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DEPARTMENTS CONTENTS.1111
VOLUME 18 NUMBER 10
2 GAME PLAN By Brandon Sheffield [EDITORIAL]
Journalistic Rage
4 HEADS UP DISPLAY [NEWS]
Indiecade illustrated, GDC Online Award winners, and new
Atari 2600 game found.
26 TOOL BOX By Jeremy Putnam [REVIEW]
Autodesk Maya 2012
POSTMORTEM
29 THE BUSINESS By Dave Voyles [BUSINESS]
Promoting Indies 20 CRIMSON ALLIANCE
35 PIXEL PUSHER By Steve Theodore [ART] CRIMSON ALLIANCE is one of the first games on XBLA to use
microtransactions. It also went for a different angle on the action
Gamma Drive Me Crazy!
RPG, by emphasizing action much more than role playing or stats
38 THE INNER PRODUCT By Andy Firth [PROGRAMMING] building. It turned out that one of the most important variables to
Lighter Than Air fans enjoying both of these was the messaging—which developer
40 DESIGN OF THE TIMES By Damion Schubert [DESIGN] Certain Affinity feels could have been gone much better. By Phil
The senior designer mindset Wattenbarger
42 GDC NEWS By Staff [NEWS]
FEATURES
GDC China announces new talks, and IGF China main and
student nominees revealed. 7 THE GAME DEVELOPER 50
43 AURAL FIXATION By Jesse Harlin [SOUND] We talk a lot about companies doing things well, or poorly—but how
Dialog Diaries often do we celebrate the people that power our industry? Our third
annual list of the best and brightest in the industry tried to do just
44 GOOD JOB By Brandon Sheffield [CAREER]
that. Herein we present 50-plus game developers that made big
Q&A with Kristen Bornemann, Who Went Where, and
waves in 2011 and beyond. By Brandon Sheffield and Frank Cifaldi
New Studios
15 THE GAME ENTITY
45 EDUCATED PLAY By Tom Curtis [EDUCATION]
The game entity is a venerable but aging part of game development.
IT BELONGS IN AN ANCIENT RUIN
But we're still using it! This article discusses where the game entity
48 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT By Matthew Wasteland [HUMOR] has been, where it's going, what we're doing with, and why.
Developer News Network! By Michael A. Carr-Robb-John
WWW.GDMAG.COM 1
GAME PLAN // BRANDON SHEFFIELD GAME DEvELOPER
MAGAzINE
www.GDMAG.cOM
journalistic rage
UBM LLC.
303 Second Street, Suite 900, South Tower
San Francisco, CA 94107
Ruminations on how faR is "too faR" in developeR inteRviews t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090
subscription serVices
a few weeks ago i published go right back and click on them something doesn’t match what you
for inforMation, order Questions, and
an interview on Gamasutra about again. Why give me the illusion saw, ask a question, no matter how
address changes
id’s Rage. I spoke with CEO Todd of freedom if really all I can do to “important” the interviewee may t: 800.250.2429 f: 847.763.9606
Hollenshead and artist Andy Chang, advance the story is go to the next be. Sometimes the best answers e: [email protected]
and it created a bit of a stir. My node? Why give me options that can be gotten by playing devil's
for digital subscription inforMation
line of questioning was perceived don't actually exist? advocate. In my opinion, developers www.gdmag.com/digital
by some as abrasive, rude, or I asked these questions of should be happy to have this sort of
editorial
even hostile. Others, journalists Chang and Hollenshead, because discussion. It allows you to explain
publisher
and indie developers especially, I couldn't figure out why they'd your game's worldview and defend Simon Carless l [email protected]
thought I was simply asking tough done it this way. This is not some your gameplay choices, and your editor-in-chief
questions and not letting up when amateur developer, this is id, so they answers should tell you a lot about Brandon Sheffield l [email protected]
I didn't hear satisfying answers. had to have good reasons for their your own product. production editor
Jade Kraus l [email protected]
While the latter is closer to the systems, and the makeup of the Did I look like a jerk? Maybe
art director
truth, I had no real angle—we were universe they'd created. The hostile a little. I would say a lot of the Joseph Mitch l [email protected]
just having a conversation. tone people may have picked up cutting done to the article makes designer
on was likely a misinterpretation my questions appear to come from Kurt Voklmann
anger ManageMent of my surprise at their responses. nowhere, rather than being part of contributing writers
Tom Curtis
I played Rage about two months I was surprised that there wasn't a the hour-long conversation-space Jesse Harlin
before launch, in a hotel space in reason that all the different factions they occupied. But the interview Dave Voyles
Jeremy Putnam
San Francisco, with decent screens in the game use different accents. I addressed some rough spots that Steve Theodore
and nice headphones. At the was surprised there wasn't a better few had mentioned before, and Andy Firth
beginning of the game, you wake explanation for why the mutants which only surfaced once the Damion Schubert
Matthew Wasteland
up in an "Ark," and stumble outside. were so artistic. I asked, in a part game was reviewed. The evening
adVisorY board
You're almost killed by mutants, but of the interview that was cut, why the interview went live, I received Hal Barwood designer-at-large
are saved by someone in a nearby they didn't just include the character an email from an anonymous "AAA Mick West independent
Brad Bulkley microsoft
car. The next thing you're meant to introductions with the mission creative director," saying that "on Clinton Keith independent
do is get in the car with him. But briefings. Hollenshead told me this the basis of your hostile and clearly Brenda Brathwaite lolapps
Bijan Forutanpour sony online entertainment
game players tend to like to test the was because they couldn't know biased line of questioning I have Mark DeLoura thQ
limits of systems, so I looked around when the player would want to do instructed my PR manager to refuse Carey Chico independent
Mike Acton insomniac
to see what else I could do. There the missions. Maybe they'd just any and all future requests from you
was another path leading the other want an intro. This makes sense in and your outlet regarding our game. adVertising sales
direction—I figured I'd see what was some games, but if there's nothing Having spoken to industry peers in global sales director
up there. "Oh!" I heard behind me. It else to do...? similar leadership positions, I can Aaron Murawski e: [email protected]
t: 415.947.6227
was Andy Chang. "What's wrong?" I The oddest thing was the assure you that I am not alone."
Media account Manager
asked. "Nothing,” he chuckled. “You'll surprise felt by Hollenshead and While I highly doubt the veracity John Malik Watson e: [email protected]
see.” I walked up the path, and was Chang at my questions. How had of this email, which also CCed our t: 415.947.6224
killed instantly by a bullet from an nobody broached these subjects sales department incidentally, global account Manager, recruitMent
Gina Gross e: [email protected]
invisible enemy. I got game over, with them before? It felt as though it's interesting that something t: 415.947.6241
and had to start anew, calibrating the game had been developed as simple as asking follow-up global account Manager, education
Rafael Vallin e: [email protected]
my controller all over again. This in a bubble, where they were questions and not letting go of a
t: 415.947.6223
time I got in the car. told everything they were doing topic would be viewed as biased
This would be the trend was great, without question. I and hostile. I have no bias against adVertising production
throughout my play experience. can understand that, it's id after id. How could I? They're an amazing production Manager
Pete C. Scibilia e: [email protected]
My character, instantly ready to kill all. But Hollenshead seemed to developer, and have some of the t: 516-562-5134
anyone on command if someone genuinely appreciate that I had best talent in the industry. It's out of
reprints
suggested it, was given tasks taken a laser-focus to the game’s respect for id that I called them out
WRIGHT'S MEDIA
by the fellow who saved him in systems, and the air in the room on what I saw. I gave them an early
Jason Pampell e: [email protected]
the car. I would have to go up to was contemplative, not hostile. We chance to defend issues with the t: 877-652-5295
a person who had a task for me, spoke for an hour, and smiled and game that others were undoubtedly
audience deVelopMent
click on them, and they'd introduce shook hands at the end. going to have upon release. If
tYson associates Elaine Tyson
themselves. They'd then wait treating someone else's work the e: [email protected]
around for me to click on them blacklisted? way you'd treat your own—that is to list rental Merit Direct LLC
again to get a mission. I could just In my opinion, my interview with say with scrutiny and criticism—is t: 914.368.1000
wander away if I wanted, and do the Rage folks was not spectacular. disrespectful, then we clearly have
something else. But there was It was the bare minimum we should different definitions of the word.
nothing else to do! If I wanted to expect from journalists. If you're —Brandon Sheffield
progress in any way, I had to just curious about this or that, or if twitter: @necrosofty
www.ubM.coM
2 GAME DEvELOPER | NOvEMBER 2011
HEADS-UP DISPLAY
This year’s Indiecade conference has ended, so for those of you who couldn’t take part, we present an illustrated version of Jonathan Blow
(BRAID) and Mark ten Bosch’s (MIEGAKURE) talk, “Designing to Reveal the Nature of the Universe,” as illustrated by Gabriel Gaete.
Indiecade 2011
4 GAME DEVELOPER | NOVEMBER 2011
New retail Atari 2600 game found
Most astute game fans are aware of Atari 2600’s Personal Computer Museum, which describes the Bolton is currently looking for help to dump
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, of which thousands event this way. the ROM to make the new find available for
of cartridges are reportedly buried in the desert. “Museum curator and founder Syd Bolton anyone.
But apparently there was another 2600 EXTRA found himself in a state of disbelief when fellow —Eric Caoili
TERRESTRIALS game developed for the system, that volunteer George Yallop delivered a ‘contribution’
wasn’t discovered until mere weeks before this ffrroomm ssoommeeoonnee hhee kknneeww,, wwhhoo hhaadd rreecceennttllyy
issue went to print. vviissiitteedd tthhee mmuusseeuumm.. TThhee eennvveellooppee ccoonnttaaiinneedd aann
Skill Screen Games, a now-defunct three- Atari 2600 cartridge called EEXXTTRRAA
man studio that was based in Ontario, and TERRESTRIALS.
which only released one game, produced EXTRA Searches of the web didn’t
TERRESTRIALS in 1984, shortly after the crash. The rreevveeaall aannyy iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn aabboouutt tthhee
company only managed to sell a couple hundred ggaammee.. IItt wwaass aatt tthhiiss ppooiinntt tthhaatt SSyydd
of the game’s shorter-than-usual cartridges to rreeaalliizzeedd hhee mmaayy hhaavvee ffoouunndd aa lloonngg
local retailers. lloosstt ggaammee.. TThhiiss wwaass aann iimmppoorrttaanntt
Somehow, the game escaped the attention discovery to the museum and
of even the most hardcore collectors, and only the Atari community as well.”
surfaced when a family member of one of the The game is a two-player-
developers donated the cartridge (without only combination of “FREEWAY,
packaging materials, unfortunately) to the E.T., and PAC-MAN.”
Game Developers Choice Online Award
winners announced
At this year’s GDC Online Awards, which took BEST ONLINE VISUAL ARTS BEST AUDIO FOR AN ONLINE GAME
place October 12, 2011, a jury of peers recognized DC UNIVERSE ONLINE (Sony Online CLONE WARS ADVENTURES (Sony Online
the best games in the online space, across a host Entertainment) Entertainment)
of categories. The biggest winners this year were
RIFT and MINECRAFT, which took home awards in BEST SOCIAL NETWORK GAME BEST NEW ONLINE GAME
two categories each. GARDENS OF TIME (Playdom) RIFT (Trion Worlds)
EVERQUEST was the second-ever title
ushered into the hall of fame, largely due to its BEST ONLINE GAME DESIGN BEST LIVE GAME
incredibly long and successful run as a live SPIRAL KNIGHTS (Three Rings Design/Sega) MINECRAFT (Mojang)
service. The game has been actively served and
updated since 1999, and had its latest expansion ONLINE INNOVATION AUDIENCE AWARD
in late 2010. SHADOW CITIES (Grey Area) WIZARD101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
Finally, John Taylor and Kelton Flinn, creators
of DUNGEONS (and ISLAND) OF KESMAI, were BEST ONLINE TECHNOLOGY ONLINE GAME LEGEND
presented with the online game legend award. RIFT (Trion Worlds) John Taylor and Kelton Flinn
The duo are honored for creating one of the first
pseudo-graphical MUDs. BEST COMMUNITY RELATIONS HALL OF FAME
We present here entire list of award-winners. MINECRAFT (Mojang) EVERQUEST (Sony Online Entertainment)
GDC Online is run by the UBM TechWeb Game
Network, as is this magazine.
WWW.GDMAG.COM 5
GDmag11_OCT GDC12_F.indd 1 8/29/11 2:04 PM
so has struck a chord with both the
traditional art and game worlds—an
unusual feat.
Ren Yamazaki
/// GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE
Grasshopper has long been known
for its unique visual styles, with
titles like Killer 7 pushing game
B R A N D O N S H E F F I E L D
F R A N K C I F A L D I
BlacK Knight Sword
visuals into the realm of the
We’ve done our best to credit the experimental. With the upcoming
right folks for achievements in art, downloadable title BlacK Knight
design, programming, business, Sword, game and art directed by Ren
and evangelism, but it should be Yamazaki, the company has found a
noted that these are not ranked curious puppet show and theatrical
lists. And there are certainly more production hybrid art style, layering
than 50 important individuals in 2D images in three dimensions to
Shadow of the coloSSuS this industry, but our pages would create a new and instantly engaging
never fit them all. visual theme. The game’s characters
are also different from the norm,
Thanks to those mentioned with lumpy not-quite-human
GAMES ARE A COLLABORATIVE ART, TO BE SURE, BUT (and apologies to those not) for forms that lope along with their
continuing to shape our rapidly purposefully halting animations.
changing industry. There’s no time Here’s hoping for more big things
THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF A TEAM CAN BE to slow down now! from Yamazaki’s altered brain.
[ART] Jonathan Jacques-
IMPORTANT TOO. FOR THE THIRD YEAR RUNNING WE’VE Belletête
Craig Adams
/// EIDOS MONTREAL
/// SUPERBROTHERS deuS ex: human revolution’s bold
COMPILED A LIST OF 50(ISH) PERSONS WHO HAVE It’s not often that someone tries art style combines cold cyberpunk
to create a new style of pixel art, sensibilities with, of all things,
but that’s what Craig Adams has Renaissance-era artwork. The result,
MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE GAME INDUSTRY done through his ambiguously which art director Jacques-Belletête
pluralized one- has dubbed “Cyber-Renaissance,”
man company is the poster child of proper art
THIS YEAR, THROUGH GUIDING TEAMS, COMPLETING Superbrothers. design: The game looks like nothing
He has chosen else out there, and its aesthetic
to call his actually manages to say something
SOLO PROJECTS, OR SIMPLY SETTING A STANDARD FOR style “rustic about body manipulation and the
21st century discovery of self, both of which are
minimalism,” persistent themes in the game.
OTHERS TO FOLLOW. and if you can get past that As Jacques-Belletête tells it,
mouthful of a description, you’ll find the team could have easily gone full
he’s on to something. Blade Runner and made a gorgeous
In Sword and Sworcery for iOS game, but he didn’t think that would
(cocreated by Capy Games), Adams say anything new.
demonstrates a style that is at once
efficient in its use of space and Brian Min
incredibly emotionally evocative. /// DOUBLE FINE
His simplified pixel work is more Brian Min is lead sound designer for
representative than realistic, and Double Fine, and makes our list for
WWW.GDMAG.COM 7
his unique take on audio for StacKing life. Inhabiting her world brings us
(XBLA/PSN). The game blends an back to our childhoods in ways that
excellent scene-setting score with most other media can only dream
“dialog” that’s full of character, of. She’s now off to work at Pixar,
all without using traditional presumably because she hates
language. The game’s denizens being on “best of video game” lists.
use unintelligible chatter to
communicate, with a charming and Josh Randall
somehow understandable result. /// HARMONIX
The game uses tropes and How does one describe vidrhythm,
techniques from silent film the iOS debut from Rock Band and
(including text, of course) to Guitar Hero creator Harmonix? It’s
communicate themes and ideas, not quite a game—there are few
el Shaddai
which are at times complex. On top rules to abide by, and no failure/
of the individual character “dialog,” cohesive look, rather than becoming a surprise hit of this magnitude reward system—but it’s not just a
a dynamic walla system helped to a scattered pastiche. almost certainly wouldn’t have tool either.
fill out the backgrounds with vocal In one section of the game, happened without such creative All we know is that it’s a lot of
noise that made each place feel like you’ll find amorphous shifting and artistic marketing. fun to play with, and turns even
a living world—but one which you colors with a cel-shading technique the least astute amateur into a
are visiting as a foreigner. And in that brings to mind CG cutscenes Gustav Tilleby music video director. It’s almost
fact, isn’t that what games are, in of the 56-color era. In another, /// EA DICE impossible to make a vidrhythm
their essence? you’ll find neon-on-black '80s-style EA DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine, which video that isn’t at the very least
futurism. In yet another, a two- made its debut with Battlefield entertaining, an achievement only
Andy O’Neil, Marco Thrush dimensional platforming scene 3, has an impressive number of true masters of interactive rhythm
/// BLUEPOINT GAMES will call to mind moving Japanese toys and tricks to make its lush could have pulled off. Creative
Bluepoint’s high definition Ukiyo-e. The game’s art style, environments among the most director Randall and his team are
recreations of the god of war and directed by game director Sawaki, realistic in games. But deferred those masters.
metal gear Solid series—and more boldly embraces the unreal, a rare shading and real-time velocity
[DESIGN]
recently Sony’s the ico and Shadow and admirable quality. lighting can only get you so far: It
of the coloSSuS takes a real artist’s touch to make a
collection— Stuart Aitken scene look great. Michel Ancel
are beautiful /// AXIS ANIMATION Art director Tilleby and his team /// UBISOFT
examples of Prior to February, dead iSland have proven themselves masters Michel Ancel is a designer of unique
bringing a was not really on the radar. Polish at staging a scene and making sure vision, finding new ways to make
game into the developer Techland (call of the player is seeing exactly what action games
modern era Juarez) was not a household name. she needs to see. It’s an art form meaningful
O'Neil while lovingly Publisher Deep Silver had a small that’s often overlooked because, like with every
preserving the source material. cult following with titles like curSed any good storytelling, it’s best when project. Now,
Textures have been redrawn, mountain and Sacred 2, but never you don’t notice it. with rayman
and certain liberties had to be originS, he has
taken to get the games running in Tasha Harris distilled what
widescreen, but all to great effect. /// PIXAR (EX-DOUBLE FINE) makes 2D
The games look and run just We all let out a collective cheer platformers great, and added four
like your rose-tinted nostalgia when we heard that Double Fine players alongside inspired beautiful
remembers them, not how they was switching its business model level design. rayman originS is
actually were, and the tweaks to from releasing one triple-A title unfiltered fun, and feels humorous
dead iSland
modernize them were done with every few years to pumping out and accessible without sacrificing
a level of respect worthy of their had a real hit. dead iSland was several smaller, more experimental challenge or lacking precision.
source material. Bluepoint president shown at E3 2010, but was only digital games. This is a studio full This is the kind of project that
Andy O’Neil and CTO Marco Thrush mentioned as a footnote. of creative rarely gets major financial backing,
have built a company that perfects All of that changed in 2011 thinkers and so one has to praise Ubisoft for
nostalgia. when a gripping three-minute tinkerers, so indulging in this experiment.
CGI trailer debuted on YouTube, freeing itself originS is also the proving ground
Takeyasu Sawaki featuring a haunting piano theme from long and for Ancel’s design-oriented
/// IGNITION JAPAN and a tragic story of a vacationing arduous dev development toolset, which he
El Shaddai is one of those rare family succumbing to a zombie cycles is the hopes will be used for many future
commercial games that pushes the attack. The trailer, directed by best thing it projects.
concept of what we consider HD Stuart Aitken of Axis Animation, could have done.
visuals. The game constantly shifts attracted over 7 million views, and Harris, a Double Fine animator Kim Swift
its form and challenges the player’s the game shipped 1 million units for five years, made her directorial /// AIRTIGHT GAMES
visual perceptions in unexpected in its debut week. We don’t mean debut with coStume QueSt, which Portal and left 4 dead designer
ways, but manages to retain a to undermine Techland’s work, but brings her charming art style to Kim Swift is not afraid of
8 GAME DEVELOPER | NOVEMBER 2011
