Comments for Annie Dickerson | Game Designer | Vancouver, BC

Comment on Chipotle Napkins by David

David — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:44:16 +0000

I agree! I really like this campaign. I’ve been trying to figure out who designed it and when it started. If you have any idea, please let me know!

Comment on Chip’s Makeover by Annie

Annie — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:02:32 +0000

We have definitely taken gameplay into account when designing Chip. His head is the size and shape it is for a reason. We might change his body shape/size, though we’re not sure yet. Thanks so much for your feedback!

Comment on Chip’s Makeover by Darren

Darren — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 01:15:45 +0000

Careful with the size of your characters head, it will be the focal point of all the users movements within your environment(s). Not sure if this is an angle your going for but it will be a major factor in the overall experience. Don’t focus too much on the visuals before you hammer out the mechanics. If a big head is part of the game then by all means do it, if you’ve decided on putting a big head on your character because it looks cool then might run into issues when you start designing your game.

Hope it helps.
DW

Comment on Meet Chip! by Annie

Annie — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:07:53 +0000

Mich, thanks so much for the honest feedback. We’ll work on balancing the background and foreground a little better to make the items in the foreground stand out a bit more and to make the overall style more consistent. We’ve talked about head shape modifiers for Chip but aren’t sure whether we’re doing that yet. Thanks again for your thoughts!

Comment on Meet Chip! by Michel

Michel — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:48:24 +0000

I love the game idea but I’m going to be blunt about art. You’re not art students so I hope you don’t take it personally! I don’t like the art. It lacks any kind of style or personality. It’s not an arcade homage like BIT.TRIP BEAT. It’s not SNES era pixel-love. It looks like Windows 95 shovelware or early web Flash. The backgrounds are also far too detailed, or maybe the foreground isn’t detailed enough. Canabalt is beautiful because the back and fore are consistent and cohesive.

I realize you guys aren’t necessarily artists, but you can definitely collaborate with some, and for mockup purposes anyone should be able to cut and paste the necessary elements.

This is the kind of game that I assume you’re going to try and sell or enter into the student IGF afterwards, and I don’t think these concept shots do the potential gameplay justice. Take a look at games like Sword & Sworcery and Voxatron and Monaco and set the bar that high.

Anyway, as far as Chip goes I like the distinctive headband. I think a small crack or chip would also really drive home the “chip off the old block” name. I also like the idea that his head will change shape as you get “paddle modifier” power-ups, though I have no idea if that’s something you have planned.

Wow, I wrote a lot before a single cup of coffee.

Comment on Meet Chip! by Annie

Annie — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:20:21 +0000

Awesome. Thanks for your feedback. We’re definitely working on adding more details to the characters. Chip’s head does serve a specific purpose, but we’ve gotten a lot of comments on how disproportionate he is, so we’re trying to figure out a solution for that. Stay tuned!

Comment on Meet Chip! by Dave D

Dave D — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:09:55 +0000

I agree with with Joe’s comments about the character and world looks. I would also consider perhaps decreasing Chip’s block(head) a bit in size unless it serves a specific purpose. I also am anxious to see how the mechanics create the feel of the world.

Comment on Meet Chip! by Joe

Joe — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:36:31 +0000

With just these images to go on, I think it’s a bit early to comment on how fun the actual game will be to play…

This is probably an early draft, but it looks like your characters don’t fit into the world. The world is nice and polished with a 3d-ish look (with highlights and rounded edges), while the characters appear flat. I love the look of the world and can’t wait to see how the game play makes use of or integrates with the theme.

Comment on Meet Chip! by Eric Downs

Eric Downs — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:18:29 +0000

This game looks too simple, boring and overall sucks. gg

Comment on In Focus by Dave D

Dave D — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:06:30 +0000

I just noticed you changed the tagline at the top of the page!!

I found this In Focus! Nice pic and quote on page 7!