found couple of links one of which is a
video which shows how a programmer creates a Technical Design Document in which
he shows the things expected in the game;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJrXXcHyJNA

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?PlanningGame

Year Two, semester one

Task13: Reflection on year one, and ambition for year two

I have finally completed the first year it was a hectic year but I leant a lot of
important aspects, ranging from; overcoming my weaknesses and gaining new found
talents. It almost feels like I levelled up. “Your new abilities are the use of
efficiently unwrapping textures in 3d max and a better understanding of colour
theory” lol. Those are the things that I feel like I now have better
understanding of.

Thereare still a few things I need to work on especially my Photoshop skills. I
would like to develop these skills during the second year. I do feel a lot more
confident using Photoshop however there are still issues I need to figure out.
One way I would like to overcome these issues are by watching as many tutorials
as I can. One artist I have been told about is Feng Zhu who specialises in
concept art drawing, great guy to learn the basic and advanced Photoshop
techniques. Here is the link to his YouTube page; http://www.youtube.com/user/FZDSCHOOL

I know now how hard I need to work in the second year compared to the previous year.
During the first year I literally worked my ass off, I did not have much free
time I was always behind in work trying to catch up with previous work (it was
like a game of tag). However when I actually finished the year and it was time
for the final assessment I was pretty confident that I would get a decent mark,
but I was disappointed. I got marks that were below what I was expecting.

Then it occurred to me that I worked so much that I gave my free time to do more
work, but it still was not enough. So when the letter came to my house saying
that I passed I was happy but then I thought I need to work so much harder than
last year. If I do get any free time in the second year I would not waste my time
by playing video games or even watching TV, I will try to learn new things to
make my life easier within the course. This is my target.

I realised after the result it’s not about how much work you do it’s about the
quality that goes in to all your work. That is something I need to bring in to
the second year.

BRING IT ON YEAR 2 !!!!

Finished the last 3D project

Well I have finally completed all the 3D projects the last one was the weapon of our choice. I created a sword which I can say I am proud of. It actually turned out the way I wanted it to. I tried to put as much detail as I can, using speculars and normal maps. Although I do need more work on specs and norms I am quite happy with the final outcome. At first I was quite scared as our tri budget was 700 tris and I thought, “What could I make from that”. So I started to research and came up with my design.

I was thinking a while back that “I can’t wait till I finish the last 3D project”, however know that I have finished it I feel weird. As most of the time was spent on 3D work I used to get the 3D work out of the way then I used focus on other work. But know that I have completed it I feel like there’s something still left, so from time to time I go on 3d max and try to improve the weapon a bit or even try to add a word on my design document.

But I am glad that 3D work is done and dusted only one more week of visual design left....

Gran Turismo 5 Review

I have been playing the game for about 2 weeks now, as I didn’t have much time play it due to an overload of work. I have been a fan of the series since the PS1 generation starting with Gran Turismo 1. It was pretty good, but was not what I had expected, and felt more like an arcade game. Gran Turismo 2 vastly improved the career mode, to the point it needed 2 disks. I was very happy with the changes and improvements in the second, but I still felt this game wasn’t what I wanted.

When GT3 was released on the PS2 it brought a much needed graphical improvement, and some much needed features. I was very happy with the way the series was going. The biggest jump for me has to be Gran Turismo 4, featuring the best graphics ever seen on the PS2, and one of the best career modes to go along with it.

GT5 career mode is completely different from GT4. GT4 had a nice world map where I could just roam about to destinations. GT5 does have skipped this it has gone back to the simple point and click menu which is all nicely laid out, but I have to say I miss the world map in GT4.

The races and events are the same as GT4 you need a required vehicle to enter the events the aim is still get to first place. But I was introduced with a brand new levelling up system were you need to level up to buy cars. For example if you wanted to buy a top notch car then your level needs to be at a pretty high standard as well having loads of money. At first I did not like this idea, but it kind of makes sense know. People will know have to earn levelling points as well as earning loads of money.

The special events are a new addition to the game and I have to say I love them. One of the reasons I was so hyped in getting this game is because some of the special events allow you to drive on the Top Gear test track. I being a fan of Top Gear and a gamer increased the hype factor for the release date of this game. However I have to say the events are very short and there are not many of them, so I would have preferred if there was more to the special events.

There are two modes Gran Turismo; the first one is A-spec where this has all the major events and second one is B-spec where the AI does all the driving you are like the manager of that driver, which all sounds well but I did not pay much attention to this as I was quite disappointed by it in GT4. Nevertheless I tried it on GT5, I have to say it vastly improved the AI and it lets you be in control.

One of the major jumps GT5 has had is that, it is the first GT game to be on the current gen consoles, so a lot was riding on the developers. The biggest change has to be graphics; they are very vibrant in terms of colour palette. Although I do have to say that when you are going at a certain speed some of the foreground becomes blurry and sometimes hard to see what it is. Also some of the premium cars sometimes become blurry and have jagged edges. This is one of the issues I have with the game, however all in all its wonderful game nothing much has changes from the previous game which is good. I would recommend this game to any car enthusiasts.

8.5/10