My favourite character currently, has to be motoko from ghost in the shell.
I watched ghost in the shell for the first time when i was 14 or so. Since then I always wanted to watch it over. The film deals with 'the singularity' when computers merge with conciousness, essentialy. Motoko, doubts her own existance and wether or not she really did used to be human. As cyborg as she is, she hides what she really feels, yet you can tell she is hiding it, even though the animators do a wonderful job of letting you know who is cyborg and who isnt.
Now since ive seen the series, the same applies. Motoko is a great major who noticably hides her past. its also evident that she thinks and awful lot.
I know its an anime, but ghost in the shell isnt an average anime, the movies especialy. Id call the movies animated films. But even so, Motoko has remained my 'cartoon idol' for a very long time.
I remember the days of sonic well. All he had to do was defeat mr robotnik, with his pals, and they had slight backstory, and that was it. You could never become attached to sonic, it was just fun running around collecting shiney things.
Spyro was a cute dragon who darted around beautiful worlds saving his dragon friends and what not. But that was it, people loved spyro because he was a dragon, and he was purple... The storylines didnt matter too much to me though they were suitable at that age!! but at 20 things are different...
Thinking about it now, its the story I dont like with the latest spyro, probably because the first games I got attached to most. However...
Ghost in the shell movies, and the series, use increadibly deep scripts. They just arent suitable for anyone under 16 i'd say, you just wouldnt understand it. Unless you were a very smart 16 year old. Same for akira, another film I love. The script is intense, and I was told its only a small chunk of the whole story. Non the less, the film carries a scary yet hopeful message, that energy is one and evrything is energy, and what if something small unlocked the energy of the universe. Thats how i understand it so far, but I probably understand it in a wonky way. I will read the manga though one day, the full one!
When it comes to acting in games, sometimes the animators can make a lovely job of it, yet when it comes to actualy playing, you feel as if the character has just been ripped of their body language because you now need to jump about swishing swords around. 'Heavy Rain', soon to be released, looks as if its characters acting flows the wole way through the game, because of the gameplay. But miss that button, and you will witness your character getting stabbed to death. Lovely isnt it. (thats the impression the trailer gave me)
As for what I find irresistable? any story that concerns other realities, conciousness, mysticism based on real history, dreams, timetravel, the future, i find irresistable. However for me it needs to be based on our own history on planet earth.
I am NOT however interested in fake wars, killing, stupid gang wars, fake stuff, and fake magic stuff. E.G, final fantasy has some great storylines, i like them, but thats all. Im interested in fact over fiction, even if fiction is pretty sometimes, the fact will get my attention. Plus I adore the design of FF games more than any other aspect!!
04/01/2009
01/01/2009
Game Design
The way a player interacts and 'gains' from a game is my interpretation of gameplay. The 'gameplay' you want to achieve, would have to be set before you begin the proccess of the games design. This would apply to all games, console games, board games etc. I do have trouble with the word gameplay though!
When playing through a game the whole proccess of what you are doing, what is happening and what you need to think about all contributes to the gameplay that was set for the game. Thus, Gameplay could be easy, difficult, quick, slow etc.
Sometimes however the gameplay can just be plain annoying.
All of these ideas for a game must be set in the beginning stages of development. You need to know what you are doing before you do it, as has been prooved many times over!! And these days, developers know what they are doing :D
For example, disasters like the E.T game and other titles, were bad for a reason. i read that E.T was purely rushed. So when you rush something you mess it up. I remmber reading a chinese proverb in a little zen book, it read 'Rushing gets you no where'. How right they were. i was shocked to hear that a good game takes 2 years to develop. But 2 years well worth it.
Someone starts with the idea for the game, and in most cases only a few people are given the task of deciding the key factors and what is to be in the game etc.
In the case of metal gear solid, all the team were given a sketchbook to sketch ideas for the game, and many of their ideas made it into MGS2.
I personaly hope to be part of a company who are open to their teams ideas for games, be it games or tid bits inside games!!
For me when I play, Any game I like keeps me playing for many reasons. My taste in games is rather varied, and I constantly contradict myself playing some types as they conflict with my views on life. E.G-
Socom2(strictly),Battlefield2:MC - I love these games so much, I am going to buy a 360 so i can play BF2 in HD. I have it on ps2, and just love it. Theres no gore, & no screaming when you kill an enemy(well I didnt notice). Its just so much fun helping your team win and capture them flags!! And many comedy moments. However, Socom 3 was a big mess and no one I know really liked it. With both games, the ps2 limits the size of the maps I suppose, but for socom, the humble little maps made it cute and fun to stalk someone and get your spongey headshot or whatever. Socom 3's gigantic maps just made it boring running around looking for someone. Same with BF:BC. Ive just bought this game and its nothing like bf2. Im hoping socom confrontation will be fun despite the map sizes.
Now, I just wish socom2 days came back. Bf2 also. Any war game i play today is too realistic. i dont wanna hear death screams. I dont agree with war, i dont agree with killing, I dont agree with violence, its BAD. War will get no one anywhere. And i realy annoy myself. But I cant figure out why these two war games I will always love.
Wipeout/zoneoftheenders/finalfantasy/spyro - All based in a world that could exisit/does exist on a different 'dimension'. love it, im well into that. Love robots and beautiful costume designs. Wipeout fusion was my favorite. Also, all are colourful and I love colourful stuff.
To round this up ill mention that ps3 games are failing to keep me interested at the moment. I think their gameplay is way too realistic. I am wishing games would stay fantasy, quirky, and allow for that comedy moment. I dont think games should be so realistic. I play games to have fun, not witness what would happen if I actualy killed someone. Thats why I HATE Gta.
I sometimes think that this sort of realism is allowed in order to corrupt the younger generations. Your not going to kill someone in real life because thats illegal, but yeah, games make it okay to try it? It makes me so sad to think about it, and angry. *extreem contradiction*
I really want an xbox! they got fluffy games!!!!
When playing through a game the whole proccess of what you are doing, what is happening and what you need to think about all contributes to the gameplay that was set for the game. Thus, Gameplay could be easy, difficult, quick, slow etc.
Sometimes however the gameplay can just be plain annoying.
All of these ideas for a game must be set in the beginning stages of development. You need to know what you are doing before you do it, as has been prooved many times over!! And these days, developers know what they are doing :D
For example, disasters like the E.T game and other titles, were bad for a reason. i read that E.T was purely rushed. So when you rush something you mess it up. I remmber reading a chinese proverb in a little zen book, it read 'Rushing gets you no where'. How right they were. i was shocked to hear that a good game takes 2 years to develop. But 2 years well worth it.
Someone starts with the idea for the game, and in most cases only a few people are given the task of deciding the key factors and what is to be in the game etc.
In the case of metal gear solid, all the team were given a sketchbook to sketch ideas for the game, and many of their ideas made it into MGS2.
I personaly hope to be part of a company who are open to their teams ideas for games, be it games or tid bits inside games!!
For me when I play, Any game I like keeps me playing for many reasons. My taste in games is rather varied, and I constantly contradict myself playing some types as they conflict with my views on life. E.G-
Socom2(strictly),Battlefield2:MC - I love these games so much, I am going to buy a 360 so i can play BF2 in HD. I have it on ps2, and just love it. Theres no gore, & no screaming when you kill an enemy(well I didnt notice). Its just so much fun helping your team win and capture them flags!! And many comedy moments. However, Socom 3 was a big mess and no one I know really liked it. With both games, the ps2 limits the size of the maps I suppose, but for socom, the humble little maps made it cute and fun to stalk someone and get your spongey headshot or whatever. Socom 3's gigantic maps just made it boring running around looking for someone. Same with BF:BC. Ive just bought this game and its nothing like bf2. Im hoping socom confrontation will be fun despite the map sizes.
Now, I just wish socom2 days came back. Bf2 also. Any war game i play today is too realistic. i dont wanna hear death screams. I dont agree with war, i dont agree with killing, I dont agree with violence, its BAD. War will get no one anywhere. And i realy annoy myself. But I cant figure out why these two war games I will always love.
Wipeout/zoneoftheenders/finalfantasy/spyro - All based in a world that could exisit/does exist on a different 'dimension'. love it, im well into that. Love robots and beautiful costume designs. Wipeout fusion was my favorite. Also, all are colourful and I love colourful stuff.
To round this up ill mention that ps3 games are failing to keep me interested at the moment. I think their gameplay is way too realistic. I am wishing games would stay fantasy, quirky, and allow for that comedy moment. I dont think games should be so realistic. I play games to have fun, not witness what would happen if I actualy killed someone. Thats why I HATE Gta.
I sometimes think that this sort of realism is allowed in order to corrupt the younger generations. Your not going to kill someone in real life because thats illegal, but yeah, games make it okay to try it? It makes me so sad to think about it, and angry. *extreem contradiction*
I really want an xbox! they got fluffy games!!!!
29/12/2008
Speedpaints - 'Troll', 'Spaceship'
http://gameartatspeed.blogspot.com
Franketta the imp was very unplanned and i believe it shows, it took almost 2 hours, I think i was grinding away at it and getting no where so i decided to focus on the skin tones.
SPaceship took an hour and id like to make more of it! :D i think i need help with the composition, i tried to place it in the natural centre of teh image, i read a long time ago that instead of staying centre in an image your eye naturaly drifts right and upward.
Weekly tasks on there way :)
28/12/2008
Music: Blackout by Hybrid
Well just another one of those... i find it beautiful, and ill only post songs i adore.
26/12/2008
Today....
ive realized so much today, and before, someone, such a nice person, said something, that made me feel angry. I really feel it will be time soon for me to blog about my realisations and what I am thinking about. Im not going to fear what people think of what I am thinking anymore. its time to let go of all fear, or you will never progress.
25/12/2008
Merry Christmas, Happy new year too! and SPYRO!!
Hiii,
Thought Id have a little xmas blog.
Im looking forward to resting before uni starts again, but im just as keen to get back into it aswel. Im also glad that we get more time at uni than i first thought. Woppeee!!
I plan to complete my blogs between now and new year, so i can totaly chill out and melt into a pile of relaxedness before uni starts, and I WILL do each blog by week as a new years resoultion lawl.
SSoooooooooooo.. Christmas... Whats it all about ey?? well, no one really knows anymore thanks to the TV. But im glad people ive spoken to do actualy know! Wahahaha!! feeling crazy at the mo. Yes its the 25th but the pork hasnt cooked yet and im lookin forward to watching wallace and grommit, and drinking lots of wine.
havent done much today, me and ma prefer new year to celebrate and eat lots of crappy tasty foods. Oh and more booze. and more. We are gonna get wreckeded.
Soo yaa.. oh crap what was i gunna say.... OH YEAAHH!!
Well, Im so willing to do a bit more 3d, and Ben's visit really did inspire me to do some 3D, but i feel bad i didnt stay the whole time due to my nose, and I really hope he comes back soon!! I realy enjoyed what I cought of it.
So yeah, you can make pretty much what you want with 3D then, apart from an edible xmas pud, So ive decided to marry my love of the original Spyro the dragon series with my will to do more 3d, and ive decided to develop my own super duper mini level, like tiny, because I obviously cant handle anythin too big at the moment. Ahh im all excited. For me it was just figuring out WHAT to do on max. So yeah, this should get me started, and this is what gave me the idea - Gamasutra - Spyro Colour Theory
Gud ol gamasutra, i should visit more often, but i cant find the search box :S I want more spyro stuf to look at!!
yeess.... since insomniac stopped making spyro, it isnt the same!! Why didnt you just keep it to cute little home worlds with portals to beautifuly colourful lands.
Just because new consoles have more capacity for more 'world', doesnt mean you should just make a storyline and go through one world. YOU SHOULD MAKE MORE HOMEWORLDS AND MORE MINI WORLDS!!!! GAWWD!! (sorry thats just how i feel, and probably many other ps1 spyro obssessed peoples)
And spyro:dawn of the dragon is SO like lord of the rings ITS ABSOLUTELY REDICULOUS. Im almost half way through, and as pretty as the game is, I'm bored. yes bored. Not 25/100 into the game, and a lord of the rings style orc army is coming at you with the same towers full of enemies and same battering rams, to some beautiful little citty that doesnt deserve it. Infact thinking about it now, you totaly messed up what spyro games were. why?? why the hell, did you make it lord of the rings, with dragons?? WHY????? THERES EVEN A BLUDDY ROCK MONSTER MADE OF FIRE!! excuse my french, but im really dissapointed. this is the only other spyro ive played since ps1 titles, and im not happy. I knew I shudve just bought the ps2 titles instead, but i hear they are bad.
And to make it worse, elijah woods does the voice of spyro.
Its just not fair.
So yeh, mini spyro world here we gooo!!
Oh food is ready, toodles!!
Thought Id have a little xmas blog.
Im looking forward to resting before uni starts again, but im just as keen to get back into it aswel. Im also glad that we get more time at uni than i first thought. Woppeee!!
I plan to complete my blogs between now and new year, so i can totaly chill out and melt into a pile of relaxedness before uni starts, and I WILL do each blog by week as a new years resoultion lawl.
SSoooooooooooo.. Christmas... Whats it all about ey?? well, no one really knows anymore thanks to the TV. But im glad people ive spoken to do actualy know! Wahahaha!! feeling crazy at the mo. Yes its the 25th but the pork hasnt cooked yet and im lookin forward to watching wallace and grommit, and drinking lots of wine.
havent done much today, me and ma prefer new year to celebrate and eat lots of crappy tasty foods. Oh and more booze. and more. We are gonna get wreckeded.
Soo yaa.. oh crap what was i gunna say.... OH YEAAHH!!
Well, Im so willing to do a bit more 3d, and Ben's visit really did inspire me to do some 3D, but i feel bad i didnt stay the whole time due to my nose, and I really hope he comes back soon!! I realy enjoyed what I cought of it.
So yeah, you can make pretty much what you want with 3D then, apart from an edible xmas pud, So ive decided to marry my love of the original Spyro the dragon series with my will to do more 3d, and ive decided to develop my own super duper mini level, like tiny, because I obviously cant handle anythin too big at the moment. Ahh im all excited. For me it was just figuring out WHAT to do on max. So yeah, this should get me started, and this is what gave me the idea - Gamasutra - Spyro Colour Theory
Gud ol gamasutra, i should visit more often, but i cant find the search box :S I want more spyro stuf to look at!!
yeess.... since insomniac stopped making spyro, it isnt the same!! Why didnt you just keep it to cute little home worlds with portals to beautifuly colourful lands.
Just because new consoles have more capacity for more 'world', doesnt mean you should just make a storyline and go through one world. YOU SHOULD MAKE MORE HOMEWORLDS AND MORE MINI WORLDS!!!! GAWWD!! (sorry thats just how i feel, and probably many other ps1 spyro obssessed peoples)
And spyro:dawn of the dragon is SO like lord of the rings ITS ABSOLUTELY REDICULOUS. Im almost half way through, and as pretty as the game is, I'm bored. yes bored. Not 25/100 into the game, and a lord of the rings style orc army is coming at you with the same towers full of enemies and same battering rams, to some beautiful little citty that doesnt deserve it. Infact thinking about it now, you totaly messed up what spyro games were. why?? why the hell, did you make it lord of the rings, with dragons?? WHY????? THERES EVEN A BLUDDY ROCK MONSTER MADE OF FIRE!! excuse my french, but im really dissapointed. this is the only other spyro ive played since ps1 titles, and im not happy. I knew I shudve just bought the ps2 titles instead, but i hear they are bad.
And to make it worse, elijah woods does the voice of spyro.
Its just not fair.
So yeh, mini spyro world here we gooo!!
Oh food is ready, toodles!!
12/12/2008
Ufo's and lack of colds...
So, wednesday mornings, I wake up at 7:30, when mons and tues it is 6:00.
First of all, time MUST be relative, because whenever I wake up at 6, im faffing about and before I know it its time to leave the house at 7. However, when i wake up at 7:30, time goes as slowly as it can, and I find myself able to have a decent breakfast AND browse the nets for 15mins. INSANE.
An hour being less than an hour or more than an hour. Theres another thing, I used to think it took 20mins to get to coventry bus station, whilst walking fast, and taking the same route as I have done for about 7 years now. But one morning I took this little theorie and put it to the test. 'Right, im late leaving teh house I need to get to the bus stop pronto'. and W T F I got there in 10mins. Effing Weird. HOwever, im not nuts, because times been proven to be relative anyway. (If what ive said here has nothing to do with time being relative then... well.... yeah)
Anyhoo, this morning was a strange one, I was feeling rather strange. typical brain shift gear problems, I just wasnt on the ball.
So, I get on the bus and go to the top floor. Hour bus journey from ol' cov, and I didnt sleep this time. Anyway, almost at leicester, and I look to the left, only to see 3 spinning coloured balls FLOATZING in mid air. Yes, they were floating. I looked for their shadow and NOTHING was holding them up. I stared and stared wondering WTF 3 coloured balls were doing in a green field.
So i get a little worried, and happy that perhaps other life forms are visiting us still. (You cant deny that out of the whole universe that other life doesnt exist)
I get into uni still shocked, and google bird scarers on my phone, not quite believeing what i saw. And THIS is what I found.
Now you tell me that if you saw that and couldnt see what was holding it up that you wouldnt be scared..... these things were quite a distance away and i couldnt make out the eyes or teh holographic bit. It looked like a row of those treated beads.
These things dont just scare birds. Oh no. They are freaky in their own right.
Anyway, My means tested way of not catching a cold.
Go to asda, buy super hot peri peri sauce and dowse everything you eat with it. its NIIIICE!!
As soon as you feel that throat tickle, buy a packet of soothers/halls/the other make and eat them one after the other. Gone.
ADIU!!!
First of all, time MUST be relative, because whenever I wake up at 6, im faffing about and before I know it its time to leave the house at 7. However, when i wake up at 7:30, time goes as slowly as it can, and I find myself able to have a decent breakfast AND browse the nets for 15mins. INSANE.
An hour being less than an hour or more than an hour. Theres another thing, I used to think it took 20mins to get to coventry bus station, whilst walking fast, and taking the same route as I have done for about 7 years now. But one morning I took this little theorie and put it to the test. 'Right, im late leaving teh house I need to get to the bus stop pronto'. and W T F I got there in 10mins. Effing Weird. HOwever, im not nuts, because times been proven to be relative anyway. (If what ive said here has nothing to do with time being relative then... well.... yeah)
Anyhoo, this morning was a strange one, I was feeling rather strange. typical brain shift gear problems, I just wasnt on the ball.
So, I get on the bus and go to the top floor. Hour bus journey from ol' cov, and I didnt sleep this time. Anyway, almost at leicester, and I look to the left, only to see 3 spinning coloured balls FLOATZING in mid air. Yes, they were floating. I looked for their shadow and NOTHING was holding them up. I stared and stared wondering WTF 3 coloured balls were doing in a green field.
So i get a little worried, and happy that perhaps other life forms are visiting us still. (You cant deny that out of the whole universe that other life doesnt exist)
I get into uni still shocked, and google bird scarers on my phone, not quite believeing what i saw. And THIS is what I found.
Now you tell me that if you saw that and couldnt see what was holding it up that you wouldnt be scared..... these things were quite a distance away and i couldnt make out the eyes or teh holographic bit. It looked like a row of those treated beads.
These things dont just scare birds. Oh no. They are freaky in their own right.
Anyway, My means tested way of not catching a cold.
Go to asda, buy super hot peri peri sauce and dowse everything you eat with it. its NIIIICE!!
As soon as you feel that throat tickle, buy a packet of soothers/halls/the other make and eat them one after the other. Gone.
ADIU!!!
Game Technology
The ergonomics of consoles and their inputs!
The first console, the 'brown box', was quite literaly, a box that was brown.
Since then, consoles stayed boxy until 1985 when the gameboy was released. Two corners and two rounded corners. And now in 2008 consoles are heavy but curvey, minus the wii. Despite the ps3's shinyness and the 360's waist, in order to play a game in comfort, you need to think about the controller. So yeah, forget the console thats not that important...
People (unfortunately) do actualy sit for hours on their consoles tapping and bashing away. Therefore it is only right that the console designer makes it a comfortable amount of hours.
As with the consoles, the joysticks were also very square. e.g, the atari 2600 joystick was so clunky and heavy it was hard to play with. Not only that, it lacked a pause button. No toilet for you.
They then released another square input which did have a pause button, but was awkward to play with and users would get hand strains often.
Sega started the round controllers, which inevitably fitted both hands more comfortably, yet were quite flat.
Today, we have the classic playstation controller, which is clearly so good its stayed since 1995. I personaly prefer the ps controller over other handheld inputs. The 360 controller is comfortable but for me too large. The first xbox controller for me, was just horrid!!
As for the future of game inputs, as they say, the future is now! No, really, the wii contrillers get people off their butts and gets them to excersise a little. I really like the wii's way, but i dont own one and whenever i try to play i find it strange and difficult.
Now however, a brain controlled, yes, brain controlled input is close to going into production. I think it may already be. Its expected retail price is like £150.. so goes to show that technology is not only far these days but is getting cheaper.
They didnt really have the means to create rounded things cheaply in the 60's, so you cant really blame them for their boxy ways.
However, i dont think ergonomics will ever go to far, as for the sake of the person who pays for your games, they need to play comfortably!!
The first console, the 'brown box', was quite literaly, a box that was brown.
Since then, consoles stayed boxy until 1985 when the gameboy was released. Two corners and two rounded corners. And now in 2008 consoles are heavy but curvey, minus the wii. Despite the ps3's shinyness and the 360's waist, in order to play a game in comfort, you need to think about the controller. So yeah, forget the console thats not that important...
People (unfortunately) do actualy sit for hours on their consoles tapping and bashing away. Therefore it is only right that the console designer makes it a comfortable amount of hours.
As with the consoles, the joysticks were also very square. e.g, the atari 2600 joystick was so clunky and heavy it was hard to play with. Not only that, it lacked a pause button. No toilet for you.
They then released another square input which did have a pause button, but was awkward to play with and users would get hand strains often.
Sega started the round controllers, which inevitably fitted both hands more comfortably, yet were quite flat.
Today, we have the classic playstation controller, which is clearly so good its stayed since 1995. I personaly prefer the ps controller over other handheld inputs. The 360 controller is comfortable but for me too large. The first xbox controller for me, was just horrid!!
As for the future of game inputs, as they say, the future is now! No, really, the wii contrillers get people off their butts and gets them to excersise a little. I really like the wii's way, but i dont own one and whenever i try to play i find it strange and difficult.
Now however, a brain controlled, yes, brain controlled input is close to going into production. I think it may already be. Its expected retail price is like £150.. so goes to show that technology is not only far these days but is getting cheaper.
They didnt really have the means to create rounded things cheaply in the 60's, so you cant really blame them for their boxy ways.
However, i dont think ergonomics will ever go to far, as for the sake of the person who pays for your games, they need to play comfortably!!
06/12/2008
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