Thrones of Iron!

Hello all,

My biggest and most recent undertaking has been to gather a team of student and/or professional game designers to create an MMO Role-playing game and Real-time strategy hybrid. We are working in the Hero Engine and have been developer with a team of 2 people for about 5 months now. Hence why it's time to expand (despite the fact that it's an MMO :D )...

You can check out the website here: http://galaxyforgegames.com/

Or our blog: http://galaxyforgegames.wordpress.com/

Or follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/galaxyforgegame

And check out our demo video below!!!

I've been working as the artist for this game. All models (except the character and leafy trees) were created and textured by me. I'm proud of the progress I've made as a 3D modeler and this project has been a great portfolio building experience.

Hopefully with a new team at our fingertips we will be able to make significant progress over the summer.

Keep posted! Cuz I'll keep posting!

Blog Migration

Hello all,

This is my new blog - as you can see I am migrating my old blog to this one, so there's a huge influx of posts that I want to include. I want this blog to act as a living portfolio and progression of my work.

My current project has been Thrones of Iron - an MMORPG/RTS created in Hero Engine.

Also a Super Smash Bros. fighting style game made in a senior project class at the University of Baltimore.

Project Neuveau

Been a long time, folks…

I’m entering a game contest hosted by my school (University of Baltimore) where team of up to 4 must create a game within a 3 month period of time. Judges will be from game companies located mostly in Baltimore, but also, we’re going to have a judge from Blizzard come humble us with his presence (lol…but no, seriously, that’s pretty big). The contest will allow you to use any software, but must adhere to three overlying themes of time, dreams and moral ambiguity.

Anyways, my partner and I just had to throw out our last idea due to issues with the networking capabilities of Unity. We’re moving on, however sticking with Unity, and going to mobile devices.

Our game design is going to be casual/social for hopefully people of all ages. Basically we want to mix up the mechanics associated with the Pokemon RPG’s and the concept of a Chia pet. The player (you) will being the game with the option to choose either a monster that is related to time and dreams. You will play as your monster and roam through mostly open-world environments, fight other monsters, gain skills and abilities and customize your monster. 

As you fight different monster types, you will have the option to stash away your current monsters in a safe place (think of the WoW hunter stables), and pick up this new monster to customize, mix-and-match abilities and add to your team.

We want to move this project toward a multi-player atmosphere (hence the social genre) where players with either Andriods or iPhones can battle other players via their mobile devices. When players win battles they will gain points and ranks in order to progress their monster further in the world of competitive monster training! If you opponent’s monster has an unlearned ability, you will have the option to learn it as a result of winning the battle.

This game will allow for heavily customized characters, multiplayer modes, RPG elements, single-player adventure game atmosphere, MMO world scales and very unique skill sets.

Let me know your thoughts!

Game Design Proposition

I recently played a game on Candyland.com called Monster Trucks 2 by Divo Divo. It was a 2D sidescroller where you drove a customized monster truck through a variety of wild courses. The goal was simple - get to the end of the track without destroying your car. It’s not as easy as it seems. The cars can flip and fall far more easily than expected. However, this adds to the fun of the game. Once you get the hang out it you can whirl your car around with style! After completing the races you have the choice to try the trick or trial runs through the previously completed courses, as well as moving on to new courses. You can spec your truck to exactly the way you want it - lowering or raising shocks, moving wheels around, etc. - all of which change the physics of the vehicle.

The game reminded me of Off-Road Velociraptor Safari by Flashbang Studios and even some aspects of GTA. What I loved most about those games was the physics created for cars - and of course the way you could relentlessly mash your vehicle into objects or people - or other cars (at least in GTA for the last one). Even Halo has some fun aspects when driving vehicles - going off ramps, boosting and crashing none the less.

I’d love to take the monster truck game and turn in into a 3-D sandbox game. Instead of simply completing races on a 2-D course and trying NOT to smash your car up, I think it would be awesome to have the game simply about destroying things. The setting would be in an everyday city with people walking around, magazine stands, other cars, etc. and the more destruction you cause, the more points/cash you rake in. Spend the points on bettering your vehicle, or perhaps adding stuff around the city just to obliterate in more fun, exhilarating ways. The player could have the option to enter races around the city, or perhaps destruction derby’s to compete against other violent vehicles. Ramps, cliffs, hills and the like would be strewn in various places around the sandbox. Doing tricks off of them could earn the player extra cash to play with, or just watch their vehicle careen into the side of a building. Furthermore, add in a multiplayer aspect so you and your friends can simultaneously thrash the city or just do it to each other!

I realize that the idea can seem rather mundane and could get boring just doing the same thing over and over. While it’s a game that would keep the reward/ratio very high, there wold be very little new content to entice players to keep playing. One way I see around this would be to have the player progress through different cities as “stages”, each one getting either more complex or more enforced. I think, however, if made to be multiplayer that would add significant replay value to the game. Also adding in secret upgrades, for example blades that protrude from the hubcaps that would slice apart other vehicles or pedestrians. It would also be necessary to add in micro goals so that there was always an alternative to demolishing the environment. I believe that while this wouldn’t be a game anyone would play for hours on end, it could be very pleasing for a 30 min devastation binge. It would certainly fall under the “casual game” category, with a violent, gory twist.

Psychology in Games

Game Designers check this out:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3085/behavioral_game_design.php?page=2

Kudos to John Hopson for detailing these fundamental game design procedures and the psychology behind them! It’s good to finally see some science attached to the concept of gaming and game design. There’s no question that every gamer, even casual ones, have experience at least one of these reward ratios/intervals - and there’s no doubt that every gamer has walked away from games that instill these concepts poorly.

More and more games seem to be exploring different combinations of each reward, or even avoidance system, though none seem to compare to the constant, rigorous obsession that Blizzard commands over their players through the hypnosis of World of Warcraft. It is apparent now that they have a variety of reward systems and avoidance systems in constant, successive motion. In one of the author’s recipes he asks “How do you make players play hard?” and claims the answer is a “variable ratio schedule”, in which each player action has the chance of producing a reward. In the case of WoW, this is highly accurate. Player’s know that they can do a myriad of activities that will reward them, even “when the player knows the reward is a long way off, such as when the player has just leveled… and motivation [should be] low [as well as] player activity” (Hopson). In WoW, if a player has just leveled they can upgrade skills, work on professions, seek out new dungeons for better gear, sell and/or buy items in the Auction House, socialize, explore, duel or PVP (player vs. player, used as a verb in this case) or even get their avatar stinkin’ drunk! And, yes, I know it sounds like I’m marketing this game, but the point I’m simply trying to make is that they have a clear understanding of how the mind of a gamer, or the majority of gamers, works. World of Warcraft is a multi-billion dollar asset to Blizzard and employs around 12 million players. Now that is certainly a successful game design - and it’s all thanks to the psychology of their reward systems. World of Warcraft gives players what they want.

However, that does not mean others games don’t, WoW is just a very easy example. It outlines how the right recipe of player reward will get your game design noticed and craved.

Independent Casual Games

Recently I played Envirobear 2000, Cream Wolf and VVVVVV.

I would have to say I liked VVVVVV, by Terry Cavanagh, the best. It took the simple platformer style game into something innovative and interesting. Having the player alternate between upside-down and right-side-up not only added an extra level of challenge but it made the game stand out - something that all designers need to strive for in this ever-evolving industry.It just made me think that extra little bit more than the general platformer. It was reminiscent ofPsychosomnium in the sense that it added the facet of thought-provoking navigation. These mechanics, coupled with the fast-paced gameplay made for an extremely enjoyable experience. One other thing that Cavanagh added was constant checkpoints to allow the player a nearly seamless gameplay experience. Bravo!

Cream Wolf by Adult Swim Games was alright. The best part of it was the nostalgic feeling I got because it reminded me of PacMan. And, while it kept me amused, I didn’t think that it pushed any level of new “mechanics”. I lost interest after about three rounds of avoiding cars and eating children. The idea was fun but the gameplay lacked nuance.

Envirobear 2000. Hmmm. I think I literally pressed every button on my keyboard and mouse and was still unable to made the car go forward. I changed from drive to reverse, I threw the timer around the car, I tried to press the pedals and I roared in frustration (in game, of course). I also read the readMe file which didn’t say anything about how to ACCELERATE. And the “click to drive” on the menu screen only helped me turn the steering wheel. My incompetency certainly ruined the experience for me. And I feel stupid. Apparently I’m the only one, though, because everyone else seemed to love it.

However, I did manage to get rammed by other cars driving around and even got enough momentum to run into a bush and savagely eat all the strawberries. This amused me. But then I went back to being angry at the game until snow whited out my screen and I quit, reluctantly and resentfully.

My usability diagnosis: MAKE THE CONTROLS MORE OBVIOUS FOR THE DUMB PEOPLE LIKE ME!

Multiplayer Games

I did a game a few semesters ago with a group for a “Multiplayer Games” class, instructed by Brian Doyle and the University of Baltimore. It was also a top down shooter, except I was learning Maya last semester so these models are from Maya 2010, not 3DS Max 2011 like the ones below. I’m not sure which I like better…but I certainly need more experience with both…

The "True Fan" Ladder

Wow. What an insightful article. Anyone who's a solo creator of any kind should check this out: http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php

Kevin Kelly’s outlook on how to avoid the “long tail” is extremely intuitive. It makes a reasonable argument, detailing how someone can make a livable wage as an independent producer. Kelly claims that any artist who strives to make some sort of profit from their work should obtain 1000 true fans. He defines a true fan as someone who will undoubtedly purchase any and all of the artist’s work, see all their shows, buy any merchandise, etc.

As an independent producer with 1000 true fans, making an average of $100 worth of purchases annually, gives the producer a $100,000 salary. He also makes a point that those 1000 true fans will expand the fanbase network by talking to other true fans and enticing lesser fans to follow the artist, further increasing the artist’s revenue.

While this seems like a surmountable feat, it isn’t as easy as just getting 1000true fans. He states that any producer who wants to achieve this goal would have to bend over backwards to keep those fans coming back. So, unfortunately, while this seems like a motivating theory, he notes that this tactic will either make the artist a livable wage or put them in poverty. It’s a tough decision to weigh. My opinion is that, in many cases, working 40 hours a week for steady paycheck beats being your own boss.

Space Shooterz Art Update

Here’s a model for a turret to be included in the same game. This one gave me A LOT of trouble with textures. They were stretched out and blurred. Reducing or increasing tile amount did nothing except make it worse. I didn’t stretch the geometry much, the most I did was some chamfers, extrudes and bevels with minor transform adjustments.

Space Shooterz

In my class “Frontiers of Game Design” at the University of Baltimore, taught by Aaron Oldenburg, we’re working on creating a casual game as our final project for the semester.

One of my partners, David Bessent, came up with an idea for a top-down vehicle shooter game. Out of my love for driving vehicles around in games likeOff-Road Velociraptor Safari by Flashbang Studios (play it on Blurst.com … it’s awesome!!) and even Bungi’s Halo, I thought this idea had amazing potential!

Here’s some renders for my vehicle model. No guns installed yet … and it’s very blocky around the wheel wells. Let me know what you think.

Simulation for Experimentation

Will Wright, the creator of The Sims franchise, is certainly a brilliant man by all means. He once said this, quoted from Smartbomb, by Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby, “Simulation is quickly replacing experimentation as the central test of a new theory.”

While I do agree with his statement, it has a major flaw. Will Wright makes a very good point regarding the shift to more simulation-oriented testing, however I believe that simulation is simply another form of experimentation. Experimentation is “the use of tests and trials in order to make discoveries and assess hypotheses”. Using this Webster definition, a simulation is nothing more than an “up-to-date” form of a traditional scientific (or whatever subject) experiment.

I believe that traditional experimentation, the kind with test tubes, vials, lab coats and subjects, will eventually become obsolete to whatever degree possible. Simulations have the potential to be more accurate, less costly and ultimately safer than traditional experiments. As long as it’s possible to input the necessary parameters of an experiment into a computer program that can accurately simulate a response, then it would seem to be the most practical route. For example, if scientists are able to replicate all the possible factors of chemical reactions into a computer simulation, why wouldn’t they? It saves time, allows for easily repeated trials and reduces resource costs.

Casual Games and Unity

Flashbang Studios seems to have a good grip on the indie game phenomenon. They employ a small team of developers that all seem to collaborate well together, brainstorming ideas and constantly pumping out games. The company seems to have a well-established plan in which they develop their games over a short period of time so that they can get feedback sooner and ultimately produce more games per year. I believe that Flashbang made a good point in the interview regarding how companies will spend 2 years developing a game and realize the game isn’t fun 14 months in. Their business model certainly reduces the potential for wasted resources.

The games I played were “Off Road Velociraptor Safari” and “Jetpack Brontosaurus”. Both of these games were absolutely excellent. I was engrossed in the conceptual simplicity and quirky gameplay that they both offered. “Velociraptor Safari” had a fast-paced rampage style mechanic that proved excellent in terms of replay value. It was immensely enjoyable to plow the fleeing dinosaurs or whack them with the deplorable spiked chain. It had sandbox quality level design with great driving physics, ramps and boosts!

“Jetpack Brontosaurus” made me laugh…but in a good way. I loved watching the lumbering behemoth dinosaur ram into structures of crash to the ground and then simply boost back up into their air, watching its tail and limbs swing around limp. It offered little mini-challenges in the level as well as an overall goal. The physics and controls were accurate and easy to use. I became entranced solely in flying around the arena.

It seems that Unity has provided Flashbang Studios with an excellent tool to continue utilizing their business model. I certainly think they deserve the success they’ve achieved over the years. They have amazing, original ideas that perfectly fit the “casual games” structure. I will definitely be visiting Blurst.com again!

The Art Game Revolution

More and more developers are turning to art-focused and unorthodox methods of game creation. These games stray away from “the Blockbuster” norms, the “safe haven” game genres and aspects that make up the commercial industry. Furthermore, indie games are booming in popularity - and not just casual flash games - but games that explore “risk and messiness” - games such as the ones Jason Nelson has produced. All of the games that he’s created have little or no relation to mainstream games - he claims to “leap outside the boundaries” of game creation. He believes that “people would be willing to tolerate the weirdness if it speaks to them in a way”. I think he’s got a good point. I liked his “this is how you will die” game - not necessarily because I’m a morbid person, but because it’s just quirky and interesting. It’s simple, not time-consuming and entertains me for as long as I need it to. Reading all the randomized excerpts that sequence my supposed death has a certain element of fun to it.

Other indie games draw from casual or mainstream game concepts, but add a twist to them that makes them exceptional in their own way. They certainly do not have the same level of uniqueness that Jason Nelson’s games have, but they are still gems of a sort.

The only one that really has no ancestor of any sort is the game: “Alarmingly These are Not Lovesick Zombies”. All I can say is wow…what? Honestly, I didn’t really like it. It seems like some sort of shooter game that just crams nonsensical images and garble all over the screen after certain amounts of “kills”. The only interesting thing the game provided was small video clips that were supposed to be “insider info” on the game industry. Which, in fact, just seemed stupid - perhaps accurate, but presented in a way that made me not want to watch it. So, all in all, the game didn’t really do much for me.

I liked the platformers. “Dadaists Gone Wild” and “Psychosomnium” were fun and different. They made me think - well, not so much “Dadaists Gone Wild”, but it still arranged obstacles in a manner that took some interpretation. Switching “good” elements to “bad” elements was a good twist. I also liked the power-ups that really kept me on my toes while playing through the worlds. It was fun, different and fast-paced. “Psychosomnium” had me slamming my fists into my keyboard for a while. It was damn confusing! Eventually I found my way through some of a tricks but it really made my cranium toil. The best part was that these “secrets” around many of the obstacles were simple, yet with no visible clues to lead you there it really came from one’s own interpretation of the surroundings to figure out what to do.

“Rararacer” was definitely cool. It was like the voice in the background was saying exactly what I was saying in my mind during certain instances of game-play. Also, the youTube interface was different. It made me feel like I wasn’t really playing a game, but watching a video - or perhaps making the video myself. The concept was fun and turned a very mundane game into something intriguing.

The Religion of Gaming

The Night Journey looked like an incredibly intriguing game. I like Bill Viola’s outlook that “the game rewards you for slowing down and for introspection”. It’s amazing that he can create this vast world that, in its simplest terms, allows the player to explore the scenic, obscure environments. And in its most complex terms it mirrors a dream state in which decades Viola’s work is transcribed into a meaningful art-form. Watching the trailer move from game world to real video footage was absolutely astonishing. It’s like he’s taking his experiences, research and findings and creating a labyrinth of meaning and spirituality through the form of a video game. He’s a scientist, in a way, and he’s relaying the results of his experimentation through the tools of gaming rather than text and speech. I think the level of mystery and unknown makes for a style of play that will immerse the player in his world. He notes: “The more you do things mindfully, the more is revealed to you”. It’s like solving puzzles that aren’t really there - you have to look for them, but when they are discovered it’s like unearthing something truly meaningful - something real.

Religious games seem to prey on the problems that have arisen within and as a result of varied faith and beliefs over the years. It’s interesting to see what problems or flaws these developers feel religion has gone through and in some cases, still occur.

Pazzon was a fun little platformer with an interesting religious twist. I think it reflects on many of the acceptance issues that various religions have dealt with throughout history - and sadly, it’s pretty accurate. The priests claim that, although there are two beliefs that peacefully coexist, they still want to convert as many as they can to empower their own faith. And if they don’t want to convert - kill them. This strongly reflects the outlook of many religious conflicts in the past - The Crusades, Judaism and Christianity, etc.

Frank Ze’s “Life Games” were simple yet powerful. He, in the most blunt way possible, portrayed the overall afterlife concept that each specific belief entails. Atheists - nothing, Buddhists - reincarnation, Christianity - heaven or hell. I thought it was even a bit comical how blunt the message of each game was. Although, I couldn’t figure out why the elevators came back for the Christianity game - maybe I’m missing something?

The game “Faith Fighters” I just thought was hilarious - not to be crude or offensive but not only did it lower religious entities to cartoon-ish video game characters beating each other up, but it was just flat out fun. It reminded me of a goofy version of all other 2-D side-scrolling fighting games. What I did find interesting though was the mystery boss at the end - an alien with a nuke attack. I assume that it was a play on Scientology? Or perhaps Evolution? Since both of those concepts do or can include the existence of aliens.

Indie Games....Love em'

I think that Cactus has a very innovative and exploratory approach to game design. I liked how he attempts to facilitate emotional or mental stimulation of some kind through his games and I like how he has strayed away from commercialism. His position on players’ interpretation is rather interesting as well. He claims that there are parts of his games that he doesn’t think all players would understand, but he’d rather leave it open to their interpretation instead of imposing his own.

While he has some great ethics about design, he does appear to have flaws. I think his outlook on quantity over quality is a bit foolish. I don’t think quantity should be a factor when it comes to game design but more certainly should not be at the expense of quality. But if you can achieve both, which it seems like he has done for the most part, then more power to you.

I think his games quite closely reflect his approach to design. Both Mondo Medical and Mondo Agency were both intriguing in their own way. Mondo Medical really made me wonder why he decided to instruct the opposite of what you were actually supposed to do. The bleak aesthetics also brought a certain level of abstractness to the look and feel of the game - like an “out of place” feeling.

Mondo Agency had a weird story attached to it, which was creepy in a way. I questioned why he narrated/wrote the way he did - it was choppy and incomplete at parts. The intricate puzzles were rather intriguing - I constantly tried to have them represent something - such as the “mirrors” in the initial stage. I goes to show that although game-play and graphics may be simple, game design can still excel.

The other games that I played were “This is Infinity” and “Rise: Sea of Static”. I enjoyed these games a lot as well, but more for their visual effects and perceptual game-play. Upon entering the world of “This is Infinity” I could see it fit the title. I looked over the vast emptiness thinking - where do I go? I approached many of the interesting objects around the space - watching the moving M’s fly away. If fact I followed on as far as I could until it disappeared, thereupon leaving myself stranded in a black abyss. I liked how the psychedelic visuals were more than just flat, useless images. Many of them seemed to shine light on hidden aspects of the area.

“Rise: Sea of Static” was fun. It took me a few tries to figure out that I was that small person rather than the large platform that I was standing on, but once I got the hang of it I really liked it. The one thing I thought was very cool was how you had to trust the “abstractness” of the game. I found myself jumping off ledges and into unknown places, believing that some other platform would be there to break my fall.

The 3D Canvas

The article by Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn, creators of “The Path” and directors at Tale of Tales studio was inspiring. It draws upon several aspects of the medium that most people it today’s society and culture think nothing about. The technology we have at our disposal today is extremely powerful and has very few limitations. They mentioned that taste and smell were the only senses that have yet to be processed by a digital medium. The tools available today have the ability to pull from the human experience - what it is to be human - to feel, to have emotions, etc. Virtual worlds need to portray situations that really speak to that experience - they need to immerse the player in a world that is just enough unlike their own, just beyond the scope of reality, but still makes them use their human instincts and senses. Players today need to actually feel as if they are experiencing something for themselves - not through the eyes of a designer, or an avatar or a TV screen. Games today must speak to the human mind and fabricate a reality for it.

I played all the games available this week (with the exception of “Gravity Bone” b/c there was no Mac download) and they were fantastic - especially “The Path”.

Beginning with the simpler games, “Don’t Look Back” didn’t seem to follow the conventions that the article talked about - but it was fun and fast paced. The title was very fitting, I thought. Every stage that I got through, I was relived that I wouldn’t have to do again. There were definitely parts that made me do some simple problem solving to overcome, but generally the game seemed to revolve around good hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes.

The games by Daniel Benmurgui; “Storyteller” and “I Wish I Were the Moon” had outstanding concepts. I thoroughly enjoyed playing through all the different outcomes available - specifically in Storyteller. I liked how I could manipulate every stage of the storyline, which is a familiar point made by the Realtime Art Manifesto article: that life isn’t laid out, it doesn’t have a plot-line and things don’t always happen as they should - and our virtual worlds need to parallel that notion. The way these games were set-up let me create my own filler, or interpretation, of the story in between A, B and C. One thing I like to see in games is the option for player manipulation (which I spoke about in the “Rules as Art” post). It’s nice to feel like you’re in control of what happens in the game - to hell with linearity!

And last, but in no way, leas, “The Path”. A few words to describe it - innovation, elegant, beautiful, a mastery of 3D virtual space as art - drawing upon emotion and sensory values. The game-play was simple, yet fantastic. I felt compelled the explore the intricate forest and I can honestly say that I was a bit ‘creeped out’ by the look and feel of the game. There were various elements that seemed so mysterious and almost scary. At every significant landmark my mind wandered as to what it was and why it was there. Particularly the one that looked like a burning corpse hanging from telephone wires. The camera angles also brought about an aspect of curiosity - I found myself asking “what am I looking for…is something going to happen? Or is this merely to accentuate the detailed environment”. There was also an element of confusion - almost like the game was taking place in a dream state. As I walked around the map, I noticed that things didn’t always line up. For example, if I walked to the very edge of the map it would bring me back to the other side and I would eventually hit road. Also, the asphalt road and the dirt path didn’t seem to match up either - there were times I felt like I was walking in circles, lost! There’s no doubt in my mind that this is an amazing example of an Artgame and a catalyst for the future of 3D space as a new form of canvas. I can easily say that I would buy the full version of the game …if I wasn’t a poor college student…

Rules as Art

Using rules as a form of art in games is an interesting concept. The simple board games that the author examined are fun and intriguing because of their rules and overlying conventions and nothing more (especially since they’re rather bland in appearance). It shows how gaming, in its simplest form, can be artistic.

The most intriguing part of the article was the types of rules -specifically types 3 and 4. I personally am fond of games that allow for the player to create rules and form his/her own path throughout the game. It’s a highly dynamic form of game-play that puts the figurative ‘brush’ right in the hands of the player.

The author touched on an even more interesting point with his type 4 explanation that foretold of the possibility of a game world that creates rules based on player decisions and actions. This form is clearly the most difficult to imagine; a world that is literally thinking for itself, changing the infrastructure to suit different scenarios and outcomes created by the player - or by the game itself (just because it can). Perhaps someday in the near future we will have game engines capable of this level of innovation, but for now we rely on predetermined rule sets.

Playing the game “Mirrors” was somewhat frustrating, being that with such a simple and basic appearance it forced the player to perform trial and error tactics in order to find out what to do. It was interesting though in that it had a creepy storyline to go along with the mesmerizing heuristics. The game’s rules simply revolved around getting to a distinct point in each level (representing a stage in the character’s life). The maze-like puzzles seemed to be a representation of the difficulties associated with different stages in life - how they can seem confusing and endless.

I didn’t quite fully figure out the point of the game “Bars of Black and White”. I thought I was supposed to find all the bar codes in the room (or possibly exit the room - which I didn’t figure out how to do). I thought the layout of the game was interesting - it told a story by having the player click on different objects throughout the room, each one having its own explanation. Some objects could be picked up, but I found no use for them. I liked the look and feel of the game - I just wished it offered more game-play (or that I found out what exactly I was supposed to do.)

I do believe that rules can be used as a form of art. They, in and of themselves, provide a framework for the player to build from and can exist without any high-end graphics. They allow players to create their own perceptions of the game and what it’s supposed to entail.

Art Game Emergence?

The immersion of the idea that games can and should be more focused on events and procedures; mechanics and controls rather than visuals, graphics, resolution and storyline is quite fascinating. The concept that the actions are more important than the visuals representing them can stimulate some interesting sorts of game-play.

Upon playing some of the Artgames mentioned in class and in the Gamasutra article, it truly made me wonder what direction this genre will go. I found most of the games (especially Passage) to be rather dull and boring. In fact, Passage had me more focused on the changing of the scenery than anything else in the game - then all of a sudden the characters died. What I drew from the game was that it was meant to parallel how long and monotonous life can be until all of a sudden you “pass” away (die). Truly, though, this game was unique. I only pressed one button the entire time and as the backgrounds changed I tried to deduce whether or not they had meaning; if they were meant to represent emotions or thoughts with each new stage of life. So then I asked myself: is that the purposes Artgames? Are they meant to stimulate thought and emotion through the perception of a given act (in the case of Passage, going through life).

Another one I thought was particularly interesting was ‘Graveyard’. Talk about morbid. That game really made me ponder what it would be like if/when I’m the only one in my family left … waiting to die. The aesthetics of the game facilitated those ideas; the gray-scale background, the lady’s walk-cycle, her mental monologue, even the whizzing by of birds made it seem like you (as the character) had lost all steam while the world was passing by around you. It was kind of saddening.

Artgames, to me, are almost more like movies (not big Hollywood productions; but small independent films) that really seek to poke and prong at it’s player’s emotions and thoughts. With that said, I can see why the genre was dubbed ‘Artgames’. In my experience, most artwork is meant to stimulate ideas and feelings; to convey the emotions of a given act, time, place, person, etc.

There’s definitely potential in this genre and I’m eager to get some ideas rolling around for my own Artgame.