Back from AFK

I haven't posted in about a month now and I'm happy to say it's because I've been very busy with transitioning from the east coast to the west coast in my new job. I'm working for ngmoco:) now and I'm excited to be in the iPhone gaming space. Those of you who read my blog know that I've been keeping track of it for a while now.

I'd like to say that Neil Young hired me because he was impress at my blog about ngmoco:), but more than likely, this blog was under his radar before I introduced myself.

Interestingly enough, this blog and ngmoco are lining up well with Apple positive stance on gaming, who recently declared that the iPhone and iPod Touch are "the best portable device for playing games on".

Lastly, check out ngmoco's blog for the latest updates on games. And I will continue to post here on interesting tidbits in tech and gaming in my usual sort of way.

Shred Nebula Design Documents

CrunchTime Games has released the design documents for Shred Nebula. For anyone interested in creating games for XBLA, PSN or WiiWare, this is a pretty good look at what a game maker has to do.

Anyone not in the industry but interested in the business aspects should check it out.

I don't know much about the game, but the documentation is definitely good. I can honestly say that the docs give me a good idea of the game play (from a development/pitch standpoint). It was good enough to get me to try the game, which was released this past Wednesday.

Initial impressions are pretty good. The design docs say this game was influenced by Asteroids, but I was a little disappointed that they didn't fashion the basic controls more like Asteroids (rotate left/right, accelerate based on where you are pointed).

Overall though, it's definitely worth checking it out on XBLA and I have gained tremendous respect for any company who is willing to share documentation info like this. Thanks!

Funny you should mention X-COM

Not really super exciting news, but amusing to me. My friend and I were talking about X-COM today and I come home to find that the X-COM series is now available on Steam.

I've also realized that games made in 1993 just aren't as fun anymore, mostly because the DPI's on my laser mouse prevent me from being able to accurately click on any of those cruddy pixelated buttons and units.

XBLA goodness

Remember all those great four player arcade smashers? If you ever wondered where they went, look no further. Castle Crashers brings back old fashion fun and it's fantastic. I'm a particular fan of the music, it really builds the mood. Besides a somewhat marred first couple of days, it's being patched and really, it wasn't that big of an issue.

One of my favorite genres seems to be making a come-back as well. That would be the manic shooter. Galaga Legions is incredibly insane in that regard, and I still haven't been able to beat the third act. I'm losing my reaction time in my old age.

Lastly, is 1942: Joint Strike. This classing scrolling shooter is back with updated graphics and a new twist. In co-op mode, you have the ability to, well, joint strike with your partner. It's basically a fancy word for being able to link attack with a partner. The game itself is very enjoyable, especially if you're a fan of the original.

Honorable mentions to Braid and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, but the above games on XBLA made me happy to own an Xbox 360.

Dungeons & Dragons: Tiny Adventures Initial Impressions

Are you a Dungeons & Dragons fan? Are you on FaceBook? You should probably check out D&D: Tiny Adventures on FaceBook if you said yes to both.

I think the concept is great. Create a character, pick an adventure. Adventures update in intervals and you can check on the status. You can use potions to get the results you want during encounters. Invite friends and you can boost their stats while they are on an adventure, or heal them when they are complete. Other than that, you really just get into encounters, get experience, get loot, get rested and go out again.

Hardcore players be warned: it's not a very deep or accurate portrayal of the game. The classes don't mean much except for initial stats. They really only dictate what kind of environments your class will be good at.

There is potential here, it's rather addicting to check up on how your character is doing, but otherwise, it's just checking up to see how you're doing. The looting and leveling aspect is as addicting as any other RPG, except you really don't have much choice.

I'd like to see the next iteration of this game add a choose-your-own-adventure kind of control. Instead of just randomly picking events and telling you the outcome, Tiny Adventures could let you sort of maximize your class abilities. Rescuing a wounded soldier? Maybe a Cleric would choose to heal the soldier and then have help instead of rushing straight in and defeating the attackers.

The class distinction should also dictate what kind of support you give your friends. Perhaps a Cleric could heal a friend once per adventure, or a rogue could sense a trap for you. These distinctions would allow a group of friends to pick different classes and pretend to adventure together.

Lastly, in a social network environment, I'm surprised that I can't gift items I find and can't use. I find it kind of strange that the class choices don't give you any benefits, yet I have the restrictions of that class when it comes to items. The simplest solution is to allow trading and gifting of items. It would also make the game more social.

Anyway, so far so good. Wizard's of the Coast at least put out a great little app that draws interest for D&D. It also seems to use a bit of 4th edition rules, so it's interesting to see it play out on such a Tiny scale.

Next Generation Mobile Company :)

Neil Young, CEO of ng:moco:) and 11-year EA vet, had a keynote speech at iphonedevcamp2. He talks about the iPhone as a gaming platform.


Neil Young > iPhone is greater than... from Dom Sagolla on Vimeo.

I've posted about this before and totally agree. Neil Young brought up some interesting points. The iPhone is a multimedia device that could potentially allow games to tap into all sorts of functionality that no one has considered before. What if the game changes based on GPS? What if an SMS text was a medium for action? What if games spanned multiple days to play (one doesn't turn off an iPhone)?

These are very interesting things to think about and I am excited that a company like ng:moco exists to foster a new generation of game developers.

Running the Labyrinth

Every once in a while I check out Jane McGonical's blog. I saw her keynote speech at E-tech in 2007 and have been enamored by what she stands for and works toward. Her most recent blog entry talks about The Lost Ring, and like most alternate reality games, it is a site that is slowly revealing rules on how to play an interesting game.



The rules are being collected here, but basically it looks like one runner is blindfolded and must navigate a maze with nothing but a team that will build the walls and hum so that the blindfolded runner will not run into them. You can read the rules here.

By the way, Jane is all about these social game experiments that foster teamwork and build relationships. Her games usually involve interacting with complete strangers in order to accomplish a goal. Thumbs up, Miss McGonigal!