Games doc

Pre-production blog

Synopsis

Callum Hudson is an elite footballer at the top of his game. However, this does not stop him from acting like your everyday egotistical footballer. Just before his big transfer away from his club, he encounters a member of a criminal organization who had lost thousands of pounds on betting on his transfer he attempts to stop Callum from leaving but he was having none of it and kills the man in self-defense after he attacks him. He is then sentenced to prison for killing a man in self-defense. After prison, Callum goes on a journey to go after the people who set him up for murder as well as choosing to define himself as a hero or vigilante.

Next Gen week 31 year 1

Due to the current time frame i have been soley focusing on my games document. firstly I listed veichles and weapons which my game would contain. I rather enjoyed that part though it did put me off as it was rather engrossing into all of the cool things available in my imagianry game. from there icreated a fake HUD for what my game would contain.I mocked one up using photoshop. The issue of it was i feel it is too simplistic yet i know its the format that most companies use when developing that type of game because they don't want it to either distract or put off the player. This is what i've found common when trying to create this game. This is the middle ground as I want it to be complex to appeal to those I am pitching it towards but simplistic for it to be a real game that people would buy, The process for this has been long but i am glad that it is because this is something where i have all the creative control and it is a topic in which i have been studying for so i have some experience.

The biggest dowside of this all is that this isn't actually real nor am i a proffesional so creating something like a demo for this is too complex. Aditionally because of this Iam relying on more off what i've wrote and learned than what iv'e created because as this is my first time i want more detail into the written work to demonstrate my understanding of what iv'e been taught. I would have preferably balanced both of them out but given the time constraints I doubt that is possible.

Regardless though this has been a great experience where i have given an idea i am really proud of and have turned it into more than a mere concept which i am greatful for.

Next gen year 1 week 30

The previous week i continued on with my Games doc. For it I went on to what would be the controls of the game. This required a lot of detail as my game is to have two different game modes which both require their own controls for. Detail in the controls is heavily required as you have to think of everything that is possible within your game. Towards the end of the week I completed the controls and moved on to the selling points of the game. These being the concept of the game and its unique selling point on top of the games synopsis. I have completed them but i feel more detail may be required in order to really sell the game i'm pitching.

On the VFX project i finally completed the shots. Whilst editing the footage on NUKE i encountered a big error but with assistance it was resolved. Also continuing the in it I finished modelling the robot as well as completing texturing it.

next gen year 1 week 28

Last week I was taught a new tool. The tool I used generated the Photoshop image process into 3D. The task in hand was to create a maze. For this I generated a generic maze and adding it into Photoshop whilst behind the maze adding a greeble texture behind. Afterwards i added random shapes to it. From there I went to generate the end product in 3D which is an amazing tool. My biggest regret was not noting down the process as this tool looks to have importance.

Continuing with my VFX project I got to tracking both phone shots adding a working animation on both of them. I currently need to rotoscope the thumb so it is above the phone screen layer.

In coding we continued to prepare for our coding written exam by doing extra pieces of revision to help everyone pass. With the exam quickly approaching to an extent i am feeling slightly more confident than before with intentions to pass.

Next gen year 1 week 27

Last week i continued to develop my knowledge of using curves within MAYA. The first small task was to use the information of last weeks lesson to create a pawn from chess. We were timed whilst participating which added the element of pressure. For this i used the pencil curve tool which is the easiest option as you just draw out the shape you want but i wanted to try it out. Afterwards we learned to use nerbs which are basic shapes used to create an outline for shapes. For this we modeled a carrot by adding many 3D circles of various sizes to make the cone shape of the carrot then using the curve tool i added the carrot top.

Continuing the VFX project I spent the first lesson transferring my data over to a room upstairs which was a rather frustrating process as the computers were just bad trying to transfer my stuff over which annoyed me as I could have been working in that time. The next lesson as we moved room i was asked to redo my work on NUKE to get a fresh start whilst i believe it wasn't needed i don't mind doing it again so it stays in my memory.

In coding preparation for our code exam continued. For this we completed the previous exam questions. Overall I still don't know how to feel about this upcoming exam but i'm eager to learn and pass.

Game Player/Buyer types

In this blog post i will discuss the various types of games and the buyers associated with them. So for this i will be discussing various game categories and the buyers associated to them.

First/Third person shooters 
The average age of players who participate in these games are approximately 18-40 year old. I believe this is the case because because the games tend to contain games which have graphic content which could be distressing for a younger audience. This is also down to the PEGI rating system giving games like 'Call of duty' a 18+ rating because it is widely agreed that it is too mature for kids which is why i have given an appropriate age range for this genre. The class most associated with the genre is middle-lower class. I think this because  lower classes may struggle to provide financial stability therefore may not be able to provide themselves with the hefty fees of consoles and their games. Middle class is the best associated class because these are the people who work lots which leads to the average person immersing themselves within the games to escape from reality. Traditionally males are seen as the larger group within the FPS/TPS community. This is because on average men produce more testosterone than women so playing these games provides them to live their violent fantasies.

Sports
Sports related games have the widest and most diverse target market within the industry because anyone can participate in a array of different sports with few limitations. I see the age range being from 8-60.  This is because of the many variations of sports with children being able to participate virtually and in real life. As well as this older generations have created variations which means they can still play like with walking football. All together sport is cherished worldwide therefore it effects and involves the most people. In addition to this it represents all classes with specific sports appealing to different classes due to equipment prices. Furthermore sports also represent and appeal to both genders as well all ethnicity's.

Fantasy
The age demographic for fantasy games is ages 12-30. This is because these games use violence but some usually contain less because the PEGI rating system is more lenient on fantasy violence. In addition to this the imaginative aspect appeals itself more to the younger audience with the game play and fighting aspect linking to the older part of the age range. Similar to action games i see a similar representation of class shown through the target market. This is because most fantasy games go against any realistic aspects in the worlds they create and can be as creative as they want when developing their games, and for a lack of realism i believe these games are so valuable to these classes and people because it gives them the best place where they can escape to.  I don't believe specific genders and ethnicity's can be associated with fantasy games as their main appeal is the escapism aspect of it.

Overall to an extent i agree that categorization and stereotyping are useful and serve a purpose when creating a target market. They are purposeful in the marketing industry because it associates a vague group of people who are most likely to want a specific product and from there it can be made to that group so it appeals to them so they will buy it. A key point about that is being vague about an target audience because if it was over developed and too specific it will lower the amount of people interested as specifics can exclude many types of people. However the use of categorizing audiences is a gray area because making assumptions about people and stereotyping them can be insensitive which could lead to back lash from the target market themselves, so overall  this can be good and effective provided those doing the market categorizing are careful creating a group who seem interested in a product.

Current software technologies.

In this blog post i will be discussing various pieces of software i have encountered providing facts and my thoughts and opinions about them.

The first piece of software i will be discussing is Photoshop. This is one of the biggest and most well known software which acts as both a place to design and create digital art as well as a picture editing software. With Photoshop it is extremely hard to use without experience and newcomers can seem very complicated, and that is the case because it is very advanced but if used in the right hands it can produce fine works of art. Whilst it takes time to use those who do use it notice there is a tool and feature for every occasion. Despite this though many would argue a big push factor is having to pay a big portion of money to use as well as buy. In my opinion Photoshop is only worth what you pay if it is to be used as an image editor because of it being the best option. However those who intend on using it for making digital drawings shouldn't waste their money for it and should focus on using something like 'firealpaca'. This is a free to use drawing software which comes equipped with sophisticated features like creating brushes and correction tools.

In addition to this another piece of software i have grown accustomed to is the game developing software 'unity'. Overall i find this to be a mediocre software. This mainly down to a large fault in the software where if you don't have it installed properly it will delete parts of your work. Overall i may be biased towards it as this is the software i currently have to use and i have found it to be nothing but excruciatingly painful as it has never ran properly whilst I've been using it. Despite this good things can come from this as it gives people who use it the chance to make a profit off of selling assets and games as well as being an engine that some game developers currently use to date. Another thing is they have strict policies that isn't to favorable with the community. But again with this i feel it is only suitable to use by professionals.

Finally the last piece of software i shall be discussing is Adobe after effects. This is a software used to edit videos. My use of it has been minimal but when i have used it i have gotten on well with it. Adobe personally offer support and tutorials to new comers to help adjust them to it making them comfortable in their creations. Whilst using it editing videos can be a delight and is the easiest part of it to use. However the difficulty lies within placing everything together as well as rendering it being a long and tedious task. Overall i do like it its just the case of it being a time consuming software.

A good feature with most current software technologies is that they work hand in hand with others. for example the 3D modeler software MAYA works well with Photoshop to design textures for items by having the ability to create nets which you can open within the program and create textures from. This compatibility with others makes it extremely convenient to switch between software's cutting down usage time and overall more efficient. 

 With all of these software's there are many benefits as they all go hand in hand and link up perfectly. For example if I had a sketch of an object i wanted to create I would go into MAYA to design it. I would then need to texture it, so for that i would need to create a texture in Photoshop of what it would look like by taking a UV snapshot on MAYA and loading it on Photoshop. Afterwards I would then go back on to MAYA to load in the texture to make the object whole. The last step would be to import it into Unity to make it a game object with the potential to be used in games.

Next gen year 1 week 18

Hi again its me

This is the week where we began the next set of topics. Firstly we began the new topic of the core principles of game design. For this we went over the eight core principles required in order to make a game. These 8 are;Boundaries, Conflict, Resources, Rules, Procedures, Outcomes, Players and Objectives. In addition to this we also learned about the history of gaming consoles and the innovations of it before given an assignment of blogging about the history.

I have also moved on from all GAVI work to work on the VFX industry. Currently we are yet to to much as for now all we have done is create a Gantt chart.

Another topic we have moved onto is learning about animation. From that we have looked at the pioneers of its creation as well as a brief history on it with an assignment to review a form of animation.

Past, present and future of gaming platforms

In this blog post i will be discussing gaming platforms, specifically the past, present and future of them. Currently in the history of  gaming platforms there have been 8 generations of platforms so i will be discussing them and what is to come in this blog post.

Generation 1

The first generation of gaming platforms occurred from 1972-1980. In 1972 the company Magnavox  released the first home console in the form of the 'Magnavox Odyssey'. Upon its release the Odyssey sold around 100000. Until then video games were rare and not popular. It wasn't until Atari came about with the infamous pong that video games started to become seen more in the public eye. After this the market saw many company's producing simple consoles all producing very similar products.

Generation 2

Generation 2 of gaming console occurred within the years 1976-1996. The biggest innovation of that generation was the change of cartridges used within the consoles. These consoles were empty with all the information being stored on the cartridge.  The biggest selling console of the time was the Atari 2600 which sold 30000000 units.

Generation 3
The 3rd generation of consoles lasted from 1983-2003. The biggest changes came in 1983 with the release of the Famicom or NES. This console sold around 62 million units. The NES was all together a stronger console providing longer lasting games with higher resolution graphics providing more detail. In an attempt to differentiate itself from older consoles they moved the cartridge port to the front. This generation also started the feud between SEGA as they attempted to rival the NES in the market with the master system but only massed 13 million units.

Generation 4
The 4th generation showed itself to last from 1987-2004. This generation saw NEC release their first console the PC engine. This released first in 1987 to sell 10 million units. Then they were approached to create consoles with graphical displays twice the amount of the previous generation with this going on to be known as the 16 bit generation. Whilst that was happening the market rivalry continued with SEGA and Nintendo with the SEGA genesis releasing selling 40 million units closing the gap on the Nintendo. Despite this they were still  unsuccessful in leading the market as the super  NES selling 49 million units defining them as the biggest console sellers. What else backed up Nintendo financially as well as that was the biggest innovation so far in the form of the game boy. This showed itself to be an innovation of the 2nd generation hands held console microvision. This of course was the game boy which owned the market and the pop culture of the time.

Generation 5
Generation 5 took place between the years 1993-2005. The console industry continued to thrive due to their cheap prices. Whilst hand held consoles dominated the previous generation nothing could stop the release of SONY's PlayStation. This console defined the generation selling over 100 million units. It showed to be the best in the market. Its popularity entitled it to being the biggest computer entertainment platform. They were shown to have multiple uses as they could also play CD'S. Another key feature that defined the console was the controllers. These added hand grips for the player to hold whilst playing and shows to be different from the generic oblong shape.

Generation 6
The sixth generation occurred from 1998-2013. The handheld market continued to expand but still with Nintendo being the top dog of the market with the Game Boy advance. In terms of home consoles Sony refused to back down with the release of the PlayStation 2 which outsold the original on 155 million units. The biggest feature to entice customers was backwards comparability allowing those who own PlayStation games to play them on the PlayStation 2. This generation saw Microsoft introduce itself with its XBOX. Whilst it was marginally successful nothing at the time topped PlayStation.

Generation 7
The seventh generation lasted from 2005-2017. This showed itself to be very competitive with the  3 big companies emerging to be Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. The industry was showing itself to be stronger than ever as in 2007 1/4 of the worlds computing power was from gaming consoles. The innovations of this generation showed consoles capable of playing Blu-ray discs as well as all consoles supporting wireless controllers. A 1.2 million unit difference showed a split race with Microsoft and SONY with the PlayStation being the victor of the two. Despite this the Nintendo Wii became the most sold home console. This may be down to it being seen as a family console as well as being able to exercise as well as play normally redesigning the classic oblong controller shape. In terms of handheld consoles Nintendo saw itself come out on top due to the success of the DS. This console was vastly changed from the game boy as it saw new features like the touch screen and wireless connection. This was shown to be a phenomenal success as it even outsold Wii.

Generation 8
The eighth generation began in 2011 and as it is stands it is still continuing. A big improvement shown was the graphical capacities of the consoles becoming all the outstanding. XBOX and PlayStation both showed interest into making them more social by making it easier to record and live stream games. Another improvement shown in both consoles is introducing more forms of media platforms as websites like Netflix had began to significantly rise.

Future of gaming
Whilst VR  is something that is recently being sought out after many developers are looking into the new tomorrow of augmented reality. This unlike VR will allow users to interact in real time with your simulated surroundings. Another thing developers aim to achieve soon is the idea of cloud gaming. This is where all information is stored within the cloud making downloading them far easier as all that is required is a stable internet connection.

Game review

In this blog post i will be reviewing 2 games, going into depth about the pros and cons of them and giving my own opinions. The first game today i shall be reviewing is call of duty: world war 2. For those unfamiliar with what this is, call of duty is a first person shooter developed by sledgehammer games. It is an action game with both single-player and multi-player experiences as well as being the fourteenth installment to the call of duty franchise.

Firstly, Sledgehammer games have done what i believe to be the best thing which is listen more to what the community are saying then whatever will get them a bigger paycheck. This is evident of the way they are handling their micro transactions as well as they supply drop system. In previous call of duty's players have had the option to buy supply drops in which they can get gear and weapon variants. This has been highly controversial within the community as many have argued that some variants have the possibility to change the game and all you'd need to do is pay extra for for a chance do do so which people would say is ruining the multiplayer experience. Instead of getting rid of them their solution was to make supply drops cosmetic only, therefore purchasing them gives you no advantage within the game. Whilst weapon variants are still included the only thing they do is provide a small piece more of experience points to players. In addition to this they have also listened by adding the fan favorite game mode of prop hunt to the game showing this time they are valuing the community's feedback even more.

In addition to this the game developers have been known to update the games frequently. While some may consider it to be a tedious burden as they have to wait for the game to update it is all done to make the game better. The developers have been quick this year to notice bugs and glitches to patch them. Furthermore they're also listening to feedback about weapon balance with them resulting in weakening or strengthen specific weapons to balance the game. Moreover they have done well to bring in seasonal events to strengthen their community with the promise of new in game content to intrigue newcomers of the series and keep older players along with them.

However, one thing noticed when playing the multiplayer is how boring it can get quickly. This is due to the lack of maps within the game as there are only 12 with 3 being specific to one game mode. In addition to this fans are not happy with the fact in order to get new maps you'll have to pay extra fro them. The same is also the case for the Nazi zombie game mode which only contains 1 map playable for free.

As well as this the single-player campaign has many split between down the line. whilst many are speaking of how it is the best compared to those of more recent years. Despite this though many have criticized it for how it is a very predictable story as well as being too short of a campaign story. Another thing it has received back lash over is the lack of diversity and how for the most part just dhows you the story of one american infantry soldier.

However the life expediencies for call of duty is very poor which is down to the basis of the release of call of duty games where 3 different companies take there turn to annually release a game. Because of this the games tend to last about a year because by the release of the newest one they are forgotten. I personally quarrel with this business strategy because it maximizes profit and taking less into account for the player community.

Overall i have found this game to be quite good. This is mainly down to the developers doing the best thing possible of listening to what the fans of the series have to say and valuing the community's feedback. However though whilst i like the game i worry for the future of it as adding a silly game mode like prop hunt in can lead to controversy as this game is based on a real war filled with horrific events and for me its the case of whether or not will they go over the line and do something stupid and deeply regret it because this was a real war where millions perished fighting for it.

The other video game i will be reviewing is 'Battlefield 1'. I chose this because it is a first person shooter based in a historical time period. The difference is battlefield is a fps based on the first world war. It is the fifteenth installment in the franchise which was developed by Electronic Arts.

Firstly i would like to talk about the single player campaign in battlefield. I personally believe it is far superior to the call of duty campaign. The biggest criticism i have for it is that it is too short and is about 6 hours long. Despite this battlefields campaign can be described as short yet sweet. This is because the campaign all focus on something different giving you six different playable experiences. This shows its superiority because of how diverse it is showing all aspects and stories of the war ranging from oil wars in Turkey to the skies of London. Also to top it off it is further enriched with spectacular cinematics to further the amazing experience.

Whilst Call of Duty introduced different classes for players it has always been signature within the franchise and continued to use them within battlefield 1. In addition to this they also introduced players to different game modes. The first of which is 'Operations' which is an all out war game mode where a defending team will have to fend off attackers within a certain time period with a finite amount of re spawns available. If the defending team fail they are pushed back to another sector of the map meaning by the end the attackers control the whole map. Another base game mode which came out is war pigeons which is similar to capture the flag where the objective is to capture pigeons and release them to signal artillery.

The lifespan for battlefield is far bigger than that of call of duty especially this one. This is because the development is different as only DICE develops the games therefore on average it takes longer to create them. In addition to this the game has had frequent updates sent out since its release with them being enough to satisfy consumers yet at the same time not enough to put them off over the size of them. Another way the game has been trying to expand its lifespan is by its own DLC. As of yet two map packs have been released with a third announced for early 2018. This is to stretch it out to late 2018 where it has been rumored for another installment to the franchise.

Overall Call of duty WII is a step in the right direction considering the previous installment but overall is just mediocre. That is why i believe Battlefield 1 to be the better out of the two as it shows a better perspective of war and really engages with its audience by telling a gripping story throughout the campaign as well as the multiplayer.