Well... that's nearly three months without a post. Blame GTA4... it's over now.
Lots of riding, but not too much notable... here's the raw tally:
Thursday, 7/31, GSX ODO 6261
To work and back.
Notable: Wanted to ride to The Long Way Down, but the BWE was along for the ride, and time was running short, and the return trip would have been in the dark... so decided not to push our luck.
Wednesday, 7/30, GSX ODO 6246
To work and back, then LCBD for building permits. Home Theater, here we come!
Tuesday, 7/29, GSX ODO 6205
To work, home for lunch, and back.
Monday, 7/28, GSX ODO 6169
To work and back.
Saturday, 7/26, GSX ODO 6155
To Target and back for Wolftrap supplies.
Friday, 7/25, GSX ODO 6141
To LCBD for building permits. No joy. Wait till next week....
Tuesday, 7/22, GSX ODO 6055
To work and back.
Notable: Light morning rain canceled plans for the 495/395 commute. Too bad, the afternoon was beautiful.
Monday, 7/21, GSX ODO 6040
To work and back.
Friday, 7/18, GSX ODO 6025
To gym, work, Target and home.
Thursday, 7/17, GSX ODO 5996
To work and back.
Wednesday, 7/16, GSX ODO 5982
To work and back.
Monday, 7/14, GSX ODO 5968
To gym and back.
Saturday, 7/12, GSX ODO 5938
Haircut, Sportsplex for soccer, and home.
Friday, 7/11, GSX ODO 5869
To gym, work, INOVA, Best Buy and home.
Thursday, 7/10, GSX ODO 5852
To Safeway and back.
Wednesday, 7/9, GSX ODO 5849
To work and back.
Tuesday, 7/8, GSX ODO 5834
To work and back.
Wednesday, 6/25, GSX ODO 5820
To work, CostCo, and Best Buy. Aloha!
Monday, 6/23, GSX ODO 5780
To work and back.
Notable: Home in the rain... again.
Sunday, 6/22, GSX ODO 5764
To Best Buy and back.
Notable: Best Buy fix. No particular reason.
Saturday, 6/21, GSX ODO 5737
To Eastern Mountain Sports for grand opening.
Notable: Bought lots of socks. And enjoyed a bit of rock-wall climbing.
Friday, 6/20, GSX ODO 5723
To gym and back. California Tortilla to pick up dinner.
Thursday, 6/19, GSX ODO 5691
To work and back.
Wednesday, 6/18, GSX ODO 5677
To gym and back.
Tuesday, 6/17, GSX ODO 5660
To work and back.
Sunday, 6/15, GSX ODO 5646
To Borders, the long way round.
Notable: An early morning ride to grab the latest Fast Bikes
Friday, 6/13, GSX ODO 5591
To gym, and Loudoun County Motorsports for a new tire, and back in the evening.
Notable: An auspicious day for riding. Uneventful, fortunately!
Wednesday, 6/4, GSX ODO 5547
To work and back.
Notable: Time for a new tire... why risk a blowout?
Tuesday, 6/3, GSX ODO 5533
To work and back.
Notable: Rear tire still holding... but for how long?
Monday, 6/2, GSX ODO 5519
To work and back.
Notable: Riding on a repaired rear tire... hmmm.
Friday, 5/30, GSX ODO 5504
To gym and back.
Notable: Rear tire nailed! 4" screw in my brand new MAXXIS tire.
Thursday, 5/29, GSX ODO 5485
To work and back.
Wednesday, 5/28, GSX ODO 5471
Evening ride to TLC and back.
Notable: Cat tails and slamming doors do not mix!
Monday, 5/26, GSX ODO 5447
Sears and HD in the early morning!
Sunday, 5/25, GSX ODO 5423
Best Buy and HD in the afternoon.
Saturday, 5/24, GSX ODO 5402
Gas and INOVA for times.
Friday, 5/23, GSX ODO 5377
To work, Dave's for GTA4, and home.
Thursday, 5/22, GSX ODO 5322
To work and back.
Notable: Rain: for the 15 minutes it took for me to ride home!
Wednesday, 5/21, GSX ODO 5307
To work and back, twice?
Monday, 5/19, GSX ODO 5279
To work and back.
Friday, 5/16, GSX ODO 5268
To work and back.
Thursday, 5/15, GSX ODO 5254
To work, the long way.
Tuesday, 5/13, GSX ODO 5234
To work and back.
Friday, 5/9, GSX ODO 5220
To work and back.
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Top 10 ...err... 11 Game Soundtracks
I picked up The Command & Conquer Collection the other day, in part, because I remember the soundtrack from Red Alert as one of the great soundtracks of all time; the driving rock/military combination of a few of the tracks perfectly set the mood for one of the great RTS experiences that kicked the genre into high gear.
It's been said over and over again that the aural experience is as important to games as the visual and gameplay experiences. I totally agree. Some of my favorite games also have some of my favorite soundtracks. Is it that great games are produced by teams that also recognize the value of producing great soundtracks, or is that great soundtracks make great games? Maybe both?
So, without further ado... my top 11 game soundtracks:
11: Halo
Hardcore Halo fans will probably hate me for only putting this at #10 (or 11), but for me, the music beyond the opening sequence isn't memorable enough to drive the rating for this one to the top. If the entire game had the impact of the score for opening sequence, it'd be #1.
10: Quake II
For the same reason I loved the Red Alert soundtrack, the Quake II audio tracks bring the FPS battle with the Strogg to life with angry guitars and a driving electronica beat. Ripping the CD and listening to the "Operation Overlord" track, I'm reminded of the Rage Against the Machine's "Wake Up" from The Matrix soundtrack.
9: Lemmings
The music technology of the era wasn't quite up to CD standards, and not all the pieces were original, but they brought the lemmings' personalities to life -- and gave the game a personality. This one is a classic with a per-level score that is pure Lemmings, and earns it a place at #9.
8: Project Gotham Racing
Aside from being the place where I first saw the Mini Cooper (and many other cars I never knew existed), this is where I was introduced to the Chemical Brothers' Galaxy Bounce, and the Doves Catch the Sun; two of a slew of songs that set the tone (no pun intended) for this awesome title for the Xbox.
7: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
I remember a summer day, driving through Miami in my Ferrari, switching radio stations and listening to classic hits from the 80s from Roxy Music, Foreigner, Judas Priest, Cutting Crew, Toto, Jan Hammer, Mr. Mister, and many more. Miami and the Ferrari were simulated by my laptop, but the summer weather was real, and the songs were so perfectly matched to the experience that it was like stepping back in time.
6: Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
LucasArts does it again in 2001! Best use of scripted music sequences in a game. The implementation of the soundtrack plays like a movie, with the interactivity of a game. Some of the "ah ha!" sequences are simply breathtaking. With John Williams' inspired orchestration from the Indiana Jones movies as the starting point, this one was already well on the path to success, and the implementation resulted in one of the first truly successful "realtime movies."
5: Warcraft II
Just say "Warcraft II" to any fan, and it's either the awesome voices ("Ready to work!" or "Zug zug!") or the music that will immediately come to mind. Warcraft II would have been a great game with no music at all - but with this soundtrack, it is one of the best ever.
4: Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Taking the gameplay born in Dune II to the next level, Westwood put together Command & Conquer: Red Alert. And, once again the score completed the game. Check out CnC Series, Hell March at the bottom of http://www.frankklepacki.com/ as a great example. One of my favorite moments during the game awards ceremony at the Computer Game Developers Conference in 1996 was watching the gameplay footage from Red Alert - the gameplay, the visuals, and the soundtrack!
3: Jedi Knight
Although the soundtrack owes much to the movies, it's the way the pieces are integrated with the game that really resonates perfectly with this title. Each track is perfectly selected to match -- or set? -- the mood of the environment. In 1977 (or shortly thereafter) I dreamed of being able to play a computer game that captured the feel of the movie - Jedi Knight succeeded spectacularly, in large part, because the music completed the experience. Released in 1997, this is another game I'd call a "realtime movie" -- you're in control every step of the way, but it feels like you're watching...err...playing a movie. But, is it any surprise, given their heretage, that LucasArts Entertainment would be one of the first companies to successfully repeat this gameplay experience?
2: Unreal
In my original 9/12 post, I left Unreal off the list. Driving home last night, one of the Unreal tracks on my iPod played, reminding me that I'd missed one of the most important games on my list. This is a game that is perfectly three parts - visual experience (best environments and characters of it's time, gameplay experience (FPS all the way, with great mix of story, combat and exploration), and aural experience: full 3D sound effects to create a truly immersive environment -- and a music soundtrack that was second to only one.
1: Outlaws
And, yet another from the LucasArts folks - a FPS western / sleeper hit released in 1997. I ignored the reviews, and passed it by on store shelves, but was fortunate to eventually pick it up for free as part of a bundle included in a SoundBlaster Audigy(?) sample the Creative Labs guys sent us. I loved the story, the gameplay, and the levels - and even came to appreciate the art style - but the thing that totally nailed the game for me was the spectacular The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly-inspired soundtrack by Clint Bajakian. I loved it so much that after playing the game for several weeks I headed to Best Buy to pick up a boxed copy of the game. Brilliant!
So, there you have it.... what's your Top 10 ...err... 11 List?
It's been said over and over again that the aural experience is as important to games as the visual and gameplay experiences. I totally agree. Some of my favorite games also have some of my favorite soundtracks. Is it that great games are produced by teams that also recognize the value of producing great soundtracks, or is that great soundtracks make great games? Maybe both?
So, without further ado... my top 11 game soundtracks:
11: Halo
Hardcore Halo fans will probably hate me for only putting this at #10 (or 11), but for me, the music beyond the opening sequence isn't memorable enough to drive the rating for this one to the top. If the entire game had the impact of the score for opening sequence, it'd be #1.
10: Quake II
For the same reason I loved the Red Alert soundtrack, the Quake II audio tracks bring the FPS battle with the Strogg to life with angry guitars and a driving electronica beat. Ripping the CD and listening to the "Operation Overlord" track, I'm reminded of the Rage Against the Machine's "Wake Up" from The Matrix soundtrack.
9: Lemmings
The music technology of the era wasn't quite up to CD standards, and not all the pieces were original, but they brought the lemmings' personalities to life -- and gave the game a personality. This one is a classic with a per-level score that is pure Lemmings, and earns it a place at #9.
8: Project Gotham Racing
Aside from being the place where I first saw the Mini Cooper (and many other cars I never knew existed), this is where I was introduced to the Chemical Brothers' Galaxy Bounce, and the Doves Catch the Sun; two of a slew of songs that set the tone (no pun intended) for this awesome title for the Xbox.
7: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
I remember a summer day, driving through Miami in my Ferrari, switching radio stations and listening to classic hits from the 80s from Roxy Music, Foreigner, Judas Priest, Cutting Crew, Toto, Jan Hammer, Mr. Mister, and many more. Miami and the Ferrari were simulated by my laptop, but the summer weather was real, and the songs were so perfectly matched to the experience that it was like stepping back in time.
6: Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine
LucasArts does it again in 2001! Best use of scripted music sequences in a game. The implementation of the soundtrack plays like a movie, with the interactivity of a game. Some of the "ah ha!" sequences are simply breathtaking. With John Williams' inspired orchestration from the Indiana Jones movies as the starting point, this one was already well on the path to success, and the implementation resulted in one of the first truly successful "realtime movies."
5: Warcraft II
Just say "Warcraft II" to any fan, and it's either the awesome voices ("Ready to work!" or "Zug zug!") or the music that will immediately come to mind. Warcraft II would have been a great game with no music at all - but with this soundtrack, it is one of the best ever.
4: Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Taking the gameplay born in Dune II to the next level, Westwood put together Command & Conquer: Red Alert. And, once again the score completed the game. Check out CnC Series, Hell March at the bottom of http://www.frankklepacki.com/ as a great example. One of my favorite moments during the game awards ceremony at the Computer Game Developers Conference in 1996 was watching the gameplay footage from Red Alert - the gameplay, the visuals, and the soundtrack!
3: Jedi Knight
Although the soundtrack owes much to the movies, it's the way the pieces are integrated with the game that really resonates perfectly with this title. Each track is perfectly selected to match -- or set? -- the mood of the environment. In 1977 (or shortly thereafter) I dreamed of being able to play a computer game that captured the feel of the movie - Jedi Knight succeeded spectacularly, in large part, because the music completed the experience. Released in 1997, this is another game I'd call a "realtime movie" -- you're in control every step of the way, but it feels like you're watching...err...playing a movie. But, is it any surprise, given their heretage, that LucasArts Entertainment would be one of the first companies to successfully repeat this gameplay experience?
2: Unreal
In my original 9/12 post, I left Unreal off the list. Driving home last night, one of the Unreal tracks on my iPod played, reminding me that I'd missed one of the most important games on my list. This is a game that is perfectly three parts - visual experience (best environments and characters of it's time, gameplay experience (FPS all the way, with great mix of story, combat and exploration), and aural experience: full 3D sound effects to create a truly immersive environment -- and a music soundtrack that was second to only one.
1: Outlaws
And, yet another from the LucasArts folks - a FPS western / sleeper hit released in 1997. I ignored the reviews, and passed it by on store shelves, but was fortunate to eventually pick it up for free as part of a bundle included in a SoundBlaster Audigy(?) sample the Creative Labs guys sent us. I loved the story, the gameplay, and the levels - and even came to appreciate the art style - but the thing that totally nailed the game for me was the spectacular The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly-inspired soundtrack by Clint Bajakian. I loved it so much that after playing the game for several weeks I headed to Best Buy to pick up a boxed copy of the game. Brilliant!
So, there you have it.... what's your Top 10 ...err... 11 List?
Monday, May 08, 2006
Game Design
Singing geese and ducks, dancing bears, Mt. Fuji, the pill-head king and queen, and the royal rainbow... it can only be, you guessed it! Katamari Damaci!
Years ago, I read a Wired article by William Gibson talking about Japanese culture, their use of text messaging on cell phones as a part of everyday life (this was back in 2001, mind you), and their mainstream adoption of, lets say, "alternative lifestyles." It was one of those points where I felt my mind warping, as my sense of “normal” was stretched. Or, another way of looking at it, I had the sense (prior to having heard the phrase): “The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” While reading, I had the sense that Japan, and Tokyo in particular, contained an unusually dense concentration of the future.
The first point I felt the cultural immersion epiphany was while watching a Japanese Anime video titled, very roughly, "People of the Forest." Although I understood only a word or two, this helped emphasize the sheer bizarreness of the multiple clans of good/bad guys, mystic/invisible forest ghost/people, and the epic storytelling that could only have come from Japan.
Katamari Damaci, a game for the PS2, should yield a similar feeling for anyone who experiences it. From the music that could have been hummed late one night by one of the developers, to the Beatles / Montey Python-esque animation, to the sheer insanity of the game's high-concept (rolling a ball to pick up objects until the ball becomes of sufficiently large size) this is a game that could only have come from Japan.
In the April 17, 2006 Forbes, Digital Rules article, Rich Karlgaard states: "The ideal society would be an 'ecology of creation,' giving each person his best shot at finding his talents and making a living from them. It just so happens the U.S. does this better than any other society ever has before."
Although I'm in agreement with the spirit of his statement, and in broad ways it may be generally true, in terms of creative endeavors involving technology, I'd suggest that Japanese society has the lead.
If I were to point at commercialization of products like the Sony Walkman, VCRs, DVD players, or cell-phones, naysayers would merely point out that the Japanese are very good at actualizing other's ideas; that is, taking existing concepts and iteratively refining them in the form of consumer products.
There's a tangent available here about the nature of the creative process, and a variety of questions regarding what differentiates truly creative ideas from derivative works.
But, the point is this: through a combination of Japanese culture or language, or both, Japanese designers are able to look at the world in unique ways. This is especially evident in the console game market, where many Japanese games never could have seen the light of day if their designers attempted to produce them within U.S. companies. They’re simply too bizarre, too nonsensical… they break the mold, and do things no one had imagined before.
You could use this as evidence against U.S. game companies, arguing that they’re too obsessed with financial gain to allow true art to flourish. But, there are alternative venues within the U.S. for truly creative designers. So, I would have to argue that it must be something else.
When it comes to games, Japanese designers are willing to do things that are bizarre, and seem nonsensical. But, they recognize that games aren’t necessarily supposed to be real – they’re supposed to be fun. Whereas many U.S. game designers will sacrifice fun for the sake of realism, many Japanese game designers (and their publishers) will gladly sacrifice realism for the sake of fun.
And when that happens, we get games like Gran Turismo 4, Mario 64, the Zelda and Final Fantasy series, Pokemon Puzzle League… and Katamari Damaci.
Years ago, I read a Wired article by William Gibson talking about Japanese culture, their use of text messaging on cell phones as a part of everyday life (this was back in 2001, mind you), and their mainstream adoption of, lets say, "alternative lifestyles." It was one of those points where I felt my mind warping, as my sense of “normal” was stretched. Or, another way of looking at it, I had the sense (prior to having heard the phrase): “The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” While reading, I had the sense that Japan, and Tokyo in particular, contained an unusually dense concentration of the future.
The first point I felt the cultural immersion epiphany was while watching a Japanese Anime video titled, very roughly, "People of the Forest." Although I understood only a word or two, this helped emphasize the sheer bizarreness of the multiple clans of good/bad guys, mystic/invisible forest ghost/people, and the epic storytelling that could only have come from Japan.
Katamari Damaci, a game for the PS2, should yield a similar feeling for anyone who experiences it. From the music that could have been hummed late one night by one of the developers, to the Beatles / Montey Python-esque animation, to the sheer insanity of the game's high-concept (rolling a ball to pick up objects until the ball becomes of sufficiently large size) this is a game that could only have come from Japan.
In the April 17, 2006 Forbes, Digital Rules article, Rich Karlgaard states: "The ideal society would be an 'ecology of creation,' giving each person his best shot at finding his talents and making a living from them. It just so happens the U.S. does this better than any other society ever has before."
Although I'm in agreement with the spirit of his statement, and in broad ways it may be generally true, in terms of creative endeavors involving technology, I'd suggest that Japanese society has the lead.
If I were to point at commercialization of products like the Sony Walkman, VCRs, DVD players, or cell-phones, naysayers would merely point out that the Japanese are very good at actualizing other's ideas; that is, taking existing concepts and iteratively refining them in the form of consumer products.
There's a tangent available here about the nature of the creative process, and a variety of questions regarding what differentiates truly creative ideas from derivative works.
But, the point is this: through a combination of Japanese culture or language, or both, Japanese designers are able to look at the world in unique ways. This is especially evident in the console game market, where many Japanese games never could have seen the light of day if their designers attempted to produce them within U.S. companies. They’re simply too bizarre, too nonsensical… they break the mold, and do things no one had imagined before.
You could use this as evidence against U.S. game companies, arguing that they’re too obsessed with financial gain to allow true art to flourish. But, there are alternative venues within the U.S. for truly creative designers. So, I would have to argue that it must be something else.
When it comes to games, Japanese designers are willing to do things that are bizarre, and seem nonsensical. But, they recognize that games aren’t necessarily supposed to be real – they’re supposed to be fun. Whereas many U.S. game designers will sacrifice fun for the sake of realism, many Japanese game designers (and their publishers) will gladly sacrifice realism for the sake of fun.
And when that happens, we get games like Gran Turismo 4, Mario 64, the Zelda and Final Fantasy series, Pokemon Puzzle League… and Katamari Damaci.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
credits (continued)
A perfect case in point “Two Historians Suing 'Da Vinci' Writer Over Disputed Material.” Now, the obvious reason these guys (and their lawyers) are suing is money: Dan made a bunch of money off his book, and Columbia and Dan are gonna make a lot more money off their movie. If the historians have a pseudo-legitimate claim to the ideas in Dan’s book, why not take a shot at cashing in! (Yes, I’m being intentionally cynical.)
But being less cynical, and coming back to the topic at hand, the real issue may be credit. Authors are notorious for their desire for credit for their work. I suspect that most authors would rather take credit and the prestige associated with it than money, if forced to choose; in some cases, even if it meant starving. And because their work is “their baby” there is no higher crime than stealing their baby. That is: hell hath no fury like an author whose credit has been stolen....
So, although money is the obvious reason for the suit, the real motivation may be that the suit (for the authors) is all about the credit for their work that they feel has been stolen, and is now profiting Dan Brown tremendously. Yes, monetarily, but more importantly, in the commodity that they value most highly: credit for their work.
Just a theory....
But being less cynical, and coming back to the topic at hand, the real issue may be credit. Authors are notorious for their desire for credit for their work. I suspect that most authors would rather take credit and the prestige associated with it than money, if forced to choose; in some cases, even if it meant starving. And because their work is “their baby” there is no higher crime than stealing their baby. That is: hell hath no fury like an author whose credit has been stolen....
So, although money is the obvious reason for the suit, the real motivation may be that the suit (for the authors) is all about the credit for their work that they feel has been stolen, and is now profiting Dan Brown tremendously. Yes, monetarily, but more importantly, in the commodity that they value most highly: credit for their work.
Just a theory....
Friday, February 24, 2006
blogs and credits
Reading Sree’s blog got me thinking about credits at about the same time that I succumbed (succame?) to the urge to begin blogging.
In my former life, I was a PC game developer... according to Moby Games, I helped create about 19 PC games (not including CD-ROM versions of early 3.5” releases, compilations, and an Xbox port). Among the experiences associated with building these games were the activities of defining credits, and communicating with the gamer community.
Some folks at Legend looked at credits as a necessary evil. I, for the most part, always enjoyed them as an opportunity to celebrate all the cool elements of the work we were doing, and all of the ways in which people on the team contributed.
After a working with a brilliant group of developers on an advanced research project in 1988, I decided that my career goal would be to work with a group of incredibly talented developers, who each was expert in a domain that went far beyond my own knowledge, to accomplish something beyond what any of us could accomplish alone. For me, the pinnacle of that effort was Unreal II.
Aaron Leiby and a few cohorts went absolutely crazy with the implementation of the credits – they’re awesome, and are fun to watch just to see “what’s next.” [editors note - both interpretations apply] In terms of the content, I think it’s fair to say that the credits for Unreal II were more extensive than for any other game in Legend’s history. Extensive, in spite of the fact that were also in the most terse form in Legend’s history.
The down side of credits, a pattern that I witnessed from some of our very first games, is that giving credit to some, implicitly takes credit away form others (i.e., shared credit). In my opinion, a warped way of looking at it… but without going into the gory details, suffice it to say that that is the way that some people at some points in time have seen it.
So, I have mixed emotions about credits. I love the celebration of a job well done, and the teamwork that it took to complete a project that is both a technical and artistic masterpiece. But, I hate the infighting and negativity that is sometimes associated with the desire to hold onto credit, or withhold credit from others.
I have a similar reaction to blogs. I love the opportunity for information sharing, the arbitrary links to esoteric topics, and the insights into the author’s worldview. But, I am extremely wary of the effect the limelight has on egos.
The observation that “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely” must have a counterpart for blogs; something related to the idea that “the larger the audience, the greater the self control required to keep one’s ego in check.”
As I mentioned, we maintained .plan files at Legend. On more than one occasion, going public with information that should have been kept private caused major explosions, both within our own teams, and in the companies associated with Legend. I am pleased to say that through the efforts of a variety of people, the periodic explosions were ultimately sufficiently contained that our company / studio and our products survived. But the containment efforts consumed a lot of energy.
Blogs also consume time. During certain projects whose names will go unmentioned (and un-hyperlinked), I’ve been frustrated to no end by the level of effort lavished on the community, while the team was starved of similar attention. It’s a challenge to say something meaningful, and it’s an even bigger challenge to write or create something meaningful, quickly!
So, I’ll close today’s update with a quote that I think offers food for thought for bloggers (including myself):
“It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims.” – Aristotle
In my former life, I was a PC game developer... according to Moby Games, I helped create about 19 PC games (not including CD-ROM versions of early 3.5” releases, compilations, and an Xbox port). Among the experiences associated with building these games were the activities of defining credits, and communicating with the gamer community.
Some folks at Legend looked at credits as a necessary evil. I, for the most part, always enjoyed them as an opportunity to celebrate all the cool elements of the work we were doing, and all of the ways in which people on the team contributed.
After a working with a brilliant group of developers on an advanced research project in 1988, I decided that my career goal would be to work with a group of incredibly talented developers, who each was expert in a domain that went far beyond my own knowledge, to accomplish something beyond what any of us could accomplish alone. For me, the pinnacle of that effort was Unreal II.
Aaron Leiby and a few cohorts went absolutely crazy with the implementation of the credits – they’re awesome, and are fun to watch just to see “what’s next.” [editors note - both interpretations apply] In terms of the content, I think it’s fair to say that the credits for Unreal II were more extensive than for any other game in Legend’s history. Extensive, in spite of the fact that were also in the most terse form in Legend’s history.
The down side of credits, a pattern that I witnessed from some of our very first games, is that giving credit to some, implicitly takes credit away form others (i.e., shared credit). In my opinion, a warped way of looking at it… but without going into the gory details, suffice it to say that that is the way that some people at some points in time have seen it.
So, I have mixed emotions about credits. I love the celebration of a job well done, and the teamwork that it took to complete a project that is both a technical and artistic masterpiece. But, I hate the infighting and negativity that is sometimes associated with the desire to hold onto credit, or withhold credit from others.
I have a similar reaction to blogs. I love the opportunity for information sharing, the arbitrary links to esoteric topics, and the insights into the author’s worldview. But, I am extremely wary of the effect the limelight has on egos.
The observation that “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely” must have a counterpart for blogs; something related to the idea that “the larger the audience, the greater the self control required to keep one’s ego in check.”
As I mentioned, we maintained .plan files at Legend. On more than one occasion, going public with information that should have been kept private caused major explosions, both within our own teams, and in the companies associated with Legend. I am pleased to say that through the efforts of a variety of people, the periodic explosions were ultimately sufficiently contained that our company / studio and our products survived. But the containment efforts consumed a lot of energy.
Blogs also consume time. During certain projects whose names will go unmentioned (and un-hyperlinked), I’ve been frustrated to no end by the level of effort lavished on the community, while the team was starved of similar attention. It’s a challenge to say something meaningful, and it’s an even bigger challenge to write or create something meaningful, quickly!
So, I’ll close today’s update with a quote that I think offers food for thought for bloggers (including myself):
“It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims.” – Aristotle
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