Alone in the Dark (PS3)
--------------------------
I've been playing this game for a couple of hours yesterday ... oh my god ... how can you rerelease a game like that with so many bugs!!!
The camera is constantly going through walls while in first or third person view and its hard to change and stay in a given view since sometimes the game switches you for no reason... it sucks a lot while you are aiming and shooting to be switched to third person view!
The world at times looks just awful nothing looks real in these moments (textures, objects).
The controls ... really hard to follow a path in third person view and stay on a path worst when you are on a ledge ... and the worst is when you are on a ledge, dropping near a electrified water and they start a cinematic spline when you drop and try to not walk in water (instant death) so as soon as it start ... let go of controller otherwise you will be dead coming back to the game.
There are some good things about the game ... the fact that you can combine different items together is pretty awesome (fire bullets!!!) and lighting a cocktail molotov... the way you look at the inventory is great too... looking inside your coat to retrieve your items.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 ( ps3)
----------------------------------
still my favorite soccer game out there... even though Fifa is coming closer and closer to the realism of PES, there is still a lot to do about control, intensity of players and animations areas.
Control on the ps3 controller is so much better since you can use in PES the arrows to control your character and the controls feel a lot better on PES. Fifa is hard to control and I fight a lot with my controller for the player to do what I really want him to do.
anyways play a soccer game any one you like but play this great sport ;)
Call of Duty : World at War (xbox360) - single player
-----------------------------------------
Finally a great Call of Duty from Treyarch... Its their best title yet ... not better than COD4 but still getting closer.
I really enjoyed the presentation this time which includes the war reels they are using to present the story, the narration is great and mostly on the US side using kiefer Sutherland's voice as the main officer who tells you what to do the whole game (on this side of the story) and many events are inspired from COD4 (like the almost dead perspective), but they do it too much I think, but the first event on the Russian side is sooooo great that you really want to take revenge.
I enjoyed pretty much everything about the game and I finished it in one sitting ... kinda small game though .... which is my only complaint.
enjoy this game if you have the time.
mardi 30 décembre 2008
New position : Manager Living and Breathing World team
Yes I've got a new position on the Deus Ex team : Manager of the Living and Breathing World team.
What is that exactly ? Yeah I know kinda hard to tell since its the first time that people hear that title or team name ;)
So I'll be in charge of the overall quality of the game regarding the realism of the living aspect of the game ... I have to create events, situations that are believable for NPCs to engage in and make sure that all seems like a real area where people would live in.
Make sure life is all around the player.
It will be a great task to manage since the game will be huge :)
see ya and hope youll enjoy Deus Ex when it comes out
What is that exactly ? Yeah I know kinda hard to tell since its the first time that people hear that title or team name ;)
So I'll be in charge of the overall quality of the game regarding the realism of the living aspect of the game ... I have to create events, situations that are believable for NPCs to engage in and make sure that all seems like a real area where people would live in.
Make sure life is all around the player.
It will be a great task to manage since the game will be huge :)
see ya and hope youll enjoy Deus Ex when it comes out
Game Idea #8 : Comics
Game Idea #8 : Comics
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
The story would be represented as a comic book and the first images would be the setting for the general story of the game, but the rest of the panels would be empty until the player decided what to do in the last panel.
Platform:Nintendo DS, PC
Why it needs to be made:
Customize your own story in a new setting for a game : comic book style. Players would create, change and enjoy the outcome of their decisions and come back to them if they wanted to.
Description:
The story would unfold everytime the player would interact with the last panel with an image in. It would be a puzzle or an interaction with another character that would fill up more of the story. Depending of the choices the next panels would be drawn accordingly to the choices. As in Heroes, the future can be changed by going back to panels and making the changes if player wanted it and the story would change. There would be a lot of variations to the story.
Final thoughts:
This type of game could potentially be used to all kinds of different settings and game types and it could probably bring both community (comic book fans and game fans) together and help both medium to love one another ;)
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
The story would be represented as a comic book and the first images would be the setting for the general story of the game, but the rest of the panels would be empty until the player decided what to do in the last panel.
Platform:Nintendo DS, PC
Why it needs to be made:
Customize your own story in a new setting for a game : comic book style. Players would create, change and enjoy the outcome of their decisions and come back to them if they wanted to.
Description:
The story would unfold everytime the player would interact with the last panel with an image in. It would be a puzzle or an interaction with another character that would fill up more of the story. Depending of the choices the next panels would be drawn accordingly to the choices. As in Heroes, the future can be changed by going back to panels and making the changes if player wanted it and the story would change. There would be a lot of variations to the story.
Final thoughts:
This type of game could potentially be used to all kinds of different settings and game types and it could probably bring both community (comic book fans and game fans) together and help both medium to love one another ;)
samedi 8 novembre 2008
Smashing Pumpkins : The VIP experience
Smashing Pumpkins is one of my favorite bands of all time and I had the chance to live the VIP experience with them in Toronto thanks to ILoveAllAccess.
The Pumpkins were playing at a small venue, Massey Hall, in Toronto for two days with two totally different shows ... 24 different songs (3 hours) per show in this 20th anniversary tour of their existence.
I decided to get the special VIP pass which promised : a meet and greet with the band, a photoshoot, a snack + free drinks, souvenirs + audio of the show + a ticket in the first 10 rows of the theatre.
I was so happy to have this possibility to meet them finally after all those years of contemplating their music and "dancing" to it. But at the same time, I hoped it wouldnt be a cheap and cheezy greet from distance from musicians who didnt really cared about their fans ... after all they have done so much would they be friendly and down to earth...
The answer is : YES!!!
This was the best experience Ive had in my concert goer and one of the most incredible event of my life ... seriously! Cannot be beaten!
So how did it went ?
The show was at 8pm (no first act) and we had to be there at 5pm to start our wonderful to be evening. We met Jeff our great host who gave us our shwag bag which included ticket, shirt, discount, (future mug), keyring, VIP pass to be worn at all times.
Then he told us that we could see the band's soundcheck ... what !?! Yes ... so we went in while they were rehearsing their songs and we sat down in the first row. We saw Billy comment on every mistake the band members made (mostly the new bassist Ginger) and what direction they should take for that song etc... First glimpse into the way they do it !
Then Billy stopped the soundcheck to come and greet us with the help of Jimmy!!! We lined up to get something autographed by them, we could talk to them 1 on 1 while they were signing and taking our picture, they were so opened and seem to enjoy our company and they were so calm.
The band had to finish their soundcheck before 6h so they had to pause the signings and finish the last 15 minutes of sound check before coming back to us. Then I finally got to talk to him since I was one of the last ones ... that was stressful (to meet and talk to one of your idols) and during the photoshoot I could smile since i was too stressed lol.
After that, Billy and Jimmy decided to answer all our questions so they sat there on the edge of the stage to provide us with truthful answers and I was surprised at how calm and opened they really were. We had a lot of insights into their brains like that. I asked a question about Melissa Auf Der Maur :)
After that we went downstairs for a pre-party at the bar with free drinks and a good snack! I met and talked to so many great people who loved Smashing as much as I did if not more and it was awesome. Jeff was a great host and really great to talk to. Then at 8pm he told us that we still had a show soon... oh yes thats true ... we had a show ... after all that (incredible evening) the main event wasnt even done.
I got my ticket out and found out it was in the very first row and right in the center of the stage!!!!! thanks ILoveAccess :) wow I was right there with the band playing in front of me with less than 2 meters away Billy was singing and walking in front of me. Great place to take pictures and videos of the night. Obviously thats what I did he he.
Great show for 3 hours with Billy having fun on stage with his bandmates.
only regret ... i didnt go to the second show who's setlist was a lot better than my show ... but it was soldout and my plane was leaving at 12pm...
mercredi 22 octobre 2008
new games played ...
Dark Sector :
--------------
I played this game for a while, but I really didnt find anything special about it ... I guess I wanted another kind of adventure... the setting of the game changed so many times during its production and now its kinda ... not what I expected.
So I didnt like the story. Maybe its the way its told, maybe the subject I didnt care about and cinematics werent that interesting. I felt bored during those moments.
Using your hand weapon is not really useful since its hard to aim precisely and the range it has makes it hard to hit somebody plus it doesnt do a lot of damage. Also, to throw it harder you have a 1-second delay that you have to guess and release the button otherwise it throws normally which gets frustrating at times. You need to use it and combine it with elements such as fire, electricity and ice to move forward in some areas...
I would only shoot if that was possible using weapons taken from enemies, but wait ... you cant after 5 seconds and you have to drop it ...zzzzz
I quit during a boss battle since I was frustrated at some inconsistence with the freezing aspect.
Dead Space:
--------------
I just started this game and it is awesome!! The atmosphere makes this horror game just one of the best thing since Bioshock or Event Horizon (movie) from which it takes a lot of elements.
Sound design and music scares me and hints at the direction from which monsters are coming ... they are everywhere!!!
While playing in the dark you will feel immersed incredibly and you will jump all over the place... monsters are scary, fast and jumping all over the place to get you or other humans that are still alive. The diversity of monsters and the way to kill them is new and worth looking at and experiencing.
Sometimes it might be hard to know where to go next since you are scared, there are a lot of doors and paths and the map kinda sucks ... but the path is shown to you when you press a button so Im using it a lot, but also exploring a lot to get items that are thrown around.
Love the way they are telling the story using audio logs (bioshock) and videos, even though I dont like the green interface that pops for the video cuz I feel its hard to look at sometimes with the camera and hides whats in front of you.
great experience.
Yakuza 2 (ps2)
-------------------
I just started this one. They are using Shenmue's engine and worked on it since then ... and it shows because they have a lot of npcs on screen in the cities which are illuminated, interactive, contain a lot of interior stores and npcs reacting to the weather and doing stuff without to many repetitions in the npc models.
the story starts really slow in cinematics, but then action starts.
good fighting system which has to be mastered which gives special attacks when done right ;)
will need to continue playing it.
Ratchet : Quest for ...
-------------------------
As always this new Ratchet is great... i like the humor, the weapons, the flow of the game.
obviously its more of what the ps3 version was so if you didnt like it then ... you wont like this one either.
Uncharted : Drakes Fortune
---------------------------------
Replayed a little bit of this game which I loved the first time I played through.
Wanted to remember how much I liked it the first time and its one of the best title on the ps3.
The animation system makes the characters believable. It contains a lot of animations that react to the environment pretty well. (i.e. inside the nazi sub)
Level flow is well done and its hard to get lost which always happens in such games. Moreover, the frustration of falling and dying all the time (i.e. PoP, Tomb Raider) is almost not present here since the levels are made to avoid those areas and the animations take it into account when you jump and react to whats around.
game to buy!
--------------
I played this game for a while, but I really didnt find anything special about it ... I guess I wanted another kind of adventure... the setting of the game changed so many times during its production and now its kinda ... not what I expected.
So I didnt like the story. Maybe its the way its told, maybe the subject I didnt care about and cinematics werent that interesting. I felt bored during those moments.
Using your hand weapon is not really useful since its hard to aim precisely and the range it has makes it hard to hit somebody plus it doesnt do a lot of damage. Also, to throw it harder you have a 1-second delay that you have to guess and release the button otherwise it throws normally which gets frustrating at times. You need to use it and combine it with elements such as fire, electricity and ice to move forward in some areas...
I would only shoot if that was possible using weapons taken from enemies, but wait ... you cant after 5 seconds and you have to drop it ...zzzzz
I quit during a boss battle since I was frustrated at some inconsistence with the freezing aspect.
Dead Space:
--------------
I just started this game and it is awesome!! The atmosphere makes this horror game just one of the best thing since Bioshock or Event Horizon (movie) from which it takes a lot of elements.
Sound design and music scares me and hints at the direction from which monsters are coming ... they are everywhere!!!
While playing in the dark you will feel immersed incredibly and you will jump all over the place... monsters are scary, fast and jumping all over the place to get you or other humans that are still alive. The diversity of monsters and the way to kill them is new and worth looking at and experiencing.
Sometimes it might be hard to know where to go next since you are scared, there are a lot of doors and paths and the map kinda sucks ... but the path is shown to you when you press a button so Im using it a lot, but also exploring a lot to get items that are thrown around.
Love the way they are telling the story using audio logs (bioshock) and videos, even though I dont like the green interface that pops for the video cuz I feel its hard to look at sometimes with the camera and hides whats in front of you.
great experience.
Yakuza 2 (ps2)
-------------------
I just started this one. They are using Shenmue's engine and worked on it since then ... and it shows because they have a lot of npcs on screen in the cities which are illuminated, interactive, contain a lot of interior stores and npcs reacting to the weather and doing stuff without to many repetitions in the npc models.
the story starts really slow in cinematics, but then action starts.
good fighting system which has to be mastered which gives special attacks when done right ;)
will need to continue playing it.
Ratchet : Quest for ...
-------------------------
As always this new Ratchet is great... i like the humor, the weapons, the flow of the game.
obviously its more of what the ps3 version was so if you didnt like it then ... you wont like this one either.
Uncharted : Drakes Fortune
---------------------------------
Replayed a little bit of this game which I loved the first time I played through.
Wanted to remember how much I liked it the first time and its one of the best title on the ps3.
The animation system makes the characters believable. It contains a lot of animations that react to the environment pretty well. (i.e. inside the nazi sub)
Level flow is well done and its hard to get lost which always happens in such games. Moreover, the frustration of falling and dying all the time (i.e. PoP, Tomb Raider) is almost not present here since the levels are made to avoid those areas and the animations take it into account when you jump and react to whats around.
game to buy!
Book : Wizard of Oz
I just finished the book "The Wizard Of Oz".
The movie is good, but like all adaptations the book is better.
A lot of details are different from the movie including the areas they visit, the different characters, the way the story is told has a better flow and contains more action and is a lot more
violent.
just wanted to say that its a must read ;)
The movie is good, but like all adaptations the book is better.
A lot of details are different from the movie including the areas they visit, the different characters, the way the story is told has a better flow and contains more action and is a lot more
violent.
just wanted to say that its a must read ;)
jeudi 25 septembre 2008
Back...little reviews
Finally got my internet connection back at home ... so will be updating soon with game ideas.
For now here are some thoughts on some games i've played lately:
Braid :
This is a great platformer. I liked the art direction which is always good for the eyes, the story is innovative from a Super Mario perspective (save the princess) and the music could be listened to at any time to reflex ... it fits so well in the universe. Some of the puzzles are really hard when you dont look carefully or try something you would have never thought you could do (which makes the game clever and refreshing) and when you get the puzzle you feel great about yourself. Every world is different and new. I really liked the world where you use your shadow to solve puzzles. The last world (world 1) is so different from the game since its action oriented and makes sense to finish the game... overall i really enjoyed!
Star wars Force Unleashed (ps3):
The story is awesome ... worth playing the game just for the cinematics and story that links all movies! All levels that include vegetation graphically are just badly done. There are a lot of graphical bugs in the game. The bosses are great to play against (hard and all different), but way too easy once you find their weakness (especially darth vader). Anyway its cool to fight all those jedis. The powers are cool and its fun to be this dark side jedi. Gameplay might become redundant pretty fast. Ending is great! if you like Star Wars you'll like the story of the game ... at least!
Bionic Commando Rearmed (360):
Great graphics. I like the hacking mini-game since the puzzles are unique and randomized. I know the levels were taken from the original and they didnt change them at all but ... they should have... I die so many times because the levels with spikes under the jumps or dying zones makes me angry ... levels are too hard because of the bad controls. I'm playing on the 360 so I dont know if the controls are as bad on the ps3, but they dont seem to give me the right output for the arm when I press diagonally or ... Dpad sucks so much on the 360 compared to ps3 that makes those levels almost impossible. With so littles lives (3) at start, its too hardcore for me ... I would really enjoy the game if I wouldnt die so easily and stupidly!
Vikings Battle for Asgard :
Good hack and slash (button mashing anyways). I've finished the first area and since everything after is just the same ... i stopped. I had fun during most of the game except the stealthy part at the end of the first area where you need to get the amulet powered on in the village where thousands of soldiers are waiting to kick your butt. Since there are no real stealth mechanic, the player will sufer trying to get to the spot unnoticed ... which is almost impossible ... frustrating since the hud doesnt help nor the third person view. Enjoyable for a while anyways.
thats it for now. next on the list : viva pinata 2, ratchet call for booty, mercs 2, mega man 9, eden, echochrome, ninja gaiden 2 and Dark Sector ( wow too many games to play at home...)
For now here are some thoughts on some games i've played lately:
Braid :
This is a great platformer. I liked the art direction which is always good for the eyes, the story is innovative from a Super Mario perspective (save the princess) and the music could be listened to at any time to reflex ... it fits so well in the universe. Some of the puzzles are really hard when you dont look carefully or try something you would have never thought you could do (which makes the game clever and refreshing) and when you get the puzzle you feel great about yourself. Every world is different and new. I really liked the world where you use your shadow to solve puzzles. The last world (world 1) is so different from the game since its action oriented and makes sense to finish the game... overall i really enjoyed!
Star wars Force Unleashed (ps3):
The story is awesome ... worth playing the game just for the cinematics and story that links all movies! All levels that include vegetation graphically are just badly done. There are a lot of graphical bugs in the game. The bosses are great to play against (hard and all different), but way too easy once you find their weakness (especially darth vader). Anyway its cool to fight all those jedis. The powers are cool and its fun to be this dark side jedi. Gameplay might become redundant pretty fast. Ending is great! if you like Star Wars you'll like the story of the game ... at least!
Bionic Commando Rearmed (360):
Great graphics. I like the hacking mini-game since the puzzles are unique and randomized. I know the levels were taken from the original and they didnt change them at all but ... they should have... I die so many times because the levels with spikes under the jumps or dying zones makes me angry ... levels are too hard because of the bad controls. I'm playing on the 360 so I dont know if the controls are as bad on the ps3, but they dont seem to give me the right output for the arm when I press diagonally or ... Dpad sucks so much on the 360 compared to ps3 that makes those levels almost impossible. With so littles lives (3) at start, its too hardcore for me ... I would really enjoy the game if I wouldnt die so easily and stupidly!
Vikings Battle for Asgard :
Good hack and slash (button mashing anyways). I've finished the first area and since everything after is just the same ... i stopped. I had fun during most of the game except the stealthy part at the end of the first area where you need to get the amulet powered on in the village where thousands of soldiers are waiting to kick your butt. Since there are no real stealth mechanic, the player will sufer trying to get to the spot unnoticed ... which is almost impossible ... frustrating since the hud doesnt help nor the third person view. Enjoyable for a while anyways.
thats it for now. next on the list : viva pinata 2, ratchet call for booty, mercs 2, mega man 9, eden, echochrome, ninja gaiden 2 and Dark Sector ( wow too many games to play at home...)
jeudi 21 août 2008
MGS4 ( Spoilers alert )
I am currently playing Metal Gear Solid 4 and it is just amazing ... well i'd say it gets really great at Shadow Moses and following that. Before that mission the game is good but its a normal stealth shooter with a good story that tries to tie every game of the series together.
Anyways, Shadow Moses is the site of a nuclear weapons disposal facility in MGS (ps1). In this iteration of the series, you go back to Shadow Moses to find REX which is a huge Mech that you have to retrieve before the bad guys.
There are so many cool things about that area in the game which makes it the best part of the game so far. You start as Snake trying to get inside the facility as played in the first game including the ps1 graphics, gameplay and even the remapped controls on the controller. This is just amazing and never done before and you get to think back about the experience you had at that time many years ago. Inside the facility you get to experience a combination of the new experience MGS4 offers and all the screams, sounds and map design of the ps1 game... it is just awesome. It also includes conversations with Otacon about the ps1 game and other characters coming in to discuss the past.
After a fight using a Mech and a new mechanic (which will be used later in a different way) to fight a boss, you'll get to fight Mantis again ... which offers some great dialog lines from your friends who try to help you defeat the boss using old tactics from the ps1 era "try to change your controller to port 2... what ? there are no more ports on the ps3!?!?!" They offer some great insights of strategies used on the first game and they make fun of the consoles (ps1 vs ps3) breaking the fourth wall ... so you're playing a game, but they keep talking about console technology and make many reference about the old games which is so funny and just great to hear. Your video input changes to "Hideo2" ... lol
I just loved these parts of the games and I hope the rest is as good as this while trying to tie all story elements together from all previous games of the series. :)
Anyways, Shadow Moses is the site of a nuclear weapons disposal facility in MGS (ps1). In this iteration of the series, you go back to Shadow Moses to find REX which is a huge Mech that you have to retrieve before the bad guys.
There are so many cool things about that area in the game which makes it the best part of the game so far. You start as Snake trying to get inside the facility as played in the first game including the ps1 graphics, gameplay and even the remapped controls on the controller. This is just amazing and never done before and you get to think back about the experience you had at that time many years ago. Inside the facility you get to experience a combination of the new experience MGS4 offers and all the screams, sounds and map design of the ps1 game... it is just awesome. It also includes conversations with Otacon about the ps1 game and other characters coming in to discuss the past.
After a fight using a Mech and a new mechanic (which will be used later in a different way) to fight a boss, you'll get to fight Mantis again ... which offers some great dialog lines from your friends who try to help you defeat the boss using old tactics from the ps1 era "try to change your controller to port 2... what ? there are no more ports on the ps3!?!?!" They offer some great insights of strategies used on the first game and they make fun of the consoles (ps1 vs ps3) breaking the fourth wall ... so you're playing a game, but they keep talking about console technology and make many reference about the old games which is so funny and just great to hear. Your video input changes to "Hideo2" ... lol
I just loved these parts of the games and I hope the rest is as good as this while trying to tie all story elements together from all previous games of the series. :)
jeudi 24 juillet 2008
Quick update : Eidos Montreal and ...
So I'm now working at Eidos Montreal on Deus Ex 3 project.
Coming back to Montreal is kinda weird after an incredible year in sunny Los Angeles with all its beaches, entertainment, and stuff to do; I'm now back home with rain every day...
Its great working for a new studio (we're making our first title) since we're developping everything from scratch : from work methods to the game engine... its cool to be part of that :)
One year ago, I heard the studio was opening and would create this game, I would never thought I'd work on it, but now I'm here. Even though I left a really cool project in L.A. and a great team, I'm pretty sure this new game will be kick ass for everyone to enjoy.
I hope Saboteur will come out great! Hope Pandemic will be able to close this huge game and get a good review ;)
I have no internet connection at home so I'll be posting my ideas in a couple of weeks only.
see ya then.
Coming back to Montreal is kinda weird after an incredible year in sunny Los Angeles with all its beaches, entertainment, and stuff to do; I'm now back home with rain every day...
Its great working for a new studio (we're making our first title) since we're developping everything from scratch : from work methods to the game engine... its cool to be part of that :)
One year ago, I heard the studio was opening and would create this game, I would never thought I'd work on it, but now I'm here. Even though I left a really cool project in L.A. and a great team, I'm pretty sure this new game will be kick ass for everyone to enjoy.
I hope Saboteur will come out great! Hope Pandemic will be able to close this huge game and get a good review ;)
I have no internet connection at home so I'll be posting my ideas in a couple of weeks only.
see ya then.
mercredi 18 juin 2008
life changes, no time to update
sorry i stopped updating for a couple of weeks (should bring back those ideas soon), but a personal event happened in my life and I had to move back to Montreal.
i had to leave pandemic studios because of that reason and now I will have to start a new adventure with another studio (i need to work obviously) in montreal.
i will update with news as soon as I start my new job and the game ideas will come back as soon as possible.
i'll be looking for appartments, getting furniture and stuff for a couple of days so until then have a nice week ill see you soon.
i had to leave pandemic studios because of that reason and now I will have to start a new adventure with another studio (i need to work obviously) in montreal.
i will update with news as soon as I start my new job and the game ideas will come back as soon as possible.
i'll be looking for appartments, getting furniture and stuff for a couple of days so until then have a nice week ill see you soon.
jeudi 29 mai 2008
Farcry 2, Shawn White snowboarding, PoP
I was looking at the trailers and presentations of the games at Ubidays.
I am just amazed at how these games look awesome.
when I was on Farcry we had all those big promises we wanted to deliver on and it actually came through...by looking at the latest game footage this game is a must buy title... destructions, fire, even the animals look right and hopefully the story holds up. I'll play it for sure.
Shawn White Snowboarding looks amazing. You can see the whole mountain with quality graphics, you can take or create your own paths in the mountains, there will always be people on the mountain with you and your friends to challenge you or snowboard around you and you can even get off the snowboard, snowball fight your friends and take a video of it all ... NICE!
What can I say about PoP ... they're changing the look of the previous games to some cell shading... and it looks good :) The enemies seem weird and the effects from shadows to actual characters will be awesome if the final game looks anything like the current trailers.
anyways lots of games coming out from ubi that actually look fun.
I am just amazed at how these games look awesome.
when I was on Farcry we had all those big promises we wanted to deliver on and it actually came through...by looking at the latest game footage this game is a must buy title... destructions, fire, even the animals look right and hopefully the story holds up. I'll play it for sure.
Shawn White Snowboarding looks amazing. You can see the whole mountain with quality graphics, you can take or create your own paths in the mountains, there will always be people on the mountain with you and your friends to challenge you or snowboard around you and you can even get off the snowboard, snowball fight your friends and take a video of it all ... NICE!
What can I say about PoP ... they're changing the look of the previous games to some cell shading... and it looks good :) The enemies seem weird and the effects from shadows to actual characters will be awesome if the final game looks anything like the current trailers.
anyways lots of games coming out from ubi that actually look fun.
lundi 26 mai 2008
Game Idea # 7: the Painter
Game Idea # 7: The Painter
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
Take pictures, paint them, get evaluated, print and share with friends...
Platform:
Nintendo DS, PC
Why it needs to be made:
Who has not dream of being a good painter or just better at drawing, painting and show off their talents to friends.
Description:
In this game, you'll be able to take pictures, download them or use the ones provided taken from a library of world famous areas, still pictures of objects,fruits; and then paint a version of them which will give them a new style. The player will be evaluated using some algorithms that will evalute the quality of the copy and give some style points. Players will be able to share with friends online by sending what they did on a website or directly to their friends who will be able to take that copy and make a copy of their own. Players will be able to take pictures with a camera and then import them in the game. There would be a tutorial that will give the basics of painting to new artists.
Final thoughts:
Create paintings that will make other people jealous of your skills and your pictures will never look the same anymore.
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
Take pictures, paint them, get evaluated, print and share with friends...
Platform:
Nintendo DS, PC
Why it needs to be made:
Who has not dream of being a good painter or just better at drawing, painting and show off their talents to friends.
Description:
In this game, you'll be able to take pictures, download them or use the ones provided taken from a library of world famous areas, still pictures of objects,fruits; and then paint a version of them which will give them a new style. The player will be evaluated using some algorithms that will evalute the quality of the copy and give some style points. Players will be able to share with friends online by sending what they did on a website or directly to their friends who will be able to take that copy and make a copy of their own. Players will be able to take pictures with a camera and then import them in the game. There would be a tutorial that will give the basics of painting to new artists.
Final thoughts:
Create paintings that will make other people jealous of your skills and your pictures will never look the same anymore.
mardi 20 mai 2008
Game Idea #6 : The Museum
yes i'm a little late for last week's post, but had a lot of things going on... there it is now ;)
Game Idea #6 : The Museum
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High Concept:
This game is about visiting a museum where the main displays would be famous paintings and players will be able to enter the universe of these paintings and play a game in that universe. Those paintings would be taken from the most famous painters and we could get DLC with a different set of paintings or different painters. Meet other people and teachers who would tell you about the paintings.
Platform:
any consoles
Why it needs to be made:
This game would be a great "art show" for those people who never really looked at famous paintings or never had the chance to see and know why those are so special, they will learn something new for sure and will be able to play a game in a lot of different settings depending of this weeks series of painting. This game would celebrate many different styles of art styles for everyone to enjoy. Plus it will be a way for people to interact in a setting/lobby where they can discuss something new and get more information about these art pieces.
Description:
The player would enter the museum in which it would be kind of a lobby for players and art teachers to interact with each others and talk about those paintings if they want to...players could play unconnected without all those other players, but the teachers would always be available to tell them about the paintings if the players ask for it. So players would walk around the different levels of the museum including different art styles and from these levels they will be able to enjoy the paintings. The other main goal of the game is the games themselves in the paintings... these would not just be "something more" they are the other half of the game and i'd say more about the games themselves. So players would interact with the painting and would be grabbed by the painting and brought into its universe. There will be different types of games like mini-games, more artistic games, shooters, casual games, etc... they would all be a different style since it all comes down to the paintings themselves. As an example, one game inside the "Mona Lisa" could be a painting game where players would have to change the paintings to what they want this famous painting to be...and it would stay like that until someone else would change it, for example.
Final thoughts:
Learn, interact with players and art teachers, PLAY unique games and DLC to change the different paintings and collections available.
Game Idea #6 : The Museum
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
This game is about visiting a museum where the main displays would be famous paintings and players will be able to enter the universe of these paintings and play a game in that universe. Those paintings would be taken from the most famous painters and we could get DLC with a different set of paintings or different painters. Meet other people and teachers who would tell you about the paintings.
Platform:
any consoles
Why it needs to be made:
This game would be a great "art show" for those people who never really looked at famous paintings or never had the chance to see and know why those are so special, they will learn something new for sure and will be able to play a game in a lot of different settings depending of this weeks series of painting. This game would celebrate many different styles of art styles for everyone to enjoy. Plus it will be a way for people to interact in a setting/lobby where they can discuss something new and get more information about these art pieces.
Description:
The player would enter the museum in which it would be kind of a lobby for players and art teachers to interact with each others and talk about those paintings if they want to...players could play unconnected without all those other players, but the teachers would always be available to tell them about the paintings if the players ask for it. So players would walk around the different levels of the museum including different art styles and from these levels they will be able to enjoy the paintings. The other main goal of the game is the games themselves in the paintings... these would not just be "something more" they are the other half of the game and i'd say more about the games themselves. So players would interact with the painting and would be grabbed by the painting and brought into its universe. There will be different types of games like mini-games, more artistic games, shooters, casual games, etc... they would all be a different style since it all comes down to the paintings themselves. As an example, one game inside the "Mona Lisa" could be a painting game where players would have to change the paintings to what they want this famous painting to be...and it would stay like that until someone else would change it, for example.
Final thoughts:
Learn, interact with players and art teachers, PLAY unique games and DLC to change the different paintings and collections available.
mercredi 14 mai 2008
Sharkwater : the documentary
This is a MUST see documentary about sharks... I mean even if you think you dont like sharks... you will after this movie.
Its a documentary, but it could be viewed as a true story movie based on Rob Stewart's experience with the sharks and trying to protect them.
It's an excellent story filled with awesome underwater footage taken from the Galapagos, Costa rica, Guatamala's shores; with action including gun fights, boat fights and a great personnal story trying to rescue sharks and defeat the black market.
Everyone should see this movie and your view of sharks will change forever ... without sharks your life will truly be changed forever and so is our planet's future!
http://www.sharkwater.com/
Its a documentary, but it could be viewed as a true story movie based on Rob Stewart's experience with the sharks and trying to protect them.
It's an excellent story filled with awesome underwater footage taken from the Galapagos, Costa rica, Guatamala's shores; with action including gun fights, boat fights and a great personnal story trying to rescue sharks and defeat the black market.
Everyone should see this movie and your view of sharks will change forever ... without sharks your life will truly be changed forever and so is our planet's future!
http://www.sharkwater.com/
samedi 10 mai 2008
Game Idea #5 : Acrobatic airplane battles
Game Idea #5 : Acrobatic airplane battles
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
In this game you control an airplane and you need to do some acrobatics with it and beat the score of your opponent (online or same screen). You'll be able to get some score based on the different types of acrobatics you are doing (loops, free falls, etc...), the difficulty of the acrobatics, and the closenest to obstacles you get to. The game will be a versus game and your highscore on every level will be displayed on a highscore board for everyone to see.
Platform:
XBLA, PSN
Why it needs to be made:
I used to play Triple Action on the Intellivision system with my cousin and we weren't playing the real shooting the opponent aircraft, but we were just doing acrobatics and trying not to crash on the ground or on each other. We had so much fun every time, but that wasn't the real goal of the game. Playing an acrobatic aircraft will be thrilling, fun and really different than ordinary airplane simulators where you need to get from point A to point B ...
Description:
This game should be a 2D side scrolling game that includes some 3D obstacles to increase the level of difficulty and increase scoring opportunities. Every level will have a different realistic 2D background from different cities or areas such as jungles where we could have different type of flying experience. Online play and versus on the same screen will be the major aspect of the game where you'll need to score points based on your acrobatics as described above. You'll be able to view your score online and show everyone your best acrobatic moment which should be able to be saved and sent online for everyone to see. The fact that your opponent on-screen can potentially stop you from getting highscore by crashing into you is another danger of the game.
We could have different airplanes or helicopters that would behave differently and hence offer a different experience for players who have become accustomed to other aircrafts.
Final thoughts:
This would be a great 1vs1 game in which players would control for one of the first time an airplane where the goal is to do crazy stuff with. Playing a game to show off skills is usually something players are proud of and this game will offer just that to everyone who can master the art of acrobatic airshows!
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
In this game you control an airplane and you need to do some acrobatics with it and beat the score of your opponent (online or same screen). You'll be able to get some score based on the different types of acrobatics you are doing (loops, free falls, etc...), the difficulty of the acrobatics, and the closenest to obstacles you get to. The game will be a versus game and your highscore on every level will be displayed on a highscore board for everyone to see.
Platform:
XBLA, PSN
Why it needs to be made:
I used to play Triple Action on the Intellivision system with my cousin and we weren't playing the real shooting the opponent aircraft, but we were just doing acrobatics and trying not to crash on the ground or on each other. We had so much fun every time, but that wasn't the real goal of the game. Playing an acrobatic aircraft will be thrilling, fun and really different than ordinary airplane simulators where you need to get from point A to point B ...
Description:
This game should be a 2D side scrolling game that includes some 3D obstacles to increase the level of difficulty and increase scoring opportunities. Every level will have a different realistic 2D background from different cities or areas such as jungles where we could have different type of flying experience. Online play and versus on the same screen will be the major aspect of the game where you'll need to score points based on your acrobatics as described above. You'll be able to view your score online and show everyone your best acrobatic moment which should be able to be saved and sent online for everyone to see. The fact that your opponent on-screen can potentially stop you from getting highscore by crashing into you is another danger of the game.
We could have different airplanes or helicopters that would behave differently and hence offer a different experience for players who have become accustomed to other aircrafts.
Final thoughts:
This would be a great 1vs1 game in which players would control for one of the first time an airplane where the goal is to do crazy stuff with. Playing a game to show off skills is usually something players are proud of and this game will offer just that to everyone who can master the art of acrobatic airshows!
dimanche 4 mai 2008
Game Idea #4: Gino, the barber
Game Idea #4: Gino, the barber
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
You play as Gino a junior barber who wants to become well known and be the barber for artists in hollywood. You start with nothing but a basement office and a razor. You need to build up your clients list, create different styles and live up to your dreams.
Platform:
Wii
Why it needs to be made:
Using the Wii to be a precise tool to use as a razor will make the player feel like he needs to be careful, creative and be the best as a barber.
Description:
In this game you will have to shave people and be sure not to cut them in any way to make your client happy and appreciate your skills. You'll get money from those clients with which you'll be able to buy furniture, a bigger place to do business, buy some catalogues of different haircut styles, better perfume for your clients, better advertisement to get more clients. Take care of your clients as best you can by shaving them, cut their hair, perfume them and make them just perfect for a special occasion. Manage your shop, create new haircuts and facial styles to use on your Miis, clients (in the game), people will rate you online with your new creations and be successful until you reach the top in hollywood and become the barber of the stars!
Final thoughts:
Players will experiement being a barber and use the Wii remote in new ways. In the wake of casual games for everyone and the doctors games out there, this game will be a skill game to become good at and creative people will like it as well as management games players.
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
You play as Gino a junior barber who wants to become well known and be the barber for artists in hollywood. You start with nothing but a basement office and a razor. You need to build up your clients list, create different styles and live up to your dreams.
Platform:
Wii
Why it needs to be made:
Using the Wii to be a precise tool to use as a razor will make the player feel like he needs to be careful, creative and be the best as a barber.
Description:
In this game you will have to shave people and be sure not to cut them in any way to make your client happy and appreciate your skills. You'll get money from those clients with which you'll be able to buy furniture, a bigger place to do business, buy some catalogues of different haircut styles, better perfume for your clients, better advertisement to get more clients. Take care of your clients as best you can by shaving them, cut their hair, perfume them and make them just perfect for a special occasion. Manage your shop, create new haircuts and facial styles to use on your Miis, clients (in the game), people will rate you online with your new creations and be successful until you reach the top in hollywood and become the barber of the stars!
Final thoughts:
Players will experiement being a barber and use the Wii remote in new ways. In the wake of casual games for everyone and the doctors games out there, this game will be a skill game to become good at and creative people will like it as well as management games players.
mardi 22 avril 2008
Game Idea # 3 : Wrestling Management
Game Idea # 3: Wrestling Management
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
Be the owner of a wrestling company, manage wrestlers, create stable of wrestlers, create the script, create THE EVENT, be the scenarist, be the entertainer of millions of fans.
Platform: Any consoles, PC
Why it needs to be made:
The best thing about the wrestling business or wrestling tv shows , for me, is the entertainment values attached to the event, to the sport... its like a soap opera, but with acrobatics, muscles ... Players will want to be part of this universe and create different scenarios with different outcomes possible depending of player's choices or reactions from other wrestlers in the game. Its never been made before!
Description:
You are the owner of the company, the wrestling networks, you hire wrestlers, create a scenario for them to play in. Players will choose a wrestler representing them. They will create a stable of wrestlers if they want to or go solo in a career mode going through all those scenarios that the owner created. Players will create alliances, betray friends to create other factions. This will create hype with the fans and more will come which will give more money to the owner to hire more wrestlers, create marchandise, etc... Players WONT wrestle in real time, the matches will be simulated. The only decisions that he will be able to do regarding matches will be to go help a friend in need or betray him or watch friends beat the opponent ... prior to matches training and mini-games will determine if the character is healthy, strong, ready to fight, etc...
Final thoughts:
Create great entertainment with explosives, lights, high acrobatic matches, creating alliances, creating hype, doing what the crowd wants or not ... be the wrestler/owner you always wanted to be. This management game wont have all those control issues that normal wrestling games have which are usually boring after a couple of matches anyways. Players will be responsible for the script of the show and will need to please the fans out there. This is THE wrestling game everybody is waiting for ;)
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
Be the owner of a wrestling company, manage wrestlers, create stable of wrestlers, create the script, create THE EVENT, be the scenarist, be the entertainer of millions of fans.
Platform: Any consoles, PC
Why it needs to be made:
The best thing about the wrestling business or wrestling tv shows , for me, is the entertainment values attached to the event, to the sport... its like a soap opera, but with acrobatics, muscles ... Players will want to be part of this universe and create different scenarios with different outcomes possible depending of player's choices or reactions from other wrestlers in the game. Its never been made before!
Description:
You are the owner of the company, the wrestling networks, you hire wrestlers, create a scenario for them to play in. Players will choose a wrestler representing them. They will create a stable of wrestlers if they want to or go solo in a career mode going through all those scenarios that the owner created. Players will create alliances, betray friends to create other factions. This will create hype with the fans and more will come which will give more money to the owner to hire more wrestlers, create marchandise, etc... Players WONT wrestle in real time, the matches will be simulated. The only decisions that he will be able to do regarding matches will be to go help a friend in need or betray him or watch friends beat the opponent ... prior to matches training and mini-games will determine if the character is healthy, strong, ready to fight, etc...
Final thoughts:
Create great entertainment with explosives, lights, high acrobatic matches, creating alliances, creating hype, doing what the crowd wants or not ... be the wrestler/owner you always wanted to be. This management game wont have all those control issues that normal wrestling games have which are usually boring after a couple of matches anyways. Players will be responsible for the script of the show and will need to please the fans out there. This is THE wrestling game everybody is waiting for ;)
jeudi 17 avril 2008
Game Idea # 2 : Soccer Drillz
Game Idea #2: Soccer Drillz.
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
I based this concept on my own experience as a soccer coach trying to find drills and exercices to show my players in practices. The concept here is to have a "game" that will provide examples of drills used by the greatest coaches around the globe, ways for coach to create new ones and share them on the internet, etc...
Platform:
Nintendo DS, Wii
Why it needs to be made:
There are no software that really have all those examples brought together to help coaches and even players to understand how to do those drills and be better at them. Using a software will help visualise the exercises which are usually only found in books which of course are static images with arrows showing movements.
Description:
This "game" will incorporate those exercices as said before with movement shown on screen (animated). Coaches will be able to draw on screen to create new drills, put some comments on previously saved exercises and send what they have created online to be viewed and reviewed by others who will share the knowledge. Also, I would incorporate soccer mini-games using the touch screen of the DS or the wiimote for the Wii that will use normal drills but in a game such as juggling with the ball, dribbling, etc... and we could add quizzes about the sport also to provide with more entertainment value to this learning tool.
Why it will be fun and useful:
It will make it easier for coaches and players to understand each other and show everyone how the drills are really supposed to be made. The software could show how technical and hard to explain skills should be done to everyone. Plus the mini-games will make it a fun software when the time to practice is over.
Final thoughts:
I believe this could be a good title to sell since soccer is a huge sport and there are many parents who try to teach their kids the sport without really knowing a lot of strategies or drills that other more experienced coaches will use.
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
I based this concept on my own experience as a soccer coach trying to find drills and exercices to show my players in practices. The concept here is to have a "game" that will provide examples of drills used by the greatest coaches around the globe, ways for coach to create new ones and share them on the internet, etc...
Platform:
Nintendo DS, Wii
Why it needs to be made:
There are no software that really have all those examples brought together to help coaches and even players to understand how to do those drills and be better at them. Using a software will help visualise the exercises which are usually only found in books which of course are static images with arrows showing movements.
Description:
This "game" will incorporate those exercices as said before with movement shown on screen (animated). Coaches will be able to draw on screen to create new drills, put some comments on previously saved exercises and send what they have created online to be viewed and reviewed by others who will share the knowledge. Also, I would incorporate soccer mini-games using the touch screen of the DS or the wiimote for the Wii that will use normal drills but in a game such as juggling with the ball, dribbling, etc... and we could add quizzes about the sport also to provide with more entertainment value to this learning tool.
Why it will be fun and useful:
It will make it easier for coaches and players to understand each other and show everyone how the drills are really supposed to be made. The software could show how technical and hard to explain skills should be done to everyone. Plus the mini-games will make it a fun software when the time to practice is over.
Final thoughts:
I believe this could be a good title to sell since soccer is a huge sport and there are many parents who try to teach their kids the sport without really knowing a lot of strategies or drills that other more experienced coaches will use.
mercredi 16 avril 2008
Alpha Protocol
I usually dont get excited easily from reading a game preview, but after reading Game Informer's preview of Alpha Protocol by Obsidian, I just want to play now!!!
This is one of these games that I want to play and work on. A game in which you can achieve pretty much what you want, the way you want, make decision that will affect your character and will change the flow of the game based on your decisions.
Alpha Protocol is a Third-Person Shooter/Stealth RPG in which you are a secret agent that needs to acccomplish missions accross the globe.
This description could be used for many different games,but in this one (since its an RPG) you get to customize your character by developping different skills throughout the game. You can become skillfull at shooting multiple target, get better at stealth to silently kill your enemy or ... every skill you unlock will open up a new set of skills that defines your character.
Moreover, you'll be able to accomplish "side" missions that will take place before your real missions in a given country and those side missions will provide some help or clue on the bigger ones. For example, you'll sneak in some communication towers to get some data that will make it easier for you to enter the real mission headquarter or something... plus you can decide to get the info any way you want (kill guard, bribe guard, sneak and hack the computer) and it will define, once again, who your character his.
if Obsidian can achieve all that plus a dialogue system from which you can actually have a different experience depending on your mood and choices, etc ... that game will be great and I will be waiting to play it from now on :)
check it out
This is one of these games that I want to play and work on. A game in which you can achieve pretty much what you want, the way you want, make decision that will affect your character and will change the flow of the game based on your decisions.
Alpha Protocol is a Third-Person Shooter/Stealth RPG in which you are a secret agent that needs to acccomplish missions accross the globe.
This description could be used for many different games,but in this one (since its an RPG) you get to customize your character by developping different skills throughout the game. You can become skillfull at shooting multiple target, get better at stealth to silently kill your enemy or ... every skill you unlock will open up a new set of skills that defines your character.
Moreover, you'll be able to accomplish "side" missions that will take place before your real missions in a given country and those side missions will provide some help or clue on the bigger ones. For example, you'll sneak in some communication towers to get some data that will make it easier for you to enter the real mission headquarter or something... plus you can decide to get the info any way you want (kill guard, bribe guard, sneak and hack the computer) and it will define, once again, who your character his.
if Obsidian can achieve all that plus a dialogue system from which you can actually have a different experience depending on your mood and choices, etc ... that game will be great and I will be waiting to play it from now on :)
check it out
dimanche 13 avril 2008
Game Idea #1: Be the artist, tell the story.
**this is the first game idea I came up with I hope to continue like this for a while.
Please comment about it if you want, add something to it in the comment section.
Game Idea #1: Be the artist, tell the story.
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
I based this concept on the La Linea shorts. This series of small episodes (3-5 min) had a whining protagonist who kept demanding, the creator of his world, to draw something on screen to help him go through his day. In this game, the player will be the creator and help the character on screen to achieve his journey.
Platform:
Nintendo DS
Why it needs to be made:
This game focuses on players input to create a short story. Players want to be part of the games and create stuff with the emergence of user created content this game will let them use their imagination and see what happens with their input (drawings)
Description:
This game will be in 2D and plays on the horizontal plane. It will consist of many little levels each telling a story about the character's day. The user will have to draw on screen when the character on screen needs help to accomplish a task such as walking over a hole in the scenery, interacting with a character, cutting down a tree in the way. The world will be really minimalistic consisting of a couple of lines only and players will have to use their imagination to make something out the every situation.
Why it will be fun:
Creating stories with different outcomes everytime the player replays the game since he can draw many different things to help the character. Become an artist by drawing something on screen that will come to life.
Final thoughts:
I believe choices in games and user created content are the keys to creating great games that will be played by many. This game lets players be artist. Anybody can draw a line, a cloud, etc...
Please comment about it if you want, add something to it in the comment section.
Game Idea #1: Be the artist, tell the story.
-------------------------------------------
High Concept:
I based this concept on the La Linea shorts. This series of small episodes (3-5 min) had a whining protagonist who kept demanding, the creator of his world, to draw something on screen to help him go through his day. In this game, the player will be the creator and help the character on screen to achieve his journey.
Platform:
Nintendo DS
Why it needs to be made:
This game focuses on players input to create a short story. Players want to be part of the games and create stuff with the emergence of user created content this game will let them use their imagination and see what happens with their input (drawings)
Description:
This game will be in 2D and plays on the horizontal plane. It will consist of many little levels each telling a story about the character's day. The user will have to draw on screen when the character on screen needs help to accomplish a task such as walking over a hole in the scenery, interacting with a character, cutting down a tree in the way. The world will be really minimalistic consisting of a couple of lines only and players will have to use their imagination to make something out the every situation.
Why it will be fun:
Creating stories with different outcomes everytime the player replays the game since he can draw many different things to help the character. Become an artist by drawing something on screen that will come to life.
Final thoughts:
I believe choices in games and user created content are the keys to creating great games that will be played by many. This game lets players be artist. Anybody can draw a line, a cloud, etc...
mardi 8 avril 2008
Game ideas every week
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update: i didnt read about all his ideas (only 4)... so I would not be scared to create a game to close to one of his ideas...
------------------
I just read Patrick Curry's blog on the 52 Games idea, http://www.patrickcurry.com/thoughts/?page_id=67 .
He designed 52 games in 52 weeks and I think this is a great and challenging thing to do as a designer. Great way to toy with your imagination.
I'm gonna try it and see what I can come up with ... it will be fun.
will begin this week or at the worst next week.
;)
update: i didnt read about all his ideas (only 4)... so I would not be scared to create a game to close to one of his ideas...
------------------
I just read Patrick Curry's blog on the 52 Games idea, http://www.patrickcurry.com/thoughts/?page_id=67 .
He designed 52 games in 52 weeks and I think this is a great and challenging thing to do as a designer. Great way to toy with your imagination.
I'm gonna try it and see what I can come up with ... it will be fun.
will begin this week or at the worst next week.
;)
vendredi 4 avril 2008
Almost a year in California already!
Viva California!
I've been in Los Angeles for a year already and it has been a great experience.
This year passed by so fast... it blows my mind how so many things happened in a year and it feels like I've been here only a couple of months.
Maybe its the fact that I had no winter season at all or the fact that so many things are to be done here which screws with my mind and makes me believe we're still in summer of last year or something.
We took advantage of all the free time we had to explore our new state, every weekend we had a blast doing something new or meeting with our new Quebecois friends from LA...
There are so many things to be done around here : Beaches everywhere, attraction parks, movie studios, beautiful cities to visit (san diego, santa barbara, newport, long beach, Las Vegas, San Francisco,...), playing volleyball with friends all year long, meeting people from Quebec living in LA from so many different backgrounds and line of work is so cool, interesting and different to me makes me enjoy this new life that I lived in the last couple of months.
The fact that I missed the worst winter ever in Quebec makes me feel happier about my decision to come to California :) What a great way of escaping the worst snow storms ever than to come here and live in the almost eternal sunshine !! Great experience and great choice.
Im not going home for a while just yet ;) Going back to Las Vegas this weekend to play and enjoy the great show 'O' from Cirque du Soleil! Going to Hawaii soon ... why not since I'm so close to these marvelous islands with Volcanoes, enormous waves and paradise setting :)
the only thing I dont like here is... the fact that I have no credit, no car and the bus system here is kinda bad, but cheap. oh yeah ... and I miss my friends who are freezing in Quebec...poor people :P
Ill enjoy the rest of this dream and hopefully I'll never wake-up!!!!
I've been in Los Angeles for a year already and it has been a great experience.
This year passed by so fast... it blows my mind how so many things happened in a year and it feels like I've been here only a couple of months.
Maybe its the fact that I had no winter season at all or the fact that so many things are to be done here which screws with my mind and makes me believe we're still in summer of last year or something.
We took advantage of all the free time we had to explore our new state, every weekend we had a blast doing something new or meeting with our new Quebecois friends from LA...
There are so many things to be done around here : Beaches everywhere, attraction parks, movie studios, beautiful cities to visit (san diego, santa barbara, newport, long beach, Las Vegas, San Francisco,...), playing volleyball with friends all year long, meeting people from Quebec living in LA from so many different backgrounds and line of work is so cool, interesting and different to me makes me enjoy this new life that I lived in the last couple of months.
The fact that I missed the worst winter ever in Quebec makes me feel happier about my decision to come to California :) What a great way of escaping the worst snow storms ever than to come here and live in the almost eternal sunshine !! Great experience and great choice.
Im not going home for a while just yet ;) Going back to Las Vegas this weekend to play and enjoy the great show 'O' from Cirque du Soleil! Going to Hawaii soon ... why not since I'm so close to these marvelous islands with Volcanoes, enormous waves and paradise setting :)
the only thing I dont like here is... the fact that I have no credit, no car and the bus system here is kinda bad, but cheap. oh yeah ... and I miss my friends who are freezing in Quebec...poor people :P
Ill enjoy the rest of this dream and hopefully I'll never wake-up!!!!
lundi 24 mars 2008
TV Shows
I've been following a couple of interesting tv shows lately and i want a talk about them.
if you dont know them you can take a look at some of them online on their respected tv network website.
Terminator :The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)
--------------------------------------------------
This is a follow up to the Terminator movies (after the second one I believe).
The story takes place a couple of years before the Judgment Day (4 years) and tells us the story of John and Sarah Connor trying to stop the evil robot company to be built (i forgot the name).
Whats interesting in the series is that you really get to know who the characters are and the writers did a good job of developping them a lot more than the movies. They explain their background, their skills and they really interact in a real world settings. John, Sarah and Cameron (friend robot) dont really run away (unlike the movies), but they attack, they have strategies and they investigate to find out how to prevent the Judgement Day and who is responsible for it.
There is a lot of action that hook you up, but we can see that John and Sarah are human too and not only some kinda of mercenaries. The writers show us that Cameron wants to become human or be part in their life and she doesnt like to be "just" a robot.
I followed the series closely and I'm kinda sad who it ended ... i hope they will do a follow up cuz otherwise it would be sad end to a great series.
---------------------------------------
Eli Stone (ABC)
------------------
Eli Stone is a great new tv series. I heard about it during the first Lost episode of this season and the trailer was weird and for some reason I wanted to see more.
Eli is a winning attorney in a well-known lawfirm and for some reason (i wont spoil) he gets some weird hallucinations during his normal day. He sees things no one can see and everybody around him are usually acting in his visions and he reacts to them, but obviously once they end, he ends up looking like a fool in front of everybody.
His visions are clues to solving some cases he has to take otherwise they wont stop... would he be a prophet ?
Once again, character development is awesome, story is interesting and unusual for a tv show in today's "im afraid of something new" tv format.
I dont know how it does in ratings but I'm following it every week and i hope it gets picked up for another season. I showed it to other people who are listening to it now even though they didnt see the first episodes.
Plus every episode is a new case and trial so you dont reaaally have to see the first episodes.
Watch it cuz its good and new !
------------------------
Lost (ABC)
------------
Yeah of course Im following Lost ... well I was before they decided to "pause" the season again and show me the rest only in late April... :(
This season could be really interesting, but its so long and nothing much happens in each episode... it seems that the hooks they had before after each episode was once good but now its ...oh all right this might happen next...then during the next episode they only do so much...
anyways this year is kinda boring... less boring than the Heroes second season though!
------------------
Two and a 1/2 Men
--------------------
Really funny show (fourth season i think) ... always makes me laugh ... Charlie Sheen is so funny.
new episodes started last week ... YES!
if you dont know them you can take a look at some of them online on their respected tv network website.
Terminator :The Sarah Connor Chronicles (FOX)
--------------------------------------------------
This is a follow up to the Terminator movies (after the second one I believe).
The story takes place a couple of years before the Judgment Day (4 years) and tells us the story of John and Sarah Connor trying to stop the evil robot company to be built (i forgot the name).
Whats interesting in the series is that you really get to know who the characters are and the writers did a good job of developping them a lot more than the movies. They explain their background, their skills and they really interact in a real world settings. John, Sarah and Cameron (friend robot) dont really run away (unlike the movies), but they attack, they have strategies and they investigate to find out how to prevent the Judgement Day and who is responsible for it.
There is a lot of action that hook you up, but we can see that John and Sarah are human too and not only some kinda of mercenaries. The writers show us that Cameron wants to become human or be part in their life and she doesnt like to be "just" a robot.
I followed the series closely and I'm kinda sad who it ended ... i hope they will do a follow up cuz otherwise it would be sad end to a great series.
---------------------------------------
Eli Stone (ABC)
------------------
Eli Stone is a great new tv series. I heard about it during the first Lost episode of this season and the trailer was weird and for some reason I wanted to see more.
Eli is a winning attorney in a well-known lawfirm and for some reason (i wont spoil) he gets some weird hallucinations during his normal day. He sees things no one can see and everybody around him are usually acting in his visions and he reacts to them, but obviously once they end, he ends up looking like a fool in front of everybody.
His visions are clues to solving some cases he has to take otherwise they wont stop... would he be a prophet ?
Once again, character development is awesome, story is interesting and unusual for a tv show in today's "im afraid of something new" tv format.
I dont know how it does in ratings but I'm following it every week and i hope it gets picked up for another season. I showed it to other people who are listening to it now even though they didnt see the first episodes.
Plus every episode is a new case and trial so you dont reaaally have to see the first episodes.
Watch it cuz its good and new !
------------------------
Lost (ABC)
------------
Yeah of course Im following Lost ... well I was before they decided to "pause" the season again and show me the rest only in late April... :(
This season could be really interesting, but its so long and nothing much happens in each episode... it seems that the hooks they had before after each episode was once good but now its ...oh all right this might happen next...then during the next episode they only do so much...
anyways this year is kinda boring... less boring than the Heroes second season though!
------------------
Two and a 1/2 Men
--------------------
Really funny show (fourth season i think) ... always makes me laugh ... Charlie Sheen is so funny.
new episodes started last week ... YES!
jeudi 28 février 2008
San Francisco : Feb 15 -19
I was in San Francisco for a vacation trip from February 15 to 19. It was my first time there so I had a lot of places to visit.
I really enjoyed the city which looks a lot like some European cities in the mountains.
Everything is close together, you can walk everywhere, but the bus system is great and kinda cheap (reuse your ticket throughout the day) so no real reason to walk long distances if you can't climb those streets. They also have a great metro system that you can take to go from SF airport to Oakland, San Jose and further north which is great if you want to visit the towns in the area.
My hotel was in the Fishermans Warf area which is mostly where the attractions are and its a good place to wander around with all those little restaurants with products from the fishermans day.
I biked the golden gate bridge which is a fantastic way to discover the bridge, the fort museum and the towns beyond the bridge. It was a long biking trip, but it was worth it for long term memories ;) The towns we visited were really charming with good restaurants, shops, beautiful houses and the view on the ocean was great.
we visited the golden bridge, chinatown, financial district, metreon, golden gate park, haight and ashbury area, fishermans Warf and market street area.
it was a great time spent there, but after 5 days it was time to come back to LA...nothing more to visit really after 3 days.
It so different than LA which is huge and cut by highways everywhere.
On the last day I was in the Metreon area and everyone had their GDC passes ... oh I wish I could get to the conferences ... maybe next year :(
I saw a lot of game developpers I knew in the streets of SF that last day.
Interesting town :)
I really enjoyed the city which looks a lot like some European cities in the mountains.
Everything is close together, you can walk everywhere, but the bus system is great and kinda cheap (reuse your ticket throughout the day) so no real reason to walk long distances if you can't climb those streets. They also have a great metro system that you can take to go from SF airport to Oakland, San Jose and further north which is great if you want to visit the towns in the area.
My hotel was in the Fishermans Warf area which is mostly where the attractions are and its a good place to wander around with all those little restaurants with products from the fishermans day.
I biked the golden gate bridge which is a fantastic way to discover the bridge, the fort museum and the towns beyond the bridge. It was a long biking trip, but it was worth it for long term memories ;) The towns we visited were really charming with good restaurants, shops, beautiful houses and the view on the ocean was great.
we visited the golden bridge, chinatown, financial district, metreon, golden gate park, haight and ashbury area, fishermans Warf and market street area.
it was a great time spent there, but after 5 days it was time to come back to LA...nothing more to visit really after 3 days.
It so different than LA which is huge and cut by highways everywhere.
On the last day I was in the Metreon area and everyone had their GDC passes ... oh I wish I could get to the conferences ... maybe next year :(
I saw a lot of game developpers I knew in the streets of SF that last day.
Interesting town :)
samedi 2 février 2008
No More Heroes (Wii)
I'll start by saying that No More Heroes is a must-play title not only because it's on the Wii and one of the only worth playing Wii titles so far (third party anyways), but because the concept is new, cool and retro.
Designer Suda 51 and his team have accomplished a great game with almost no comprimises from his own style and offers a game that is fun to play with a story that makes fun of the current state of the industry. Unlike his latest game, Killer 7, that was hard to get through without frustration and moments of "why are you doing this to me ?", No More Heroes his fun all the way and keeping the same kind of graphics that Killer 7 had which was a good element to it.
You are playing Travis Touchdown, who talks to the playing during the first moments of the game (kinda weird), who bought a lightsaber on the net and kills an assassin in the first moments of the game. Due to this action, he becomes the 11th assassin and gets in touch with an association of assassins which he needs to get on top of to become the top assassin.
You need to collect enough money to enter each assassination contest to become number 1. To do so you will have to accomplish some Jobs which consist of mini game such as "Get coconuts from trees", "Collect scorpions", "Wash grafittis", etc... and perform some smaller assassinations. These tasks are appreciated because it would have become repetitive if the game consisted of only killing the 10 assassins ahead of you.
You can ride around town using your over the top motorcycle to get to shops, your motel, Jobs, different collect missions and roll over some pedestrians. The town is mostly a way to get from one fight to another and is large enough for the purpose of the game.
Each fight you enter will have a different setting to run around killing minions, getting treasures along the way to the big fight ... the assassin. Each Assassin has a different pattern he will use to move and attack the player which is a great way for players to use their skills in a different way every fight and tends to be less repetitive than killing normal minions.
Suda 51 used a good control scheme using the Wii controller. To attack you will have to press 'A' to use your lightsaber, using the motion control only to perform finishing moves; and using 'B' to perform melee attack and grabs to accomplish a wrestling moves using the nunchuck and Wii controller. This scheme is a lot better, I believe, than having to move the controller all the time which would be tiresome and wouldn't give the same effect for finishing moves.
You will usually kill all enemies with finishing moves except for the main Assassins where Suda 51 is messing with the player by having a cinematic showing the last hit instead of letting the player do it himself. This is one of the ways, the designer messes with the player's mind during the game.
During the first 2 hours I thought killing all those guys was repetitive and would become boring, but I've played more and it became a game I couldn't stop playing because the story was good, the other weapons you'll buy offer any changes to the game that it's cool to watch yourself kill all these characters using moves out of Star Wars movie ;)
I loved the graphics that have a retro look found in the arcade era... icons, arcade game done for the game, Highscore board for top assassins, the music, etc ... all feel they were taken out of the 80s.
We can see he really enjoys playing around with players expectencies... during the story, but also at the end of the game where you have the choice of watching the "Ending", the "Real ending" or continue roaming around the city. Choosing the ending is quite unusual and they offer a different side of the story you'll see!
I think it was perfect to use the Wii to implement this game since its the first Mature game on the Wii, the best third party game they have and hopefully other will join in and make this console great for all kinds of gamers not only the casual ones, it offers a solid use of the Wii controller and its an artistic game found nowhere else.
hope you enjoy too.
Designer Suda 51 and his team have accomplished a great game with almost no comprimises from his own style and offers a game that is fun to play with a story that makes fun of the current state of the industry. Unlike his latest game, Killer 7, that was hard to get through without frustration and moments of "why are you doing this to me ?", No More Heroes his fun all the way and keeping the same kind of graphics that Killer 7 had which was a good element to it.
You are playing Travis Touchdown, who talks to the playing during the first moments of the game (kinda weird), who bought a lightsaber on the net and kills an assassin in the first moments of the game. Due to this action, he becomes the 11th assassin and gets in touch with an association of assassins which he needs to get on top of to become the top assassin.
You need to collect enough money to enter each assassination contest to become number 1. To do so you will have to accomplish some Jobs which consist of mini game such as "Get coconuts from trees", "Collect scorpions", "Wash grafittis", etc... and perform some smaller assassinations. These tasks are appreciated because it would have become repetitive if the game consisted of only killing the 10 assassins ahead of you.
You can ride around town using your over the top motorcycle to get to shops, your motel, Jobs, different collect missions and roll over some pedestrians. The town is mostly a way to get from one fight to another and is large enough for the purpose of the game.
Each fight you enter will have a different setting to run around killing minions, getting treasures along the way to the big fight ... the assassin. Each Assassin has a different pattern he will use to move and attack the player which is a great way for players to use their skills in a different way every fight and tends to be less repetitive than killing normal minions.
Suda 51 used a good control scheme using the Wii controller. To attack you will have to press 'A' to use your lightsaber, using the motion control only to perform finishing moves; and using 'B' to perform melee attack and grabs to accomplish a wrestling moves using the nunchuck and Wii controller. This scheme is a lot better, I believe, than having to move the controller all the time which would be tiresome and wouldn't give the same effect for finishing moves.
You will usually kill all enemies with finishing moves except for the main Assassins where Suda 51 is messing with the player by having a cinematic showing the last hit instead of letting the player do it himself. This is one of the ways, the designer messes with the player's mind during the game.
During the first 2 hours I thought killing all those guys was repetitive and would become boring, but I've played more and it became a game I couldn't stop playing because the story was good, the other weapons you'll buy offer any changes to the game that it's cool to watch yourself kill all these characters using moves out of Star Wars movie ;)
I loved the graphics that have a retro look found in the arcade era... icons, arcade game done for the game, Highscore board for top assassins, the music, etc ... all feel they were taken out of the 80s.
We can see he really enjoys playing around with players expectencies... during the story, but also at the end of the game where you have the choice of watching the "Ending", the "Real ending" or continue roaming around the city. Choosing the ending is quite unusual and they offer a different side of the story you'll see!
I think it was perfect to use the Wii to implement this game since its the first Mature game on the Wii, the best third party game they have and hopefully other will join in and make this console great for all kinds of gamers not only the casual ones, it offers a solid use of the Wii controller and its an artistic game found nowhere else.
hope you enjoy too.
vendredi 11 janvier 2008
Super Mario Galaxy - opinions
I finished Super Mario Galaxy last week and I got around 60 something stars...
I didn't play the last galaxy, I went for the final boss instead.
Overall I enjoyed the game, I wanted to get as many stars as I could on each planet to see how they made the new parts available to me to get the next star.
They usually used a clever way to use that planet's theme to get us around to new areas.
Unfortunately I couldnt get some of the stars cause I really hated the races against blue mario...too hard compared to normal levels and you had to be just perfect controlling Mario.
I like the fact that levels were short and it a couple of minutes I could get a new star and be proud of what I had accomplished plus I could save and quit right after that if I had to. It was kinda a reference to Super Mario Bros 3 (which is my favorite SMB game) by its short levels and the themes used and the disguises we can use.
By the way, I like some of the disguises like the bee, the ice skates, but I didnt enjoy the spring mario.
Making the worlds spherical was kinda cool and new, but was disorienting sometimes when enemies attacked you, your controls were switched or my mind couldnt understand which way to push the stick anymore.
I didn't play the last galaxy, I went for the final boss instead.
Overall I enjoyed the game, I wanted to get as many stars as I could on each planet to see how they made the new parts available to me to get the next star.
They usually used a clever way to use that planet's theme to get us around to new areas.
Unfortunately I couldnt get some of the stars cause I really hated the races against blue mario...too hard compared to normal levels and you had to be just perfect controlling Mario.
I like the fact that levels were short and it a couple of minutes I could get a new star and be proud of what I had accomplished plus I could save and quit right after that if I had to. It was kinda a reference to Super Mario Bros 3 (which is my favorite SMB game) by its short levels and the themes used and the disguises we can use.
By the way, I like some of the disguises like the bee, the ice skates, but I didnt enjoy the spring mario.
Making the worlds spherical was kinda cool and new, but was disorienting sometimes when enemies attacked you, your controls were switched or my mind couldnt understand which way to push the stick anymore.
Furthermore, the swimming levels were so painful to play because they messed up the controls so I didnt know how to go up or down and the camera was pretty much always looking in the wrong direction or located behind objects. Swimming in 3D has been done better in many games, but Mario will have a better one next time.
I like the design of the enemies and mostly the bosses which were really fun to play. The most fun I had was in the 2D levels where gravity changed throughout the area and you had to go through this new type of puzzle trying to figure out where Mario would fall next.
The last Bowser encounter was underwhelming compared to the rest of the game.
Overall its one of the best games this year and one of the best Super Mario games released so far. Innovation was the key and using the galaxy system gave them the freedom to pursue any silly level design they wanted to include.
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