Week Nine Task

In my opinion, the slimline PS2 is the nicest looking console. I also think that Playstaion controllers and comfortable, and have a great layout. Which is why the basic design of the controller hasn't changed much from the PS1 to the yet to be released PS3. The new PS3 controller is visually almost exactly the same as the DuelShock2. There has been an increase in sensitivity to the analog sticks, face and shoulder buttons. L2 and R2 have now become trigger buttons, and there is a new menu button in the centre, and a mini USB port for recharging. The controllers use Bluetooth which transfers data at a faster rate than Wi-Fi reducing the potential for lag. Motion of the controller will also become a factor in some games. I think Sony have got the right idea by not completely renovating there controllers, they have taken a good thing and improved it. The technology used isn't dying, is being developed all the time. As for the console, the look of it has changed a fair bit, and the capabilities have changed quite drastically.

I think that the Nintendo Wii appeals in different ways to the PS3. The controllers for the Wii are extensively different to anything we have seen used before on a console. I think this will reach out to a wider audience, because there is potential for different types of people to enjoy and be good at the games available. By this i mean, the way in which people think eg. there hand eye coordination, will effect the results of the game. As Gaming has developed, it has become a requirement to stimulate the player in many different ways. Not just by using the game content, but by designing the consoles and controllers in a specific way to alter the gameplay.

It is a danger that the design of consoles and controllers could become too complex. But, considering the high risks that major Console producers face, they need to be successful to stay in the market. A new concept would not be released without extensive testing, so the possibilities of a highly complex design being released are fairly low.

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." - Michelangelo

Alex and Megan's amazing 2am conversations, episode 1...

Alex says:
now what will you fill your head with?
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
squiggles
Alex says:
lol
Alex says:
this does a story happen to you or do you make the story thing is awkward
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
i put
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
the story is alredy writtan, and cant be changed
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
but the player needs to live the story to make it
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
happen
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
the story is worthless without the player really
Alex says:
true. im having more trouble when i think about things like tetris and burnout
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
i think every game has a story line
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
it may be really basic, but its still there
Alex says:
basically those games have little or no story and in the absense of the story you make your own based on on your choice of block position or how well you do in a race
Alex says:
therefor the story must be made by the player but if thats the case then it must happen in any game where you have any level of choise in what you do
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
hmmmmm
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
good point
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
but there are limitations to a game, so the decisions are allways met by boundries
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
in that sense you cant just do whatever u want, its still guided by the game
Alex says:
but that doesnt change the fact that it is virtually impossible to completely recreate another players actions so every time you play you get a new story. its just the only difference between some storys is the player stpped right in one story and left in the other or something similar
Alex says:
only very basic games can be completely replayed in the exact same way and those games cant have any level of randomly occuring event
Alex says:
even then the player would still be getting a slightly different story unless everything was done at the same speed as the other player that played the stroy before
ACTION BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! says:
you make good...yet complex points
Alex says:
i know. im not even entirely sure what i said for half the time lol
Alex says:
MORE SUGAR!!!

Week Eight Task

For me the storyline is one of the most important factors in a game. I believe that most games need to have a basic storyline. The kind of enjoyment that i receive from a game is similar to the enjoyment i get from reading a book. Except with a game you are able too interact with the story. David Freeman describes storytelling as 'Emotioneering'. This means that the story will take you on an 'Emotional Journey', making it truthful by having consistency within the characters, being able to identify with characters is also important. I liked the way he said for a storyline to be successful, it must not only impress you, but blow you away. I think this is true for all the work we will do in the gaming industry, as the standard of work is increasing all the time, only the best artists will really prosper. Different people obviously have different ideas for what makes a game. But for me a stunning storyline definitely makes for a better game. If we look to the past, the most memorable games have intriguing storylines, but the standard of artwork within these games is not necessarily important, however advanced it may have seemed at the time. But it seems that today a game needs more than a good storyline to get it on the shelves. High standards must be achieved in graphical quality, sound, and use of latest technology. It seems that storyline is becoming a less important factor in making a game sell. A storyline is an integral part of the game, which cannot be altered. In this sense a playing a game is like reading a book, or watching a film. But to make the story happen a player is required to live it out. I also think that through playing a game things are learnt and remembered, they are part of our memories. A game is something that has to be 'lived' by the player. All games have a storyline. Thinking back to one of the first games 'tennis for two', the concept of two people playing tennis is the basis for a story. Not a very interesting story, but a story none the less. As games developed, so the story's became more complex, until we have modern games with hours of storyline to work through. The importance of storytelling had developed alongside the technology.

"Only those things are beautiful which are inspired by madness and written by reason." - Andre Gide

"It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous." - Robert Benchley

Week Seven Task

An Art Director oversees a team of artists, and is responsible for maintaining consistency within the work. They manage time, problem solve, and relay information between people on a project. I think the most important factor of being an Art Director is that you are the Keeper of the Vision. This means that they are in charge of maintaining the art concept, they must have a clear idea of this concept and be able to communicate it. It takes a creative mind to maintain the vision, and to be able to relate to other artists, but a variety of other skills are also necessary e.g. good communication, good organisation and time keeping etc. The skills required for all forms of Creative Direction are similar, but there will be some differences. Working on a film and working on a game are different because they are set in different environments, you also need knowledge of different technologies. I think you have to be very dedicated to become an art director, its a lot of hard work and takes a lot of patientence. I would think that it would be quite rewarding though. To have so much responsibility for a game, and having it be a success, and also mentoring younger, less experienced artists and watching them develop.

"By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day." - Robert Frost

"Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties." - Doug Larson

Week Six Task

Gameplay is a difficult word to define. It is sometimes given a score in games reviews, separate from other factors such as sound and graphics. So Gameplay cannot include these things. After thinking about how to define gameplay, i was reminded of G E Moore's theory in Meta-ethics. Meta-ethics is about defining the meanings of ethical terminology. G E Moore said that you can no more describe what 'Good' is, than describe the colour yellow. What he meant by this was you cannot describe to a blind man what yellow is, but u can show a sighted man something yellow. The only way in which yellow can be described is through experiencing it. I believe that this could also be true for the word Gameplay. You can only truly define the word gameplay through the experience of gaming. Some people also believe that the use of the word Gameplay is meaningless. I think its true that Gameplay involves interactions and experiences with games, but this is an individual thing and gives us no means to give a score for Gameplay. I would think that the basic outline for Game Design is decided by major companies, based on what is already successful. Then this is developed by an Art Director with a team, then these ideas would go on to be approved by the funders of the project. The Design for storyline and other factors is probably done in a similar way, with a number of different teams working in specialist areas for one game. The Genre of a game is important when considering games design. It is possible for the boundaries to be broken concerning the art work, but generally a certain style is used when creating a certain genre of game. For example, the art style used to create a game would have to be consistent to the atmosphere that you want to create. I'm a fan of RPG games. When i play a game its the storyline that keeps me interested. I like to have puzzles to solve, and i like to really have to think about what I'm doing. For these same reasons i enjoy strategy games. I like to have my brain stimulated by the games i play, so you feel like you are gaining something from the gaming process. Basically, i like to think about things...

"Because philosophy arises from awe, a philosopher is bound in his way to be a lover of myths and poetic fables. Poets and philosophers are alike in being big with wonder." - Thomas Aquinas

"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." - Terry Pratchett

Week Five Task

New Games Journalism seems to be similar to blogging. It is extremely subjective. I think this is because the people writing the NGJ's are not doing it for the profit, they are doing it because of the passion they feel towards gaming. i would have thought some of games journalists who write for magazines are free lance, but they could also be employed by magazines to write for them regularly. In this case they would be paid for the articles they write by the magazine companies. When Games writing becomes a job like this, i would think that some of the passion is taken away. In NGJ the writer really has something to say about a game. When writers get asked to review games, they are being forced to decide there opinion, and they will also be faced with restrictions. Reviewers for magazines would have to be more objective, it is harder to write about games in this way, because there are no definite factors to determine wether a game is good or bad. I do think there are some consistent elements that exist in popular games. These elements tend to be reproduced because they are safe options, and produce maximum revenue for games companies. To a degree there is an 'objective ranking system' which will produce sales. But i think one factor in this ranking system would have to be originality, an original game would get better reviews, than a copy of an already successful game. NGJ's are not necissarily just games reviews, they are also to do with issues involved with gaming. Some people choose to write about morality issues and other specific elements that stood out to them. I like the format of the NGJ's i have read online, it gives people the oppourtunity to respond to the review they have read This means they are thinking about what the writer has said, then forming there own opinion, which others can then read and respond to. It reminds us that everyone is different, it encourages people to keep fresh opinions and be open to what other people think. Its less like criticism and more like a discussion point.

"keep your own opinion, don't be biased with consoles or games, keep up to scratch with all forms of gaming" - Shane Egglesden