Sunday 15 November 2009

Another masterpiece

So what is Game Design? My understanding is that it’s the building blocks of a game. Game Design is where you manufacture the rules of engagement so to speak within a title.
This is where you choose what platform the game is FPS, RPG etc etc. And map out all the background information of the game before some makes it attractive for the public.

Things like Game play can be outlined in the design of the game too. Game play is basically the experiences during interaction between the player and the game. Games like Pac-man required you to avoid capture from the ghosts and eat all the circles on the level, with different mazes changing the experience for the gamer. Modern games have more tools in their Itinerary to change the game play. A modern game such as Operation flashpoint: dragon rising requires the gamer to do multiple things at once. The gamer must think tactically in real time whilst looking after the health of others. Whilst of course trying to aim and kill enemies. Most differently modern games can allow for multiple objectives on levels to be implemented in level.

Game Design has gotten so complex in modern games that a team is needed to create a game. Back in the 80’s Atari could leave one man to design the games levels. The increasing pressure on games designers to make games with more interaction and realism has led to increase numbers in design teams.

When I play I game, I look to escape from realism for the hour or so I have spare. I don’t play Sims as I have enough trouble looking after myself; plus they always end up depressed and burning the kitchen. I look to be entertained and have my emotions fiddled with a little bit as so to engross me for more. Then of course I want to win. I won’t play a game I can’t complete or be good at. Thankfully I’m a gaming god and take names like Eric Banner in Munich. I’m not the most astute with words but I can tell a good game when I see one. I’ve also played through a lot of crap, so I know good gravy when I see it.

Well here we find ourselves at the end of another week and another poor entry. See you this time next week.

Monday 2 November 2009









Once again facebook has blurred my work. Need to figure out the scanner me thinks

Sunday 1 November 2009

Tired and pissed

Modern day game reviewers face many barriers in the current game industry. The financial slum the world is going through has meant that funding and staff has been cut. With these variables in place, writers are left to pick up the pieces of their fallen comrades and produce a product to the high degree the investors expect each time.
The average British game magazine is turned over in 19 days. Two weeks to fill 150 pages is nothing when you add on the actual reviewing of the game they have to conduct to. Tight deadlines on diminished manpower have left writers to cut corners in areas of their work to reach the deadlines set.

They face growing competition from freelance reviewers who can post on the internet quicker and spend more time on their reviews and adding to the overall value of there review. The internet as we know is generally full of a load of poo. With so many budding writers appearing and reviewing any game on the market, you can sometime find yourself searching through a big pile of internet poo before you come across something you like.
Mainstream magazines effectively cut away the dead wood, and cover the major stories in the games industry. There are totally entitled to do so as they have to appeal to as many people as they can.

People criticise magazines for using objective ranking systems, but in the fast pace society we live today people don’t want to read a dossier on a game, they want to look, process, buy, play. The generalize scoring systems quickly allows the reader to indentify with the product and whether it is worth investment. For the time allowed and standards to be reached I think game writers do a sterling job. To be honest if someone wants to write Shakespearean literature on a game they are more than welcome, it doesn’t affect me in any way. I’m an average guy, average height, average weight, nuclear family etc etc. As a typical mark for game magazines, I feel there is nothing wrong with writing in game magazines. They do the function that the reader and investors want, they appeal to the masses. Of course there will be people who it doesn’t appeal to but they will setup their own internet review cult and do their Branch Davidians impersonation.

My writing style will probably be torn to shreds by the Branch Davidians for my poor…everything. I really couldn’t care less; writing is all about communicating ideas. As long as people get across how I feel I am happy. In my eyes there is no purpose for Russell Brand wizardry with words to confuse common folk like myself. If you where to speak to me in person following the same rules you write within, I would have no time for you sir. Rant over; hope this was entertaining to read. It was written by a very cranky Kristian after a long day out.

So I bid you adieu