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!