Stephen E. Dinehart's IMD Blog

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If anyone is interested in keeping up with me @ the GDC, the IGDA has set me up with a GDC Scholar blog. Check it out to see what's happening on my San Fran adventure!
www.fuzzybinary.com/ScholarBlog/

"Today we are on the verge of a new era; the HD era; and games have a unique opportunity to be the center peice of that era."

The Keynote by J Allard yesterday was a slick and convincing sales pitch, for XNA and the Xbox 2. While his points were strong, they were very rehearsed; performative. Nonetheless he had some great things to say about gaming.

His vision, Microsofts vision for next gen game dev can be summarized as follows:

1. Clear Concepts
2. More Accessibility
3. Simple to understand
4. Deeper interaction
5. Play and experiementation
6. Players Agenda
7. Morphable Gameplay (Sounds like Jenova Chens' Thesis)

I have to admit I was also very excited to recieve a 23" HDTV, and a year subscription to x-box live for attending the event; thweeeeet.

"The triggering of an intentioanl emotional response from a player is the true test of our work."

The GDC keynote by Satoru Iwata was another high point of the conference. The nature of the Nintendo presentation, especially when compared with Microsofts' yesterday, was really from the heart, genuine, and full of future vision.

He began with a list similarities and differences between the game industry Mr. Satoru started in and the industry today.

similarities
1. Ideas have not changed
2. Players have not changed
3. Software sells hardware
4. The value of IP

differences
1. Everything's bigger (tea
2. The industry is willing to take less risk
3. Player Definition

He went on to talk about how Nintendo was looking to change the face of interactive entertainment. He described interactive entertainment as a universe, video's games are merely a planet within the universe; Nintendo is now actively seeking new planets. Illustrated wonderfully by the new products he demoed on the DS. The abstract ludic music maker "Elektroplankten" is a marvoulous visual audio creation program which really pushes what we think of as "gaming". As Mr. Iwata stated "this game was designed to provide the user with harmony."

Nintendo's Software Standards
The 4 I's:
1. Innovative
2. Intuitive
3. Inviting
4. Interface

View more of my adventure as a GDC scholar @ www.fuzzybinary.com/ScholarBlog

Great panel. Coolest idea...a vision of games as procedural narratives created by feature oriented game dev cells.

This session was by far the best of show; mind blowing infact. Will took us to a place unforseen, a new reality, a new gaming vision, our future.

One word; Procedural.

OK; so I've learn to design w/ the Sage Engine WorldBuilder tool; now I just have to work on making the maps playable for Multiplayer! LOL.

New ideas, new conditions:
-polymorphic IP
-the story of a hero and his multiplicity
-a story of transformation
-dynamic interacitve narrative structure
-Fun
-Abstract
-playful
-HD
-Mobile
-Flash
-Real Time Strategy/Side Scroller
-Designed with an surreal urban theme
-interfaced via console controller

I've been picking up tips from the map makers and level desginers here @ EALA. This is the plan for my second map which I hope is beautiful and playable! While the World Builder tool is very intuitive, and therein prone to improv; I want to plan and excute this map with professional precision, wish me luck!

First Contact

I've been in communications with Takahashi Keita, creator of Katamari Damacy. Problem is we don't speak each others languages; so we have resorted to pictures.

Second Contact

hi,Stephen

> I can't speak Japanese...yet

I can't speak English...yet
haha.

The gorilla is laughing.
I want to make the game that not only man but also the animal understands.
It is difficult.

Anyway, mail thank you.
It is glad to get acquainted with various people.
--
takahashi keita

Here is some concept art I created last night.