Game History 1980 - 1990

In 1980 – 1990 era a lot more games were produced and become categorized in genres to cater towards a player’s preference and interests.

Beat em up
Beat em up genre represents competitive fighting matches featuring two playable characters facing off into a battle to the death. The battles consist of several rounds, for players to master, physical fighting techniques, combos, counter attacks and blocks to defeat there opponent.
The first defined Fighting game “Heavyweight Champ” released by Sega for Arcade gaming in 1976 featured black and white graphics combined with plastic boxing gloved controllers attacked to the Arcade machine.  
This title had no real influence on later succeeding fighting games titles, ‘Karate Champ’ and ‘The way of the Exploding Fist’ popularised martial arts close combat games in the mid 80s.
Capcom later produced Street Fighter in 1987, which did not achieve the same worldwide popularity as its later sequel SF2. If only Capcom knew how successful there game concept was going to turn out in future development.

 Universal – Arcade game producer created the first platform game In 1981, ‘Space Panic’ which mainly consists of the player climbing ladders and running across platform levels, collecting objects and avoiding the enemy.

Many other genres were produced along sidePlatform  Games

Adventure1980 – Zork
1980 - Mystery House
1984 - King’s Quest

Role-playing Games1980 –Akalabeth
1985 – Dragon Slayer II
1985 – The Bards Tale
1986 – Dragon Quest
1987 – Megami Tensei

Vehicle simulation games
1981 – Turbo
1982 – Pole Position

Rhythm game
1987 – Dance Aerobics

Scrolling shooters
1980 – Defender
1982 – Moon Patrol
1986 - Thrust

Stealth games
1981 – 005
1987 - Metal Gear

Survival horror
1981 - Haunted House
1989 – Sweet Home

Interactive Movie
1983 – Dragons Lair (First Laserdisc video game, introduced full-motion video)

Maze games
1980 – Pacman
1981 – 3D Monster Maze

Competition/Rivalry
In the 1980s Personal Computers were able to connect to a TV set offering colour graphics, and improved sound capabilities. Compared to consoles made in that era PCS generally had more memory available, games could be copied from floppy disks or cassettes tapes instead of ROM modules. Not only did PCs offer more in way of gaming but could also be used for tasks such as word processing and home accounting.
This did not go in the Console Game Industries favour which encouraged the Crash of 1983 - 1984

Consoles 1980-1890 era / Crash

The video game crash also known as Atari Debacle, fell into effect in 1983 – 1984 from a widespread market chain of low quality produced video games.
A major flood of new games in 1982s market meant stores had insufficient space to store new games and consoles. Game companies struggled to commit to Retailers refunds and quickly folded.
The quality was affected and suffered from short deadlines span and hastily financed startup companies.

Games damaged Industry reputation and profitability

E.T the Extra-Terrestrial
Pac-Man (Atari 2600 Port version)1980 Intellivision - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellivision
1981 Commodore series (Vic 20, 640) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64
1982 ZX Spectrum - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum
1983 MSX - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX
1984 Amstrad - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_CPC



This forced Industry companies that produced home computers and video consoles in America into bankruptcy causing what could be the end of second generation console video games.
In 1985 Nintendo’s resurrection of the Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) made widespread success during 1987 which brought back the gaming market.   
Rival Sega later joined Nintendo in competition with the Sega master system in 1989, from what I can remember being born in that era, you either backed and brought Nintendo (Super Mario) or Sega(Sonic) I had Nintendo, unless you’re were rich and brought both.

1985 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snes
1988 Sega Mega Drive - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Mega_Drive


                                                 1980 - Defender

1989 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

The difference in quality from 1980 – 1985 consoles from the Crash to 1985 – 1990 Nintendo and Sega’s quality from 1 year gap is major achievement, in overall graphics, game play, story and power.
1980 to 1990 era was a major development drive for the Computer Games Industry, thanks to Nintendo and Sega.

Bibliography
http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/pong4.html

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%27em_up

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_crash_of_1983

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_game#Platform-adventure_games

Experiences.. Progress.. and Reflection

I really dislike writing..
After reading other people’s blogs, I noticed they write more freely, opinionated with humor compared to my.. down to the point, Hitler,.. fact based. (zZzZzZz) :D
Im really bad with humor.. people think im so gullable i never really understand it lol

Ive never made a blog before, and I generally rarely write anything.. 
so I’ve decided to add more.. random feeling/thoughts/work progress and weekly encounters just to loosen up.
I’m SO USED to writing 3000 word essays.. fact/structured based for college, so I don’t know how to write any different.. as you can see with my earlier blogs T_T;

I did write.. a few notes, during my first 2 weeks
1^st Entry
“I was told the 1^st years the hardest (Boot Camp), you have to overcome you’re fears, youre insecurities, you’re will to not give up every time you get frustrated and want to quit because you don’t understand.
3DS Max gives me a headache modelling the Dalek, when you have no one but yourself to figure out different methods of modelling limitedly sparing Polygons Is nerve racking under a timescale.”

2^nd Entry
“I’m becoming increasingly worried about my visual design perspective drawings, I am minorly behind as I draw very slow and do not get enough sketches in for the deadline asked.”

I didn’t understand perspective, and it was frustrating me!
I kind of still don’t get it..   mhm ;_;          ..Practice makes perfect..

Imagining a random vanishing point behind brick walls and unforeseeable environment puzzled me..
Inez explained it to me, at the canal and I carried on practicing and Im getting better   

I later realised, my thumb nails were too detailed, and were purely for figuring out the right perspective, horizon line + vanishing point for your scene.

I have been ill with the flu for 2 weeks to.. so sitting outside in the freezing cold on the floor for 4 hours a day wasn’t helping. I think it was because my radiator broke, and my room was like an iceburg for 3 weeks K
I FINALLY got it fixed today, so im happy and warm :D
ehm..   Im happy we have a free week in week 4, I have so much to catch u on.. 
Im also looking forward to the Industry speaker next Wednesday ^ #

Catch up week is going too fast.. !
I dont draw fast enough n_n;

I still need to learn texturing.. and texture my bin
write my blog
and model a snooker table for my guru/grasshopper project..

but Ive been busy trying to finish my canal/arch way sketchs
I havent even started 2d perspective yet :D lol

no sweat right?  @_@;

  

 

Wednesday Today!

Its amazing to have the Art Director from Blitz do a talk and answer questions
It was interesting to learn what actually goes on in the behind closed doors, find out what there really after in recruitment potential, and know what it takes to get to the level they expect by graduation.
It defiantly gave me more drive to keep on track, and concentrate on my art skills over 3D.
One thing that did stick out to me was Visual problem solving, the most important skill an artist can have as well as there traditional skills. (Del's potential)
Im yet to figure out how to obtain this, but I’m assuming its just traditional art practice, anatomy and real life drawings, train your brain to visually problem solve over time.



1950 – 1970 History of Computer Games

In the 1950 – 1970 era, Computer Games were very simple and Arcade based which catered to the majority of gaming niches plausible for any casual player to pick up.
Computer games originated in the late 1940s using a Cathode ray tube (Vacuum tube) used in TV sets.  Scientists Thomas T Goldsmith Jr and Esle Ray Mann designed a simple electronic game inspired by World War II radar displays to accommodate this in 1947 filing a patent.
Due to equipment costs and various circumstances the Amusement Device was never released to the marketplace.

In 1951, Ralph Baer a TV Engineer at Loral, was asked to produce a new TV Set design for his Boss,  Ralph had broader ideas for his concept adding  playable games to the television set.
Sam Lackoff, Ralphs Boss did not comprehend this idea and was dismissed. 1952 a guy named Douglas with a Degree background from Cambridge wrote his thesis on Human Computer Interaction.
Douglas illustrated this with a graphic Tic-Tac-Toe game, even though people do not relate to this as “real video game” It still stands to be the first design to hit a playable computer screen.

In 1958 an Engineer from Brookhaven National Laboratories Willy Higginbotham produced a game using an oscilloscope and analog computer called Tennis For Two based on two hand controls.
Due to the lab equipment expenses the game got dismantled after two years to be reused In Labs, but was later remade in 1997 for the 50^th anniversary of BNL.

 

In 1961 three students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) programmed a game titled Space war on the DEC PDP-1 computer.
Martin Graetz, Stephen Russell and Wayne Wiitanen a hard core group of computer nerds called themselves the ‘Tech Model Raidroad Club’ between them they developed the idea of two spaceships with limited fuel supplies battling against each other in a missile duel. 
The game was eventually distributed with the new DEC computers and traded throughout the internet crediting as the first influential computer game.

 

In September 1966 Ralph came back to his concept Idea from 1951 of playing video games on a TV Set and began building several prototypes one of them being ‘Chase Game’.
Debate has being immersing for several years on who invented the video game?
Ralph Baer is accordingly credited as the inventor of the first video game.

In 1969 Ken Thompson wrote a game called Space Travel who was programmed by Jeremy Ben from AT&IT for the Multics operating system. The game was simulated to travel in the solar system; development shows this game spurred the evolution of the Unix operating system.
The Significance of each Inventor changes from there background identity, knowledge, equipment and resources available in that era.
Scientists In 1947 based there game upon Scientific formulas using diagrams of voltage, making logical decisions based on a set of algorithms. Degree background and Industry based commercial companies produce different results as there mind set differs and provides different out-comes.

Bibliographyhttp://www.pong-story.com/

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

http://www.jesperjuul.net/thesis/2-historyofthecomputergame.html

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcomputer_videogames.htm

http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/pong.html

 

Inside Kerry Jones

Carpe Diem - Cease the day 

“See something you want, Go For it.
Dont think twice, Go For it
Dont leave this earth with nothing to show for it” (Jin)

Inspiration is universal and is what drives me further to get where I want to be.  I know what I want, and plan to work hard to get there.

My names Kerry Jones apart from my passion for video games I love movies, music and piano.
I’m from Birmingham, although.. I do not have the strong accent. :P (THANK GOD) :D  nothing against Brummy accents.. *cough*   If you’re from Birmingham.. Please don’t kill me ;_;

Game Art Design at DMU originally wasn’t my first choice, it is so hard to weave out the generic “Game Design” courses around, that do not entail what you expect it to. (Programming, Game Design and Constant essays writing). 
Attending the presentation/Interview really opened my eyes to what an extraordinary course it actually is. DMU GA Mainly focuses on Art, solely as Software’s upgrade and change but you’re artist core always stays with you and what situates you from your peers.
In the past I’ve studied many courses that have minimal art foundation in and were refreshed at what DMU had to offer as a degree basing modules around what the game Industry desire.  (Sculpting) !             

I instantly knew this is where I wanted to spend the next 3 years of my life studying, growing as a artist and individual.

I know where my weaknesses lie, my ambition for this year, is to eliminate my insecurities and anxiousness around Perspective Drawing, Digital Painting, 2D Character Design, Modelling and Presentation speaking.

A big part of the education process is learning about yourself and how your brain works/learns.
I found, I become apprehensive and unwilling in areas I’m unsure of and do not understand.
In the past I’ve been known to avoid these problems instead of facing it head on and overcoming the problem with ‘PRACTICE’! 

Therefore subject areas become less intimidating and more enjoyable.

My experience so far, what I really love about the course, Is each week you learn a great deal, some can say It drops you in the deep end.  But that’s what initially drives you to learn faster and excel.
I defiantly chose the right course, and hope to give 100% to the rest of my experience at DMU in Game Art Design.

My dream job would be an Environment Artist, which mainly focuses on 3D Modelling, Texturing, Lighting, Sculpting, and Most importantly Traditional Skills.

I want to mainly focus my time in drawing and learning anatomy, understanding perspective like its second nature and building appreciation and ability to make good artistic judgement.
I need to learn colour theory, values, composition, and begin to think in 3D.

I intend to develop these skills by using my personal learning time carefully, drawing environments outside, researching tutorials and books, practicing anatomy, digital painting and putting in extra hours modelling In 3DS Max.