Week 9: (An introduction to Game Technology)

This task covers topics from abstract research on games to applied technology for commercial video game production. It aims to appeal to academic researchers and game developers, as well as those who fall somewhere in between.
Video game design and production is a fast paced, hit-driven, technology-based field. Hardware used in game consoles and personal computers continues to improve, getting faster and cheaper at a dizzying pace. Video game developers start each new project with increased computational resources, and a long list of cool features they would like to incorporate. Since they normally work on very tight production schedules, they have little or no time to experiment with untested technology. Results from recent research help to bridge that gap.

Researchers, working largely in academia and occasionally in industry, are motivated by exploring new technology. To be published, research must be novel: either a completely new idea or a significant improvement on an old idea. Commercial game development can provide a rich stream of "...it would be nice if..." ideas which can inspire new research projects. This focus on novelty in the research world contrasts with the commercial world. There, while novelty is good, what really matters is an enjoyable, engaging experience. A sequel can be a hit while a strikingly original game may not.

Week 8 (Story telling in games)

Stories have been told in computer games for as long as the games medium has existed. Their quality has in most cases been poor, and the modes of storytelling used have been all over the place; the story often even interfering with the game play experience. This has begun to change in recent years, with new technology rapidly expanding the possibilities of the games medium and computer games reaching the mass-market and high profitability. Game development being a young craft and game storytelling even younger, there are still no acknowledged methods or systems for storytelling in games.

When I buy the game I usually think about the game play and then the story because the good story is a plus point of the game, I believe the point may be completely moot, because games are interactive, not passive.Which is to say, when you read a book or watch a movie, you are, in a way, a passive recipient of the creator's storytelling. You can turn the page prematurely, or pause the DVD, but generally, you experience the story elements of a novel or movie the same way as any other passive audience member. Games are not a passive medium, as they require player interaction. Consequently, no two players will have identical experiences (or stories to tell afterwards).

Week 7 (Art Director)

Behind every advertisement, magazine cover, video, or website is a big-picture person: the art director.If you’d rather call the shots than carry them out, art directing just might be your thing as long as you’re ready to be a fountain of new ideas. Art directors may also oversee a team of junior designers image, developers and production artists. In a smaller organization the art director may fill these roles as well. In a larger organization, art directors may oversee other art directors in a senior/junior art director relationship.
An art director, in the hierarchical structure of a film art department, works directly below the production designer, and above the set designer and set decorator. A large part of their duties include the administrative aspects of the art department. They are responsible for assigning tasks to personnel, keeping track of the art department budget and scheduling, as well as overall quality control.

Are You Ready To...

• Brainstorm ideas
• Tune into pop culture Manage a team
• Work under tight deadlines
• Deal with difficult clients

It Helps to Be...

A big-picture people person who thrives on the challenge of coming up with a continuous stream of fresh, new ideas. If you’re organized, creative, and bold enough to take risks, this could be the career for you.

Make High School Count

• Sign up for art class. It will help you develop an eye for color and design. Test the waters and build skills in electives like website design, graphic arts, commercial art, and photography. If these are unavailable at your school, check out a local two-year college.
• Develop strong writing and speaking skills in English and speech classes. Communicating ideas clearly is a must for art directors.

Did You Know?

• Management skills come in handy in art directing, where bringing your vision to life often means coordinating the hands-on work of graphic designers, photographers, and others.

Outlook

Government economists expect jobs for art directors to grow as fast as the average for all careers through 2014. However, art jobs always attract a lot of talented people, so expect heavy competition.

Compensation

Art directors earned an average yearly income of $78,420 in 2006, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

WEEK 6 (GamePlay)

Gameplay includes all player experiences during the interaction with game systems; the term "gameplay" in video game terminology is used to describe the overall experience of playing the game excluding the factors of graphics, sound, and the storyline.

Some gaming reviews give a specific score for gameplay, along with graphics, sound, and longevity. Many consider "gameplay" to be the most important indicator of the quality of a game.
I do enjoying playing various games on different console such as Pro Evolution Soccer 08 play station 2, Gears of war on X-box 360 and Call of the Duty on PC. Gameplay is a term most commonly used to used to rate, or score the quality of the experience had by games while playing a particular game
.

Multiplayer PC Games: Many of the PC games on the market today offer some type of multiplayer capabilities where you can play at home on your LAN or through the Internet in head-to-head deathmatch or competition. It depends on the game itself but some will even have options that allow you to play co-operative multiplayer against other people or computer AI players. The game itself will usually take you step-by-step through the process of configuring your game for multiplayer and offer a way to search for game servers right from the main menu of the game.
Many gamers prefer multiplayer games for the simple fact that these games will generally offer a single-player games plus the multiplayer capabilities add a whole new gameplay and replay value to the game. For those causal gamers out there who aren't interested in spending money and time on stand-alone multiplayer games, the popularity of Internet game services offers you many choices and a social atmosphere for gaming.

Week 5 Games Journalism

Video game journalism is a branch of journalism concerned with the reporting and discussion of video games. It is typically based on a core reveal/preview/review cycle.

Most New Games Journalism articles are not reviews of games in the traditional sense. They can instead be understood as being analogous to travel journalism, where the writer responds to subjective experiences presented to them by the game world, as well as interactions with other players online, real-world events surrounding gameplay, and other personal experiences.

If I were to write a review I will stick with base principal such as:

Life span: Every game has a different lifespan; some may enjoy it more then other. You have to find the average % percentage between people that do and do not prefer the game!

Graphic: Graphic is easy to judge but you still have to look out for the mapping (How well it is done and see how much time was spend on it) and judge if time was spend on it was worth it, glitz and also see how smooth the game runs!

Game Play: Every one has a different way of playing games, some people or players may enjoy it more then the others. So there are always different opinions! So you have to gat a percentage of the other as well as yourself for the review to judge the game.

Week 4 History of games (2001-2007)

2000
The PlayStation 2 had a difficult start. Only a few million users had obtained consoles by the end of 2000 due to manufacturing delays. The PlayStation 2 was such an awesome item after its release that it was near impossible to find one on retailer shelves, but the games on ps2 was awesome such as GTA, PRO Evolution, Metal gear solid, Final Fantasy etc.

2001
The Microsoft Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console first released on November 15, 2001 in North America, then released on February 22, 2002 in Japan, and later on March 14, 2002 in Europe. The Xbox was Microsoft's first independent venture into the video game console arena. Notable launch titles for the console include Amped, Dead or Alive 3, Halo: Combat Evolved, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, and Project Gotham Racing.
2004
In September of 2004, in time for the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (the best-selling game during the 2004 Holiday season), Sony revealed a new, smaller PS2. In preparation for the launch of a new, slimmer PlayStation 2 model, Sony had stopped making the older PS2 model. 2005
The Xbox 360 is Microsoft's newest video game console, the successor to their original Xbox. It was released on November 22, 2005 in North America, December 2 in Europe. The Xbox 360 will compete against the upcoming generation of consoles, including the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Will, and was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, a week before the E3 trade show.

2006

The PlayStation 3 was released in North America on November 17, 2006. During its first week of release in the United States, PlayStation 3s were being sold on eBay for more than $2300 USD "man thats a lot of money"2006
The console was known by the codename of "Revolution" until April 27, 2006, when it was renamed Wii, spelled with two "i"s to imply an image of players gathering together, as well as to represent the console's controllers. It is said Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii"

WEEK 4 A Short Survey on the History of Computer Games

1971 : The first "Coin-op" Arcade is opened to the public in the USA.

1972 : Nolan Bushnell founds ATARI Corporation. PONG becomes the most successfull game for coin-op arcades. The game had only two screen messages: "Deposit Quarter" and "Avoid missing Ball for High Score"

1974 : PONG for ATARI home computers released.

1975 : Commodore presents the Commodore PET, a home computer with a conventional audio cassette recorder as a storage device.

1976 : Fairchild releases the Channel F, a computer console for cartridges. Available software: PADDLE, HOCKEY, TIC TAC TOE.

1977 : Another space shoot-up game, SPACE INVADERS, keeps the player alive, if he destroys many hostile spaceships. Space invaders is the first game featuring a "High-Score Display".

1978 : ATARI's VCS 2600 becomes a commercial success as a hybrid station consisting of
tv-set, videogame-software and computer.

1979 : Activision is the first company exclusively dedicated to computer games programming. It was founded by 4 former ATARI employees.

1980 : Mattel releases Intellivision, another game developer. Nintendo releases PAC MAN. Pac Man becomes a long lasting success as well as an arcade game as a home computer game.

1981 : Nintendo and SEGA start exporting games to the USA.

1982 : DONKEY KONG by Nintendo Entertainment Systems (NES) released. The computer games business faces its first international crash.

1984 : Mattel sells its electronic division.

1989 : Nintendo releases GAME BOY and the programme TETRIS.

1990 : Nintendo sells SUPER MARIO BROS. games worth 500 Mio. $ worldwide.

1991 : SEGA makes a splash with SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.

1993 : DOOM becomes the most popular "First Person Shoot ‘em Up" game.

1994 : PC CD-ROM games become a serious alternative to consoles. SONY presents the Playstation.

1995 : SEGA releases the Saturn console.

1996 : Nintendo 64 issued, QUAKE follows DOOM as another ultra brutal shoot-up game.

1998 : Epic Megagames releases UNREAL1. The game software includes an editor called UnrealEd, which is a complete 3D-game editing software. Unreal communities flourish all over the world and exchange levels, models and know-how via the INTERNET.

1999 : 400 artists contribute to the development of FINAL FANTASY VII. For the first time the budget for the development of a single computer game equals the budget of major Hollywood movie productions. Epic Megagames release UnrealTournament, an extended version of Unreal1. SEGA presents its Dreamcast console with costum built interfaces like fishing rods, steering wheels and more.