Monthly Archives: May 2011

Valve on why Portal 2 protagonist Chell is silent

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As many Train2Game students will be aware, dialogue can be a very important factor in the success of a game, but a game doesn’t need a character that says anything at all in order to be successful.

Just look at Portal 2 for example, which as the Train2Game blog reported, held No.1 in the UK charts for two weeks.  Valve writer Robert Wolpaw spoke about why protagonist Chell  is silent during a talk at NYU’s Game Centre, and revealed that it’s because she “could be anyone”

“It could be you. There’s the silent protagonist, which I don’t know is specifically a Valve thing, but it’s a thing” he said “It’s probably a little bit tougher in Half-Life, because it’s slightly more realistic and there’s conversations that are happening and you kind of have to write around why Gordon isn’t saying anything.

“I don’t think people are super invested in the character of Chell…obviously because we haven’t given her much character. But they’re invested in the relationship they have as the player. We always assumed she could talk, she just chooses not to, what with robots all being dicks, why give them the satisfaction?”

Wolpaw also discussed how Chell is used to emphasise the comedy in Portal 2.

“There’s this thing with comedy…there’s sort of two different patterns,” he said “One is, you’re the straight man in a world gone mad, and the other one is you’re a crazy person in a straight world. Portal is definitely the world gone mad straight man, and the straight man is you. Because you have to write in the margins in a game, time is at a premium, so the fact that there’s already this established thing where you have a silent protagonist, that saves us a lot of time.

“You may want to know Chell’s backstory, you may want to hear her say things, but I guarantee, if she had to say her straight man lines at the expense of half of the other dialog, it would suck.” he concluded.

As reported by the Train2Game blog, Valve claim that Portal 2 is their best single player game.

Of course, many Train2Game students will also be familiar with Valve’s other prominent silent protagonist – Gordon Freeman of the Half-Life series.

So Train2Game, why do you think Valve have had so much success with silent protagonists? Would you consider putting one in your games? Or do you believe the industry is moving towards more dialogue in games?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: MTV via VG247]

A must read for Train2Game students: a Game Developer on why game jams are so useful

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Train2Game Game Jam

Participating in game jams – such as the one held by Train2Game in March – are a good way to make Game Developers happier.  That’s according to a Gamasutra blog post by Game Developer Andrew Grapsas.

In an in-depth post many aspects of game jamming are covered, with the particular section repeated below detailing why they’re a good idea for Game Developers, no matter where they are working.

“Breaking from the normal routine of development, the high risk environment of professional game creation, provides a “low cost” “low barrier to entry” means of following Dan Pink’s cycle of Challenge –> Mastery –> Recognition.

When a theme is released for the competition, the challenges are several. First, one must adhere a Game Design to the unique and often odd theme.”

Grapsas emphasises how Game Jam’s really allow Game Developers creative duties to flow.

“Jams offer little time for “how will we monetize this?” “will users understand this?” etc. and allow, instead, a creative flow. There are few, if any, meetings to break up the thought process. Additionally, the tight time-frame precludes over-design of the game, technology, and art and, typically, leaves the “must haves” instead of chrome.”

“These stripped-down games are understood to have time constraints in development. Art quality, code re-usability, etc. (all good things for a production product) are allowed to lax.”

Grapsas adds that one simple reason game jams provide a benefit to the Game Developer is that come the end of the Jam, they have a finished project to show for it.

“When a developer finishes the game, there is a sense of mastery. The developer has mastered the technology, design, art, etc. of the creative process. They have given birth to something “new” that wasn’t there before, overcome obstacles, and generated an end result that is visible, tangible, and playable.”

“This may happen every 2-4 years for traditional triple-A developers. For developers in casual/social, game development as a service has a way of tarnishing the game’s shipping. Having a game jam and a “micro game shipped” provides the same stimulation that shipping a larger product has without the time delay, and without the need to continually support it. It’s quick, clean, and not costly.”

“Then there are the awards. That same visibility allows others to comment, to see the creation, to experience it for themselves and speak to the creator. This is a very fulfilling act that, in and of itself, recharges the batteries.”

“It’s also just damn fun.” He adds, and many Train2Game students who attended the Train2Game Game Jam probably agree! The entire post by Grapsas is available on Gamasutra.

You can see for yourself what those who attended the Game Jam thought by watching the official documentary of the event on the Train2Game Youtube page. Every game from the event is also available to download from the Train2Game Game Jam website.

For more about the benefits of taking part in a game jam, see the Train2Game blog interview with Mediatonic Director of Games Paul Croft. In It he discusses how game jams are used by the company to come up with ideas for new games for the company to build.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the use of Game Jams? Do you believe participating in them is a benefit, not matter how experienced the developer? And for those of you to attended the Train2Game Game Jam, are they as fun as Grapsas claims?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Gamasutra] 

UK Charts – Zumba Fitness retakes No.1 from Portal 2

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In what may be surprising to Train2Game students, Zumba Fitness has regained top spot in the UKIE/GFK Chart-track All Formats top 40 at the expense of Portal 2.

It’s 505 Games dance title’s third time at No.1, having taken the title twice during April as reported by the Train2Game blog.

Portal 2 may have held No.1 for two weeks, but for now it slips down to No.2, while Mortal Kombat also drops once to No.3. Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Black Ops continues to sell strongly moving up one spot to No.4 in this weeks’ chart.  The top five is completed by Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars which also raises one place from No.6.

FIFA 11 drops to No.6 in its 32nd week on sale, and the same week in which the Train2Game blog revealed that its sequel will feature some of the biggest changes in the series.  Operation Flashpoint: Red River drops three to No.7 in its third week in the charts while Wii Fit Plus is a non-mover at No.8.

Pokémon Black – which as reported by the Train2Game blog took No.2 in its debut week – re-enters the top ten at No.9 while Just Dance 2 holds No. 10. Former No.1 Homefront leaves the top ten, and falls to No. 17.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 7th May 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
2. Portal 2 (EA)
3. Mortal Kombat (Warner)
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
5. LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
6. FIFA 11 (EA)
7. Operation Flashpoint: Red River (Codemasters)
8. Wii FIt Plus (NIntendo)
9. Pokemon Black (Nintendo)
10. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)

Releases in the coming week include Brink and Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Zumba re-taking No.1? Is it testament to a successful game or was it just a slow week for new releases? Will Brink take top spot next week?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

L.A. Noire animation tech so advanced it needs 3 Xbox 360 discs

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LA Noire screenshot 187 Train2Game blog image

The extremely impressive Art & Animation techniques of L.A. Noire have certainly caused excitement on the Train2Game forum.

Now Rockstar has revealed that the game is so advanced, that the Xbox 360 version needs three discs to store all of the information. Meanwhile, L.A. Noire on the PlayStation 3 requires the usual one blu-ray disc.

However, Rockstar don’t believe that is will be an issue for 360 gamers.

“To tell the story and make the game we wanted to make, we knew that it was going to take an entire single layer Blu-ray disc and three Xbox discs,”  Rockstar’s Jeronimo Barrera told Kotaku.

“Since the game is built around the concept of progressing through individual cases from desk to desk, players on Xbox will find disc-swapping is hassle-free.

“In fact, players will only need to swap discs twice at natural breaks between cases without interrupting the flow of the game.”

Anyone who needs reminding about the highly impressive facial Art & Animation in L.A. Noire can see it for themselves here on the Train2Game blog. And as also reported by the Train2Game blog, Game Developers Team Bondi claim the technology used to build L.A. Noire will soon make it difficult to differentiate between video games, films and television.

Rockstar’s Barrera also told Kotaku how L.A. Noire could have been even bigger, but some of it has been set aside for DLC.

“Throughout development, we created lots of great cases, the bulk of which were central to the main story of Cole Phelps and his rise through the ranks of the LAPD, alongside other cases that felt more like strong stand-alone episodes,” he said.

“This gave us a powerful main story, and left us with quality extra content that we wanted to put out as DLC, that would slot seamlessly into the existing game.”

L.A. Noire is set for release 20th May on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

So Train2Game, is the L.A. Noire for Xbox 360 coming on three discs an issue for you? Or is it a testament to just how impressive the game will be? And do you think it’s a good move for Game Developers to announce DLC before a game is even released?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Kotaku]

Exciting news for Train2Game students! More details on the £15 Raspberry Pi mini computer

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Back in January, the Train2Game blog reported how David Braben’s tiny PC  – the Raspberry Pi – could revive the era of bedroom coding.

Train2Game’s David Sharp – organiser of the Train2Game Game Jam – hailed it as “very significant news” adding that “Getting the route through to the industry restored is vital so we can see interest turn into a hobby, a hobby turn into a pursuit, a pursuit turn an education and an education turn into a career.”

David Braben recently showed the BBC the £15 computer that’s packed entirely into a USB stick, and it seems to be something Train2Game Game Developers in particular should be excited about.

“The games developer David Braben and some colleagues came to the BBC this week to demonstrate something called Raspberry Pi.”  Writes BBC technology correspondent Roy Cellan-Jones”

“It’s a whole computer on a tiny circuit board – not much more than an ARM processor, a USB port, and an HDMI connection. They plugged a keyboard into one end, and hooked the other into a TV they had brought with them”

“The result, a working computer running on a Linux operating system for very little, and a device that will, like the kit computers of the 1970s and 80s, encourage users to tinker around under the bonnet and learn a bit of programming. And it’s a yearning to return to those days that is driving Braben and the other enthusiasts who are working to turn this sketchy prototype into a product that could be handed to every child in Britain”

You can watch David Braben discuss the Raspberry Pi on the BBC website.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on David Braben’s Raspberry Pi? Would you spend £15 on one? And could it be of benefit to the Game Developers of tomorrow?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Writing Uncharted 3 a ‘collaborative effort’

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Uncharted 3: Drakes’ Deception – one of the Train2Game blogs most anticipated games of the year – features a ‘collaborative effort’ when it comes the storytelling element of the Game Design.

That’s what Naughty Dog’s creative director Amy Hennig told Edge Magazine when asked how the team go about achieving the levels of polish in Uncharted games.

“I think there are a few factors that allow us to do a good job. One is that Sony gives us the time and the money to do it, and takes it seriously. And Naughty Dog takes stories seriously, too, rather than leaving them as afterthought,” she said.

“So that means we spend a lot of time talking about story, narrative and how we integrate that with the gameplay. And then the other blessing that we can’t forget is that the time we spend with the actors: It’s huge. This is a collaborative process that involves revision and improvement.

Hennig also talks about the amount of work the actors put into getting into their characters.

“Going through those drafts, having rehearsal time and table reads with the actors, letting them improvise – and get to know their characters over a long period of time, it all contributes to raising the bar.”

Earlier this year, the Train2Game blog reported on how Naughty Dog are using the latest techniques to produce Uncharted 3, with motion capture a huge part of the Game Development process.

Uncharted 3 is set for release exclusively on the PlayStation 3 this November.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the amount of effort that goes into writing Uncharted 3? Do you think the ‘collaborative effort’ with actors will become more prominent in the games industry? And are you looking forward to Uncharted 3?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Edge] 

FIFA 12 features ‘biggest’ game design changes of current-gen series

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FIFA 12 official screenshot

Regular readers of the Train2Game blog will be aware that FIFA 11 has been a permanent fixture in the charts – coming in at No.7 in this week’s table – since it’s record breaking release in October last year.

Despite the games immense success in its current form, the team at EA aren’t lying back and hoping to repeat their success by using the same formula. On the contrary, Lead Gameplay Designer Aaron McHardy says the EA Game Development team have started from scratch.

“It’s the biggest change we’ve made since we rebuilt the engine for next-gen consoles” he told Official Xbox Magazine. “I mean we rebuilt the engine from scratch, so that’s as big as it can get, but since then with FIFA 12 we’ve ripped out a big chunk of the game and it’s a massive change.

“It solves a lot of problems for us this year, it gives us better accuracy, better momentum more realistic outcomes, solving a lot of situations that we just tried not to get into before.”

McHardy then went onto explain how FIFA 12’s new Impact Engine will change large aspects of the game.

“Now we’re opening up the game so you can get into these situations and see new cool and interesting things, but also it lays foundation for places for us to go in the future.” he said “When you think about the resilience of the player and the ability for someone to take a hit and continue dribbling, we didn’t have that ability before in our game because you were either dribbling or you were stumbling.

“Now we have that grey area and it’s something we can play with down the line, just to give you some vision of where we see these kind of things going in future.” He concluded.

So Train2Game, what do you think of EA’s decision to start FIFA 12 from scratch? Do you think the bold move will pay off? And if you could completely rebuild one game series, which would it be and why?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: CVG]

EA claim Battlefield 3 ‘superior’ to Call of Duty and reaffirm commitment to digital

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EA has once again turned up the heat in their battle with Activision, claiming that Battlefield 3 will be superior to the next Call of Duty.

Last month, the Train2Game blog reported that Battlefield 3 has a huge marketing cost, with the ambition of it ‘taking Call of Duty down’

While speaking to investors EA CEO John Riccitiello said he believed Battlefield was superior to Call of Duty in every way, even when it came to Game Development and Game Design.

We know we have a big competitor,” he said. “But head-to-head with Call of Duty in Q3, we have the superior game engine, a superior development studio, and a flat out superior game. Our goal is to significantly gain share in the huge FPS category and to put the other team on defence.”

It could be an uphill struggle, with Call of Duty being UK’s biggest selling entertainment product of 2010, but Riccitiello suggested that Battlefield 3 is heading in the right direction, with pre-orders up 700% up “versus the same period before the launch of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.”

“A lot of people are telling us they want to play this game on day one,” he said. Are there many Train2Game students out there who want to play Battlefield 3 on release day?

Earlier this year, the Train2Game reported that Riccitiello believed digital downloads would overtake traditional retail this year. He reaffirmed EA’s commitment to digital while speaking to investors.

“Over the coming years, we will transform EA from a packaged goods company to a fully integrated digital entertainment company.” he said. “We transform EA to a games-as-a-service model by focusing on three new strategies.”

“We are the only company with world-class teams working cross-platform on social, mobile and console development. We are integrating these teams and augmenting them with product monetisation and marketing.” He added.

So Train2Game, is Battlefield 3 going to be a Call of Duty beater? Do you believe EA are going to be promoting it the right way? Is it a day one purchase for you? And what are your thoughts on EA’s commitment to digital?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Eurogamer & Industry Gamers] 

Reflections promise ‘accessible’ Driver: San Francisco.

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Driver San Francisco

As many Train2Game students will know, whether a game is easy to pick up and play or not can sometimes hold the key to its success.

Perhaps with this in mind, Reflection’s upcoming Driver: San Francisco will be “more accessible than any other Reflections game” Lead Designer Jean-Sebastien Decant told Edge, and that the return of the series has been focused on “Accessibility.”

The news may be disappointing to any Train2Game students that appreciated the challenge of previous games in the Driver series, but Decant insists it’s not about making Driver: San Francisco easy.

“In the history of Reflections they have made tough games for hardcore gamers. And this one, the core experience is more accessible than any Reflections game.” he said.

“It’s not about making it easy, it’s about having the right ‘helpers’ so that the AI is challenging but not unfair – for chases, races, getaways. The player has to know what he has to do in an instant”

“Having the proper information always displayed – especially in a game where you can be in any car at any time, where we change the gameplay a lot from one mission to another – accessibility applies to signs, feedback, UI.”

The concept of accessibility also applies to the Game Design of Driver San Francisco‘s online multiplayer, with the ‘Shift’ mechanic allowing players to switch vehicles instantly in an effort to give players who crash at the first corner a chance. Studio manager Gareth Edmonson explains why:

“There’s always been a problem with multiplayer games, that you crash into the first corner and you’re out of the action,” he said. “Shift totally changes that, and it creates a much more accessible, much more engaging experience. It totally changes the way you play the game.”

This Game Design feature intended to level the online playing field may be appreciated by some Train2Game students, but those who enjoy a challenge may not approve!

The whole accessibility issue sounds familiar to Bioware’s claims – reported by the Train2Game blog – that the Game Design of Dragon Age 2 is ‘more welcoming’ to novice players rather than dumbed down.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the ‘accessibility’ of Driver: San Francisco? Is it a positive or a negative thing? Is it something you’ll consider when developing games? And which games do you believe have the right balance between being accessible but challenging at the same time?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Edge]

Tomb Raider reboot ‘necessary’ say developers Crystal Dynamics

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Tomb Raider reboot Train2Game blog image

The upcoming Tomb Raider reboot from Crystal Dynamics – one of the Train2Game blogs most anticipated games of the year – was necessary to push the iconic franchise further.

That’s what Studio Head Darrell Gallagher told Edge Magazine in the latest issue.

As reported by the Train2Game blog, the Tomb Raider reboot was revealed last year and it’ll see a young Lara Croft  stranded on an island and fighting for survival. The news of a Tomb Raider led to plenty of excitement on the Train2Game forum.

“A reboot for us felt like the necessary thing to do,” Gallagher told Edge “Lara had hit her apex in how she was before, and we didn’t really feel we could take that any farther. It was a chance to look at everything again, bring new people in who had been interested in the franchise before but didn’t feel like Lara was modern enough.”

He added that the Crystal Dynamics Game Development team put a lot of work into the Game Design of the new Tomb Raider in order to give Lara Croft the right feel.

“We left no stones unturned as we were going through the concept, and then kept the right stones. The crucial thing is that it feels like her, even though it’s completely different.”

Crystal Dynamics also revealed that the reboot is as important for the studio as it is for Tomb Raider itself.

“The Trilogy games weren’t official reboots for us,” said global brand director Karl Stewart. “They were just Crystal’s interpretations of the game as it was. We see this as a fully fledged reimagining.”

Gallagher agrees and believes the radical departure from the previous Tomb Raider games is a risk worth taking for the series.

 “We wanted to take risks. We felt like we’d done some really great games after inheriting Tomb Raider from Core [Design], and one of our goals now was to do something that people didn’t expect, that felt fresh. [The series] is a sacred and fragile thing, but you have to go for it. You’re not going to make it sacred again unless you make that big leap.”

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot? Are the big changes In Game Design a massive risk? Or do you believe the title is heading in the right direction? And if you could help reboot a series, which one would it be?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Edge]