Google has put together a response site for victims and family of those involved in the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. It can be accessed at http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html. There, you’ll find donation links for the Red Cross, message boards, warning center reports, shelter information, a person finder and live news feeds.
Thanks
Kevin
Not able to spend time browsing this week, here is the one lone site for Sunday Sites 74. At least we had caturday.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=natural-homophobes-evolutionary-psy-2011-03-09
Video game development is an intense task and demands the full attention, emotional investment, creativity and time of anyone involved in its process. It is with great regret that I announce that I will be going on indefinite hiatus from Studio C5’s platformertown project. With a full schedule of school, sports and college admissions work, I cannot fully commit myself to working on the project.
This is not to say that I did not enjoy my time on the project. Having contributed minorly to spriting in Tactile Cave, I learned much about the nuances of character creation, finding it to be a truly challenging pursuit demanding every creative faculty and every problem-solving skill available to the artist. When limited to 40x40 pixels, one is challenged to minimalisticaly maximize the personality and distinctness of a given character using every pixel available meaningfully. It’s tough work, but very meaningful and satisfying work.
I plan to return to future projects with Studio C5 in the future. Already I have multiple documents filled with ideas for games. (Many of which I find should be published to this blog) Until then, you will find in the following weeks a updated version of Tactile Cave. This subsequent version will add the fantastic CC-licensed music of of Ozzed as well as actual graphics.
I just completed Insomniac’s Resistance 2, while a fun game with interesting ideas for weapons and varied and challenging enemy design, its ending can be summed in one, beautiful picture.
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Shadow-Scholar/125329/ Chronicle of Higher Education, the Shadow Scholar, the guy who writes your student’s papers. A manifesto of sorts berating lazy students and the educational system. An interesting read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversy_over_the_usage_of_Manchester_Cathedral_in_Resistance:_Fall_of_Man Speaking of Resistance, the first game drew a bit of controversy over one if its levels. More appalling is how poorly the first game’s graphics have aged.
http://gamerfitnation.com/letter/#comment-2651 Interesting read, albeit, not the most original or compelling
http://www.indiegames.com/blog/2011/02/online_multiplayer_rpg_nestalg.html NEStalgia, the first interesting MMORPG
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110302/ap_on_re_us/us_supreme_court_funeral_protests The Supreme Court rules for the protection of hate speech. Intriguing. Doesn't make the WBC any less of total douches though.
http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/TheWorldEndsWithYou Proof that Japan, and Square Enix, is still relevant in Western Gaming, and that they still have much to work on
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2010-03-01-gameschools01_ST_N.htm USC ranked number 1 game development school. All of a sudden, I find myself considering going here.
http://gamasutra.com/view/news/33333/GDC_2011_Ubisofts_Rouse_On_Making_Games_Moral.php A lecture on Games and Morality at the GDC.
Hey readers,
The Game Developer’s Conference 2011 is underway and a lot of great new content is coming out and lectures by some of the industry’s most interesting people are being given. As usual, Gamasutra.com is giving excellent live coverage on the convention’s events.
Also, while on the topic of game development, Jonathan Blow’s Braid, the puzzle-platformer that received high praise for its innovative mechanics and artistic aspirations, is on sale for $2.99 until Thursday. Get it while it lasts.
Finally, you can help this site out in great ways by becoming a fan on Facebook.
Thanks,
Kevin
