Business - Epic Games
October 24, 2008
Rumor: Legendary Pictures Possible Acquisition of Epic Games
Rumors have arisen once again for game giant Epic Games. The game development company is famous for its top selling Gears of War which is in the process of being made into a full length motion picture.
The company that has partnered with Epic, Legendary Pictures is also the company rumored to be negotiating with the company for possible acquisition. This information is based on an article posted Friday October 24, 2008 by WRAL Local Tech Wire. According to the article executives from both companies denied comment and no mention of the rumor is to be found on Epic’s website.
Epic is located in Cary, North Carolina, a great town between Raleigh and Chapel Hill. Programmers and artists might like to know that the Epic website has a page about jobs for Xbox and next-gen PC development teams. They like C++ (doesn’t everybody?).
Nintendo Plans for a Strong Future
August 5, 2008
Monday August 4, 2008 the Wall Street Journal featured an interview with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. Iwata discussed the future of Nintendo as well as some of the Wii accessories that we can expect to see in stores soon. The two accessories unveiled by Nintendo this month are: the Wii Motion Plus and the Wii Speak. Wii Motion Plus is an attachment that makes the Wii controller more responsive to the movements of its operator. Wii Speak enables players to be able to communicate with other players remotely while a game is being played.
Iwata said that most of the ideas that the company had for Wii accessories have already debuted and that there are not plans of releasing very many more. According to Iwata the Wii accessories are to enhance the Wii experience as well as help to incorporate a larger customer base.
Iwata also addressed the fact that Nintendo is making strides beyond the Wii to reach out to a larger gaming demographic. With the launch of the portable Nintendo DS in November of 2004, Nintendo has attracted an increasing amount of women and older consumers. Iwata stated that Nintendo DS is working towards gaining features that will encourage consumers to carry their DS with them at all times. Some of the features that are now offered on the DS system are its wireless features that enable to device to receive airport transfer information and even order food at a sporting event remotely.
Nintendo is working hard to remain where it is in the industry and constantly striving to secure that position by increasing the base consumer.
Demographics of Today’s Gamers
July 25, 2008
Women are making an increasing appearance in the gaming arena. Wii and interactive PC games respond to the niche created by gaming women. Nintendo Wii is among the first systems to implement programming specifically to target the older, non-gaming and female audiences.
Wii creators have realized their explosion into a larger demographic, but is everyone else keeping up? The answer is yes, or at least attempting to do so. The PlayStation 3 has also tried to break out of its “shell” but with less success. The price of the PS3 helps to limit the amount of consoles available to young gamers, especially children. Many parents are hesitant to pay $599 so that their ten year old can increase his gaming abilities. In order to increase its appeal to the masses PS3 creators tend to advertise the consoles Blue-ray and CELL technologies, instead of the focus of its predecessors. In an attempt to make this a more “adult friendly” machine, the PlayStation may have in fact detached itself from its most reliable demographic, young teenage males counting on getting the latest and greatest from their parents for Christmas. Only time will tell how the PS3 holds up to the competition.
Nielsen studies track the booming generation of women participating in online gaming communities. What is being done to address the need for more “female friendly” gaming opportunities? Little adjustments here and there, major changes are now popping up in all systems that change the stereotype of antisocial, basement gamer. The most popular systems: Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 are all built around networking capabilities that allow interaction between participants. As a gamer, female or male, you are no longer isolated to play by yourself but automatically plugged into a virtually endless community. As programmers and developers work at increasing their demographic and chasing the flagship waves created by the Nintendo Wii we can look forward to more interaction and a definite change in the stereotypical “gamer”.
Three Must Have Game Programming Books
July 18, 2008
For the programmer who is looking to expand his options, books on programming are the most successful way to go. Technical book stores have lists of popular programming books that can help with the technical issues.
The three most popular and best reviewed books are: “Game Programming Gems;” “World of Warcraft Programming,” and “The Game Maker’s Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners.”
I decided to check out “The Game Maker’s Apprentice” first. First impressions with this book were good. This manual uses illustrations and easy to understand explanations which allow anyone and everyone interested in game programming to be able to participate. The great thing about The Game Maker’s Apprentice is that it shows you how to create games using the Game Maker game creation tool. Game Maker is a hit for beginning game programmers because you can create a game through use of the Game Maker tool without having any prior coding experience. Coding, which can be difficult for some new programmers is completely eliminated in this manual and instead uses a very easy drag and drop interface.
Continuing on my quest for a great programming book I kept coming across comments pointing toward “Game Programming Gems”. This is a series is more geared towards the working Visual c/C++ game programmer. It is much more technically written and less user friendly. As far as getting the job done it does just that, with over 60 programming tips from experts in the field. Many programming sites list it as their number one programming guide. I would definitely recommend this to someone seriously diving in and missing the time they spend during the school year with text books. This is not a light and fluffy read but you will not regret it. Over twenty other books cite this book. That shows what a great comprehensive series this really is. The topics covered in this book are numerous but really seem to be in touch with exactly what a programmer needs. I especially found it helpful with lighting calculations and curved surfaces, two areas that I have always struggled with. For whatever area is holding you back in your game development this really is the best book for you.
“World of Warcraft Programming: A Guide and Reference for Creating Wow Addons”, who doesn’t love World of Warcraft. I would have to say for myself it really is the game that got me interested in programming. I love any opportunity to develop World of Warcraft which is why I really like this book. This again is a great book for any level of programmer. It is designed to fit the needs of every skill level and I feel does a great job at that.
iPhone 3G Brings New Game Programming Opportunities
July 11, 2008
iPhone 3G Games and Programming
The iPhone 3G is the world’s most advanced smart phone, and game programming opportunities are coming with it. You can now access Apple’s software developer kit, from the Apple website to start programming iPhone 3G programs.
Apple has a developer program, that will cost between $99 and $299 depending on your software design goals. This program will allow developers to develop, test and distribute their iPhone applications. The downside to this program is the wait time. Apple was not prepared for the large turn out of iPhone enthusiasts willing to pay money to try their hand at programming. Most people are being placed on the wait list for enrollment. The exciting part of being able to distribute applications is the possible profit a programmer can gain from sharing their hobby with the iPhone community. Apple splits the proceeds with developers 30-70, a good payment if the game becomes popular.
Also as a benefit to those hoping to break into iPhone programming, iTunes has set up a series of instructional videos with their engineers. The link takes you to a page on the Apple website titled the Apple Developer Connection. Consider it the motivational realm for programmers needing a pick me up of inspiration. The tutorials are lectures are given by some of Apple’s leading developers that go in depth on the process of development from idea to distribution. There are also important segments on coding.
For those not so interested in game programming there are plenty of new great applications available for download in the iTunes store. This is the first time since iPhone’s first release a little over a year ago that Apple has allowed outside companies to produce applications for their prized smart phone and it seems to really be paying off. Although lots of the games do cost some money to download there are plenty that are absolutely free. The range in price for games starts around $4.99 and can be as high as $9.99.
For those of you still sporting the first version of the iPhone, no need to be afraid of becoming obsolete, Apple still cares about you and remembers that not that long ago you dropped nearly $600 on their iPhone. In order to bring your phone up to speed just download the new 2.0, which will download automatically when you connect your iPhone to the iTunes library it was installed with. This update will allow every iPhone user, old or new, to enjoy the new benefits that the iPhone 3G has to offer including the new games.
Wii User Feedback
July 9, 2008
Wii Fit Recreates Home Exercise
What can bring out the competitive nature in even non-gamers, put a family in front of the TV and give the participants a work out all at the same time? The Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo Wii has had phenomenal success since it first hit the shelf. The Wii fills a niche that has been difficult for programmers to enter into until now. The Wii allows participants to actually move, swing, bat and even exercise in order to cause a response in the game or virtual world.
Not only is the Wii a mode of entertainment it is also being used in the medical field to assist with physical therapy as well as encourage couch potatoes to get off their seats and participate. Although the Wii’s original early games also required physical movements from the participants it is the Wii Fit program that has many people forgetting that the Wii is a gaming device altogether.
Wii fit allows the participant, Wii gamers are considered participants because they are actually partaking in the virtual world, to perform physical tasks similar to those achieved in a structured class at any health club. The difference is however that with the Wii you are able to in the comfort of your own living room partake in a virtual fitness class and receive feedback from your computerized instructor. At first thought to the pessimistic anti-gaming personality the Wii fit may seem hoaky, but in reality the feedback and calculations you receive during your workout are a combination of complex weights and measures determined by the Wii balance board.
The Wii balance board design was inspired by sumo wrestlers. The creators used a series of two separate scales, in the same fashion that sumo wrestlers are weighed, in order to receive two different data readings from the two feet of the participant. Through Wii fit the participant can follow the onscreen commands and directions for many yoga or pilates positions as well as simulate skiing, using a hula hoop and dancing.
Although the initial The Wii fit is a new way to exercise in the comfort of your home and eliminates virtually all excuses for avoiding a work out by making it fun, interactive and extremely accessible.
Does the Future Belong to the PS3?
July 2, 2008
So in the local Costco the other day, checking on a Blu Ray player for HDTV. The player was just under $400, and on the next aisle was a PS3 for $500.
The PS3 includes a blu-ray player. The blu ray specs are: BD/DVD/CD Drive (Read Only), Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM), DVD 8x (DVD-ROM), CD 24x (CD-ROM).
Sony says
“Sony’s PlayStation 3 games are encoded onto the Blu-Ray disc media format, which can hold six times as much data as traditional DVDs. This increase in capacity, combined with the awesome power of its processor and graphics card, promises mind-blowing games once developers have learned how to fully harness the new console’s power.”
An old review from PCWorld took a look and found “But can the PS3 perform competitively with stand-alone Blu-ray players from consumer electronics makers? The short answer is yes. In my initial hands-on tests, the PS3’s Blu-ray Disc playback was very good–even better than I’d anticipated.”
The said reviewer found great video but some drawbacks in movie navigation.
Much newer feedback, June 2008 from Variety magazine, points out how well the sales of the PS3 are doing, second to Wii and ahead of xbox. The PS3 with its Blu-ray player inside, appears to be benefiting from Blu-ray’s victory over HD DVD in the high-def disc format war. The XBox offered an HD DVD adapter, but has not yet offered a Blu-ray feature.
The PS3’s growing game selection and price cuts last year are also giving the PS3 a boost.
Another $100 and you get the game console. How many people will just pay the $100 and get into games?
Some newer PS3 games, for example Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune are looking excellent. Lair and Heavenly Sword look excellent and have great action. Compared to the xbox, the PS3 is a more quality finish product. The PS3 has maximum potential.
PS3 has something for everyone, and is a great long-term investment. So this leaves us with a couple of questions.
Will the developers be able to write for this platform as well as for the xbox? How can you get your programmer team started?
To be continued …
What works, what doesn’t work?
June 14, 2008
If, hypothetically speaking, you have:
- a great setting and story idea including conflict,
- emotion-triggering images, and
- possibility of great loss or great victory,
then what is the fastest way to translate to the screen?
As a different version of the same question, what game program method is most likely to result in wasted effort and non-working code?
This investigation continues …
