I completed this course on Junes 22nd but the class was so impressive that after completion I was inspired to do more. So I got side tracked in posting to this blog. Remember, I did warn you that there may come times when you will not see a post from in a while as I live, breathe, work, sleep, eat and go to school. I wish I could stretch 24 hours but oh well! Now let me explain that this course came a the right time as I was about to celebrate a birthday, I started asking myself what, why am I doing this pursuit. Do I still have the drive/desire? Will I truly get anything out of all that I learn and a dare I wish job that makes sense to my desired quality of life. This class had me reaching deep into my desires, goals and mental limitations seeking the meaning of it all. And guess what?
Let me tell you first what this class is all about (Taken from the school catalog)
The course promises to introduce the student to basic game theory (including game play and strategy) as well as the historical development of all types of games (sports, board games, video games, etc.) as they were affected by world and market conditions. In addition, the specific history of the video game industry will be examined, as will the overall processes involved in developing a video game from basic concept to selling the proposal to production and marketing.
INTRODUCTION TO GAME DEVELOPMENT
Each week I read until my eyes bled and I thought I would hate games when I was done with this class…where was the “Exit” signs. I started wondering….What went wrong? I thought I liked this stuff.
When your forced to learn “History of the Electronic Game Industry in the same week as “Player Market” you realize there is just no way to make statistical reading sound like fun facts you just can’t wait to whip out at your next office party. I got through this week with little sleep and lots of coffee…begging for my birthday to arrive. Only then would I feel like I had an excuse not to log into my class on time...but wait till the last minute to submit my first few assignments. The second week made me perk up and get curious. I think I was learning something. These were some of the headings of the reading assignments.
Game Applications & Goals
Game Platforms
Game Genres
Player Mode
Time Interval
Game Analysis
Traditional Story Structure and Game Narrative
Just to name a few.
By the third week I was giving birth to a game story and shocking my classmates, teachers and even myself. Here I have to elaborate because you have to get the whole picture to know what happened next.
I thought I had traditional story that read well, but the type of story I wanted to write I am not too proud to say I had never played anything similar or even understood well enough to build on. I had classic characters in mind all most too many Archetypes. I think I started with 20 main characters and had to reel it in to 5 main characters. I think I started with a futuristic world and then changed to medieval. Here is where I found that unless you’re a History buff, you have to do the research…players are not dumb.
I found my characters to be one dimensional and predictable and the story also predictable. I was challenged week after week by my instructor to give him more. Make my characters speak to the players, make my environment a living character in the game. I changed character heights, clothing and even the way they would sound if they could talk on paper and many times in my dreams. I was told to create rules of the game and did not have a clue what could be a rule to my game. Sure, I was still doing the reading assignments but what helped the most in this class was get this, drum roll……Playing Games. I got a PSVita and started playing games on my lunch hours, late at night before bed, in the park while supposedly walking my dogs.
This class had me desperately reaching levels in Assassins Creed: Liberation, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Mortal Combat, Metal Gear 2 & 3, Skyrim and even The Floor Escape on my cell phone. I got an insatiable thirst for games and became a downloadable freak. I went to game stores and shook my fist at clerks when they told me for the 6th time that Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate would not be available on my PSVita till October. Why? Oh! Why? Was I the last one on the list to get my copy?
By the time Week 4 came around I had my story, knew my characters intimately, lived in their city in my dreams and knew the rules to the game like I knew passages in my Bible. Yeah! I said it …Bible.
This would be the week that my Birthday came and went and I still cannot remember what I did to celebrate. OH! Wait I got an external hard drive for my laptop. Yeah! Boy! I’m a Proud Geekita (my word…you can use it, means female Geek)
Week 5 had me proudly producing my baby of a game Idea to the class with trepidation of “Will they get me?”, “Will they like my game?” See the section on "Introduction to Game Develop
And finally Week 6th had me finding a job in the industry that I thought would fit my career goals. This last assignment freaked me out. I was scared to not be able to find anything that fit my idea of what I wanted to be. In the end I found....
Game Applications & Goals
Game Platforms
Game Genres
Player Mode
Time Interval
Game Analysis
Traditional Story Structure and Game Narrative
Just to name a few.
By the third week I was giving birth to a game story and shocking my classmates, teachers and even myself. Here I have to elaborate because you have to get the whole picture to know what happened next.
I thought I had traditional story that read well, but the type of story I wanted to write I am not too proud to say I had never played anything similar or even understood well enough to build on. I had classic characters in mind all most too many Archetypes. I think I started with 20 main characters and had to reel it in to 5 main characters. I think I started with a futuristic world and then changed to medieval. Here is where I found that unless you’re a History buff, you have to do the research…players are not dumb.
I found my characters to be one dimensional and predictable and the story also predictable. I was challenged week after week by my instructor to give him more. Make my characters speak to the players, make my environment a living character in the game. I changed character heights, clothing and even the way they would sound if they could talk on paper and many times in my dreams. I was told to create rules of the game and did not have a clue what could be a rule to my game. Sure, I was still doing the reading assignments but what helped the most in this class was get this, drum roll……Playing Games. I got a PSVita and started playing games on my lunch hours, late at night before bed, in the park while supposedly walking my dogs.
This class had me desperately reaching levels in Assassins Creed: Liberation, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Mortal Combat, Metal Gear 2 & 3, Skyrim and even The Floor Escape on my cell phone. I got an insatiable thirst for games and became a downloadable freak. I went to game stores and shook my fist at clerks when they told me for the 6th time that Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate would not be available on my PSVita till October. Why? Oh! Why? Was I the last one on the list to get my copy?
By the time Week 4 came around I had my story, knew my characters intimately, lived in their city in my dreams and knew the rules to the game like I knew passages in my Bible. Yeah! I said it …Bible.
This would be the week that my Birthday came and went and I still cannot remember what I did to celebrate. OH! Wait I got an external hard drive for my laptop. Yeah! Boy! I’m a Proud Geekita (my word…you can use it, means female Geek)
Week 5 had me proudly producing my baby of a game Idea to the class with trepidation of “Will they get me?”, “Will they like my game?” See the section on "Introduction to Game Develop
And finally Week 6th had me finding a job in the industry that I thought would fit my career goals. This last assignment freaked me out. I was scared to not be able to find anything that fit my idea of what I wanted to be. In the end I found....
