Headfirst out of business

News just announced over at Eurogamer tells of Headfirst Productions going out of business. As well as being behind the Simon the Sorceror games and the recent Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, the were also working on Call of Cthulhu: Destiny's End, for which I had been working on the story, characters and dialogue. It's a real shame that they had to suffer as a result of the publisher going under when the game looked so promising. I'd like to wish Mike, Simon and all the others I met there all the very best for the future.

Psychonauts - Writing Award

Of course, I may be a little slow on the uptake, seeing as GDC was last week, but I just found out that The Excellence in Writing Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards went to Tim Schafer and Erik Wolpaw for Psychonauts. As I'm currently playing this game and loving it, I couldn't be more pleased that it's gone to such a deserving couple of guys. Well done!

To cap it off, Double Fine Productions also got the award for best new studio. Double well done!

Broken Sword 4 screenshots

A number of screenshots from the forthcoming game, Broken Sword - The Angel of Death have beep posted over at Adventure Corner.

Download Crazy!

An interesting piece has appeared on the MCV site about Nintendo's plans for downloadable content as presented at GDC. Following on from Sony's similar news yesterday and the fact that XBox live is already running well, this means that we're developing a game playing culture that's going to be much more at home with downloadable content, which is great news for independent developers like myself.

I particularly liked the following paragraph:
"More importantly, it wants developers to believe they can produce smaller or even offbeat games in the next-gen era whilst still reaching consumers and earning revenue."

Cools stuff.

Our Gaming Future...

I've just read this article over at The Escapist online magazine. It's the first in a series of four articles by Warren Specter about the future of game development. It's a must-read for anyone who has even a remote interest in the future of gaming. He really hits the nail on the head for me.

Mr. Smoozles' Evil Look

This image is part of the intro to the game, Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso. I thought you might like to take a look. :)

Developing Thoughts 10

Another in the series. Though this one may be less than topical now, I'm still reproducing it for completeness' sake.


Secret Panels

I was reading a weblog posting that made the claim of scripting weaknesses in some aspects of Doom 3. It struck me that, from the description, the underlying problem wasn’t the scripting but the design behind it. A person can only script what’s been designed, after all.

The issue the weblog picked up on centres on secret panels. The ones that open after the player has passed them by, revealing – usually by shooting you in the back – that monsters have suddenly appeared in the corridor behind you.

Now I’ve always had this problem with secret panels in general because, even in the most fantastical of settings, I can rarely see the justification for their existence. The more realistic the setting, the more any justification struggles to gain ground.

Okay, in a fantasy setting, when the players get to the heart of the castle they may find a secret panel behind the king’s throne that hides something very precious, but you wouldn’t expect to find such panels spread all through the castle. Would you?

What I want to know is, did the panels exist before the world/castle/high-tech base was populated with monsters? If so, what was the reason for their existence? Could a person never trust their colleagues and so must use them to store belongings? What’s wrong with good old-fashioned locks?

Perhaps I’m looking for my answers in the wrong place and the base has been subject to the whims of a television home-improvement, makeover programme:

“You know what would go really well in here? A secret panel. I know what you’re thinking, that they’re a little passé, but just imagine the tricks you can play on your colleagues on a Monday morning. You dress up in the rubber costume from the fancy-dress shop and hide behind the secret panel waiting for them to arrive...”

But what really gets me smiling to myself is the thought of putting the monsters behind the secret panels. Presumably there was someone with a big evil plan that felt it was a good idea, making sure there was no food or water so they’d be good and angry when you triggered their appearance:

“Just hide in there, will you please?”
“Do I have to?”
“Yes you do. I’m the arch villain, sorry, antagonist – it says in my contract, you know – so you have to do what I tell you.”
“It’s always me. Why not one of the others?”
“The others don’t have your flair for terrifying the crap out of unsuspecting, gun-toting, space marines.”
“I bet you say that to all the monsters.”
“Only the ugly ones.”
“Oh, you...”
“Come on, I haven’t got all day, you know.”
“But I’m claustrophobic and this is such a small space...”
“For heaven’s sake, you’re a goddamn monster!”
“Oooh! So now you’re saying that we don’t have normal rights and feelings?”
“That’s all I need, a sulking monster. GET BEHIND THE PANEL!”
“RRAAAWRR!”
“Okay, I may have been a little harsh, there. Now, will you please take my head out of your mouth...?”

© Steve Ince, 2004

Don't listen to Hollywood

I was sent a link by Susan O'Connor to this article by KeithBoesky, which is interesting reading and something I wholeheartedly agree with.

"Mr. DeBonaventura's statement to the audience was very honest and slices directly to the core of the issue. When asked if there was one thing he would do differently on the Doom film he said, "I would not listen as much to the developers." "

So, from now on I'm not going to listen to the film makers as much. :)

PS3 Details

I just read a news item over at MCV about the worldwide launch of the PS3 in November. I must admit that I've been very skeptical about the PS3, but this bit caught my eye:

"PS3 will be supported with a free online service from day one, and the console will come bundled with a 60GB hard drive. PS3 will also be 100 per cent compatible with all PS2 and PSOne titles."

I think that Microsoft made a big mistake not making the XBox 360 not fully backwards compatible. The free online service and hard drive are pretty good and it would be cool if you could download old PS1 games that are no longer available.

My Eyes, My Eyes...

I think my monitor must be on the way out. I find that I get to the end of the day and my eyes are really feeling the strain. Then today I noticed that it keeps going a little weird, like all the pixels are wiggling about, which doesn't help at all. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good monitor for someone working in the UK? Any help will be most appreciated.

Developing Thoughts 9

The ninth installment of my original Developing Thoughts column.


Fun, fun, fun!

Danny: Don't worry yourself. I'll find the proof we need.
Estelle: You?! You couldn’t find the floor unless it was covered in beer.

The above comes from a document of ideas I’m developing for a game project. For me it illustrates what games should be about – the player having fun while they are working their way through the gameplay.

This week’s column was actually going to be about something else entirely, but I felt that I was in danger of taking myself too seriously (particularly after the sombre nature of the last column) and decided it was time to lighten up and have some fun. After all, that’s what games are meant to be about. Aren’t they?

Sometimes it seems, when reading the gaming news sites, that games are increasingly serious in nature, so it was a breath of fresh air when I was given the chance of script-editing the English version of an excellent comedy game. Not only was it good to work on this title, it also re-kindled my interest in designing comedy games, so this week I’ve been putting some time into two different comedy game projects of my own and it’s been great fun to do so.

Comedy is something that’s subjective at the best of times, so what works for one person may very well fall flat for another. But as long as it falls flat on its face in a muddy puddle, all may not be lost. What I mean by this is that for a broad appeal, the comedy may need to work on more than one level.

I’m a firm believer that there’s a long way to go with comedy in games and it’s certainly an area I want to explore over the next few years. This ranges from cartoon-style to sitcom-style to more subtle, film style comedy. It also ranges from comedy aimed at children to comedy aimed at adults, with a centre ground that appeals to both.

Where, for instance, is the game equivalent of Toy Story or Finding Nemo? I’m not talking about the games that use the license in a superficial way, but ones that use the characters as they were used in the film, to create moments of genuine humour through the way the characters interact with one another. And if it is the player who triggers the humour through the gameplay interaction, then they are part of the unfolding comedy and it becomes a much more rewarding experience.

When I was developing part of the game, In Cold Blood, I decided to put in a couple of characters sitting near to each other. When the player character talks with them he discovers that they are having a tiff and not on speaking terms – she’s jealous because he lent his scarf to a female officer. They start talking to one another through the player character, and the humour of the situation unfolds by the player talking to each one in turn, “Can you tell him that I’m not speaking to him until he apologises...”

This situation had nothing to do with the main plot of the game, but was an excellent way of adding richness by giving the feeling that there was more going on than just the story related scenes and by having some fun in the process.

Just imagine, though, if the main plot of a game unfolded through a regular series of such humorous scenes, how much more fun that could be.

© Steve Ince, 2004

Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso - New Screenshot

I've posted a new screenshot from the game on the Screenshots page. I also posted an updated version of the first screenshot, too.

First Draft Completed

Phew!

The first draft of my book, Writing for Video Games, has now been completed. And bang on schedule, too. It really feels like rather a large landmark.

Now I just need to polish it and find some big words to put in...

Developing Thoughts 8

Yet more of my old words...


Giving the customer what they want

The old saying, “The customer is always right”, is often taken too literally and many customers believe it allows them rights and privileges beyond what should reasonably be expected. However, the one thing that we must remember is that the customer is always right to choose only that which meets their requirements. A freelance provider of services to the games industry, when dealing with customers, must be very aware of that, because the moment they feel that this is not the case is the moment when they would no longer require those services.

Regardless of how a person may feel about the work they’ve taken on, once they have agreed to undertake it they must treat it with a fully professional attitude and deliver what has been defined. The temptation to adjust or deviate from the requirements of the customer must be resisted at all costs. Even if it’s felt that those changes would improve the product being contributing to.

It may well be that part of the remit is to do exactly that. To work up new ideas and suggest areas where improvements could be made. They have decided that this particular expertise and experience is what their project needs to inject freshness into the process. But even then, finding out where the boundaries lie is an important thing to do. Without knowing these boundaries, not only will there be a risk of alienating the customer by re-working areas that they may well be perfectly happy with, but time will have been wasted if the work is rejected. If it falls outside the boundaries of the person’s role in the project, then it will also be work that they will not be able to charge for.

Because finding out what the customer wants is of prime importance, only by asking plenty of questions will the knowledge be gained to deliver what the customer wants. Assumptions should never be made that are based upon initial perceptions of the project, because the likelihood is that it will be nothing like those assumptions. A clear definition of the project would be an ideal place to start, along with a clear statement of the required role. If the role overlaps with those of other people, it would be wise to ask if those people could be included in any briefing sessions so that all parties are working as a team.

Sometimes the role that the client has in mind isn’t clearly defined because they are unsure what they need. By asking questions, it not only helps define the service provider’s role, but could also help the customer define their own place in the working relationship.

Once the answers have been obtained and the work defined, it’s always worth summarising this in a document, which should consist of a brief breakdown of the work involved. Estimates of all times should be done as accurately as possible, particularly if it’s the early stages of the project and the work involved may have a big impact on the schedule. Then, when the work is delivered, it should not be late. It’s vitally important that each agreed milestone is met.

If you don’t deliver what the customer wants, then the customer is always right to not be interested in working with you again.

© Steve Ince, 2004

Developing Thoughts 7

Another of my columns...


Going with the flow

Ensuring that a game works as a whole is very important to the satisfaction the player will feel as they complete it. As with story and research, the flow of a game can make or break the experience.

I’m not, of course, talking about the story flow – though in some games this may well be tied very closely to what I’m covering here. What I mean is the logic flow of the game. Are there any dead ends, which cause the player to restore an earlier save game in order to progress? Do the conversations with these two separate characters still make sense if they are triggered in a different order?

Some games have a simple logic flow, which link sections of the game in a way that relies on finishing one section before completing another. There’s no going back and no complex sets of variables that have to be taken into account, other than those connected with the player character’s health, weapons or abilities. On the whole, these games are relatively straightforward when it comes to both designing the logic flow and testing its soundness.

Games that rely on the player visiting each section a number of times have the greatest chance for the logic flow to go wrong. Performing tasks or actions in one section that has an effect in another will always be at the whim of a complex set of variables that must be carried throughout the game. Development of the logic flow can be both time-consuming and potentially expensive, if it isn’t done right. The less rigorously it’s planned out, the more chance there is that the testing and fixing period will highlight serious problems that will lead to the game being delivered late.

Flow charts and diagrams are an important part of the development of the main gameplay and logic threads, along with detailed documentation at every level. Probably more important, however, is the ability to hold the image of the logic flow in your head and think it through on an almost daily basis, checking and re-checking that it is completely sound. In order to develop the logic flow successfully, the designer (lead designer, director, whatever) should live with this structure as though it’s a second circulatory system flowing through his/her very being.

The downside to this is that you tend to wake in the middle of the night with concerns about how you’re going to get the hero from the mountain village to the heart of New York without it feeling too contrived. And when you drift away from the conversation – eyes glazing over – in the middle of a dinner with friends, you’d better hope that they’re incredibly good friends. Not everyone will understand the way that the design of a game takes over your life.

Sometimes, even with the best planning in the world and thorough testing, logic bugs can slip through. You’ve played it through time and time again yourself. So have the rest of the team and the publisher’s test department. Yet, the first person who buys the game on release will happen to find the one logic bug that everyone missed.

And that’s when, as you berate yourself for missing the problem, you really get the sleepless nights...

© Steve Ince, 2004