For Ports and Remakes! (Part 1)
For Ports and Remakes! (Part 1) A little trip down memory lane…Imagine this. You’re emptying out your basement and come across a dusty carton pushed into a corner. You open it for a cursory look, ready to put it outside with the rest of your yard sale relics… and stop. Inside, under a one-eyed Beanie Baby; beaten up Hot Wheels with missing wheels; chewed-up green army figures; and a stray cobweb or two; are dusty, long-forgotten cartridges and game sleeves. You pull them out, reading the titles. Donkey Kong, Super Mario, Ocarina of Time… It’s a mini gold mine. You find…
by Areej Babur
What Is Augmented Reality (AR)?
What Is Augmented Reality (AR)? Augmented Reality (AR) – What is AR…? Hmmm? AR is otherwise known as Augmented Reality, also known as ‘That Pokemon GO one?’ AR took the world by storm when Pokemon GO was released. Everyone’s mind was blown when they saw their favorite Pokemon in front of them and were given the chance to truly catch ’em all! But before we dive straight into the whole AR deal first we need to define what AR is – what does it mean and why is it important? AR (Augmented Reality) enhances the real-world environments, objects and situations with…
by Areej Babur
4 Critical Things Studios Should Know About Crafting Card Art
4 Critical Things Studios Should Know About Crafting Card Art Jump to: Intro The theme needs to be beautiful and special. The Sheer Amount of Art Will Stagger You Your Artists Need to Know What They’re Creating Where does the player look when it’s not their turn? Fin Intro Before I lay my cards on the table, I’m going to clear up some terminology. Exciting, right?? Everyone else thought so. A CCG is a Collectible Card Game, which is different from a Living Card Game which is itself different from a Deck Builder. Without getting too deep into it, the latter two have no element of purchasing or earning…
by Areej Babur
History of Game-Like Experiences
History of Game-Like Experiences You may have heard of Nike + Run Club or My Starbucks Rewards. Where you either exercise for digital badges and rewards or you get customer loyalty points for your next free cup of coffee! Now, most of you may be confused as to what in the hell are game-like experiences? To help you understand I need you to imagine. Imagine you’re trying to teach or train someone. You’d try different techniques. It’s a long tiring process that would take you a couple of hours and would probably leave you with a headache that would stay…
by Areej Babur
5 Most Memorable Boss Fights (That We Could Come Up With in 5 Minutes!)
5 Most Memorable Boss Fights (That We Could Come Up With in 5 Minutes!) So, we’re a games studio. At the office, we’re usually working, playing games or talking games. And when we talk about games we usually don’t stop. So a couple of us thought, “Hey! Why don’t we turn our nerdy ramblings into something productive.” So here we are, and we hope to hear your own opinions below, let’s start a conversation. Vaas - Far Cry 3 Nafey Far Cry 3... SH*T!! That game is absolutely amazing! Even after all these years I still play that game…
by Areej Babur
So 1000 miles separate Art and Engineering. Now What?
So 1000 miles separate Art and Engineering. Now What? Have you ever had to throw a party at the very last minute? Isn’t it just horrifying? You want everything to come together perfectly—the venue, the food, the decorations etc. And if you’re anything like me you don’t want multiple people to be running to multiple places—you want to go together into a one stop shop like a party-planning Seal Team Six. That’s still just a party though, and since you’re awesome company people are going to enjoy themselves no matter what. Game development is less forgiving. Especially when the art…
by Areej Babur
9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting Development (With Kellie Hartwell!)
9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting Development (With Kellie Hartwell!) Contents What am I making? Why am I making this? For whom am I making this? What does my vision look like up close? Google, Google, on the Desk, Has my Idea Been Done to Death? Do You Know the Unknowns? What Is This Likely to Cost? What Do Your Bluntest, Meanest Friends Think About the Idea? Are You In It For The Long Haul? Kellie Hartwell is a mobile industry entrepreneur, executive team start-up veteran and founder. She lives in Santa Monica, has multiple projects on the way…
by Areej Babur
18 Optimization Techniques for Mobile and VR
18 Optimization Techniques for Mobile and VR INTRO Thou Shalt Remember the Goal Thou Shalt Know Thy Polybudget Thou Shalt Know Thy Bottlenecks Thou Shalt Have One Mesh to Rule Them All Thou Shalt Keep Your Textures Svelte: Keep Thou Shalt Bake Thy Lights Thou Shalt Use LODs Wisely and Sparingly Thou Shalt Cull! Thou Shalt Throw Shade(rs) Thou Shalt Profile Thou Shalt Optimize Scripting Thou Shalt Test and Version Thou Shalt Recycle! Thou Shalt Fake it Rather Than Make it (VR Specific) Thou Shalt Not Be Transparent (VR Specific) Thou Shalt be Even Stringier than Instructed (VR Specific) Thou…
by Areej Babur
Want to Create Educational Games? Learn From Industry Leader John Beck!
Want to Create Educational Games? Learn From Industry Leader John Beck! John Beck, Gamifying Superstar Contents Introduction What would your first response be to people who believe the education paradigm is fine as it is? How widespread is the rote-learning paradigm, and how useful is it? What's the first experience that really resonated with you and convinced you to start making interactive learning experiences? Is there something you see people commonly get wrong about educational games? Other than your own, which educational games do you think have some really interesting aspects? How much of a great educational game do you…
by Areej Babur
11 Practical Questions to Ask When Picking an Offshore Games Studio
11 Practical Questions to Ask When Picking an Offshore Games Studio Disclaimer: While most of this advice applies to any software outsourcing, games are our specialty. Jump to Questions Is their Production Multiplier TOO good? What do their clients have to say about them? Do they talk like experts in their field? Can they guide you? Are they Agile? Do they shy away more than usual in coming on a live video call? How comfortable are you with their communication? Can they show you live versions, demos, videos or details of completed or ongoing projects? Have they done relevant work?…
by Areej Babur
Recent Comments