While a little late getting to my blog, I wanted to share with you some footage from our upcoming game Silent Hill 8 published by Konami. While a work in progress it's easy to see how well things are coming along. Great job guys!
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
What Eric's Playing
Anyone who has checked out my blog has probably noticed a list of game on the right side of the site. This is my "What Eric's Playing" list. I started to compile the list sometime after I started this blog, so obviously it's not my entire history of games played, but it at least gives you a snapshot of what I have been playing for the last couple of years.
I believe anyone in the industry should be playing games. I've heard a number of times how people "don't have time to play", or "nothing interests me", or worse yet "I play games all day at work, when I come home I don't want to play anymore". While it's easy to understand that life happens and things can get in the way of a good gaming session, I will never understand someone who is a responsible party in the industry can't find time to enjoy games for game's sake.
This is tantamount to someone in the fashion industry not wearing fashionable clothes, or someone who makes movies for a living and doesn't watch movies. I am not suggesting that plumbers plumb on their days off, or a truck driver who wants to drive just for fun. We are in a creative industry, one that is market driven, and what we do has to be relevant to people you may not fully understand or relate to. We must play games to understand them. We have to play games to know what may be fun. Of course it's better if you can actually enjoy yourself while you are playing, but at the very least I believe it's important to examine games systematically so you can understand what may make them work or fail in the marketplace.
Playing games, especially English language games, isn't as easy as one may think while living in Asia. Some locations aren't too bad - I found it easy to find the latest games in the Philippines and Singapore. It's great that the new releases come out roughly the same time as they do in the US, and the prices are competitive, if not a little cheaper in some instances. Living in Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, or China is problematic though. The games are localized for the market, and that doesn't include English. Thank goodness for Amazon.
I offer my games list here as a way of not only seeing what I am playing, but also what interests me personally. You can see my family game inclinations from some of the games on my list, but you can see the more hard core games for after-hours play. Yes, there are a few work games in there, and a few that I selected because I thought they were important enough to examine from a market perspective. But I will continue to love my personal game time as I love the industry and it's extremely exciting to be developing entertainment like this.
I believe anyone in the industry should be playing games. I've heard a number of times how people "don't have time to play", or "nothing interests me", or worse yet "I play games all day at work, when I come home I don't want to play anymore". While it's easy to understand that life happens and things can get in the way of a good gaming session, I will never understand someone who is a responsible party in the industry can't find time to enjoy games for game's sake.
This is tantamount to someone in the fashion industry not wearing fashionable clothes, or someone who makes movies for a living and doesn't watch movies. I am not suggesting that plumbers plumb on their days off, or a truck driver who wants to drive just for fun. We are in a creative industry, one that is market driven, and what we do has to be relevant to people you may not fully understand or relate to. We must play games to understand them. We have to play games to know what may be fun. Of course it's better if you can actually enjoy yourself while you are playing, but at the very least I believe it's important to examine games systematically so you can understand what may make them work or fail in the marketplace.
Playing games, especially English language games, isn't as easy as one may think while living in Asia. Some locations aren't too bad - I found it easy to find the latest games in the Philippines and Singapore. It's great that the new releases come out roughly the same time as they do in the US, and the prices are competitive, if not a little cheaper in some instances. Living in Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, or China is problematic though. The games are localized for the market, and that doesn't include English. Thank goodness for Amazon.
I offer my games list here as a way of not only seeing what I am playing, but also what interests me personally. You can see my family game inclinations from some of the games on my list, but you can see the more hard core games for after-hours play. Yes, there are a few work games in there, and a few that I selected because I thought they were important enough to examine from a market perspective. But I will continue to love my personal game time as I love the industry and it's extremely exciting to be developing entertainment like this.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Here's a New Aragorn's Quest Video - More Gameplay :-)
Congrats to the entire team at Headstrong and Kuju Manila for their efforts in putting together this increadible game!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Happy Moon/Mid-Autumn Festival!
To everyone in Taiwan, China, or of Chinese ancestry, Happy Moon/Mid-Autumn Festival!
If you are unfamiliar with this holiday, a little primer is HERE.
Enjoy :-)
If you are unfamiliar with this holiday, a little primer is HERE.
Enjoy :-)
Monday, September 13, 2010
Some More Aragorn's Quest Video Goodness
Here are some behind-the-scenes videos on the voice over work for Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest. John-Rhys Davies and Sean Astin lend there voices to the game as viewed in this interview. Enjoy :-)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (NDS/PS2/PS/Wii) - Launch Trailer
Here is yet another game we helped to develop. It'll be out Sept 19th! Enjoy :-)
Burn Zombie Burn (PC/Steam) - Launch Trailer
Here's another game our studio helped to develop. Enjoy :-)
Top Gun (PSN) - Launch Trailer
Here's the launch trailer for a game our studio helped to develop. Enjoy :-)
Formula for Naming Games in Taiwan
I've noticed a great number of things about games and gamers here in Asia, but one thing is clear - if you want a successful game in Taiwan, naming it is easy.
Step 1 - take any combination of characters that discribe emporers, princes, princesses, dynastic period, etc, and add the word "ONLINE".
Step 2 - there is no step 2.
(Note: hot girls certainly add to the effect, but they are more the exception rather than the rule in commercials - unless you are promoting a dancing/friendship game where being cute helps. Typically the commericals will consisist of pretty nice rendered cut scenes with a few seconds of pretty low-res in-game MMO footage).
Step 1 - take any combination of characters that discribe emporers, princes, princesses, dynastic period, etc, and add the word "ONLINE".
Step 2 - there is no step 2.
(Note: hot girls certainly add to the effect, but they are more the exception rather than the rule in commercials - unless you are promoting a dancing/friendship game where being cute helps. Typically the commericals will consisist of pretty nice rendered cut scenes with a few seconds of pretty low-res in-game MMO footage).
Designing Characters - the Square Enix Way...
Although posted a few years back, I was recalling some of the nuances of developing art in Asia. While Japanese companies like Square Enix have this method down pat, other regional countries tend to emulated the styles (if not preferences) in their art as well.
The original article is posted HERE (warning: wear a flame retardant suit if you wish to post there. Obviously the humor was lost on many of those who replied).
Beyond the chuckle (truth) factor for those of use tasked with design art in Asia, the reality is that one must understand the target audience to make games that are readily accepted beyond the country from which you are making it. This applies not only to art, but game design as well.
The original article is posted HERE (warning: wear a flame retardant suit if you wish to post there. Obviously the humor was lost on many of those who replied).
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