Task 12: Personal review of the first year

When I first started the course my main worry was learning to use 3DS Max, I’m not bad with computers but I was a bit overwhelmed with the size of the programme. But I picked it up surprisingly quickly and I think it is now my strongest subject, because I enjoy it and I like building pretty much anything in this virtual 3D space.  I found the layout of the course strengthen my ability with this programme.

I was really interested in the critical studies lectures because I liked learning about the journey of the game industry. I wish we had more opportunity to do presentations because I liked presenting my interests in a more formal way.  

I also really enjoyed taking my visual design and combining it with the 3D. I particularly enjoyed the gun project because creating it visually and making it physically it made me look at my design process in a better, different way. In future 3D projects I want to make a small model because I think it will help make me look at how I’m designing and creating a piece.   

I really enjoyed making physical 3D models but I found it hard to effectively manipulate my materials, so I think I would benefit from tutorials on how to do this. I’ve been getting better throughout the year but I think I would benefit from some help.

I struggled with the amount of work set because I didn’t have the ability to juggle between projects and to keep momentum through projects I didn’t like. I found parts of visual design hard because I found it difficult to change my style of drawing. I found developing my rendering skills really hard because I didn’t have the ability to see shadows and show them in my drawing.  Although when I started the contour project it made me think about getting the visual information on the page quickly. I was concentrating more on speed than perfection so it made me look more at the object more which in turn made my drawings better because I wasn’t over thinking what I was doing.  

I would also say that I would benefit from some Photoshop workshops because I don’t have a great knowledge of digital painting. So I can’t take my traditional skills and apply them to Photoshop because I’m still using the same technique as before and I don’t feel that this element has improved very much. I feel like my digital paintings are behind because I’m not sure of the system. I’ve tried to learn by myself but I’ve found it quite difficult.

I really enjoyed life drawing! I would have liked to have started sooner because I enjoyed it so much and my drawing abilities improved dramatically because of these sessions. I would like to have the opportunity to do this more next year to further improve my drawings skills.

Overall I’ve really enjoyed this year, I’ve enjoyed what we’ve been doing, admittedly sometimes the amount over shadowed this, but I understand that without all my work I wouldn’t be at the stage I am now. I feel like I’m now ready to progress to the second year and I’m eager to develop the skills I’ve learnt from my 1^st. 

An insight into Game Development

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Call of Duty franchise, but I like how in this video they show the importance of gameplay, and you can get an idea of where the industry is heading and what it will be able to do in the future. The video gives you an idea of their heightened graphics which is supported by new hardware.

I’m interested in how a viewer can experience something they wouldn’t normally and in this video it shows how gameplay is important for the player to immerse themselves in the game.

It also shows an insight into the high-poly count models they’re making for the next generation of hardware. At first it daunts me to see these realistic models and it gives me something to strive towards because I want to be on par with that ability. 

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

To help you progress from one area to another to level up, level designers use environmental barriers to block your way so you have to move on to the next part of the objective. They use in game objects so you’ll try walking through a bush and it won’t let you because it’s away from the objective. They also use objects naturally found in the specific game environment. This kind of level constriction is found in mainly 1^st person shooter gameplays. I find that these barriers constrict the amount you can connect with what’s happening in the game because it feel a little maze-like. These barriers have been present throughout gaming history and it’s something I hope will die out eventually.

In Medal of honour game there’s a section when you storm the beach and if they’re not able to capture the essence of storming a beach it doesn't feel believable. If it’s not believable you can’t immerse yourself fully in the game.

Not only do you get drawn in with by an environment it can also create an atmosphere that fits the game. It can make you feel vulnerable, tense, uneasy, unsafe even though you’re sitting in the comfort of your own room if the game has a good environment it has the ability to make you feel unsafe. I found this with Bioshock one I was comfortable in my room playing and I felt very uneasy and I wouldn’t have been possible without the effects of the environment around my character.

I don’t think there has to be a balance between stylisation and realism, I found myself being equally immersed in realistic games such as Battlefield 3 which was designed to be as close as possible to the experience of being the heart of the action.

Compared to something like an MMO like world of Warcraft which is quite cartoony and has their own style I’ve been equally immersed. So I think it depends on the type of game you’re playing.

 To take it to extremes Minecraft is incredibly stylised and the furthest from reality you could get and you still get drawn in by the cubic environment. In its own way it’s still just as breath-taking because although it’s not realistic everything fits together and it overwhelms you. It shows off what it needs to and because of this you get immersed and you find yourself building a life in this little world. A good environment also needs to be unique to the game. Minecraft illustrates this really well because they created a unique, successful, stylised, environment and atmosphere when the gamer community was craving realism.

The style of environment that the Halo series uses is one I particularly like designed by 343 industries, because their able to strike a balance between realism and futuristic Sci-Fi which make it believable. Certain parts of the levels have the ability to make you feel intimidated by the scale but you also feel amazed by it. You don’t look at the game as a gaming environment you treat it as a real life environment that you could step into even though its set 220 year in the future on planets you’ll never visit but you can through these incredible landscape scenes and mysterious atmospheres. 

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

My favourite characters have been Kylar from Beyond the shadows a book by Brent Weeks. I connected with this character because through the progression of the story you’re able to see the character grow from childhood to manhood. You build up a connection and you feel you really know him. He is quite similar to me but he also has aspects I would like to adopt. Kylar is similar to me in the way that when you first meet him he didn’t want to be afraid anymore, he wasn’t happy with where he was in that moment in his life and he wanted to become something better. To do that he had to do things he wasn’t happy with and when reading it for the first time I was put in the same situation and when I did what was forced, just like the character it worked out for the better. He wanted someone in his life that he could love and I wanted to find the same thing.

Another of my favourites is Reynik from Imperial Assassin by Mark Robson. Again now he is a similar age to me but when first reading the book the character was a lot older then I was. The character became someone to look up to and even now when I’m older than he is I still look up to him. He has very boyish looks like myself and he always tries to complete his tasks to the best of his abilities. He always strives for improvement especially when taken out of his comfort zones. He is pretending to be an assassin and is forced to become the one thing he hates and I couldn’t personally do that. We’re similar but I could never do what he is forced to.

I feel such a strong connection with these characters because the author makes you become part of the story and you feel involved in their life story. You seem to step into their shoes and you can’t help but connect with them and almost love them in a way.

I think the way the books are written has something to do with the bond that grows between reader and character but the main reason I became immersed in their life was because we had so many similarities. The language the author uses allows you to dive into the rich story that is the character’s life. I read to escape my surroundings and because there was such strong similarities between each character and myself it created a strong connection between us.  

I’m drawn to mainly fantasy novels which is kind of a surprise because it’s very contradictory to the kind of games I prefer. I prefer sci-fi in games but I like fantasy in books, sorcery, dragons, assassins with a character driven story. Involving action, adventure and a chance to connect with characters by becoming involved in their life story not just reading about their life off a piece of paper. 

Hand Modelling

At first I found modelling the hand difficult but after I changed the reference image I was using I created some really awesome and realistic looking hands which were in proportion and didn't look like a deformed washing up glove.

Post apocolypse Weapon

The project was completed within the given timescale; however I think that I got ahead of myself at the beginning of the project.

Parts that went well:

• Completed modelling quickly which left more time for texturing.

• Modelling skills in 3Ds Max. The experience gained from past projects allowed me to create an effective mesh for my weapon.

• Unwrapping skills in 3Ds Max. Quick and effective.

• Creating the model with my hands for the visual design part.

•  Looks believable and can be seen in a post-apocalyptic game environment.

• Because its low poly and simple I can see it in MMO game where game models have to be low poly.

Parts that didn’t go so well:

• My texturing ability and skill at using the Photoshop to create texture hindered the finished model and didn’t live up to the finished idea I had in my idea.

•  Dived into the project too quickly and wasted time creating a model which didn’t fit the project brief. However I guess anytime spent modelling in 3ds max is time well spent that improves my modelling skills. 

Gladiator

Parts that went well:

·       Setting up a schedule.
·       Modelling skills in 3Ds Max. the experience gain from past project allowed my to create effective mesh for my character that is in the triangle count.
·       Unwrapping skills in 3Ds Max. I have become confident in unwrapping my models which makes the task of unwrapping my models take up less time than in previous projects.
·       Following the tutorials provided on blackboard allowed me to create a realistic looking model in short period of time (expect the head).

Parts that didn’t go so well:

·       Modelling the head. Modelling the head proved to be one the hardest parts of the project. I found it really hard to create a head which looked realistic. I believe that I spent way too much time on modelling and re modelling the head of my character and lost precious time which should have spent texturing.
·       Texturing the model, texture was very rushed as I was behind on my time schedule due to spending too much time on my head. Furthermore I need to become more experienced at painting my textures and not relying on photo textures for my models.
·       Time management. Due to my lack of ability at time management I believe I really ruined the end result of this project. In future projects I need to stick to my schedule and not concentrate on one part of a model.

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

At the beginning of the Games industry, art teams could make work quite happily without defining the roles of each artist. But as technology and the level of sophistication has advanced, there is now a need to separate the individual sectors to get the best results, and to watch over them there is now an Art director.

Art directors are basically the ‘Captain of the ship’. They set the ‘visual tone, quality and style for the game’, I think without a director in charge so many clashing ideas could converge to make games that wouldn’t be as good,  they are basically in charge of every small detail that could impact the viewer’s experience. They look at every small object, the textures, the different levels each game has, to differences in characters and the overall effect of the game. It’s a big responsibility and it’s not one that I’d lightly take on.

‘A good art director must consider how each character, prop, set, and location will look from any possible place/ angle in any level of the game. Even things like plants, trees, paving stones, cracks in the walls, and graffiti must be carefully designed to support the story, feel, and illusion of the game. Sometimes, the individual props and furnishings can be as crucial to the story as many of the characters the player encounters’.

Looking at different game companies and Art Director blogs I found that it depends on the company’s preference as to who is in charge of an Art Director. In the case of Robert Chang, he’s the CEO of the company and makes all the decisions for all the games. Whereas in other organisation the Art Director answers to a ‘Lead artist’. I think it would be better to have an Art Director for each individual game because each detail can be preened and made perfect whereas Robert Chang openly admits on his blog that ‘most of my time is spent on first-party games, as that's our bread and butter. Second- and third-party games don't get as much love because they're usually developed externally; I just review them during milestones, either signing off on them or making a list of comments with references, mock-ups, and other changes for the external team.’ Looking quickly at all the games being produced, something would go unnoticed and could potentially ruin the experience for gamers.

I believe that Art Directors are creative because they are responsible for the tone and feel of the game, but I don’t think they are as free to be as truly creative as the actual artists. The job seems more about nit picking rather than creating each individual piece.  

I think that for me to become an Art Director my knowledge of different art styles would have to be better. I think that my eye for detail has improved greatly over this year but to become an art director it would have to become even more heightened because it seems like they have to scrutinise every single detail. I’d say that my patience would be one quality that an Art director would need because I can take the time to sit down and look at all the elements, large or small. 

Task 8: Elements of game design, part one: from Pong to next-generation

‘A good game has to have a fun core, which is a one-sentence description of why it's fun’. Paul Reiche III

Gameplay is the way that players interact with a game and this is largely due to the decisions of the Art Director. Gameplay is almost a pattern that is encoded in the game, the rules, challenges and overcoming them, the plot and the connection the player has with it and the game. Gameplay is very different from graphics and audio.

In video games gameplay can be divided into several different types. Cooperative gameplay involves cooperation of one or more players, or deathmatch where players compete to kill each other, another example could be "twitch" gameplay which is based around testing a player's reaction times and precision. Others are:

·        Asymmetric gameplay

·        Cooperative gameplay

·        Deathmatch

·        Emergent gameplay

·        Hack and slash

·        Levelled gameplay

·        Micromanagement

·        Nonlinear gameplay

·        Passive gameplay

·        Twitch gameplay

In terms of the big wigs of the Gaming Industry the companies that yearly bring out AAA titles that are battling for biggest sales are:

·        Ubisoft

·        Bungie/ Microsoft studios

·        Bethesda

·        Activision/ Treyarch

·        EA Game Studios

Each company specifies in different types of gameplay, Ubisoft try to provide a wide variety of gameplays ranging from 1^st/3^rd person shooters to extreme sports and role play games. A few of their main games are the Ghost recon series, Shaun White snowboarding and their main AAA title Assassins creed. Bungie/Microsoft studios concentrate mainly on 1^st person sci-fi shooter gameplay such as the Halo series and the next generation game Destiny. Bethesda concentrate on immersive single player, role play gameplay which can be seen in the Fallout series and the highly loved Elder Scrolls series.  Activision/Treyarch make the games that are ‘money making’ 1^st person shooter gameplay with their annual release of Call of Duty and each year it is a re-skinned version of Call of Duty 4.  EA Games Studios also provide a wide variety of gameplays from sports games such as FIFA and Madden to 1^st person shooters in the Battlefield series. They also include 3^rd person horror shooter Dead space series and MMO gameplays seen in Star wars the Old Republic.

Mainstream games are generally developed in phases. The game moves through pre-production, pitches, prototypes, and then game design documents are written. If the idea is approved, a full-scale development begins. This usually involves a team ranging from 20–100 person team each with various responsibilities, such as designers, artists, programmers, testers, and loads more. The games go through development, alpha, and beta stages until finally being released. Modern games are advertised, marketed, and showcased at trade show demos.

A designer designs the Gameplay, they set out the rules and structure of the play. They can also be writers that devise the narrative of the game. An artist then creates the video game art either 2D or 3D orientated making scenery/ environments, textures and terrains and any characters of the game. A programmer who is the software engineer, they handle the ‘games codebase development’.  A level designer creates the different levels a character goes through and all the challenges they face during the game. A sound engineer then creates sound effects and a score to go alongside the challenges and quests the player faces during the game. A Quality assurance test is then carried out and if everything goes to plan, the Game is on its way to production.

When I play it’s important to me that I actually enjoy the gameplay. If I don’t enjoy it I don’t feel compelled to play it. The kinds of gameplay I enjoy vary from realistic 1^st person shooters to immersive role play games which allow freedom. I also find that a detailed background story makes me want to play on further because I want to find out more about the character and the story so I progress through the game, to find the answers. 

Skyrim Review

Skyrim Review:

I wanted to review a game that I’d always wanted to play but for different reasons I never got round to actually playing. So when I came to write and present a review I had a recent, fresh opinion of an unknown game.

When starting the game I was unsure what to expect but as soon as I entered the character creation I was hooked. I was immersed in the back story of each race and species and spent countless minutes experimenting with the wide range of tools to create my unique character. I particularly liked the fact that I knew that there wouldn’t be a character similar to mine because of the wide range of elements to make up your own character.

After leaving the creation area I immediately connected with the game due to the ability to create and tailor my own story which was defined by my character. I found myself creating my own backstory and a personality for my character even though I was assigned one because there was enough freedom in the game to make it what you want.

From the beginning as well as being able to make your own story the game sets out the main plot by introducing the evil protagonist. The introduction to Vulthuryol where you have to escape from him only takes a fraction of the time you would expect for a main story. It seems as if this game is really geared towards making your own story and you’re not just bound to following the main quest as it takes up only 1% of the game.  Although because it makes up such a small percentage of the overall game I didn’t find myself in any urgency to complete the main story objectives.

After escaping the attack you are free to go wherever you choose. You just choose a direction walk in it and find yourself surrounded by rich stories and lore to be consumed by. So much so that the mundane elements are just as absorbing as the actual quests.

The gameplay is easy, the controls are similar to any other 1st person shooter and role play games. It’s familiar, so you don’t feel hindered to just pick up a control and play. The combat in 1st person allows greater depth into the game, however I found myself mainly playing in 3rd person to allow me to view the character and how it coincided with the environment around it.

I liked the talents system as they further help you mold you character by rewarding you by what you like to do during the game. I had always had an interest in archery so I found myself mainly using this weapon and I was able to tailor my talents to what I wanted my character to be. It feels as if the game is helping you to mold your character.

Visually it’s beautiful. The amount of detail Bethesda have included is breath taking, they have managed to give it a handcrafted, lived in look from the overwhelming snowy mountains surrounding River wood. To the dark, dingy, absorbing caves deep in the grounds of Skyrim.  However there are some visual flaws which is to be expected of a game of this magnitude. There are random frame rate drops, missing sky boxes, glitches in character animations and on occasions my characters frame disappeared. It is a minor annoyance and it didn’t detract from my personal experience of the game.

When exploring Skyrim managed to create many different emotions but this wouldn’t have been possible without the well-structured music. Its stirs you when it’s called for, it drives you on through the game and its well timed to kick in to create a dramatic reaction which I’ve never experienced before. In my personal opinion the sound design greatly heightens the game experience is one of Skyrim’s main selling points.

I don’t think there’s anyone I wouldn’t recommend this game to. It has the ability to hook you from the very beginning and its one of those games that you can sit down to and play for hours on end. You get so immersed in the story you lose yourself in it and the hours the fly by.

Improved Skyrim Presentation – personal game review

Skyrim Presentation – personal game review

A History of Computer Games Part Four: My Personal gaming history

My first memory of playing a computer game… I must have been age of 4 or 5 and massive fan of the Star Wars films. If I wasn’t watching the films I would be in my uncle’s room which was in my Dads basement and I would be pretending to be a Rebel Pilot. He would let me sit on his bed with cushions around me to make a make-shift cockpit, whilst wearing my uncles RAF Helmet (which was massive for me). Playing Star Wars: Rebel Assault II on his PlayStation. This was without a doubt the most memorable game for me. It was the ultimate pretend play and the closest I could get to being in the star wars films. I must have looked like a small alien with a massive head and I never got passed the first mission until two years later but this was the best thing ever for child who wished and dreamed of having adventures in the Star Wars universe. I also loved the cut scenes acted out with real actors that used props and costumes from the original films.

 

At my Mums we had a PlayStation but I wasn't allowed to have my own games and could only play the games my Mum and Step-Dad had brought. Which consisted of two games, Fifa 99 which I found very boring and only won if I ran the ball into my own goal and then switch teams at the end and then there was Pandemonium. Pandemonium was an awesome game for me at the age of 6, as the game had simple controls which mainly consisted of move and jump. I loved the opening scene and would spend hours not getting past the first level.

 

The first PlayStation Game I personally owned was one of the best Christmas presents given to me by anyone…Star Wars: Demolitions! I think must have played that game all Christmas morning. I love that I play/drive around as some of the most awesome and iconic characters/vehicles from Star Wars. Such as Boba Fett, one of Star Wars most feared bounty hunters and the AT-ST from Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi and Luke’s speeder from the New Hope. Furthermore I loved the video clips you could unlock for each character which explain their back story. This was every child Stars Wars dream… or I hope it is, so I don’t seem weird.

  

I saved up money with a year’s worth of pocket money, birthday money, Christmas money and any other money I could get my hands on and brought my first console and games… the PlayStation 2 and Star Wars: Jedi Star Fighter and Star Wars: Bounty Hunter! Star Wars: Jedi Star allowed me to re-live my inner 5/6 year old Star Wars nerd… but without my uncles RAF helmet. Over time I began to collect a number of games such as Star Wars: Battlefront 1 and 2, Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles, Star Wars: Episode III, Lego Star Wars: The Video Game, Star Wars: Jedi Star Fighter, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and then Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup which allowed me to play out my childhood dreams of playing Quidditch, and Ratchet and Clank 1/2/3/4.

  

When I saw the trailer for Star Wars: Republic Commando after see Star Wars: the Clone Wars I think I had a nerd celebration and all most passed out. However no matter how much I wanted to buy an Xbox so that I could play Star Wars: Republic Commando, I could never afford it at the age of 12. But I was still able to play it at my friend’s house. However the only problem was that the game’s campaign was single player and the offline split scene multiplayer got very boring after one game. So we always went back to Star Wars: Battlefront 1/2.

 

Also at the age of 12 I began to get into PC gaming when I brought my first laptop, and it began with World of Warcraft. Yes I played/play and love World of Warcraft however even though I loved to play WoW, I can happily say that over the 8 years I played World of Warcraft I never played it solidly for more than two months. I never brought the expansions until after they had been out for two years and hit the level cap until this year. I only really got into it when I moved into my girlfriend’s house and she took an interest in the game.

My love of PC games grew when Star Wars: The Old Republic came out which combined two of my greatest loves… World of Warcraft and Star Wars!! SWTOR is my most loved and played PC game… I have spent many hours playing it on my own or with my girlfriend and will continue too for many more.

 

In the Future I can’t wait to play Elder Scrolls Online which will expand my love of MMO games. It will also allow me to indulge in my new and recent love of the Elder Scrolls lore which came from playing the amazing and awesome Skyrim. I can’t wait to get my teeth into the beta and become a part of and help the development of the game.

A History of Games - 2000's favourites

 A history of computer games, part three: 2000s 

The beginning of the new millennium saw the release of Sony’s second Console. The PlayStation 2 was released a whole year before its main competitors, Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s Game Cube.  The PlayStation 2 to this day is still the most successful home console in the world selling over 155 million units. Sony only stopped production four months ago on January 4th 2013!!

I'm not surprised it's the bestselling console to date as I cant think of anyone I've met in my short life time who didn't own one, but I was shocked that Sony was still manufacturing the console and games 7 years after the PS3 was released.

In 2001, Nintendo switched its cartridge-based Nintendo 64 to a DVD-ROM GameCube. It introduced a ‘variety of connectivity options to Nintendo consoles and it was the first console (outside Japan) that supported online play’. However this online service only supported four games, so I’m guessing it wasn't a big hit. 

That same year, we saw Microsoft enter into the video game console industry with its well-received Xbox, which featured an online gaming service as well, the Xbox Live. It reached over 24 million sales by 2006 not quite as many as the PS2 but still pretty good! The Xbox was Microsoft’s first venture into the gaming console world and I think they did a pretty good job. The integrated Xbox live launched in 2002 and it allowed players to play games online. Although you did have to prescribe to it and it was a broadband only connection which not everyone had at the time.

Two years after this Microsoft came out with the Xbox 360, the one I know and love. The Xbox 360 would become the direct competition with Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii. Microsoft didn't just upgrade the processor, and graphics card they upgraded Xbox live, so players could now, ‘compete online’ with each other, download games, trailers, T.V shows and movies. This changed dramatically the way I played games, some of them wouldn't have been half as good without being able to shout at my team mates.

A year later in 2006 Sony bought out the PlayStation 3 as the successor of the PS2. ‘It was the first console to use Blu-ray Discs as its primary storage medium’. Like the Xbox the PS3 allowed its players to connect via the PlayStation network which basically has similar features to Xbox live. I didn't like the PS3 because in my opinion the online service isn’t as dedicated to playing, the service and quality of online gaming isn’t as good as the 360’s.

Also in 2006 Nintendo released the Wii. Being in competition Nintendo had to come up with something a bit different and Nintendo stated that ‘its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others’. And the consumers seem to like it! In the beginning of 2012 Wii beat the sales figures of it’s too other competitors and in December 2009 the console broke the sales record for most sales taken in a single month.  The Wii seems to have come on leaps and bounds compared to its predecessors, the remote detects movement in 3D. Nintendo changed their previous online gaming and created WiiConnect24 which lets players get and send messages over the internet from the console although playing online still wasn't a big hit because of the complicated process of adding friends and not being able to chat with players in game.

The gaming community now have a need for a constant improvement of graphics and hardware and in terms of graphics the industry’s done really well. But the hardware is still lacking. You can’t really have one without the other and I think the next generation of consoles will be improved, but I don’t think it will be to the extent that gamers want it to be.