Tap Tap Tap

UPDATE: I've had a little more time with both games and been able to form some more opinions on the features of each game. One thing I truly loathe about Tapped Out is how easy it is make a mistake. Countless times have I and others accidentally sped up a character's task with donuts, a mistake that must be rapidly rectified and is easily caused by a simple mis-tap. Family Guy solves this problem with a simple drag and drop system; players drag the task symbol onto the character's action slot, leaving little room for error. On the other hand, Family Guy lacks a  important feature that Tapped Out is great for, a small box that shows all characters available to be set a task. In Family Guy  you click on the actual character, a task made difficult when a character has decided to hang out in a corner of the town behind building where where they aren't visible. While characters can be picked up in Family Guy and moved, the Simpsons displays each available character in the corner of the screen and transports you to their menu and location when clicked. So TinyCo, maybe steal that feature for your game make it perfect? 

I came a little late to the party in terms of the whole 'Touchscreen Revolution' that's been occurring over the last decade or so. Only in the last six months have I acquired a tablet device and functional smartphone (I owned a smartphone for years but it was old and not fully functional when I received it). Though I missed out on many of the medium's formative years it is fair to say that touchscreen gaming is now pretty ubiquitous; it's hard to go anywhere without seeing someone playing a game on their phone. I've always been a fan of small games, when I was younger we couldn't afford to get every latest console and keep up-to-date on the newest releases. We often rented games for short periods, bought consoles years after release when the prices had dropped and borrowed games from friends with more extensive libraries, anything we could to play some of the amazing games we could only hear or read about.

If I'd known these words then I would have spoken them

But one thing we always had was a PC. The same rules apply, we still didn't have all the latest releases and most of our game library revolved around Golf simulators for my dad, a couple of old adventure games and some computerised board and card games. But we had the internet, and it was great! Flash games were always my favourite, they were absolutely free and there were thousands, millions of them! Miniclip, Newgrounds and dozens of other sites that have been erased from my memory by the fog of time provided small games, single and multiplayer, that could be played any time, could be stopped and started whenever you wanted, could provided hours of joy or a simple moment's distraction while waiting for something to load or download. Smart phones and tablets have now extended this further, one no longer needs to be at a PC at home or in the office but anywhere in the world. I feel like online, independent games were the setup and now we're seeing the real deal. Mobile gaming is getting more advanced, higher fidelity and much more viable as an option for game development than ever before.

Before smartphones, there was only one mobile game

The convenience, growing technology and wide availability of these devices and games is now virtually the same as it was on those websites of old but with the added advantage of being able to game everywhere. It has also given rise to new genres and ways of playing. A very notable example is the 'idle' game. These are games that don't require a players active involvement for long periods and basically run themselves. A Dark Room is entirely ASCII and button based, with no graphics that cant be created from text and is time based. The player is tasked with collecting resources and building a small settlement in the woods, expanding and exploring as you go. The game can be left for long periods as resources build up and then they can be collected with a button press. The game allows one to explore a map and fight enemies to collect more items and resources and comes with a great narrative that will keep you tapping away for days.

ASCII art can be beautiful, just beautiful...

Games like The Simpsons: Tapped Out and Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff are also similar in this regard; players build a town including buildings and characters from the respective shows and these earn money and experience on a regular basis. The player must then return, collect their earnings and continue to expand. Games like these are perfect for the busy lives we lead; I can often be seen calculating how long a shift at work is going to be and getting Homer to complete and 8 hour task so that he's ready when I get done. I can play, or not play, whenever I choose. The game is endless, has no real goals and no defined end-point or win condition but it allows me to choose when I want to play, doesn't require a large investment in time and is something I can get friends involved in. What more can you ask for from a game? Of course, there's nothing like sitting down with my laptop for a game of Left4Dead or firing up my Playstation to go through Metal Gear Solid 4 again but my phone and tablet are a great way to stay connected to games and gaming when I don't have time to sit down for a more involved experience due to a busy period in my schedule. Small games are the future as much as they have been the past and game designers would do well to remember this, especially those with little experience. While we often have grand ideas with big, open, sprawling, 3D worlds, branching narratives and expansive quest lines we can forget that smaller games can be just as powerful, if not more so. There is still lots of room for surprises and plenty of ways of screwing with the conventions that can really push the medium forward, as it is still very young and still evolving. So don't think little, think small!

On a side note, had an awesome day day yesterday eating bubble gum sundae and going to the funfair, it's all on my twitter feed. But the most awesomest part was the random find of a game design book in a charity shop. I was walking past with my buddy and we had time to kill so I suggested we go in. I sometimes look for old Terry Pratchett books as they can often be found in charity shops and I'm on a lifelong mission to get them all from charity shops for no good reason. I went straight over to the books and scanned the shelves and there it was! Inside Game Design by Iain Simmons. Just £2 and packed with great interviews and behind-the-scenes looks at the development of a few games. Follow your instincts, you never know where it might lead! Except don't always, but do when it's stuff like go into charity shops. I'm not responsible for the things that happen to you...

"My instinct says Superman will catch me if I fall!"

Something EGX This Way Comes...

EGX tickets went on sale yesterday morning. The four day event will host the cream of the crop of the world gaming industry from big publishers and developers to smaller indie teams and solo devs. You'll be able to play new releases, future releases, hear from industry industry insiders and mingle with people who love the thing you love and do the thing you do. Last years event saw 70 000 gamers come together and this years event is expected to be even bigger. Get your day or weekend tickets from the site and perhaps I'll see you there! I'll be there with the SU Productions team, taking notes as they interview some awesome people! It's a little ways away but best to get those tickets early, don't wana be late to the party.

It will be better than this. I think...

In other news, I have begun the planning stages of a new game that will be exhibited around June at my University for the final year exhibition. I don't want to say too much about it now but I would like to point to the IGCCGD conference that I attended recently. Simply being in that environment, hearing people talk about their ideas and learning about one's trade is such a valuable resource. I strongly urge any and all who are interested in becoming part of the industry, in whatever capacity (I mean you voice actors, PR people and producers), attend events! Aside from the obvious networking opportunities it is unbelievably helpful for your grey matter to be in that environment, and you'll learn more about your tools and new tools you might want to use too.

No! Bad reader! Not those kind of tools!

Even if you think you're anti-social and hate crowds, go to smaller events and talks. You don't have to run around shaking everybody's hand. Just listen and absorb. I'm not the most social penguin but by attending stuff like this I've learned so much and it's sparked so many ideas. If there aren't any events near you, have a go organising some. Meet in a local pub, talk about your latest efforts, issues with design and development, future projects, whatever! Twitter is another great tool for this stuff but you'll get so many more Twitter contacts by attending events as well as digital networking.

He's not sad because he's lonely, he's sad because he missed EGX.

So do it! Get out there, show your games, discuss your trade, hear others and develop your own ideas further. The best thing you can do is be there for this stuff. Whether you want to create something fresh, new and unique or improve on something you think can be done better these events can be key to your success, whatever your view of that is.

UPDATED: UK Tax Cuts for 'culturally British' Pantomime Dames

UPDATE: The UKIE has released a PDF (download) explaining the criteria that must be met in order for a game to apply for tax relief. Projects will be assessed with a cultural test and granted points based on the criteria, which include the amount of characters and the portion of the game set in the UK or an EEA country, whether or not a game's story is based on that of a British or other European story, the amount of work completed in the UK and whether or not the creators are usually UK based. This is good news as it means that companies can't just move to the UK and start applying to tax cuts and will hopefully allow British cultural games to shine through. The PDF also explains how the tax cuts will break down over a game's cost and which companies are eligible, including a note that abandoned projects will not have the relief affected.



That's - erm - that's games in Cockney rhyming slam... Pantomime Dames I mean...

"You what guv'na?!"

The European Commision (EC) today approved a tax relief plan for the British games industry that may see up to 25% in tax cuts for games that meet cultural criteria. There is little information as to what these criteria will be as of yet but they are sure to be discussed at the upcoming event hosted by the UKIE to discuss the impact and effects of the tax relief, announced two days ago. This event will be attended by "a senior government minister" as well as representatives of the industry and the UKIE. The tax relief is thought to affect 25% of games produced in the UK and will surely bolster an already thriving industry.


So is that the future of UK produced games? Desperately strong-arming British references in there for tax cuts? It's hard to say without seeing the criteria that's being conveniently skirted over in every press release and statement. At the same time, I don't want to be a cynic. I'm not particularly patriotic but having lived in England my whole life it is the culture I know and understand, a humour I get that much of the world doesn't, a certain British-ness in the way we are, in the way the characters we create are. My concern is that what we'll see is a rise in games that contain a bunch of British stereotypes, not for the purpose of amusement, satire or affectionate ribbing but simply for the sake of tax cuts.

Then again, maybe it's time time for a second go at this?

I don't just refer to comedic characters and references, in the vain of say Family Guy (I find this particular clip encompasses so many British-isms it's like art, Seth McFarlane gets it), but even more supposedly serious characters. I don't want every game to be set in jolly old London town and be surrounded by fruit sellers, buskers singing George Formby and chimney sweeps doing delightful jigs.

This... this actually looks okay

But I have faith in British developers, faith that they won't just be out to make a quick buck and they truly want to add to the British cultural lexicon. The UK has had a massive cultural impact on the world in the past, and not just because they went round taking over every country they step foot in. We are a nation with a strong identity and mixed culture and the media we produce is often uniquely British, but the world in recent years has started to pick up on not just our fashion but our media too, a thing that was often confined to out little island as the rest of the world "wouldn't get it".

What does it all mean?!

An immediate and obvious example of this is Ricky Gervais' hit show The Office, a show that took the world by storm and became more than just a cult hit, spawning various regional versions worldwide. This was a uniquely British show with uniquely British humour; the awkwardness of daily interactions, the polite, reserved way we tend to deal with situations, the fools we suffer so as not to be rude. All of this was blown a bit wide for comedic purposes in some cases but the show was often based on real events from the writer's lives. It made it feel real and like home for me, like I could meet these people at any pub in the country. There were stereotypes but the character's were genuine and it made them feel more like character quirks and flaws. Perhaps having British culture in the hands of British developers is the best thing for it then.

And seriously, GTA: London 2 you guys! GTA: London 2!

Oculus Rift Acquired by Facebook

The internet is abuzz with talk of Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg's announcement yesterday afternoon that the company would be acquiring Oculus Rift for a sum of $2billion. Zuckerberg intends to explore the potential of the device as a social media tool and more besides gaming, though we are assured that Oculus' original plan will still go ahead, though at an accelerated rate. In a post to Facebook about the announcement, Zuckerberg says:

"But this is just the start. After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face -- just by putting on goggles in your home."

In the same announcement Zuckerberg goes on to predict that the future of the world lies in virtual reality systems, and Facebook clearly wants to adopt the technology early. This has caused concern with some, with Marcus "Notch" Perrson, owner of Mojang announcing over Twitter that his company has cancelled plans to support the Oculus device, saying "Facebook creeps me out." He does note that a mod is available for users interested in using the device.

Just over 18 months ago Oculus Rift achieved and surpassed its goal of $250 000 by over 37 times, receiving almost $9.5million in backing on Kickstarter. It has now been acquired for an estimated $2billion, more than 200 times as much as the original Kickstarter raised. This is great news for Oculus and the huge cash injection will be sure to speed up the delivery of the system. At last week's GDC they had announced the Oculus Development Kit 2, an updated version of the first kit, for $350 and it seems this is going ahead with the device being sold now. Perhaps this is a good sign that Zuckerman's promise of the company still operating independently isn't just PR talk, at least for now.

Does the future really lie in VR? And what are Facebook doing to ensure the privacy of its users? They talk of wanting to share everything with everyone. This sharing is data which they can and have used to target adverts to people and increase the power of those adverts. How will virtual reality data be collected and used and what will the form will this virtual space take? Look out for further developments and announcements in the coming months.

Sony has also recently announced a VR headset, Project Morpheus, a direct rival to Oculus Rift. Both companies have the capital and business networks to gain market share in the games sector but it is difficult to tell what the final products of either will really be like, though reviews of both have been favourable.

The dawn of a new age in gaming or just a night of the living dead?

Holy crap, so meta bro!

The Real Thinkings

What the hell?! Facebook?! Really?!

Okay, initial outburst out of the way I'm not really sure what to think. I raged at first, then I wondered if I was the guy raging against this new fangled technology, bearing my torch and pitchfork like a seasoned pro.

"Back, oh ye purveyor of immersive worlds, oh ye peddler of fun!"

But then I called bullshit on that pretty quick because I had no problem with Rift before now and was super excited, still am! What I have a problem with is Facebook. I use Facebook, I don't like it, I use it. I'm a hypocrite, so that's out of the way now. I'm not keen on my data being collected like that, I'm not sure any of of us really are. I do understand that some of it has to be collected in order for the services I like to exist but it's when my name and picture are used to advertise stuff I get uneasy. I make a point of not liking pages, especially those of businesses, as I don't want everyone to be told "Hey, Daniel likes Akira's Used Pantie Emporium, you should too!" I mean, not that I would be liking something called Akira's Used Pantie Emporium or anything... Those rumours were never confirmed...

*cough**cough* Shameful *cough*

It's not about what I like or don't like and whether it's private or not, clearly if I didn't want people to know I liked something I wouldn't thumbup it on Facebook, and I don't do that. My beef is with this insistence that EVERY single thing has to collect data now. Analytics can helpful as balls, especially to a game developer because they can tell you so much about your game and how you can improve it, so there's a flip side to it but I don't want to have to sign my life away as a walking advert simply to communicate with friends.

I don't know if this is a good move, but I agree with Notch, this shit creeps me out! I'm concerned about the future of tech and media but at the same time I'm super excited about the future of tech and media! Oculus Rift, as of yet, hasn't changed and I still can't wait to get my hands on one and create some worlds, try and use the device in a different or interesting way. I have no idea what the future holds, it's impossible to predict with certain accuracy, but VR is definitely in it and Oculus and Facebook are going to be a big part of it.

So what's Steam gonna do? Anything?

IGCCGD: A PR man in a suit isn't always 'the Man'

Sadly I was unable to attend the second day of the IGCCGD event due to a few factors but I found the first day very enlightening and wanted to note some points of consideration gleaned from the discussions and talks.

Danny Goodayle, co-founder of Just a Pixel discussed the events surrounding the development and pending release of his studio's game Light, their first effort. The game was a hit on Steam Greenlight and the developers, a small team of 2, excitedly decided to begin a Kickstarter campaign to fund their game. During the course of the campaign they were contacted by Team17 who wished to publish their game and were also Greenlit. They cancelled their Kickstarter, finished up their contracts and have been building the game since late 2013, to be shown at REZZED later this month. Goodayle discussed the difficulties and stresses of building the complex AI they had devised and his thankfulness to people they had hired into the project, even commenting that the visual design of the game was altered due to some music written by Gavin Harrison. Team17 were also given praise for their hands-off approach to their involvement, offering help where it was needed but otherwise allowing the developers to work to the beat of their own drum (with deadlines of course).

Light looking all gorgeously volumetric

Hearing of their highs and lows was an extremely interesting insight into their development cycle and Goodayle says he learned much from the experience; the value of delegating tasks and not being too untrustworthy with handing your work off to others, the fish-out-of-water feeling of suddenly being introduced to deadlines, QA tests, concerns about optimising the game for a range of systems. The game is currently in a prototyping stage and has no release date as of yet but follow the guys on their twitter feeds and check back on their site for updates.

Steve Iles gave his perspective from the PR side of things, one rarely considered and often considered too late by many designers. He stressed the importance of PR in a successful game, even an independent once. While PR doesn't guarantee success, nor does a lack of actively presenting a work deny its success, Iles discussed what a publisher can bring to the table, including expertise, contacts, experience and an existing market position in many cases. Publishers and producers can really take a lot of the work load of presenting, advertising and spreading news of your game, freeing you up to build; they know the business and will do their best to make your game a commercial success if that is your goal. He also discussed the importance of knowing your target market, knowing what they respond to and knowing how to market to them, noting the Asian mobile market as one of particular importance at the moment. Finally Iles discussed the future of games as a medium, using a term close to my heart, transmedia worlds. These are narrative universes spanning over various media, not simply retelling the narrative of the original but expanding it. Iles considers these transmedia worlds as a large part of the future of games as a medium and I am inclined to agree.

I've already talked a little about Louise James but I'll happily discuss her again. James, the young director of Generic Evil Business Inc., gave her reasons for loving Twitter as a social tool but also as a tool for finding work and making contacts. She discussed the Twitter conversations that led her to work with Dan Marshall of Size Five Games on their game Gun Monkeys and led to a collaborative relationship that they still maintain. Through Twitter James was also able to secure work with other teams, studios and developers and was able to aid others in finding opportunities. The social networking site also enabled her to boost sales of tools she had built by getting the word out of their existence across a network of individuals with similar interests and careers. These relationships built on Twitter have provided a network of contacts and client base that is invaluable and exhaustive, so give her a follow because she's a great contact to have!

Monkeys... with guns... Gun Monkeys!

James Parker of Opposable Games and Alastair Aitcheson, a solo indie developer, were both at odds in their design ideals. While Parker discussed Opposable's interest in second-screen or dual-screen games and networking players, Aitcheson was enthralled by the idea of large touchscreens with multiple players on the same device. Parker lamented the use of second-screens in gaming today, commenting that they are often gimicks that can detract from the play experience by removing vital tools from visible space and putting them on a phone. It is his studio's intent to create second-screen games that utilise both screens effectively but do not force the user to shift their focus when it is needed on another screen. In their upcoming title Salvage they aim to do this by limiting interactions to the second-screen and not forcing a user to use a mouse or keyboard or controller in addition to it. Parker also commented that though people understand the term second-screen and it is easy to use it does not mean the so-called 'second-screen' has to take second place to the 'first-screen'. They also know the audience for their game is a core audience, tech savvy and more able to set up and understand the technology. Catch the game and the guys at REZZED later in the month as well.

Second-screen? First-screen

Alistair Aitchison is a lover of the interactions between people and aims to make games that people have to be in the same room to play. He likes to foster cheating and sabotage, designing his titles to allow and encourage players to screw each other over to win. For him games are about the meta-narrative, the interactions between friends that produce fun and humour. In his latest offering, Tap Happy Sabotage, players must collect cards by tapping them while tapping other players' 'trap' cards, reducing their points. It is a mad rush of tapping and finger wrestling with some extra mechanics thrown in to make the game more competitive and fun. In order to achieve all this, larger screens are much more effective and Aitcheson said he has played his game with 10 players on a single screen. After discussing the ubiquity of touchscreen devices in the near future he went on to say that large screen games are a niche market at the moment and so designing for them now will place you ahead of the curve, though there are many ergonomic considerations for larger screens that must be considered like fidelity of movement in comparison to a smaller screen and fatigue from large, long, extended periods of movement and play.

They're certainly happy about... something

It seems the main points to take home throughout the talks was that accepting help when it's needed is never, ever a bad thing, and actively employing or seeking that help from someone who knows what they're doing is even better. Though you should try new things and make an attempt at something, even if it seems daunting, knowing when you're beat isn't a failure and neither is a helping hand, sometimes it's the difference between success and failure! But the main thing is exposure; follow up on leads, message the right people about your product and efforts, get the word out and have a presence online. People will want to search you and your game and the easier you make it for them to find that info and then buy your game when it releases, the more likely your game is to be a success. Think about marketing and press from the very start of your project and give yourself time to implement some PR. You can make your game a success and earn a living from what you do as a game designer or creator but you have to be active if that's your goal.

New Day's Resolution

Too long once more! It is my New Day's Resolution (New Year's was a little far...) that I will try to update this thing at least once a week. But onward, to content!

I've been to Prague and back for a short holiday to get away from the madness and had a great time just walking around and taking the city in.

There was so much to see this guy didn't even

live to see it all!

The astronomical clock, the Charles Bridge and so much more! I took a bunch of photos and got blisters I'm still recovering from due to all the walking on cobbled streets but being alone in a new place like that was something I had to do at least once. I'm glad I did and I'm glad I didn't die. I really want to go back in the summer one day though, visit Chapeau Rouge and take a stroll by the Vltava River and see some live music in the evening. But there are so many places I must visit, perhaps I'll save my return for another year.

I've also been working hard as hell on my dissertation and second term project. The dissertation is titled 'Narratology vs. Ludology: Rules, story and their impact on design' and was extremely interesting to research (and well worth the late fees from the library which I will totally pay off soon and return the books...). I had to delve into transmedia worlds, hypertext fiction, ludological definitions and tenets and more. I think it really helped me to solidify some of my ideas about design and forced me to look a little into the future and see where game design is going. An invaluable mad rush that I would repeat any day!

The project is a game prototype I've been working on for about 3 weeks. It was the third design iteration I'd been through and none of the three designs were anything alike. The first was uninspired and rushed, a side-scrolling platformer with little substance. The second was a good idea but too vast and the territory was too new for me to feel confident in successfully completing it in time. I won't discuss that one for now because it's an idea I'm still developing and may resume work on soon. But the third is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up, filled with goo monsters, French themes and the cutest darn cat you ever saw ^^ (Simple characters, simple game, simple*3). I didn't have much time after the re-design so I put together something that's scalable but simple and hopefully fun as heck! I'm not releasing anything for now but watch this space! I intend to develop it further although the project may be a little too large to focus on completely and the design needs to be fleshed out a lot too.

The start of something beautiful?

I was at the awesome Indie Games Collective Conference for Developers all day yesterday and will be heading back there for the second day later this morning. Day 1 was informative and all the talks were a really interesting perspective on game design, development and distribution from both an indie perspective and a PR perspective, an interesting side of the process rarely considered by many devs until it's too late. There was a particularly awesome speech from Louise Adams on why Twitter is so amazing for making contacts. She seemed nervous and not particularly willing to give the talk at first but as soon as she opened her mouth she had the whole room laughing and hanging on her every word, and rarely have I heard so endearing a phrase as "I was supposed to do some slides but I panicked and made a physics engine instead".

This is how all presentations should be given.

There was a great panel at the end and and Paul Marrable had us all cracking up. Some very interesting discussions about dual-screen vs. second-screen, developing games for large touchscreens and plenty of great advice for any indie developer, new or old to the scene.

A friend of mine is producing a web show based at his university and they will be joining me at the IGCCGD day 2 for interviews, filming and some more of that great advice from industry experts and indie devs alike! So keep your eyes peeled for the vid. In the meantime they have a few news videos and coverage from a couple of events with some killer interviews so check them out at SU Productions on Youtube and Facebook, subscribe and like and share and all that malarkey, help them make it great!

I shall be back to report on day 2 of the IGCCGD and will attempt to sort through all my notes to write something at least relatively informative for once :)

Free, and that's the only reason!

So, I am now the proud (?) owner of an iPhone 4. Just an old one before my sister's upgrade. So this is me begrudgingly using an Apple product because it's free. Would never have paid real earth monies for their stuff. Yet here I am... How did it come to this?

Woe betide me...