Creativity, Is essential to the survival of life. All species on our planet have varying levels of creativity that plays an important part in day to day life. I’m not just talking about humans, because I believe that creativity is not just limited to complex feats of imagination that humans achieve. Primates, pigs, dolphins, whales, and many other species have creative thought processes (and this has been proven)! Even the way that a pride of lions hunt and work together in the Serengeti, shows impressive feats of creativity.
I’m taking quite a wide approach to creativity because creativity is a wide and complex topic. If we limited creativity to the arts, the world would be screwed! A single person uses creativity hundreds if not thousands of times every day. Everything we do fundamentally comes down to a creative thought process happening in our brain. I can’t look at a single thing outside my window that has not had some form of creative process go into its construction or purpose.
The human race is famous for two creative wonders; Art and war. While they are completely different in their goal, they are arguably the same in their creative construction. War in its many forms is terrible don’t get me wrong, but the many advances in tactics and technology have been down to great creative minds. Dr. Richard J. Gatling was responsible for the creation of the famous Gatling gun first used in the American civil war, Which went on to spawn many other multiple and single barrelled versions throughout history. The use of tanks in the First World War completely changed the modern day battlefield. In the American war of independence the rebel troops used guerrilla style warfare against the English troops. Small raids from bushes on arms convoys, and the use of flanking tactics, completely changed the way that war was fought. Before that, horizontal lines of troops would battle it out on an open field, with help from cavalry and cannons. Modern day terrorism, and the way enemy troops fight in Iraq and Afghanistan can be linked back to these advances. All this brings me back to my earlier point: creativity is vital for survival. As long as there are creative geniuses around to bring us new ways of killing each other, I see little hope in a peaceful future. Now that I think about it Creativity is not only responsible for our survival, but it is and it will be responsible for our downfall.
Art is wonderful! Art in its many forms is the way of humans expressing their creativity. Without it the world would be a dull place indeed!! Art has come a long way since cave paintings. These days everything in our lives is art. Art is the clothes we wear, the buildings we make, the cars we drive, through to the images we paint. I believe England was at a creative height in the Victorian times! I think we’ve lost a little something since then in our creativity, but I can’t put a finger on it. England and the rest of the world is losing culture, and art has a strong link to culture. This isn’t such a bad thing though. While we are losing a unified culture, all the new sub-cultures popping up all over the place are providing rich pickings for art. Humans will always make art. It is who we are.
Creativity in computer games is vast. Everything that goes into the process of making a game through to the playing of a game is creative. All games are creative, but some more so than others. Games however are becoming less creative as time goes on. I think we are becoming too focused on the target audience and what games have been successful in the past. We are basing new games on the successes of old games. It’s working for now, but soon the audience is going to turn around and say, ‘’hey I want something new’’. This is not the case for every game, but generally I believe this is what is happening. Maybe the initial idea of a game needs more creative thinking before it is put into production. The gaming community needs to stop wondering along like zombies. We need a burst of originality and creativity to be injected into the industry!
This all brings me to my final point:
Creativity in its many forms is what makes this world so brilliant. Creativity needs to be encouraged and set free, but in some cases it needs to be monitored and controlled.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Friday, 9 January 2009
Halo 3: An Obsession
Chapter 1: The Start of a Legacy (lol)
By now you might have noticed the amount of times I’m referencing halo 3 in my blogs, so before I ruin any more future blogs, I’m going to get everything halo 3 related off my chest. I’m going to tell you how halo 3 affected my life, in both a positive and a sometimes negative way.
After bungie announced the release of halo 3 by showing a really cool trailer at e3, my mind went into worship mode. I clung to every tiny image, screenshot and article ever released on the web and in magazines. I was so excited; I even queued for crackdown for fuck sake, just so my place on the beta was guaranteed! The beta blew my mind; I remember how fun it was. I think the first couple of weeks of playing any game are the best weeks you will ever have, because everyone is shit and doesn’t know what’s going on half the time. Anything can happen; the game play takes a turn towards insanity. But then everyone learns the maps, weapons and tactics, and eventually every encounter end up playing out the virtually the same.
After the beta, my mind went back to scanning every information source, just to satisfy my lust for knowledge, my lust for halo 3 wisdom (god I sound so sad). Eventually the time arrived. The release was the next day and I was heading home to get some day sleep, so I would survive the night of queuing outside of the game store in Stevenage. On the way through my small home town of Hitchin I noticed that a small independent music/movie/game store was shutting its doors. I went up to the guy shutting it and asked him what time he was opening for the release the next day. He stopped what he was doing, paused and looked at me and said the magical words I will never forget ‘’do you want it now?’’. I was so shocked I just said ‘’O.K.’’ and my heart was beating all the way up to the counter. I fucking legged it home (yes that’s right, a 19 year old running through crowded streets. I looked like a right prat. But I was on a mission). Never had I been so excited in my entire life. You know when you get that feeling that anything can happen while you walking home. That gods just not going to let you be happy for once, like a chav is going to jump out of an alley and steal halo 3 from you. But that didn’t happen.
Over the next year I slowly got better and better and better. And so did my friends. The combination of split-screen gaming and online play was the perfect combination of training and fun.
Chapter 2: The Hunt for Perfection
I could never be satisfied. The time had come were I had stopped having fun, and had started to chase perfection. I knew how easy it was to get your level 50 in team doubles. But I wanted to stick it to the people by getting my level 50 in lone wolves. Only 5 % of Generals achieved their level 50 in lone wolves. I’ll tell you now; I still to this day haven’t managed it. I’ve reached level bloody 49. Yes that’s right. I just can’t seem to get that last level. It sucks big time!
My second target was to get a killionaire in lone wolves. It is the single hardest achievement in the entire game. It is impossible to achieve: no one’s done it before. People have achieved killionaires in team games and in social games, sure. But no-one’s managed it in ranked FFA lone wolves. The closest I ever got was a killamanjaro (7 kills) with the battle rifle! I was so proud of myself. The reason why it is so hard, well I’ll explain it to you. To get a killionaire you have to get ten kills in a row without dying. That’s easy you say. NO, it’s not. You also have to get each kill within 4 seconds of each other. Yes that’s right. If you get to 9 and it goes past 4 seconds before your 10th, it goes back to zero!
Queue drum roll... On the 25 of September 2008 I achieved a killionaire in lone wolves. I dropped the controller and shouted YES at the top of my voice. If I’m not mistaken, I was the first person in the world to do this. There was a bitter taste of irony that accompanied this achievement because I had achieved it on the exact anniversary of when I first played the game, in the exact same hour. Now that’s just fucking freaky.
Proof: http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsHalo3.aspx?gameid=757139553&player=XLAX%20360%20ELITE
Chapter 3: Rehab
Achieving the killionaire set me free. I can’t explain it, but I think I was finally satisfied. I didn’t need level 50 in lone wolves. I had a killionaire. I had finally completed halo 3.
Now I am like a recovered alcoholic. I play halo 3 occasionally, but just for fun! I don’t care about ranks or medals anymore; I am free to live my life!
Gamertags:
XLAX 360 ELITE - This is my secondary account and the one I achieved a killionaire with!
F1re 8lade - This is my main account
Add me and challenge me I dare you. Now that I have finally got this off of my chest I can forget about it forever. YAY:).
By now you might have noticed the amount of times I’m referencing halo 3 in my blogs, so before I ruin any more future blogs, I’m going to get everything halo 3 related off my chest. I’m going to tell you how halo 3 affected my life, in both a positive and a sometimes negative way.
After bungie announced the release of halo 3 by showing a really cool trailer at e3, my mind went into worship mode. I clung to every tiny image, screenshot and article ever released on the web and in magazines. I was so excited; I even queued for crackdown for fuck sake, just so my place on the beta was guaranteed! The beta blew my mind; I remember how fun it was. I think the first couple of weeks of playing any game are the best weeks you will ever have, because everyone is shit and doesn’t know what’s going on half the time. Anything can happen; the game play takes a turn towards insanity. But then everyone learns the maps, weapons and tactics, and eventually every encounter end up playing out the virtually the same.
After the beta, my mind went back to scanning every information source, just to satisfy my lust for knowledge, my lust for halo 3 wisdom (god I sound so sad). Eventually the time arrived. The release was the next day and I was heading home to get some day sleep, so I would survive the night of queuing outside of the game store in Stevenage. On the way through my small home town of Hitchin I noticed that a small independent music/movie/game store was shutting its doors. I went up to the guy shutting it and asked him what time he was opening for the release the next day. He stopped what he was doing, paused and looked at me and said the magical words I will never forget ‘’do you want it now?’’. I was so shocked I just said ‘’O.K.’’ and my heart was beating all the way up to the counter. I fucking legged it home (yes that’s right, a 19 year old running through crowded streets. I looked like a right prat. But I was on a mission). Never had I been so excited in my entire life. You know when you get that feeling that anything can happen while you walking home. That gods just not going to let you be happy for once, like a chav is going to jump out of an alley and steal halo 3 from you. But that didn’t happen.
Over the next year I slowly got better and better and better. And so did my friends. The combination of split-screen gaming and online play was the perfect combination of training and fun.
Chapter 2: The Hunt for Perfection
I could never be satisfied. The time had come were I had stopped having fun, and had started to chase perfection. I knew how easy it was to get your level 50 in team doubles. But I wanted to stick it to the people by getting my level 50 in lone wolves. Only 5 % of Generals achieved their level 50 in lone wolves. I’ll tell you now; I still to this day haven’t managed it. I’ve reached level bloody 49. Yes that’s right. I just can’t seem to get that last level. It sucks big time!
My second target was to get a killionaire in lone wolves. It is the single hardest achievement in the entire game. It is impossible to achieve: no one’s done it before. People have achieved killionaires in team games and in social games, sure. But no-one’s managed it in ranked FFA lone wolves. The closest I ever got was a killamanjaro (7 kills) with the battle rifle! I was so proud of myself. The reason why it is so hard, well I’ll explain it to you. To get a killionaire you have to get ten kills in a row without dying. That’s easy you say. NO, it’s not. You also have to get each kill within 4 seconds of each other. Yes that’s right. If you get to 9 and it goes past 4 seconds before your 10th, it goes back to zero!
Queue drum roll... On the 25 of September 2008 I achieved a killionaire in lone wolves. I dropped the controller and shouted YES at the top of my voice. If I’m not mistaken, I was the first person in the world to do this. There was a bitter taste of irony that accompanied this achievement because I had achieved it on the exact anniversary of when I first played the game, in the exact same hour. Now that’s just fucking freaky.
Proof: http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsHalo3.aspx?gameid=757139553&player=XLAX%20360%20ELITE
Chapter 3: Rehab
Achieving the killionaire set me free. I can’t explain it, but I think I was finally satisfied. I didn’t need level 50 in lone wolves. I had a killionaire. I had finally completed halo 3.
Now I am like a recovered alcoholic. I play halo 3 occasionally, but just for fun! I don’t care about ranks or medals anymore; I am free to live my life!
Gamertags:
XLAX 360 ELITE - This is my secondary account and the one I achieved a killionaire with!
F1re 8lade - This is my main account
Add me and challenge me I dare you. Now that I have finally got this off of my chest I can forget about it forever. YAY:).
Press B to Reload
I think we are reading too far into the actual meaning of gameplay. We could waffle on all day about the complex meaning of gameplay and get nowhere. To me, gameplay simply means, to play a game. I’ve used the term ‘gameplay’ all my life. Let me give you an example of how I would use gameplay in a sentence; ‘’the graphics and storyline in Pac-Man are amazing, but what really sells the game to me is the gameplay’’. Gameplay means what it’s like to play the game.
Grrrrr... Confusion – how to define gameplay?
This is too difficult. I’ve had enough trying to define the meaning of the word, so I’m just going to go off on one. Right. Halo 3 has the best gameplay in the world. When the Beta was released, bungie released a statement saying that they were not aiming for the level of detail in gears of war, but that they were aiming for brilliant and seamless gameplay. Do you know how much science went into designing the multiplayer maps? It’s insane. I read in an issue of edge magazine that Bungie used detailed software that showed the main density and movement of player kills and deaths, with help from an army of testers. They then tweaked tiny things in the map to try and even out the spread of deaths/kills across the entire map and to make it even for both teams, even on asymmetric maps. But Halo was all about the multiplayer, so all this is understandable. Games like Oblivion, Farcry 2 and Fable 2 are all about single player story defining gameplay. It’s all about choice; evil or good, the high road or the low road, stealth or more bang for your buck.
Why don’t all the game developers join together in one massive team and make the biggest and best game the world has ever seen, mixing all the different gameplay styles in one big pot? Why? Because it would make no difference. Halo 3 is perfect gameplay in my eyes, but I get bored if it’s the only thing I play. I like to switch between games, trying out all the different gameplay styles. Mirrors Edge blew my mind, when I first started to play it I thought it was the best game I’d ever played in my life, but after a week I got bored of it because I realised I was just doing the same thing again and again and again. I think the main reason why halo 3 works as a game for me, the reason why I can always rely on it to entertain me is because the multiplayer gameplay allows for such vast variation. Every day I find a new way to outsmart my opponent. I feel there is always room for personal improvement.
If I try to go into gameplay anymore I’m going to have a seizure. So I’m going to stop now.
Grrrrr... Confusion – how to define gameplay?
This is too difficult. I’ve had enough trying to define the meaning of the word, so I’m just going to go off on one. Right. Halo 3 has the best gameplay in the world. When the Beta was released, bungie released a statement saying that they were not aiming for the level of detail in gears of war, but that they were aiming for brilliant and seamless gameplay. Do you know how much science went into designing the multiplayer maps? It’s insane. I read in an issue of edge magazine that Bungie used detailed software that showed the main density and movement of player kills and deaths, with help from an army of testers. They then tweaked tiny things in the map to try and even out the spread of deaths/kills across the entire map and to make it even for both teams, even on asymmetric maps. But Halo was all about the multiplayer, so all this is understandable. Games like Oblivion, Farcry 2 and Fable 2 are all about single player story defining gameplay. It’s all about choice; evil or good, the high road or the low road, stealth or more bang for your buck.
Why don’t all the game developers join together in one massive team and make the biggest and best game the world has ever seen, mixing all the different gameplay styles in one big pot? Why? Because it would make no difference. Halo 3 is perfect gameplay in my eyes, but I get bored if it’s the only thing I play. I like to switch between games, trying out all the different gameplay styles. Mirrors Edge blew my mind, when I first started to play it I thought it was the best game I’d ever played in my life, but after a week I got bored of it because I realised I was just doing the same thing again and again and again. I think the main reason why halo 3 works as a game for me, the reason why I can always rely on it to entertain me is because the multiplayer gameplay allows for such vast variation. Every day I find a new way to outsmart my opponent. I feel there is always room for personal improvement.
If I try to go into gameplay anymore I’m going to have a seizure. So I’m going to stop now.
''I am the voice of the covenant''. ''Then you must be silenced''.
Books are a portal to another world. They fill my head with so many wonderful things and portray story better than any film or game! My favourite book is Iain M Banks ‘Consider Phlebas’ with Paul Stuart’s and Chris Riddle’s ‘The Edge Chronicles’ being a close second.
http://www.iain-banks.net/science-fiction/consider-phlebas/
http://www.stewartandriddell.co.uk/edge/index.php
Consider Phlebas made my heart beat really fast, made me laugh and cry. The edge chronicles took me away to another world. The characters, landscapes in ‘The Edge Chronicles’ reek of detail and history. For a game to produce the same feelings and experiences is rare, if not non-existent!
For me there are 3 things that can make a good film;
1) Special affects/Set Design/Artistic Value
2) A strong moral message
3) A strong main character, well acted!!
I usually go for the first one, but my favourite film of all time is ‘There Will be Blood’. I have never seen such brilliant acting from one man before! The set design is awesome, and the story is well structured. ‘’Your nothing but a bastard from a basket in the middle of the desert’’, ‘’you see, I take my straw, and I go aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the way across the room to your milkshake, I drink your milkshake. I drink it up!’’: those are two of my favourite quotes from the film.
Books and films like these are timeless masterpieces. In my opinion, it’s gonna be a long time before we see a game that has the same affect! Halo 3 nearly got it. It came close. In my opinion, Games use story to explain the game play. There are very few games that use game play to explain the story. But for me that’s o.k. I play games for intense game play and action. I read books and watch films to get my dose of decent storytelling!
p.s. There are 2 games I can think of that have achieved story that matches that of a brilliant book or film. I have played ‘Dark Messiah: Might and Magic’ (the pc version) 7 times and have never got bored of it. The story couples with the game play so perfectly it is nothing short of epic! The game ‘Medieval’ for the ps1 is similar, but more comic. They also have excellent game play! If games companies churned out more games like these I would never see daylight againL. I’m perplexed why dm:mam did not sell better.
http://www.iain-banks.net/science-fiction/consider-phlebas/
http://www.stewartandriddell.co.uk/edge/index.php
Consider Phlebas made my heart beat really fast, made me laugh and cry. The edge chronicles took me away to another world. The characters, landscapes in ‘The Edge Chronicles’ reek of detail and history. For a game to produce the same feelings and experiences is rare, if not non-existent!
For me there are 3 things that can make a good film;
1) Special affects/Set Design/Artistic Value
2) A strong moral message
3) A strong main character, well acted!!
I usually go for the first one, but my favourite film of all time is ‘There Will be Blood’. I have never seen such brilliant acting from one man before! The set design is awesome, and the story is well structured. ‘’Your nothing but a bastard from a basket in the middle of the desert’’, ‘’you see, I take my straw, and I go aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the way across the room to your milkshake, I drink your milkshake. I drink it up!’’: those are two of my favourite quotes from the film.
Books and films like these are timeless masterpieces. In my opinion, it’s gonna be a long time before we see a game that has the same affect! Halo 3 nearly got it. It came close. In my opinion, Games use story to explain the game play. There are very few games that use game play to explain the story. But for me that’s o.k. I play games for intense game play and action. I read books and watch films to get my dose of decent storytelling!
p.s. There are 2 games I can think of that have achieved story that matches that of a brilliant book or film. I have played ‘Dark Messiah: Might and Magic’ (the pc version) 7 times and have never got bored of it. The story couples with the game play so perfectly it is nothing short of epic! The game ‘Medieval’ for the ps1 is similar, but more comic. They also have excellent game play! If games companies churned out more games like these I would never see daylight againL. I’m perplexed why dm:mam did not sell better.
Game Technology
In my opinion game technology should only be upgraded when Nintendo makes the leap first. Let Nintendo take the risks. Why not? Why risk a flop when Nintendo can do it for you. I love the layout and simplicity of the XBOX 360 controller. I think it is perfect for the market and games that exist at the moment. But the people buying new consoles and games are always looking for something that’s better, something that’s new. I thought ‘Red Steel’ was an awesome game. The Wii’s new control system gives you the feeling you’re actually holding a gun, swaying it as you move. But the game is let down by bad game play.
The Wii took a brave new move, by introducing a new control system. Anything could have happened. ‘Wii sports’ was the first game that my older relatives actually played. They loved it. It was a surreal sight, seeing my auntie swing a Wii remote around.
I’m looking forward to seeing the next step. What are Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony going to bring out next?
I put allot of thought into what I personally want from a controller, taking into consideration what experiences I have had in the past, I designed my own controller:
The Wii took a brave new move, by introducing a new control system. Anything could have happened. ‘Wii sports’ was the first game that my older relatives actually played. They loved it. It was a surreal sight, seeing my auntie swing a Wii remote around.
I’m looking forward to seeing the next step. What are Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony going to bring out next?
I put allot of thought into what I personally want from a controller, taking into consideration what experiences I have had in the past, I designed my own controller:
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Why do I have to go into that cave?
A man walked into a bar and was shot by a man with a Kalashnikov. Was this the cut scene or in-game?
Story is good, depending on the game. The burnout series is similar to the Need For Speed series, but Burnout has no story, while Need For Speed has a strong story backing the game play. Story is essential for the sale of some games. Halo 3 is an excellent example of story in a game. Even the multiplayer maps reek of story! When you play through the campaign you are immersed in a rich and vibrant story coupled with breath-taking game play. Notice though how Master Chief doesn’t say much throughout the game. This is to put the player in the game more. It makes you feel that you are the main character, instead of playing as someone else. Clever! Story is an integral part to games like halo and gears of war ect. It gives you a goal, a reason for playing. I hate first person shooters when you play through and think, ‘’what the hell am I doing here, why am I killing these people, where do I go and why and why do I need to go into that cave’’.
I suppose the use of story in a game is so that everything makes sense. Some games do not need a strong story but I suppose you could argue that everything is story; the colours on a car, the amount of lamps turned off in a street, the size of the evil spider trying to kill you! Racing games, shooting games, role playing games, they all follow the same basic structure and game play. The main thing making the different from each other and unique is the story behind them.
Story is good, depending on the game. The burnout series is similar to the Need For Speed series, but Burnout has no story, while Need For Speed has a strong story backing the game play. Story is essential for the sale of some games. Halo 3 is an excellent example of story in a game. Even the multiplayer maps reek of story! When you play through the campaign you are immersed in a rich and vibrant story coupled with breath-taking game play. Notice though how Master Chief doesn’t say much throughout the game. This is to put the player in the game more. It makes you feel that you are the main character, instead of playing as someone else. Clever! Story is an integral part to games like halo and gears of war ect. It gives you a goal, a reason for playing. I hate first person shooters when you play through and think, ‘’what the hell am I doing here, why am I killing these people, where do I go and why and why do I need to go into that cave’’.
I suppose the use of story in a game is so that everything makes sense. Some games do not need a strong story but I suppose you could argue that everything is story; the colours on a car, the amount of lamps turned off in a street, the size of the evil spider trying to kill you! Racing games, shooting games, role playing games, they all follow the same basic structure and game play. The main thing making the different from each other and unique is the story behind them.
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
The Art Director
The role of the Art Director is massive. It requires massive experience, in the industry coupled with extraordinary talent. The Art director is essentially the Commander in a battle. Overseeing and managing his forces. It is a huge responsibility being the Art Director. The success of the game essentially rests on their shoulders.
Being the Art Director is a creative role. He/she is essentially responsible for every level, model, texture, ect. In the final game.
They have to create and manage a timeline from concept to final product. They have to make sure the team in united as one towards a single goal. They work closely with the recruiting team to build a brilliant Art Team. They offer feedback to the artists throughout the project.
This and many other tasks and responsibilities create what I see as a daunting task indeed. I never considered myself becoming an Art Director in the future, but now my mind is completely open to the prospect. Obviously it will take time and effort to procure the skills and experience needed to fulfil the job requirements, but none the less obtainable! I would have to develop an exceptional skill communicating with people and working with a team.
Maybe I’m looking too far into the future. I think right now I have to focus on becoming a good concept artist and 3d artist!
Being the Art Director is a creative role. He/she is essentially responsible for every level, model, texture, ect. In the final game.
They have to create and manage a timeline from concept to final product. They have to make sure the team in united as one towards a single goal. They work closely with the recruiting team to build a brilliant Art Team. They offer feedback to the artists throughout the project.
This and many other tasks and responsibilities create what I see as a daunting task indeed. I never considered myself becoming an Art Director in the future, but now my mind is completely open to the prospect. Obviously it will take time and effort to procure the skills and experience needed to fulfil the job requirements, but none the less obtainable! I would have to develop an exceptional skill communicating with people and working with a team.
Maybe I’m looking too far into the future. I think right now I have to focus on becoming a good concept artist and 3d artist!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
