Back again

Hello all my readers!

I am really sorry, that I have been quiet for so long. Finishing my Master of IT studies have taken quite a toll on me and thus I haven’t had the time nor the energy to write anything. Although those who have been following me on Twitter (@Japskua), have seen me alive at least there 😀

As I said, I will start writing this blog more often again. My idea is to write more things about games and my own life as a student, programmer and IT person. I will also talk about entrepreneurship and doing research as both of these are quite close to my heart. All together, everything is somewhat related to my profession – computers, as my mom would say 😀

So, welcome to my new, hopefully fresh blog. Enjoy and feel free to comment, positive or negative.

Picks of the Week 16

Hello all and welcome to the Picks number 16! First of all I want to say that FINLAND WON ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! All the goals can be seen from here. What an awesome night it was!

• Gametheory Online had an article about Creating video game trailers to enhance marketing. And just few moments after adding this link, I saw a good example of trailer you should never make. 2nd Guest Trailer.
• Nordic Game Indie Showcase has been announced. Even one Finnish (at least 50% Finnish) production is featured! YAY!
• Game Developer Magazine published its 10th annual salary survey. According to the survey, being an indie game developer does not make you rich. Individual indie devs seem to make a little over 11.000 USD per year. Read more from Indiegames.com post.
• And Crowdfunding continues. Few weeks ago I posted about the crowdfunding and introduced 8-bit gaming, that is targeted only for video games funding. Now, Gamasutra has another article that talks about the different ups and downs of different crowdfunding sites.
• RockPaperShotgun gave an interesting short review on Lume. The game itself is made completely in real-world as a carton doll-house and filmed with a video camera. Really interesting concept.
• Some still bother to make really bad games. I already had my doubts about Hydrophobia Prophecy and it seems I was right. Read the first impressions from RPS. And no, don’t make games like that, even though it sounds fun.
• Yes! Someone has answered to my silent prayers. Some of you probably remember such old games as Flashback and Another World. Well, now there is a new game continues with the glorious steps of its predecessors. May I present you: Concurrence. It seems, that also Indiegames.com featured a video of the gameplay and some more info. Go and check that out too!

Picks of the Week 15

Hello hello again! And happy labors day, the greatest day ever!

• Nintendo has announced that they are indeed making a new game console and releasing it in 2012! It seems that they will be showing of their new console in the E3 this year. What will it really be about? We will see soon 😉
• As an answer to Nintendo’s announcement, both Sony and Microsoft have said that they are targeting for 2014 with their next generation consoles. Interesting to see if Nintendo can get an upper hand with their move or what will happen in this competition of making the mega-awesomest consoler ever!
• The internet went crazy with the announcement of Nintendo and immediately GameTheory was asking for the top 10 features they want to see in the new console. Well, I think the HD graphics would just be common sense. Otherwise, I am hoping for something new, not just the boring competition of who can make the best graphics. There are more to games than that!
• Continuing with Gametheory, they also posted about the Best new video games that are (or at least should be) coming out this summer. I am still skeptical with Duke Nukem Forever… I mean, you never know 😉
• I hate everything related to Social Media gaming. Everyone is doing their facebook games or whatever social media games. That is just lame and the games are usually annoyingly BORING! They just seem to like using social media to make it look more sexy. It is not! However, I came across this interesting project of making a game that is affected by Twitter tweets. Sounds interesting, yet I don’t know how well it could work in the end. Anyway, I suggest you to take a look at least to the kickstarter page of Tweet Land and check the video. The game has already gained their funding goal, so it will be really made.
• Experimental Game Dev Podcast had a discussion about the passion behind the hit iPhone game Single Life. It is game where you have just only life (although you may train to level before actually playing for real). Maybe a little bit cliché, but people seem to like the game.
• GameSetWatch featured a trailer of a new game coming out soon for iPhone (sorry, it is not intentional to put so much Apple stuff here). A Pig’s tale: Herbert’s day out just seems quite strange a game. Read the article for trailer and more info.
• AngryAnt released a new update to the Behavior Tree tool for Unity. The tool is really good for creating AI for games using behavior trees. Really worth checking out!
• And more good news! Pirates of the Caribbean will be released as a Lego game! I loved Lego Star Wars and can’t wait to see Johny Depp as a Lego character bouncing through levels 😉

Picks of the Week 14

Happy Easter for you all! Nice to see after a few weeks break. This weeks links feature a little bit about Artificial Intelligence in games (that’s a little bit close to what I am studying currently here in Spain) as well as the normal indie related articles. Enjoy your final day of Easter and the coming week!

• Aigamedev.com is giving online classes during the weekends. Before that was only for paying subscribers, but now the live stream is FREE for everyone! The classes are really worth your time, whether you are a hardcore ai programmer or not. For more info, read the announcement.
• Continuing with the artificial intelligence in games. The open challenges in first-person shooter AI technology is yet another interesting article from the aigamedev.com site. There is a clear explanation on the problems and give a good look on what should be fixed. Another good AI post.
• DevMag had an article on how are puzzle games designed. This introduction has some history of puzzle games as well as an explanation of how to design the mechanics and also some extra links to continue your search for the perfect idea for a puzzle game.
• Gamasutra on the other hand published an article on Crowdfunding perspectives. The post features both successes and failures on getting your audience to support financially your game development. There are few good sites (although they suffer from the only-life-in-america -disease). However, if you are still interested, check out 8-bit funding (this one is for everyone in the world, not just for Americans).
• ArsTechnica discussed the problem of early reviews and indie game sales. Try not to give out pieces of games for reviews, unless you really have something to sell. The people will forget easily and for cheap titles (in my opinion 0-5 euros) they will just go and buy out the game straight after the review – or maybe never.
• GameTrailers featured a video from this years GDC in San Fransisco. In this video the creator of Syparty explains the idea behind the game and you can see some video of the gameplay. Interesting concept, I am waiting eagerly to see how this turns out to be.
• A new game called Terraria is coming out soon. Indiegames.com posted an article showing gameplay of Terraria. Seems like 2D version of Minecraft, yet it features a lot more than that. Read the post and check the video for more info.

Picks of the Week 13

Hello! As this post is coming out, I am enjoying my vacation in Morocco. The next few weeks will go without updates, because of my trip. Sorry for this, but I will be back fresh and with more energy at the end of the month 😉

• RockPaperShotgun has got their hands on information about the possible return of Max Payne. I really loved the first two ones and with the great mods (dual-wielding anyone?) it was even better 😀 Although I am a bit worried about the amount of sequels coming all the time.
• Wired has reviewed Gemini Rue, a Blade Runnerish scifi adventure game. I would really like to get my hands on this one, yet I currently don’t have enough time to play this through. However, the game will definitely go to my summer’s shop list.
• IndiePub had an interesting article about how games are getting worse by the time. The writer makes an analogue to cannibal tribe and bad genes of the royal families of Europe. At least there is a point behind the talk and I agree. Make something new.
• And where copying goes, just after reading the article above I came up with this post on Indiegames.com. Someone has done a real Metroid copy called Minitroid. The video looks exactly like metroid, with all the graphs just changed a little bit – but the weapons like bombs and rockets are there. And moving as a small rolling ball. Well, I DO love Metroid, but still. What did I just say about originality?
• Classic Video Game Deaths, the Ludologist features a nice video with a collection of deaths in different games. The music was really good for the atmosphere and the video brought back some memories. Good times.
• The Ludologist posted an amazing (although pretty long, but thorough) video of how Braid’s design choices formed from the first prototype to the final version. Really worth your time.

Picks of the Week 12

Welcome to picks number 12! This week, unlike last week, has been a slow one. I don’t know why, but it seems not much happening on the game front. However, I do have something to share with you. I don’t want to share just any random stuff, so better to have a little something worth your time than lots of time wasters.

• The Creators of the great game Machinarium have revelead that they are working under three new projects, that might be released quite soon. Hopefully.
• The Java4k competion is finally over and the results are out. The idea of the competition is to make a game with Java that is under 4 kb. Which is really nothing 😀 The final results can be read from here.
• Indiegames.com has a video from IGF where the creators of Octodad were showing their Kinect version of the game. I don’t know whether playing something on Kinect is actually that one… but, I haven’t tried, so who I am to comment?
• Okay… here is something that is definitely wrong. I mean, really, really wrong! Playmobil has created an Apple Store Playset for kids, featuring a Steve Jobbs. Where is this world going to?

Really little eh? Well, that happens.

Picks of the Week 11

Hello everyone again! Hope you remembered to change the clock forwards by one hour, ’cause the summer time has started!!!!  The weather here in Madrid has been horrible (rainy), but according to the weather forecast, things are starting to change for the better in the coming week. Wherever you live, I hope the spring is about to catch you as well 😉 While waiting for the summer to come, take a moment and check out this weeks picks 😉

• GameTheory discusses which is the best handheld game platform, iPad2 or the new Sony NGP?  In my opinion this is completely stupid discussion. iPad is a different machine, that is supposed to do other things also. Portable consoles from Sony and Nintendo are mostly about gaming and will definitely have better game experience. Those machines have buttons to push and joystick (or D-Pad) controls, which will always provide better feedback than just touching a screen.
• Game Informer had a short video interview with Lars Gustavvson (Battlefield 3) giving few tips on how to get to the game industry. In the end, not a huge surprise, but really good modding gets you far 😉
• Trine 2 is coming out soon. Here is a new trailer on the new, more beautiful Trine.
• RockPaperShotgun got their hands on Microsoft’s future plans on Game eXperience… Seems a little far fetched, but at least that is an idea to get more casual people to get hooked up and to spend their hard earned money on useless stuff (avatar clothing for sale… come on!?)
• Here is an interesting developer interview of making game graphics quite differently. They don’t do the graphics with 3D modelling software, but instead build the models in real-life world and transfer them to the game. Nice 😉
• Wired features 8 most intriguing game trailers from the PAX East. There is something new and indie, something hyped and well-known (L.A Noire!!!).
• Andy Moore posted on his blog a look at the Steambirds in numbers. Really, really interesting! Worth reading completely for anyone even vaguely dreaming on making games and actually selling those. It isn’t that easy and surprising things (in my opinion the microtransaction part) bring you surprising amounts of money…
• The makers of Amnesia posted on their blog an article on how they designed a monster to the game. A pretty good and interesting insight on creating the monster (psychologically and even computationally). Read!
• Pixothello is an awesome pixelling program to make tilesets quickly and efficiently. Go check the tool from the website and test it out! Really neat!
• Interesting finding from the depths of internet. Behind this link is a picture that appears to be a page from the design document of the first GTA game…. “The landscape will include multiple levels” 😀
• GDC Vault has opened up recordings for free from this year’s GDC (hopefully even more will follow). A more thorough look into the content can be checked out for example from IndieGames post.
• I found a great collection of game industry related books, that every developer should read. In my hour of weakness I went and bought few of them from the Kindle store. 😀

Picks of the Week 10

This is it. Already picks number 10 (yeah, I missed one, because of traveling but that happens 😉 ). Again, because of travelling, I have to beg your pardon for not having more links this week. I am not quite sure if it is just me or was this week slower than normal? Anyway, at the time of this post hitting the Internet I will be trying to recover from the Fallas. Hope you are having a better Sunday than I am 😉

• Game Theory had an article covering few tips on how the indie developers can avoid work-for-hire problem. In the end the article wasn’t really that convincing, but going full-time indie won’t probably be possible unless you don’t do some contract jobs also.
• IndiePub announced it’s 2011 Propeller awards on last Sunday. The grand prize of 50.000 dollars went to GliD. Congratulations!
• Nordic Game Conference 2011 will be held on 10-13th of May in Malmö, Sweden. This is a good place for the Nordic indies to get some publicity, get to know people and perhaps even learn something? The submissions for the Indie Night are due to 21st of March (so when you read this, you have one day 😛 ).
• Rock Paper Shotgun informed that someone has actually did a Kinect hack to use with the famous Garry’s Mod. Now it is possible to move characters according to your own real-life movements.
• Valve has permanently banned one customer because of trying to sell the Steam account to another person. Gameinformer has more insight to the matter, but this really makes you think. What if they would like to close my account for on reason or the other? That would really be a huge bummer, losing all the games I have purchased (although most of them I have bought on discount prices, but still!).
• IndiePub has a short 5 point collection of most important things go from Mochi Flash Game Summit.
• Here is a crazy game, called QWOP. The idea is to move the thighs and calves of the runner and do a great time on 100 meters sprint. One might think that’s easy but… well, give it a try 😉 I was able to reach 5 meters exact 😀
• GameSutra: How I learned to love the Indie.

Picks of the Week 9

Hello everyone again! This week I have had lots of problems with my ISP (don’t buy Vodafone) and that is one of the reasons this post is coming out rather late on the Sunday (Over 2 hours late! Shame on me 😛 ). But, instead of your morning coffee, go for the midday coffee (or tea), sit back, relax and read interesting stuff from the last 7 days 😀

• Eurogamer has a pretty nice bunch of video interviews from the last week’s GDC in San Francisco. Featuring guys like Peter Molyneux, Andy Schatz and Markus Persson. Warning! The videos are over half an hour each, so be prepared to waste your time 😛
• Scott Steinberg – a well known video game expert and the man behind Game Theory website – has released his book Videogame Marketing and PR – Vol.1 Playing to win for free download. As I have no idea how long it will stay there for free, grab it now!
• Want to hear something crazy and awesome at the same time? Here it comes: A Swedish network technology company Pikkotekk is going to make a 1000 player (yes! You read it right, thousand!) player online first person shooter! Awesome! They are trying a world record with the coming game. I got the feeling it is just a one time thing, so keep your eyes open for more info! Check the video here.
• Making games is probably every little boy’s dream (at least those who become programmers when they grow up). The life of game development isn’t always fun and the life of an independent developer is even more perilous. Here is an interesting blog post on perils of the XNA from one indie’s point of view.
• Unity (game engine) held a competition with Konkregate (an internet game portal) for the best unity made webgame. The winners have been announced. Read the results here and check out the games that scored the highest! Congratulations to all the winners!
• More on starting own companies 😀 (Yeah, I kinda do have fascination for the idea of going indie… 😉 ) Gamasutra features another Post Mortem on Bane Games’ Flick Buddies. It is a story how a four guy indie game company started doing their first game for iThingies, how it went and what should have been done otherwise. There’s always a lesson to be learned from other peoples mistakes (although the problem is normally, that you don’t learn anything if you don’t do the mistake yourself). Check out the story 😀
• Still a moment with the IGF that ended last week. Indie Games posted a collection of interviews of the winners of the IGF awards. Watch them at indiegames.com
• Analysts are waiting for Nintendo to release the next console at this years E3. Okay, so the new generation of consoles is coming and the race is going to start for the best console. Well well. What will Nintendo invent this time? A wireless mask so you can SMELL the game? Better be something decent 😛
• Many developers don’t like Apple’s app store. It is just way too easy to get lost in the ridiculous amount of apps in there. Here is a good proof that being an indie game developer for (at least solely) iPhone is not reall worth it.
• I have never been to GDC, although it would be nice (perhaps next year?) However, here is a short video on the IGF Displays on the exhibition hall. This way you get some idea what is going on (crowded!)
• A new Amnesia -like game has been released by Lasse Westmark Nielsen. Check out the trailer on his webpage and download the game for testing (it ain’t perfect, but considering it was done in such a short time, it is worth to give it a shot).

Picks of the Week 8

The week has passed among GDC 2011 in San Francisco. A lot has happened and most of all, Congratulations to Minecraft and Amnesia (this one is a definite must! At least try the demo from Steam). Good Job! Now, let’s get to the business!

• Well, everyone who is really interested in indie scene, has probably already seen the results of IGF awards. For those who have missed this (how is it possible?), read the results from here.
• The Guardian UK Games Blog has decided to start following the life of 12 indie developers during the whole year. Sounds interesting, yet only future will if the story stays interesting. Check out the introduction of the twelve devs part 1 and part 2.
• Team Meat discussed about the difficult road of making their successful hit Super Meat Boy and how they were disappointed with Microsoft’s promises for good publicity. Living the life of starting indie with almost no money ain’t a walk in the park.
• GDC had a good inspirational talk by the creators of the Humble Indie Bundle (for those who don’t know, they had a bunch of indie games for download on their website and everyone was allowed to pay whatever they felt was right – It was a huge success). The probably most important thing to notice here, is that Linux users paid more than other platform users. Maybe this is about the problem of not having decent games supported on the platform.
• IndieGames.com Podcast number 16 came out on Tuesday. Always nice stuff to listen to indie game ranting (there are really not enough indie podcasts in the web in my opinion). Listen and enjoy the guys talk.
• Unity version 3.3 was released on tuesday, featuring the long awaited Android support. Gamasutra, for example has a short story about the release.
• What are the requirements for successful independent game studio? At least to make a living? According to the developers interview by Indiegames.com they are Marketing, team work and creativity 😀 I guess that goes to most of things in life.
• Microsoft has announced their Dream.Build.Play competition for this year open. again, there are big money prices awarded for the top games created with XNA. The most important aspects being fun, creativity and uniqueness. Might be worth a shot?
• Andy Schatz, the creator of Monaco and winner of IGF 2010, gave a speech on GDC about his life as an indie before Monaco and how he ended up with the winning game. Read the speech here.
• An Awesome 5 minuter speech from the GDC about Observations on AAA Indie Games. Really, if this is the only link you look from my post, it should be this one 😀
• GDC 11 also featured a good talk by successful developers on their projects that did not succeed. Don’t make the same mistakes and read the story 😀

Here is a Commander Shepard music video 😀 Really worth watching for all Mass Effect fans.