Owner: Game Musings URL:www.gamemusings.com Join Date: Sun, 22 Apr 2007 16:06:43 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A look at the games industry by a veteran game developer. Site statistics:Click here
Busy in LA 2007-05-07 06:10:00 I've been rather busy during my trip to LA, but I did manage to get in an hour or two of shopping today. I bought some books for my wife, a DVD of the Curious George TV show for my daughter, Ella - plus some Dora the Explorer stuff that isn't available back home. Ella loves Dora and Boots , and I have to say I think it's a pretty cool show for kids.I also bought a book called The Real Toy Story. It looks at some of the creators in the toy biz as well as the "dark side" of the industry - the cold blooded marketing used to sell product and the Chinese sweat shops used to make toys. Should be an interesting read. I'll let you know what I think after I read it. In the mean time, if you're interested in toys go read Toy Wars - I really enjoyed that one.On another note, I picked up a Nintendo magazine at the newsstand and was surprised to see a bad review of Puzzle Quest. The reviewer gave it 4 out of 10 - one of the lowest scores in the mag. The reason he didn't like it was bec
Beta Feedback 2007-05-05 05:35:00 Well, the final lot of beta testing is underway for Brainiversity and I've gotten some good feedback so far. Thanks to all you folks who are playing the game!I'll be adjusting stuff before the game ships and one of the key things I've gotten from feedback is that the grading system is a little harsh. I knew this was probably the case, but now I can use data from the beta players to calibrate the system.So far it looks like fairly minor stuff needs fixing (touch wood) - so if all goes to plan expect to see the game soon!On a different not, I'm off to see Spiderman 3 tomorrow evening. Should be fun, despite the poor reviews its been getting. At least now I have low expectations. Usually if I go into a film not expecting much I'm pleasantly surprised! I'll be seeing it with a bunch of Aussie friends who are living in LA - so that in itself will make it special. Read more:Feedback
Return to Oz 2007-05-09 00:41:00 Today is my last day in LA. Tonight I'll be flying back to Brisbane at 10:30pm. I have books and magazines to read and games to play - but honestly, I think I'll be sound asleep soon after take off.I also picked up one more DS game today. No, it wasn't Puzzle Quest - that game is sold out - instead I got a copy of the new Phoenix Wright game called Justice for All. I really enjoyed the first game so if this is more of the same I'll be happy. The game wasn't built from the ground up with the DS in mind (it's a GBA port), so it doesn't really support the DS as well as it could. Apparently the newest Phoenix Wright coming out in Japan is designed exclusively for the DS, so that should be fun.For those unaware of Phoenix Wright check it out here on Wikipedia (I love Wikipedia - it seems like everything has an entry!). The game is a lawyer/courtroom drama adventure where you try and get your clients off the hook by presenting evidence to prove they are innocent while cross exa Read more:Return
A History of Matching Tile Games 2007-05-11 13:15:00 Jasper Juul from the University of Copenhagen has written a fascinating article on the history of matching tile games. He traces the origins of the genre best exemplified by the likes of Bejeweled, from its humble beginnings 21 years ago with Chain Shot and Tetris all the way to today with games like Luxor, Chuzzle and Meteos.It's a fairly in depth article, and well researched. If you're a fan of this genre, or video games in general, then check it out here. Read more:History
, Games
Brainiversity Feedback 2007-05-10 12:44:00 Wow. A lot of testers were involved in the beta trial for Brainiversity - and overall the feedback has been extremely positive.I have to give a big thanks to Joel Brodie from Gamezebo for supplying the majority of the beta testers. Not only has he got a list of top quality testers but he also had some good advice on getting the most from the trial.So, now I'm focusing on addressing the common issues while compiling a list of stuff that is better suited for a sequel :-) I have an internal gold master date that I'm shooting for, so expect to see the game sooner than later.Again, thanks to all the folks who gave such valuable feedback. I really appreciate it! Read more:Feedback
Design Tips! (Part Two) 2007-05-14 23:46:00 Here is Part 2 of the Design Tips from my Passfield Games now defunct Design section. As I mentioned last time, these are based on the old adventure and action platform games I used to make, but may have some useful gems of advice within...#4 A Game World is a Precious Thing to WasteOr, Avoid dead ends with no rewardsIf you have areas in your world that serve no purpose except to pad out the game then you need to redesign the level. Lose the dead areas or create a reason why they are there: you could add some bad guys, a bonus (even if it’s hidden) or an NPC with some back story or clues.And remember, bigger is not always better.A tightly packed Quake III Arena level is way more fun to play when there’s always some action.#5 Be ConsistentOr, Don’t mess with the player’s mind!This applies to all aspects of the game design from menu layout to character design.Music. Game selection menus should always play the same music. In game music can be shuffled.Clues. If a “Red Wall Tile Read more:Part Two
Design Tips! 2007-05-13 08:08:00 I've been cleaning up my Passfield Games web site and have moved most of the content into my blog. Passfield Games displays my latest blog entries, links to free downloads of my old games, as well as my gameography (currently over 20 games since 1984).One of things I had on my old site was a list of Design Tips. Since I've deleted that old page I decided to print them here starting with Rules #1, #2 and #3. Now these are based on games I made a long, long time ago - but some stuff may be still relevant today. I'll post the rest later.Design Tips(or, John's theories on how to make games suck less)Here you’ll find a mixed bag of my game design rules and my opinions on design. I don’t proclaim to have the final word on game design or that my way is the right way. I’ve been making games professionally since 1992 and am constantly learning new stuff. Which is great, because I believe once you stop being challenged then it’s time to move on.Some of these rules and opinions wi
Back in Black 2007-05-17 23:39:00 Well, I have some good news and bad news this week.The bad news is that my beloved Nintendo DS Lite broke. I sent it to Nintendo Australia and was quoted a $95 repair bill (!) and a promise that it might not be as good as it used to be when I get it back (!!).The good news is that my amazingly wonderful wife went out and bought me a brand new shiny black Nintendo DS Lite yesterday and personally delivered it to me after lunch. Sigh. She's the best.So now I can continue my quest for more Pokemon and solve criminal cases with Phoenix Wright (as well as continue to enjoy all the other cool games on the DS). Hallelujah! Read more:Black
Brainiversity Sneak Peek 4 2007-05-16 13:13:00 This is probably the last sneak peek I do before the game is released.So this week I've included a screen shot from the "Sort It!" activity.I got a great response to my survey with the beta testers and "Sort It!" was rated as one of the most popular activities.I'm almost finished making changes to the game based on the feedback - there were some great suggestions. Again, thanks to all those who participated.
Gold in them thar hills! 2007-05-20 22:50:00 I've prepared a gold master candidate for Brainiversity ready for the final round of testing. If all goes well the game should be released very soon.Fingers crossed!
Casual Game Activity 2007-05-22 16:18:00 There's been a bit of activity between the traditional console world and the casual games space this last week.Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, joined the board of NeoEdge - a company that uses an ad-supported business model.UbiSoft has announced their My Life Coach line of casual games for the Wii and DS. Their first entry is My Word Coach which looks like a collection of word puzzle games.Outside of the traditional console space, Kyoto is introducing DS English Training to classrooms. This Nintendo DS brain training style game will be part of junior high second year English classes. How cool is that?And finally Puzzle Quest on the PSP got an excellent score from IGN! Read more:Casual
, Activity
Halloween Harry/Alien Carnage - what might have been! 2007-05-27 00:00:00 I've had a great response from fans of HalloweenHarry
/Alien
Carnage over its re-release as freeware.So, while people are excited about Harry I thought I'd talk a bit about some other Harry games that never made it to market.Of course there was a direct sequel called Zombie Wars released in 1996, but before that we kicked around a number of other ideas for games to put Harry in. Often times we mocked up prototypes to test out ideas - from Sidewinder Sally (a Harry spin off) to Halloween Harry: Undead (a 3D multi-player game) to the potentially very cool Lunch Break Commandos.Lunch Break CommandosNow, I forget if this was inspired by the LucasArts Indiana Jones Desktop adventures, or whether it was inspired by the same thing that inspired LucasArts - but the game was designed as a "casual" game you could play during your lunch break. Either way, I think it would have been a fun little game as this Windows 95 screen shot shows:Here's an extract from the design doc dated June 1995:Gam
Halloween Harry/Alien Carnage as Freeware! 2007-05-24 16:21:00 In collaboration with 3DRealms we've released HalloweenHarry
/Alien
Carnage as freeware today!Halloween Harry, the tough as nails marine from Alien Carnage, is 22 years old this year. He was the star of a game I wrote on the Australian Microbee computer system and released commercially in 1985. I was still in high school at the time and was super excited to have sold my second computer game (the first was called "Chilly Willy", a clone of the classic arcade game, Pengo).I left school, studied computer science at university, and then got a "real job" as a programmer at a telecommunications company. That lasted just over two years before the computer game bug bit again. Now I was developing for the Amiga computer and had started work on a re-make of the Halloween Harry game I made as a kid - the game that would eventually become Alien Carnage!With the help of a local comic artist we cooked up a demo that had great graphics and the core of a cool game. Through sheer luck I then hooke Read more:Freeware
Two Exciting Product Launches 2007-05-29 06:06:00 Brainiversity is almost here. There were a few minor wording errors that needed fixing, but apart from that it's done.Which is a good thing as my wife and I are expecting our new baby next week! It's incredibly exciting and our little girl Ella can't wait to be a big sister. She even helped set up the baby crib on the weekend, letting her dolly have a sleep in it to make sure it worked.I know this sounds trite, but being a father is one of the best jobs in the world. So stay tuned to find out which arrives first - Brainiversity or Baby?
Naughty Doggies Do Well (again!) 2007-06-01 22:45:00 Congratulations are in order for Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin. These are the guys who started Naughty Dog, the company behind Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter, before selling it to Sony.They've created a new company called Flektor and have managed to sell it to Fox for what some estimate to be around $20 million. Flektor was only founded in 2006 and provides a way to edit media for posting on the web. Not bad for a years work.Will this impact on their plans for Iron and the Maiden? Who knows, but I guess $20 million will go some way toward developing the property :-) I'm keen to see what the guys will do with games now that they're financially independent.
More Harry Stuff 2007-05-31 06:17:00 The Alien Carnage/Halloween Harry
freeware release has been getting some buzz on the internet. It looks like a lot of people were fans of the original game when it was released back in 1993. Hopefully they're wearing rose colored glasses when they re-play the game :-)I spoke about some of the potential Harry sequels a few days ago and since then I found this screen shot from the proposed Zombie Wars sequel (which would have technically been the 4th Harry game - after the Microbee version, Alien Carnage and Zombie Wars).Basically this was a hires (SVGA) upgrade to the Harry series, but by this time 3D was taking a hold and that's when we diverged into the world of 3D games development. Sadly the project was shelved and Harry was put on ice.As for the 3D projects - now that's a whole blog entry in of itself!
More Freeware! 2007-06-05 05:07:00 Halloween Harry/Alien Carnage has only recently been released as freeware - and just when you thought it couldn't get any better I'm proud to announce that the Hebrew version of Flight of the Amazon Queen is now available for your downloading pleasure.So, if you speak Hebrew and love graphic adventures, grab the game here!You will need ScummVM to play the game, so if you don't have it yet, grab ScummVM here.Instructions on how to get ScummVM working is available on the official ScummVM site at http://www.scummvm.org/A big thanks to Ori Avtalion for hassling me to give permission for the release. His persistence paid off. Coming up soon is a Greek version of the game, which is quite cool as there never was an official Greek release. I'll post a link when it's done. Read more:Freeware
A Different Casual Game Approach 2007-06-03 06:08:00 I came across this article at GigaOM about Paul Preese's Desktop Tower Defense (DDT).DDT is a free flash game where you have to defend your desktop from invaders by placing strategically placing defenses and building a maze to channel the enemy.Since it's launch sometime before March 07, Paul's site has grown so quickly that he now gets around 20 million pageviews a month. What's interesting is that while his game is free to play Paul earns revenue through advertising and asking for donations. He says he averages high four figures monthly from the game.Check out the full article here at GigaOM! Read more:Casual
The Real Toy Story 2007-06-07 05:46:00 I've been reading The Real Toy Story
by Eric Clark, a fascinating book about the toy industry. It looks at the history of the American toy industry, the role of inventors and how the business has changed over time.One of the big changes that the American toy industry has experienced is that many of its companies have been gobbled up by two big players - Hasbro and Mattel. Companies like Playskool, Corgi Toys, Fisher-Price, Parker Brothers, Tonka, Kenner, Milton Bradley, Tiger Electronics and J.W. Spears are now just brand names or subsidiaries.The other big change is that large retail chains like Wal-mart and Toys 'R Us have a lot of power in affecting what toys are available, even down to influencing the package design and price.What surprised me was how difficult it is for a toy inventor to get their idea to market. As a game developer who can create a casual title and get it out to the masses, I was amazed that most inventors have to use an agent to even speak with Mattel or Ha
Brainiversity Marketing 2007-06-10 20:07:00 With the Brainiversity gold master done, I'm just waiting on my distributor to do their final round of testing - then the game should hit the web on some major portals.Brainiversity Chart ModeWhile I'm waiting I'm preparing the Brainiversity marketing plan so people who love games like Brainiversity will know it exists. Making a game is one thing, but getting people to know it's out and where to find it is another.One thing I've learned about promoting your game is that it's usually as simple as contacting news sites with a press release and giving them a copy to check out. So many developers tend to forget to do this and wonder why their game isn't getting any press. If you don't tell people they won't know! Read more:Marketing
Amazon Queen Ringtone 2007-06-09 06:19:00 I found a midi file of the theme to Flight of the AmazonQueen
the other week, so I made it into my phone ring tone. It replaces my previous ring tones which alternated between Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle music.If anyone out there is interested, you can download the midi file from here. You'll need to use whatever software that came with your phone to transfer the file onto your handset.The music for Flight of the Amazon Queen was composed by Richard Joseph, a pioneer of games audio who sadly passed away this year. He did a lot of music for the Bitmap Brothers and Sensible Software, and did some of the earliest work on interactive music with the game Chaos Engine.He'll be sadly missed, but I'm sure he would have appreciated that many of his fans still listen to his music today. Read more:Ringtone
Sumea Interview 2007-06-14 06:24:00 Sumea the very cool Aussie game developer news site, has just posted an interview with me about indie game development.In it I talk about classic point and click adventure games, and how I hope that the Nintendo Wii and DS may be the platforms that help bring back the adventure game.Speaking of which I saw that Telltale Games has secured $6 million in Series B funding to develop new titles and expand to additional hardware platforms. Here's hoping they port Sam and Max over to the Wii!
I'm going on a Safari! 2007-06-12 05:17:00 Right now I'm writing this blog entry using Safari
on my Windows XP machine. I downloaded the Beta version of the Mac browser as soon as it was available. I'm going to give it a go for a week or two to see if it's better than Firefox.I'm a huge fan of Firefox - the browser is so far ahead of what MS is doing with Internet Explorer. So Safari will have to be pretty damn good for me to make the leap to it full time.So far Safari is looking good especially for a Beta version. Obviously some things that will be fixed, or will improved in later versions. Some of my favorite things include:1) The Find on Page function (CTRL-F) is better than Firefox. It displays the text you're finding in a cool orange and white box so it really pops from the screen.2) When you click on a text entry box it highlights the box with a cool blue glow. Very nice.3) When the page is loading the address bar becomes the loading bar. Simple and effective.Anyway, if you're interested, download the Beta
How much can you get paid to develop a downloadable episode for Xbox Live Marketplace? 2007-06-18 08:54:00 Oh, about $25 million per episode.Well, only if you're Take Two and you're doing exclusive downloadable GTA IV content for the 360.Wired has a report that says Microsoft paid Take Two $50 million for 2 exclusive downloadable episodes. They say this is basically 5 times the budget for Gears of War. Read all about it here.In other news, Zac and Leigh will be home from the hospital tomorrow. There's gonna be a few sleepless nights coming up, but it's all totally worth it! Read more:develop
, Xbox
, Marketplace
Baby updates 2007-06-17 07:08:00 With Zac only days old I've been pretty much focused on the little guy and keeping Ella, his big sister entertained for the last 3 days. Ella has been great and is excited that she has a baby brother.It took a little while for her to work out that Zac's daddy was her daddy, but she seems to have come to grips with that now.In other news, Brainiversity has passed all tests and is scheduled to hit the web proper at the end of this month. Stay tuned for more news! Read more:updates
It's a boy! 2007-06-15 10:54:00 I'm the proud dad of a little boy named Zac, born 16th June, 2007 [EDIT - I wrote 2005, but it was 2am in the morning...]Woo hoo!
Brainiversity Update 2007-06-21 05:24:00 It's just a week until Brainiversity officially launches on the web.It makes its debut on a number of portals on Friday, June 29th. I'll have all the details when it launches, in the meantime here's a new screen shot:"Word Maker" activityIn family news Zac is settling in well at home. At the moment he sleeps, eats, and sleeps some more. When he is awake he is the most adorable little fellow you could imagine! Tomorrow he will be a week old. Read more:Update
Doctor Who 2007-06-25 05:26:00 I've managed to watch a few episodes of the 3rd season of the new Doctor
Who - and I have to say it's pretty darn good. I grew up with Doctor Who, so I have a soft spot for the show, but the new series has me hooked.Like any show, there are a a few dud episodes, but all in all the quality of the writing has been great. Well, as great as you can expect from a show about a time traveling alien who uses a London Police Box as his time machine.Anyway, I'm looking forward to watching some more episodes - apparently this new season only gets better and better! Now, where is the Doctor Who videogame?
I like StumbleUpon! 2007-06-28 06:16:00 A friend of mine did an "I like it" on my site using StumbleUpon
and within a day my site traffic tripled. Pretty cool.In the meantime I've been stumbling and have found some neat pages. Here are some of my faves so far:I have no idea what this is about - but it appears to be an exhibition of painted Darth Vader masks.Paper Toys - print out make your own paper model of Angkor Wat.Bow Man - a flash game bow and arrow game.Double Wires - another flash game that will have you making out like Spiderman!Disorientation - a very interesting game. The name says it all.Enjoy!
StumbleUpon 2007-06-26 15:58:00 A friend recently introduced me to a cool web app called StumbleUpon
. It's a plug-in for your browser tool bar that lets you find new new and interesting web sites by clicking on a button.At first its fairly random, but you can set your profile to favor the sort of things you like and it will start to filter the sites by your tastes. You can also click on a "I like it!" button to register if you did or didn't like the site - and this in turn affects if other people will be sent through to that site.It's pretty cool - so far I've found a number of really interesting game sites that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise as well as a some intriguing flash games - the likes of which I will blog about later!Oh, and if you came across this post via "StumbleOn" then please click on the "I like it!" button so other people can discover Game Musings :-)
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