• 19Feb 08

  Back to basics!

  Yo!

  So it's been over a year since I even looked at my Blog, I hope to better manage my time writing them this year. If I make them slightly smaller perhaps there wont be twelve month gaps in between each entry... however those of you who know me (and those who will soon find out) I love typing, writing in general and I find expressing myself in the written word the reason I enjoy forums so much. Anyway onto some of what I have been doing...

  But where to begin. Perhaps some games. I finally picked up/borrowed some of the must haves people like Oblivion had always been raving about, these titles include Shadow of the Colossus, Kingdom Hearts II & Final Fantasy XiI, amongst more games than I can wave a stick at. My impressions thus far are that Kingdom Hearts II is just well... not a very good game. Don't get me wrong I love the character design, and the gameplay is OK, but the story seems rather predictable/boring and I really can't see myself to play the game that much.

  
  All St-yle no substance...?
  

  Final Fantasy XiI & Shadow of the Colossus on the other hand have both gone beyond my expectations (especially XII). I am around 25 hours into the experience and really enjoying everything from the plot to the addictive gameplay, it truly does feel like an evolution of Final Fantasy Xi and brings back good memories of my MMO addiction (heh). Shadow of the Colossus is the beautiful masterpiece I have always wanted to experience. Like watching a Hayao Miyazaki movie, I find myself swimming in emotions that I cannot even place. Simply wondering around an empty land, looking at the ruins, listening to the wind... and just wondering about the story behind this vast land. I have stopped playing these titles recently due to my flat-mates. Its not that I'm not a social gamer, its just that they don't appreciate games the way I do, and that takes from my own experience in a bad way.

  

  Two games that completely surpassed my expectations!

  On the anime front, watching Lucky Star (funny) & The King of the Braves GaoGaiGar (yes Japanese names...) together with some Live Action series (Akihabar@DEEP, etc) I have some things I have yet to watch Airmaster (simply awesomeness) and stuff like Romeo x Juliet which I have been meaning to get around too.

  

  Strangely addictive anime...

  Besides that in my third year of University I am actually working on an RPG in a team of 8 (including myself). As some of you may know I am studying Production in the games industry and this project sees us oversea the development of a game. Its intense and despite me not actually doing any coding or art work I feel a lot of pressure to keep everything running smoothly. The project concept is also not my own, I joined as a Producer to help Production, luckily it just so happens the game is going to be a Japanese St-yle RPG developed in OGRE (engine). I hope I can keep you guys up to date on how the project advances. The concept isn't original or anything like that but its exciting to work on a bigger scale game than I ever have!

  Anyways hope I see everyone on the forums, and hopefully 2008 spells a comeback for me into the online world!

  • Posted Feb 19, 2008 8:33 am GMT
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• 23Jan 07

  A new year begins! A look at the past, present and future...

  Its been so long since I touched my Blog it almost feels like its been sitting under a 2 inch layer of internet dust. That aside 2007 began about 3 weeks ago and with the new year come renewed aspirations, challenges and triumphs. How the year will play out I have no idea, but deep down inside I have a feeling it will be a good one.

  
  ...the beer speaks the truth...

  2006 I think was a great year. Or at least looking back on it, it feels like I only grew, both as a person and as a student. It was difficult switching course from my original program (Computing) to Games Production Management. It was hard because I felt excluded from a group of people who had spent the previous year bonding. Towards the end of last year though I finally fell in rythm with my coursemates and feel like Ive finally settled in.

  Making games is a long pursued dream and it feels like I am trully making my way towards the goal of being a games developer. The people I now hang around with share my interest (if not my passion) and the general enviroment is so stimulating I sometimes feel the a creative need burning in me that I havent felt in quite a while.

  
  The deceptive simpleness of designing games...

  That being said there seems to be a lot of work. Or perhaps not that, perhaps just there is many more things occupying my time than there seems to be time to complete. Between my friends, playing games and my beloved gamespot it feels like there are never enough hours in a day to do everything I want to do.

  
  Not too hard to learn ... agh!

  On a note of my passion for the country of the rising sun I have began trying to self teach myself Japanese as I cannot afford classes. Its going alright but at best I can read a couple of Hiragana letters which is perhaps not the most exciting thing in the world. Besides that I watch some anime here and there while catching up with some Manga series (thank the internet for free Manga).

  
  Yes that is Naruto

  On the gaming front two titles are occupying my time. The Knights Of The Old Republic and The Legend of Zelda: Twillight Princess. Both fantastic games but I must give the nod to Zelda, one of the best games I have had the pleasure to experience in years. Absolutly enchanting this game feels like an epic fantasy novel from the beautiful presentation to the outstanding graphics and amazing gameplay (including puzzles and dungeons). My one minor gripe is that the game clings to Midi and no voice acting which in my opinion only hold the game back from being one of the best games of all time. Ah but fantastic none the less.

  
  best game of 2006...

  On a final note I think I have finally decided on the games I would like to work on when I graduate. MMOs. Thats right those horrible time sinks that steal your life and soul. For me, as games expands so will the MMO genre offering up possibilities that other games just cannot come near to. An MMO in its purist form is the ability to live another life. Escapism presented in a game unmatched by anything else. If somehow the ability to tell stories and capture the imagination of the player can be enhanced this genre would reach its epitome of perfection.

   
  From The Chronicles of Spellborn MMO & The Burning Crusade

  Thanks for reading this and I hope you all had a great 2006 and are looking forward to 2007, with games like Crysis breaking into the realm of photo realism and storytelling hopefully reaching new heights with the likes of Metal Gear Solid 4 and Lost Odyssey I can only be excited about what the future holds for what will be my future career and personal passion.
   

  • Posted Jan 23, 2007 11:01 am GMT
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• 31Mar 06

  Breath in, Breath out...

  I havent updated this in what has been almost two months, but with very good reason. Also as some of you may have noticed some of my posting these past few weeks have been a little slow or lacking by comparison with my usual habbits. All this has an explanation though. Namely, University.

  
  The Library (of my University)!

  University is a very difficult thing, not because there is that much to be done, or because its all new, but because for the first time in your life the only responsible person around is probably YOU. And if its not, well then lets just say, its probably me thats dragging you out of the gutter every night. Jokes aside, as I have said in various posts I have been developing what is cryptically called Project X. In reality what Project X was and is, is a massive headache. Its main focus has been the development of mobile software to increase traffic for establishments within the leisure industry. Despite how simple this may sound at first, its not. We had to do everything from market research, cost analysis, break even timeline, product development... everything. In my mind it is almost unfair that they have made us do this for free. When the scope of work undertaken by me and 4 other students is something most companies would charge at least a couple of thousands pounds for.

  
  Mmm... awesomeness

  Not to mention getting my team mates to works or even do anything remotely like contributing has been horribly difficult. Not only are they lazy, they arent self motivated and meeting deadlines is next to impossible for them. I get stressed just thinking about it. That being said, Wednesday was the day of our Presentation and it went really, really well. The whole group was so happy we went out drinking (after which I might add I couldnt think straight all day...). Today then (two days after a milestone has been reached in Project X) I have handed in my final website design for HTML after which I can call it quites for Easter Holidays! Yahoo!

   
  Need money... need Manga!

  Three weeks with so much time on my hand you'll probably never see me away from the forums unless its to sleep and/or eat. I havent been gaming to much (not much available) and my anime viewing has also been reduced due to coursework, so I feel I have been slacking in more areas than one. With the beginning of Easter though I can finally breath again and I hope to start reading up on Maya and graphical design (in anticipation of working with my fellow forumites on a game).

  
  Ah spring is...

  Besides that, well a lot has happened that I think would take up too much space in just one blog post. One of my best friends has a girlfriend, so Im happy for him, another friend of mine stopped speaking to me (and now wants to speak with me again, but I really dont have the time for his mood swings anymore) and my last best buddy, just is, although with Spring in the air, all the women suddenly seem more beautiful? ~laughs~

  
  ...more like this in Scotland

  Thanks everybody for reading. I hope to start doing Anime articles (and watching the stuff) again soon and participating as much as I can in community activities. Everybody hope you have a fantastic Easter and Ill see you on the boards!

  P.S. I want Bleach filler episodes to end and to get my hands on the Manga as well as the Manga for Berserk and Blade of the Immortal)!

  • Posted Mar 31, 2006 7:02 am GMT
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