I really don't know much about these conferences. And i certainly never heard of this one. It's rather intriguing to know that there is a Games development conference in the world. Just a little disappointed it's in America, like everything else. The best anime conventions, holidays, theme parks and even a Harry Potter theme park which should be in the making when it should be in England! Every one of these are in America. Too expensive and probably worth it. Don't get me wrong if i had the money i would love to go to America and even go to one of these GDC's because looking at the website it looks really interesting.
Looking at whats lined up, I'd say they are pretty interesting, and the fact that really people from major companies will be there to give a talk about different issues. They are a lot of things i do need help with and i think it would be a great opportunity to go to these lectures and see what the professionals have to say.
In the visual arts section, 'Lighting with purpose' Would be a good one, because i am really bad at where the light source is and how to apply it to a model properly to give it more depth and 3dness to it.
In the Game design section, 'The cruise director of Azeroth: Directed gameplay within World of Warcraft', luckily for Mike i wouldn't be that interested. Looking at the lecture description, it looks confusing to me.
But other than that I'm happy to see what the GDC is all about and get myself there one year. I think it'll be a great experience and the things i could take away from it will be very valuable.
Monday, 16 March 2009
Friday, 6 March 2009
21. Where do you want to go, and how do you get there?
Please don't ask me this, because you won't like the answer.
To be truthful i have been having a lot of problems trying to figure what i wanted to do in life. I have wanted to be an archaeologist, a Paleontologist, artist and then a writer. But i have never thought about being a game artist. Instead of doing what i love best i.e drawing i wanted a job that paid decent money that i can pay bills, food, housing and go on holidays as well as pay for my manga addiction and Japanese stuffs.
At the time, I only chose game art because i read on a website that it paid £35000 a year. I didn't know jack squat about Game art until it came to deciding what we wanted to do after college in year 12. This was a last minute decision. My friend was already in her 1st year of uni doing Game art in Teesside and she said it was really good. So that's what i took. I loved doing art so it was a good opportunity to carry it on through uni. i managed to get offers from all 5 chosen unis, Demontfort was the worst because my folders zip broke after receiving an offer from Mike and i had to take all my books home in a bag he gave me. But in a way i guess the bag was a lucky item since i got into Demontfort.
It wasn't until i started my lessons when i learnt what Game art was about in terms of how the course was set out and what we had to do in lessons (at that time i forgot the presentation at the interview). I started thinking if i had taken the right course because i was struggling like mad with 3Ds max. As the months went on my views started to change. At first i was dreading everything and i wasn't 'feeling' the artistic side to Game art until i settled down and got use to the work that was given and now i am really enjoying it. I'm improving and learning new things all the time. The only thing that's letting me down is the fact I'm not sleeping well, if i don't have a decent nights sleep then i will feel like the living dead and my concentration and eagerness to work goes down the can. I don't know why it's happening but i am out to prove my worth, it's just another barrier that i can't shift.
To where i want to be after my studies... Well that's another story. At the moment i don't know, i still have stuff to learn, things to sort out so ask me again in a years time. I just wanted to go to uni, it was my dream. In all i love uni and i especially love my course. And this is from a girl who despises computers and doesn't like playing games much. Other than that the skies the limit, i have time to think where I'd like to be in 3 years time and what i have to do to get there, in the mean time I'm going to work the best i can for when the time comes.
I wouldn't change my decision for the world.
To be truthful i have been having a lot of problems trying to figure what i wanted to do in life. I have wanted to be an archaeologist, a Paleontologist, artist and then a writer. But i have never thought about being a game artist. Instead of doing what i love best i.e drawing i wanted a job that paid decent money that i can pay bills, food, housing and go on holidays as well as pay for my manga addiction and Japanese stuffs.
At the time, I only chose game art because i read on a website that it paid £35000 a year. I didn't know jack squat about Game art until it came to deciding what we wanted to do after college in year 12. This was a last minute decision. My friend was already in her 1st year of uni doing Game art in Teesside and she said it was really good. So that's what i took. I loved doing art so it was a good opportunity to carry it on through uni. i managed to get offers from all 5 chosen unis, Demontfort was the worst because my folders zip broke after receiving an offer from Mike and i had to take all my books home in a bag he gave me. But in a way i guess the bag was a lucky item since i got into Demontfort.
It wasn't until i started my lessons when i learnt what Game art was about in terms of how the course was set out and what we had to do in lessons (at that time i forgot the presentation at the interview). I started thinking if i had taken the right course because i was struggling like mad with 3Ds max. As the months went on my views started to change. At first i was dreading everything and i wasn't 'feeling' the artistic side to Game art until i settled down and got use to the work that was given and now i am really enjoying it. I'm improving and learning new things all the time. The only thing that's letting me down is the fact I'm not sleeping well, if i don't have a decent nights sleep then i will feel like the living dead and my concentration and eagerness to work goes down the can. I don't know why it's happening but i am out to prove my worth, it's just another barrier that i can't shift.
To where i want to be after my studies... Well that's another story. At the moment i don't know, i still have stuff to learn, things to sort out so ask me again in a years time. I just wanted to go to uni, it was my dream. In all i love uni and i especially love my course. And this is from a girl who despises computers and doesn't like playing games much. Other than that the skies the limit, i have time to think where I'd like to be in 3 years time and what i have to do to get there, in the mean time I'm going to work the best i can for when the time comes.
I wouldn't change my decision for the world.
20. Creativity part 2
Since the last time i did research and wrote about my thoughts on creativity, i find out what it means to be creative.
Creativity is the journey of self discovery. To get there you need many components, something which i lack. You need: motivation, passion, enthusiasm and even inspiration. Some of the great masters had these but it didn't come naturally, not naturally enough anyway.
It's like learning to crawl before you walk, you start off with the basics. Learn to hold a pencil, learn how to make lines, learn how to colour in the lines and hey presto you have a basic picture of a flower. It may not be perfect but its a start. But what does all this mean? Well funnily enough, talent is something you gain from experience, patience and practice. No one is born with natural talent, it's like saying a 5 year old can perform complicated surgery just using a spork and a rubber band. That's just pants. To be the best you need to put the effort in and practice. Drawing everyday will help keep the mind focused and helps improve what you already know. But you also need to clock in the hours as well. 10,000 hours over 3 years. Impossible? I think not. Do the work that is set for you, do it and then do your own stuff, mini projects if you like. All of this are key elements in succeeding to become a great artist and showing everyone that it can be done if you put your mind to it.
So, get creating!!!
This is a continuation since i didn't know we were going back through what it's meant to be creative and learning the shocking truth about education and creativity in schools. So here we go again.
After watching the video in lecture i completely agree, creativity ceases to exist in the school curriculum. Now a days children arn't allowed to be creative because they are high expectations in the 3 top subjects that half of it we don't really need to learn. Maths, English and Science. When are we going to use trigonometry when stacking shelves? Where are we going to use the 3 allotropes of carbon in an office? We don't need these yet there there to catch us out and told it's more important than your own creativity. These are the things that hare holding us back. We only need the basics of what is taught from these subjects, not the complicated stuff that we won't find in our chosen careers.
But the biggest kick in the pants is that education seems to leave out Art and textiles. We need to be creative in order to make things work. Without creativity the same things are going to repeat and they won't be fresh ideas. Children need to be creative and be free to explore the world through their own creative ways, not stuck in a classroom and told to learn their timestables perfectly or they'll never get a job. That's not right. Children are children; they need to have fun, something a lot of us don't have any more since either we have jobs or far too serious. We need a balance between what we should learn and what we need to learn. Make Art more important, it's a great way to express thoughts and feelings. Isn't it true what they say? A picture says a thousand words? In this case a picture means your wasting your time if you don't buckle down and get that degree or apprenticeship and earning mega bucks in order to put food on the table and pay your bills.
As a wise man once said 'Follow your dreams now whilst you still have the chance, because once the time comes, you will never get another chance.'
I'm half way there. Because Game art has a little of everything i want to do. And more importantly it expanded my horizons and taught me a lot of things i never learnt in college and it opens many doors of opportunity.
(Again i have ranted rather than answering the question...)
Creativity is the journey of self discovery. To get there you need many components, something which i lack. You need: motivation, passion, enthusiasm and even inspiration. Some of the great masters had these but it didn't come naturally, not naturally enough anyway.
It's like learning to crawl before you walk, you start off with the basics. Learn to hold a pencil, learn how to make lines, learn how to colour in the lines and hey presto you have a basic picture of a flower. It may not be perfect but its a start. But what does all this mean? Well funnily enough, talent is something you gain from experience, patience and practice. No one is born with natural talent, it's like saying a 5 year old can perform complicated surgery just using a spork and a rubber band. That's just pants. To be the best you need to put the effort in and practice. Drawing everyday will help keep the mind focused and helps improve what you already know. But you also need to clock in the hours as well. 10,000 hours over 3 years. Impossible? I think not. Do the work that is set for you, do it and then do your own stuff, mini projects if you like. All of this are key elements in succeeding to become a great artist and showing everyone that it can be done if you put your mind to it.
So, get creating!!!
This is a continuation since i didn't know we were going back through what it's meant to be creative and learning the shocking truth about education and creativity in schools. So here we go again.
After watching the video in lecture i completely agree, creativity ceases to exist in the school curriculum. Now a days children arn't allowed to be creative because they are high expectations in the 3 top subjects that half of it we don't really need to learn. Maths, English and Science. When are we going to use trigonometry when stacking shelves? Where are we going to use the 3 allotropes of carbon in an office? We don't need these yet there there to catch us out and told it's more important than your own creativity. These are the things that hare holding us back. We only need the basics of what is taught from these subjects, not the complicated stuff that we won't find in our chosen careers.
But the biggest kick in the pants is that education seems to leave out Art and textiles. We need to be creative in order to make things work. Without creativity the same things are going to repeat and they won't be fresh ideas. Children need to be creative and be free to explore the world through their own creative ways, not stuck in a classroom and told to learn their timestables perfectly or they'll never get a job. That's not right. Children are children; they need to have fun, something a lot of us don't have any more since either we have jobs or far too serious. We need a balance between what we should learn and what we need to learn. Make Art more important, it's a great way to express thoughts and feelings. Isn't it true what they say? A picture says a thousand words? In this case a picture means your wasting your time if you don't buckle down and get that degree or apprenticeship and earning mega bucks in order to put food on the table and pay your bills.
As a wise man once said 'Follow your dreams now whilst you still have the chance, because once the time comes, you will never get another chance.'
I'm half way there. Because Game art has a little of everything i want to do. And more importantly it expanded my horizons and taught me a lot of things i never learnt in college and it opens many doors of opportunity.
(Again i have ranted rather than answering the question...)
Monday, 23 February 2009
19. Life Changing or Career Building?
In order to be good at something you have to have a passion for it. Whether it be journalism, art, literature or even drama. If you have that passion you will rise above the rest.
In game art people do amazing things. When you pick up a modern game you can see how effective the art is and imagine the time and effort that went into making that one game that you spend 3 days completing. You begin to appreciate the artwork, modelling and the intelligence behind the challenges and gameplay. Because this is what it takes to be a game artist.
Nowadays you need these qualities to have a chance at the gaming world. Dedication and hard work will make you stand out more and increase your chances of employment. But before you can think about that you need to be educated and trained into the environment. Many of the game industry workers have been trained in traditional illustration, compute programming or design courses, skills needed in the industry.
In order to know what to look out for, visit the companies websites and have a look at their skill requirements. Then compare with the university syllabus, it could be worth looking into. But having the right qualifications doesn't mean you got the job, a potential employer will be looking for the skills.
Basically if you do the research then you know what you want out of life. Time and dedication are the key to success and the right skills will give you the winning chance of landing a job.
In game art people do amazing things. When you pick up a modern game you can see how effective the art is and imagine the time and effort that went into making that one game that you spend 3 days completing. You begin to appreciate the artwork, modelling and the intelligence behind the challenges and gameplay. Because this is what it takes to be a game artist.
Nowadays you need these qualities to have a chance at the gaming world. Dedication and hard work will make you stand out more and increase your chances of employment. But before you can think about that you need to be educated and trained into the environment. Many of the game industry workers have been trained in traditional illustration, compute programming or design courses, skills needed in the industry.
In order to know what to look out for, visit the companies websites and have a look at their skill requirements. Then compare with the university syllabus, it could be worth looking into. But having the right qualifications doesn't mean you got the job, a potential employer will be looking for the skills.
Basically if you do the research then you know what you want out of life. Time and dedication are the key to success and the right skills will give you the winning chance of landing a job.
Monday, 16 February 2009
The movie reviews II
It has been a while since i have discussed about the movies. Out of the four below i haven't been to see two of them. One i have seen many, many times before and the other i didn't want to risk being ill over everything and everyone. But once i have time i will watch it.
'War of the worlds'. Seen it many, many times. Although i am not a big fan of it, it is a good movie when i really think about it. The designs behind the tripods and the whole atmosphere if it is well rewarding.
'United 94' (me thinks). The one i hadn't seen. But i was told it was depressing.
'Collateral'. Really not my kind of movie. I didn't like it, it was boring, but the shoot outs were alright i have give them credit for that. The best part of the film was when Pitt threw an office chair through the window, jumped through and tripped over it. How stupid can you be.
'L.A. Confidential'. I like detective stuffs, but this was boring in some places. I don't like romance in movies except for horror movies because i know they'll die at some point. But other than that, some parts were verrrrrry interesting. Like the Nite owl killing, i likes how the people were dragged into the mens room and slaughtered. Jeez i sound like a psychopath.... But it beats romance any day.
The end.
'War of the worlds'. Seen it many, many times. Although i am not a big fan of it, it is a good movie when i really think about it. The designs behind the tripods and the whole atmosphere if it is well rewarding.
'United 94' (me thinks). The one i hadn't seen. But i was told it was depressing.
'Collateral'. Really not my kind of movie. I didn't like it, it was boring, but the shoot outs were alright i have give them credit for that. The best part of the film was when Pitt threw an office chair through the window, jumped through and tripped over it. How stupid can you be.
'L.A. Confidential'. I like detective stuffs, but this was boring in some places. I don't like romance in movies except for horror movies because i know they'll die at some point. But other than that, some parts were verrrrrry interesting. Like the Nite owl killing, i likes how the people were dragged into the mens room and slaughtered. Jeez i sound like a psychopath.... But it beats romance any day.
The end.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
18. Sound for games.
Sound designers can provide incredibly detailed sound, so real it's like your in the characters shoes in the game. Not only the characters and background music come into play but also other everyday sounds like footsteps, wind and even echoes all make the experience that little more realistic. Doing something like closing your eyes and listening to the sounds in the game creates visions of what is happening in the game.
When the budget has to cut back, the audio is the first to go. The audio in games scale down a bit because of their large files. This is also due to their high quality. And just like all areas of the gaming industry, you need a music license.
For me i find it hard to pay attention to most music in games. They are some memorable ones, one of which is in Final fantasy VII at the end of a battle and also the 'Steel samurai' theme in Phoenix Wright. I will listen to the music when i am progressing through the game but when leveling up i do listen to my own music on iTunes. This is because the game music will annoy me to hell.
One of the best places to find in game music is at BeeMp3, Bearshare/limewire and there was Galbadia hotel but its unavailable. Also my friend gave me all sorts of websites but they are somewhere in my bedroom back at Middlesbrough.
When the budget has to cut back, the audio is the first to go. The audio in games scale down a bit because of their large files. This is also due to their high quality. And just like all areas of the gaming industry, you need a music license.
For me i find it hard to pay attention to most music in games. They are some memorable ones, one of which is in Final fantasy VII at the end of a battle and also the 'Steel samurai' theme in Phoenix Wright. I will listen to the music when i am progressing through the game but when leveling up i do listen to my own music on iTunes. This is because the game music will annoy me to hell.
One of the best places to find in game music is at BeeMp3, Bearshare/limewire and there was Galbadia hotel but its unavailable. Also my friend gave me all sorts of websites but they are somewhere in my bedroom back at Middlesbrough.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
17. Game engines
The definition of a game engine is that its a programme code which controls the structure and mechanics of the game. Without it then theres no game.
Game engines can be reused again for sources of inspiration. An existing game engine can empower your own ideas and can be a great starting point. Not every game needs to be started from scratch, it can be developed by an already existing game engine. It's an unseen code that drives the visual action on screen. Obviously they are rules to different games how their characters behave. So using an existing game engine you can then replace the visual aspects and model data to create the new one which is different. Reusing existing game engines is also very financial, meaning companies save money rather than splashing out on a whole new game engine.
Creating a game engine from scratch takes a long time and very problematic for programmers to remove bugs in the code, and mentioned before, very pricey. It may seem simple but no matter how you look at it everything comes at a price. When using an existing game engine you have to pay for a license and the company your using the game engine from.
Game engines can be reused again for sources of inspiration. An existing game engine can empower your own ideas and can be a great starting point. Not every game needs to be started from scratch, it can be developed by an already existing game engine. It's an unseen code that drives the visual action on screen. Obviously they are rules to different games how their characters behave. So using an existing game engine you can then replace the visual aspects and model data to create the new one which is different. Reusing existing game engines is also very financial, meaning companies save money rather than splashing out on a whole new game engine.
Creating a game engine from scratch takes a long time and very problematic for programmers to remove bugs in the code, and mentioned before, very pricey. It may seem simple but no matter how you look at it everything comes at a price. When using an existing game engine you have to pay for a license and the company your using the game engine from.
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