gameGFX

Itemania

2009-08-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

An iPhone/iPod Touch game I've been working on with some friends has been released! Here's our web site: http://anicombo.com

The game is called, Itemania. It's a casual game where you look for hidden items in 9 levels. The twist in our game is that there are some 3d levels too. Fun for the whole family for only 0.99 cents!

For screenshots and videos, please visit the Itemania page.

Here it is on iTunes.

To view the game without iTunes:
http://appshopper.com/games/itemania
http://www.yappler.com/App/68554/Itemania.aspx

Facebook site:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Itemania/128716329487

Please help spread the word. Thanks!

I'll be posting a Post Mortem of the game after a while so please check back again.

The power of LinkedIn

2009-07-02T01:34:00.000-07:00

This wasn't exactly the kind of networking I had in mind when I created a profile at LinkedIn:

Not long after I created a profile at LinkedIn.com, someone from GuildWarsGuru.com found it and began a thread speculating what the information I posted revealed about Guild Wars 2. I understand that some fans go to great lengths to glean info regarding GW2 since news has been rather scarce, but I must say that it's strange to suddenly be scrutinized publicly like this.

LinkedIn has become a very popular way for working professionals to network with each other, and it's not unusual for people to try and keep profiles up to date. I don't think I divulged anything in my profile that I shouldn't have, but it's kind of funny to read some of the extrapolations that resulted from it. Anyone looking to me as a source for exciting news is probably barking up the wrong tree. I am just a small fry in the big world of game development.

I came across the thread because I do like to occasionally gauge player feelings from the game even if I'm not really in a position to do anything about it. The things that are said on fan forums can be both gratifying and unpleasant, but it's always interesting to see what folks are saying right after major releases and breaking news.

Dominance War IV

2009-03-31T00:25:00.000-07:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ANICOMBO.COM BLOG 2009/03/31

We haven't been able to update this blog lately, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy! We'll be posting some info on our main project soon.

In the meantime, I've decided to enter this year's Dominance War, the annual 3d modeling and 2d concept art competition, now in its 4th year (I never finished my entry from last year). I was representing 3dTotal last year, but this year I've joined GameArtisans (I have no particular allegiance to any forum- I pick according to what best suits my entry since the rules require incorporating forum colors/logo).

I'm really just looking to take this opportunity to update my portfolio. Here's a link to my thread:
http://www.gameartisans.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8525

UPDATE 6/24

I dropped out of the competition (again). However, my brother made it to the top 75! He didn't place among the finalists, but that's some nice company to be in regardless.

Game Watch - TERA: The Exiled Realm of Arborea

2009-02-23T03:24:00.000-08:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ANICOMBO.COM BLOG 2009/02/03

TERA: The Exiled Realm of Arborea (Bluehole Studio, Hangame)
http://tera.hangame.com/ (view with IE if site doesn't load correctly)

Upcoming MMORPG for the PC by Korean developer, Bluehole Studio, and to be published by Hangame, TERA (Project S1) recently debuted at the 2009 Hangame Invitational along with Continent of the Ninth (Studio Cloud 9), Kingdom Under Fire II (by Blueside and Phantagram), and Warhammer Online (Mythic).

So what's the big deal? It looks amazingly awesome, but then again so do a lot of upcoming Korean games. TERA utilizes an exciting, action-oriented gameplay system, but so does Continent of the Ninth, Blade & Soul (NCSoft), Dragon Nest (EyeDentity), and others. What's interesting for me is that the developer, Bluehole Studio, is made up of a lot of former heavy-hitters from NCSoft. I won't divulge anymore than that, but suffice to say this is a very impressive group of developers and the results show it. If western gamers paid any attention to the incredible development of Korean games lately, they would probably liken this to a bunch of ex-Blizzard guys out to make their own blockbuster game... x10.

The character art is really well done (although character customization remains to be seen), and the environments are great as well. I'm envious of these games and how clean and clear everything looks in terms of the art coming together and complementing the gameplay.

I recommend viewing the promotional trailer on the official site, but here's an interesting YouTube clip featuring a boss encounter:

It reminds me a lot of Monster Hunter, actually. A lot of generalizations have been made about Korean online games being pretty to look at, but not fun to play, so I'm hoping the slew of titles on the horizon can address this. TERA is one of many promising looking games that we'll be keeping our eyes on.

Manga Recommended: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

2009-01-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ANICOMBO.COM BLOG 2009/01/18

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (by Hitoshi Ashinano).
(also 2 anime OVA series, 2 episodes each)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokohama_Kaidashi_Kikou

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou is the story of a robot named, Alpha Hatsuseno, and her daily life in a post-cataclysmic, future Earth. There is no action or drama in this manga, and there isn't really even a beginning or end in the conventional sense. Entire chapters are devoted to Alpha sitting in the café she runs; pondering about the weather and her friends. As uninteresting as that may sound, it's her unique perspective of the world around her that makes the most insignificant occurrences so fascinating.

Little is explained of what happened to the earth or of Alpha's origins. Humankind has declined and the world is a much quieter and solemn place. As an un-aging robot, Alpha observes the changing lives of her human friends and the evolving landscape. The passage of time and the transience of life; the enduring physicality of what we know and its impermanence; the beautiful, everyday moments we take for granted. These are some of the themes Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou touches upon so delicately that sometimes you don't even realize it until after you've finished reading.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou spans 140 short chapters collected in 14 volumes, and was published over a 12 year period. The characters gradually become more visually refined, and, despite their simplistic depictions, are well-formed and carefully composed. All the characters are endearing in some way or another, and it's interesting to see how their relationships with Alpha, and each other, changes over time.

In Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, pictures are definitely worth a thousand words. Dialogue and narrative is used to good effect, but it is often sparse and only partly conveys what is going on. It is very easy to gloss over the many panels of background art, but that's actually where the real substance lies for me. The backgrounds are where the art truly shines, and they serve as a reminder of the power and beauty simple black and white images can have. Not only does the art evoke strong sensations of things we have all experienced in our own lives, but at times it can also be profoundly abstract.

It's strange to think that a fictional story of a robot on distant future earth can become the vehicle for communicating such strong portrayals of life and our place in time, but that's pretty much how I would summarize Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou. Highly recommended.

Game Review - Valkyria Chronicles

2008-12-23T21:02:00.000-08:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ANICOMBO.COM BLOG 2008/12/23

Valkyria Chronicles (WOW Overworks/SEGA). PS3 (Sony Playstation 3).
http://valkyria.jp/
http://www.sega.com/valkyria/us/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkyrie_of_the_Battlefield

What I like:

Beautiful, watercolor style art. Everything is wonderfully done. Also, there is a cool option to view all the game models (with plenty of background info to read about). The designs for all the uniforms, weapons, and vehicles are fantastic. The characters themselves are deceptively simple, and surprisingly expressive.

Original Japanese dialogue. It's a shame so many companies leave this out of localized titles... there are many games I've wanted to play, but have not simply for this reason. It's always fun to hear voice actors/actresses from anime lending their voices to games. The subtitles aren't always very accurate, and are tailored for western audiences, but at least it's an option.

Story. It plays like watching an anime television series. Plenty of nicely done cut scenes, and you can tell that a lot of work was done to flesh out the setting and the inhabitants of this fictional world.

So what is the game about? From the wiki page:

The game is set in a fictional version of Europe in 1930, in the country of Gallia. Because of its abundance of ragnite ore—which can be refined into a powerful fuel—it has come under attack from the East European Imperial Alliance, which itself is engaged in war with the Atlantic Federation. Players take control of an uprising of Gallian nationals, dedicated to repelling the invasion.

I've never been a fan of turn-based strategy games, but I bought Valkyria Chronicles after trying out the demo. It was surprisingly engaging, and I loved the way the game looked even though I'm not usually fond of war/military games.

Instead of beating the player over the head with controversial politics, the game thankfully takes place in a fictional setting, and the story plays out more like a human drama with war as the backdrop. Despite the nature of the game play, the story takes special care to reinforce that war is no trivial matter, and emphasizes some nice values in life that I really appreciate. It's not a mindless killing spree as so many other games have devolved into.

Generally speaking, the characters are numerous and likable, developing as the story progresses. They all have their own personality quirks and it's interesting to see how these play out on the battlefield. They often adhere to conventional character archetypes, but it's well executed, and I think way better than what typically passes for character development in games.

I like the many cut scenes and dynamic relationships between your squad members although it does mean a lot of "downtime" between battles. The battles themselves often last at least an hour once past the initial tutorial battles (or maybe I just suck), but fortunately being turn-based means that you have plenty of time to put the game down if you need to and come back later (however, you can only save your progress outside of battle). The game is not what I'd call easy, but it's rewarding when a strategy works out and you start to get a feel for what's possible.

The options you have for customizing your battles is kind of overwhelming at first, but the game does a great job of easing players into the experience, and in many cases you don't have to get too deep into the obscure options unless you're really trying to get the best scores (your performance is graded after each battle).

I'm sad to hear that the game hasn't been selling particularly well in the United States despite the positive reviews it has received. I'm sure both the game play style and art style have limited its appeal, but I hope anyone out there who likes either will give it a shot. At least try out the demo. It's a very well crafted game and something that I recommend highly.

Game Watch - Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

2008-12-12T23:13:00.000-08:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ANICOMBO.COM BLOG 2008/12/12

Fragile: Sayonara Tsuki no Haikyo (tri-Crescendo/Namco Bandai Games)
http://fragile.namco-ch.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragile:_Sayonara_Tsuki_no_Haikyo

Upcoming RPG for the Nintendo Wii by tri-Crescendo, makers of Trusty Bell (Eternal Sonata in the US). From the wiki page:

Fragile is set in a post-apocalyptic near future world that has lost its light and is covered in a dense fog. Almost all the world's population has vanished, and the cities have been left abandoned. The game places the player in the shoes of Seto, a young boy.

Seto wanders the world, searching for survivors and the answers behind the disappearance of everyone else. Seto also searches for a mysterious girl named "Ren." In his quest he must deal with ghosts and demons that lurk within the ruins of the abandoned cities. Despite this, the producer of the game insists that Fragile is not a survival horror in the same vein as Silent Hill, rather it will focus on "human drama".

This looks like it could be a really interesting game that makes good use of the Wiimote controller (as a flashlight). Cel shaded 3d art continues to improve and there are many moments where it looks straight out of a high quality anime series. I appreciate more thoughtful games like this and hope it finds success when it is released in Japan on January 22, 2009.

Tokyo Game Show 2008 Trailer:

Gameplay and images:

GStar 2008 Game Picks

2008-11-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ANICOMBO.COM BLOG 2008/11/26

GStar, the largest games trade show in Korea, took place last week. We weren't there, but it's always fun to see what's new. Most of these games we've seen or heard about in some capacity before, but it's a good time to recap:

Mabinogi Heroes (devCAT/Nexon)
http://heroes.nexon.com/

An offshoot of the Mabinogi MMO, but instead of being cute and friendly, Mabinogi Heroes looks like a serious, action adventure game. It's still online, from what I understand, but perhaps cooperative between a few people rather than massively multiplayer? There are a lot of physics effects and character to environment and character to character interactions. The art, although somewhat rough around the edges, has an interesting darker tone to it. It's more bad ass than beautiful with the characters looking more grounded and minimalist than other contemporary Korean designs. The somewhat jerky animation is my main concern, but it looks like fun.

Dragon Nest (EyeDentity/Nexon)
http://dragonnest.nexon.com/

Action MMORPG. I like the off-center camera and the fast paced combat. The mobs apparently spawn somewhat randomly and it appears to use some instancing. The graphics are nicely stylized and effective. Hard to tell what else there is to the game, but it looks promising.

Continent of the Ninth (Studio Cloud 9/NHN/HanGame)
http://c9.hangame.com/
A heavy hitter of a game, C9 looks very impressive and appears to play solidly. Combat seems to be more like what you might expect from an action console game than an MMORPG as it is being billed. There's a clarity to the graphics that I really like about this game. It's realistic, yet not distractingly so. The over the top action looks great.

Dragonica (Barunson Interactive/IAH)
http://dragonica.barunsoninter.com/

The cute game of the bunch, Dragonica is a side scrolling online game that appears to be marketed at a more casual audience. There is a level of craftsmanship in the concept art designs that really sell it for me. Looks like there's a focus on microtransactions similar to Maple Story.

These are some of the games that I've been keeping tabs on, but I'm sure there were a lot of other cool games missing from this list at GStar 2008. Hey, that's what future posts are for.

Hyung Tae Kim in person

2008-11-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ANICOMBO.COM BLOG 2008/11/25

left to right: Chiu, Hai (me), Delly, Danny, Fan, Jason, Donald, Joe, Hyung-Tae Kim (B&S Art Director), Aaron (GW2 Character Art Lead), Xia, Daniel (GW2 Art Director)

I generally don't get excited about meeting anyone, but on Thursday, we got a chance to meet one of my favorite character designers, Hyung-Tae Kim. For those who don't know who he is, I credit him for helping popularize a CG painted look on anime styled game characters, and introducing a unique design sense that's often emulated these days.

Hyung-Tae Kim is the Art Director for the upcoming NCSoft game, Blade & Soul, which also happens to be one of the best looking games I've seen recently. He recently visited our ArenaNet office and the artists here familiar with his work were eager to meet him. He seemed like a nice guy and was cool about signing the artbooks we had of his work.

I'm definitely looking forward to Blade & Soul. I don't know how much appeal it will have in the mass market, but it has so much style that nothing else out there has right now. If you're a fan of Hyung-Tae Kim's work then definitely check this game out.

Are video game artists "game developers?"

2007-12-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

Many aspects of game development are overlooked, but while artists create almost everything seen in today's video games, we have little control over how games play or how our work is used. Ultimately, this means we tend to get left out of the discussion as game developers.

What do I mean by that exactly? Artists are credited as developers and we have our own press in the computer graphics community, but you would be hard-pressed to find an active artist amongst all those famous and outspoken personalities in the game development world. We help provide the most immediate means for which most games are interpreted, but the subjective nature of art makes the value of our contributions difficult to fully appreciate both by the end user and the people in charge.

The production of modern game art takes more people more time than in the past which means the value of a single artist within development teams is diminishing. Because our work can technically be done in isolation of other development efforts, artists are sometimes not even worth keeping a full staff of on hand in a growing number of studios. Not only that, but many studios would rather settle for art that is "good enough," than spend more for quality or spend time honing artwork that is actually appropriate for the game. Even among game developers, art can be more of a commodity than a peer department.

This isn't an argument for art dictating design as games should always prioritize production towards making the best game experience, but art is often only loosely attached as window dressing on games. How can there be a synergy of effort in creating the best game experience when artists themselves rarely have a full grasp of what the game is about and what purpose their work is supposed to serve?

Game development is a business and, like all businesses, game developers must do what is cost effective, but it is the notion that artists have little to contribute to the development of a game, other than making what we're told, that is frustrating. Of course there is also a lot of blame to be put on artists and how we view our own contributions to game development, but that is a blog post for another time.

Artists with the proper skills will always be in demand so I don't fear for the future of this field. Competition for better visuals has raised the bar in graphics across the board, and it goes without saying that a good looking game has a far better chance in the marketplace than an ugly one. But for video game artists who grew up wanting to help make better games, it can be disheartening to watch your discipline become more detached from the game development process.

first post

2007-12-12T01:45:00.000-08:00

I make art for games. There are many things about the field of video game art that I find myself thinking about. Often.

This blog is my attempt to process these thoughts in a way that may be of interest to others. Mostly general observations and maybe a few more technical (or is that, "artistic?") posts. Sorry, nothing top secret, no drama, and hopefully nothing too controversial. Some of these posts were copied from the Anicombo.com group blog, which I contribute to occasionally. I don't really intend to post my own artwork here since that's what my normal web site, http://haikai.net, is for.

Game art is a cool job, and I'm fortunate to be able to do something I enjoy for a living.