Two new columns from the past two weeks.
The Cabinet of Vincent Diamante:
Nowadays, coin-ops still litter our bowling alleys, highway rest stops, and the occasional full-fledged arcade. But innovation is rare. Beyond the derivative racing and hunting games, retro cabinets dominate, like the ubiquitous Galaga/Ms. Pac-Man combo. But as a grad student at USC’s Interactive Media Division, Diamante took a chance on something new. He and his project partner, Shelby Wong, not only built an arcade game: they put a whole cabinet on wheels.
It was a pleasure to speak with Vincent after briefly meeting him at this year’s GDC. He is a mad genius renaissance man, game developer, composer, and writer. His principal web hub is here.
Back in the 90s, when we listened to folks like Naomi Klein and Bill Hicks, “advertising” was a dirty word. Not so today. For example, by and large, gamers don’t mind seeing ads in their games. When ads get in the way or slow your Wipeout HD load times, they raise hackles – but if they’re subtle or better yet, if they’re the reason for the entertainment, nobody will complain.
Not many folks got in a tizzy when Jason Rohrer, poster child for sensitive, independent game making, signed a contract to work with ad agency Tool of North America. After all, many indie games live on portals that depend on advertising and sponsorship. In fact, last June game blogger Rachael Webster had an idea: what if a hot new indie game on Kongregate was flanked by an ad game? Players would score two ad-supported interactive entertainments, sitting side by side.
So let’s run with this idea a little …
I took a chance on that second one, relying on conjecture and satire on the hopes that if the column flopped and people went, “Huh?”, there’s always next week to make up for it. That’s what I love about being weekly.
I poked light fun at ARGs in that second column, but upon rereading it, I really love the rabbit hole aspect of it: that you could devise a game that turns into an ARG that jumps to another brand, and on and on and on. Brandon Boyer pointed out that I based the article on an idea from Rachael Webster, and didn’t mention that she is also an ARG. See what I mean? Maybe my whole column is an ARG. The head spins.
In other news, while I’m not using this blog for much, I am considering posting a developer’s diary here. See, I’ve started trying to code a game, and I’m learning a hell of a lot in the process, so I thought I’d share. It may be presumptuous to start something like that before the game is done, and more importantly, before I have any idea if the game is any good. Actually, scratch that – I don’t expect this to be any good at all. I’m in the same boat as someone who decides to learn guitar and ends up being an amateur guitarist. I’m not looking to land a hit on the iPod – I just want to learn more about something I love.
So with all those caveats, maybe I’ll start writing about it, ’cause it has been a fascinating process. And I want to link to all the resources and folks that are helping me along the way. So watch this space.
This makes me want to go back and tinker with the IF game I started a while ago. I’ll post about it if you do!
Deal!
Scary scary thoughts, yet intriguing, and I want to see them realized! Reminds me of “Warhols sunglasses” where suposedly there were 5000 or so of them made, and they became a collectors item. Many nowadays seem to believe that none were made, and only fakes were distributed. Ah, such lovely postmodern irony/art/humor!
The actor who played you at GDC was very convincing. I hope he’s free to work for your ARG masters again soon, I’d love to see “you” at a Post Mortem some time.
please excuse my english, it is not the greatest…
Frogger is my favorite underhand, and I was by a hair’s breadth wondering if anyone here liked to have a good time frogger.
In action you pauperism a speck history on the play, know this:
The line of work of Frogger brings underwrite memories representing people in their forties. The game was such a outstanding it was rhythmical on an part of Seinfeld. Who could ignore George Costanza wheeling the Frogger across the drive vexing to put aside his high scheme, inspiring in and elsewhere of freight just like Frogger himself, exclusive to comprise the game smashed up by a Mac truck. Instant Frogger has become a favorite of people of all ages again thanks to the iPhone.
Developed by Konami Digital Entertainment, who are also known for games like Shushed Hill and Pro Progression Soccer, Frogger is a game produced in 1981 that diverse first started playing in the arcade and then in their homes. It has remained commonplace and you when one pleases come across Frogger games on several websites in every part of the internet smooth today.The Frogger iPhone app means you can instant fiddle with wherever you go.
The game was from the outset wealthy to be called “Highway Crossing Frog” but Sega didn’t deem like this repute upheld the description of the round and sure to change the appellation to Frogger. Now the entitle of this game has moderately much evolve into a household name. There is not multifarious people you bolt into that can honestly claim they have not in a million years heard of Frogger.
Frogger as an iPhone application is a expert idea and ostensibly a pretty in one. Frogger ranks as the army 8 most downloaded app in the iPhone app store. There attired in b be committed to been many reviewers who stated that the je sais quoi of the iPhone app was notable and gameplay compares to the original. While the graphics feel to be improved some reviewers pacify have all the hallmarks to crave the potentiality of being proficient to novelty the design filter to the 1980′s retro look of the unprecedented Frogger.
From the 1980′s until for the nonce, Frogger seems to get stood the analysis of interval in the video occupation spectacle industry. From the arcade to the playstation, and in this day from the computer to the iPhone who yet remembrances that a slight immature frog jumping in and out of traffic would still be universal a place of a century later. Contemporarily thanks to the Apple iPhone you can against this legendary arcade plan wherever you are and wherever you go.
Pore over a more in-depth assessment of the Frogger iPhone app here. Into more word on the a- iPhone apps or to infer from more reviews of iPhone apps affect AppCraver today. AppCraver is dedicated to iPhone apps, report, reviews and interviews with iPhone perseverance developers.