Click to enlarge
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Minor Project 8 - Option 2: The Maze Game Mechanic
Players will have to traverse the maze and make it out alive. Points are awarded for traps successfully evaded, puzzles solved, doors unlocked, and encounters with the creature successfully avoided. Players may earn bonus points for acquiring the hidden documents and clues left around by previous maze-captives. The player loses points at the end of the game, whether or not they succeed, based on damage taken, health packs used, and puzzles failed.
When the player wins or loses, points earned and lost are tallied up and the player is given a total score.
When the player wins or loses, points earned and lost are tallied up and the player is given a total score.
Minor Project 8 - Option 1: The Backstory for a Maze Game
You awaken inside a room. You have no idea how you got there, or why you're even there in the first place. You find a note that says you will be rewarded with one wish if you can make it out of the maze in front of you......ALIVE! There are various traps set up all over the maze, as well as someone, or something, hunting you down. The maze is pitch black, but you are supplied with a flashlight. Initially you have 2 extra batteries, but you can find more scattered around the maze. If you are injured due to the traps or the thing hunting you, you may be able to find a health pack or two to heal yourself.....if you're still alive that is! Some doors in the maze require keys to unlock them, switches to be pressed, or puzzles to be solved. You may try to escape the maze as fast as possible, and get your reward as well as your life, or you could try and hunt for the various clues the previous captives of this maze have left behind, and find out the secret behind your mysterious captor and his motives. Can you survive the maze?
Monday, October 15, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Minor Project 7 - Option 2: Backstory
My character comes from a long line of martial artists. For generations his family has passed down their style of fighting. When my character was very young, he displayed a huge amount of stamina and strength, so my character started training at a much younger age than the rest of the family. Although he is very eager in his training, he can become very overconfident and easily lose focus. He wishes to one day master his training and make his family proud.
.JPG)
.JPG)
Minor Project 7 - Option 1: Character Design
Positive Traits or Powers:
- Always willing to help someone in need
- Expert in hand-to-hand combat
- Able to build own weapons/gadgets
Negative Traits or Weaknesses:
- Can become hot-headed easily
- Sometimes underestimates his opponents, overconfident
- When facing a problem, first thought will be to solve it with brute strength
Visual Characteristics:
- Anthropomorphic rabbit
- Karate uniform, or something similar
- Determined/cocky expression
- Always willing to help someone in need
- Expert in hand-to-hand combat
- Able to build own weapons/gadgets
Negative Traits or Weaknesses:
- Can become hot-headed easily
- Sometimes underestimates his opponents, overconfident
- When facing a problem, first thought will be to solve it with brute strength
Visual Characteristics:
- Anthropomorphic rabbit
- Karate uniform, or something similar
- Determined/cocky expression
Monday, October 8, 2012
Minor Project 6 - Option 3: Research and Development
Games Similar to Brutal Legend in terms of gameplay:
Minor Project 6 - Option 3: Gathering Material
Heavy Metal Covers that provided inspiration for Brutal Legend's setting and character design:
The game features over 80 unique characters in addition to the main protagonist, Eddie Riggs. Initial designs for Riggs was modeled after Lemmy Kilmister, and though the model was changed, the signature vest, tour pass and cigarette of the character remained part of the character design. As the character continued to develop, they began to add more aspects of Black's character, an "enthusiastic fan" of music, from School of Rock. Ultimately, Riggs' design came to become half Jack Black and half Glenn Danzig. The art team was able to use videos of Black's performances to add additional features to the character, such as "all his crazy eyebrow stuff he does". General Lionwhyte, who has "fabulous hair", and his minions are based on the glam metal fad of the 1980s which displaced heavy metal to the disappointment of Schafer and other development team members, and became the opponents of the game. To help create a more mature game with concepts that could be used to pitch the game, the art team created several factions that represented different parts of the heavy metal experience.
The game features over 80 unique characters in addition to the main protagonist, Eddie Riggs. Initial designs for Riggs was modeled after Lemmy Kilmister, and though the model was changed, the signature vest, tour pass and cigarette of the character remained part of the character design. As the character continued to develop, they began to add more aspects of Black's character, an "enthusiastic fan" of music, from School of Rock. Ultimately, Riggs' design came to become half Jack Black and half Glenn Danzig. The art team was able to use videos of Black's performances to add additional features to the character, such as "all his crazy eyebrow stuff he does". General Lionwhyte, who has "fabulous hair", and his minions are based on the glam metal fad of the 1980s which displaced heavy metal to the disappointment of Schafer and other development team members, and became the opponents of the game. To help create a more mature game with concepts that could be used to pitch the game, the art team created several factions that represented different parts of the heavy metal experience.
 |
| Unused concept for the main character, Eddie Riggs, later made to look more like Jack Black |
Minor Project 6 - Option 3: Design Inspirations
Game: Brutal Legend
Creator Tim Schafer has said that he has been a heavy metal music fan since high school, and roadies have long fascinated him. As Schafer said in 2007, "The name was one of the very first things I thought of, over fifteen years ago. I was riding a bus, thinking about a game that would be the complete opposite of what we were working on, The Secret of Monkey Island [a Lucasfilm Games title released in 1990]. And Brütal Legend leapt into my head. I've been hanging on to that name ever since." The title, which he describes as sounding "like the hardest core fantasy thing out there", makes use of the metal umlaut. Part of the game's inspiration came from the fantasy worlds that the lyrics and album covers of metal bands implied but rarely made it to music videos, thus allowing Brütal Legend to "fulfill the promise" of such lore. He credits Harmonix Music Systems for influencing the rhythm game market through the release of the widely successful Guitar Hero with a soundtrack that heavily emphasized metal music; with the popularity of Guitar Hero, the metal approach in Brütal Legend was readily accepted. The art style for the game was based on the work of Frank Frazetta and inspired by heavy metal and rock album covers. The team only considered the addition of elements to the artwork if they felt it would be something that could be seen on such covers. The setting includes hot rod-like engines that grow from the earth like a "V8 Truffle Of Speed", with design inspired by the designs of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. The art team wanted to avoid creating "another brown-gray game", and strove to use the wide color palettes that are associated with heavy metal art. Cutscenes in the game use the game's engine, though some pre-recorded scenes from the engine have also been prepared with the help of Tasha Harris, a former Pixar employee and who helped to animate character's faces during cutscenes.
Creator Tim Schafer has said that he has been a heavy metal music fan since high school, and roadies have long fascinated him. As Schafer said in 2007, "The name was one of the very first things I thought of, over fifteen years ago. I was riding a bus, thinking about a game that would be the complete opposite of what we were working on, The Secret of Monkey Island [a Lucasfilm Games title released in 1990]. And Brütal Legend leapt into my head. I've been hanging on to that name ever since." The title, which he describes as sounding "like the hardest core fantasy thing out there", makes use of the metal umlaut. Part of the game's inspiration came from the fantasy worlds that the lyrics and album covers of metal bands implied but rarely made it to music videos, thus allowing Brütal Legend to "fulfill the promise" of such lore. He credits Harmonix Music Systems for influencing the rhythm game market through the release of the widely successful Guitar Hero with a soundtrack that heavily emphasized metal music; with the popularity of Guitar Hero, the metal approach in Brütal Legend was readily accepted. The art style for the game was based on the work of Frank Frazetta and inspired by heavy metal and rock album covers. The team only considered the addition of elements to the artwork if they felt it would be something that could be seen on such covers. The setting includes hot rod-like engines that grow from the earth like a "V8 Truffle Of Speed", with design inspired by the designs of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. The art team wanted to avoid creating "another brown-gray game", and strove to use the wide color palettes that are associated with heavy metal art. Cutscenes in the game use the game's engine, though some pre-recorded scenes from the engine have also been prepared with the help of Tasha Harris, a former Pixar employee and who helped to animate character's faces during cutscenes.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Minor Project 6: Cards & Mood Boards - Option 1
I chose these Pokemon cards mostly due to the excellent clay models created by professional clay modeler Yuka Morii. The detail put into the Pokemon is amazing in my personal opinion, and is a nice change from the 2D artwork and 3D CGI models usually used for these cards. Clearly Yuka Morii puts 110% into her work.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Cut Scenes to Jargon
Game: Asura's Wrath
Subject: Cut Scenes
Asura's Wrath is an interesting game. Each stage is referred to as an "episode" and takes roughly 22 minutes to complete. Most episodes involve follow Asura, as he attempts to rescue his daughter and take revenge on the people who framed him. Essentially, the majority of the game is composed of various quick-time events, making it one long interactive cut scene. It has a distinctive anime-influenced style, similar to Dragon Ball Z, and it shows. One episode for instance, has you fighting your former mentor......on the Moon.....for parts of the fight, it plays like a typical third person action game, however once you do enough damage, the game prompts you to begin a series of quick-time events that last for a good majority of the rest of the battle. You'll have to mash a button as your fists fly, both of you evenly matched, until he manages to land a blow on you. During this time, you will be prompted to quickly press another button to counter the attack and continue wailing on your opponent. Whether or not you succeed in countering, the game plays the scene out accordingly and never misses a beat, truly making it feel like an interactive TV show. At one point, you can even choose to punch the enemy in the face as he's busy giving his generic villain monologue in the middle of the episode intro!
Subject: Cut Scenes
Asura's Wrath is an interesting game. Each stage is referred to as an "episode" and takes roughly 22 minutes to complete. Most episodes involve follow Asura, as he attempts to rescue his daughter and take revenge on the people who framed him. Essentially, the majority of the game is composed of various quick-time events, making it one long interactive cut scene. It has a distinctive anime-influenced style, similar to Dragon Ball Z, and it shows. One episode for instance, has you fighting your former mentor......on the Moon.....for parts of the fight, it plays like a typical third person action game, however once you do enough damage, the game prompts you to begin a series of quick-time events that last for a good majority of the rest of the battle. You'll have to mash a button as your fists fly, both of you evenly matched, until he manages to land a blow on you. During this time, you will be prompted to quickly press another button to counter the attack and continue wailing on your opponent. Whether or not you succeed in countering, the game plays the scene out accordingly and never misses a beat, truly making it feel like an interactive TV show. At one point, you can even choose to punch the enemy in the face as he's busy giving his generic villain monologue in the middle of the episode intro!
Visual Research for Redesign of Your Pitch Document
(Fun Fact: My dad created these flyers, he is currently the Director of Marketing at the JCC)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)