by Annie | Sep 22, 2010 | Game Design
What would happen if the school curriculum were entirely built around video games? New York school Quest to Learn is on a mission to find out. To learn more, read the NYTimes Magazine article “Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom.” Definitely a worthwhile read guaranteed to change your outlook on the future of schools and...
by Annie | Sep 21, 2010 | Game Design
Introducing my latest game concept, H2OMG: H2OMG is a photorealistic physics-based puzzle game in which you play as the various states of water, using different temperature zones to change between solid, liquid, and gas in an effort to gain as much mass as possible by colliding with other H2O molecules while in the liquid state. As steam, you play in first person, flying around in any direction, but you risk losing mass as your molecules separate. As water, you play in third person on a 2D plane, but while your movement may be limited, this is the only state in which you can gain mass. As ice, you play in third person in a 3D platforming environment, jumping around while maintaining mass. You must utilize the different states of matter in tandem to help you increase your mass as much as possible while navigating toward each level’s finish line collection beaker. With real world applications and simple mechanics, this game is guaranteed to have you saying...
by Annie | Sep 20, 2010 | Illustration Station
If you think about it, many of the most memorable game character sprites were created through painting pixels on a screen. Mario and Pacman are not remembered for their fancy 3D shading but rather for their classic iconic looks. Good pixel art involves an intricate knowledge of color and lighting. You must choose the best shades for shadows and highlights, then paint them over the right pixels to make your pixel art come to life. You only have so much space, so you have to make every pixel count. Here’s my latest pixel art character – a hobo monkey whose knapsack doubles as a weapon/water balloon/intimidation...
by Annie | Sep 13, 2010 | Game Design
What’s inside you, on every surface you touch, in the air you breathe, and an integral part of every living thing around you? Why bacteria, of course, and in my latest game idea Culture Shock, you will have the chance to get up close and personal with the ubiquitous microorganisms. Culture Shock is a casual first person shooter game in which you play as a scientist racing against time to zap mutant bacteria in a petri dish. Similar to a sniper searching for a certain target, you must watch the colony carefully and patiently as the bacteria reproduce, finding and shooting the bacteria that differ from the majority. At first, mutants are easy to spot, as they display variations through obvious external traits, such as color, size, and shape. However, as their antibiotic resistance increases, mutants become harder to find as they start to blend in with their peers. You must protect your bacterial culture, finding and zapping all the mutants while saving enough good bacteria to ensure the survival of the colony. Microscopic battles. Macroscopic...
by Annie | Sep 13, 2010 | Game Design
Well into the second term of this incredibly intense year, projects and deadlines are looming over us as the general craziness starts to ramp up. Food and sleep have been tossed to the back burner, and most waking moments are spent half-heartedly performing the tasks of daily life while mentally grinding away at the next great game idea. In the whirlwind of it all, it can be extremely easy to groan about the unwieldy workload, the demanding assignments, and the human need for sleep – an evolutionary weakness if I’ve ever seen one. However, if I just pause and breathe, I realize what an amazing experience this is and how unbelievably lucky I am. Here’s why: 10. I get creative challenges every day. I used to complain all the time about being stuck in jobs where I was just entering data all day, performing endless and mindless tasks that seemed to accomplish nothing. Now, more creative challenges are added to my plate on a daily basis, pushing me to think on the fly and outside the box. 9. Vancouver is an awesome place to live and work. I live four blocks from the beach in a neighborhood full of organic markets and cute shops. I get to bike to work every day while watching the waves and mountains. Life is grand. 8. My instructors are well-known industry professionals with years of experience. Unlike some previous teachers and professors I’ve had, the instructors at VFS seem to really know what they’re doing. Why? Because they’ve done it. They’ve worked on popular game titles and movies, rubbing elbows with the top...
