Task 12: Personal review of the first year

So the first year has nearly come to an end, and I got to say it’s been a blast. Just as most people I have had my ups and downs but all in all it was all worth it. I think the actual course is laid out pretty well especially visual design. I have always wanted to improve my knowledge on drawing skills when I started the course I was rusty on drawings, however each week I had tasks to understand the basic concepts on how different things work. For example I did not know that the vanishing and horizon lines would be so helpful, it helped me a lot. Visual design has helped me understand more to just drawing an object.

I have to say 3D work was a nightmare to start with but with sheer practice and determination I have learned the basic foundations of making a certain model. 3D modelling is a vital aspect in the industry so it was vital for me to get my head round it. Although the course structure is laid pretty well, I would say maybe add more tutorials on blackboard, even if they are not related to the work we are currently doing. I say this because a few people finish their 3D models well advanced of the required deadline so instead of not doing anything they could help themselves to the extra tutorials. In addition it would be very useful if the tutorials were videos instead of screen shots.

The first academic year went by very quickly maybe because it is not exactly a year only about 6 to 7 months of teaching, this is another thing I would like to address we are paying for well advanced a year but we only get half that time, it’s just not right. Nevertheless the time flew by without knowing it.

Critical research allowed me to understand how the game industry works, in terms of what they need and want from graduates. It gave me a path on where I want to go in the future. I think it would be awesome if we could go to some of the game companies as part of our curriculum, this would allow us to better understand the environment of designers work place and also see with our own eyes a real life game company. It would also give us a chance to interact with designers that we aspire to be like in the future.

I like the fact that we go out on location with Visual Design I think this helps us to realize the topic that we are trying to learn. For example I do not think I would have been able to understand perspective without going to places like the canals or the archway. Guest lectures are brilliant love the fact that they come in and talk about what they want from us to get in to the industry. Also really aspiring when former graduates come in and give us insights on how they achieved their goals and ambitions. In fact I was quite happy when Jolyon said that he was pleased in how the structure of course was laid out and the tutors were doing a great job.

So guys do what you’re doing and keep up the good work!! =)

Task 11: Elements of game design, part four: environment

Level design is one aspect that all games need to have, if they do not then a game will not work. When a developer makes an environment then he needs to consider what sort of objects and pathways are going to be in it. They also need to make it compelling as well as easy to navigate for users. The developers in Mirror Edge used unique markings on different parts of the map, to make it suitable for users. Mirror Edge is a game where the character needs to find a route and somehow get to that place. The level design is very interesting as the whole map is usually in a very plain colour, however the important parts are coloured in red so the player can identify where he/she needs to go. I think without this it would have been very difficult.

Depending on the environment the mood and atmosphere can change dramatically, it will allow the user to figure out what is happening in the game. When the mood and story are combined this is when a game or even a film comes to life.

Big games such as Call of Duty have many developers working on a single map this is because the demand gets higher and higher as the year goes on. This is not to say that each year people will get a better map. I for one think that the previous maps for Call of Duty are better. Not everyone is satisfied with the end results. Small companies who are developing environments are sometimes better than the big companies.

I do not think that realism matters in games as I for one am a game play person rather than graphics person. There are some people who think that all graphics need to be on par with the current year; meaning each year all game graphics need to improve. I do not think this necessary as I think this will indefinitely increase the time in which a game is made, and thus people might lose interest in the game, as in the case for Gran Turismo 5.

Back in the Square-enix even they showed game play for Final Fantasy Verses 13, which was awesome! In an interview one of the developers said that one of the streets is actually a street scene from the Square-enix headquarters in Japan. This is something I think developers should incorporate in their games as users could identify themselves in that area and also be familiar with that certain location.

Squeenix Event

There was an event yesterday (2011-01-19) by the publisher Square-enix called the ’1st Production Department Premier’ where they show case their first party titles. Although the event was a success people were not that intrigued like they were when they first previewed some of the games 4 years ago. I have read people’s thoughts after the event some were delighted because it’s been ages since they got anything new from Sqeenix and a lot of them were not so pleased. One of the reasons is that FF: Versus13; a game which was shown, was supposed to be a dark gritty game with blood on every hack and slash.

The thing is it was still as they described but with the new trailer it seems like they were slowly going back to their roots with very bright coloured and unrealistic atmosphere. Versus13 was supposed to be a complete different game, it is to be the first FF game to have blood and gore in it. A lot of people were speculating that Versus13 was going multiplatform and it was going to be as crap as ff13, OH that reminds me although ff13 was kind of crap because of the girly and annoying characters and other reasons. They decided to make a direct sequel called ff13-2...Oh great... more pansies running around half naked. There’s just no point in it.

Anyhow back to Versus13 because it’s just cool. People thought it was going multiplatform but they announced that it was staying for the PS3 or is it..... see the thing is most exclusives will have ‘for Playstation 3 ONLY’, but Versus13 had ‘for Playstation 3’ and that’s it. So I think there might be a possibility for multiplatform.

All in all I was quite pleased with trailers and images they showed at the event. Versus13 has been in development for about 4 years now and they only started to open up with the public showing real-time game footage and epic cut scenes. Speaking of cut scenes the CGI is so good every time I see it I always think it looks too good to be real all the more reasons I want to play it. I would have been even happier if they gave a release date for Versus13 that would make my day very special.

Task 10: Elements of game design, part three: character

I think each character in TV or in films that play their character need to act totally different to their own personality, which I think is a very difficult task. There are some actors who have to live in a completely different environment to get comfortable with a certain characters personality. For example; an Indian movie called Radio, the protagonist had to live with radio presenters to get to know how to act like the radio presenter. I think this is a huge task for actors to change their personality for a role in a movie which lasts for about an hour and half, and what makes it harder for the actor is the fact that he spent weeks in a completely new environment and the TV show, film or even a game was not successful.

I think actors that play a role in an action movie where the hero has to defeat the villain is the one that I feel that really connects to me, as I always want the hero to win over the villain. I think this is because most films have the character do good deeds at the beginning to make you like the character from the very beginning and then a villain comes along and kills his parents which make you hate the villain and then begin to love the hero even more. Stuff like that really gets me to feel for a certain character.

In order for the character to be popular the script needs to be strong and be understandable to the actor and the audience. The script plays a huge role on a character as it shows what the character needs to act as and make his personality his own. The character also needs to wear suitable costumes to fit in with the mood of the script to show the audience how he is feeling through the use of his clothing.

I find action and adventure movies the best, as I love it when the hero and villain are battling it out for something they desire. I have come to love this sort because I have been watching it from the very beginning of my existence and I love to watch movies that have some sort of action in it.

Task 9: Elements of game design, part two: art direction for games

The art director is in charge of the main visual designs that are seen within a game and how it connects to the audience through the art side. The art director also works closely with the art team to be a member of the team and also be the inspiration to the team. The art director works directly under the production designer, however the main director of the game is responsible for the art director he needs to report back to the main director on how the project is coming along, so it is vital for the art director to give feedback to the director.

The role of an art director is a creative role as I think anything to do with the word ‘Art’ means being creative so I do think that art director means being creative. He needs to be full of ideas and be an inspiration to other art members.

There are various similarities between games and films in art direction, as they both need to have a creative mind and have the knowledge and urge to make it the best. In films the Art Director needs to create something which is real and can be touched by the actor and is made in a much bigger scale than games, however in games the art director needs to create something which is not real and therefore can create an object which may not have existed in real life.

If I wanted to become an art director then I would need to have loads of experience in working in a game company as a lead artist and need to have a game published in to the market. I also would develop on my skills as an artist and try to build my knowledge as being a creative mind. As I believe an art director needs to be creative to be successful.

I am getting used to the amount of work I am given each week as at first I did not know what to focus more on visual design, game production or critical research. But it’s getting better, trying to get most of it done within the required time.

Task 8: Elements of game design, part one

The term Gameplay is used to distinguish how a particular game is played, whether it is something original or something different. I also think Gameplay is used by reviewers to give scores or to rate a game. It’s mainly to see the experience in which the player had whilst playing the game. I think the companies who are making good games that turn out to be popular in both sales and reviews are the leading companies with the best Game design, some worth mentioning are Square-Enix, Epic, Valve etc.

Game developing takes place after the normal procedures are complete such as the initial sketches and designs, then the developer can know and understand what to work on. A game designer needs to accomplish and achieve a variety of issues alongside loads of calculations to develop a game. Game developing is not about singularity however some developers do prefer working on their own which is understandable as they would rather develop something which is entirely in their own concepts and ideas. But I would prefer working as a team and it broadens the ideas and thoughts.

I think different genres do require different game design as they would all be the same in the way the game plays, moreover game design is a vital part in creating a game so being the same in all games can be a bit repetitive in the way the game plays and looks.

When a game is released every game has its own unique game play, this is a must so it is very important. For instance; Gears of War has its own sort of game play, its targeted towards the older generations looking at teenagers and above. Parents will not let their 9 year old play this game because of its violent game play. Parents will know this by looking into the games game play and game design.

I really do not mind if a games graphics is like totally bad, however the game needs to have a seriously good plot line and needs to have smooth game play. A game that had a really good story line was a classic Final Fantasy VIII, I know the graphics are not very good but the story and game play still makes me want to play it.

Task 6: Writing about Games, Previews, reviews, commentary and lies

One of the issues that games journalists face is that not everyone or should say not every gamer would be on the same side as the journalist. What I mean by this is that if a journalist wrights a review and gives a game a rating of 6/10 and mentions a lot of bad aspects, a gamer can say that the review is wrong and should be given a higher or lower rating. There’s even a few times when there have been conflicts between reviewers as to who is right and who is wrong. Some journalists can also be biased, as they can review a game which they like and give it a high score just because they like the game.

If a journalist is part of company such as IGN; then IGN would pay them their salary. However if a journalist is a free lance then he/she would put their review on some sort of webpage or even send a copy to companies. This in turn might make the company see if he/she is a good reviewer and hire them.

There are lot of games that are incorporating the use of the ranking system this is mainly because it allows the users to rank their characters according to their desired needs. I do not really think it is necessary; however I think it does drive sales. This is because a gamer could rank up as much as he wants due to the time he spends playing the game. A gamer can also become emotionally attached to the character he/she has built and nurtured for so long equipping him with new items and perks. Even the big developers have incorporated this technique such as Activision with Cod: Black Ops. They see a potential in the ranking system and more developers are going to use this technique.

I think as a writer there’s a lot of aspects I can improve such as; they way I write and using the right term to explain things. But I think I need to improve on trying to get my point of view to the reader and also trying to implement my feelings across to the reader.