Del Walker Talk

Del Walker..
3D Character Artist from Blitz Games former DMU Game Art Design graduate

The most important aspect I gained from Dels lecture, was ‘Process’ and ‘Artist Judgement’
knowing what’s wrong with a piece, and how you can fix it.
To make the process of learning the basic core your main priority rather than the final outcome.
Knowing mistakes are good, and will help your learning process providing you keep practicing.
The great thing about having Del talk Is, he’s being in the same situation as we are right now, and knows what were going through, sharing his own experience.
The whole.. “Not understanding something..  Looking on Facebook at people’s amazing work (Inez I hate youJ) lol
and feeling like.. you fail”
Knowing your not the only one feeling that way, and it’s not the end of the world you just have to overcome it with practice and understand the progress.
I really liked Dels passion for recreating 3 vehicles instead of just doing one so he could make mistakes and understand the process easier.
I hope in time to incorporate some of his learning techniques into my own.

Personal Gaming History

Super Nintendo

Super Mario World

Super Mario World was probably the first game I ever played on the Nintendo. What’s not to love about it!. Yoshi <3

Mystical Ninja Kids

Mystical Ninja Kids was a game me and my sister played when we were little. She doesn’t play video games but she seemed to like this game?  We always used to fight over who had to be the old purple guy because he wasn’t “cool”.  She used to like collecting coins and buying pizzas/burgers/armour with it so she could chicken out of killing the boss and make me do it ;_;
I think the mini games like Paint and the quizzes/races attracted her. (This is a girl who I made play WoW one time and took 10minutes getting stressed directing herself through an open door properly...  It’s a really good game to enjoy with someone else because it is  not your average versus racing/fighting or taking it in turns type of game.

Super Metroid

PS1
Final Fantasy 7
This has to be my favourite game for Super Nintendo and out of all the Nintendo games,
Super Metroid cannot be beaten. :]
I didn’t know “Character” was a girl until a few years ago.
I catch on slowly..

I could never understand why when younger, I could never defeat red/white boss.
Maybe I was too young to grasp the concept of tactics (blue = magic red = attack)
and always ran way from random battles because they scared me in case I died. I never levelled up back then, as I didn’t realise that was why I wasn’t strong enough to kill everything and progress. It took me a few years to figure that out. :P
I finally completed FF7 a few months ago before joining this course.  (FAIL) haha

Broken Sword

*French Accent* -  “Good Luck Inspectar, I hope u catch that killa SOON!”
If you don’t understand what I’m saying..
PLAY BROKEN SWORD!!

It was the first point and click game I ever played.. and I loved it#
This game introduced me to one of my favourite game genres.. ‘Investigation’.
 
Resident Evil 2

I’m not even sure why my parents let me play this game at such a young age..
It scared the” *$!%^`£*” out of me! lol
It  did turn out to be my favourite Survival Horror game. ß YES I actually completed this game!

On..


‘easy’ *COUGH*

I R L33T :]             


PS2
Final Fantasy 8

I’m now currently playing FF8.. I’m progressing slowly ;_;
My first attempt at the ‘SEE-D Assessment in the Cave killing Ifrit in 10min’ failed..  I RAN OUT OF TIME!!! /rwar  
It makes me feel annoyed when game FAQ writers say “10min should be easily enough time”
and I RUN OUT SO FAST! ;_;

Maybe.. I just really suck at video games?\

 Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit was the first game that introduced me to multiple choices of game play/questions.
I liked the fact that your decision affected the way the game turned out, giving you some kind of control/responsibility in interaction.
This game made me look forward to Heavy Rain while in production.

PC

Unreal Tournament

Back in the day when Unreal Tournament was popular,  I used to love this game(Instagib only). I’m not really sure why I took to it, because I don’t like FPS buuut It was so fun playing in clans and Owning at your favourite maps.. Citadel/Chrome..   I MISS YOU!
I’ll be honest, one thing I noticed about games that involve people, it is the community that keeps you hooked. If it’s bad then you’re less likely to carry on playing.. or maybe that’s just me.

MMO Online#-  Ragnarok Online (Childhood Game)

I started playing Ragnarok Online from the age of 13, on and off. It was always a game I’d leave and come back to.  It was kind of funny.. as I joined  believing it was an English server.. until the age of 18 or something.. ? Then I found out I’d joined an American server haha
BIT LATE NOW don’t you think ;-;
It makes me think I wasn’t all there as a child.. >_<;
Explains why I lagged so bad.. but I wouldn’t change it. I experienced meeting a lot of interesting Americans :D
One of the things I noticed in MMOs Games..  Ragnarok is more social and has Interested a lot more girls compared to other MMOS.

MMO Online#-  WoW

All I can say is..  ADDICT #_#;


Its a game.. to play If you don’t mind not having a life.
I recommend it if u want to fail :P

I still get cravings.. now /sigh

I’m CLEAN honest ;3

WOW = BAD FOR YOU  /e5

Need for Speed

I’m not into racing games (repetitive), but need for speeds campaign mode gave me a reason to want to win the next race. To bling out my car, make it look pretty, to watch the next story mode sequence, get through the different characters for the black lists to win their cars..
It also offers a free roam environment killing the linear norm.

Yakuza

Unlike other games I’ve played the game designers of yakuza have worked together with the author of the book. Producing a game and storyline that further the gamers experience likes reading a book (you just want keep on playing it and wanting to know more)

Xbox360

Grand Theft Auto/ Saints Row

I’ve always liked Grand Theft Auto..  BUT ive never actually completed one, THERE TO HARD lol
seriously.. o-o;
Yet.. I completed Saints Row 1 + 2
so.. either Grand Theft Auto producers just don’t like me, or.. I suck at it. :]

Gears of War

I’ve never been a big fan of FPS video games, but GOW is really an amazing game to play, and I’d recommend it to anyone.
It’s what made me buy an XBOX360 originally.

PS3
Final Fantasy series

The rest of the series.. apart from FF9 Is sitting on my shelf waiting for me. :D
It will probably be a few years till they feel my fingers open them! L  With my lame gaming skills haha

Heavy Rain

My favourite recent game#
After playing Fahrenheit, I waited for this game for LONG TIME.. and I loved it J
Shame about the length of the game.. I completed it to fast not like me:/ ConclusionI generally avoid linear based video games that are stuck down to one path only.  
I like freedom to roam and explore environments and scenery, engaging with NPCS in conversation and having the decision to do certain areas in your own time rather than be forced.
It’s more like a virtual reality experience then, rather than a game instruction.

People play video games for their own personal preferences; they may like the gameplay/the fight moves, the sport, or just slashing up anyone and anything.

I personally go for story, a game that makes me want to find out what happens next, kind of like a book yet.. more interactive :P (Oddly enough I don’t read) the feeling of not actually ‘Playing a game’ but virtually experiencing it.. like you forget you’re playing for that moment.
Linear games destroy that aspect for me #_#;

2000+ Game History

2000+  Game History
Producing and developing a video game is not the same as it was in 1982 compared to 2010.
The amount of staff required is continuously increasing. The equipment, resources, software and hardware are all becoming more expensive, as expectations from customers and publishers grow over the years. The competition within the gaming industry has become more and more fierce as each company is aiming to do better than the existing consoles and games readily available.  

The effect of what gets published game content wise, depends on what the publishing companies think will sell, based on the current publics interests.
Movies, comics and TV shows seem to over-ride new game concept ideas as they are ever-increasing in demand, leaving game companies working more on rebuilds of Barbie and Shrek.

Budgets consist of two main areas:

Development Costs

·          Voice Acting

·         Employee Salaries

·         Equipment/Hardware/Software

·         Music/Audio/Orchestra

Marketing and Promotion costs

·         TV Adverts

·         Print advertisements In shops on buses/billboards, in magazines, the game packaging

·         Events and launch parties

The companies within the gaming industry have begun outsourcing staff from foreign countries that freelance to fill in gaps to mass produce assets that need creating.
This is a cheaper method of time-crunching and meeting deadlines, keeping salaried full-time employees to a minimum.

Cross –Platform gaming
Releasing game titles across the multiple console market was a way for game publishers to make back their money.
This was done by contracting programmers to make ports to all major platforms:  PS3, Xbox360 and Wii, gaining a wider audience of potential buyers.
There are a minor percentage of companies who are successfully established that will stay exclusively on one console. This can boost console selling ratings depending on the quality of the game.
 

Are you Casual or Hardcore?
First of all.. What is casual and hardcore gaming?
People generically attach a casual/hardcore gamer label according to the type of game they play and how long they play it.
The debate about casual and hardcore gamers has really affected the productivity in consoles and video games made in the 2000+ era in the game Industry.
Sony and Microsoft’s video game genre mainly cater to hardcore gamers. Nintendo have always captured the casual gaming niche.
The latest console Wii, and handheld Dsi in particular held the majority of the non-gaming population, breaking barriers of older aged/younger aged male and female.
This was achieved by making more interactive family games like Wii Sport and researching younger children’s interests and designing games for them like Barbie.

http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/209524/hardcore-nintendo-why-the-wii-isnt-just-for-casual-gamers-anymore/


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

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

http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Hardcore-Gamers-Vs-Casual-Gamers-Round-1-12733.html


The gaming industry bases itself upon major competition between not only console rivalry but game companies producing video games.
The employees are faced with high pressure to produce extraordinary, high detail, playable content, which surpasses existing competitor creations. However, the company expects efficiency and effectively to accommodate their deadlines within the budget.
It is becoming continuously challenging with ever-growing game engines, software and console technology, to produce higher poly, better quality environments, characters and game play.
As the price of producing video games is rapidly increasing with no major profits seeping from it, it is ever more difficult for potential future game industry employees to break into the industry, but with great determination and practice anything is possible.
In the future, it is highly likely for video games to compete with 3D Cinemas in developing 3D video games. The ever growing technology being made for movies will eventually follow in video games.

Used

http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2005/11/crossplatform.ars/3

 http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Video_game_costs