Joystiq

Diablo 3's missing runestones found at GDC

Mike Schramm — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST

If you've followed Diablo 3's development for a long time, you might remember the idea of Runestones. They were meant to be actual in-game items that could supplement character abilities in various ways, such as adding a fire attack to a melee hit, or doubling the power of a spell for free. When the game arrived last year, the Runestone system was nowhere to be seen, replaced by the controversial Skill Rune system. So where did those Runestones go? Diablo 3's technical designer Wyatt Cheng said during a talk at GDC that they're still around, in one form or another.

The Runestone system was originally created to add flexibility to character skills, and to give players a chance to experiment and play around with new abilities after they had gained them through leveling up. The original idea had ten different effects that could be added to various abilities, including striking, lethality, efficiency, life-stealing, poison, slowing and so on. But ten was too many, Blizzard decided, and they opted to boil them down into five different stone types (Crimson, Obsidian, Indigo, Golden and Alabaster) that would each affect skills in a few different ways.

Cheng said having actual stones in the inventory worked in a few different ways. It gave the system a sense of discovery, as players enjoyed seeing which stones granted certain effects, and it accomplished the original goal of allowing players to experiment with customization. Managing the stones in the game's inventory was a "nightmare," according to Cheng, and player expectations didn't always match what the stones actually provided.

In the end, the team went with the existing Skill Rune system, which allowed Blizzard to give specific skill and stone combinations more "flavorful names," and let the team make sure that the added effects were appropriate for the skills they matched. But Cheng said the effects were still in there: Some runes still slow opponents or add more damage to attacks, and those were the effects originally conferred by the stones of Indigo and Crimson.

Diablo 3's missing runestones found at GDC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zynga's website removes Facebook login requirement

Mike Schramm — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST

Zynga has redesigned its website, no longer requiring gamers to log into the site using the Facebook credentials.

Once upon a time, Facebook and Zynga were the best of pals, with Zynga's titles driving engagement on the big blue social network and Facebook providing a steady stream of new users to play Zynga's offerings. Last year, however, Facebook and Zynga decided to start parting ways, and that's led us to this current situation, where Zynga is pushing its platform beyond the walls of the Facebook system.

Not completely outside, however: Zynga players can still log into Facebook on Zynga.com if they like, and as you can see on the site, the Facebook logo and login box are still prominently displayed. But players are no longer forced to use that process to partake in Zynga's library of games.

Zynga's website removes Facebook login requirement originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Devs helped shape PS4, console wasn't designed 'in an ivory tower somewhere in Tokyo'

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:15:00 EST

Pssst, here's an open secret: Sony's PlayStation 3 was a machine built on ego that had harsh executive-level repercussions following launch. For the recently revealed PlayStation 4, which Sony has been developing for several years, the company took a more democratic approach, consulting with developers and publishers on what it should do.

"We've been very closely involved in the development of the machine," said Hermen Hulst, co-founder of Killzone developer Guerrilla Games, to The Guardian. "It's no longer designed in an ivory tower somewhere in Tokyo, it's shared with us, with [Uncharted developer] Naughty Dog, with Sony San Diego - and together we've built the machine."

The Guardian posits developer consultation and discussions with publishers like Ubisoft led to the PS4 being designed in line with modern PCs, so devs could easily comprehend the hardware. Other design elements noted were greater social integration and controller elements, like concave triggers and the headphone jack.

The Guardian has far more on the roundtable design.

Devs helped shape PS4, console wasn't designed 'in an ivory tower somewhere in Tokyo' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kratos: God of war, man of evolving fashion tastes

Jessica Conditt — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST

If God of War's Kratos is best known for anything, it's obviously his impeccable fashion sense. His ensemble, even from the beginning of his hell-bent rampage, speaks of being meticulously composed, what with that pale skin, flowing skirt and bold face tattoo. How avante garde.

That said, it's interesting to note that just days before Sony introduced Kratos to the world, he sported blue full-body markings and more Hot Topic-inspired accessories. Right before his launch, however, someone on director David Jaffe's team pointed out that Smurfy Kratos resembled the Barbarian from Diablo 2, and his design was swapped to the red Kratos we now know and love.

"I had played Diablo but never 2, and this was sure news to me," Jaffe recalls. "As it was too clearly to many/all others on the team, as this was the first we'd heard of the character, let alone the similarity. So you can bet we changed it, lickety fuckin' split!"

Kratos: God of war, man of evolving fashion tastes originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Minecraft collection on Threadless explodes with 10 new shirt designs

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:15:00 EST

Threadless now has 10 shirts in its brand-new Minecraft collection, with most available for guys, gals, babies and kids. Each shirt is a winner of the Threadless Loves Minecraft design challenge, which offered the three top artists $3,000, a $500 Threadless voucher and a trip to MineCon Paris.

Each of the Minecraft shirts has its own brand of charm, such as Love Bomb, which features a lovesick, cartoonish Creeper courting a box of TNT, and Attack of the Giant Creeper!, a retro Hollywood homage. All shirts are $19.50 for adult sizes.

Minecraft collection on Threadless explodes with 10 new shirt designs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Every state in the US now has a school for game development

Mike Suszek — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:10:00 EST

Those living in the United States and seeking a career in the games industry have more avenues to take that first step than ever before. According to a news release from the Entertainment Software Association, there are now colleges with video game development, programming and design programs in all 50 states.

Of the 381 schools in the country, 70 are located in California, which leads the rest of the US by a sizable margin. Texas is second with 24 programs devoted to game development. A full list of every school can be found on the ESA's site.

Continue reading Every state in the US now has a school for game development

Every state in the US now has a school for game development originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dream Build Play finalists for Xbox 360 and Windows Phone announced, winners soon

Mike Schramm — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:30:00 EST

Microsoft has announced the 40 finalists in its latest Dream Build Play competition, featuring standout titles developed with the Windows Phone Software Development Kit for the Xbox 360 or Windows Phone operating system.

The games entered were judged on qualities like innovation, the production quality, and the fun factor, and all of the entries were narrowed down to these 40, with 20 on each system. The final prize-winning games will be announced in a few weeks from now in early September.

The finalists come from developers all over the world, and include games like the zombie fighter RPG Dead Pixels, "fantasy flight game" Windhaven, and the electricity-powered puzzler, Super Volt. The final prizes in the competition include cash prizes and possible publishing agreements, but odds are that we'll see more than one of these titles make it out to public release after the competition, with or without Microsoft's involvement.

Dream Build Play finalists for Xbox 360 and Windows Phone announced, winners soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Katamari Damacy rolling into New York Museum of Modern Art

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST

Katamari Damacy - the game, and not a big ball made up of everything in sight - will be on display in New York's Museum of Modern Art. The game is part of the "Century of the Child: Growing by Design" exhibit, running from July 29 until November 5.

"Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900-2000," is an overview of the "modernist preoccupation with children and childhood as a paradigm for progressive design thinking." OMG, right!?

But, for real, the exhibition plans on bringing together areas underrepresented in design history, including "school architecture, clothing, playgrounds, children's hospitals and safety equipment, nurseries, furniture, and books."

If only they'd conclude the exhibit by rolling up everything on display into a giant ball and displaying it in the lobby for years to come.

Continue reading Katamari Damacy rolling into New York Museum of Modern Art

Katamari Damacy rolling into New York Museum of Modern Art originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trendy offering real money for best Dungeon Defenders maps

Mike Schramm — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:45:00 EST

Trendy Entertainment, the dev behind Dungeon Defenders, is looking to beef up the offerings from that game's free development kit. It's holding a contest, in which it's giving away some real money and prize packs for the best maps made for the game.

To enter, all you have to do is put a map together for the tower defense RPG (here's a guide.) Submit your map to Trendy by June 21, and if it wins both a public vote and a judges' vote you can walk away with $1000, and even get your map included in the game.

The full rules and requirements are over on Trendy's forums. Those of us without any design skills at all will just sit here quietly waiting to see what you put together. Don't mind us.

Trendy offering real money for best Dungeon Defenders maps originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insomniac reveals canceled 1080Pinball, 'the most realistic pinball simulation ever'

Mike Schramm — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST

Insomniac has posted a timeline entry on its Facebook page detailing a pinball game it worked on, but never released. 1080Pinball was the name attached to the project-in-progress, and one of the featured tables was named Captain Starfire, after the handsome chap above. You can see what looks like an in-game screenshot on the official timeline post, along with some concept art.

The blurb says the game was designed to be "the most realistic pinball simulation ever," complete with actual material physics and graphics running at in 60fps at 1080p (as you might have guessed from the title). There was also going to be a "Gran Turismo level of progression," designed to build as much replay value as possible.

This, says Insomniac, also explains the whole (pin)Ballz phenomenon, and the company's fascination with pinball in general. The developer will discuss the abandoned game on a future podcast. As for whether it'll ever return, Insomniac says, "The Zen Pinball games do a fantastic job anyways."

Insomniac reveals canceled 1080Pinball, 'the most realistic pinball simulation ever' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reisuke Ishida on why perfect games can't be perfect

Mike Schramm — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST

Taito designer Reisuke Ishida devoted a GDC panel to "five techniques for making an unforgettable game," and his most interesting tip for accomplishing that was perhaps counterintuitive: don't make it perfect.

Perfect games, argued Ishida, are boring. In Space Invaders Infinity Gene, for example, he originally experimented with making the invaders more colorful (which you can see on the right in the shot above). But that look made the game "look too 'normal,'" Ishida said. "It didn't really stand out enough for us." He decided to go back to the white coloring of the original invaders, and that helped give the game a unique look.

Those graphics may not be the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but Ishida said that helps more than it hurts. "You need a little bit of that quirkiness," he told the crowd, "so it captures your eye and your attention, and it leaves that impression."

And that attention leads to curiosity, which Ishida said will really make a game shine. "People will find that curiosity and they'll want to find out where that curiosity is going to take them," he said. Developers obviously don't want to turn off an audience with disharmony, but Ishida said a great game should have "just a little touch -- something that will trigger someone to think that maybe there's a little more that I need to seek out."

Reisuke Ishida on why perfect games can't be perfect originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Vita could have been thinner, or huge, or a clamshell

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:00:00 EST

By this point, the shiny veneer of newness has worn off of Sony's rapidly approaching Vita and we're all pretty used to how the thing looks. Not everyone has seen it in person yet, granted, but we've all seen it, and its PSP-ish profile and itty-bitty analogue sticks have settled into that comfortable zone of mental familiarity.

The device could have been remarkably different, however. For instance, Sony designer Takashi Sogabe (responsible for the Walkman, among other things) had originally intended for the Vita to be a much more svelte device: "The original design of the PS Vita, for example, was very much thinner than the current retail product," Sogabe said during an interview with The Guardian. "From a designer's point of view, thinner is better-looking, but the engineers wanted to put all the features in. Maybe it will become thinner in the future, but the engineers would have to come up with a means to do that."

There was also a time when the Vita's shape had more in common with the DS than the PSP: "We came up with various patterns, including a clamshell one. Then we discussed it with a lot of publishers and settled on this shape." In the long run, Sony decided that it would be a better idea to transfer the PSP's brand equity to the Vita by having the devices look similar.

One major difference between the PSP and Vita, however, is the latter's massive screen, which at 5 inches makes it the biggest screen on any dedicated portable gaming device this side of an iPad. That figure had started at 5.5 inches, according to Sogabe, but was scaled back seeing as this is a portable device and everything. We like Sony's ambition with hardware design, but we'd still rather have the real Vita over a giant, wafer-thin abalone.

The Vita could have been thinner, or huge, or a clamshell originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New lead designer, brander working on next Xbox

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:20:00 EST

Don Coyner, lead designer and marketing man for the original Xbox and the Xbox 360, will not be in charge of the new Xbox design team, Cnet reports. Coyner will be replaced with Emma Williams, who helped launch the recent Xbox Live interface revamp, one of Cnet's sources says.

Coyner joined Microsoft from Nintendo in 1995, and became marketing director for the original Xbox in 1999. Coyner designed the user experience and branding for the Xbox 360, and his most recent title at Microsoft is General Manager of Design. Williams joined Microsoft in 2003 and is currently General Manager of Xbox Experiences, leading last week's Xbox Live interface update that introduced more social, content-specific hubs to the 360.

With the next Xbox rumored for release in 2013, the Live update could be a massive trial period for features to include in the new model, or it could be a secret government study monitoring the effects of cloud storage on adolescent violence. Could be.

Report: New lead designer, brander working on next Xbox originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Blizzard makes the StarCraft 2 races so iconic

Mike Schramm — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:16:00 EST

The StarCraft 2 preview for Heart of the Swarm on display at BlizzCon 2011 last week was pretty much the same thing we saw a few months ago on the Blizzard campus. Fun as it was, we instead used our short time talking with with Blizzard's lead art director Samwise Dider to have him let us in on just how Blizzard is able to make StarCraft's three races so darn iconic.

His answer was pretty simple. "Protoss," he says, "they're basically elliptical and circular. Terran are basically angular and square, and Zerg are very erratic and organic and spiky." Sounds plain enough. But when one of the game's new units (specifically the Protoss' Tempest, a strong capital ship with some heavy anti-zerg ability) showed up on the screen during the Opening Ceremony, players immediately knew the 'toss were getting a new toy. Is it as easy as shapes?

"With Protoss," says Didier, "as long as you have a few of the basic things; big golden arcs and sweeping sort of angelic-looking wings and surfaces, you can make almost anything into Protoss. With Terran, they're all about the clunkiness, boxes, utilitarian. You take em out of the box, they're ready to go."

And the Zerg? They're "just a gumbo of teeth and snot and bile," according to Didier. "We wrap them in the movement of a snake or a spider or a roach, there's your Zerg stuff." Boiling these races down into their elements like that is just another reason why this company, and its games, are so incredibly popular. "It's very easy to tell these races apart, because they are so diametrically opposed," Didier concludes, before deconstructing the series completely: "Gold, gray, brown."

Gallery: StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm (10/21/11)

How Blizzard makes the StarCraft 2 races so iconic originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet

Mike Schramm — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:00 EST

The build of Diablo 3 being shown at BlizzCon 2011 last week did have a few polish updates, but generally it was the same content previously available in the beta, which we've covered thoroughly so far. Diablo 3's Technical Director Wyatt Chang agreed while chatting with me last week that the game is basically content complete, but the polish phase is far from over. "Content complete for us usually means things like voice recording, art, assets are in place, but it doesn't mean that things like the tuning, balance, and game systems are in place."

The team is still working hard on some of the core concepts, however -- one issue that's come up lately is whether players can switch skills on the fly or not. In the beta, says Cheng, "you can play with your skill window open, and you can switch skills in the middle of the fight, which has some upsides and it's very cool in one regard, but on the whole, I think it's sort of a more negative experience, and a lot of people in the community have agreed." Just recently, the team was dealing with things like "how many Pages of Training you can have in one stack," so they are starting to dive into the nitty gritty of how the game will work.

Gallery: Diablo 3 (10/21/11)

Continue reading Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet

Diablo 3 being polished up, no release date yet originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Treyarch reveals the behind-the-scenes story of Call of Duty: Black Ops

Mike Schramm — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST

Treyarch's Phil Tasker, Alex Conserva, Dan Bunting, and "Lvl 1 N00b" David Vonderhaar (in costume, with a cardboard nameplate above his head and a full-sized Trollface mask) took the stage at Call of Duty XP this weekend to do a behind-the-scenes talk on Call of Duty: Black Ops' multiplayer game, showing off some work-in-progress and unreleased maps, and answering players' questions about the game. Their well-scripted talk was interesting, though perhaps because most of the show is about the next game in the Call of Duty series, they didn't end up going too in-depth on production secrets.

They did, however, explain a little bit about the way multiplayer maps were created for the game. Initially, the developers just sit down with pen and paper to design the map and the flow, and then the map goes through a series of playtesting stages, starting out with temporary art and textures, and then moving on to more tweaks and details as time goes on. The "Summit" map was shown off throughout this process -- it started off as just two buildings on a rooftop, with an open path between them, but over time, the developers tried to open the map up a little more, and really show off to players that they were on a high mountaintop.

Continue reading Treyarch reveals the behind-the-scenes story of Call of Duty: Black Ops

Treyarch reveals the behind-the-scenes story of Call of Duty: Black Ops originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reminder: Design a Joystiq T-shirt and win a console with games!

Justin McElroy — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST

We're sure you're already feverishly working on your T-shirt designs for Joystiq; we just wanted to remind you that you've only got until Sunday to submit yours. One winner is going to get their T-shirt made by Joystiq and get a console of their choice with five randomly selected games, so get to designing. Complete rules and submission guidelines are after the break.

Just a note: Don't feel like you have to prominently feature our logo. As our boy Petey M. demonstrates, our last winner had a really cool image with the Joystiq name just sort of lovingly placed at the side. Good luck!

(Update: Technically, the winner of our T-shirt contest in 2006 was Mr. Philip Palermo. Here's his great shirt.)

Continue reading Reminder: Design a Joystiq T-shirt and win a console with games!

Reminder: Design a Joystiq T-shirt and win a console with games! originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mass. bill proposes stepping up state's game dev incentives

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 05 May 2011 01:00:00 EST

With EA set to break ground for a new facility at LSU, and Gameloft considering similar "endeavors" in New Orleans, Louisiana legislatures have got to be feeling good about the allure of the state's Digital Interactive Media Credit. 1500 miles to the northeast, Massachusetts is considering enacting similar tax incentives for game developers through a bill filed earlier this year by Rep. Vincent Pedone.

As the bill, affectionately known as "H03301," continues to kick around the Mass. Legislature, representatives of specialty tax services provider Alliantgroup take a look at its proposed "rewards" on Develop. While subject to alteration, the current draft of the bill proposes significant tax credits for both labor- and production-based costs incurred by large and small game-related companies alike, including a potential credit for a "promotional logo of the commonwealth of Massachusetts" placed on a game. In other words, stamp a game with a "Made in Massachusetts" logo (as Alliantgroup dubs it) and a company could earn up to a $75,000 annual credit under the bill's current stipulations.

Of course, the bill has yet to be put to a vote by state lawmakers, who can ill afford to sleep on it for long if they want to keep pace in the "quest" to win over the game industry. In addition to Louisiana, Alliantgroup identifies 16 other "game-friendly" states, including neighboring Rhode Island, which last year lured away Curt Shilling's 38 Studios from Mass.

["Made in Massachusetts" logo source: Massachusetts Bay Trading Co, Inc.]

Mass. bill proposes stepping up state's game dev incentives originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 May 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 3DS components cost about $100

Mike Schramm — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST

UBM TechInsights has done a teardown of the Nintendo 3DS and marks the total cost of the system's hardware at $101. That's $15 more than the DSi was reportedly made for, though the 3DS also includes a 3D screen and a gyroscope, along with other enhancements.

Retailers are selling the 3DS for $250, but that's not all markup -- there are marketing, research and other charges associated with a console release, and everyone in the supply chain has to take their own cuts, of course. Still, Nintendo is likely making a profit on every unit sold, which is exactly as expected (and what it did with the Wii). Even before you start talking about games and licensing, Nintendo is making sure there's some money rolling back its way from day one.

Report: 3DS components cost about $100 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Race'n'Chase: Original GTA design docs posted

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST

The original concept for Grand Theft Auto would see players committing only a few crimes, according to design documents posted by developer Mike Dailly that date back to sixteen years ago today. At that time, the early concept was for a game called Race'n'Chase. Its aim was "to produce a fun, addictive, and fast multi-player car racing and crashing game which uses a novel graphics method."

The story? "The game will be set in a present-day world." (Period.) While it would take two and a half years -- and narrowly dodging cancellation, by another creator's account -- to flesh out the eventual game, Grand Theft Auto, the designers did have some inkling of the direction they would ultimately take, as detailed in the original pitch.

"There will be 3 cities with a different graphic style for each city (e.g., New York, Venice, Miami)," wrote the heads of then DMA Design (now Rockstar North). "There will be many different missions to be played in each city." The initial mission types consisted of "a straight race across the city," a free-roaming demolition derby and a bank robbery.

Other seeds for the mega-franchise-to-be were also planted in the early documents: "Pedestrians will be wandering about all of the time," notes one section, suggesting bystander types could include "schoolchildren" and a "lollipop lady." "They can be run over by cars."

"It will also be possible for players to get out of their car and steal another one," the designers propose in the opening pitch, adding, "Trying to steal a car may result in an alarm being set off which will, of course, attract the police." Later, it's clarified that "police will be able to get out of their cars and shoot at the robbers."

[Image credit: Mike Dailly; source: mikedailly/Flickr]

Race'n'Chase: Original GTA design docs posted originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Design Many Robots' and get featured in Shoot Many Robots DLC

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:30:00 EST

Demiurge's Shoot Many Robots is the latest to join a growing trend in games: adding player content to the final product. The "Design Many Robots" contest asks fans to submit original robot designs. The winning entrants will be flown to Boston to visit Demiurge and see their creations added to the game's first expansion.

The deadline for submissions is April 4th, and is restricted to US residents only. "Blame the lawyers! They made us do it!," Demiurge's Justin Lockey noted. Alright then, done. Blamed.

Continue reading 'Design Many Robots' and get featured in Shoot Many Robots DLC

'Design Many Robots' and get featured in Shoot Many Robots DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo engineers explain 3DS design, brag about battery cover

JC Fletcher — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:20:00 EST

In Nintendo's latest Iwata Asks interview, president Satoru Iwata pulled in the engineers that worked on the exterior design of the 3DS to discuss the process. For example, the unique three-layer color scheme, which is a break from the usual monochrome design of DS systems, is designed to represent "how all kinds of content would come in, not just when you went out walking around with it, but also when you just had it sitting at home," according to Yui Ehara from the design group. The layers represent an "accumulation" of content, as Iwata put it. Like ... sediment?

Other new design elements include the 3DS's tapered top half (which makes the system easier to open) and a new, stronger material for the body -- "A type of high rigidity nylon with glass fiber in it," Hironori Akai from the product development group explained -- along with battery cover that comprises the entire back surface of the device. The team was especially proud of this feature, but sad that nobody got to see it at E3, since the back of the test units were covered.

Nintendo engineers explain 3DS design, brag about battery cover originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harmonix details design process behind Dance Central's Kinect UI

Mike Schramm — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST

Creating a functional user interface through Kinect can't be an easy task -- how do you make waving your arms around mean something, after all? Harmonix was confronted with exactly this problem in developing Dance Central, and judging by reviews, the developer figured it out just fine.

So what's the secret? The team had to actually teach players how to gesture, using visual and even aural feedback in the game when players got it right. Developer Ryan Challinor told the Montreal International Games Summit this week that in testing, player swipes varied widely across both speed and position, and so the final solution was to make the players react to the game, rather than programming the game to react to the players.

A few different solutions were prototyped, however, including the utilization of a cursor, which was dragged around the screen and planted in "notches" to choose the game's songs or options. The team also tried to get players to interact in 3D space, either "pushing" on virtual buttons or "grabbing" and pulling a scroll wheel around. In the end, Challinor said, simply iterating these ideas was the key to solving the Kinect conundrum: The team implemented idea after idea, and then polished the one that worked best.

Of course, not every development team responsible for the first batch of Kinect games took this approach. At least one studio seemingly went with its first idea, and then made it as raw as possible.

Harmonix details design process behind Dance Central's Kinect UI originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama launches national STEM game design challenge

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Announced late last year, the National STEM Video Game Challenge is now underway. The challenge asks both established developers and middle schoolers to come up with a video game design that incorporates STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering and math) and encourages learning in its areas of study.

The youth competition offers a prize pool of $50,000, while the developer prize pool offers $100,000 in seed money -- $50,000 for the best developer submission and $25,000 each for the best graduate and undergraduate submissions. Both competitions will begin accepting submissions on October 12. Hit the source links below for more information on both the developer and youth prizes.

[Image credit: Pete Souza]

Continue reading Obama launches national STEM game design challenge

Obama launches national STEM game design challenge originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These custom Street Fighter Akuma shoes have a demon's sole

Mike Schramm — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Sure, your kicks are probably all right -- they might have those spring things on them, and maybe the velcro is really solid. But do they have freakin' Akuma painted on the side? Didn't think so. That's what makes these customized sneakers from Diversitile so awesome -- they feature a continuous art design with everyone's favorite Street Fighter character (suck it, Blanka) wrapped around a pair of Nike Dunks, and even the laces are styled after Akuma's beaded belt.

The shoes were created for the Clash of the Customizers design battle and auction going on right now, so odds are that you probably can't afford them anyway. Guess you'll have to make do with the skates you got, dawg -- better get a little duct tape on that hole in the heel.

These custom Street Fighter Akuma shoes have a demon's sole originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Contest: Design the New Joystiq Comments Icon

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:00:00 EST

Spoiler: Joystiq's commenting functionality needs work! And it starts with the default user icon. Our current "placeholder" avatar has long worn out its welcome; and besides, a mustached man in a red cap is simply unoriginal (despite all of the truly original user mods over the years; see above).

That's where you come in! Design a new default user icon for Joystiq commenters and you could become, uh, the designer of the new default user icon for Joystiq commenters! Heck, having earned a prestigious title like that, you'd have a Facebook status update that lasts all day. That's got to be worth a few hours of doodling up a design, right? (Protip: There's a DSi XL, plus a couple solid games, in it for the winner, too.)

Head past the break for entry details. Update: The entry period has closed -- we are currently judging submissions.

Continue reading Contest: Design the New Joystiq Comments Icon

Contest: Design the New Joystiq Comments Icon originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Art of God of War III at Gallery Nucleus

Mike Schramm — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST

The God of War III art team held a panel this past weekend in Alhambra, California, at a place called Gallery Nucleus. In front of an audience packed to capacity, artists (from left to right above) Scott Seeto, Jung Ho Park, Izzy, Andy Park, Cecil Kim, and Andrew Kim spoke and answered questions about how they'd come up with the art designs for Kratos' final story ("as far as I know," Cecil Kim said, "there is no more God of War").

They were first asked about bringing the game into the HD generation, and how that affected their work on the games. Mostly, it just meant more work for them -- they pointed out that even when the camera isn't close-up on Kratos, you can still see the muscles in his back tense as he pulls out his blades. Art designers in HD have to be meticulous about details, and as a result, character development takes about six times longer. The team also said that they were impressed by the PS3 hardware -- on the PS2 versions of the game, the developers knew how far they could push the older console, but on the PS3, "we still don't know what we can do with it."

Gallery: The Art of God of War at Gallery Nucleus

Continue reading The Art of God of War III at Gallery Nucleus

The Art of God of War III at Gallery Nucleus originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo might be considering hybrid HD/SD console

JC Fletcher — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:27:00 EST

In a voluminous response to an investor question about moving to support high-definition output, Nintendo executives laid out their current thoughts on how and when to make such a move in their consoles. Of course, these thoughts shouldn't be taken as a definite indicator of Nintendo's plans, but they might suggest where the company could be headed in the next generation. And if these statements do reflect future events, Nintendo's next console will be HD-capable, but won't require that standard for every game.

Genyo Takeda, GM of Nintendo's Integrated Research & Development Division, said that "moving to HD appears to me a natural flow" given the adoption of HD by television programming. "If we can find out the most appropriate medium, between SD and HD, and flexibly move around them depending on the game's contents, it will be good, I think," he suggested. Shigeru Miyamoto agreed, noting that HD wasn't the most important consideration for something like Wii Fit. "Won't HD be better for the games like Pikmin? The developers should choose the most appropriate graphical format depending on the software they make."

Nintendo might be considering hybrid HD/SD console originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESA: Record number of game development classes offered in U.S.

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:30:00 EST

According to a report recently published by the Entertainment Software Association, colleges in 37 states (and the District of Columbia) currently play host to 254 courses in video game design, art and programming. That may sound like a skimpy sum, but it's up from 200 programs offered last year. We'd tell you what percentage increase that represents, but we didn't take many math courses throughout our collegiate career.

Rich Taylor, ESA's senior vice president of communications and industry affairs, said these figures are indicative of "the importance of the videogames industry, which is well-poised to create additional employment and professional opportunities in the coming years." We just see them as scholastic incubators for the next generation of Schafers, Carmacks and Wrights.

ESA: Record number of game development classes offered in U.S. originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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id: Rage won't have Doom 3's 'Monster Closets'

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST

There was a major design element in Doom 3 that a lot of players took issue with -- and no, we're not talking about the protagonist's inability to hold a firearm and a source of illumination at the same time. The element was the game's enemy spawning mechanic, which would make baddies appear when the player reaches set points in the level -- a practice which has since been nicknamed "monster closets." Fortunately, it seems id's next angrily-named project won't feature this oft-harangued spawning system.

In a recent interview with 1UP, Rage lead designer Matt Hooper explained that enemies in a certain section of the game's demo will be "doing whatever they're supposed to be doing. If they're supposed to be defending against you coming there, they'll be doing that. If they're just tinkering or having a conversation they'll do that." Sounds like id's AI has actual motivation now. Well, motivation beyond "scare the crap out of then murder space marines," anyway.

id: Rage won't have Doom 3's 'Monster Closets' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google artist sneaks Triforce into logo, Google removes it [update]

Ben Gilbert — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST

Well that was quick! just as soon as the Internet caught The Legend of Zelda's Triforce in a handful of Google homepage logo designs, Google has altered said images, removing the easter egg. It appears as though the images were created for Google by artist Susie Sahim -- a woman whose personal blog contains a picture of her dressed up as LoZ's Link, might we add ... which is awesome.

We've contacted both Ms. Sahim and Google for comment, but, well, it's Sunday. Sunday evening. People gotta rest sometimes. With any luck, we'll have any update for you early this week. For now, peep all the original images over on Blogoscoped.

Update: Google got back to us about the existence, and subsequent disappearance, of the symbols, saying, "Our doodles aim to celebrate interesting events and anniversaries around the world that reflect Google's playful personality and love of innovation. As for our Triforce Easter egg, we're glad people discovered it and enjoyed it before it vanished back into the Zeldasphere. We appreciate people around the world looking into our artwork so closely!" Now, just to find that Zeldasphere ...

[Thanks, Matt M.!]

Google artist sneaks Triforce into logo, Google removes it [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WiiSpray tagged with design award

JC Fletcher — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

Martin Lihs and Frank Matuse's WiiSpray, the art project that combines a projector, a custom Flash interface and a Wiimote inside a spray can-shaped enclosure, now has documented proof that it is awesome. Over the weekend, International Forum Design awarded the creators of the WiiSpray project its iF Communication Design Award in the category of product interfaces.

In August, International Forum Design will announce "gold award" winners from within the group of iF winners. Even if WiiSpray doesn't get that, it's already noteworthy enough to see a Wiimote-based homebrew project win a design award. And it's quite an achievement for a couple of students!

[Via GameSpot]

WiiSpray tagged with design award originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holy Halo! 'Here & There' map brings NYC to Spartans everywhere

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 EST

Just yesterday we were marching through the East Village, thinking to ourselves, "Wouldn't it be great if Manhattan were actually a floating ring planet, with no horizon in sight?" And wouldn't ya know it, someone was way ahead of us.

Dubbed the "Here & There" map, Schulze & Webb ltd. has created a horizon-less map of Manhattan (in two views -- uptown and downtown) based on a variety of influences, the least of which being video games. "I don't like the way maps (in-game maps) work in most video games," Schulze says, "I'd love to see a first-person or third-person shooter where the landscape bent up to reveal a limited arc of the landscape in plan over distance." Though we're keen to point out Halo's premise revolving around Mr. Schulze's idea, the map idea he presents is certainly an interesting one. Maybe these two fellas could give Bungie a call and put something together for that Halo 3: ODST we've heard so ... little about lately, eh?

[Via Fast Company]

Holy Halo! 'Here & There' map brings NYC to Spartans everywhere originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The evolution of MotionPlus's shape

JC Fletcher — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:20:00 EST

Thanks to a set of European trademarks, we can get a rare look at the way a peripheral's design has evolved along its development cycle. NeoGAFfer Shiggy found three trademarks for different case designs of the MotionPlus attachment. They appear in chronological order above.

It's basically the same throughout, except the bottom corners went from curving inward to curving outward! From the look of the final product, that "lip" is designed to help secure the new jacket in place. Alternate theory: the MotionPlus flares out to reduce the aerodynamic quality of the Wiimote, should it slip out of players' hands.

The evolution of MotionPlus's shape originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC09: Disneyland's 'The Haunted Mansion' is a first-person shooter

Kevin Kelly — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:15:00 EST

Scott Rogers is a creative manager at THQ, and a former game designer who worked on titled ranging from God of War to Maximo, and he held a panel at GDC called Everything I Learned About Level Design I Learned From Disneyland, and one of our favorite quotes was "Well, the Haunted Mansion is basically a first-person shooter if you think about it. You're directing what the guest sees and has access to, and that's what we're doing with level design."

If Walt only knew! Although not apparent at first glance, once you look at amusement park design and game level design, there are a ton of similarities. We have a lot of goodies coming to you from Rogers' talk which we'll be bringing to you next week. In the meantime, you can reimagine your favorite rides turned into FPS titles. Or you could take the obvious route and just combine a ride and shooter, like Disney already did with Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters.

GDC09: Disneyland's 'The Haunted Mansion' is a first-person shooter originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: Your redesign

Alisha Karabinus — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: DS Daily

With three DS types in existence -- we're including the Phat here, too; can't forget about the original just because these upstarts are hanging around -- you have the potential to build one weird system. If, that is, you combined aspects of all three. If you could, which features would you put into your handheld, and which would you discard? Maybe you don't care much for the DSi's camera, and you want a slightly thicker portable. Maybe you want the camera plus the GBA slot. Maybe instead you like one of the versions just as it is. How would your DS look?

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

DS Daily: Your redesign originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Industry vets sound off on sex, violence, ratings and design

Xav de Matos — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, Fable 2, Gears of War 2

Peter Molyneux, Greg Zeschuk, Cliff Bleszinski and David Jaffe are four of the industries most respected, creative developers working today and also have the distinction of creating some of the industry's most controversial titles. From the over-the-top violence in Gears of War to the sexual content found in Mass Effect, this quintet of creators know their way around industry hot-buttons.

Over the past few months the team at the content knowledge site What They Play have interviewed each of the creators for their distinctive views on the sex, violence, ratings and design in videogames.

"If the blood is graphic, exploding out and all over the screen, you instantly know you're successful. I'd use flowers and confetti but I don't think it would be nearly as effective," Bleszinski said of the violence level found in the upcoming Gears of War 2. "You know, there's a huge M on the freaking box. If your eight year-old kids can acquire $60 and you're not aware what they're doing with it, you've got bigger problems than your kid playing God of War. You're a sh*tty parent," adds Jaffe.

BioWare president Greg Zeschuk, whose 2007 role-playing title Mass Effect was lambasted by the mainstream media for its sexual content, pointed out how our society is dictating content. "It's all obviously a reflection on society," says Zeschuk. "The bottom line is that violence is just more acceptable than sexual content in the U.S., which makes an interesting situation for game developers. You have to really balance these tolerances."

Check out the entire feature at What They Play and let us know what you think about sex, violence, ratings and design of videogames in the comments.

Industry vets sound off on sex, violence, ratings and design originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation goes to CAMP: Creator Audition Mash Up Project

Joystiq Staff — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Have you ever wanted to make games? For many, it's just a pipe dream. However, PlayStation has just launched a new search for talent in its Creator Audition Mash Up Project, or CAMP for short. They're looking for enthusiastic innovators to bring forth more unique games to the PS3/PSP. The audition is open to people of all ages and races ... so long as they live in Japan.

The application is rather flexible, but it must effectively show your skills and your unique, innovative idea. Do what Dylan Cuthbert and Q-Games did with the PixelJunk series: use graphics to help convey what's bubbling in your brain.

Check out the PlayStation CAMP website for more information. Who knows -- you may become the creator of the next innovative PlayStation project!

[Thanks, chocito!]

PlayStation goes to CAMP: Creator Audition Mash Up Project originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation goes to CAMP: Creator Audition Mash Up Project

Andrew Yoon — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

PlayStation goes to CAMP: Creator Audition Mash Up Project originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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24-hour LittleBigPlanet design at the Parsons School

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: News

Parsons The New School For Design is partnering up with SCEA for a 24-hour LittleBigPlanet "Game Jam." The design competition will feature over 120 students from various disciplines. Their task? To create the "most inventive and challenging" game levels within a 24-hour period for LittleBigPlanet. The levels will be judged by a Media Molecule panel and various school faculty. Winning level swill be feautred in a special Parsons section within LittleBigPlanet when it launches in October.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with some of the most imaginative talents in the world at Parsons The New School For Design," said Scott Rohde, vice president of Product Development, Worldwide Studios America. "The LittleBigPlanet Game Jam is the perfect way to showcase the original and innovative aspects of LittleBigPlanet as well as the exceptional design abilities of the students at Parsons."

We'll be reporting from the event and plan on speaking with a few of the students there. The event takes place from September 21st to 22nd.

24-hour LittleBigPlanet design at the Parsons School originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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