Quiet on the War Front (Project Update)

Still no news from the studio on the application I've sent, but no worries for me because I'm diligently studying finals.

As for the CG project, I was considering the potential individuals to reference for the models and came to a selection on one of the two.

To represent my favorite character in Atlas Shrugged, my choice was the actor/singer Jared Leto. I'll provide the book's description of Francisco D'Anconia and afterwards an image of Mr.Leto.

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Nobody described his appearance as Latin, yet the word applied to him, not in its present, but in its original sense, not pertaining to Spain, but to ancient Rome. His body seemed designed as an excercise in consistency of style, a style made of gauntness, of tight flesh, of long legs and swift movements. His features had the fine precision of a sculpture. His hair was black and straight, swept back. The suntan of his skin intensified the color of his eyes: they were a pure, clear blue. His face was open, its rapid changes of expression reflecting whatever he felt, as if he had nothing to hide. The blue eyes were still and changeless, never giving a hint of what he thought.

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Another reason why I chose Jared Leto was because his performance in the film Lord of War displays many of the mannerisms held by the character Francisco D'Anconia.

Now to search for an actress that resembles Atlas Shrugged's protaganist Miss Dagny Taggart.

Deuce Blog Work and Project Concept

Two blogs, two times the updates. Small update today because of how busy I am, college finals reside in the fifth circle of hell. Also an idea for a Maya project.

I called the Game Studio I had applied to once again and recieved word that he was going to email me soon. When I think of an email response to a resume I think failure, but even if I recieve the red stamp at least I'll recieve some good feedback.

Pretty soon I'll begin drafting up concept drawings and keyframes for my first Maya project. As my first project, I chose to go the simple route and recreate a scene from one of my favorite books, Atlas Shrugged. The scene will only last around three minutes and is set in a sparse hotel room with just two characters. The setup may be basic, but I still face alot of work.

A quick suggestion to everyone out there in internet land. Find a live feed of Grand Theft Auto IV and be dazzled as it exceeds every bit of hype it has recieved. Truly amazing.

-Ciao

Tools of the Trade

Today was the day I had called a developer studio for the first time, and I recieved the answering machine. After leaving a very shaky voice message in their voice box I have decided to call again later, this time with a bit more bollucks in my voice. Seriously, my voice, on that machine, probably wasn't the brightest idea. I was more nervous than I have ever been previously.

On to the brighter topic of this post. In preparation for a job in the game industry, I have decided to gain some valuable skills as a dev member. Being more creative than analytical, I have chosen character modeling and level design as my avenue. While in Barnes and Noble I picked up an introductory manual on Maya, and also a For Dummies C++ book. The next item on my list of items to own is Unreal Tournament III. Since the game comes with Unreal Engine 3, and the modding community is thriving.

In the following updates I'll post my progress in these endeavors, but it will be quite a while for my efforts bear results.

Ciao for now!

-Alexander

Planned Success leads to Success?

I'm going to place my trust in the above statement. For the last few months I have tirelessly researched the methods of gaining a job within the industry, and I have come to a few conclusions. (The list is not in order of importance because each of them are integral.)

1. It isn't the specific degree which counts, but the hard evidence of your efforts.

Developers are searching for candidates who have gone above and beyond their expected efforts. Simply because you have a degree in computer science doesn't give you a 100% application success rate. You have to show your sideline work in Videogame development. Your name on the credits of a burgeoning HL2 mod, or the play tester of an Indie game. It's all those little things that make the difference.

This also answers the question of attending a college in Game Design. I've grown wary of searching for that perfect game school which will mold me into a developer. They merely teach you the principles of good design philosophies, which can easily be gained without a tuition by analyzing your favorite titles. Of course these schools can give you test runs in Maya, C++, and other fundamentals, but these also can be accomplished on ones own time, with considerably less money lost.

I won't entirely discount these schools because some individuals need the focused curriculum to succeed. I could very well be one of these individuals. Though before reaching such a conclusion I will gain my English major.

2. Good communication skills are IMPORTANT!

Game design just like all creative industry requires incredible coordination and clear communication between team members. Before gaining a position in this complicated network, you will need the interpersonal skills to open the path. Networking is a huge part of the game and the most important tool for the greenhorn to gain a job, and for the established dev member to keep his/her job. This ties into my next point.

3. Push, push, push until success has arrived.

A few days ago I had submitted my resume and cover letter to a respective company. Most unknowingly sit back and wait for the doors to open to their success. Wake up from such illusions because you, personally, must open the door. On Wednesday I will call the developers up and ask them about my resume.

Worried that you'll appear pushy? Don't, because a pushy person will still be more memorable than the one with no presence at all. Just don't cross the line of being a car salesman. Developers are very busy people, and taking too much time from their schedule reveals that you're an inconsiderate nitwit.

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I have to face all of these issues if I ever hope to make it in the biz. On the first point, I have yet to participate in any game related endeavors. However, I have begun to search for mods to change this deficiency.

The second rule is evident in these blog posts. By posting here, I am growing stronger in expressing myself.

As for the final bit of advice, I have submitted to my first QA tester position. Sure I'm unexperienced, and frankly frightened about the undertaking, but I will still push forward. Tomorrow will be my first conversation with the Lead Tester of Black Lantern Studios. If I receive a no from them, I'll simply pick myself up and try again elsewhere.

The moral of the story being this, "Try your best to improve yourself, and everything else will come with time."

I'm going to link a collection of internet sources that have been useful to me. Many thanks to all the founders provided in the links below.

http://www.sloperama.com/advice.html
http://www.igda.org/breakingin/
http://gamecareerguide.com/

Good Luck to all those fellow game industry newbs fighting with me!

Will he be the Chosen One?!

Bravado aside, I completed my cover letter and resume for the QA position. For those invisible witnesses out there, I will soon post these documents for your entertainment. First I must uncover how to post these pieces of glory.

While posting I should pimp out two incredible indie games.

Noitu Love 2 is a love letter to the 16-bit games of yore, and damn if it isn't fine. Imagine if Gunstar Heroes was ratcheted up to volume 11. It feels strange admitting that my all time favorite side-scroller has just arrived, via an Indie Developer.



http://www.konjak.org/
Konjak is permanently my hero. Once I purchase the game you'll read a gameplay dissection here. (The website features a 2 level demo for any unbelievers.)

The second title to have stolen my gaming heart is an XNA title called Pizzicati. Relaxing and soothing, similar to fl0w. But wait until you reach level 18, which will leave you questioning your gaming masculinity. But, hey, at least the game makes cute symphony sounds. That helps your now tortured soul, right?


gcoope.googlepages.com/pizzicati_0_2_2.zip

A direct link to the madness.

Ciao y'all!
-Alexander

Midway unveils the newest Mortal Kombat and...

the least likely mash up in gaming history is revealed. For those who have not heard the news or the digital screams of Mortal Kombat fans, Midway has revealed that the latest title pits the Mortal Kombat roster against the DC universe. I'll let the teaser trailer speak for itself.



I can only surmise of three possibilites as to how this concept came about.

1. A MK and DC obsessed fan sent the Midway staff his badly written compendium of fanfics over this very subject and with these epics a blank check.

2. Midway is suffering from their weaker than expected 2007 fiscal year and needed a cash tie-in to survive.

3. Someone on staff really drafted this concept.

Regardless of which answer is correct, number two for me, the most important aspect of any title is gameplay. Midway is more than capable of producing a great game. Color me interested! I only wish the teaser gave us a better glimpse of dark knight versus snowman combat. How cute that they ended the trailer with, "Koming Soon".

Why, hello there wide internet world!

My name is Alex Wolken and my goal is to work in the industry that preoccupied my life from childhood till now. Videogames have become one of the veritable loves of my life, and my first taste of gaming occurred when I was four.

My older brother coming home one day brought in our first gaming system, the Atari 2600. As a kid I absolutely loved the wood paneled, ribbed top, and often utensils created washboard music on its liqurish surface. We bought a number of the classics such as pitfall, pacman, and even that cute little alien ET. Even at that tender age I recognized how terrible that game was, though the emotion wasn't specifically hate, but frustration that described my experiences. I never once made it past the first screen because that little bastard kept falling into holes, and my poor child's brain couldn't compute the actions needed for escape. I believe that this was the first title which made me consider the gameplay elements of a good software title. ET was also my first experience in game trading. Which is a funny story for another post.

This is where I end my first post and begin my blog and journey into the Game Industry. In my following post I'll tell you about my first steps in gaining a QA Tester position. I'll probably even post my resume and cover letter for your amusement. Ciao for now!