Learning About Computer Game Design

December 4th, 2010

Computer games have become extremely popular in the past few years. With new games being launched almost every year world over, the demand seems never ending. Those adept at computer programming, computer aided art and computer hardware are the masterminds to produces these extremely sought after games.

Usually, an interest sparks if you are a passionate about playing games. One may be an expert player, but subsequently gets bored of the games available and there by begins thinking of concepts for new games or means of improvising the already existing games. Taking a computer game design class and ultimately enrolling in a full fledged course for the same are the next steps. At the end of it a new computer game designer is created.

Computer games have become such a technology rage in themselves that schools have begun offering classes in computer game design. The popularity of these classes leads to their getting filled up soon and they can be a bit expensive. I found some great computer information at http://www.mycomputingnews.com. Hundreds of schools, most of them very much techno oriented have come up in order to fulfill the desires of those who wish to learn computer game design. Those who opt for a complete course of computer game design will be exposed initially to concepts like game balance, level design, narrative and storytelling, basic game architecture, motion planning and control.

As a career, it’s not at all simple. Hundreds of different aspects that comprise the computer game design have to be considered. Those aspiring to learn all will learn about the history of computer games, software architecture, animated sprites, sound and music, realism ,challenges, level design, plot pacing, interface techniques, 3D loading , camera control, rule based approaches among many other concepts.

Most fail to understand that designing a computer game is just like writing a technology filled book. A good game needs a good storyline that comprises a plot, characters, narrative, a thrilling begin, middle and end. Also emotion, repercussions and interaction also are a vital part. The domain of computer game design has many challenges for anyone who aspires and decides to master the basics.

Computer game design, has become a profession for many today. The average money one can spin is about $74,900 annually. That’s not bad at all to work on especially when you enjoy it thoroughly. Some computer game designers are able to clinch contracts with big players and make over $100,000 per year. For those who indulge in computer game design as a freelancer can enhance their earnings from a regular job by about $10,000 to $30,000 a year. Hence, in conclusion, computer game design is surely fun filled, challenging and lucrative from every possible perspective.

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Video Game Design Careers: 6 Benefits To Working In The Industry

November 4th, 2010

Most want to earn a living doing something they know and love. Video game design is a career choice that appeals to many avid video game players. Designing video game graphics isn’t all fun and games, though. Video game design is a real career with real benefits, such as the six listed below.

1: Challenge your creativity. Most of those in the industry will agree that one of the best parts of video game design is the opportunity to challenge your creativity. Like any other form of art, designing video games keeps your creative mind active. Whether you are planning the game’s story line, graphics, characters, or all of the above.

2: Enjoy a casual work environment. When people are asked what they value in a job, a casual work environment often ranks quite high on the list. People don’t want to feel stressed by a conservative workplace while they are trying to work, especially if the job generates plenty of stress of its own accord.

Luckily, careers in video game design typically boast casual work environments. Video game people are relaxed and fun loving, rather than uptight and traditional. This is definitely a good thing, for both employee and boss: Not only do people tend to be more productive and successful when they can relax and let their creative juices flow, they also find that their entire quality of life improves.

3: Get paid for your work. Don’t listen to all of those party-poopers who insist that you need to decide on a real job while you pursue video game design as your hobby. Video game designers actually get paid rather well. For instance, the average entry-level designer earns a yearly salary of about 43,000, while more experienced designers average about 70,000 a year. Also, full-time designers enjoy the usual benefits, such as health insurance, 401K, and other employer-sponsored programs.

Alternatively, video game design is one of those careers where self-employment or freelancing is possible. Freelance and contract designers typically command even higher per-hour rates than full-time employees; although this is in part to make up for the loss of benefits and the need to spend time marketing oneself, there is also a greater potential to work more hours and, therefore, earn an even higher salary than your full-time counterparts can boast.

4: Know your job is secure. Like any industry, video game design has its ups and downs. However, game designers have a certain amount of added job security, due to the immense and growing popularity of the video game industry. For example, consider Xbox’s smash hit Halo 3, which made more than 300 million in the first week after its release.

The video game industry has come a long way from its early days of the Atari and Nintendo. New and more powerful systems are constantly being developed, and increasingly more individual games are released every year. As a result the video game companies are always on the lookout for the bright new talents in the field.

5: Brag to your friends. We’d be lying if we didn’t admit that this is a major benefit of designing video games. There is nothing cooler than being able to point to game on the shelf at the store and say that you worked on that game. You’ll never worry again about the question regarding what you do for a living.

6: Getting paid to do what you love. No matter what the other benefits, almost nothing compares to the soul-deep pleasure of getting paid well to do what you love every day.

Working in video game design obviously has its benefits. The pay is good, the work environment and the likeability factor of the job even better. If you love to play video games and have a creative personality, then a career in video game design would be a great choice.

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Popularity Of Board Game Designers

October 12th, 2010

Designer board games are one type of entertainment which is gaining a lot of notoriety in the gaming world. By taking the much beloved format of board games and approaching the project from a new angle, designers of these board games have almost entirely reinvented the enterprise in a new and exciting way. Specialty designer board games generally offer their players simple rules, themed play, and a good deal of thought and planning, which is required to do well in the game. Because of these components, which are not usually all to be found in traditional board games, these designer board games have become quite the trend in the gaming world.

Additionally, many of the people responsible for designing these board games have become quite popular for their creations. Many of them have had multiple games produced, each one a success. Any game which prominently features a designer’s name on the box can usually be considered to be of the calibur of a specialty designer board game. Many different designers exist, however, and their games are usually vastly different.

One of these board game designers, Reiner Knizia, has experienced so much success in the world of designer board games, that over 200 of his games have been published by various manufacturers. Knizia, who hold a PhD in Mathematics, has been designing board games since the age of 6. Since 1997, Dr. Knizia has worked as a full-time board game designer, and his resume clearly shows the success that he has experienced. 7 of his games can be found on the Games 100 list, while 14 of his games are to be discovered on Board Game Geek’s Top 100 games list. On top of this, several different of the top gaming conventions all host “Kniziathons,” which are tournaments in which solely Reiner Knizia games are played. Many of his games have won different prestige awards, such as Taj Mahal, which won both the 2000 Essen Feather Award and the Deutscher Spiele Preis Award in the same year. His game based on the popular Lord of the Rings books was granted a Spiel des Jahres 2001 special prize and can be considered the most popular of his board games, with publication in 17 different languages and over 1 million copies sold.

Andreas Seyfarth is another immensely popular designer of board games, with Puerto Rico being considered to be his crowning achievement. The game places players in the role of governors on the island of Puerto Rico during the era of the Caribbean ascendancy. Their goal is to earn the most victory points through various means, such as constructing new buildings or the shipment of goods from the ports. Seyfarth’s games all have been ranked very highly by various board game enthusiast companies, with Puerto Rico often placed at the number one spot on many top board game lists. A number of his other games have all been granted very prestigious awards over the years that they were produced and any game with his name on it can be considered a high-quality game worth any player’s time.

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Start A Career In Video Game Design

September 23rd, 2010

If you are thinking of what to do for a career and you have an interest in animation, then you should consider video game design. This is an industry that is booming at an incredible rate and shows no signs of slowing down. In the past twenty years, there have been incredible advances in the video game design industry and you could be a part of it.

In only a few decades, there have been barriers broken that could never have been dreamed of in the past. Video games are so realistic now that you feel as though you are actually in the game. You can play a racing game and feel as though you are in the Indy 500 or play a war game and get a good glimpse into what World War Two was really like. The possibilities are endless but people are needed to come up with these ideas and innovations.

There are a few things that are needed in order to have a successful career in video game design. First of all, you need to have an interest in video games. You will be able to use all of the knowledge you have gained from years of gaming to your advantage. It is quite difficult to find a video game that is one hundred percent original. Most games borrow tricks and tips from other games and incorporate them into their own.

Therefore, if you have an extensive knowledge of video games, you will be able to use these tricks in your favor. Another important factor is an interest in computers, specifically animation. Video games are all produced on computers, so you will need to have a firm understanding of programming and animation. So if you have an interest in video games and a basic knowledge of animation, then you are set to begin the path of becoming a video game designer.

The next step would be to capitalize on your pre-existent skills. This can be accomplished by enrolling in a course that deals with video game design. These courses will be able to take the skills that you currently have and turn them into talents. Talents that prospective employers will be pleased to see.

You will be able to learn about every aspect of video game design. This includes all of the animation, development and concept of video games. You will not only be given the skills to create a video game but also how to plan it out and make it interesting to the gamer. Since this market is so gigantic, you need to have a good idea if you want your game to sell. With a course in video game design, you will have the ability to create a game that will fly off the shelves.

A lot of people think that making a video game is strictly done on computers. However, this is only part true. A large portion of the development of the game is done in the mind. You need to have the ability to visualize the finished product in your head before even beginning to program it. These types of courses will be able to train your mind to work ahead of your body to achieve the best results.

Another advantage of video game design is that it is a market that is guaranteed to stay strong. People of all ages are interested in video games today and the numbers continue to grow. So if you have an interest in video games and some computer knowledge, take the steps towards making video game design your rewarding career.

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Are video games getting better or worse as graphics, sound and gameplay complexity improve?

September 14th, 2010

If the 21th century taught us anything, it is that we should use the word “impossible” cautiously. I started my gaming “career” in a world, where the best computer graphics had 16 colors and the best video games were text adventures and low-res platformers. Now, look at the games of today. Beautiful, almost lifelike characters and scenery, that you just want to reach through the screen and touch them. Better yet, lose your worldly form, step into the game and be the hero yourself. We’ve come a long way from colored blocks and screeching beeps, but are we really better for it?

The first video game I ever played was some basketball game on the Atari 2600 at my friends place. I was four years old and I watched in awe, how the blocks on the screen were chasing each other, vaguely resembling two figures and a ball. I really believed I was playing basketball, even though those moving hunks on the screen looked nothing like it, and it sounded like as if someone was strangling a cat inside the TV. A decade later, when I got my fist PC, playing games got a lot more complicated. Even with improved graphics and sound, you needed every bit of your imagination to believe, that the pixelated stick figure is a brave knight, and that block of texture is actually a glorious kingdom. I believed it, and had lots of fun. But the main thing is, I *had* to believe.

In the old days of gaming, imagination was a key ingredient for making games as much as playing them. Designers had only so many options to present things to the player. They had to rely on enjoyable gameplay, captivating story and interesting mechanics to reach the audience. The rest of the game was played inside the mind of the player. Immersion was mostly achieved by captivating gameplay and story. Years passed and technology improved, the monochrome and CGA was exchanged for SVGA, the beeps and chiptunes were stomped by MP3 and playing games got easier. New graphical interfaces, varied gameplay, stereo sound, real music…it was awesome. Finally, the game designers had the tools to actually present their ideas to the gamers, and that freedom produced the best games in gaming history. Remember the Sierra and Lucas Arts adventures, numerous Tycoon games, Theme Hospital, Dungeon Keeper, Duke Nukem 3D, the start of the C&C, Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo and Fallout series, hell, even Chessmaster. It was the golden age of video games. Designers made the games they always wanted to make, huge ideas and exceptional works

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Creating your own video game

August 19th, 2010

Making A Great Video Game!

When making a great game there are a number of factors that need to be considered if your game is to survive in a market full of great game designs. Below are listed a few of the more important factors that need to be considered when designing a great game.

Game Graphics:

It is a common misconception that the best games are based on the best graphics. While having great graphics, this factor alone will not make a great game when other factors are not up to standards that match the graphics. However, having said this, it is fair to say that when combined with other equally important game design factors, great graphics can certainly give a game an advantage over other games with lower quality graphics. A few examples of this are the graphics rich worlds of such games as Halo, Myst, Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy, Star Wars, and this is just a few of many games that might be considered to have great graphics. So it is safe to assume that one factor that is vital towards a good game, but that needs to be combined with other equally important factors, id for the game to have great graphics.

Gameplay:

This factor is also a very important game design factor as it covers the point of playing the game, the goal that is to be achieved and the possible interactions between elements of the game such as objects or Non Playable Characters. While a game must have a decent gameplay and storyline, again this fact will not make a great game by itself. When mixed with great graphics however, these two factors will give a game an edge above the competition. Gameplay can be either a simple process or a very complex process and still make a great game, as we can see when we compare the game Tetris’ to the game “Final Fantasy”. Both games were smash hits that have so far remained in many peoples list of great games. Gameplay in itself has many facets that contribute towards the entire Gameplay factor, that we will not explore here, but to name a few, a game designer would consider such things as, Storyline, alternative choices, natural physics, player interaction, etc etc. So again, we can see that this factor alone will not necessarily make a great game but will definitely contribute towards a great game when combined with other important game design factors.

Game Sound:

The Game Sound factor in game design is pretty much on par with Game Graphics. The quality of sound in a game can help determine a good game or not. Examples of this can be

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Downloadable game review: Feyruna 2

August 11th, 2010

Feyruna 2

Rating 2/5

In the mythical world of Feyruna, the evil magic of the Dark Princes must be defeated by Druid sorcerers who have tragically misplaced their magic balls. But fear not! By dropping the balls from a balloon overhead and negotiating them through a tiered playing field using a combination of magical forethought and well timed mouse clicks you can restore power to the sorcerers and make Feyruna safe once again for, presumably, the little Druids. Dungeons and Dragons meets Donkey Kong in this new puzzle game from Jochen Krcher Game Design.

While the story is needlessly elaborate and the generic theme is as two dimensional as the world it’s played in, Feyruna 2 does at least offer challenging puzzles that may peak the interest of that particular ilk of gamers out there that went wild for Lemmings back in the 90’s.

Each level is a puzzle where various obstacles and monsters will impede your progress until you master the different spells that alter the magic ball’s properties and help you move it safely over ledges and trap doors, through teleportation devices and to its eventual goal, one of several waiting Druids.

The ball must be made to match the color of the waiting Druid and colors or spells are applied to the ball by directing it past a rune stone that you set up beforehand to deliver the desired quality. By acquiring coins along the way you can purchase new spells to aid in your quest.

Game play combines advance strategy to set up the board with a little real time action as you bump the ball, open and close trap doors and cast spells on the rune stones with your mouse-controlled magic wand. As with most games that rely so heavily on aiming the cursor, when time is of the essence the use of the mouse can be awkward and frustrating.

As the story unfolds a series of still shots of the fantasy world of Feyruna accompany lots of text about dark crystals and magic balls. The puzzle graphics, standard green monsters and bearded wizards, don’t particularly enhance or impede game play except in one instance-the progressively darkening crystal that replaces the classic time clock is difficult to interpret. The sound track is forgettable as well, right up until it reminds you that you’re out of time.

If you think all of this sounds sort of complicated, youre right. But a well designed instructional feature that can be turned on or off makes the game quickly accessible to new players without diminishing the challenge. In fact, while the puzzles start off easy the difficulty increases fast. Even with the difficulty level set to ‘easy’ the game may be too challenging for the younger children that the story would appeal to most.

The bottom line, unless you’re a real puzzle junkie Feyruna 2 won’t get you hooked, at least not enough to shell out $19.95.

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Evaluating the worst video games

July 19th, 2010

Now this is a subject that really gets my proverbial goat. How I don’t envy those among us who buy bad games on the spur of the moment. Their spontaneity is a thing to be admired. I have a few friends (one especially) who seem to insist on buying terrible games, even despite my dire warnings to the contrary. “Beware the ides of Bubsy 3D,” I’d say, but alas, my words were not heeded. And whatddya know? He now proclaims it to be the worst game of all time.

Bubsy 3D. For all those whose innocence has not been completely destroyed by the experience of playing it, allow me to explain. Here is a game in which the player is told to find the 99 pieces of a rocket so they can fly back somewhere. Pretty boring so far, but nothing earth-shakingly terrible. It is only when you actually play the thing that you realise there’s a whole world of dire ineptitude out there that you simply didn’t know existed. I haven’t completed the game myself, having only played it (for as little time as possible) at my friend’s house, but I can imagine that, upon completing it, one is changed beyond recognition. If you survive it with your head held high you become a man, and if you suffer it through boredom alone, I am sure you eventually become some kind of twisted monster. You see, the fact that a game designer can sit there and concoct a game in which all the levels are giant chessboards with slightly different amounts of enemies – and think that’s a good idea – simply beggars belief.

But perhaps (and I brace myself as I say this) the designers can be forgiven. After all, it was a sequel to a game that by most accounts was half-decent. If the designers realised the errors of their ways after the deluge of bad reviews and vowed never to make something so bad again, then perhaps God in his infinite mercy will give them a place in heaven. What cannot be forgiven, however, are those games that set out solely to make a quick and easy buck on the backs of the fools among us who are so easily swayed by advertising. Take ‘Little Britain’, for instance. The TV series was vastly overrated for one, but it had its moments. But the game! I played the first level, and, having not seen the horrors of war first-hand, I rank the experience as one of the most traumatic of my life. I played that fat girl (“yeah but, no but”… urgh) and I was tasked with skating in the park and collecting as many CDs as I could. Collecting CDs, I ask you? I haven’t seen the back of the game’s box, but if they mention that as one of the unique selling points then surely anyone with half a brain wouldn’t touch the thing with a twenty five-foot bargepole. But alas, such is the stupidity of the people, it was bought en masse and as I recall, reached no.1 in the charts.

The fact is, as long as there are easily-duped consumers in this world, there will be pathetically dire videogames. So I beseech you, if you will listen: never, I mean never, buy a game if it is based on a TV show or a movie, unless the reviews agree it’s decent. Never buy a game on first sight. Use your common sense and your logic, please. 90% of games, if not more, are not worth buying. Know what you want before you buy – only then will you find true gaming greatness. If everyone heeded these warnings, who knows: one day maybe these terrible games will not allowed in public. Let us pray for that day.

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Video game reviews: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (PC)

July 15th, 2010

Well Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos was and maybe is the best real time strategy game ever. It is the purely genius game designed by Blizzard and even thought released many years ago still played today. For a reason. Warcraft 3 reinvented the genre of strategy and raised the bar of quality to such heights most competition couldn’t follow at all. Everything from the singleplayer campaign to the sounds are very well made and thought true and it is a very finished game. The cinematic are movie quality and the story of the campaign is well written. The playability is awesome and the units and buildings are both well designed and well made in general. Every voice in the game fits in and it is also way more voices than needed, even a lot of humor. It is hardly arguably the best real time strategy of all time. It is Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos.

With that fantastic start I could just conclude it now and say that well that is all. If you have not tried Warcraft 3 yet then shame on you. Yes I know it is old, but come on it is the best game ever and it costs like the same as a pizza at Dominos. Go buy and start to play Warcraft 3. The game is still popular due to the multiplayer on Blizzards famous Battle.net and it is played as a eSport. That means that this game is used for competitive gaming at LAN evens such as The Gathering. The multiplayer is very well balanced and very entertaining and with the added touch of custom maps if you are bored of regular play. That is another great thing about Warcraft 3. The world editor is very powerful, but yet very easy to work which means there are thousands of player made maps, campaigns or cinematic out there for you to download. That means that it is a lot like buying a Half Life game, the modding community is so huge buying this one game gives you hundreds of games extra for free.

If you never have tried Warcraft 3 and don’t intend to you do deserve a whacking with a big stick. I am sorry, but it is just true. It is a fantastic well made game that deserve all the praise I and a lot of other game critics have given it. It has a long singleplayer campaign that are worth the prize of the game alone, but the game also offer a very large multiplayer community. The community is just as large these days as it used to be, even with the release of World of Warcraft. However you probably do need to buy the expansion pack of Warcraft 3 too. Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, but this game is also very cheap and you wont regret it.

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Video game reviews: Bullet Witch (X360)

July 2nd, 2010

Bullet Witch excited reviewers who played early builds of the action game. The game developers promised to create a game that combined gunplay, magic, amazing effects, next generation graphics, and destructible environments. At times, they deliver on their promises, but the final product should disappoint almost any gamer looking for an experience worth 60 dollars. The game is set in 2013 after billions of people have died from warfare and disease. Hordes of demons attack the world, and a witch named Alicia must defend humanity from a mighty army. Alicia uses a mighty gunrod and spells to take on the demon hordes.

Pros:

The pros of Bullet Witch do not match up to the shortcomings of the game. At times the graphics and music rise to the occasion, but every aspect of Bullet Witch remained inconsistent throughout the game. The spell effects look impressive, and the spells are interesting. The destructible environments make for memorable fights at times, and the opponents are colorful.

Cons:

Although the game designers of Bullet Witch promised to make a game that would combine amazing graphics with exciting gameplay, the game falls short in every area.

Bullet Witch features uninspired level design, average graphics, and tepid gameplay. Spells become almost useless, because a difficult interface makes them unruly and slow. in the middle of a frantic gunfight, players don’t have time to choose spells from a menu. The graphics of enemies are at times impressive, but there are not enough enemies and the backgrounds do not match up with the great visuals of the characters. In addition, aiming is difficult and players will have problems with aiming. In summation, Bullet Witch is only a shadow of a true next generation title, and you have much better games to spend 60 dollars on than this poor excuse for an action title. Shadowrun, a similar game with good reviews, will release this year and promises to combine exciting gunplay and magic. Maybe Shadowrun will save use from the evil spell of this witch.

Ratings:

Overall: 6

Level design: 4

Graphics: 7

Replay: 7

Gameplay: 4

Sound: 8

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