Gamer Grow

Special thanks to Nick Bakewell for jamming out on his real guitar, and Jrhee for reminding me to make the video. Check out the small version over to the right!

Games have become increasingly flashy and cluttered with special effects, numerous enemies, bombastic sound, and poor representation of these elements in the overall balance of the gaming experience. It is obvious that games don't have to be this way, and, if you trace the history of gaming from before we had controllers and computer processors, you'll find that games thrive on simplicity, straightforwardness, and elements that clearly communicate their function and rules. Such values I privilege in my assessments of videogames. After all, at the end of the day, if you have two equally fun, challenging, and deep games but one has a high learning curve that involves hours of play before the player can begin to train their eyes to sift through the gallimaufry of graphics, and the other is so cleanly presented that even those who aren't into gaming at all can watch you play and not only understand what's going on but offer helpful comments and/or advise, then it is clear t...

In an article at 1up.com called " So You Want to Make a Game " several indie developers are interviewed about their craft. I lifted a few quotes from the articles that fall in line with the approach I'm taking with my games and that support the kind of critical-thinking we do here on the blog. Go find the mechanic at the heart of a favorite title It's important to start a game off at the core by thinking about the core mechanic. For Desktop, Preece created a game based solely on the real-time strategy genre's "mazing" mechanic -- forcing units down a path of destruction -- and banning any feature that didn't interact with that primary mechanic . Preece's approach to game developing involves focusing solely on the primary mechanic/function of his game. Mario is like that. There's already some interesting things about Mario when you're just moving him around. He's got a bit of inertia. If you hold the jump button, he'll jump a litt...

In this podcast we, my brother and I, talk about Everday Shooter and GuitaRPG. The show also features a "special guest." As I promised there is a new design challenge ready and waiting for all of you to tackle. DOWNLOAD CRITICAL-CASTS #5 HERE I'll have the latest GuitaRPG demo and the Design Challenge post up soon. Show Notes: Mass Effect Review on the blog Everyday Shooter Website Geometry Wars IGN: Ikaruga Design Challenge #3: Spoony Bard IGN: Glory Days 2 We out.

Take your favorite RPG (or any RPG) and describe an element from that game (battle system, menus, story, scenario, etc.). Tell what it is, why you like it, and try to comment on how that idea can be combined with music and incorporated into GuitaRPG. Ex. Fire 1, 2, & 3 Final Fantasy Series Magical Spells. Collecting a wide variety of spells many of which increase in power. Each spell in GuitaRPG could be a small musical riff/phrase that can be used by executing a specific button combination. The resulting sound of music will correspond to the "spell" in one way or another. Perhaps Fire 1, 2, & 3 would be a rock guitar riff that increases in difficulty as your fingers burn their way across the "frets." Feel free to post as many ideas as you want with as detail of RPG stories as you want from your past. Kangaeru ne (Think about it)

If you listened to the latest podcast, you know that I've been mulling over how to approach solidifying the level design for GuitaRPG. Here's a short list of all the elements I've been tossing around... Enemies How they move How they attack How the represent music How music is made through their interaction with the player Player How to have 4 players without them crowding each other How the player moves considering the limitation of the Guitar Hero controller Coordinating moving/music/and attacking HUD power meters combo meters roulettes and other notifications RPG stuff Turned based/Real time Random Battles world map/dungeon map/battle area How all these elements work with music Well now I have the answer. In my head at this moment, I'm battling in GuitaRPG and I'm having a blast. I know that doesn't mean much for you guys because you can't play what I'm thinking. I'll surely get to work pumping out a demo of my mind. In the meantime, let me just s...

Charlie Wilson's Advance Wars (referred to as CWAW from here forward) is the name of a game that is built into a sort of matchmaking service using the online muliplayer functionality of Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. This game merges elements from the turnbased strategy, ARG (alternate reality game), and communication genres of videogames. Inspired by the major motion picture Charlie Wilson's War, CWAW creates an environment where politics, money, and power is free to circulate between the involved players, and a world where one player can covertly turn the tables of a war. In order for such an elaborate set up to function, the necessary elements of war and politics must be set. These include choosing sides, picking one's battles, and obtaining and distributing wealth of any kind. Choosing Sides: CWAW can function optimally with 10 participants. Though the engine can support more than two warring factions, for the purposes of this write up I'll keep things simple by onl...

In this cast, I discuss how GuitaRPG has progressed, where it fits in the grand scheme that is the merging of videogames and music, and some thoughts I'm tossing aroudn about GuitaRPG's level design. The link to the cast... DOWNLOAD Critical Casts #4 You can always subscribe to the Critical Casts podcast via iTunes. The links to the feed/itunes is located to the right under Critical Casts. DOWNLOAD GuitaRPG Demo #2 Show Notes: Guitar Rising Guitar Wizard The Guitar Zeros WiiWiiWiiWii There is no new design challenge for this week. Keep working on the last one. Thanks,

In the future Design Challenge posts, I'll elaborate on the ideas that I discuss in the podcasts. The posts are numbered by the podcasts where the challenge was introduced. If you have an idea, comment, or concern about a particular design challenge, these posts are the place to express yourself. You can post links to pictures or write out your ideas as you see fit. You can think these challenges as far as you want through the design phases. I'll be sure to read and comment on everything in one way or another. Here's the design challenge from Critical Casts #3. Take a book or any kind of story where there isn't any action and try to design a game that reflects, simulates, or teaches the themes/lessons/ideas. In other words, try to adapt a non-action book to a game keeping in mind all the principles of solid game design. Examples.. The Bible Aesop's Fables Any non fiction text (a history book/event) I already have my idea percolating in the back of my mind. I'...

Critical-Gaming is growing. The blog now features original podcasts, videos, essays as well as other content that promotes the development of Critical-Gamers. On that note, I introduce Peter Gault. Peter contacted me expressing his interests in gaming. Because his views lined up with the views and aims of being a Critical-Gamer, the only course of actions left was to join forces. As the Critical-Gaming blog finds the best place for Peter and his contributions, don't forget to show your support. Here's an article that Peter wrote. Hopefully this will be the start of a back and forth correspondence between Peter and myself in which we will discuss innovation and where Mario Galaxy fits within the spectrum. So without further ado.... Quality as Innovation by Peter Gault Seth Schiesel , in his 2007 games of the year round up, criticized Super Mario Galaxy for its supposed lack of innovation; such a statement, while questionable within itself, also brings into question...

This podcast is all about listening.... You can download Critical Casts 3 HERE Now you can watch it... GuitaRPG youtube tutorial Show Notes... Download the GuitaRPG demo..HERE If you don't have a guitar hooked up to your PC, try using 1-5 for the fret buttons and to strum. Use this GlovePIE script (just copy paste it) Key.i + Wiimote.Rumble= wiimote.RawAccz > .75 Key.m + Wiimote.Rumble= wiimote.RawAccz Key.1 = Wiimote.Classic.A Key.2 = Wiimote.Classic.B Key.3 = Wiimote.Classic.X Key.4 = Wiimote.Classic.Y Key.5 = Wiimote.Classic.ZL Key.6 = Wiimote.Classic.R Key.8 = Wiimote.Classic.Minus Key.9 = Wiimote.Classic.Plus Key.Backspace = Wiimote.Classic.Down Key.Backspace = Wiimote.Classic.Up Wiimote.Led1 = true Wiimote.Led4= true Key.P = Wiimote.Plus Key.M = Wiimote.Minus