Right now, I am currently working on actually three novels, an update from the two that I said I was working on back in the post 'My Dream Job', as well as a collection of short stories.
A few publishers that I have looked at their submission guidelines have all said that they want their novels to be at least 80,000 words, which is actually extremely hard to do. Right now my main focus is on the short story collection. Each of the stories is focused on one central theme or idea, and each different story could really be considered just a chapter in an overarching novel. Right now I'm working on the sixth of ten planned stories, and even with all five previous stories crammed together, it equals 99 pagers (Not in manuscript format) and roughly 20,000 words. Now that is really a lot of writing to do over the period of one month.
I deeply admire novelists who churn out book after book. Mind you, some of them take their time and write huge novels that take forever to get published, but my favorite novelists are the Philip K. Dick novelists, the ones that need to write to survive and so churn out book after book, each one being a high qualiy piece.
Hopefully I eventually become that kind of novelist. I can write very fast and very well, its just a matter of actually getting things published. Maybe in a few days I'll post one my short stories in its entirety. That would be kidna cool, right?
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Seriously Thinking About Video Game Careers
Today, I sat in front of my computer for three hours with a stack of Game Informer magazines, going through them and listing all of the different video game developers that I would be interested in working at. I eventually listed 101 total.
Really, looking at my abilities, I don't really have all of the skills usually attributed to a 'Design' postion, which is really the only kind of position I would be even considered for, so I'm going to be researching all of these companies for the next few weeks, gathering research and narrowing it down until I compile a final list of companies that I would be interested in working at as either a 'Designer' or what I would really prefer, a 'Writer'.
Primarily, my interest is in writing. I can't really do scripting and all that junk, I just really like to write, and I am really good at it. Some companies. Like Insomniac Games actually take resumes for any position and keep them on store. Then, if they need someone, they just look at their records.
As soon as I graduate high school, I am going to send a bunch of resumes out to a bunch of video game companies and see if they are interested. I don't know, it might work.
Also, I've started another screenplay. It's a little bit like Gears of War, but instead of a few people banding together to save the world, its a whole ton of people banding together. I wrote 20 pages yesterday. Maybe I'll work a little bit on it tonight, but I don't know...
Really, looking at my abilities, I don't really have all of the skills usually attributed to a 'Design' postion, which is really the only kind of position I would be even considered for, so I'm going to be researching all of these companies for the next few weeks, gathering research and narrowing it down until I compile a final list of companies that I would be interested in working at as either a 'Designer' or what I would really prefer, a 'Writer'.
Primarily, my interest is in writing. I can't really do scripting and all that junk, I just really like to write, and I am really good at it. Some companies. Like Insomniac Games actually take resumes for any position and keep them on store. Then, if they need someone, they just look at their records.
As soon as I graduate high school, I am going to send a bunch of resumes out to a bunch of video game companies and see if they are interested. I don't know, it might work.
Also, I've started another screenplay. It's a little bit like Gears of War, but instead of a few people banding together to save the world, its a whole ton of people banding together. I wrote 20 pages yesterday. Maybe I'll work a little bit on it tonight, but I don't know...
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Blue Dragon and My Favorite Video Game Feature of All Time
Blue Dragon
So today I went and picked up my pre-order copy of Blue Dragon. The case is awesome and the game looks pretty sweet, but, of course, I can't play it yet because I don't have an Xbox 360 (Of course I wish I did). The game is three discs, all stacked on top of each other in a very nice case. I just can't wait to get a 360 so that I can finally play it and Gears of War.
My Favorite Video Game Feature of All Time
Today I started re-playing through Resident Evil 4 (I have the super awesome Gamestop limited edition, if you don't know what it is, look it up on eBay or something), and I figured out what my favorite part is: the 180 turn. I love it. It helps so much and is so awesome and helpful and useful. I love it! It works extremely well, and it has worked extremely well in all of the Resident Evil games, even all of the other ones with their 'clunky' controls, although honestly I didn't find them too clunky. So, yeah, that's my favorite video game feature of all time.
Halo 3 Has Gone Gold!!!!!
I just can't wait. 27/26 days (I'm not sure which)!
So today I went and picked up my pre-order copy of Blue Dragon. The case is awesome and the game looks pretty sweet, but, of course, I can't play it yet because I don't have an Xbox 360 (Of course I wish I did). The game is three discs, all stacked on top of each other in a very nice case. I just can't wait to get a 360 so that I can finally play it and Gears of War.
My Favorite Video Game Feature of All Time
Today I started re-playing through Resident Evil 4 (I have the super awesome Gamestop limited edition, if you don't know what it is, look it up on eBay or something), and I figured out what my favorite part is: the 180 turn. I love it. It helps so much and is so awesome and helpful and useful. I love it! It works extremely well, and it has worked extremely well in all of the Resident Evil games, even all of the other ones with their 'clunky' controls, although honestly I didn't find them too clunky. So, yeah, that's my favorite video game feature of all time.
Halo 3 Has Gone Gold!!!!!
I just can't wait. 27/26 days (I'm not sure which)!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Gears of War and My Pre-Order Anger
Blue Dragon
Today, August 28 2007, was supposed to be the North American release date for Blue Dragon. Today, I got to my local Gamestop, where I pre-ordered the game back in May, and they say that today was the 'ship date' and that they would probably have the game tomorrow. I am venting right now, because #1, the release date is the release date, its not the 'ship date'. September 25 isn't the 'ship date' for Halo 3, its the freaking release date, and I'm going to be there on that day to get my copy along with everyone else.
It just really ticked me off. Oh, well. While I was there, I also picked up...
Gears of War Collector's Edition
Okay, sure I don' t have a 360 yet, but I don't care, becuase this game was the first game that I was going to by besides Blue Dragon and Halo 3. Now, I don't have to go sifting around at my local stores trying to find the game. First off, the tin just looks freaking awesome and is uber-cool. It's a little bit like the super rare Gamestop Limited Edition of Resident Evil 4 that I have, but its black case makes it a pain in the but concerning fingerprints. The stuff inside is cool, and the Destroyed Beauty book was really nice. I just got finished watching all of the special features stuff, and it is pretty freaking cool.
Today, August 28 2007, was supposed to be the North American release date for Blue Dragon. Today, I got to my local Gamestop, where I pre-ordered the game back in May, and they say that today was the 'ship date' and that they would probably have the game tomorrow. I am venting right now, because #1, the release date is the release date, its not the 'ship date'. September 25 isn't the 'ship date' for Halo 3, its the freaking release date, and I'm going to be there on that day to get my copy along with everyone else.
It just really ticked me off. Oh, well. While I was there, I also picked up...
Gears of War Collector's Edition
Okay, sure I don' t have a 360 yet, but I don't care, becuase this game was the first game that I was going to by besides Blue Dragon and Halo 3. Now, I don't have to go sifting around at my local stores trying to find the game. First off, the tin just looks freaking awesome and is uber-cool. It's a little bit like the super rare Gamestop Limited Edition of Resident Evil 4 that I have, but its black case makes it a pain in the but concerning fingerprints. The stuff inside is cool, and the Destroyed Beauty book was really nice. I just got finished watching all of the special features stuff, and it is pretty freaking cool.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Special Effects in the Movie Industry
So for awhile now I've talked about video games pretty much exclusively. So, today I thought I would talk about another industry that I am interested in-movies, specifically about the presence of special effects in movies.
The Good
We all admit and know that special effects are awesome. Without them, the Death Star would never blow up, lightsabers wouldn't exist, and Neo could never destroy Agent Smith. Today, most special effects are computer generated, and if they aren't computer generated, than they're computer enhanced. This is good, because it makes otherwise improbable or impossible things appear realistic and awesome, and also just help to make things look altogether awesome. Half of the things that appear in movies today wouldn't be possible without the advent of high quality CGI effects, and so it is good that they have arrived and are doing well, because otherwise we'd be stuck watching the 90's cheesy James Bond films with the most apparent CG imagery ever.
The Bad
Movies today are becoming too relient on digital and CGI technology. Many special effects people have said that the greatest thing you can say to them is that you don't realize its fake, and yet today, everyone knows whats fake and whats not. You don't go to a movie and come out wondering how something was achieved, you just automatically know how they did it. When someone does make a movie with pretty much no CGI (I can't think of any right now, but I'm sure that they're there) they don't get the credit that they deserve because most people think that they used it anyways. So, CGI is becoming a crutch for the movie industry, that's basically my point.
Conclusion
I love movies that use a whole ton of CGI because I love action movies, albeit ones with plot, like The Matrix. However, I think that for some pictures, they need to tone down the reliance on CGI effects, until they can make it so immersive that no one does know whether it is real or not. To be truthful, the first time that I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, I was divided on whether or not Davy Jones was CGI or real, it was that convincing. That's how all CGI effects should be. Now I understand that some movies require elaborate and exaggerated CGI effects, and not all of them can only focus on realism, but those that do focus on realism should really push that and make it work right.
Also, super props to Weta for making the absolute best mixture of live action and CGI elements in Halo: Arms Race.
The Good
We all admit and know that special effects are awesome. Without them, the Death Star would never blow up, lightsabers wouldn't exist, and Neo could never destroy Agent Smith. Today, most special effects are computer generated, and if they aren't computer generated, than they're computer enhanced. This is good, because it makes otherwise improbable or impossible things appear realistic and awesome, and also just help to make things look altogether awesome. Half of the things that appear in movies today wouldn't be possible without the advent of high quality CGI effects, and so it is good that they have arrived and are doing well, because otherwise we'd be stuck watching the 90's cheesy James Bond films with the most apparent CG imagery ever.
The Bad
Movies today are becoming too relient on digital and CGI technology. Many special effects people have said that the greatest thing you can say to them is that you don't realize its fake, and yet today, everyone knows whats fake and whats not. You don't go to a movie and come out wondering how something was achieved, you just automatically know how they did it. When someone does make a movie with pretty much no CGI (I can't think of any right now, but I'm sure that they're there) they don't get the credit that they deserve because most people think that they used it anyways. So, CGI is becoming a crutch for the movie industry, that's basically my point.
Conclusion
I love movies that use a whole ton of CGI because I love action movies, albeit ones with plot, like The Matrix. However, I think that for some pictures, they need to tone down the reliance on CGI effects, until they can make it so immersive that no one does know whether it is real or not. To be truthful, the first time that I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, I was divided on whether or not Davy Jones was CGI or real, it was that convincing. That's how all CGI effects should be. Now I understand that some movies require elaborate and exaggerated CGI effects, and not all of them can only focus on realism, but those that do focus on realism should really push that and make it work right.
Also, super props to Weta for making the absolute best mixture of live action and CGI elements in Halo: Arms Race.
Friday, August 24, 2007
The Importance of Graphics in Next Generation Games, As Well As Analysis of Gaming People Groups
Right now, I do not own an Xbox 360 or any next generation console. Yesterday, I re-watched a demo video that I had downloaded of Gears of War. Now, sure, the game's a year old, but it still looks pretty freaking amazing. So, today I thought I would talk about graphics in video games.
Now first, I'll say that I truly love it when games have good graphics. I play games with crappy graphics simply because I also love games that have great gameplay and stories, but graphics are always a nice extra draw.
But here is my real stance on the issue: I could care less about the graphics in the games I play. Sure Gears of War looks awesome, Heavenly Sword looks beautiful, and every day John Carmack makes something even more beautiful than what he did yesterday, and yet ultimately the fun that I have while playing a game has nothing to do with the visuals.
Personally, I prefer really great gameplay and really compelling stories to graphics. To be completely truthful, I would buy and play a game that would take me forty hours to get through because of horrible gameplay just to experience the story. Other people could care less about the story of the game, and they just care about the gameplay. Now that's not really the way that I play, but I'm fine with those people. People who play just because of the graphics annoy me slightly, but not as much as other people. 'Graphics hounds' as I call them annoy me because they will buy a game because of its graphics, and then complain like crazy when some feature doesn't work, or when they can't figure out what to do. Me, I buy games that I want to buy, that I also believe will be compelling experiences.
Another group that I am not a big fan of at all, are people that I call 'Trend Followers'. have you ever walked into your local game store and found a group of people dressed in the latest 'hip' clothes, all talking about games like Halo 2 or Gears of War or shooters like that, and then you mention RPG's and real time strategy games and these same people are clueless? These are trend followers, people who play games that are popular, just to be popular. People who could care less about the actual gameplay experience as oposed to the 'popularity level' of the game.
I was in my local game store once, a week after the Xbox 360 came out. Some kid walked in and said he had one of the Premium Editions on order. The man went behind the counter and picked it up. The kid paid for it, and the man at the counter asked if he wanted any games with it. The kid said yes, and then the man behind the counter actually had to walk him through all of the available games because the kid had no idea what was available. Now this is perfectly fine, but it still annoys me that someone is going to lay down $400 (At launch time) for a brand new console, and they do absolutely no research whatsoever into what they're actually buying. After the kid picked out a couple of games, he then got into a discussion with the sales associate over HD graphics and TV's. He didn't even know what HD was, and truthfully thought that he was going to go home, plug his 360 into his old SDTV and get super sweet, super awesome graphics. Why wouldn't you research and look into a $500 purchase before you actually make the transaction? That just boggles my mind.
Anyways, that's enough for now, I've vented my thoughts, and even though I could go on for pages about Trend Followers, I think I'll just wait for a rainy day before writing that post.
Now first, I'll say that I truly love it when games have good graphics. I play games with crappy graphics simply because I also love games that have great gameplay and stories, but graphics are always a nice extra draw.
But here is my real stance on the issue: I could care less about the graphics in the games I play. Sure Gears of War looks awesome, Heavenly Sword looks beautiful, and every day John Carmack makes something even more beautiful than what he did yesterday, and yet ultimately the fun that I have while playing a game has nothing to do with the visuals.
Personally, I prefer really great gameplay and really compelling stories to graphics. To be completely truthful, I would buy and play a game that would take me forty hours to get through because of horrible gameplay just to experience the story. Other people could care less about the story of the game, and they just care about the gameplay. Now that's not really the way that I play, but I'm fine with those people. People who play just because of the graphics annoy me slightly, but not as much as other people. 'Graphics hounds' as I call them annoy me because they will buy a game because of its graphics, and then complain like crazy when some feature doesn't work, or when they can't figure out what to do. Me, I buy games that I want to buy, that I also believe will be compelling experiences.
Another group that I am not a big fan of at all, are people that I call 'Trend Followers'. have you ever walked into your local game store and found a group of people dressed in the latest 'hip' clothes, all talking about games like Halo 2 or Gears of War or shooters like that, and then you mention RPG's and real time strategy games and these same people are clueless? These are trend followers, people who play games that are popular, just to be popular. People who could care less about the actual gameplay experience as oposed to the 'popularity level' of the game.
I was in my local game store once, a week after the Xbox 360 came out. Some kid walked in and said he had one of the Premium Editions on order. The man went behind the counter and picked it up. The kid paid for it, and the man at the counter asked if he wanted any games with it. The kid said yes, and then the man behind the counter actually had to walk him through all of the available games because the kid had no idea what was available. Now this is perfectly fine, but it still annoys me that someone is going to lay down $400 (At launch time) for a brand new console, and they do absolutely no research whatsoever into what they're actually buying. After the kid picked out a couple of games, he then got into a discussion with the sales associate over HD graphics and TV's. He didn't even know what HD was, and truthfully thought that he was going to go home, plug his 360 into his old SDTV and get super sweet, super awesome graphics. Why wouldn't you research and look into a $500 purchase before you actually make the transaction? That just boggles my mind.
Anyways, that's enough for now, I've vented my thoughts, and even though I could go on for pages about Trend Followers, I think I'll just wait for a rainy day before writing that post.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
My Thoughts on the Next Generation Consoles, and Halo: Uprising
Okay, so this blog is becoming pretty much daily rather than weekly, but that's okay, because I'm enjoying it. So, today, I thought that I would actually talk about my thoughts on certain parts of the video game industry, rather than just talking about games that I like. So, with that in mind I wrote today about the next generation consoles currently on the market, and even though I'm trying to seperate today's post from the last two posts, I couldn't help but talk about the Halo: Uprising comic before I get into all of that good stuff. So...
Halo: Uprising
I just picked up my reserve copy of the comic from my local comics dealer, and it is pretty awesome. The artwork is pretty good, and the story is great, I just wish it had more to do with Master Cheif. Although, this is only the first of four issues, so chances are that it will get better and make more sense in the future. If you are a big Halo fan, I definitely recommend picking it up. The store where I got mine said that they had a whole shipment this morning, and that they expected the four remaining issues that they had to be sold out within an hour after I came. Good think I reserved it.
Okay, now that that's done, I'll get on with what I really wanted to talk about:
My Thoughts on the Next Generation Consoles
Nintendo Wii
So I'll start with the Wii. My friend has one and I've been over to his house to play it several times. All of the games that we've played have had super smooth gameplay and have been super awesome, but still the Wii is third on my list of Next-Gen consoles to buy. Why? Because of its game selection. I'm a gamer that likes fun games, but I'm also not the kind of person to by the kind of lighthearted Mario-fare that already dominates the system. Sure, the console has got Red Steel (Which was better than people give it credit for) and Resident Evil 4, but other than that, there's really no big draw for me.
But even then, I still have to commend Nintendo for making a family-friendly console with revolutionary gameplay. Now all they have to do is get some real games for the system.
Playstation 3
Number two on my list of systems to buy is the PS3. The system is awesome, there's no denying that, but for the games that I want to buy right now, such as Halo and BioShock, it's impractical. I can't wait until I do get one, simply because the graphics are awesome, the Sixaxis is cool, and there are going to be a whole ton of really cool games for it. I already want Ninja Gaiden Sigma almost as much as Halo 3. But that really isn't enough to make me run out and get it just yet. Semi-revolutionary gameplay concepts like motion control (The Wii's motion control is innovative, PS3's is tacked on) aren't enough to make me run out and get it however. I'll get one eventually, but just not right now.
Xbox 360
Now I really don't like Microsoft all that much, but I really want a 360 right now, just because of all of the awesome games that I really want to play on it (Halo 3, BioShock, Splinter Cell: Conviction, or even Splinter Cell: Double Agent for that matter). I like the design, especially of the Halo 3 console and the Elite model. It doesn't have as awesome specs as the PS3, but if its got the right games, than that's good enough for me. Ultimately I don't really have a preference, despite how slanted I may seem in this post, but because of all of the games that cater to a gamer of my tastes, this console is the right one for me.
So that's all. Please leave any and all thoughts and comments on this and any other posts.
Halo: Uprising
I just picked up my reserve copy of the comic from my local comics dealer, and it is pretty awesome. The artwork is pretty good, and the story is great, I just wish it had more to do with Master Cheif. Although, this is only the first of four issues, so chances are that it will get better and make more sense in the future. If you are a big Halo fan, I definitely recommend picking it up. The store where I got mine said that they had a whole shipment this morning, and that they expected the four remaining issues that they had to be sold out within an hour after I came. Good think I reserved it.
Okay, now that that's done, I'll get on with what I really wanted to talk about:
My Thoughts on the Next Generation Consoles
Nintendo Wii
So I'll start with the Wii. My friend has one and I've been over to his house to play it several times. All of the games that we've played have had super smooth gameplay and have been super awesome, but still the Wii is third on my list of Next-Gen consoles to buy. Why? Because of its game selection. I'm a gamer that likes fun games, but I'm also not the kind of person to by the kind of lighthearted Mario-fare that already dominates the system. Sure, the console has got Red Steel (Which was better than people give it credit for) and Resident Evil 4, but other than that, there's really no big draw for me.
But even then, I still have to commend Nintendo for making a family-friendly console with revolutionary gameplay. Now all they have to do is get some real games for the system.
Playstation 3
Number two on my list of systems to buy is the PS3. The system is awesome, there's no denying that, but for the games that I want to buy right now, such as Halo and BioShock, it's impractical. I can't wait until I do get one, simply because the graphics are awesome, the Sixaxis is cool, and there are going to be a whole ton of really cool games for it. I already want Ninja Gaiden Sigma almost as much as Halo 3. But that really isn't enough to make me run out and get it just yet. Semi-revolutionary gameplay concepts like motion control (The Wii's motion control is innovative, PS3's is tacked on) aren't enough to make me run out and get it however. I'll get one eventually, but just not right now.
Xbox 360
Now I really don't like Microsoft all that much, but I really want a 360 right now, just because of all of the awesome games that I really want to play on it (Halo 3, BioShock, Splinter Cell: Conviction, or even Splinter Cell: Double Agent for that matter). I like the design, especially of the Halo 3 console and the Elite model. It doesn't have as awesome specs as the PS3, but if its got the right games, than that's good enough for me. Ultimately I don't really have a preference, despite how slanted I may seem in this post, but because of all of the games that cater to a gamer of my tastes, this console is the right one for me.
So that's all. Please leave any and all thoughts and comments on this and any other posts.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
One Week Until Blue Dragon
So yesterday was 35 days until Halo 3. Well, today is exactly one week away from the release of Blue Dragon. The game just looks amazing, and I've had it pre-ordered forever. I can't wait to pick it up in a week, even though I don't have an Xbox 360, because I know that just looking at the manual and the-count 'em-three DVD's will be enough to sustain me until I get one.
The only other game that I want as bad as Halo 3 and Blue Dragon is BioShock, which just looks absolutelty mind blowing. But I want the Collector's Edition, not just the normal edition, because of all of the cool stuff its got with it, plus the case just looks beautiful.
So, yeah, seven long days until Blue Dragon. I know that thousands of other people are as excited as I am about the game, even though EGM gave it a fairly poor score, we all now its going to be awesome. Although I have to admit, I am really bad at RPG's, having never beaten a real RPG (The only one I've beaten is Fable: The Lost Chapters, which really isn't a traditional RPG). I love RPG's, and I own several of them, including Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition, Shenmue II, Deus Ex: The Conspiracy, and Deus Ex: Invisible War, it is doubtful that I will ever finish any of them. I just love them so much that I buy them anyways. Oh well, maybe I'll write some more about that some other day.
Until then - SEVEN DAYS TILL BLUE DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!
The only other game that I want as bad as Halo 3 and Blue Dragon is BioShock, which just looks absolutelty mind blowing. But I want the Collector's Edition, not just the normal edition, because of all of the cool stuff its got with it, plus the case just looks beautiful.
So, yeah, seven long days until Blue Dragon. I know that thousands of other people are as excited as I am about the game, even though EGM gave it a fairly poor score, we all now its going to be awesome. Although I have to admit, I am really bad at RPG's, having never beaten a real RPG (The only one I've beaten is Fable: The Lost Chapters, which really isn't a traditional RPG). I love RPG's, and I own several of them, including Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition, Shenmue II, Deus Ex: The Conspiracy, and Deus Ex: Invisible War, it is doubtful that I will ever finish any of them. I just love them so much that I buy them anyways. Oh well, maybe I'll write some more about that some other day.
Until then - SEVEN DAYS TILL BLUE DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, August 20, 2007
5 Weeks Until Halo 3!
I just can't contain my excitement. I have a running countdown of days until Halo 3 releases. Right now it is at 35 days, also known as 5 weeks. On that day, I will go down to my local Gamestop at 10:00 in the morning (Not midnight, I'm not totally crazy), to pick up my already paid for Legendary Edition. Then, I'll go home and read the manual over and over and over again while millions of other people 'Finish the Fight' because I don't have an Xbox 360 yet. Even then, I still can't wait for September 25th.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Five Reasons Why Next Generation Gaming is Awesome
Okay, please note that all of this is coming from someone who does not own a next generation machine (Yet), but who has played all three consoles, and who is very knowledgeable of video games in general.
1. Graphics - Okay, let's get this one out of the way. Yes, graphics are going to be awesome and amazing, and judging what we've seen so far, the 'Uncanny Divide' is closing (Google it if you don't know what it is). Characters are becoming more and more lifelike every day. Just seeing BioShock, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, Halo 3, and even Gears of War tells me that games are going to be uncanilly realistic very very soon.
2. Sound - There is nothing like wearing 5.1 surround sound headphones and playing games like Halo 2, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, or Doom 3. It sounds awesome, and at the same time (In the last two games listed) creepy and very eerie. After graphics and gameplay, this is the most immersive facet of next-gen gaming.
3. Gameplay - Alright, nothing makes a game great like gameplay. As much as I love the story in Halo and Halo 2, if they hadn't nailed the gameplay, it would have changed an awesome game into a mediocre game. This right here is more important than graphics, more important than anything in video games right now. If you can't nail gameplay, than your game isn't going to be the best that it can be. Sure, I play games with less than perfect gameplay, but you have to, because otherwise you'd only play liek five games a year.
4. Storylines - I think that this generation is opening up a lot of avenues for stories to be told in games. Now sure, some people are sticking to tried and true concepts (Call of Duty 2/3 anyone?), but even now and definitely in the future, developers are going to be taking advantage of the advanced storytelling opportunites that features like great graphics and sound give them.
5. Multiplayer - To be honest, I can't stand splitscreen co-op, system link co-op is okay, and I can't stand deathmatch and things like that, I personally prefer single player. However, I cannot deny the importance of online, and even offline, versus modes and even co-op. A lot of people that I know play online, especially Halo 2, and even though it's really not my area of expertise, no one can deny its important place in gaming today, as well as the important role it will certainly play in future console wars.
There you go, those are my thoughts. Anyone who reads this, please leave a comment, because I'm desperate to know if anyone has actually seen my blog. Thanks.
1. Graphics - Okay, let's get this one out of the way. Yes, graphics are going to be awesome and amazing, and judging what we've seen so far, the 'Uncanny Divide' is closing (Google it if you don't know what it is). Characters are becoming more and more lifelike every day. Just seeing BioShock, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, Halo 3, and even Gears of War tells me that games are going to be uncanilly realistic very very soon.
2. Sound - There is nothing like wearing 5.1 surround sound headphones and playing games like Halo 2, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, or Doom 3. It sounds awesome, and at the same time (In the last two games listed) creepy and very eerie. After graphics and gameplay, this is the most immersive facet of next-gen gaming.
3. Gameplay - Alright, nothing makes a game great like gameplay. As much as I love the story in Halo and Halo 2, if they hadn't nailed the gameplay, it would have changed an awesome game into a mediocre game. This right here is more important than graphics, more important than anything in video games right now. If you can't nail gameplay, than your game isn't going to be the best that it can be. Sure, I play games with less than perfect gameplay, but you have to, because otherwise you'd only play liek five games a year.
4. Storylines - I think that this generation is opening up a lot of avenues for stories to be told in games. Now sure, some people are sticking to tried and true concepts (Call of Duty 2/3 anyone?), but even now and definitely in the future, developers are going to be taking advantage of the advanced storytelling opportunites that features like great graphics and sound give them.
5. Multiplayer - To be honest, I can't stand splitscreen co-op, system link co-op is okay, and I can't stand deathmatch and things like that, I personally prefer single player. However, I cannot deny the importance of online, and even offline, versus modes and even co-op. A lot of people that I know play online, especially Halo 2, and even though it's really not my area of expertise, no one can deny its important place in gaming today, as well as the important role it will certainly play in future console wars.
There you go, those are my thoughts. Anyone who reads this, please leave a comment, because I'm desperate to know if anyone has actually seen my blog. Thanks.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
My Dream Job
A freind asked me not too long ago to tell me what my dream job is. So, I thought that I would write it down. I'd like to work in four different fields at the same time, and have already started working towards all of them:
1. Video Games - I'd be a designer/writer. I am very good with ideas and design, and am also a very prolific writer. I have started to work on a small game project with my friends, and not too long ago I wrote a 154-page design document for one of my ideas-in eight days.
2. Screenplays - I have written four of these so far (1 science fiction/first part of trilogy, 1 sci-fi/noir, 1 western, 1 odd no genre film), all of them clocking in between 110 pages and 126 pages. I wrote the western over the course of eleven days. Maybe some day I'll post excerpts from some of my scripts.
3. Novels - I am currently working on three books: two of them are standalone novels, and one is a collection of short stories. I have a rough outline for one of the novels, the first four chapters and forty pages of the other novel, and over 100 pages of the collection of short stories (Which I'm only half done with). I heard somewhere that Stephen King writes 1500 words a day, which I have found to be roughly nine or ten pages. Just yesterday I wrote a 26-page short story, all in about four or five hours altogether.
4. Comics - I have written the first two issues of a planned six issue series (Please note, the plan for six issues is my plan, not a publisher or anything, no one besides me has seen the scripts), I have the first chapter of a graphic novel, and plans for several more.
Yes, I know, this all seems like a big huge dream of mine, but you know what, I'm working towards these goals with every day, and maybe just some of this stuff will be possible.
1. Video Games - I'd be a designer/writer. I am very good with ideas and design, and am also a very prolific writer. I have started to work on a small game project with my friends, and not too long ago I wrote a 154-page design document for one of my ideas-in eight days.
2. Screenplays - I have written four of these so far (1 science fiction/first part of trilogy, 1 sci-fi/noir, 1 western, 1 odd no genre film), all of them clocking in between 110 pages and 126 pages. I wrote the western over the course of eleven days. Maybe some day I'll post excerpts from some of my scripts.
3. Novels - I am currently working on three books: two of them are standalone novels, and one is a collection of short stories. I have a rough outline for one of the novels, the first four chapters and forty pages of the other novel, and over 100 pages of the collection of short stories (Which I'm only half done with). I heard somewhere that Stephen King writes 1500 words a day, which I have found to be roughly nine or ten pages. Just yesterday I wrote a 26-page short story, all in about four or five hours altogether.
4. Comics - I have written the first two issues of a planned six issue series (Please note, the plan for six issues is my plan, not a publisher or anything, no one besides me has seen the scripts), I have the first chapter of a graphic novel, and plans for several more.
Yes, I know, this all seems like a big huge dream of mine, but you know what, I'm working towards these goals with every day, and maybe just some of this stuff will be possible.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Introduction
This is my first ever post. I am an aspiring Game Designer and Writer, who is 14. Now, because I am not yet a part of the video game industry, most of my posts are going to be ideas and concepts and thoughts on the video game industry as a whole. Because I am not part of the industry, these observations may not always be correct, but they are my opinion.
I will also talk about other things that interest me, namely comics, movies, and books, as well as whatever the heck I feel like talking about.
I realize that not many people will look at this, and so therefore I don't really expect many comments. One of my main purposes in this is to actually sort of use it as a portfolio in and of itself if and when I apply for a video game job.
I hope that whoever comes across this blog enjoys it and takes interest in it, and hopefully tells other people about it.
I'll try to post weekly, but no promises there.
I will also talk about other things that interest me, namely comics, movies, and books, as well as whatever the heck I feel like talking about.
I realize that not many people will look at this, and so therefore I don't really expect many comments. One of my main purposes in this is to actually sort of use it as a portfolio in and of itself if and when I apply for a video game job.
I hope that whoever comes across this blog enjoys it and takes interest in it, and hopefully tells other people about it.
I'll try to post weekly, but no promises there.
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