tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90271412007-07-10T07:31:14.306-07:00Joystick: video game hype and tripeMichael ChengBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-70821978945614300162007-06-21T20:42:00.000-07:002007-06-21T20:43:22.494-07:00Mic Check1,2,3...Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1160118617160241752006-10-05T23:30:00.000-07:002006-10-06T00:10:17.216-07:00RespectIt's such a hard thing to pin down. How does one earn it or develop it for another?
Is it through?...
loyalty
merit
excelling
giving
taking
sharing
checking egos
being judicious
leading
following
setting examples
effort
tenacity
strength
flexibility
smarts
shrewdness
Is it all of them? It's like everyone has their own weird way of developing or interpreting it. Regardless of how it comes Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1156837390306983792006-08-29T00:26:00.000-07:002006-08-29T00:43:10.323-07:00Lesson LearnedAs I grow through my learning experience of being a lead level designer, I have been taught a valuable lesson. Don't release control over any part of the level design. I thought that I could let an area of our game go with a level designer that I trust. Even after this disaster I will still continue to trust him. However by doing so it's like I opened the door to the sharks. Now that I'm Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1156390695097969122006-08-23T20:36:00.000-07:002006-08-23T20:48:34.770-07:00Follow your dreams... or get real?At first I was going to subtitle this post "Follow your game-making dreams like a crack-crazed, howling, insensate lemming plunging from the peaks of Mt. Everest into the fiery pits of Hell itself."
However, on learning more about the project, I will reserve judgement because I simply don't know all the facts. It looks like the tech demo might be alright.
What am I talking about? I'm preaching d. changtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1156355909587271572006-08-23T10:57:00.000-07:002007-01-17T11:01:17.530-08:00Five things NOT to do when starting your game projectDamon's doing a lot RIGHT with Kaos War. He's working hard. He's motivating people just by his presence and his words. He's recruiting talented people from around the world - people he's never even met.
This guy has charisma, and he's getting stuff done.
For Chrissake, the guy actually managed to get real funding from a game company. He deposited a check. I've never deposited a check except as d. changtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1154200517139035242006-07-29T11:53:00.000-07:002006-07-29T12:15:17.156-07:00The light at the end of the tunnelLast night I was at the office until some insane hour of midnight. Yeah talk about loserville on a Friday night. Thanks to how much I have been working lately my dating life has fallen off a cliff. So if there are any lovely ladies out there in Los Angeles reading this and can take pity on an overworked game designer email me. Anyway back to the point at hand.
So even though I have been Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1153795355617470702006-07-24T19:39:00.000-07:002006-07-24T19:42:35.633-07:00I'm meltingggggggggggggggggggArgh it is scorching hot in Los Angeles right now and our air conditioning in the office is broken. It makes it impossible to think, and it makes the day to day stress of development that much more explosive. I'm finding myself sweating (literally) a discussion even when I'm not even that concerned about it. Add the current overtime schedule and you get the idea. Calgon take me away.Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1153207356178560342006-07-18T00:19:00.000-07:002006-07-18T00:22:36.176-07:00Why Hip Hop Sucks in 96As DJ Shadow puts it in Endtroducing, "It's the money..."
A decade later. That's why video games suck in 06.Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1153207040596963872006-07-18T00:17:00.000-07:002006-07-18T00:17:20.610-07:00Ode to thee board of whitenessWhiteboards are the best. I don't know how I've been able to survive without one by my side for so long. Instead of I've been amassing piles of paper that have endless sketches, doodles, and notes on them. Maybe it's the smell of the markers that makes me happy when I'm drawing and explaining ideas on one. I wish there was a whiteboard that could vectorize images drawn on it and dump it Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1151864141113843822006-07-02T10:56:00.000-07:002006-07-02T11:15:41.130-07:00SimCity Los AngelesI think that Will Wright is on to something good with the latest expansion of SimCity 4 Rush Hour. He should tie SimCity 4 Rush Hour into a city planning simulation of Los Angeles. Built into this game should be a tracking system that would relay the results to the urban planning department of Los Angeles. Due to the popularity of SimCity, researchers could collect a large pool of test data ofMichael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1151778168743562402006-07-01T10:46:00.000-07:002006-07-01T11:22:48.830-07:00Embrace the ChaosSorry I've been missing in action again. I've been struggling a lot lately with my feelings towards my job. Some days I wish I had a nine to five job where I wouldn't have to stress out at work and collect my paycheck. But then I remember when I was doing that at a bank and how I was driven crazy by boredom and monotony. That's what drove me to search and stumble across the video game Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1151728755258565532006-06-30T21:22:00.000-07:002006-06-30T21:39:15.276-07:00flash playI feel compelled to let you kind folks know about this webgame from the guys at the Wooden Robot (a comedy troupe in San Francisco that does web stuff and films too).
While not exactly 3D splendor, it does encompass a significant portion of the human experience, if you know what I mean. It's a statement. Check it out. (You want to empty the bag.)
If you're looking for something a little higher d. changtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1149973106367755872006-06-10T12:59:00.000-07:002006-06-30T21:55:08.060-07:00Gaming vs. theatreOn Wednesday, I helped to judge a videogame contest here in Austin. It's a two-month project involving teams of aspiring game creators who collaborate, squabble, and ideate (isn't that a crap word?) in an attempt to generate something unique and marketable (aren't those antithetical?).
Both teams came up with functioning demos using the Unreal Tournament 2004 engine, and both had some cool ideasd. changtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1148714179762985372006-05-26T23:10:00.000-07:002006-05-27T00:16:19.780-07:00You, me and WiiYou probably wonder what has been happening since I last posted. Well here is the abridged version;
I got a freelance job. Then a got a contract job for Black Point Studios. Suddenly I had 2 jobs. I was working all day at Black Point and then come home to work on the freelance before I go to bed. Luckily this weekend I have downtime on both jobs. I also got a White DS lite from Japan (Danieltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1145660817539234012006-04-21T15:14:00.000-07:002006-04-21T16:06:57.586-07:00Pepsi, Wrinkles, Pixels and Michael BoltonI have recently had to work on five different programs for making art. I remember in school people were either using Maya or 3d Studio Max for their 3d modeling. Students were so passionate about their one program, it was on the line of Yankees vs Red Socks, Coke vs Pepsi, or Jessica vs Ashlee Simpson. Come into the "real world" and peoples preferences are less intense but now its the Danieltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1145001197114083092006-04-14T00:39:00.000-07:002006-04-14T00:53:17.133-07:00One of these days...It's like the saying that money makes the world go 'round. The more success that video games garner the more money that is getting pumped into it and is at stake. Guess who shows up then? Marketers, producers, advertisers and people who have commercial interests yet have opposing "creative" visions typically. The industry stinks in my opinion right now. Everyone is clamoring to tie into Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1144459895745653272006-04-07T17:52:00.000-07:002006-04-07T23:57:18.436-07:00Gameplay and Playing GamesI went to my local EB game store and looked at the demo of a baseball game. What got me was the delivery of the pitch. Fastballs, curve balls, change ups and some rising pitches. What hit me was that while I was watching this, I really wanted these styles of throws to be added in a first person shooter. Imagine throwing a curve ball or sidearm a grenade around a corner. Maybe adjusting yourDanieltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1144139332235189852006-04-04T01:11:00.000-07:002006-04-04T01:28:52.283-07:00A new tack on the thumbtackMan, Michael, you're on a tear...! Very impressive.
Well, I wanted to respond to Mike's post from March 6th with some new angles. Hopefully you folks will find it interesting to see two designers honing and whacking on an idea a little - and hopefully Mike won't mind. ;)
On the 6th, Mike brainstormed up a bold new idea that pivots on something very common yet also very evocative - the thumbtackd. changtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1143539606371792802006-03-28T01:01:00.000-08:002006-03-28T01:53:26.516-08:00InspirationIt can be a slow burn that eventually catches up to you. Sometimes it never does. Other times it comes freely without effort. It's funny how we fool ourselves into thinking we have any sort of control over it.Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1143179076403712982006-03-23T20:51:00.000-08:002006-03-23T21:44:36.450-08:00The GDC and meI would have to say the GDC was a fun / productive experience for me. I arrived on Wednesday a bit before noon and immediately went to the job fair. I got to see some old friends and teachers, recieved good feedback from my portfolio, and even got a few interviews. After I dropped off my reel to the places I wanted to apply, I went with my friends to amass a bagful of freebies. My friend Danieltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1143095049062401252006-03-22T22:17:00.000-08:002006-03-22T22:24:09.076-08:00God of War 2Woohoo! My game was officially announced today at GDC. It's nice to know that our game exists now, and we can all start working on it.Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1143022187512090732006-03-22T02:05:00.000-08:002006-03-22T20:30:37.836-08:00GDC countdownThe Game Developer's Conference (GDC) is this week and I will be attending from Wednesday to Friday mostly for the job fair. I went last year before I graduated and was impressed by all the displays and products. Sony had PSP units you could play and Nintendo had Donkey Konga and their handheld Nintendo DS on display. It was a blast for me last year but this year is more serious. I didn'tDanieltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1142923869001584752006-03-20T22:42:00.000-08:002006-03-20T22:51:09.023-08:00GDC - Gouge Developers' CashWhy is the Game Developers Conference so f*&king expensive? It's not like you walk away with the magic potion that makes games fun. I went one year when my company paid for it. It was cool to network and listen to people rant. But seriously if this conference is about networking more than education, shouldn't it be a whole lot cheaper so it draws more people? Or maybe I'm just a cheap skate.Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1142578364090439962006-03-16T22:36:00.000-08:002006-03-16T22:52:44.103-08:00E3I haven't been to E3 since my first year in the games industry which was back in the year 2000. It's funny reflecting back on that time because I was such a different person back then. I haven't been to E3 since then. It was great seeing the expo first hand, but I felt like I could get the news and scoops faster through the internet. It would also save me a trip to Los Angeles and the Michael Chengtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9027141.post-1142323991777679642006-03-13T23:38:00.000-08:002006-03-14T00:13:11.790-08:00BlindedI just finished reading EGM's review of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW). It's disheartening to hear what some reviewers have to say about next-gen games. A reviewer who gave this game a 10 out of 10 has this to say about it. "GRAW looks and sounds good. Really good."
Wait a second. How does it play? Doesn't that matter? In the same review he says, "If you can overcome its fairly Michael Cheng