10 reasons why you should buy Farcry 3: Blood Dragon

Were you a fan of “Far Cry 3?” Wish there was more you could do after you've completed the game? Are you just looking for that little more in your gaming life? Well, look no further because “Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon” is here to satiate all your needs and desires. Here are ten reasons for you to buy it:

Injustice: Gods Among Us review

Finally, players can settle the age-old questions of who will win in a fight with Batman and Superman in a game made by "Mortal Kombat" creators NetherRealm.

"Injustice: Gods Among Us" features a single-player story along with the traditional battle modes and versus. The story follows the events of two dimensions that are linked by a single event. One dimension’s Superman has become a tyrant that conquered the world, and the underground resistance calls upon the heroes of the other dimension to aid them in toppling the evil regime.

Crime never looked so good

So the new "Grand Theft Auto V" trailers were released.

I immediately hijacked a computer to watch them, and I was rewarded with wonderful sights and cursing the likes of which I had missed since "GTA IV" and it’s expansion games.

There seems to be such an increase in quality of graphics from Rockstar, that honestly I anticipate them being the only company to create hyper-realistic games and make them good.

This is not to say that other games with superb graphics aren’t good games. The "Gears of War" franchise is definitely a contender though it is not my favorite franchise. I can appreciate that it is wildly successful and pretty at times.

Rockstar seems to find their way into creating quality images and visuals, while simultaneously not losing quality. Many companies tend to put so much effort in their visuals that they forget that the gameplay is arguably the most important part of a game.

If you look at the progression of games from this company from the "GTA" franchise and on, you’ll see a trend of better and better quality as it ends at "GTA: San Andreas" and "GTA IV." Then you have the jump to "Red Dead Redemption" that is hailed as one of the most beautiful games ever created, though not as realistic looking as "Crysis," but also one of the best western games ever made. Then the visual giant "L.A. Noire" which took facial software to a new level as well as textures and realism. "Max Payne 3" is the final look at where Rockstar was visually before the upcoming "GTA" game. It showed marked improvement on their own engine and polish that we'd never seen before. "GTA V" seems to have built off of that.

While the company that handled the revolutionary facial graphics software for "L.A. Noire" has been shut down, we are still treated to this feast for the eyes. Remember, these are not pre-rendered images, these are actual game graphics. Take a look:

How to prep for the Game Developers Conference

So the Game Developers Conference has come and gone. Those of you who are setting your sights on it for next year should be preparing and getting things together so that when you do head out there, you’re rarin’ to go.

Here are some things you’ll definitely need just to start off:

• A backpack or bag of some sort
• A folder for papers
• Lots and lots of resumes
• Business cards and business card holders. One holder for your own cards another for  cards you recieve from others
• Gum (it comes in handy for you and it could be an ice-breaker)
• Writing implements (pens, pencils, highlighters, sharpies, etc.)
• Hand sanitizer (this is vital for avoiding the Convention Flu since you’ll be shaking numerous hands)
• Spare pad of paper for notes
• A cheap lighter (people smoke and go out for smokes a lot, if you have a lighter on you, you can give them a light as an ice-breaker, even if you don’t smoke)

Now that you’ve got your survival gear in order, there are some things you need to be ready for as far as dealing with recruiters and events.

If you’re an artist, have a portfolio, whether it is digital or physical. You’ll need to show this to some recruiters, and it gives them an on-site idea of who you are and what you can do. It’s better than a resume, but have that too so that you can hand them that with your contact info on it as well as a business card.

Injustice goes mobile

There seems to be a size difference here.

So, I’m a huge comic book fan (if some of you don’t know). The fact that there is a game coming out about the heroes of the DC Universe fighting each other made by the studio that made "Mortal Kombat" has officially made this half of my year.

That and the fact that you can play as Aquaman and beat the crap out of people.

Fun character choices aside, there’s something interesting going on with the game "Injustice: Gods Among Us" that hasn’t really been seen for gaming franchises: a mobile iOS tie-in game.
 

Now, some of you might be saying, “Well, that’s not entirely unique or new. Those things have been done.” Yes, of course they have.

Goodbye, old friend

I won't lie. I still don't know what he's holding.

On April 3rd, I woke up to disturbing news.

One of my all-time favorite publishers, LucasArts, had closed its doors as a development studio.

Since George Lucas sold his company and all those under LucasFilm to Disney, I had been wary about Mickey Mouse doing some house-cleaning.

Sure enough, LucasArts was hit and is now only we can only look forward to games about Star Wars and Indiana Jones coming from companies that bid high enough to be able to handle a game that Disney decides they want to produce.

While it is true that LucasArts has not produced a decent game since "Battlefront" or "Battlefront 2", it is unfortunate to know that two very promising and much anticipated games are now canned, or at least put in indefinite suspension until Disney decides that it is time to bring them back to the public eye.

Crunch time!

Let's discuss the dreaded Crunch Time!

Now I understand that "Crunch" is a time honored tradition of game development, usually brought about by poor production planning, crazy publisher demands or show demos, but I'll leave this for another blog post. It has its merits but it can also be a lesson in diminishing returns if not properly executed! While creativity can sometimes be difficult in and of itself, when compounded by fatigue and sleep deprivation it can become an exercise in futility!

If you find yourself having to Crunch, find times to get up and go outside to take in deep breaths of "fresh" air, not the carbon-dioxide laden environment you've been sitting in. Your body needs quality moments of time to take in oxygen as well as proper circulation by simply standing, stretching or pacing from the hours of sedentary! Water NOT soda, Redbull or Monster is also another valuable component to keeping your body hydrated, oxygenated and ready for long hours of physical inactivity. While your body may not be working hard, your brain is, and that’s 80% water. It needs this pure source of fuel in order to feed it oxygen as well as keeping the electrical synapses firing optimally.

These are tips that come from a professional Health and Nutritional Coach (who also happens to also be my wife so you know it's legit)! So if Crunch time is in your near future, plan for it by preparing your body with a couple of nights before-hand of a minimum of 8 hours of sleep and an intake of organics and dark greens such as kale, red/green leaf lettuces , broccoli and the like. You know, the "crappy" tasting veggies. However, they are filled with oxygen that promotes incredible circulatory and nutritional results making for a better running machine. Mix them into smoothies or juices with fruits, to cut the bitter after taste, if you have to! ;)

Remember, game development is not only about creating amazing content but actually being happy about it and enjoying your work, especially during stressful times or Crunch! These are best practices I implement myself, which produces amazingly competitive results! Give your body (and yourself) the best tools, nutrition and rest in order to realize your full creative potentials! 

(Söderwall)

Jobs: swing for the moon or for the fences?

The question of the day is:

Do you hold out for the dream studio or get in where & when you can?

Pretty fair question that seems to have a simple answer right? Wrong! Where jobs, career & life choices come into play, there are no easy answers.

It all hinges on what your current circumstances, experience and motives are. If its money & experience you need, then yes, grab for low hanging fruit. Even though you may feel you're compromising on bigger dreams, you've got to start somewhere. Even smaller, less well known (or accomplished) studios can have a silver lining. You'll still gain valuable experience (not to mention the experience or probability of having to wear multiple creative hats) and making some money, but at least it's "preparing" you & your portfolio just the same. Not to mention that while you're at a smaller studio, you can still keep your options open towards looking. However, you don't just want to jump ship at the first sight of land in regards to a larger studio opportunity. If you're in the middle of a production and fairly "critical path," leaving your small dev is not always advised. It's still a small industry and word about your lack of commitment can get out! Besides that, larger studios may also be concerned that you'll do the same to them, hurting your chances to acquiring a stable position in their "seemingly" secure halls.

If you have more experience and the financial nest egg to hold out for a more competitive studio/position, that's great as well (especially if you’re tailoring your resume & portfolio with studios that have influential credibility). Whatever the case, understand that any hiring manager (large or small studio) is inevitably going to look at the number of studios you've worked for and how long you were at each. While "studio hoping" was a fairly accepted practice back in the mid '90's, it's a bad practice these days.

It goes right back to the "commitment" factor (or lack thereof) giving pause to any hiring studio that may see it (you) as an investment risk.

So in the end, get a job creating game content where you can and really try and give it a fair shake. Stay with a studio for no less than one title/production cycle (so you at least have something to show for your time & skills invested there).

Like anything in life, your "commitment" factor is just as important to a hiring studio as is your competencies and talents.

In conclusion, get in where you can, stay there and become a sponge by way of soaking up knowledge and experience, then consider venturing out. You'll ultimately be more armed & equipped with greater competitiveness, competencies and commitment prowess if you do! Making you a more attractive creative and new hire anywhere!

Dream Chasers v1.0

[Ed. Note] This article was written by Game Creator's Vault founder and video-game industry professional Mark Soderwall.

Mark Soderwall speaking at the University of California Irvine.

A fairly common question I get asked after lectures and presentations I give on game-design best practices is How to stay so passionate or positive in an industry that usually presents dream chasers more closed doors than open. Do I take Zoloft, or is my ignorance really  bliss?

Absolutely NOT!

My excitement and head-down resolve stem from not only my industry experiences working in both large AAA and small Indie studios, which helped me to better appreciate the reward of it all, but also in the understanding of how I can get paid in doing something I'd otherwise be creating in my own free time!

Like anything worth fighting for, getting into the game-dev industry is just that, a fight.

Game analysis: Portal

Vault fans, meet Greg Campbell. Greg’s been a fan and friend of ours for a long time, even when the Vault was just starting out. An acquaintance of his, Michael Schembari, asked him to do an analysis of “Portal” when looking at Greg for a possible position in the industry. Greg feels that some of the analyses like this on the internet aren’t quite up to par, so he decided to let us show you all in the hopes that his learning experience and knowledge will help you with yours!

If this helps you in any way, Greg would love to know. Email him at CampbellGregE@gmail.com

[Ed. Note] All words and pictures below this point are courtesy of Greg Campbell.

Game Review vs. Game Analysis: A game review determines whether a reviewer believes the game is worth your time or/and money.  A game analysis breaks down the mechanics and explains how they interact.

Why Portal?  The game is well-known, well-placed, has a small number of parts used in a variety of ways, and Portal is one of my favorite games due to its end song, Still Alive.  I could hear the reasoning for some design decisions due to the Developer Commentary mode.
Portal also has no notable bugs, meaning I didn’t need to include a section for buggy elements saying, “This is probably what the authors intended.”  (Portal does have glitches, but you have to really try to find them.)

What inspired you to use this format for your analysis?  I remembered old strategy guides that explained things in similar detail and in a similar format.  In short, what does creature/object/ability X do, how does it interact with other notable creatures/objects/abilities, and what special things should unaware players know?