Make Things!

I just read an article called New Years Resolutions for Game Industry Newbies, since I do one day, eventually, want to make games. All five points really made sense. Number one was to Make Things - something I'm incredibly excited to do.

I've been thinking quite a bit (instead of Making Things, I'll admit) about the marble game that I want to create. After playing Portal, seeing and trying (links at bottom) Echo Chrome, reading about Braid, and playing Cursor*10, I've made the decision that I don't want to make the same marble game everyone has seen and played before. I want to make something different - something that makes people really think and use their brains in a way they haven't before.

I'd say that's one of the powers of video games. It's the ability to change and bend the reality that someone is experiencing. Maybe you can see yourself through a portal, change your perspective to solve a problem, or help yourself in a new way. I absolutely love things that make me think in new and exciting ways, and those are the kind of games I want to create and let people experience as well. Perhaps you'll learn something about others, and especially about yourself.

And, since it's literally 2:30 AM right now and I can't sleep at all because there are huge trucks doing some damned loud revving engine (moving trees? blasting the road? digging for pipes? performing an alien landing cover-up?) things on the street across from my front door, I'm going to expand my mind with some Portal. Making Things is not an option at this time of night, except for a blog post I guess, but I don't think that counts.

Missed Games

Last week I took a short couple-of-hours-a-day for a week fun course called "The History of Video Games." It was fun, and I learned a lot of things about the world of video games. The course ended with a sort-of list of the top 10 video games of all time. Our teacher left out the entirety of computer games, and the list was heavily weighted to the Nintendo side, so there was a bit to be desired. The list was of course much-contested by everyone in the class (since top 10's are incredibly objective), but some games were mentioned that I've never played.

I decided to make a list of games that I totally missed in the last 15 years that I'm going to go back and play someday. One reason I missed them is because after purchasing a PlayStation and a few games for it in the mid-90s I basically went completely to computer games, leaving out consoles until about 2003 when I bought a PS2. Here they are, in no particular order:

N64:
Super Mario 64
Star Fox 64
Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
GoldenEye 007

GameCube:
Super Smash Brothers: Melee

PlayStation:
Metal Gear Solid

PS2:
Shadow of the Colossus
Resident Evil 4
Okami
We Love Katamari
God of War 1 and 2

XBox:
Halo 2

PC:
Deus Ex

Some of these games seem to be on just about everyone's best-of all time lists. Do I have any glaring omissions? Maybe I need to put together my own personal top 10 list. I think I will, but I've really got to mull over it for a while. Check back in a couple days!

Since I'm currently still playing The Witcher and BioShock, I won't be playing these too soon, but we'll see. I will say that after about getting 10-15 hours into The Witcher, it is still very, very good. It just might make it into my top-10 list...

Carl Sagan

I've decided that Carl Sagan is my hero. If I were able to go back in time and meet anyone in the world, that person would be Carl Sagan. Just a few days ago on December 20th it was the 11th anniversary of his death. The world lost an important person on that day, someone who spread the word of science like very few others have.

The largest reason for this was his creation and writing (with his wife Ann Druyan and Steven Soter) of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which is said to have been viewed by over 600 million people worldwide. I'm currently in the process of watching it again, and I'm up to part 4. Anybody who reads this needs to go to their local library, check it out, and watch it. Cosmos is nothing short of astounding, mind-expanding, and inspiring.

Sagan has also written many books, which I've decided to start reading. I'm going to start with The Demon-Haunted World, a book about science, skepticism, and how to make both a part of your life. Since really becoming a skeptic I'd say I need a manual for how to do it, and Carl Sagan is probably the best person to get that instruction from.

The Witcher

So, the last week was pretty great. It was my birthday! I picked up a game for myself called The Witcher, which I picked up largely because of a review on Gamers with Jobs. Other places I looked also seemed to say that the game is amazing.

And, after having played for a couple hours, I have to say that they are correct. The game is incredible. There is so much to The Witcher that I can't even fathom all of it yet. I've been very surprised by it on more than one occasion, from the visuals to the music to playing a drinking game against some big dude in an inn (I won! After playing, all the graphics were blurry and my character stumbled around everywhere - awesome!).

After I get a few more hours in, I'll post again about it. I could still be in that new game dazzle faze, so we'll see what happens after I really get going into the story. So far my only complaint, which I share with most people, is that there are a lot of times where you have to wait for parts of the level to load.

As I sit in this cafe, it is snowing outside. Again. I went outside this morning, and just stepping through the snow is a major task. It's almost up to my knees! This is the most snow I've seen on the ground at one time in years, and I gotta say that I'm liking it. The last few winters have been pretty pointless - little snow, incredibly cold temperatures, etc. At least this year we're off to a great start. It looks like this is going to be a REAL winter!

Oh, I have to mention Portal again. I managed to finish it, and I'll say that it's one of the best games I've ever played. It is 4-5 hours of pure greatness. If you play video games at all in any way, spend the $20 at SteamPowered and download it!

Time to load up The Witcher!

Best Living Room Upgrade EVER

http://blag.xkcd.com/2007/11/19/growing-up/

You can't go wrong with a ball pit in your house!

Long time no post

Wow, I haven't posted since August! I've nearly forgotten about my little blog. I'm sure by now nobody is reading this any more. Oh well. I can still post stuff, if anything, for myself. Maybe I'll post things to remember or something like that.

I'm having fun with Blender.

I just listened to an audio book called The Ultimate Gift. It was really good, though not very realistic. It was more of a guide for life in the form of a novel, so what it set out to do, it did well. Live Every Day to its Fullest. Indeed.

I'm still going through BioShock, and it's still an amazing game. It is really something to model my own game after, in terms of storytelling, excitement, mystery, and fun. Mine will be a bit of a different focus, and it'll be better of course.

Got a chance to try out Portal today, and it is true what people have been saying. It is GREAT. I've only played about 20 minutes of it, and I'm already hooked. It is probably the most innovative puzzle game I've ever played.

Until next time... Promising myself it won't be over three months of nothing again.

Video Interview

Here is a video interview of Ton from Blender at Siggraph this year. I've been looking for this video because I'm in it! At about 5:50 you can see me walking past on the right side of the screen. In an older post (Day 3 of Siggraph) I have a picture of the interview with the camera pointed at the two guys. Ton talks about open movie projects, and even an open game they are working on called Apricot.