End of blogs!!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!

Week 24 - Feedback!!!

Final Week......YAY!!!!!!!!!

Now time for some Feedback.

First thing I like to say is to remember that 'Electronics games technology' still exist even though you try to ignore us. Like talking about my first year as a 'Artist'. Completely useless for my course.

I also don't like the blogs. It was just a case of surfing the net and writing about my findings along with opinion. We could of just got told at the start of the year to write a gigantic essay about the gaming industry to then be handed in at the end of the year.

I would like to have played some old games while we covered the History bit. That would have been cool. In other words, I would of like this module to be more hands on. So on the bit about different controllers, we would be able to play with other controllers and say how they have improved though the year.

As a tech student, there is very little that I can say I liked about this module. The only thing is liked about this module is that there were very few lectures, but the ones we did have just DULL! And this is probably because lectures were again not mean't for my course.

I know that I probably sound like a gumpy old man but I can't help being annoyed, and you must understand why.

Now to the CELEBRATIONS!!........WOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Week 23 - Nothing!!!!!!

YAY Week off........

time to chill............
relax.......................
play games............

Week 22 - GDC conference (anything about it)!!!

Well this week is to write anythign about the GDC conference that interests me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I want to talk about the capabilities of Online gaming.

Most of us know online gaming to be counterstrike-source, World of Warcraft, Mario kart or Fifa but it could be so much more...........

Online gaming can be used to expand single palyer games. So games like Super Mario could have an extra 340 levels online because the game disc couldn't hold enough info. And you could expand this so that after you have collected a number of stars or completed a number of levels, then you could be able to download some extra levels. This then means that games developers cannot argue about making games too short, visually rubbish because 'the disc was full'!!! This could destroy games developers who fail to make proper games (like EA making games from films).

Another one is Street Fighter online. Why the hell is fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter not been made into a online game??? To be able to play fighting games against otherpeople on the net would make the best online games EVER. They wouldn't need a massive bandwidth to play because there are just two characters. This could also make the most addictive game of all time. Capcom and Midway are missing out on big money making ideas.

One final this I would like is to play Online handheld games anywhere. I always have to connect my DS to a wireless station to go online. If only consoles would work like Mobile Phones so you can get connected anywhere. It would be also be cool if you can play online games on a plane.

Online gaming has come a long way in the past few years but it has still got a way to go!!!!!!

Week 21 - A moment to look in the future!?!?!?

I've got no idea how this is related to this module but here goes...................

For me, University could be the final hurdle of education and I hope to make the best of it. I have already had alot of fun at university and I really want to good time in the next few years of university. Of course I know that the work just gets harder but I work becomes more enjoyable.

Well I haven't decided what I'm gonna do after i've graduated. I have given postgraduate degrees a thought but it is quite costly and I might need to work a year or two before I take on a course like this. But there are many different things I could do after university.

Having said this I would love to get involved in the games industry. I really want to get into creating games and become part of a team that can produce a wide variety of quality games. This is obviously my long term goal. I am not so bothered about a high salary, I jsut want enough to live comfortably, and to afford a Mitsubishi Evolution X (when it comes out)!!!!!!

Week 20 - Creativity

All about CREATIVITY!!!!

The topic of Creativity is so vast that you can write 10,000 page books on it just to get a real idea about it.........

The ability of creating is within all humans.............it is a part of our lives and the way we think.

Creativity means how one person can imagine somthing and bulid on it. For some people Creativity can be hindered by technical constraints but there are others that can always get around it. It is similay to making Movies. The Director has to come with new techniques to so certain special effects. For example, In the Matrix films, they (film crew) used the loads to cameras to do the to fighting sequences (like when the film pauses and the camera moves around the character while he/she is in mid-air).

I would say that creativity is used in all aspects of creating a game. Some examples would probably be:
- Designers - the idea of a game, and what it would look like
- Artists - create characters, environments, weapons
- Music composers - compose music and sounds to the requirements of the designer
- Programmers - write code, find solutions to problems ocurred while writing the code

I think that programmers have to find ways to implement certain aspects of games, such as AI, which can be seen in games like Half Life 2. For example, the enemies adapt to the way you play and they will move and react in a different way.

I think that it is creativity that what makes games so simulating. As games evolve, the way you play them changes, there are new types of games, better stories, better way of presenting stories, better visual effects and a overall better and a more complete game.

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

Week 19 - Life Changing or Career Building?

This week is to write personal views on this Quote:

"Because your adverts always ask for experienced artists, never for Liberal Arts grads", came the reply from a beleaguered Canadian academic.

Well my frst thought on this matter is that all employers say that you need experience if they don't want to employ you. Or, if you have experience and no qualifications, they (employers) would say that you need qualifications. It's sad but true...........

One Reason for the above quote is that there are too many university graduates, and to say that they want expericence is the easiest way to filter applicants.

On the other hand, sooner or later we will run out of experienced artists and we will have to start bringing in some new blood (in the form of graduates).

To get accepeted by employers, its always best to do some homework first. This could inlcude a portfolio that shows all the main pieces of work you have done (be sure to show pieces that have not been done in univeristy time). This shows employers that you are passionate about art and you are not lazy person after all..........

Week 18 - Sound

You sometimes don't understand how important sound is in games..............

How is Sound used in games???
To cut it short
- Music
- Gun Sounds and other weapons
- Vehicles
- People and other characters
- Environment (Whistling wind, waterfalls............)

When games started out, the only sounds you heard were bleeps but in the 80's proper music and sounds were used. Examples of these games were Pacman, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, etc. In the 90's, proper sounds were used for example, Guile shouting 'SONIC BOOM' in Street Fighter II. And by the time the Sony Playstation came out, real music was being used.

Key Composers in games

- Nobuo Uematsu - for the famous final fantasy series
- Koji Kondo - for most of the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda games

My favorite musical moment in a game has to be the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Every Stage used the most unforgetable music in a game. The Music was so good that even Nintendo couldn't compose better music than this.......A real winner!!!!

Week 17 - Game Engines

WOW - SOMETHING MORE SUITED TO MY COURSE!!!!

Well to start off.........A game engine is an complex software package that allows certain types of games to be made from. It handles: the core source-code and its relationship with graphics, music, and especially hardware. Games like Unreal, Doom, Counterstrike source and Half life 2 are created using bespoke engines.

These engines are also good for creating additions to games that use the same engine. For example, many people create new maps for counterstrike, or people create new skins for half life 2. silimar games can also be created using an existing game engine.

Game developers can either use existing engines or they can make their own. The advantages of buying an existing engine are: Its cheaper, faster, easier to learn as some people would have used these engines before. The advantage of having custom made engines is thatthe engine has all the necessary features to make a certain game.

Subtractive and additive is all about the graphics (sigh!). It deals with colours and paints. Subtractive is when paints and other pigments mix together. Whereas additive is when differentt colours of light mix together.

I think that a key issue for next gen engines it the graphics. People are expecting too much out of next gen graphics and it will be essential for a engine to create powerful graphics within a smaller space of time. Otherwise it will cost companies too much money. in terms of the Nintendo Wii, game engines will have to accomodate the Wii controller (or Wii-mote and nunchuck).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_engine
http://www.edgelib.com/index.php?node=106

Week 16 - Gaming Cultures

All about gaming cultures..........

I like the idea of online gaming and I do play games online myself. I think that online gaming adds an realistic feel to the game because you play against other people. There is also less chance of getting bored with the game. But you must monitor how much you play, otherwise it will take over your life!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I'm not part of many gaming cultures! Why? Because I haven't got much time to dedicate to hardcore gaming. But never the less, I still play games. In terms of Online games, I play: Counter Strike source, Half-life 2 deathmatch, and Mario Kart on the DS. I have also gor Pro Evo 6 on my PC, but I can't get the damn thing to go online. It could be my firewall???? Who knows????? I have thought about one of those online role-play games but never got round to playing one. The most of gaming I will get is about 2 hours a day, but usually about an hour. In the holidays I will play games more often, whenever I'm Bored.

Week 15 - The Game Industry

This week is all about the gaming industry

Back in the day, programmers used to write games as a hobby, then they started to sell these for low profit. Eventually games became popular and now the games industry is worth £billions. As a result the cost of making games are much higher, costing millions.

Making a game requires a team effort. There are Programmers and Artists. The Artists have varied jobs e.g. Music artist to compose music in games, games designers. The Programmers deal with all the technical side of making a game.

The Games Industry right now, is generally trying to get more people to become gamers. This is more apparant in Nintendo's consoles. Games companies are also trying to get games to be as much of everybodys lives as TV, Cinema, Radio and Music. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are making their consoles to be a part of everybodys living room (like a TV, DVD, VCR, Sofa, Beer etc) instead of it being in someones bedroom. Games are also being implemented in Mobile Phones and other electronic devices.

The problem with the games industry is that the more complex a games becomes the more expensive it becomes and the longer it takes to make. This means that games will need to sell more to achieve profit. This then leads to most of production costs are used on graphics, because good graphics sells, but games end up being rubbish. This is more apparant in the USA, but in Japan, gameplay is more important. An exception to this is Nintendo and their philosophy behind the DS and Wii. They (nintendo) state that the primary purpose of a game is for fun and entertainment, and that over-the-top graphics are not important in making a GOOD GAME!

Another problem is that the artists are used as games designers when they know absolutely nothing about programming and gameplay!