Digital Cold War

I have recently started a blog dedicated to Gurra Arcade so most of the blogs about the game and engine development will now take place there. In this blog I will now continue talking about social medias and things I pick up that may be relevant.

I am going to start a little series of posts that show the different sides of the Digital Cold War that is raging right now. At present there seems to be a lull in hostilities but that may just be the calm before the storm. During the spring and summer of this year you had to be hard pressed  not to notice it. I am ofcourse talking about The Google/Adobe/Microsoft/Apple/Nokia/Sonyericsson antagonisms which I have dubbed The Digital Cold War. It all started back in April when Steve Jobs in an open letter explained why iPhone and subsequently the iPad would not support flash. Maybe it wasn´t so much the technical aspects that were addressed in the letter as much as its tone. There are merits to Mr Jobs viewpoint but it rubbed alot of people the wrong way and sparked an argument that seems to have been brewing just beneath surface.

Because this was deemed an attack on Adobe by Apple the allegiances of both companies came to light and showed  other underlying tensions. Some tensions were not as expected as others. In this series I will try to be as impartial as I can and when I can´t I will be as obvious as possible. In my upcoming posts I will be introducing the main players in this drama, one at a time, and we will start with Google.

Speaks for the first time, A game story.

The first big update hits Pirates of the Asteroids in a few hours. A lot of changes. Added game mechanics, visuals graphics but most importantly sound.Throughout history music and sound have been an integral part of telling a story, be it around the fire or on stage. Even in the early age of cinema there was a guy playing piano who helped set the mood. In a game sound and music also has another important aspect. Feedback.

When it comes to the art of games feedback is essential. Sound cues tell you immediately what effect an action has. Getting hit = sound cue, picking up a health pack = sound cue, dying, well you get the picture. It is also has to set the mood. The melancholic of a loss of a fallen comrade, the stress of a boss fight. To get everything balanced is a difficult thing. You have to feel that its right. On its own a sound may seem appropriate but in one particular level the music may give false or disruptive feedback. Not good. Hopefully as we journey together through the development of this game you will get an understanding that there are many variables to consider. Of course you already knew this. But it feels nice show the work behind the curtain. The picture above is the first start screen. See what it looks like now.

Must fall to learn how to get back up... A game story

If you don´t fall you never learn how to get back up. If someone always helps back up you never learn confidence and tend to give up quickly in all matters. This is how it is in gaming today. Helping hands everywhere. Walkthroughs, strategy guides, youtube clips, forums, wikis. And if that was´nt enough the games are generally so simple that any frustration you may feel is aimed at the price and lack of longevity or a particularly difficult section that is so out of place you feel stumped. Try Gradius and tell me todays games are generally challenging.

Yes I know i am older an a bit grumpy but it does irritate me that games have to help me the whole way through. Can´t i just be allowed to find things out for my self. Most games have a difficulty setting but this often means more bad guys at a quicker pace. Gradius did that in 1985.

The game we are making has be noted as being extremely difficult. As it stands now this is due to lack of many important game mechanics. But the game will be very challenging and not for the faint of heart. We will give you the tools to complete the game but the journey is yours to make.