Features

By Mike Wall at September 29, 2011.

Sound Design In Gaming: An Art Not Yet Forgotten

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Dave Voyles in Features | 7 Comments

Image comes courtesy of the Video Game Music Archive

Direct X 11, Anti- Aliasing, Shader Model 3.0: all of these are cutting edge graphic technologies that developers, and now even gamers, have spewing from the tip of their tongues. But what about that which complements the aesthetics of a scene best – the sounds, whether effects or music, that blanket these beautifully rendered worlds?

For years, soundtracks have had the ability to define console generations. I fondly recall my first experience with Sega Saturn at its North American launch in 1994 when I placed that Panzer Dragoon disc into the tray and was awestruck by the beauty of the title’s soundtrack. The first level opens with a powerful orchestra lead by triumphant violins as you pilot a dragon over what was then considered beautiful environments. Mesmerized, I thought “we’ve arrived at the next generation,” after growing up on the 8-bit consoles.

The Best XBLIG New Releases for the week of September 18

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Mike Wall in Features, xblig | Leave a comment

Would you just look at those shiny blue packages? It’s almost enough to take a retro, aka fossilized, gamers like us back to the glory days of Sega when every system had its own color-coded banner. It’s been a wild few weeks with the onslaught of Summer Uprising releases. Can this week continue the deluge of awesome indie gaming? You’ll have to check our impressions to find out!

New Release of the Week!

The Fall of Gods – Taylor

Knowing that its story would take too long, this demo allows you to save, and encourages you to start up the demo again to load your save and continue. Chances are you’ll want to. It has a pure Secret of Mana feel, just with a character that moves a bit to fast to control.

Puzzled Rabbit - Mike

Puzzled Rabbit is one of those puzzle games where you stare at the screen searching for that elusive correct answer that appears to be dangling in front of your face like a delicious carrot. The object is to have the rabbit push the blocks through the maze to their designated resting spots, but finding the proper sequence and angles to push the blocks from is much easier said than done. You have the ability to rewind any moves that you make, which gives you the freedom to try different combinations and sequences.

We Recommend

Don’t Feed the Trolls – Dave

This is a silly game which relies on quick reflexes to A) Feed hungry bears and B) Not feed the trolls. Optionally, you can use the right stick to slap a troll, granting you additional points. It’s kind of like Whac-A-Mole, but on XBLIG. Also, the game is curiously devoid of any type of music. If you enjoy reflex games, then definitely give it a try.

Sideral Defense – Mike

Sideral Defense is part RTS and part tower defense set in space. The objective is to protect the central planet from attack by harvesting resources and building defensive units. It doesn’t look to be mixing it up too much, but the ability to actually collect resources in addition to building structures and the fact that the action is in real time sets it apart from most other tower defense games.

Other Releases

Project Windstorm – Erron - Ichigo from Bleach is some kind of wonky parachute jumper

Avatar Fighter Online - Taylor - Battle High San Bruno just hadoukened this game to the ground.

Pigs Can’t Fly - Dave - A mediocre game which could be great if the developers put a bit of time into it. Pretty backdrops, but directions are not clear, levels end abruptly, and the controls take some getting used to. I’d say pass for now, but with a bit more work, it could be entertaining.

Tunnelvision – Erron - It’s a weird behind-the-back shmup, but it looks amazing. It might be worth a look if you want a shmup that does something new, but it’s still a shmup.

Game Frenzy – Mike – Well, there are a lot of games, but it’s a shame that none of them are all that great.

PAX 2011: 0 to Indie in 5 Easy Steps

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Dave Voyles in Features | Leave a comment

The barrier to entry for independent game development is often cited as being extremely low, but with the ease of entry also comes the ability to fail just as easily. On a Saturday afternoon at PAX‘s Wolfman theater, Fire Chief of Fire Hose Games, Eitan Glinert, hosted a panel of budding independent game developers. Throughout the duration of this 60 minute meeting, panelists cited examples of some of the best and worst practices in the business.

The Vertical Slice

The panel opened with Jake Kazdal, who works as Art Director for Haunted Temple Studios (Skulls of the Shogun), stating the concept of the vertical slice. Never underestimate how important it is to have one solid piece of work to demo to a publisher or an audience. “Define the game with one initial kernel,” was Kazdal’s opening statement. Rather than have a series of incomplete thoughts, utilize one clearly defined product which will represent a solid portion of the rest of the title, specifically something that will inform viewers of what to expect in the finished product.

The Best XBLIG New Releases for the Weeks of September 4 and September 11

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Mike Wall in Features, xblig | 2 Comments

Okay, we sort of dropped the ball with the new release post last week, but that’s okay since it turned out to be a pretty crummy week of releases anyway. The good news is that we’ve made up for the folly with a double dose of new releases! We have an Indiana Jones wannabe, disgruntled sea creatures and an RPG about pimps. Looks like a pretty average (meaning insane) week for Xbox Live Indie Games.

We Recommend

Dead Pixels – Erron

This game is sick. It’s an 8-bit zombie-killing RPG. You gotta get out of the city, earn money from killing zombies to visit shops and buy ammo and weapons to keep going. Super well done.

GDC Europe 2011: Industry vets share tips on approaching publishers Part 2

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Dave Voyles in Features, PC, PSN, XBLA, xblig | 3 Comments

In part 2 of this feature, we’ll introduce you to some of gaming’s more prominent publishers and find out exactly what they are looking for in a development team. If the anxiety of pitching your next title to a publisher has got you at wit’s end, then this is probably a good place to start to cool those nerves. You can find part 1 here

Put some faith in people

When someone says “Yeah, I’ll pass the message along,” do you ever get the feeling that you’re just getting blown off? While that may be true in most cases, it doesn’t hurt to put a bit of faith in people from time to time either. “Microsoft is spectacular with spreading the world of your content within their offices,” proclaimed XBLA Portfolio Director Chris Charla. “Just ask ‘please forward my e-mail,’ and they will.” So if you tell one person about a bit of information, put some faith in the fact that they just may spread the good world. Would I put all of my eggs in that basket? Probably not, but hey, it couldn’t hurt, right?

The Best XBLIG New Releases for the Week of August 28

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Mike Wall in Features, xblig | 7 Comments

It’s a good thing we have the holiday weekend to work with because it was another insane week of Xbox Live Indie Game releases. Last week’s trend of high quality releases continues, thanks in part to the Indie Games Summer Uprising. But, there are plenty of gems that the Uprising overlooked, so drop in and check out the best of this week’s XBLIG releases!

Our Picks

All of the Bad Parts – Mike

What a strange, but interesting game. All of the Bad Parts is a hybrid side-scrolling beat-em up and adventure game. The writing seems snappy and fun, and while the combat seems a bit basic at first, the game promises that eventually the hero will learn some new moves and combos. It also has an impressive cell-shaded look that helps it stand out from a lot of other indie games. Read more

GDC Europe 2011: Industry Vets Share Tips on Approaching Publishers

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Dave Voyles in Features, PC, PSN, XBLA, xblig | 4 Comments

In part 1 of this feature, we’ll introduce you to some of gaming’s more prominent publishers and find out exactly what they are looking for in a development team. If the anxiety of pitching your next title to a publisher has got you at wit’s end, then this is probably a good place to start to cool those nerves.

On the second day of GDC Europe, panelists from a variety of publishers shared what were some of the best and worst practices for pitching a game to a publisher. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, each offered a unique perspective, from Triple-A titles down to mobile gaming.

Is mobile gaming a viable solution?

While on the topic of mobile gaming, Capcom’s Christian Svensson, senior VP of strategic planning and business development (whew, that’s a mouthful), stated that they are currently showing strong support for both first party and third party mobile products. Two distinct divisions exist within Capcom’s mobile division, both of which are largely incubated in Japan. The first is Capcom-IP focused; therefore, they concentrate on existing intellectual properties, such as the Resident Evil and Street Fighter franchises, while the other is non-Capcom-IP focused and are usually developed by third-party developers.

The Best XBLIG New Releases for the Week of August 21

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Mike Wall in Features, xblig | 7 Comments

The Indie Games Summer Uprising kicked off last week, and it was perfectly timed with PAX Prime, GDC Europe and GamesCom to ensure that we were as short-handed as possible to handle the deluge of excellent new indie releases. Thankfully, I had the perfect excuse to stay indoors and check out all of the new demos (something about a hurricane?). It was a heck of a week for indie releases, so read on to find out what’s worth playing and educate yourself on all the hot new office assistant simulators.

Our Picks of the Week

Raventhorne

Raventhorne kicked off the Indie Games Summer Uprising last week, and while it might not be the most innovative game on the block, it certainly is a pretty one. You play as a fallen Norse hero looking to, well, pretty much demolish everything on his path for revenge. The 2D graphics are extremely detailed and the enemy design is pretty gruesome as well. It feels pretty familiar with light attacks, heavy attacks and magic, but 2D action fans should check this one out. Read our full review.

« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next »

Search the Octopus

Features

Sound Design In Gaming: An Art Not Yet Forgotten