United Front Games wants my résumé... One avenue. It seems at least all of Widgital and Fallen are wanted, though.
Something is better than nothing I say.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Boredom and Ranting in Sleepy Hollow
So...
This was basically a ranting blog before. So now it shall evolve into its true form. Spread your wings and fly ranting blog, fly!
Well, to be honest I'm a little disappointed that I received no attention at Industry Night. I dug my coffin somehow and I plopped down into it somewhere along the way I guess... Maybe it was just the genre of the game that seemed a cop-out? I thought it was original and fun. Oh well.
It's not just that I didn't get an email from anybody... I know that most of the class (sans Bloom) didn't get anything either, but.. I got one business card from the Industry. I tried, too, but I guess I'm just no good at the social game... I have a contact from Deep Fried Entertainment kinda, but nothing has happened as of yet.
I gotta tell you guys (myself, as I will be the only one who reads this): I will get a job in the Game Industry. I didn't want to start off as QA for EA and work my way up like a greased weasel squeezing through a toilet pipe but I will if I have to. This is my life and I will not throw it away because people don't recognize my talent. I also will not throw it away simply because of my inability to show off my talent! I will work until I get a job creating the games of the future at companies like Action Pants and eventually I WILL start my own company.
I want to see the Game Industry furthered. I also want to be a part of that. If there's one thing that I know I'm good at it's design. Working together with others I am an idea machine. I've helped at least half of the class solve strange design problems and level editing issues this year. I would say all of the class but some I simply haven't communicated with as much. I KNOW that I can help to make the games of the future.
Now, I have one problem. I'm a good writer, a good idea guy, but... I'm not very good at anything else I don't think. Oh, I TRY, and I wish more than (almost) anything that I could be an awesome 3D modeler and create wicked characters that do double backflips while spinning two seismic blades and throwing knives through the air in a dazzling display of aerial combat mastery, but... Yeah. So far my efforts are in vain.
I AM good at mastering level editors. Currently I'm working in the Warcraft III (Frozen Throne) level editor to recreate a scenario out of WoW lore: the Battle of Darrowshire in the Eastern Plaguelands. It pretty much includes every bit of story in the EPL before it was invaded since it all happens at nearly the same time. That's right: Joseph Redpath (Protagonist), Tirion Fordring, Nathanos Marris (Blightcaller), Highlord Mograine and the Ashbringer, Arthas and Baron Rivendare in Stratholme, Marduk Blackpool, Horgus the Ravager, Rammstein the Gorger; even the corruption of the Mossflayer Trolls as they are forced to become more powerful to fight off the Undead hordes. I also added bits of my own story. It's an expansive map but I don't know whether I'll be able to script an entire story like a normal Warcraft III map. I'll try my best.
I suppose I'll have to be a Level Designer if I can't be a plain out Game Designer (writer + project management and ideas guy).
I hope I can get a job at all. If not then my dreams are dashed and I'll work at Tim Hortons my entire life while trying to get a job.
If it comes down to that, maybe I'll get hired out of pity when I'm 45 or so... Cool.
Sigh, Vancouver is so expensive too...
Rant over for now.
~Jono
This was basically a ranting blog before. So now it shall evolve into its true form. Spread your wings and fly ranting blog, fly!
Well, to be honest I'm a little disappointed that I received no attention at Industry Night. I dug my coffin somehow and I plopped down into it somewhere along the way I guess... Maybe it was just the genre of the game that seemed a cop-out? I thought it was original and fun. Oh well.
It's not just that I didn't get an email from anybody... I know that most of the class (sans Bloom) didn't get anything either, but.. I got one business card from the Industry. I tried, too, but I guess I'm just no good at the social game... I have a contact from Deep Fried Entertainment kinda, but nothing has happened as of yet.
I gotta tell you guys (myself, as I will be the only one who reads this): I will get a job in the Game Industry. I didn't want to start off as QA for EA and work my way up like a greased weasel squeezing through a toilet pipe but I will if I have to. This is my life and I will not throw it away because people don't recognize my talent. I also will not throw it away simply because of my inability to show off my talent! I will work until I get a job creating the games of the future at companies like Action Pants and eventually I WILL start my own company.
I want to see the Game Industry furthered. I also want to be a part of that. If there's one thing that I know I'm good at it's design. Working together with others I am an idea machine. I've helped at least half of the class solve strange design problems and level editing issues this year. I would say all of the class but some I simply haven't communicated with as much. I KNOW that I can help to make the games of the future.
Now, I have one problem. I'm a good writer, a good idea guy, but... I'm not very good at anything else I don't think. Oh, I TRY, and I wish more than (almost) anything that I could be an awesome 3D modeler and create wicked characters that do double backflips while spinning two seismic blades and throwing knives through the air in a dazzling display of aerial combat mastery, but... Yeah. So far my efforts are in vain.
I AM good at mastering level editors. Currently I'm working in the Warcraft III (Frozen Throne) level editor to recreate a scenario out of WoW lore: the Battle of Darrowshire in the Eastern Plaguelands. It pretty much includes every bit of story in the EPL before it was invaded since it all happens at nearly the same time. That's right: Joseph Redpath (Protagonist), Tirion Fordring, Nathanos Marris (Blightcaller), Highlord Mograine and the Ashbringer, Arthas and Baron Rivendare in Stratholme, Marduk Blackpool, Horgus the Ravager, Rammstein the Gorger; even the corruption of the Mossflayer Trolls as they are forced to become more powerful to fight off the Undead hordes. I also added bits of my own story. It's an expansive map but I don't know whether I'll be able to script an entire story like a normal Warcraft III map. I'll try my best.
I suppose I'll have to be a Level Designer if I can't be a plain out Game Designer (writer + project management and ideas guy).
I hope I can get a job at all. If not then my dreams are dashed and I'll work at Tim Hortons my entire life while trying to get a job.
If it comes down to that, maybe I'll get hired out of pity when I'm 45 or so... Cool.
Sigh, Vancouver is so expensive too...
Rant over for now.
~Jono
Monday, September 17, 2007
Merging Game Genres: Yay or nay?
Games today are bridging genres more than ever before. Whether you're stuck in action traction or lost in eons of story, you might notice that the game industry's definition of a 'genre' is evolving in new ways with each new title released.
One of the first cross-genre games that truly amazed me was Legend of Legaia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Legaia) Bridging the gap between RPGs (Role-Playing Games) and fighters, Legend of Legaia had a classic RPG fighting system with mixed martial arts and special abilities controlled and discovered by the user. Each attack by each character in the game consisted of creating a combo by pressing the triangle, square, circle and x buttons in unique combinations to create techniques. The player started with only several hits per attack in battle (and therefore only several possible combo techniques) and eventually, by the end of the game, was able to unlock more hits to create enormous combos consisting of smaller combos which would culminate in explosive finishers.
Legend of Legaia was an impressive story-driven experience with tons of fun mini-games, unique mechanics, difficult boss battles and interesting locations. Though graphics weren't the best and at times concepts seemed ill-conceived and a bit contrived, the overall experience was impressive beyond belief. Never before had I played a RPG and enjoyed the battles so thoroughly.
Since Legend of Legaia, several games have imitated and developed upon its base idea of fighter RPGs. To keep the example simple, one may look to the Tales games, such as Tales of Symphonia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_symphonia) and Tales of the Abyss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_abyss) as further merging the two diametrically opposed genres together.
Now for the question of the day... Will this trend of mixing game genres continue until the industry creates true multi-genre titles that appeal to a wide audience but alienate purists, or will sports games never meet dating simulation games?
It is up to us, the consumers and game designers of the future, to decide.
(I vote for merging and making 'ultimagames'. Coined and ©)
One of the first cross-genre games that truly amazed me was Legend of Legaia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Legaia) Bridging the gap between RPGs (Role-Playing Games) and fighters, Legend of Legaia had a classic RPG fighting system with mixed martial arts and special abilities controlled and discovered by the user. Each attack by each character in the game consisted of creating a combo by pressing the triangle, square, circle and x buttons in unique combinations to create techniques. The player started with only several hits per attack in battle (and therefore only several possible combo techniques) and eventually, by the end of the game, was able to unlock more hits to create enormous combos consisting of smaller combos which would culminate in explosive finishers.
Legend of Legaia was an impressive story-driven experience with tons of fun mini-games, unique mechanics, difficult boss battles and interesting locations. Though graphics weren't the best and at times concepts seemed ill-conceived and a bit contrived, the overall experience was impressive beyond belief. Never before had I played a RPG and enjoyed the battles so thoroughly.
Since Legend of Legaia, several games have imitated and developed upon its base idea of fighter RPGs. To keep the example simple, one may look to the Tales games, such as Tales of Symphonia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_symphonia) and Tales of the Abyss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_abyss) as further merging the two diametrically opposed genres together.
Now for the question of the day... Will this trend of mixing game genres continue until the industry creates true multi-genre titles that appeal to a wide audience but alienate purists, or will sports games never meet dating simulation games?
It is up to us, the consumers and game designers of the future, to decide.
(I vote for merging and making 'ultimagames'. Coined and ©)
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