This be a Show reel people !!!!

This is just a short show reel of some pieces of work i have done wile i have been at DMU. not all my work is on the reel just the pieces i felt i did well on and al so showed my PRogression in terms of my my drawing skill and use and matireals. ENJOY http://www.youtube.com/user/MrSh1thouse?ob=5#p/u/0/6HlPq_u6r70

This is it Year one is Over!!

The year is over and what a years its been! My “Vlog” give a little description of what I feel I have accomplished this year but although the I said there have been up and downs on my vlog I have had more up far far far more up wile I have studied, all the lecturers have been more them helpful all of them have given me a higher understanding of the course and also and better understanding of the tools and techniques required to make it into the games industry .Thank you for giving me this chance!! and once again my fingers are crossed.

Elements of game design, part Four- Environment

When playing a game one of the things I look at the most is the environment, what elements have been placed in to the level I am playing to making it awesome to look at, also fun and interesting to play on. Now when an Environment is construed the builder has to think about how the player is going to navigate through the level to complete or reach the end of the area, Lighting is important, The slight change in textures or the atmosphere, all these play a big role in the navigation part to any level. The most important one being the lighting. Lighting can do so much more then just showing you a passage its also used for atmospheric porpoises, Dark dull lighting can set a horror style environment light and bright lighting can suggest warm calm or happy levels However I feel that it can be used to show futuristic atmosphere, all these different methods help towards making a well working and an awesome playable game level. Its interesting to think that there is always a thin line between an environment being Believable to just plain ridiculous, hindering the players experience in that particular level. How can this be avoided??? one of the most effective ways and probably the one with common scene, use a design process so you don't go off on a tangent.

IDEA

RESEARCH

EARLY DISIGNS

RESEARCH

REFINE EARLY DISGNS

FINALISE DISIGNS

DEVELOP

CREATE

TEST

REFINE + TWEEK

END RESULT

This would be to process I would go though in order to create a working playable level, some people would say it wrong but every person has there own way to going about the design process. It is important though that the level environment has to be believable other wise the player with loose interest and once that has gone the player will simply stop playing that game.

There is a film I have watch so many time just for the atmosphere from the scenes and how awesome they would make a game level, Star trek! The film was released in 2009 yet the cinematography it just breath taking and the art work is also just as interesting to look at, the artists name is James Clyne.

Elements of game design, part three – Characters

Character design is quite an interesting process, all the qualities and characteristics need to be thought about in detail to Define that character to make he / she stand out with in the game environment. Starting point for a character is background, where did he/ she come from, what things dose she / he like, what year was she/he born have there been events that might of made the character evil or good. Another big part is personality, how would the character act in game depending on the situation, Cinematic Deliver this across very well, However some games my be interactive and the characters around you interact all the time, take oblivion or fallout 3 these games use that mechanic very well. Thinking about the process of character you need something to work around to begin, like and event of date in time! One character in found insanely interesting was in a book called Orcs. The name of the character is Stryke he is the leader of and orcish clan “the Wolf clan” taken hostage and made to server and evil wench to find a power artefact of grate power. What is it about this character I found interesting ? Why did I want to read more and find out what happens to him, Well simple really he was a well thought out character and in same ways the read can relate to his plight, and become entangled into his story. Everything that a character should have was in Stryke from the book orcs, But of course not many people read in to days society young people watch films or play games. However films also have to take same Direction when a character is being created I dull character can make a film really bad or really engaging its all down to the story and how that character is preformed by the actor. In a personal opinion I really do feel that the character background and history is the most important part, Why you may ask ? Well knowing what that character has been though where he/she has been what events have led them to those places where are they wanting to go, all these things just make everything about a character, with out these fundamental points the design and creation would be a waste of time. An example from the book Orcs or monologue from the main character stryke,

“Look at me. Look at the Orc. There is fear and hatred in your eyes. To you I am a monster, a skulker in the shadows, a fiend to scare your children with. Hear my story. Feel the flow of my blood and be thankful. Thankful that it was me, not you, who bore the sword. Thankful to the Orcs—born to fight, destined to win peace for all.”

This short and powerful monologue made the character stryke stand out, made me want to follow his story I wanted to know what he and his band of orcs had been though to get into the situation they have found themselves to be in. My opinion the book is one of the best reads for a reason, I suggest those reading this get the book you will love it.

Elements of game design, part two ART DIRECTION!!

Art Direction! Is it important some might say no... for those people who feel that way YOU ARE WRONG so very wrong. With out this part of game creation, the art work created would not meet brief standards and in the industry everything needs to fit What the Client has asked for. So what do you do? Simple really get yourself someone who knows the fundamentals of drawing, understands how lighting , atmospheric scenes, textures someone who understands that to sell a game the art direction has to be appropriate, of course you know I am talking about an Art director. Art director is not an easy job to get you need lots of industry experience and understand a lot of games and the artwork involved. So what do they do, well let just say work , work nothing but work! Not only are you one of the art team your also the one who set the direction in witch the art work most go, to successfully complete this task not only do they have to write briefs for the artists but also make sure that the art work is done right and is artistic correct and in line with the clients brief. Although this sounds like they do nothing your very mistaken, in fact a lot of the time the art directors do most of the work to help with the production of ark work needed to build environments and characters to a standards that make gamers jaw drop, the kind of art work that will sell a game. This link to GW2 website shows a video of how there art direction has led them in creating such a spectacular game please check it out it is, one fantastic video full of cool shit. http://www.guildwars2.com/en/media/videos/

In all cases an art director is responsible for the art team making sure everything go's to plan and all art work created is cool enough to make that file of awesome shit that makes that game look outstanding, and in all honesty I think that with out this direction, games would not be the way they are the this generation...hell maybe awesome games full of cool content may have not even existed, Art direction is Fundamentally a

big part in the industry one in witch if feel Defines the beautiful existence of game art.

P.s my passion for game art is not gay it is freaking awesome >.<

Elements of game design, part one

This is it, everything I am doing in this course leads to this one important part within this industry the all important design process. With out this all games would be pointless and make no sense and in all cases would not even be made! Everyone knows that the starting point to the design process is to create a pitch or a tech-document showing an idea for a possible game. Within this document there will be and outline of the hole point to the game, in other words a story line and plot to the game. This leads me onto talking about game play, what is game play ?? game play for me is how you interact with the game wile you play, what you do within the game and also the style in which it has to be played. There are many styles of games, RPG , FPS , RTS ect and all of these types of games have different Game play make each game ideal for different gamers.

In a lot of ways this can effect a game dramatically making it bad or good, In my opinion it comes down to the artists and what they create for the game. The artwork is very important for the creation of a game, it can determinate what type of game will be created. This is another part of why the artwork is import each genre requires artwork to fit the style of the game with this in place game production teams can then begin making assets and texture them to fit what has been asked with the design document .

Writing about Games, Previews, reviews, commentary and lies

Games have been around for a wile, and to get the public into them what do we need ?? Reviewers to put what they think of a new release that have hit the shelf's of are stores. However one problem they FAIL, Why is this you might ask ? If you think about it logically for those how buy the gaming magazines don't take into consideration to speed in witch issues are released, as Kieron Gillen will tell you in his blog gaming journalist have become “lazy, corrupt and fundamental stupid” when I read this I could not stop laughing because its so true! Ever couple of weeks a new magazine is realest this dose not give reviewers time to review a game fully, they have to cut corners to hit those deadlines a problem they face day in day out and the result of this lazyness reviews seem half done and a large amount of times corrupt and one-sided. You would think that the aim is to try and sell the game they are reviewing not throw it down the shit can that is just bad marketing, the last time I read a gaming “MAG” the review was bland and boring really depressing stuff, But its only now I realise why! If a game is buggy or some of the game assets are faulty instead of telling the game developers, giving them a chance to correct it the game simply gets the shit drilled out of it, not really something you want to read if you a hardcore gamer. SO who pays the reviewers wage?? a stupid answer to that question is the head of the studio DERP! In all cases yes but where do they get there funding form, from the game company asking for a review ? It would not surprise me if a margin of the money comes from game company's ask the gaming “Mags” to get there new game published and advertised and in most case reviewed so readers can sit back and say “this game seems f**cking awesome I am sure going to buy this”. Of course not all Readers of gaming mags will talk to themselves like Muppet's but its because of the fan base of the magazines I think that's what pays the journalists wages. You know looking back at my blog posts I would not make much money in reviewing games, but I do think I put a point across a lot of the time in a subjective manor

and there are other ways that games can be reviewed some better then others, although that is just a personal opinion. So what can I say gaming journalism seem hard as hell everything you have to think about, everything you have to acknowledge and think about carefully will effect what you put on paper read to be placed into that Mag, lots of lies and bad reviews have been created let there be not more !