Noticed that most of my blogs have been either about animu or that corny "Endure This! Run!" about The Last Remnant (still on indefinite hiatus, sorry @video_game_king), but I gotta put this all down somewhere, so here we are.
In Which I am an Official Game Designer
Back in January, me and a few wonderful people developed a game for the Global Game Jam (GGJ). 48 hours (including time set aside to sleep and eat) later, we had ourselves a puzzle game where you literally use your head to escape from an evil space dungeon, and we called it Ichabot Crane. You can play it here.
I contributed heavily with the level design, a paragraph of "story" that few people will bother reading, and otherwise provided moral support. Why bring this up now? Because we've gotten positive feedback, and now we're making tentative plans to expand the game into something worth selling.
It wasn't the first time I've gotten myself into designing games before. Heck, I even taught a summer class full of kids last year about how to make their own basic platforming game using GameMaker. But compared to my friend Taro and his vast knowledge of UNITY, I might as well have been a newbie. Still, we came together and made a working game in 48 hours, and we earned some ad revenue off the game, so we can technically call ourselves game developers now.
Also in the GGJ, we worked on a card game under the working title "The Game of Truth," about being the biggest troll while arguing on a fake internet forum. More news on that as it develops.
Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before we can quit our day jobs and do this game dev thing full-time. Want to guess how much ad revenue we each accrued so far from Ichabot Crane? Here's a hint: it starts with zero dollars.
The Takeaway:
- Visit Taro's site, he's a cool dude with vast knowledge of UNITY and has made several small games for the iPad and PC to demonstrate his knowledge.
- You can make videogames too! It was thanks to the local International Game Developers Association (IGDA) branch here in the DC area that gave me the confidence (and a bit of nagging) to attend the GGJ and connect with people. Find one near you, have some business cards handy, and start trading some information.
- You don't need to know a shitton of code (unless you're planning to make your own AI, then you do) to become a game designer these days. Some of the biggest engines have ways to automate processes that used to be complicated back in the day. If you have art/graphic design skills, that alone will be highly valued.
- In contrast: don't be the "ideas guy" dictating to everyone what they should do to make your game. Everyone's got "ideas" of what makes a good game, try to find a way to put your "ideas" into practice or you will be left behind.
In Which I Am A Little Behind The Times
With the PS4 and Xbox One officially battling each other for supremacy now, I instead decided to finally buy a PS3 off of eBay, and work my way through the exclusives I missed now that they are dirt cheap.
So far I've collected used copies of Uncharted 1-3, Infamous 1-2, MGS 4 (now with dead multiplayer!) and BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma (because I am a sucker for animu fighters). I also downloaded Front Mission 3, God Hand and Persona 3: FES off the PSN store. If there are any other exclusives you recommend I get before I inevitably join the rest of the gamerdudes in the next gen a few years down the road, let me know.
Good things I've noticed about the PS3: built in wi-fi connectivity and Bluray support whereas you had to buy extra accessories for the 360 if you wanted wi-fi or HD-DVD support (which, sadly, did not pan out like Microsoft hoped it would). Not to mention that there were more exclusives near the end of its run compared to the 360. Bad things about PS3: The DualShock 3 really sucks compared to the XBOX 360's controller, especially for my big hands, and the "Sixaxis" tilting functions that seem shoehorned in just to show some unique difference in games when they just become more of a hindrance. You let me down, Sony.
The Takeaway:
- Finally I get the chance to play all those games I missed, provided I can fit them into my schedule what with have a full-time job, social obligations and other adult responsibilities.
- Video game console wars are stupid and you shouldn't bother with them, even "ironically." Besides, they'll all be obsolete anyway when Gaben's Steamboxes conquer the world only for us in America to realize we don't have the internet infrastructure needed to reach their full potential because of old rich fucks who don't want to give up their...sorry, let me stop here before this becomes another Net Neutrality rant.
In Which...okay okay here's some stuff about anime
If you happen to live in the Metro DC area, Funimation is hosting a presentation of the first two parts of Ghost In The Shell: Arise, for $10 at a movie theater in Northern Virginia this upcoming Thursday (5/29). Get tickets now while you can. It's a lot more action-y than the other interpretations of GitS, but still a pretty fun ride.
In newer anime news: Chaika the Coffin Princess seems to be the story of a group of D&D players trying to stretch their GM's sanity to the breaking point, including one who wields a magical anti-tank rifle to try and cook chicken. You can find it on Crunchyroll and you should watch it.
One More Thing!
I can also add "voice actor" to the list of things I am allowed to call myself, now that I officially have a published audiobook on Amazon/Audible.com called "Once A Knight." In a nutshell, it's historical fiction told from the POV of a Texas Ranger who decided to join the English Royal Flying Corps. He shoots down Germans and makes love to a lovely French mademoiselle while trying to prove his mettle to the world. You can hear a sample of it here, and even buy it if you want to hear more.
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE!
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