Why go to College to make games when you have tools like these?

You could spend four years of your life in college learning a trade that ,like many, in the computer sector changes and updates yearly if not monthly. So yes you could learn the basics but in truth if you don't continue you to learn after your education your skills will become null and void, well College doesn't guarantee a job in the game industry anyway. Until now everyone had to work their way in and teach themselves. So I invite you to do the same. Here are a few programs you can download and buy to help you learn the basics and advanced sections of game/level design! I hope these tools will help you as much as they helped me.

RPG maker (VX)

This program will cost you some money but in the long run its really worth it. I feel safe to say many if not all computers can run this program and there are a great deal of help forums on the Internet where you can get answers for any question you might have. You may import any sprite you can find and even make your own. With this program you can design an entire story driven RPG, you can even request and share completed games and resources. This program will allow you to design an entire story driven RPG.

Cons:
-It's not free and if you want others to enjoy your game they have to download a program to load your project file.
-Even with help the battle system could have more options.

Game Maker 8 (YoYo games)
This program , like RPG maker, costs money ( the "pro" edition will run you $25) but if you want to just get a feel for the program you can always download the trail version and see if it's what your looking for. This program takes tasks and scripts and makes them building blocks that just need to be placed in the correct sequence of code to preform its correct function. This is most popular in game programs for the public and again there is an option to write your own code and import it into the game.

Cons:
-You wont be making the next blockbuster with this program.
-The trial version is very limited in what you can do once you figure out the basics.

Warioware D.I.Y (Nintendo DS, Wii)

The Big N is sick of making games for you so now it's your turn. This new title in the micro games series is a step in the right direction for fans and indie developers mainly because it gives you a near endless amount of tools to not only make a little game but control the music and scripting of it. There is something for everyone here...whether you are really into making just music or drawing your own sprites this title gives you all that and allows you to package and send your games to other DS and Wii users. This is of course a retail game and one of the more expensive "game makers" but its the charm and easy access that might get most to over look the price and limitations.

Cons:
-you have to have a DS to play and a Wii to download the extra distribution channel.
-You can't really make a full game its mainly 5-10 second mini games.
-No matter how you make it most of the games will end with touch this to win...but again if you have a DS and some extra cash this should be your next DS purchase.

There are also many other programs out there that all offer different things. I didn't list them mainly because I haven't used them but I know Unreal 3 would be the best for modding and even Never Winter Nights if you can run it. both are not expensive anymore and can even be bought and downloaded from your computer. I recommend checking those out as well as the ones I have listed. Good luck and happy creating!

April 15, 2010

Adding Moral Choices to games...do they really matter?

"Game developer Andrew Doull recently asked readers of his blog whether players of his upcoming game should be able to get enemies to surrender"-Kotaku.com. It's a concept not completely new to games but it seldom works. If the game gave the player the option to choose for example a surrendering enemy I would say 9 out of 10 times they'll still kill them. Why not, with games today pushing higher and higher body counts the environment for morality seems like a mute point. If it moves, kill it. that's the state games are in right now and no one really is crying for choice in their FPS murder romps. And if there was such an implementation of choice to let one live in a fire fight it begs the question what's to stop them( the NPC) from picking up the gun once you turn your back? As for right now this AI addition has a hard uphill battle to seep into games because gamers have nothing to attach emotion to. Red Steel tried to reward the player more for letting defeated foes live but at the end of a hard fight with no emotional connection to whom your fighting why not just finish the foe because the only reason I can see letting one live would be for the reward mechanic but its still shallow at best, nothing is done in the game to encourage an honorable fight when they are constantly yelling you suck and are a "gaijin" (a Japanese slur towards westerners) So Kotaku brings up the discussion to get both sides of the argument but as for what I think Games and the players of today have been too accustomed to if it moves shoot it and when you give no incentive or reason to spare someone, why do it? So ask you the reader what's do you think? Would you welcome this addition or fail to see the point? Add your comments.

January 8, 2010

What games can teach us...nothing?

It's sad but true over the past I don't know 20 or so years I have been a user of games ( sounds like a drug addiction and its not far from it) at first they were just that fun and it was something to fill time as a child growing up as were action figures and playing outside. They are things to help you develop as a person and learn values to then take those "skills" and apply them to your life as an adult. As a kid I loved gaming but it came with limits such as play time and sharing. These simple rules in my opinion were the only things that kept me from getting addicted but sadly many of us are now way beyond that point as it has encroached on every facet of our lives to the point we don't even have real goals anymore. A great example would be from my time working a eb/gamestop for about 3 years. I was in college to learn game design to really put my passion to work but i slowly lost that feeling and my goals were dumbed down. It became this job sucks but (enter title here) is coming out I can't wait it's going to be so much fun. Gaming really is an addiction and those who are under it's influence need to come to terms with the fact that no matter how much fun it is and how cool you feel doing it your real life is suffering. I used to be upset with my brother over how could he not care about such and such a game when it was so close to release or the concept of the game sounded so cool but he would act as if it didn't matter to him and that's not to say he didn't like it , he did but it wasn't the end of the world for him like it is for most of us. I am jealous of that now I am starting to see that games are not everything and reflecting how "hooked" and committed as a user I was to not even see what a hold it had on me. I once made a joke that if my history class was about games I would get an "A" and that was proven years later when I began college to study how to make them but I now think about how stupid I must be to be proud that I can ace a game test about Nintendo's history but struggle over the western advances in the world markets in a business class which is a topic that relate to the real world and truth be told is far more valuable to know then what Mario's fist name was (jump man). I feel like I was brainwashed and allowed it to happen. For a few months now I have been living in an area that isn't controlled by games, games here are like a second thought still and for me that was a hard reality to get used to at first. "Your telling me I can't get the newest online xbox 360 game or the cool new DS game that uses all these features" That was gone for me and for a long time I was just like a drug addict doing anything I could to fill the hole. Download PC games on torrent sites watch game news more then real news and begin to dwell completely on trying to only solve one problem...how to get what I want where I am. Just listen to this blog it sound insane. I sound insane. So much time with only goal which all gamers share to experience the next big ride or high if you will. To be apart of it but what does it give back? Now to the meat of this blog. If your a gamer in any respect reading this then pay cation to my words this far because if your not in as deep as me its still possible and its highly destructive to every part of your life. Games as a medium so far have been attempting three things:
1. Emergent play, by this I mean creating stories and worlds that draw you in just like any movie or book. By drawing you in you can let your self go and be entertain for hours coming away from it excited to what's next or what just happened and when this happened you need more to feel that way again just like any-other addictive substance.
2. Attach loyalties, this product placement is proven with any top ten game list where the Super Mario Brothers always tend to find a way to the top three spots and that's because for many they were your first "joint" of games and so that game forever becomes something you will pay attention to even if it never lives up to your expectations you fight with yourself to stack it up with your childhood to that first Mario hit you took and compare them, you are using even when you didn't want to.
3. Taking your money, I'm sorry but this is a business and that's the thing that makes the world go round. they get you on a product sometimes under false pretenses, such as the DS isn't just a game system it can train your brain, which leads to once you have "trained" all you can train you ask "what else does this thing do?" *looks at a wall of games* and then WHAM GOTCHA! You have now went from a moderate user to a casual user and it only "levels-up" from there until your right where the rest of us are. Game don't DO anything for our lives. They are a smoke screen most of the time for us a world to hide in away from this real one. I used to joke about such thought but it's so more true now then before.

Overall games are entertainment and the trick is to not let them control you as much as you control them. Games are not more important then setting life goals games should never be a goal in your life trust me if you looked at the worlds most successful people I would like you to ask yourself if they are hardcore gamers? I would argue probability not even close and if they did play it would be minimal at best. I will leave you with one more quote I thought I was living by when it came to games but ended up being a huge hippocrate to:

"In order to be a great game designer you need to get out in the world and experience any and everything you can you don't create worlds in a basement" Shigeru Miyamoto
Now what If you take two addictive substances and use the in the same instance, such as smoking and playing games. I ran a test on myself recently on the ratio to cigarettes i smoking while engaging in a game over spending a night watching TV. During this time i would allow myself to smoke any time I felt like it for whatever justifiable reason I felt to smoke whilst playing a game "left 4 dead/Battlefield 1943" or watching Television "The Daily Show/The X-files". Let's look at the results. While playing game i tended to reward myself for good playthroughs or kills by smoking like palvios dog, then while watching TV i tended to only smoke when I became board of the show or someone in the show began to smoke making me a sheep big tobacco as a brainwashed drone. When I stopped doing both activities with smoking the effects became more noticeable while gaming. I would kill another play and become excited and begin to look around the room for cigarettes and then the game become more of a annoyance because i couldn't smoke and became aggravated and short tempered. Now people should be able to control their emotion at least behavior with games and many argue both sides but it is true if your easily aggravated in life games can amplify there emotion if you let them.

January 7, 2010

Left 4 Dead* now for NES

In the new year instead of high tech 3-d shooters hogging the market the ambitious fellas over at Pixel Force have worked long and hard to take your favorite 3-d game(s) and return it to a more simple time when it was just you and a buddy and 8-bit goodness. That's right you heard me correctly Valves extremely popular Co-op zombie survival game has been sent back to 1980 with a fresh coat of sprites and love just so we can pretend what it would have been like had this title existed in the golden age of gaming! the screens are great just as fan art but to play the game in action is a great way to kick off 010!

(Why are girls always represented with pink must have been an 80's thing)

You and a pal can spill some block blood on the zombie infected streets and take it to those special infected just remember you only have four directions you can shoot so get that boomber fast before he moves diagonally!

Itching to play, that's what I like to hear now head over to the link and start playing like your fourteen all over again! Now with 100% less little kids on live screaming into your headphones, good deal! Download and enjoy Pixel Forces hard work! Look up Eric Ruth as well.

(Bill goes it alone in No Mercy...where's his cigarette its the 1980's again...kids loved to smoke as did many children's characters!)

See Flintstones

January 6, 2010

*Breaking News EA confirms NBA JAM for Wii

The Wii exclusive was reported earlier on IGN.com. EA games will be updating (not porting)the basketball series made most popular on the SNES and Sega Genesis. Fans have been hoping for a new title in the series or just a port on the Virtual Console ever since third parties began to show more support for the Wii's VC store. As for details regarding whether or not this will be a Wiiware game or a full retail deal has yet to be confirmed for now gamers can rest easy knowing they can once again hear the classic " Oh my god, He's on fire!!" and "all the way from downtown" and you can't forget "razzle dazzzle!" Expect full details in the coming month.








Personal note* I wonder if you can play as Obama in this one? (to the left Clinton plays for the bullets)

January 5, 2010

Social Updates/ If you even want to marry outside the US...ever...pending book deal

Hello again...it has been far too long since my last TOP TEN post and to which For the two of you who saw it I hope you enjoyed it. I am blogging on this September 11th to lay down some facts, rant, and explain a few things about marriage to a non-us national and touch on some of the issues that will without a doubt stand in your way. Now first it must be said that all the information about what one should do and keep an eye on when fileing paperwork and getting paperwork for that matter can be different depending on what Country your hoping to meet that special someone and spend the rest of your life together with. I am in Bulgaria a new member to the EU and really missunderstood place in eastern Europe. I am from Vermont another less talked about and mostly unknown area to the United States, I can't count how many people still can't recall where it is or claim "its that place near New York and Canada right?" as they then talk about whatever they know about The area around Vermont or just ski trips to it...lame. But I am in the heart of Bulgaria which is Sofia. It's got a lot going for it at the moment first being a new member to the EU gives it a much better understanding to local Eruopeans and has since then become a much traveled hot spot even for Americans, such as myself. So tomorrow is our long awaited Wedding and thank you I am excited but first some legal stuff about how things work around here as best I have been able to find and have gone through. Many would tell you if you are looking to stay long here a type D-visa shuld be given and that's not a bad idea in the slightest manly because to get around that you need to know people, which I do and it was just luck really so don't be upset. Your embassy with play a large role in obtaining the rights to marry here in Sofia. you must have your passport when making trips there inorder to even enter but I hope you already knew that. If you just hop on a plane and head over here minus the flight ticket cost be ready to file for an extention if you didn't apply for a D-visa at your local embassy back home, which honestly is such a pain in the ass to make people do. there are about only three Bulgarian embassies that can help you wih this and a list of which one takes care of the US state you live in (all can be found here Click )


Mine happend to be New York, Albany to be exact and I e-mailed months in advance to just see what it was all about. Here was my question and answer from the Official Rep at the embassy as for what I could do with getting married.
Question:
"Thank you Nikolay Milkov, for taking the time to to answer my letter this information helps. I have a few other questions if you don't?mind helpping me with,?Does this mean I can go to bulgaria and marry and then apply for the d-visa? Or would I have to return to the U.S. after being married and apply back in the U.S. and then return to bulgaira? I just want to be with my fiancee and I would like to contribute by holding a job and the only way to have either of those is a d-visa if im not mistaken. Again thank you for your time.

Richard J. Ackel"

Answer:
"I think that you can apply for a D-type visa after your wedding not necessarily in the US. It could be done in a Consular service near the country, such as Nis (Serbia), Skopje (Macedonia), Bucharest (Romania) which seems to me to be the most convinient because the Romanians travel visa free to Bulgaria and I do not think there will be a line in front of the consular service."

this was what I banked on when coming here to sofia because it is his job to address these questions and that was his answer so for me i saved it for proof (save everything any official sends you for proof do not rely on your word that someone will agree should a problem pop up..ever!!!)

Once here we as a couple were so excited to no longer be talking or seeing one another over the internets becuase thats a real drang and can make any relationship almost impossible or result in either party giving up and if your still going strong anything else in this life that happens while you are together wont stand in your way I promise you that! So we had to get blood tests and there are a few places here in the city that deal with the embassies just for this matter its not expensive nor will it take long the only thing is getting a needle in your arm...just dont' look. Your results can be processed in a few hours and now you have one of the steps to check off I say do this sooner then later. We waited longer then we should for it and it wasnt bad just had to do a lot for running around. The test looks for STDs and AIDs so yay to you to know if that toilet set was clean at the airport!! or to know if she didn't tell you something better to find out now but lets hope that never is the case.

Next file at the US embassy for marriage, it's 30 lev or just use your card/debit card and it is all set just some info will need to be relayed mainly that you are 18 and older, you are not married already or if you have divorced before and once thats all checked you have a document that will open the door for marriage to a Bulgarian/anyother nation citizen!!!! A++ but we are far from out of the woods yet. Once the document is given to you you must travel to the Ministry of Forgein Affairs and drop that new piece of paper off to be legalized here in Sofia/or where ever this should be done. It should be the same for any country because this blog is assuming one of you is from the US so that should make much of the process similar. It can take 7 days and you must get stamps before entering otherwise you cant file for it so 4 stamps and this can be done at any postoffice and then you take a number once inside kinda like the DMV and then you file for the Bulgarian or other nation to legalize it, they just check to see that its not a fake and approve it.

Next step is taking that new document over to a wedding hall where you can choose your setting, be it a chruch for religion or just a nice little wedding hall and set a date! It costs about 60 lev here to set this up but its just one more step closer to getting you hitched!! now once thats done you get a receipt as proof and i suggest getting a folder or binder to keep all these papers in so its nice and neat. Also make about 6 copies of your passport because even when your getting the first steps mainy places will just want that copy for their records and its not fun to get all the way there and have to leave and find a photocopier really fast down the street or even block...trust me not fun!

Ok we have the US marriage doc now and its legal and the medical test is all set and we are clean which is a plus and a date has been set yay! Still not even close to out of the woods, im sorry it will really try your reslove to be together so if your kina for this idea but not really this will be the test for you. Now you have to look good so if you planned ahead (i didn't) you need a suit and she needs a dress and all I can say is prey for sales and have money. Oh and again if you didnt preprep have rings, now there are a few places that sell cheap wedding rings and lets face it not everyone is rich this might be the way to go just for now its not the end of the world nice rings can come later when you have more money and we all know right now in the world money isn't flying at us as much as it once did. There is also a website that can send wedding bands (him and her) bands that match and cost not much at all and can be sent the next day if your in a bind (I was) it's get.bg and they have other cool stuff for al your needs and can send it right to where you live in Sofia.

Ok so for the wedding itself you need two witnesses im sorry i didnt touch on that above but yes two and parents of either of you don't count ( but if your parent are coming fro the us that's sweet!)so hope she has a girlfriend who can be the maid of honnor and maybe a guy friend for your bestman or if you have awesome friends back home get them over here cause I didn't have either but luckily i knew a guy from college who was bulgarian and lived here i mean what are the odds! but you must have that. And then there are some extra things you will need for the wedding as well (Two wine or dinning glasses) they can range in price so pick whats either what you want or just what you can afford and some Champane you must provide this they wont let you marry without it. As a note if you smoke i say don't quit just yet it might be your only vise to relax you from the stress and if you don't i say start because drinking makes it hard to get things done *Joke do whatever* So let see if im missing something...If you want in sofia its a tradtion to have a lunch or dinner with everyone after the wedding so look at places to host this event and try to get to know them well they can offer a discount sometimes...

As for after the wedding if you want to live here well I'm still in that process so I will let you know how that is possible or not and if you want your new bulgarian bride/husband to come back to the states be ready to do it alone and def def get a lawyer and since im not planing to do that yet i cant go into more detail but I have a lawyer and I know that process takes months of time and lots of money so its good to have someone whos job it is to know all the ins and outs cause you can't aford to file or not file something and have to pay more and start over god that would be a mistake. So I hope this helps anyone out there and comment if you like but tomorrow is my big day and I hope as goes well and i can post a positive blog again soon of how I am able to stay and work here...oh i worked my butt off to get a job here and interviewed long before the wedding was setup so that might be my ticket to stay I cant say it will work for everyone I was really lucky that my resume payed off and my work got them so interested that they would do the paperwork so I wouldn't have to return home and get that D-visa but again nothing is in stone and I will keep you posted! Let's think happy thoughts!

September 11, 2009

Top Ten Anime/Game Weapons

I have always enjoyed Top Ten lists and videos for a long time now. Screwattack.com has some of the most interesting and fun lists to watch when your bored. This is my personal list of the Top Ten Weapons in all of Anime and games. This is my opinion and is in no way official but feel free to write a comment if I missed a weapon you think really deserves to be on this list...I will listen to your request but doubt I will honor it. These weapons are just sexy in everyway. they have to be fresh and inovative to make this list so without further ado I present the Top Ten weapons in anime/games.

10. Harman Smith (dragonuv sniper rifle)


This almost didn't make it and almost all of the killer 7 have amazing weapons but that's not air tank on this old mans wheelchair...

9. Wing Zero Custom (Buster Cannon)


Yep...insane

8. No More Heroes (Speed Buster)


Never trust old ladies with full shopping carts who knows they might have a tank cannon hidden inside...like to see her get robbed..you can run but I doubt she'll miss.

7. Nickolas D. Wolfwood (Cross-gun)


A traveling preacher who comes more then prepared. This this a swiss army knife of weapons and its looks really cool and wouldn't we all love to have a gatling gun, pistol cach and mini rocket launcher? hmmm?

6. No More Heroes (Beam Katana)


Star wars may have opened the door but travis doesn't mess around. Plus he has to shake it up and down in his crotch area to re...charge...it...ewww

5. Fallout 3 (Fat Man MIRV)


A handheld nuke launcher..yep *note to user firing indoors are your or disgrestion. Oh look a little man was sent flying...I don't think the landing killed him...

4. Trigun (Angel Arm)


Vash already has two guns that can take out a whole city but just for kicks why not add a thrid that can destroy whole planets...or put a hole in the moon...

3. EDF ( Genocide Gun)


The name speaks for itself...just look at what it does in the video...good thing hitler never knew about this...

2. Super Metroid (Rainbow Beam)


You have an undefeatable boss until your friend takes his own life to switch the balance of power making you spray rainbow energy. Anyone who can shoot rainbows that kill is pretty amazing in my book.

1. Outlaw Star (Caster gun)


Finding a Video that showcases this clever and most dangerous weapon was hard as it is to find ammo for it. The gun shoots mini to large BLACKHOLES people...no nuke or large explostion can top being sucked into oblivion plus the thing can sap part of your life per shot so don't go wasting it on small animals in the backyard.

Well that's my TOP TEN. I suggest if you haven't played or seen any of these games/shows you should!

August 4, 2009

No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle (Wii)

Well this is what I'm taking about. Linked from link from link and now it's finally here watered down the internet highway straight from me to you, a sneak peek at the next Suda 51 masterpiece!

June 17, 2009

Why does the Wii sleep alone at night?

This isn't a hard question to answer for most but all fanboy flame wars aside, why was the Wii such a hot seller if roughly 75% of the software being released was [below] passable to the game community? Why have sales continued to surpass the other two leading game hardware companies such as Microsoft and Sony. It seems to be a combination of things that are going on behind the Marketing over at the house that Nintendo Built. It's no hidden fact that the Wii could barely be duct-taped together fast enough( Sorry I set it up for that) to get out of the factory and into your home, living room or bathroom (that would be tricky to play...) but still as soon as they came into the store they were eaten up like a fat man at a Chinese Buffet. So let's be serious now, The Wii is a fresh new take on gaming and had its fun in the first year with games like Red Steal and the Wii-version of Zelda TLP but these games weren't perfect control wise and left the player more excited for the potential the next wave of games would bring but instead of doing just that the game well dried up and suddenly the Wii was still hard to find but the software was spilling out of the flood gates full of Herpes and Aids which forced many players to abandon their Wii's for risk of getting a shovelware STD. So this is where we are now at the Nintendo "river" or pipeline (whatever works for you) and its a quickly flowing stream of games (water...) but in that flowing river of games lurk the Leechware* waiting to suck you dry of your now very hard to earn money forcing you to put old Wii out to green pastures and turn toward the other systems but some of us (myself included) have hope that Nintendo can still clean up the mess other companies have left at it's house after what started as a fun party and get ready to start playing with the big boys and releasing Fresh water software that pushes the system and the control mechanic to a level that makes Wii fun again..sadly until then I will play No more Heroes and Mario Kart and hope....just hope....

April 17, 2009

Nintendo DSi is it an Industry improvement or just a classic case of one step forward and two steps back?

*UPDATE- DSi Seems to be in fact an improvement over the DS Lite

I posted with simply pictures before because I wanted them to do the talking but after about three months with the unit and watching as my perfectly healthy Lite gather dust I have decided that the DSi is a worthy replacement for the handheld (even if Nintendo claims it wont replace the lite...sure). The cameras at frist were a mixed bag but after I got the idea to use that camera for a flash game I'm developing, it's showing promise. While yes it's not the best pixel (front cam: 3 megapixel /inside cam: .03 megapixel) for your money it nice to have them and opens up the unit for game to tap into their use. Now the system is a bit more the the standard Ds Lite (DSi 169.99 USD) but I got it for twenty bucks so I feel it was my moneys worth. The DSi has a shop channel, which takes a page right from the Wii shop channel which isn't offering a whole lot as of right now. There are a few nintendo staples such as a Mario vs. Donkey Kong and a rehashing of Dr. Mario which isn't awful and if you got your DSi early they gave you 1000 points (equal to 10.00 USD) so thats nice. Gameloft and Activision have a few games up showing their suport and they arent copy and paste games either Mixed Messages by Activision is a great tool if you have a ton of friends and Gameloft has provided a 4th installment to Assphalt GT series with/o touch controls which is a plus over Namco's Ridge Racer which forced you to play a rehashed N64 game with touch only controls. So that's a start to the game content and I would be foolish to think games wont wow us later on with the service. The Web broswer wouldn't be as much fun if it weren't free. Now yes you may view pron (no I wanted to spell it that way) but parents can block all that should this system be for the little ones. Don't want little johny learning about what he can do when no ones around and forget to hang out with real girls now do we? So in final fasion I will say if you have the money and do not own any DS of any kind at this point ( you really should by now the library of titles is great...shame on you if you haven't) You should pick up the newest member of the handheld family because there is a little bit for everyone in this system from the games to the apps.

Overall: 4/5

April 5, 2009

*Download Content* The selling of incomplete and broken games!?

Now more then ever "DLC" or Downloadable Content as it were, has taken the gaming market by storm (mainly on X-box 360) and is showing no sign of slowing down. It has gotten to the point now that companies are including this content as a long term plan to draw out the life or replay value of their games so that they are being played longer after their release. But what if this isn't just a plan to stretch out the life of a game but more a fall back for when a game releases with bugs and glitches due to short production schedules? So if a game gets a poor review...they will say "wait!", there's more! and if you pay the additional 800 ms points (=10 USD) you can have what we meant to give you but were in a hurry to complete! thus making a USD 59.99 game into a USD 69.99 game plus local tax from when you first bought it. But this trend shows little sign of stopping from both sides the game companies love it and they have the users now looking forward to the next quick update and additional level to play that's about 3 dollars an hour if you think that's your moneys worth... Sound off your opinion in the comments section! Happy DLC day!




*UPDATE- Another major point is the pricing of this content and what happens when you are left with an overage. For example I will preform simple math to illustrate my point. Lets say you have purchased the new fallout 3 (which this games quality is not in question 10/10) and it's either one of the two standard price tags 59.99 or 79.99 (limited edition lunchbox) and lets add local Vermont sales tax to this purchase. So, you have 59.99, which already is a false asking price and add 7% sales tax, with 6% of it being state tax and 1% Burlington tax and this game at it's cheapest comes in at $64.19. The point system is different in retail and on the Microsoft Market place. Retail a point card comes in two flavors 1600 points and 4000 points (19.99 and 49.99 respectively) and on the site is ranges from 1000 points up to 7500 or something, I'm starting to skip steps to hurry my point sorry, and Fallout 3's DLC is 800 ms points. Well either way you have to get the points from either a retail chain or the site both will cost you more then the needed 800 points which leaves you with an overage and with nothing but pictures and themes to try your luck at spending the rest of your points on, which is a sad way to keep your points at bay or generally wasted or leave you with a 80 point gamer pic!! while you now have 70 ms points left thus returning you to buy more point cards should you want another Fallout 3 DLC and this would put you around over 80 dollars total for a game that was already costing you more then half a hundred from the start...I am not upset I just really wish I was apart of that financial pie!

March 5, 2009

*New Projects*

I hope you like the new layout, it's nice. I have been on a 3 month break from my site and work but now I'm back and Ready to finish a few projects and have them up to playtest soon. I hope you find it as fun as I had making it and if not let me know so I can fix it cause when you deal with a game for so long you forget the little things in the code others might pick up on right away.

Buryford Junction : The Movie! Please enjoy!

I present to you a Billy Bob Thompson Film: BURYFORD JUNCTION

Filmed in 2004, this was to be the great combination of talent and friends coming together to create not only a full length film but have a blast doing it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it. Follow the link below to watch the movie!~

X-Metric

Watch the Movie

November 30, 2008

RPG Maker VX

I have been to Bulgaria to see the love of my life and it opened up a few things inside me about what's important and really it's being happy, but we all know that is not as easy as it once was but that got me thinking will people 20 years from now claim the same thing? That it was always so much better before? And in doing so claim to stop pissing and moaning and start living for the time we have. I will make my own games cause clearly my talent is yet to be taken advantage of, so screw it. You want something done go and do it yourslef and maybe that's all it takes to get noticed. (oh and yeah I walked to the mountain from where I was standing)

I have traveled far and long to find myself back where I started but do not fret my followers I have a demo from the world of (insert place) and think you could be it's savior! dare you try it?

PLAY DEMO (comming soon)

November 14, 2008

This election you need know one name: Brad Esposito

Click Above!

'08 Promo

August 11, 2008

RJ's Lame but creative use of other peoples photoshop work and just good timing post!

July 11, 2008

Monster.com and Resumé fun

This week will be the last week I A) Work on the site B) Finish my updated Resumé

I find this Blog Spot to be a well designed site to link my personal website to but I don't see a way to really get my blog out there to view. I have the link on the site which is not how I wanted it to be I would rather have it show up with an RSS feed and update when I post but the Tutorials are less then helpful. When I log in I can see the amount of views and over the past month I've gotten a whole 4 more views...this is a bad sign. I hope the new Resumé and Finished site with fixed link tabs that should remove confusion because right now some tabs link home while others don't and link tabs are moving around too much in general. This is something I put on the back burner in the beginning because I just wanted the content but it should be easy to navigate as well. So the new resumé will be up on monster and the site will have the Virtools VMOs up and the Flash piece I helped make with the Vermont bases winter clothing company EESA.

HERE LOOK AT THIS:

A tease for the Virtools demo THE ATTIC: Coming soon!

More of the teasing for EESA's ASSAULT ON THE MOUNTAIN: Coming Soon!

June 7, 2008

Adult Swin Design Contest Entry

Adult Swim is sick and tired of Making content for us, So it's now our turn to do all the work! This is what is said on the Adult Swim site in regards to a t-shirt Design Contest. The winner will get their shirt printed and given out for free. The site is being sponsored by Honda but it just screams fun. I have submitted two designs one of which was rejected and I'll let you be the judge as to why but Here's to hoping the one they picked gets to the number one spot! Here is the link the site all you have to do is become a member and vote your butt off to make the design you like win and in a few months you could be wearing the design you like for free!!!

http://design.adultswim.com/

My user name is Monkeypoo2

The design is Evilcat Copy (rate is all fives baby!)

http://design.adultswim.com/photos (In the top 10)

Hill (just black and white SRL)

Silent Dreams (Classic)

Here is the one they rejected!

Boozetrip (I really like this one but I think it was the Booze comment that got it rejected)

May 21, 2008

Films versus Games Round one!

ULTRAVIOLET...BMW PAID FOR THE WHOLE FILM...OK not really...
As the games industry continues to grow it's safe to say Hollywood is having trouble with where to grow. Another issues is where can they make the most money? I was just watching a PBS documentary on advertising in films. The more I continued to watch the more I began to understand the amount of control the advertising companies have on the types of movies that get made and the places these product are pushed the most. It got me thinking about advertising in games. Games and films are different in this area simply because products in games are fairly new compared to movies. According to the case study movie studios have the placement and written-in control of these products down to a science, its scary. They were spitting out examples on some of my most favorite films and once I could see where and why these choices were made it began to upset me. Hollywood simply can't make a film these days without product placement because before everything was done with investors its was all a film had behind it but more and more the investors are backing down and chain companies are moving in. This is interesting with games because most of the time finding products in a game is an after thought unless a company like EA asks for "Power ad" to be in madden 09 but games don't need it as much. There are loads of "placeholder" art for mimicking real products without having to make it a coke bottle so coke doesn't need to see a profit. I wonder if the more expensive games become the more apparent this product placement will become. Sometimes it works great and can even work to be funny or clever within a movie or game but many games are marketed to kids and for me I don't sit down to write a script or design document with products in mind I know that it can help if someone like coke could invest a large sum so that a "soda can" becomes a "diet coke" but again what does that do for the players? Does the fact that it is a coke change the experience or take them out of it?What importance does it draw away from the story? Just something to think about as you look at some of my other works at the moment.


KENDO GENERAL HOSPITAL: XTEREME GURNEY ADVENTURE

Think Crazy Taxi meets Katamari. A casual game with a fun use of physics and mission based gameplay.

Read the Design Document (Now with pictures!)

May 19, 2008

Finishing portfolio page and Sending out resumes...

Well it been a busy last few weeks with Graduating so I haven't been able to finish my website like I planned. All I feel I need to do now is provide a explanation page for all the documents so that the viewer will know what I did on the project and the things I took away in the process. I will work really hard in the next few days to get all that organized and up and then rework my resume one more time to add the projects not just my jobs and start sending things out there...

As I was going through my old game design work I found some neat projects I did the first year at Champlain.



This is a basic 3-d model of the Nintendo DS that I made in Maya. It must have a ridiculous poly count but as much as I love to Draw it's safe to say I'm not an amazing modeler but I had fun. the first time I made the DS it had working hinges and a GBA game(modeled) that could fit inside but the computer crashed and it was never saved so I put this together in about an hour before it was due and I think it worked out well.



This was my 3-d final. I had to take everything I learned from the class and apply it to a small animation that entailed a word (Exaggeration) and making the animation work for that word. The word: Exaggeration I took literally by making a giant spoon similar to the famous "my spoon is too big" video and I think even if the video quality isn't top notch the idea I had for how to show the word being used work just fine.

May 9, 2008