Progress Report

Ok, long time no update. My bad, I've let the blog fall by the wayside for the past few months... or since the year started to be honest.  2011 has been pretty busy I learned C#, Unity, a bit of 3D modeling and on top of that I got a job at a game studio.  On top of all this I've started work on my masters game so 2011 has been pretty eventful.

Over the next few weeks I'll try add a few posts about the masters project to date, how I ended up with the game I'm developing and how development has gone so far.  Overall I'd say that Unity is an amazing engine especially for prototyping 3D games, compared to UDK which can be quite impenetrable, Unity gives you access to an entire engine and the community support for it is amazing.

For now I'm going to leave you with a link to a very early prototype of my game- the mouse controls are ok but it feels much nicer on the iPad. Here she is:

http://db.tt/o6zsoTh

Game Engines - Final Submission

Final Project Presentation

I'll post a bit more on this once I get some free time, for now here's my presentation:MSc in Digital Games Final Project Proposal

View more presentations from John Healy.

Final Project Presentation

Splash Screen

Just thought I'd share the current splash screen and logo for Space Police.  Enjoy!

XNA Game development

For part of our game engines module we're working in XNA, it's been really enjoyable so far and the best part is we get to make a game as part of our assessment for the module.  I'm working on a little 2.5D space shooter, I'll post up more as development gets further along but I'm just happy to have gotten this far on it!

Global Games Jam: Xquirrels

Huzzah!  I completed the Global Games Jam this weekend with Alan, Basil, Michael and Owen.  Griffith College hosted the event and it was a cool venue and a lot of fun.  I went home both nights as did most of us, it was a really fun event and it's great to be able to put a game together in that kind of timeframe.  You can find it here:

http://www.globalgamejam.org/2011/xquirrels

Video Games & International Humanitarian Law

Games of 2011

So its that time of the year when gaming sites list the games they're looking forward to from 1-10.  I'm going to follow suit but list in terms of release date... kinda (Where possible at least).  It looks like 2011 will be a good year for gaming so here are my picks:

Little Big Planet 2



I really enjoyed the first LBP and am looking forward to seeing what Sackboy has up his sleeve this time.  I'd like to think I'll spend some time making levels/games in the editor but I realise that will probably never happen...

Killzone 3



I was one of the people who really liked Killzone 2, it had a real gritty, tough struggle feel about it(Something COD used to have until recently) but the story didn't make much sense.  From the trailer above it looks like they've worked on that and I can't wait to kick some Helgan ass!(PS:  If anyone from Gorilla Games happens to read this I will work for free to make a Killzone space sim- it would be epic!)

Homefront



I don't know too much about this game but it has some potential, the premise is interesting and if they pull it off it could be a great hit.  In all likelihood though it will probably be another generic first person shooter...

Portal 2



No explanation required!

Stacking



A Double Fine game about stacking Russian dolls with unique abilities and puzzles to solve.  Could be a great game, hopefully Tim Schafer will have something to say about it when he visits Dublin!

LA Noire



Last year Red Dead Redemption was a surprise hit for many. It's hard to tell how LA Noire will fare once its released but the setting and style interest me enough to warrant its place on the list.

Star Wars: The Old Republic




I've never played an MMO and as an aspiring game designer that makes me feel like a bit of a cheat.  If the old republic looks like it'll be good I think I might jump in this summer and test the waters.

Journey



Flower was a massive surprise to me when I first played it- it had that feel of something truly unique and relaxing. That Game Company's next game is going to be some for of multiplayer adventure type game. This game has to potentially to be a really unique and meaningful experience- how often can you say that about a game?

Uncharted 3



Uncharted 2 was a great game in 2009 and hopefully the third installment in the series can build on that. Expect to see this game at the top of most GOTY's at the end of next year!

Batman: Arkham City



Arkham Asylum was a really fun game, expect more of the same in the sequel.

Mass Effect 3



It's hard not to love everything about the mass effect universe. It's safe to assume the third installment will be worth it...

Deus Ex 3



Deus Ex 3 has a lot to live up to but this game has a great visual style and looks like it keeps a lot of elements from it's predecessors.

And thats the list.  I'm also looking forward to a couple of indie game like Monaco and Spy Party which I'll do a write up on when they release.

I had better get used to eating beans on toast for 2011...

Heavy Rain

Generally in games I'm a bit of a sociopath, in GTA IV I like nothing better than seeing how many cops I can kill before they get me.  Having said all this I think the reason I do this is because I disassociate the game world of Liberty City from any real place.  Its just a game world, a place to have some fun and not take it too seriously.  For some reason I took Heavy Rain a lot more seriously but in the end I felt betrayed by the game.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the game, in fact I would recommend it to anyone interested in games and game design.  The game itself is quite simple, merely requiring timed button presses and careful examination of spaces.  Beyond this a lot of the game plays out based on the choices you make although it's not always clear when your making a big, game altering choice or an arbitrary one.

The graphics in general are quite good, although not as mind blowing as I had first expected, there are a lot of assets that don't seem to have gotten the same level of attention as the characters.  Controlling animation speed can be fun and interesting but all too often the charters seem alien and move like robots.  The scene where Ethan and Madison kiss really showed that this game world resides deep within the uncanny valley.  At times the sound got choppy and faded in and out which could be frustrating during cutscenes.

The movement is often times clunky and it can become one of the major frustrations with the game.  The static camera angles didn't help with navigating the world and often made it difficult to figure out what to do next or what to explore.

The 4 main protagonists; Ethan Mars, Scott Shelby, Norman Jayden and Madison Paige are all interesting in their own way.  No one in the game is a super powered commando out to save the world, they're just real(ish) people trying to save a kids life.  Unfortunately it doesn't feel like you, as the player, have much input in the world.  Most of the time it just feels like you're helping the characters use the microwave or put the car in gear.  There is a genuine sense that the world would just continue with or without you, it's pretty frustrating when the characters you're playing as are keeping secrets from you.

The influence of film on this game is clearly massive, it's very much a game that tries to marry video games and movies but it feels  too forced.  Hopefully Quantic Dream and other developers will explore this type of game further as the whole genre could be really exciting if it gets the attention it deserves.

If you've played MGS 4 you'll remember one of the final scenes where Snake crawls through a radiation filled corridor and you'll know the sense of urgency that just tapping quick time events can lead to.  Heavy Rain pulls this off regularly with fast action button presses leading to a sense of immediacy and urgency from the player that can be thoroughly exciting.  This is one of the best features of the game and its probably what I'll remember most about it.

Heavy Rain makes a big deal about choice and in the end the choices you make will affect how the game ends.  I was pretty happy with how my game ended so I don't think I'd feel the need to go back and play again.  A major issue however is that there are so many arbitrary choices that it can be hard to know what's important and what's not.  Towards the end of the game I felt betrayed by the game, by one of the characters I had played, it was a big disconnect and leaves me feeling a bit unhappy about the game overall.  Feeling betrayed as a character could have been really powerful emotionally but instead I resented a game once I figured out certain things.

Overall Heavy Rain is a really good game and an extremely important game for the industry.  I'm glad that it has sold well and I just hope Quantic Dream strive towards a clearer vision in their next game.  I've heard David Cage recently argue that games need to not be about mechanics and loops, that worries me a little but with Heavy Rain as a foundation, games like this could be a big part of the future for this industry.


The Good Bits:

• Engaging story
• Sense of urgency
• Choice affecting the outcome of the game
• Real to life characters (No super human alpha males here!)
• Worth playing for it's novelty value alone

The Bad Bits:

• Graphics can be hit or miss
• Movement is clunky
• Characters never feel like they're in your control, your just helping them out
• Disconnect between game and player
• Choppy sound and visuals at times

MacB Beta Test

You can check out the final beta for MacB below, have fun with it!

MacB
Added: 01 December 2010
By: JohnnyJohnJohns

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

I generally don't post content that isn't in some way my own but I feel obliged to in this case.  The extended trailer for human revolution looks pretty epic and I hope the gameplay can match it!

MacB Character Presentation

MacB WIP

MacB, a game based loosely on Shakespeare's MacBeth, is now available to play in its alpha form.  There are a few issues with the gameplay but overall I think it works reasonably well given the tools used to make it,  there's some decent game logic in there too. For the next update I'll be adding a bit more to the character and storyline without using the highly obtrusive pop up boxes, along with fixing a few issues and polishing that will probably be about as far as I go with it.

I feel a bit disappointed with it overall, I think I stayed too close to expected norms of gaming.  What the game does well, countless other games out there do better.  Is there a reason to play MacB when games like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell already exist?  I think my disappointment comes from the "me too" attitude that I took somewhere along the way and just ended up creating something that I knew would work.  I should probably have tried to take a risk on the game but nothing really came to me,  it should be an ok piece for the portfolio with a few improvements but I can do better.

You can play the alpha below and hopefully I'll be able to add some more features to make it a better game!

MacB
Added: 01 December 2010
By: JohnnyJohnJohns

Level Flow Diagram

Having done the basics of my platformer I started working on how the actual level would work.  Below is an image showing the level flow for the final beta, the alpha wont follow this structure exactly but rather test all the systems required to make the structure work.  Doing the flow diagram really helped me break down what the game needs in terms of mechanics.  I've still got a lot of work to do for Wednesday and with another major deadline on Thursday I won't be spending much longer on the game.

MacBeth Early Alpha Video

This video shows some of the basic mechanics of my MacBeth game, collision detection is obviously not very precise for the ladder but that's easily fixed. Still a lot of work to do on this for Wednesday but I'm getting there...

MacBeth Platformer Pre-Alpha from JohnnyJohnJohns on Vimeo.

MacB

I have finally started work on the MacBeth game, mostly trying to get organised and make sure I'm focusing only on what I need to in order to get the alpha done for next Monday. I don't have much time due to other assignments but I'm managing to fit some game work in here and there.

I did up my first sprites for the game and they're attached below, it wasn't as difficult as I had expected to get them running and jumping in game maker although the lack of animations makes their movement look very awkward but its fine for alpha. Not there yet on these designs, but almost!

Left sprite for moving and facing left(Right is a mirror image)

Back of sprite for when he's climbing ladders.

Tragedie

Enjoy!

Black Ops and the Magic Circle

Children's Games by Pieter Brueghel (circa 1560)

When I go online on the PS3 I generally hope a few friends are online so that we can join a game of Call of Duty together, its more fun to be in a game with people you know as opposed to complete strangers. Team Death Match with 5 friends is a great experience where you as a group perform better than individuals. After these games we remember the highlights, a great kill or a lucky shot long after the game is over, we remember great games even longer still.

These friends that I play Black Ops with are friends that I've known for about 7 or 8 years, we used to all Kayak together in Ireland and abroad, we've lived through some pretty intense experiences in the past. By our actions or inactions in the past we've all been responsible for each others safety and I can think times when one of us has saved another from serious danger. These are the kinds of friends who I've formed strong life long bonds with and who I can rely on if I need help. Unfortunately these days we don't see much of each other due to people moving on so Call of Duty helps keep us together and strengthen our friendship.

In the past when we met up the talk would be of some difficult river or dangerous situation that turned out o.k. in the end. Nowadays stories of Call of Duty games are starting to intersperse the conversation, I think the thrill and togetherness we once got from kayaking is being supplemented with games. After all both Whitewater Kayaking and video games are just games, right?

I think this sums up both activities pretty well:

"...the feeling of being 'apart together' in an exceptional situation, of sharing something important, of mutually withdrawing from the rest of the world and rejecting the usual norms, retains its magic beyond the duration of the individual game."

To me this describes both Kayaking and Video Games succinctly when groups are involved. Whats interesting about this quote is that it isn't about either, its not written by a contemporary game journalist or a sports psychologist, instead its written by Johan Huizinga, in 1938. His book Homo Ludens forms the basis of Play Theory and from the quote above you can see how relevant this work is today. So far the book has provided insight into why we play games and some of the varying forms play can take, I couldn't have asked for much more from Mr. Huizinga!

P.S. There's a bit of an Easter Egg if you click the image above.

Couple

So far, so good on my new game. At this stage I feel confident that I'll get it finished, my main issue will be in animating the sprites and music for it as I've no experience in that area. The images below are more so to show the characters as the scale is way off from what will be in the game. Hoping to get this done within a few days so fingers crossed everything goes ok tomorrow!