Source: http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2011/04/21/3dstrategy/
Saturday, 30 April 2011
3DStrategy
Jay Is Games: Battle for Wayland Keep
Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/04/battle_for_wayland_keep.php
Braid: A Movement Piece
Review: Leaping Through Outland?s Pretty Bullet Hell
Outland, a downloadable title for Xbox 360 released [...]
Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/outland-review/
How to file a GameMaker 8.1 Bug Report
How to file a GameMaker 8.1 Bug Report is taken from: GameMaker Blog
Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/17/how-to-file-a-gamemaker-8-1-bug-report/
Registration Now Open for Dream.Build.Play 2011 Challenge
The Dream.Build.Play Challenge is back, and we’re more excited than ever to see your ideas come to life. Build the next mind-blowing game for Xbox 360® by using XNA Game Studio 4.0, and you could win! Winning game developers split $75,000 USD in prizes and get a shot at an Xbox LIVE® Arcade publishing contract, and their games will be featured on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Set the power of your imagination free – and let the game challenge begin!
Registration: Feb 28 – May 17
Game Submission: May 17 – June 14
See Dream.Build.Play for details and to register.
Syberia Screenshots
PC Game Reviews and News
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/ln9XlHQWaqM/syberia-screenshots.html
Jay Is Games: Psychosomnium
Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/04/psychosomnium.php
Friday, 29 April 2011
Start Seeing Double Visions Now
It's time to go Back to the Future as the fourth episode in the series, Double Visions is now available for PC/Mac!
What are you waiting for? Go to your "My Telltale" page and download your episode now - it's your density.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TelltaleBlog/~3/_HDu20XJHgs/id-806
Indie Games Winter Uprising Begins this December
The Xbox LIVE Indie Games developer community is out in force this December with the Indie Games Winter Uprising. More than a dozen titles are planned to be released on the Xbox LIVE Indie Games service in the first week of December. The games released are from veteran developers and newcomers, range in price from 80 to 400 Microsoft Points, and span the spectrum of genres including RPGs, co-op action/adventures, puzzles, and retro shooters.
Get the list of games and more at: http://www.indiegames-uprising.com.
Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/11/22/indie-games-winter-uprising-begins-this-december.aspx
First Automatic Update: GameMaker 8.1.69
First Automatic Update: GameMaker 8.1.69 is taken from: GameMaker Blog
Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/19/first-automatic-update-gamemaker-8-1-69/
First Thoughts - Syberia
PC Game Reviews and News
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/yAuoabZvllI/first-thoughts-syberia.html
Jobs!
We at Thekla, Inc. are a small independent developer making games with tradition-breaking designs. �We are pushing the boundaries of what a video game can be. Our current project is The Witness,�a puzzle/exploration game designed by Jonathan Blow, designer/programmer of the critically-acclaimed Braid. �Our office is in Berkeley, California, USA but we will [...]
The Indie Fund submissions process is now open?
Earlier this year, some friends and I, all successful independent game developers, put together the Indie Fund in order to help support newer folks with good ideas. �All the hoops involved in setting up such an organization have been passed through, and we are now [...]
Why aren?t video games satisfying?
A movie can give you a satisfying experience in 2 hours.
A painting or a sculpture can give you a satisfying experience in 10 minutes.
A song can [...]
God of War dev wants shooter staff for next project
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/HTt6ATJu_mc/
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Iceberg Interactive meets its Alter Ego
PC Game Reviews and News
CIPD?s HRD 2011 ? Good Show!
I suppose a lot of meetings are [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/6odnGgh5DcI/
PlayStation Network Hack Leaves Credit Card Info at Risk
Sony thinks an “unauthorized person” now has access to all PlayStation Network account information and passwords, and may have obtained the credit card numbers of the service’s 70 million users.
The PlayStation maker said it believes hackers now have access [...]
Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/playstation-network-hacked/
Three Moves Ahead Episode 114 ? Patents, Progress, and Rogue Puffins
Jay Is Games: Transylvania
Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/04/transylvania.php
Registration Now Open for Dream.Build.Play 2011 Challenge
The Dream.Build.Play Challenge is back, and we’re more excited than ever to see your ideas come to life. Build the next mind-blowing game for Xbox 360® by using XNA Game Studio 4.0, and you could win! Winning game developers split $75,000 USD in prizes and get a shot at an Xbox LIVE® Arcade publishing contract, and their games will be featured on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Set the power of your imagination free – and let the game challenge begin!
Registration: Feb 28 – May 17
Game Submission: May 17 – June 14
See Dream.Build.Play for details and to register.
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
GameDevBlog: Well, The Game Crafter sucks, IMO
After ordering eighteen perfectly fine That's Drama decks from them, I got a few that were messed up. They say it's my fault. I got angry. Am I acting like a spoiled brat here? Are they being rude - or am I being overly sensitive? What do you think?
---
Jamie Fristrom wrote:
Hey, I had to let you know, my recent order #4303 I was pretty disappointed in the quality. One of the decks is fine - the other three are cut off on various cards in various places. It looks to me like the cuts are encroaching on the supposed safe zone...
---
These issues are generally caused by improper image formatting. Here are some things to check/change:
1) If you're looking at the proofs, your images should bleed all the way through to the red zone on the cards. The blue zone is an area that may or may not get cut off; it's a good idea to have a background in the same color as your image that bleeds off the page through this area. There are always slight registration errors when the cards are cut, and leaving a big border around your image can make this much more noticeable.
2) It's very important to make sure that your images are the correct size and resolution; otherwise, the software may make adjustments to your images that cause them to print differently than you intended. For cards, your images must be 825 pixels wide x 1125 pixels high, have a resolution of 300 dots per inch, and be 2.75" wide by 3.75" high.
Please verify that your images are the correct size and resolution. If that's not the issue, we'll continue to trouble-shoot from there. Thanks!
Heather
---
For 1, sometimes my art goes up to and touches the blue line but never went over.
For 2, although most of the cards are 825x1125 it seems that my card backs were the wrong resolution. (1089x788) - no idea how that happened. Would that throw everything off? Why were my previous decks, and one deck from this batch, fine, while the other three were off? It's discomforting - I can't just order a deck, look at it, say "that's fine", and then order a bunch. Obviously, it would be nice if the software did a verification step and told me, "Hey, this is the wrong resolution."
-J
---
Jamie,
You'll want to make sure your art goes through the entire blue area; otherwise, it can throw things off. The way you want to set up your image is so that everything important in the image stops before the blue area so that it doesn't get cut off, but the background should go all the way through the blue area in the proof. Otherwise, the actual image is so small compared to the card that it can get shifted around on the cards, and you end up with some cards like you had where the picture was very off-center. The resolution of the card backs being wrong can also cause issues.
As you might've heard, we are working on a new incarnation of TGC, and in the new version, there will be verification steps like you mentioned, where the software won't allow you to continue with your game unless your images are the right size and resolution. So, we agree that should be part of the process, and it will be implemented in the future so that we can help to keep this kind of thing from happening. Until we are able to implement the new TGC, though, it has to be a manual check on the part of the game creator. I'm sorry, and I know this is frustrating. I hope this information helps, but if you have any other questions, please let me know.
Thanks,
Heather
---
I guess my question is - why not offer me a refund or credit or to replace the broken decks? I'd like to think that's what I'd do for my clients if TGC was my company.
---
Jamie,
When the situation is caused by an error on our part, we always offer credit. However, in this case, the images that you uploaded to your cards did not meet the specifications that are listed on our website. The instructions given were not followed. There's a lot of great information on our site about file preparation, and these topics are covered extensively there. I'm sorry that you experienced issues with your cards; however, those issues were not caused by anything we did.
Heather
---
So "The customer is always right" isn't your policy.
Okay - never mind the backs of the cards - I'll take the blame for that.
The fronts of the cards are all the correct resolution, and they are cut off. Not just "off center", but cut off. Your cuts are past the blue line.
But here's another thing - the very fact that TGC got one deck right and three decks wrong is proof that it's something TGC did. Seriously, how do you explain that?
---
Jamie,
Honestly, you just got lucky with the deck that printed acceptably. There are issues with your images, and the chances that your cards will ever print well until those issues are fixed are slim to none. I'm sorry that you are having issues, and I am trying to help you understand what you need to do so that your future orders print the way you want them to. Ultimately, though, you're responsible for what you put into your game, and if it's not done correctly, then it won't print correctly.
Heather
---
Heather,
Have you even looked at my order history? I've never noticed a problem with any of the previous decks I've ordered, and they all had the incorrect resolution for the Motivation card back. Statistically speaking, the chances of that being just luck are infinitesimal. (Not to mention I hope it would show I've been a loyal client so far, and don't deserve to have fingers pointed at me.)
Please, explain to me how having the resolution wrong on the images for the backs of the cards can mess up the printing on the fronts of the cards - but only sometimes.
Is TGC your company? Is there someone else I can talk to? Because you're going to make me burst a blood vessel. It's not about the money. If you simply can't afford to give me credit - I know your margins must be low - okay: the decks are still playable and they're just for playtesting purposes so far. But I need a real apology ("I'm sorry you're having issues" is not a real apology) and assurance that this won't happen again if you want to keep my business.
---
Jamie Vrbsky wrote:
Hello Jamie, Heather has updated me on this particular issue. Normally we don't do this, but we'll offer a credit, less shipping, of half the amount of those card decks. In essence we'll pay for 2 of the 3 decks that didn't print or cut properly. I would ask that you please update your cards so that they are the correct resolution before you publish or purchase any more copies. While the system does the best it can to do what it "thinks" you want done, there's room for error in the algorithm which can cause large variances in the printing and cutting of the cards. Sometimes it works great and other times it works terribly. We're working to resolve this in the next iteration of the software so that issues like this are much more infrequent if not eliminated entirely. I hope you find this credit to be a satisfactory resolution and we can consider the issue closed.
Thank you, Jamie
---
Jamie Fristrom wrote:
Did you read my last e-mail? Can you please read it and answer my questions?
---
Hello Jamie,
Heather has answered your questions previously. I'm not going to get into the technical aspects of why something works or doesn't work. We've done as much as we can to help in the resolution of this issue. It's up to you as to whether you find it satisfactory enough to continue using our service or not.
---
So - what do you think? It looks to me like they screwed up, conveniently found something minor wrong with my files, and are using that as an excuse so they don't have to take responsibility for what happened.
Bottom line is I don't feel like I can work with them anymore, since their product is so inconsistent - and don't have to, not when there are so many other POD places that do custom playing cards. Superior POD, Guild of Blades, Victory Point Games, Artscow ...
I've tried out Superior POD and Artscow, btw. Their cards are more consistently sized, easier to shuffle, and don't have little nubs on the edges. But their websites are harder to work with. I did like TGC's website - that's why I stuck with them even though their cards weren't as good.
Source: http://www.gamedevblog.com/2011/04/well-the-game-crafter-sucks-imo.html
Hassenzahl?s Model and eLearning ? Part 2
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/jYrYRzrupGw/
Announcing Dream.Build.Play 2011
We are proud to announce yet another round of Dream.Build.Play for year 2011. Are you ready to compete? Dream.Build.Play is a competition where you can create and submit your XNA Game Studio 4.0 game for Xbox 360 to win prizes, including the chance to have your game featured on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Registration will open in late February 2011.
So start dreaming up your next great idea, team up with your friends if you like, and get ready to create a fun, innovative game to win the competition. Make sure to get the latest version of the tool, XNA Game Studio 4.0, and sign up for an email alert to be the first to know when the new challenge begins!
Source: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/xna/archive/2010/12/01/announcing-dream-build-play-2011.aspx
Could Kinect updates include personalized profiles?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/DWeV1tDZ4n0/
Experiments in Texturing
CVG appear to be a bunch of lousy hacks.
New XNA Game Studio 4.0 Developer Education Content Available!
Today over at the XNA Creators Club Online, there's a brand-new set of ten educational samples, articles, and training kits as part of the "Create Games for Windows Phone 7" series.
It's all available for free, and compatible with XNA Game Studio 4.0 and the Windows Phone Developer Tools. Some of them are cross-platform as well, so they are compatible with Windows and Xbox 360!
You'll find everything in the Educational Roadmap:
- 3D Accelerometer Game Lab (Marble Maze)
- Catapult Wars Extensions Training Kit
- Platformer Starter Kit
- 3D Graphics Sample
- Microphone Echo Sample
- Push Notifications Sample
- Rim Lighting Sample
- 3D Asset Types Article
- Dynamic Audio Article
- Intro to Game Loop Article
Go grab these samples today at the Education Roadmap on the XNA Creators Club Online!
Toronto Meetup Date: April 23 REMINDER
Source: http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2011/04/23/toronto-meetup-date-april-23/
Jobs!
We at Thekla, Inc. are a small independent developer making games with tradition-breaking designs. �We are pushing the boundaries of what a video game can be. Our current project is The Witness,�a puzzle/exploration game designed by Jonathan Blow, designer/programmer of the critically-acclaimed Braid. �Our office is in Berkeley, California, USA but we will [...]
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Upgrading Game Maker 8 to GameMaker 8.1
Upgrading Game Maker 8 to GameMaker 8.1 is taken from: GameMaker Blog
Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/15/upgrading-game-maker-8-to-gamemaker-8-1/
Working From Home Part 2: Staying Motivated
Source: http://www.doolwind.com/blog/working-from-home-part-2-staying-motivated/
Wii 2?s Rumored Touchscreen Controller Makes Perfect Sense
Nintendo confirmed early Monday that it is preparing to take the lid off a new home videogame machine, which it called the “successor to the Wii,” in June.
Nintendo’s official statement gave no specifics about the new machine, only saying that it [...]
Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/wii-2-announcement/
Simulation Showcase ? Inside the Haiti Earthquake
What simulations are and aren’t
Where simulations fit in an organizations’ flow of skills
Best practices in designing and creating simulations
After reading the post, I browsed the web for examples [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/upsidelearning-blog/~3/SLbky7X6kC0/
Free 3-D Excitebike When You Update Your 3DS
“For the system update, we need to have consumers voluntarily go online with their Nintendo 3DS,” said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata at a Tokyo briefing [...]
Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/3ds-excitebike/
Poseidon, second game
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mikkosgameblog/~3/zt2EN6YD4i8/
Jay Is Games: Otomata
Jay Is Games: Mobile Monday
Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/04/mobile_monday_117.php
Announcing Indie Fund
The past couple of years have been good for independent game developers. �Through download services like [...]
Monday, 25 April 2011
Grassing it up?
Antiquity and Innovation
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mikkosgameblog/~3/WIzv1xhSzFo/
Community Links ? GameMaker 8.1 will be released very soon
Community Links – GameMaker 8.1 will be released very soon is taken from: GameMaker Blog
Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/13/community-links-gamemaker-8-1-will-be-released-very-soon/
EA Sports profiles to be a paid subscription service?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/HGEoQFBs-LA/
Grassing it up?
Flick Buddies: Multiplayer action for iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch
Source: http://www.doolwind.com/blog/flick-buddies-multiplayer-action-for-ipad-iphoneipod-touch/
Poseidon, second game
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mikkosgameblog/~3/zt2EN6YD4i8/
Jay Is Games: Link Dump Friday
Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/04/link_dump_friday_210.php
Sunday, 24 April 2011
EA Packs Classic American McGee?s Alice With Sequel
A version of the 2000 PC game American McGee’s Alice will be included with each copy of the upcoming Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sequel, Electronic Arts said Wednesday.
When you buy Alice: Madness Returns [...]
Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/alice-madness-returns-2/
4 Years Online ? Celebrated by Downtime
4 Years Online – Celebrated by Downtime is taken from: GameMaker Blog
Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/16/4-years-online-celebrated-by-downtime/
Jay Is Games: Mission US: For Crown or Colony
Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/04/mission_us_for_crown_or_colony.php
Starpoint Gemini Trailers
PC Game Reviews and News
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CaptaindsPcGamingBlog/~3/31guxkhLzBU/starpoint-gemini-trailers.html
Through the Ages and 18xx
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mikkosgameblog/~3/JxYLwnK1rYE/
Jay Is Games: Psychosomnium
Source: http://jayisgames.com/archives/2011/04/psychosomnium.php
4 Years Online ? Celebrated by Downtime
4 Years Online – Celebrated by Downtime is taken from: GameMaker Blog
Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/16/4-years-online-celebrated-by-downtime/
Hemicube Rendering and Integration
?External Intrusion? causing PSN downtime, Anonymous denies responsibility
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ThatVideogameBlog/~3/gZpMBg62VNE/
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Island Shrinkage
Today I took a step in that direction by moving some areas around and compacting the island, changing its shape a bit:
Here’s a shot from the other [...]
All my Adventure Game Reviews so far on PC Game Reviews and News
- Sam and Max Season One
- Sam and Max Season Two
- And Then There Were None
- Return to Mysterious Island
- Journey to the Moon
- Runaway: A Road Adventure
- Secret Files: Tunguska
- Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle
- Wallace and Gromit Grand Adventures Episode One: Fright of the Bumble Bees
- Wallace and Gromit Grand Adventures Episode Two: The Last Resort
- Full Throttle
- Wallace and Gromit Grand Adventures Episode Three: Muzzled!
- Keepsake
- Tales of Monkey Island Episode 1: Launch of the Secret Narwal
- Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures Episode Four - The Bogey Man
- Tales of Monkey Island Episode 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay
- Tales of Monkey Island Episode 3: The Lair of the Leviathan
- Tales of Monkey Island Episode 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
- Tales of Monkey Island Episode 5 - Rise of the Pirate God
- Sam and Max Season 3, Episode 1: The Penal Zone
- Sam and Max Season 3, Episode 2: The Tomb of Sammun-Mak
- Sam and Max Season 3, Episode 3: They Stole Max's Brain!
- Jolly Rover
- Sam and Max Season 3, Episode 4: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
- Nancy Drew: The Curse of Blackmoor Manor
- Sam and Max Season 3, Episode 5: The City that Dares Not Sleep
- Puzzle Bots
- Quantumnauts Episode One: Speed of Light, Space Pirates and Multiverses
- Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island
- Murder on the Orient Express
- Evil Under the Sun
- Back to the Future Episode 1: It's About Time
- The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition
- Le Chuck's Revenge: Monkey Island 2 Special Edition
- Secret Files: Puritas Cordis
- Lost Horizon
- Gemini Rue
- Back to the Future Season 1 Episode 2: Get Tannen
- Back to the Future Season 1 Episode 3: Citizen Brown
- Adam's Venture 2: Solomon's Secret
- Mata Hari
- Return to Mysterious Island 2: Mina's Fate
(I know... this was shameless and quite pathetic really... :-D)
PC Game Reviews and News
GameMaker 8.1 Lite Restrictions ? Final Decisions
GameMaker 8.1 Lite Restrictions – Final Decisions is taken from: GameMaker Blog
Source: http://gamemakerblog.com/2011/04/14/gamemaker-8-1-lite-restrictions-final-decisions/