Kotaku
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game design
You (Sorta) Owe Dead Space To Aristotle
Some deep reading over on Gamasutra on game design and narrative (courtesy of Company of Heroes narrative designer Stephen Dinehart) could be my next graduate school adventure. More »
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By AJ GlasserComment by pmur: I just wish the game was less scary, I can't play it. Yes, I am ashamed of myself. 15 Responses | Other threads
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events
Bay Area Game Jam Rocks My Weekend
This weekend, Wild Pockets, Crispy Gamer and Microsoft are teaming up to host Bay Area Game Jam – a 24-hour game development competition at the Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus in Mountain View, California. More »
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By AJ GlasserComment by Leonharfs: You have to pay 2,500 to enter? Or you win it...? 2 Responses | Other threads
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game design
Puzzling Over Adventure Game Puzzles
There's a really nice (lengthy) article over at Adventure Classic Gaming that takes a look at puzzles in (as you can probably guess) adventure games, and how those forms have seeped into other genres.
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Comment by Funk McSnuff: I've always hated the puzzles in old Sierra Adventure games, because they rarely made any sense at all. I think... 7 Responses | Other threads
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controversy
Recession, Used Games, Prices, and Choices
Gamasutra's Paul Hyman has a gloom and doom look at the used games market and why publishers are very unhappy with the situation; the comments section is surprisingly lively, and it's worth a look.
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Comment by potatojenkins: You know, if they just sold games at lower starting prices, it'd solve most of the problems they're whining about.... 23 Responses | Other threads
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flashbang
Minotaur China Shop Diary
Played Minotaur China Shop yet? No? Missed the trailer we posted? Well, go look at that, then read the brilliantly funny Minotaur Diary at RPS, then try and resist the lure of the game.
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Comment by ZinkO: high-performance lubrication: How irritating. The game is so broken I can't even move. 3 Responses | Other threads
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culture
'A Game Has Never Made You Cry'
Chris Bateman (of Only a Game) has a thought provoking article on his new, games only blog on whether or not a game has ever made you cry.
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Comment by tehflyingwombat: *The following post contains MGS4 massive spoilers* I seriously teared up during that part where you had to guide Snake through... 30 Responses | Other threads
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study
NYU To Offer Game Design Degrees
From all accounts, New York University is a big, big college. So the fact they're about to start offering game design degrees is (kind of) a big, big deal! More »
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Comment by halfrobo: NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program has been teaching games for many years now, albeit a bit on and off, so it's... 5 Responses | Other threads
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multiplayer
The Megatrends of Gaming: Multiplayer Gaming
We mentioned Pascal Luben's series on the 'megatrends of gaming' back when it kicked off with part one; since then, he's done a second part and is now back with part three. More »
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Comment by Shteve: Of course, multiplayer is being more and more prensent in video games from different genres. But, I've got the feeling... 12 Responses | Other threads
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fallout 3
What Our Games Need More Of: Dissonance?
Michael Abbott of the Brainy Gamer has a post up on the issue of dissonance in games; like a lot of these things, it's more interesting if you take it alongside the comments. More »
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Comment by Marooner: I would probably be able to suspend my disbelief a bit better if the brainy gamer if he understood the... 8 Responses | Other threads
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hybrid
Puzzle Quest and the 'Best of Both Worlds'
GameSetWatch has a nice essay up from Gregory Weir, who takes a look at why Puzzle Quest was so damn successful at creating a satisfying hybrid. More »
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Comment by yanipheonu: Ok so... Tetris... and... pudding. ZOMG A Tetris that dispences Pudding when you win. THIS WILL MAKE MILLIONS. 3 Responses | Other threads
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hiroyuki kotani
Pon-Pon-Pata-Pon: Hiroyuki Kotani on Patapon
There's a wonderful interview at Gamasutra with Hiroyuki Kotani, creator of Patapon — a game that I still adore, having snuck in quite a lot of time with it on my PSP. More »
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Comment by Daisuash can´t comment and doesn´t know why :(: I need to get this game, but is nowhere to find here where i live; I loved the demo and... 2 Responses | Other threads
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mirror's edge
More on the Reviewer-Innovation Conundrum
Last week, we mentioned Keith Stuart's meditation on whether or not reviewers really get innovation; since then, several people have picked up the discourse, with N'Gai Croal weighing in on the debate. More »
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Comment by Kobun: I agree. Innovation doesn't excuse poor gameplay and bad execution. Not to say Mirrors Edge is terribly short on those... 29 Responses | Other threads
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game design
Do Games Really Qualify As 'Escapist'?
Ian Bogost and his students have a new project underway looking at the intersection of journalism and games; their new blog is full of interesting stuff. More »
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Comment by e-friend kkkkkkocaine: Is anything ever not "worth reading?" You include that in LOTS of articles. Saying games are escapist or not is... 6 Responses | Other threads
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game design
Outgrowing Games: The Rebuttal and Challenge
A few weeks ago, designer Brice Morrison talked about how a game designer outgrew games; since kicking off a flurry of discussion, he's returned to GameSetWatch with some in-depth answers to common questions and a challenge.
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Comment by Altersparck: Games can be outgrown if games don't grow up with its audience. The problem I see with games is that storytelling... 8 Responses | Other threads
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game design
Tale of Tales' 'Graveyard' Postmortem
Gamasutra has a fabulous postmortem up — easily one of the best I've read — on Tale of Tales' The Graveyard. More »
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Comment by SuperCracker: Video GAME. GAME damn it, game! Yeah, I'm sure that I'd have a blast running around a black and white... 20 Responses | Other threads
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lips
Keiichi Yano on Lips, Innovation, and Drunken Karaoke
There's a really fun interview up at Gamasutra with Keiichi Yano, chief creative officer of iNiS (the Ouendan series and Elite Beat Agents). The subject is ostensibly Lips, the recently released 360 karaoke title, but a lot of ground is covered in terms of game design and future potential. My favorite part of the discussion is when Yano gets into the decision not to include a fail condition, and instead allow (possibly drunk) warblers to mangle music to their hearts' content: More »
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Comment by TheBassKicks: rlly dslk Mgg's wrtng. n fct, th nly tw ppl wh cs m t ctlly lk t wh wrt... 7 Responses | Other threads
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game design
The 2D/3D Quandary
GameSetWatch and Gamasutra have reprinted a really interesting article from Game Developer, where Soren Johnson of EA Maxis takes up the issue of 2D versus 3D in game design. Johnson maintains that while 2D is frequently seen as a relic of antiquated technology, there are plenty of places where it can make sense to utilize 2D over 3D. And, as Johnson points out, 3D graphics don't necessarily equal 3D gameplay, and 3D gameplay comes with its own challenges. 2D graphics also have their less obvious advantages: More »
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Comment by dowingba: Whenever I see someone discount a game based on it being 2D I chalk it up to them being in... 13 Responses | Other threads
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game design
The 'Gamer Guilt' and Morality of Fable 2
David Nieborg has a thoughtful essay up over at Valuable Games on the subject of Fable 2 and its moral system — and the relative success (or not) of that system. As Nieborg points out, it would be entirely possible to play through the game and ignore the moral aspects, and in his view, the morality system is implemented more like a 'feature' or 'upgrade' — a nice add-on. While he finds a lot to like about the attempt to insert a morality system into the game, Nieborg does have some quibbles, especially when it comes to feedback: More » -
game design
'To Do: Finish Any Game'
Tom Endo has a nice essay up over the Escapist on the issue of finishing games (or not finishing games, as the case may be). "What other medium," he queries, "allows us to be so blithely indifferent to its consumption?". I certainly have a somewhat appalling stack of partially finished games, some of which have been languishing for years. Do games in their current format simply not fit comfortably into the flow of many people's lives?: More »
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Comment by 3inst3in just had rrod number 2 and is sad: my problem with finishing a game generally results from my enjoyment of a game, not getting bogged down in story.... 27 Responses | Other threads
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game design
Disjunctive Play and Otherness: Between
Jason Rohrer (of Passage, Gravitation, and others) has put together a very different experience in his latest, Between. Hosted by Esquire as part of their 'Best and Brightest 2008' feature, it's a two-player game with a twist. In his latest Gamasutra feature, Ian Bogost takes a look at the game and the element of disjunctive play we find — a game designed to highlight just how far apart we all are, not bring us together: More »
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Comment by TornadoTK: I've built the entire tower (alone even, I'm starting to doubt that you can even play with another person), and... 4 Responses | Other threads
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design
On Unrequited Love and Gaming
Ah, unrequited love — a classic theme in all sorts of media, and gaming is no exception. There's a wonderful little post over at auntie pixelante on the issue as it relates to games — and why it is so powerful. As far as I'm concerned, the whole player-game relationship is founded on unrequited love (and at least, unrequited adoration). The article takes a look at a Wii game called Art Style: Orbient, it's a meditation on the 'so close, yet so far away' phenomenon that is all over the place in classic games and newer iterations: More »
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Comment by ShatteringLast: 20 Internets to the first person who knows what book cover this picture is from. 7 Responses | Other threads
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future
Four Future Trends of Entertainment
Jane Pinckard of game girl advance has come up with four future trends of entertainment, and they all apply to gaming — while her ideas aren't necessarily 'new,' she does really boil down some of the tensions and innovations facing the industry right now. She points to four trends — tension between immersion and transparency, asynchronous instant communication, credible advertising with integrity, and tools as the content. This last issue is one that's come up a lot, and I really like her take on it — the move from passive consumer to active user: More »
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Comment by Ajh: Uhm. I don't like this whole content creation thing. I mean it's nice but if that's all gaming's... 3 Responses | Other threads
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insomnaic
Inside Insomniac With Ted Price
Gamasutra's Christian Nutt sat down with Insomniac CEO Ted Price at their recent community event; the discussion centered heavily on Resistance 2 and the Insomniac development process. Price has a lot to say about how Insomniac deals with requests and suggestions from the user base, both on their own community as well as elsewhere (and gives us a ringing endorsement with "Well, sure, Kotaku is a good source."). A particular challenge was and is getting a handle on how best to design for online modes, since it's a bit of a 'black hole' for developers: More »
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Comment by s1L3nt_n18t: Its nice to see that the company tries to listen to their customers and try to better facilitate their needs... 4 Responses | Other threads
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Fandom
The Dangers of Fanaticism
Well, it's obvious than fandoms aren't all fun and games, but Peter Parrish warns that fanaticism could be downright dangerous for the industry at large — just imagine a world where unchecked fandom desires dictate how future games are going to play out. Using the example of the apparently large and vociferous Sonic fandom, Parrish points towards what he sees as a devolving series based on the whims of the 'fan-artist' and 'fan-author.' Oh, but it doesn't stop there: More »
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Comment by Jeff Paine: Ptr Prrsh lkd dp nt prh's ys. "Dd y knw tht fntcsm cn rn smthng prfctly gd? Fr nstnc," h... 18 Responses | Other threads
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game design
On the Less Ambitious and More Accessible
While I'm a fan of the fresh and innovative, I'm more likely — depending on time and monetary constraints — to run screaming for the safe, the familiar, the ... boring games on my shelf? Well, there's something to be said for the comfort of the familiar, and Tom Cross takes a look at why there's something to celebrate in the less ambitious, safer and more familiar games out there. Cross looks at Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age. What it is about those well-worn, "uninventive" titles?: More »
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Comment by Joe_Williams: Unfortunately, more developers seem to be dumbing down their games to make a broader audience of players. The old Baldur's... 11 Responses | Other threads
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industry
So You Wanna Be a Developer ...
Dave Perry, founder of Shiny Entertainment, sat down with Valve's Gabe Newell to talk about how to shoehorn your way into the industry — and what's the industry going to look like in a few years, anyways? Are game degrees a waste of time? Is specialization going to be the name of the game, as in film ? And how can you avoid shooting yourself in the foot when trying to get said foot in the door? On specialization, Newell had this to say: More »
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Comment by Fergie24: "Programmmers that can draw" ? Artistic nerds? There's a mix that doesn't happen often in nature. I'm not saying they don't... 10 Responses | Other threads
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serious games
How a Game Designer Outgrew Games
In an interesting opinion piece over at GameSetWatch, designer Brice Morrison expounds on why it is that he 'outgrew' games — even though he's a designer. It's not exactly treading any new ground (any 'why is gaming an immature medium?' essay traverses the same ground), but it's an interesting perspective from someone who has built a career on designing games — games that he says he's outgrown. What do we need more of? Boring games (sort of): More »
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Comment by mixmastermind: Did he just call Passage boring? I think he did. I will not stand for this, not at all. Mister Morrison, you... 7 Responses | Other threads
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mirror's edge
Mirror's Edge Producer on Decisions and Design
Gamasutra's Chris Remo has a nice interview up with Mirror's Edge producer Nick Cannon on the design ethos and process of putting together the game; a lot of the interview is taken up with design considerations and the nuts and bolts of how the game was built, but there's plenty of interesting chatter in throughout. On the issue of the codification of genres and a rigidity in design that seems to be passing, Cannon has this to say: More »
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Comment by MysteryPersonX: I played the demo and enjoyed it a lot, but like others I really feel it should have been third... 6 Responses | Other threads
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game design
'Working for the Man': Models of Play
And you thought you played games to have fun — Steven Poole has a lengthy essay trying to prove you wrong. We're working — working for the (video game) man, man. I must confess that even if we're on a literal or figurative rat race when it comes to 'working' in games (I am, after all, a passionate fan of the Harvest Moon series, which is unabashedly obvious about the necessity of work), I still find much of it fun. Still, despite the wet blanket overtones, Poole's essay is thoughtful and makes some interesting point. Is it really just about following orders?: More » -
telltale
Telltale Designer on Strong Bad, Episodic Gaming
Telltale Games has been churning out the episodes of their Sam & Max and Strong Bad series; GameSetWatch talked to Mike Stemmle, LucasArts veteran and current Telltale writer and designer, about the Telltale design process, the veteran-friendly atmosphere (unsurprisingly, the Telltale ranks are full of other LucasArts veterans), and the potentials for non-licensed IP. On the inner workings of Telltale, Stemmle has this to say: More »
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Comment by Netnavi: Are we going to be getting a season 1 disc like we did with Sam and Max? (which I have... 5 Responses | Other threads
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game design
Prototyping Challenge: Fishing Girl
Danc of Lost Garden is back with another prototyping challenge; game designer I am not, but I love these things — especially seeing what people come up with. On the plate this cycle? A fishing game that Danc describes as "Frogger using a polar coordinate system, a frog that insists on drifting to the left and only the ability to move forward": More »
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Comment by Shin-san: It bites that you have to live in Seattle to enter 2 Responses | Other threads
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serious games
On Relevant Settings in Games
L.B. Jeffries has a nice piece up arguing for more relevant and provocative settings in games in order to raise awareness and perhaps do something a little greater for disastrous (real world) situations. He points out that violence isn't incompatible with this, thus many classic genres would probably be quite at home dealing with nasty current day situations (as he points out, film has already done this — though not always through violent means — though Jeffries uses Rambo 4 as a cinematic touchstone). Of course, this comes with some problems: More »
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Comment by imikedaman: If you guys are going to skip the article and assume it's a hit-piece on gaming (which it is not),... 6 Responses | Other threads
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game design
Behind City of Heroes
Rock, Paper, Shotgun has published a developers diary from senior game designer Bruce Harlick, one of the minds behind NCSoft's City of Heroes; it's an interesting look at the development process for the forthcoming Issue 13 update. It's a bottom-up glimpse into what's gone into designing the new Cimerora and Midnight Squad story arcs, and as Harlick explains, even updates aren't an easy design process: More »
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Comment by ConnorsMC: FINALY FIRST COMMENT HA!!! (i didn't get to read the article BUT STILL!!!!! HA) 1 Responses | Other threads
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god games
Playing With Ants, the Original God Game
The latest issue of the Escapist deals with god games, most of which are quite grand in scale. John Carr, however, looks at the micro god game — in this case, SimAnt, Will Wright's first foray into games decidedly small in scale — and declares its inspiration (childhood games of playing god with hapless insect) the 'original god game.' SimAnt is certainly one of the weirder little titles in Wright's repertoire, but certainly an important title when looking at later games: More »
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Comment by All the ladies love Mister Jack!: Oh man, I used to play the SHIT out of Simant. The only reason I stopped was because PCs reached... 5 Responses | Other threads
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guns
Games, Guns, and Movies
Tom Endo has an interesting musing up over at the Escapist on the subject of guns, games, and game design — the issue at stake is what guns really mean in video games (his answer is 'not much, especially not compared to movies'). Dirty Harry may be a love letter to the .44 Magnum, but it's a more nuanced picture than we get in, say, Grand Theft Auto. Endo says we are not producing 'images of consequence,' and an overemphasis on pure mechanics has meant a stunted approach to violence: More »
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Comment by mfwahwah: I pretty much agree. Especially with your comments on RPGs and swords! FFVII had me loving the Buster Sword, VIII with... 5 Responses | Other threads
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narrative design
The Soul of Wit: Brevity in Game Dialogue
Gamasutra has a fun essay up from Ben Schneider, formerly of Iron Lore Entertainment and currently narrative designer at Big Huge Games, on dialogue in games — and the challenges of getting it right. Schneider isn't calling for a removal of longer dialogues, but pointing out that short dialogue can function better than its longer cousin in many situations: creating ambiance in the background or delivering information (without interrupting or hindering gameplay) when in the forefront. Short dialogue should be like poetry, and poetry is 'a powerful thing': More »
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Comment by Qalbert: Agreed. (see what I did there? I conveyed my agreement with the basic premise of the article in a suitably brief... 4 Responses | Other threads
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game design
'You Are Dead. Continue?': The Future of Death in Games
There's a very interesting article over at Eludamos, one of the open-access academic journals that's done a nice job of getting fascinating articles in each issue; this volume is no exception, and the article I found particularly thought provoking is on the issue of death in narrative-driven games. Jason Tocci isn't arguing that the death mechanic has no place in games, but it's a cop out for many narrative-driven games — and can create frustrating gaming experiences for end users. This is, in Tocci's view, a hold over from earlier design decisions when games were more limited in what they could do: More »
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Comment by Garro: This guy is as arrogant as he is ignorant. A whole bunch of what he wrote was wrong or flawed, and... 6 Responses | Other threads
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industry
Fun and the Future: Masaya Matsuura on Gaming Today
Masaya Matsuura of NanaOn-Sha (PaRappa et al.) has a wonderful opinion piece over at Gamasutra on the future of gaming. You may not agree with all of his assertions, but it's nice to read something so passionate on the subject of where gaming is today and where it's headed. Based in part on his DICE 2008 presentation, Matsuura has an obvious fondness for the Wii and the implication for future games: More »
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Comment by Silenced: mmm yeah i see you're gettin' better, kick to the limit... 5 Responses | Other threads
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game design
'Picture Imperfect': Issues of Video Game Cameras
Corvus of Man Bytes Blog has been posting an interesting series over the past month, contemplating issues of the camera in games: they've ranged from issues of reliance on gun sight type targeting to 'chasing third person cinema.' The last in the series dealing with the problems is on the problematic issue of exactly what the camera is suppose to represent and what it is supposed to do. As he notes, "The central question of these issues seems to be, 'Is the camera meant to represent our eyes, a camera lens, or a gun sight?' And the answer, for better or for worse, appears to be a flat 'Yes.'": More »
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Comment by LandMineLandSnake: I don't get FPS camera, is it the eyes of the character or is there a camera stuck to his/her... 8 Responses | Other threads
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music
On Games, Music, and Meaning
I'm usually OK with soundtracks as long as they don't actively annoy me; of course, it's nice when they do something more than just provide not-too-irritating background noise I may or may not turn off. Douglas Wilson looks at the relationship between gameplay, music, and meaning (and what makes for a 'musical' game) over at GameSetWatch, picking a perhaps unlikely example to illustrate the relationship he's talking about: Civilization IV. After explaining precisely what he's getting at, Wilson opines: More »
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Comment by kwkws: is civ 4 the game in the picture (never got to play civ 4) 4 Responses | Other threads
game design
Denver, 5:16 PM
Mon Jul 6
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