I have spent a large part of this weekend analyzing 2 games for the DP challenge. One of the games, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, strikes me as really poor game design even though the franchise is extremely popular and Rockstar is a well-known and popular developer. The other, Kick-Ass, is by Frozen Codebase, a small local indie company. Based on the movie of the same title, this game hardly stands a chance of positive reviews. In doing the DP Challenge, I found that there is not a single movie-based game on the Top 100 list. I was surprised to find this, since I actually thought one of the Star Wars-based games might have made the list.
Kick-Ass provides polished play with solid play mechanics and yet, it will be harshly panned by reviewers. Meanwhile, the entire GTA franchise has been embraced by reviewers and the public alike despite poor physics and uninspiring missions. I understand the reasons for this, but I still find this phenomenon both fascinating and disappointing.
In :
What I've Learned
I started writing as a child and can't stop. Like any other art, writing begins on a blank canvas. Characters form from the ether and develop into living beings that leap from the page and, eventually, from the screen. Worlds emerge.
I have this passion for research, at least for the topics that interest me. Inspired by a teacher, I hold one thing to be true: It's not what you know; it's that you know where to find it. The library was a magical place and, even today, I can often be found combing through books in the New Age section of Barnes and Noble. But, now, with the internet, everything is literally at my fingertips. I just love to learn new things all the time. It's fun to share that knowledge in my writing and to bring history and culture to life in the form of a story; showing instead of telling.
Sometimes, though, telling is good, too. I keep notes from Webinars, IGDA Meetings and industry events as well as writing about the industry for Gamasutra.com. Sharing is an important aspect of game development. Writing about games and getting feedback improves the art, while helping others to learn. It's a win-win.
