For another studio mini assignment we were asked to get a news article pre 1984. Whatever for I hear you ask, to make into a game of course.

My article was some rubbish about a political scandal that wasn’t particularly interesting and not suitable for this exercise. But I teamed up with Paul, who had a whipper of a story entitled “West End Opium Orgy”!

Dated 12/12/1918, it involved Lo Ping You who was sentenced to 5 months hard labour for supplying opium to Billie Carleton, an actress and also the host of an opium fuelled orgy that lasted a whooping 18 hours. She unfortunately was found dead in her flat the next day.

We decided to create a ‘The Getaway’/‘Grand Theft Auto’ style game. Firstly we got a map of Dover Street (the scene of the crime according to the article from multi-map and researched Billie Carleton on the National Portrait Gallery Site which also talks of her drug-related untimely demise. The players character in the game would be a ‘Joseph Graves’ who you would navigate around Dover street in London interacting with the characters from the article in order to complete the mission of setting up the deal then in a later level breaking out your dealer aka Lo Ping You from the pen.

Below are the original brainstorms and ideas along with the screenshot we designed for the game……

Friday 28th January 2005

Nintendo has announced the European release date and pricing for its new handheld console.

The Dual Screen, which has already been released in Japan and America, will be officially launched in Europe on Friday March 11, at a price of 149 euros. We translate this to be £103.12, which in retail speak is likely to be £99.

Note that this is cunningly one week before the reported European launch date of Sony's new handheld console, the PSP (PlatStation Portable), due to appear 18 March at a price of £179, according to leaked details from Amazon.co.uk.

Games for Nintendo's next-gen handheld console are priced at the £29.99 mark, although the likes of Amazon.co.uk are offering games such as Rayman, Asphalt Urban GT, Sprung: The Dating Game and Ping Pals for £24.99.

With one of the two screen being touch-sensitive the DS could, theoretically, open up new gaming styles and strategies beyond those of the tradional GameBoy. But of course it is up to the developers, and publishers, to make the games make the most of the new platform.

ComputerAndVideoGames.com lists the full launch line up for the Nintendo DS. These are:
Asphalt GT
Mr. Driller : Drill Spirits
Pokémon Dash
Polarium (Chokkan Hitofude)
Project Rub (Feel the Magic XY/XX)
Rayman DS
Robots
Spider-Man 2
Sprung: The Dating Game
Super Mario 64 DS
Tiger Woods
The URBZ
Wario Ware Touched!
Zoo Keeper

"He is currently enlisted in protecting the contents of the geocaches that he is stationed at. He has to protects against bugs, APEs, and the occasional stupid human."

Here are some useful links for both the 16 x 16 project and the toy project (as alot of hand held devices will have extremely low res).

Check em' out...

www.pixelhugger.com- desktops, games, icons fonts.
www.pixeldam.net- funky pixelated designs.
www.nspixel.com- similar pixel design to Flip Flop Flyin' I mentioned in one of my earlier posts.
www.drububu.com- has useful Flash Pixel Art Tutorial
www.eboy.com- Not really to do with games or anything but some interesting pixel art.

Global Positioning System satellites transmit signals to equipment on the ground. GPS receivers passively receive satellite signals; they do not transmit. GPS receivers require an unobstructed view of the sky, so they are used only outdoors and they often do not perform well within forested areas or near tall buildings. GPS operations depend on a very accurate time reference, which is provided by atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory. Each GPS satellite has atomic clocks on board.
	Each GPS satellite transmits data that indicates its location and the current time. All GPS satellites synchronize operations so that these repeating signals are transmitted at the same instant. The signals, moving at the speed of light, arrive at a GPS receiver at slightly different times because some satellites are farther away than others. The distance to the GPS satellites can be determined by estimating the amount of time it takes for their signals to reach the receiver. When the receiver estimates the distance to at least four GPS satellites, it can calculate its position in three dimentions.
There are at least 24 operational GPS satellites at all times. The satellites, operated by the U.S. Air Force, orbit with a period of 12 hours. Ground stations are used to precisely track each satellite's orbit.
Determining Position A GPS receiver "knows" the location of the satellites, because that information is included in satellite transmissions. By estimating how far away a satellite is, the receiver also "knows" it is located somewhere on the surface of an imaginary sphere centered at the satellite. It then determines the sizes of several spheres, one for each satellite. The receiver is located where these spheres intersect. Click here for a detailed description of how this works.
GPS Accuracy The accuracy of a position determined with GPS depends on the type of receiver. Most hand-held GPS units have about 10-20 meter accuracy. Other types of receivers use a method called Differential GPS (DGPS) to obtain much higher accuracy. DGPS requires an additional receiver fixed at a known location nearby. Observations made by the stationary receiver are used to correct positions recorded by the roving units, producing an accuracy greater than 1 meter. <>When the system was created, timing errors were inserted into GPS transmissions to limit the accuracy of non-military GPS receivers to about 100 meters. This part of GPS operations, called Selective Availability, was eliminated in May 2000. All images on this page ©1998 Smithsonian Institution. All text taken from www.nasm.si.edu

Here are some intersting links to different Geocaching websites..

www.geocaching.com seems to be the most used Geocaching site with the most locations

www.navicache.com is also a larger site including many cache locations

Some smaller communities and cache location sites...

Buxley's Geocaching Waypoint
Geocaching.com, Australia
Wisconsin Geocaching Association
Michigan Geocaching Organization
Geocaching: Mobile Mavericks on the Move

What is Geocaching?

Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache. Geocaching deceptively challenging. It's one thing to see where an item is, it's a totally different story to actually get there.

The GPS Stash Hunt, Global Positioning Stash hunt is interchangable. Geocaching has become the standard for the game, however.

Geocaching is a relatively new phenomenon. Therefore, the rules are very simple:

1. Take something from the cache

2. Leave something in the cache

3. Write about it in the logbook

Where you place a cache is up to you.

A cache can come in many forms but the first item should always be the logbook. In its simplest form a cache can be just a logbook and nothing else. The logbook contains information from the founder of the cache and notes from the cache's visitors. The logbook can contain much valuable, rewarding, and entertaining information. A logbook might contain information about nearby attractions, coordinates to other unpublished caches, and even jokes written by visitors. If you get some information from a logbook you should give some back. At the very least you can leave the date and time you visited the cache.

Larger caches may consist of a waterproof plastic bucket placed tastefully within the local terrain. The bucket will contain the logbook and any number of more or less valuable items. These items turn the cache into a true treasure hunt. You never know what the founder or other visitors of the cache may have left there for you to enjoy. Remember, if you take something, its only fair for you to leave something in return. Items in a bucket cache could be: Maps, books, software, hardware, CD's, videos, pictures, money, jewelry, tickets, antiques, tools, games, etc. It is recommended that items in a bucket cache be individually packaged in a clear zipped plastic bag to protect them.
The location of a cache can be very entertaining indeed. As many say, location, location, location! The location of a cache demonstrates the founder's skill and possibly even daring. A cache located on the side of a rocky cliff accessible only by rock climbing equipment may be hard to find. An underwater cache may only be accessed by scuba. Other caches may require long difficult hiking, orienteering, and special equipment to get to. Caches may be located in cities both above and below ground, inside and outside buildings. The skillful placement of a small logbook in an urban environment may be quite challenging to find even with the accuracy of a gps. That little logbook may have a hundred dollar bill in it or a map to greater treasure. It could even contain clues or riddles to solve that may lead to other caches. Rich people could have fun with their money by making lucrative caches that could be better than winning the lottery when you find it. Just hope that the person that found the cache just before you left a real big prize!

Geocaching is a game that constantly reinvents itself, and the rules are very flexible.

Some examples -

• Offset Caches - They're not found by simply going to some coordinates and finding a cache there. With the Offset Cache the published coordinates are that of an existing historical monument, plaque, or even a benchmark that you would like to have your cache hunter visit. From this site the cache hunter must look around and find offset numbers stamped/written in or on some part of the marker site, or continue based on instructions posted to geocaching.com
• Multi-caches - The first cache gives coordinates (or partial coordinates) to the next location, or multiple caches have hints to the final cache.
• Virtual caches - A cache is actually an existing landmark, such as a tombstone or statue. You have to answer a question from the landmark and let the "cache" owner know as proof that you were there.

Following on from the research of my gangsta hommie Paul ( THE 8 CATEGORIES OF PLEASURE, NOKIA FORUMS) I checked out the personal homepage of Marc LeBlanc which although aimed mainly at programmers is certainly a good resource of information for us designers and has some interesting slideshows and excerpts from some of his lectures.

Check these out....


MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research

The Last Mile: Game Design from a Programmer's Perspective

Also just worth a look about the site, basic but he seems to be a quite amusing guy.

For anyone that missed todays session with Dave we were given our 16x16 assignment. Create 16 animations that are 16x16 pixels. No small task. Dave gave us Flip Flop Flyin.com to research, this is such a brilliant site and will give you inspiration for this assignment and its well funny too...

Check out a few examples of minipops.....

"Great wits are sure to madness near allied,
And thin partitions do their bounds divide."

(John Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel, 1681)

John Nash was once described by his old Carnegie Tech professor, R.J. Duffin as genius, attended Priston, eventually after a 20 year attack of paranoid schizophrenia was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his work in the pure mathematic area of Game Theory. After excelling at mathematics Nash developed what is known as the "Nash Equalibrium" and the "Nash Bargaining Solution" (NBS) along with many other theories, too many to list. These were particulary interesting in relation to any game that involves two players that are trying to gain something. This is particulary interesting as Nash gave new definition to a game, a 'Formalised Incentive Structure'. A nice definition that can be used to approached the design of a new toy/game, as for our new assignment. Looking at a game this way enables the designer to take out the gimmick appeal and create a game that is logically sound before adding the asthetic or marketing appeal.


John Nash

A few interesting links for anyone who would like to find out a bit more about John Nash or game theory .......

Jonh Nash

John Nash autobiography
Short, brief biography of John Nash.

Game Theory Research

International Game Theory Review (IGTR)
Game Theory Society
The International Society of Dynamic Games


www.abeautifulmind.com is the offical film site and holds many interesting facts about the film itself along with John Nash biography and links, even a short definition of paranoid schizophrenia.
(Just to note for you web designers out there this is one of the best flash sites I've seen in a long time, beautifull functional, easy navigation and oozing asthetic appeal.)

So there I am studiously researching our new assignment when suddenly I'm yet again distracted by the randomness of the internet. But this time I was not entertained or educated but offended by the horror I saw before me. No it wasn't a graphic picture of Santa impailing himself on a Sky Satellite Dish but the most horrendously designed site I've seen for a long time. Not only is this site inflicting pain on designers across the globe but its actual a programme that generates random web designs. Why anyone would create, let alone want to use this devil tool is beyond me. Anyway its late and I'm blaming my infuriation on lack of sleep. But seroiusly check it out, scary .......

www.strangebanana.com

Oh forgot to mention, just to piss you off more the links are dead and lead to a 'Sorry links are just to demonstate how your site could work'. Muppets!

Our second tutorial session we were asked to bring in a toy/game each. I brought juggling balls but after Ollie told me he had as well I thought I’d get another little something as we were in Woolworth’s anyway. Yeah Jonny and me went a little overboard as managed to get two Barbie’s, an action man, a car for them and a toy gun that shot suckers that stuck to the window ha ha ha, brilliant!

When we got in we played with the toys for a bit then got into groups and again design a toy. But this time we had to combine what we had together in the groups to make the toy.

Along with the dolls, gun and juggling balls we had play dough and a funny little drummer man. We began to think what we could use for the toy. We brainstormed some ideas and thought about previous toys for inspiration. We first thought we could maybe use the juggling balls and dolls to create some sort of bowling game. Problem with this was it wouldn’t be at all interesting because it’s all been done before and to be honest much better bowling games are about. We then focused on our target audience, thinking at aiming for an older audience we thought nudity couldn’t hurt. Using the dolls we began to think of some sort of shooting game with stripping/dressing involved. Whilst brainstorming all other ideas that were generated during this period we mainly stuck to the development of this game. We decided that just shooting them wasn’t enough so we decided to include a quiz to begin with, each correctly answered question enabled the player to remove an item of his dolls clothing. Once naked the doll was then placed a set distance away and attempts to shoot it would be made, successfully knocking over your doll won the game. We also decided to add choice and interest to have a variety of difficultness in the questions correlating to the item of clothing the player wishes to remove. We wrote up some rules and had a couple of goes. If I’m perfectly honest I should have known it wasn’t the most brilliant game when my attention during the game began to wonder, but hey it weren’t bad considering it was bodged together in an hour or so.

The game had a simple linear structure with simple rules and changeable aspects. Our goal was to create a new set of rules and theory taken from the existing toys/games. This we achieved but as for an inspirational idea or next national obsession I don’t think our game is going to change the world.

Once we finalised the details of the game each group had to present to the class. We had everything from mathematical darts to dominos with a twist. Ours was taken well I think, the sort of feedback given was interesting. It focused mainly on that fact that we, apart from the juggling balls had used toys that don’t have rules or constraints but are imagination driven. I concluded that this in my opinion is unbeatable, how can our vision appeal to everyone when with use of imagination the player could think of much more personally interesting activity to do with the toys, you just can’t compete with that. I can imagine the players boring quickly of the rules we devised and going off and playing with the toys independently.

In relation to our current toy assignment I think I need to think about its application. Can my toy be used for anything else other than what I have designed it to do, if so is this going to detract from the original game making it redundant or will it enhance the original taking it further?


Our game, yesterday.....

After coming back off a much-deserved Xmas break our first studio session involved some group work. On the theme of our next assignment we were, in groups of 3/4, to invent a toy/game. Not bad for a days work thinking of ideas for new toys. After some discussion we began to brainstorm our ideas and this is what we came up with......

The first of our ideas was 'Electronic Shoes'. Some sort of programme built into the shoes and through the use of pressure pads enabled the user to play whilst walking. We thought the game might be some sort of aerobics or dance routine. Making noises or vibrating when the correct combination of steps is achieved. Quite amusing but hardly practical, couldn't imagine many people subscribing to having noises explode from there shoes in public.

Secondly, with environmental issues in mind we thought of the ‘Interactive Recycling Unit’. This I thought is a wicked idea. A bottle bin for example that has a game attached, encouraging people to recycle. The game we thought could either be a digital arcade style game or something similar to pinball. Credits would be obtained by depositing bottles (1 bottle per play) as encouragement and as an additional incentive tokens could be awarded in order to get prizes. Alternatively we thought a progress counter could be attached instead and a national competition ran that rewards the highest recycler.

Our third idea came off the back of my first thoughts when we were told about our new ‘Design a Toy’ assignment. When we were told about the assignment last term the first platform I thought of was a GPRS or sat nav device. I thought the fact that it pin points the users location would be a fantastic basis for a game. I threw in some ideas along with the group and we thought up not just a game but also a massive entertainment device. We thought the user would have a character on the device that could interact with other uses in his/her immediate vicinity. In order to increase the pre-set statistics of the character for these interactions the user would have to travel to certain locations. Secret items etc could also be found this way. Sly exercise incentive and perfect for today’s hyperactive young un’s!

We stuck with the last idea and I like it so much I think I’m going to adapt it for the project itself.