Tomorrow marks my mid-year thesis presentation; I’m looking forward to helping my group show off our work.
Speaking of showing it off, look for more developments in that area very soon . . . .
An Amusing Note
While I haven’t looked at the paper, this is a lighthearted look at the intersection of listening and gameplay. To me, the striking thing isn’t that listening to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck caused some people to be worse at the classic, challenging dexterity game Operation; it’s that there was anyone who was able to remain unaffected!
Last Bastion: Getting There
Last Bastion‘s design process has been . . . involved. The game is currently on version 8.4; each new whole number represents a completely new prototype. Moreover, that does not include the very earliest concept-exploration prototypes over the summer.
Fortunately, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. My major stakeholder was very pleased with how today’s test went, and I’m excited about the current direction. It’s interesting from a design perspective, and has a neat, wild magic feeling to it.
While it’s not yet ready for prime time, Last Bastion is getting there. Look for more news on it in the future.
NYU Game Design Program for high school students
NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts runs a program for high school students interested in game design. Applications were due in November, but . . .
Details here!
Nose to the Grindstone
Please forgive another short update today. There’s a lot going on–between thesis, Last Bastion, and other projects, I’m working on at least three games at any given time. Unfortunately, that means there aren’t many hours left in the day for posting. 😉
We may be in a bit of a dry spell for the next few weeks, but I hope to have some neat stuff to show afterward!
Theory: Prototype Early
It’s been said before, but as I saw the evidence again today it bears repeating:
Get your game into a playable state as soon as possible, so that you can try it out. Eric Zimmerman suggests 20% of the way through a project as the deadline for having a playable prototype. If you go any deeper without being able to see how the game works in practice, you’re running a grave risk.
The World Chess Championship
I am bad at chess.
That’s something I admit with regret. Chess is a wonderful game, and I’d love to be good at it. As a competitive player, I’m drawn to its formal tournament structure; as a student of the history of games, I relish the idea of participating in one that that has lasted through so many years. Not having invested in chess is something I view as a failing.
My lack of chess knowledge, though, has done nothing to dim my enthusiasm for this year’s World Chess Championship. By all accounts–I don’t feel qualified to judge–it’s been a great one. Mr. Carlsen’s final victory has been detailed in the New York Times with just enough information to get a sense for what happened without overwhelming jargon; I’m sure there’s other good coverage, and I’d urge everyone to seek it out. Love it or hate it, chess is worthy of study–perhaps not least for the way such a slow-paced game can create such excitement.
Last Bastion
They’re endless.
You and your companions are heroes worthy of myth. Possessed of incomparable strength, dauntless courage, and endless wit, you are each a force to be reckoned with. Together, you are the greatest warriors of your age, able to stand beside those who have written their names into history.
Even so, you might lose the day.
A horde stretches out to the horizon before you. If there is a limit to their numbers–surely there must be–you cannot see it. The walls you defend are thick and high, but even vast piles of rock can be worn down by such a tide.
“No,” one of you says to the others, reading the group’s thoughts. “They have a limit. We can hold against them.”
A cry you feel in your bones heralds their first rush.
Still Here
You’ve almost certainly seen that, as part of the redesign, the portfolio has replaced this blog as the front-and-center design element. Nevertheless, posts continue! They’ll be here on this separate page from hereon out.
I hope you like the new site. It should be easier to look at; the old site had a lot of navigational tools, but it had gotten a bit cluttered. Let me know what you think.
Under Construction
This site is about to undergo long-planned revision. It’ll still have this blog and a portfolio, but will hopefully be more usable and attractive.
Please pardon the dust while the site is under construction!
The Law of Game Design 