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26/6/2018

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

This weeks blog is a quick one where I want to find out if you all would like to see more Game Dev related content on my Youtube channel. While I'll continue to post the blog every week and will have various game dev tutorial series through the blog, there are some topics and tutorials that I think would be better suited to a video tutorial.

So, for now, I want to get an idea of interest in this. If you think me producing more content on my Youtube channel is something you might be interested in, let me know using the poll below.

Until next time!

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My Most Anticipated Games From E3 2018

19/6/2018

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Hey there, Gamers and game Makers!

Another E3 has come and gone and this year was a stand out for me as there were so many great games announced. I decided I wanted to break down my most anticipated games from E3 and talk a bit about what I hope to see from them. So, let's jump right in!

#1 Fallout 76

It's no secret that i am a huge Fallout fan and a big fan of how Bethesda craft their open world games. I've been largely a fan of Bethesda games because of how they focus on the single player experience. So, hearing that Fallout 76 is going to lean towards a multiplayer experience had me a little skeptical at first.

My main fear being that it would no longer allow e to be the loan wanderer as has been the case in the past and perhaps now force me to play with groups of others when I may not want to. However, that does not seem to be the case. While you will be online, you have the option to just go and do your own thing. To explore the vast open world of West Virginia, discovering the mysteries of what has happened and fight all kinds of new creatures.

With all that said, Fallout 76 is still clearly not a traditional Fallout game like we're used to. I don't think that's a bad thing. The studio want to try out new things but are still striving to maintain what people love about the games they make. While Fallout 76 may be a shift in a new direction for the series, It's one I'm very excited to play in and that's why Fallout 76 is my most anticipated game from E3 2018.

#2 The Last of Us Part II

The Last of Us is still one of my favorite narrative games of all time. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited to see more of The Last of Us Part II at E3 this year. We know the game picks up a not long after the events of the first game. While not much is known right now about the story, one thing we can be sure of is the characters have grown since the events of the first game. We also see the world is still a very unforgiving place with humans arguably a larger threat than the infected.

The trailer and then the gameplay we've seen at E3 both show that this game ups the intensity and struggle for survival to a whole new level. I was full of adrenaline from simply watching. As always, Naughty Dog seem to be doing what they do best when it comes to developing a rich world with real, believable characters that don't just feel like a game mechanic but more like a breath of life to the games world. I'm very excited to get my hands on The last of Us Part II.

#3 Cyberpunk 2077

This is one folks have been waiting a long time to get a look at. While the E3 trailer was a CG trailer and not one showing gameplay, the trailer does set the tone of the game and is a good indication that CD Projekt Red are at a point where they're confident to start showing the game behind closed doors to industry folks. It's a game I'm very excited to see in depth.

#4 The Elder Scrolls VI

While we know nothing about The Elder Scrolls VI, I still wasn't really expecting there to be an announcement at E3 for the game. While the announce trailer for The Elder Scrolls VI is pretty much just a logo reveal, it does a few things. Much like the Cyberpunk trailer, it sets a tone for the game. It also lets us know that while there's still a lot of development left on the game, we know it's coming. We know the team have established the location of this game and have a clear vision going forward.

#5 Hitman 2

I've loved the Hitman games for many years and while some have been hit and miss, the core of the game has always appealed to me. I love being placed in a world that gives me almost unlimited ways of going about my objective in rich detailed worlds. The last Hitman game did a wonderful job of redefining the games experience and I am very excited to see more of the new game.

Until next time!

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Opinion: Paying Speakers

7/6/2018

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Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

In this week's blog, I'm going to be talking a bit about my thoughts on something that has been cropping up a bit more as of late and that's the issue of should game developers be paid for speaking at events.

Now, this is not exactly that much of a black and white situation. It really depends a lot on the type of event and the topic as well as the speakers experience. For the majority of the time, I feel the speaker should be paid. For example, if you are running a for profit event and you reach out to a game developer asking them to speak at your event then yes you should be paying them. You are charging people money to come see said developer or a number of developers, so as they are part of the reason why people are attending then they should be paid accordingly.

There are exceptions to this however. For example, if you a running an event that is purely for charity, then I personally have no issue with speakers not being paid if the money is instead going to a good cause. Depending on the event, they may still cover your cost of travel but again, if it's for charity, I wouldn't mind covering my own travel.

The issue of assuming you don't pay speakers is something that has existed for quite some time here in Ireland. While I have spoken at events that paid their speakers and covered travel costs, for the most part speakers do not get paid. I've had a number of for profit events reach out to me asking me to speak for an hour or more with no intention of payment or of even covering the cost of travel across the country. Ireland may be a small place but trains still cost money and game developers still need to eat lunch last time I checked. I've heard plenty of times that the exposure is why you should do it for free and here's the thing, exposure is all well and good but if you're running a for profit event and you ask me to speak at it for over an hour with no intention of paying me then as far as I'm concerned, you don't value my time or the time of anyone else you ask to speak for free.

It's one thing if I see an event that I think is really cool and I reach out asking if they would be interested in having me speak at it. In that case I'm the one basically inviting myself to it so I'm ok with not being paid for it. At the end of the day, these for profit events are asking you to come in the hopes they ave enough content to sell more tickets. Making games is not easy and putting together a presentation that is both entertaining and informative to an audience is also not easy. It's important that you value your time because if you don't then none of this will change. We've seen the trend where it's expected of indie devs to release their games for free or practically nothing which has already had such a negative impact on the industry. Lets not see that happen with speaking events too. Ireland has a lot of problems with its game scene and a long way to go in terms of making it something more but for now if we can start by valuing our skills and our time to share those skills and experience, we might be able to start improving the industry here.

until next time.

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What I've Been Playing #5

7/6/2018

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Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

This week, I'm going to talk a little bit about what I've been playing lately and that has mostly been God of War.

When I started God of War, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect given that the game is going in a new direction. It didn't take long for the game to win me over. In fact the first introduction to the combat left me with a real sense of satisfaction. Being able to throw your axe and summon it back. A simple game mechanic that just feels so good and even makes you feel that bit more powerful.

The combat can be quite difficult at times but not in the sense of just being overpowered for the sake of making things difficult for you but more so you lost a battle because you weren't prepared for it. You need to pay attention to the armor you wear as well as your weapon upgrades. The first time I went up against one of the Valkyrie, I was killed in less than a minute. Simply because I thought I could go in brute force and defeat her that way. I had to carefully choose my armor and enchantments before facing her again and even with me at my best, it was a long difficult battle.

The games open world at first felt small to me but the game is much larger than it appears at first with a great many locations and quests hidden throughout the world. The attention to detail in the world building and lore to support it is particularly great. It's well worth your while exploring the world at a slower pace rather than rushing through the story as you'll pick up on much more of the games lore but you'll also find more upgrades to better aid you on the main story.

For me, what truly makes the new God of War great is its story telling and character development. The relationship we see build throughout the game between Kratos and Atreus is one of the best I've seen since the Last of Us with Joel and Ellie. There were moments when I both loved and hated what I saw in Atreus and times when I felt for Kratos. A God who for most of his existence has been defined by his rage now has to face the death of his wife, raising his son and trying to find a better way. One that breaks the cycle of violence and vengeance. Not so he can be a better God but, so he can be a better father.

While I have finished the main story of the game which I found to be a wonderful experience, I'm far from finished with the game. There are more quests and many more secrets to uncover and I intend to find as many as i can.

Until next time!

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Youtube Content

YouTube Content Poll

My Most Anticipated Games From E3 2018

#1 Fallout 76

#2 The Last of Us Part II

#3 Cyberpunk 2077

#4 The Elder Scrolls VI

#5 Hitman 2

Opinion: Paying Speakers

What I've Been Playing #5

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Youtube Content

YouTube Content Poll

My Most Anticipated Games From E3 2018

#1 Fallout 76

​#2 The Last of Us Part II

#3 ​Cyberpunk 2077

#4 The Elder Scrolls VI

#5 Hitman 2

Opinion: Paying Speakers

What I've Been Playing #5

Archives

Categories

#2 The Last of Us Part II

#3 Cyberpunk 2077