Happy Blog

Since I neglect my blog what better way to celebrate the fact I didn’t fail miserably by posting and hopefully upping my grade a bit.

I’m finding all the information from Ben Mathers insanely useful. Just watching him make something in 3DS Max has made me feel a little bit happier about working with the program. I also tend to understand it a bit more as well. Though it’s a long winded thing to watch I’m actually enjoying watching what he’s making.

Going to miss the film tomorrow. I loved watching all the crazy dystopian fantasies so I’ll have to maybe go out to the library and find some more funky films otherwise it’ll be Star Wars repeats.
My god this was really a pointless blog, but then again I have a thing about being bad when it comes to blogging. I never know what to talk about. So I think I’m gonna leave it there with a nice picture by the artist Brom, since i love his work and Ben mentioned him today.

Gameplay?

Gameplay. I remember searching for a definition for that word a couple of blogs ago and finding it hard to find a definition. Without it would a game be interesting or even possible? While searching through definitions all of them mention the game and the user, saying how it is how the user interacts with a game or how the game responds. If this thing was removed how would a game be played if not played at all. In a game of chess if there was no gameplay you could not move the chess piece so surely it is an key thing.

Gameplay keeps a user involved and interested. It’s the thing that keeps us playing when it comes to gaming. When it comes to rules I don’t think it has any. It’s more about how the user interacts with the game in general, it’s the connection the user has with the game. Gameplay could be designed into a game, Chess could be one of the games solely based on gameplay. In chess the user has to move the chess piece, the user has to interact with the pieces and board otherwise the game would not be playable. Without gameplay the chess pieces could not be moved, maybe even the thought of moving them would also be none existent. I also believe that a game could not be successful without it, making it very important. Without it the interactions between the game and user would not exist meaning that one connection with the game the user had would vanish, sure the graphics and sound would be there but it would be as though the controller would not exist.

Characters

Characters, one of my favourite things in a game, film or book. Ever since I was little I always wanted to be an archaeologist like Lara Croft or be able to levitate a stone like Luke Skywalker. I enjoy seeing development and designs of characters, seeing how they evolve and how they evolve even further within the world they exist in.

One of the first characters I ever got attached to was Lara Croft. I can remember playing Tomb Raider and just wishing I could climbs rocks like her and somersault. What made her even ‘cooler’ was the fact she had guns. Not only could she do the gymnastics but she was lethal as well and she was a woman. Sure she had the short shorts and the big pixelated boobs but who cared she could kick ass. As more Tomb Raider game came out Lara could do more things, making her even more cooler. The older I got the more I realised it was that she was ‘cool’ it was the fact she could do all these things that I could never do.

For me the main reason for liking characters is because they can do things I can’t. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nariko from Heavenly Sword, Luke Skywalker from Star Wars could all do things I couldn’t and just being them for a moment through watching TV or playing a game gave me that quick escape from reality. Fantasy stories are my favourite purely because I can read into the character and escape that reality that glooms over.

When it comes to interesting characters I think an appearance is key. They have to look interesting but not out of place. Also they need to have some form of personality. When it comes to films a script is definitely needed aswell as an actor and I also feel a lot of games need actors and scripts. I loved the character design for Nariko and the fact that had a proper actor to voice her meant she was more interesting. An example of needing some form of acting skill would be the original Devil May Cry, when Dante screams out “I should have been the one to fill ur dark sould with LIGHT” the actor was so bad, it just sounded so fake and amusing. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=H8qG4AlK1qk&feature=related)

Consoles

When looking through the video console timeline it’s amazing to see how they literally go from box to more streamline, rounder designs. Also the controllers were a lot more simpler compared to what they are today. The controllers had what seems to be two or three buttons now controllers have shoulder buttons, directional buttons and so on.

When it comes to consoles they are so different from what they were a long time ago from the “Brown Box” to the Playstation 3. When it comes to playing games myself I much prefer some form of controller, especially a play station controller. As I’ve mostly been a play station gamer and the controller has hardly changed shape throughout the years I find it most comfortable to use. I also find it much easier to use then a Wii remote which I usually end up flailing about with trying to get through one level.

When it comes to looks I find that Sony, though the Playstation 3 is massive, have the better looking console. The play station 3 has no sharp edges, it’s all rounded and shiny. The Playstation Portable is streamline, small and it looks much nicer compared to the Nintendo DS. The PSP I own is also a limited http://www.techgadgets.in/images/sony-crisis-core-final-fantasy-vii-psp-bundle.jpg) which is another reason I prefer the look of the PSP.

When it comes to interacting with a console eventually I believe that it’ll be done via headsets and electronically gadgets that’ll attach to peoples hands so the person can be placed in the game. The visor will allow the person to see the game in 3D and the other gadgets will map out parts of the person so they can interact within the game. I do believe though there will be some from of original hardcore gamers who will stay to the joystick and keep it alive. It won’t completely die.