I still have to come up with a good title..

I just read an article on DigitalBuzzBlog.com about this advergame, and even if initially I was a bit skeptical about it, I’ll have to agree with the authors of that article: This is a real interesting game, for a number of reasons.

First of all, here what we are talking about..

56 Sage Street is an advergame developed for Barclays Bank.

It’s main goal is to improve teenagers’ understanding of banking and educate them about direct debits, loans, statements, fraud avoidance and general money management.

The game itself is a mixture between the money management aspects of Sim City, and a rich storytelling layer that reminds of a Grand Theft Auto kinda thing. Read the rest of this entry »

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Today’s improvements to the game consisted in the implementation of a pathfinder functionality.

This will allow AI objects to “travel” across the levels, calculating a path that intentionally avoids predefined areas.

As you can see in the picture above, the program determines particular paths, that represent “walkable areas” (green lines), and unwalkable zones (the areas that surround the red cubes).

These maps are generated automatically, providing an extremely powerful tool to manage AI movements.

The script comes from the A* Pathfinding project from Aron Granberg.

In my particular project I intend to use this path finding functionality to drive AI vessels, such as an ally Zodiac during inflatable boats confrontations.

Another possible usage could be the reenactment of the pursuit between the spy vessel Shonan Maru 2 and the Steve Irwin, challenging each others’ seamanship skills in dangerous mazes of iceberg fields.

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Well, now we begin to roll.

You can finally try the first version of the latest prototype of the Sea Shepherd advergame.

As my original concept dictated, the game will be a side scroller, with focus on the navigation aspects across iceberg mazes, and highlights in fast paced zodiac pursuits.

At this initial stage, you can try the feel of navigating the Steve Irwin vessel across what should resemble a very ruff iceberg field..

I tried to balance realism in the dynamics with certain more unrealistic elements, such as exagerated buoyancy, excessive speed and manouevre capabilities etc.

The game should have a high level of realism, yeah, but I also want it to be fun and entertaining for a casual gamer.

My favourite quote.. ‘Inaccurate, but it will blow your fucking mind..!’

So, in the hope of blowing some fucking mind up, here the link to the prototype.

The more feedback you give me, the more chances to see the issues solved in the next version..!

Controls:

• Up/Down – Forward, Reverse
• Left/Right – Steering wheel

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Also today I’ve adding some new goodies to the game..!

A radar function has been implemented, that will allow the player to interpret relevant info, such as obstacles or waypoints.

I’ve built this radar modifying an existing Javascript script that can be found here: http://www.unifycommunity.com/wiki/index.php?title=Radar

Soon i’ll have to begin testing the prototypes. I’m very itnerested to find out, for example, if the test players will be able to interpret the radar correctly, given the fact that the sidescrolling gameplay contradicts the usual vertical interpretation of a radar screen. It is going to be interesting to find out if people gets disoriented if the radar is rotated to follow the direction of the scrolling of the game.

I also changed the POV to make the game more similar to my original concept (Whale Defense Response).

Soon I will upload a decent prototype, so you will have the possibility to try it by yourselves.

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..and yet another day working on 3D Studio Max.

Today I faced for the first time the problem of texturing a model. I ended up following this really good tutorial:

Using UVW Mapping Texture Technique In 3D Studio Max – http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/3ds/unwrap_uvw_mapping/

Talking about the model itself, it is not perfectly accurate, ok yea, not accurate at all , but for the level of detail needed in the game it is more than enough.

It must be reminded in fact that the average potential player will probably have only heard of Sea Shepherd via the tv show Whale Wars, or even just its cartoonish version signed by South Park.. My goal was to make the vessel recognizable.

The next step from here will consist in texturing the helideck, and probably add a couple of Zodiacs on the deck of the vessel.

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via Twitter..

http://ow.ly/1JXRC Need a break? Prøv #Greenpeaces nye #KitKat spil. #Nestle

..Well, I didn’t exactly need a break, at those early hours i wasn’t even working..

But ye, why not! ..and here what i found:

As you might have heard, a social media warfare has recently occurred between Greenpeace and Nestlé.

Luckily, I’ve been following the case since it’s very start, and it has been very interesting — on a multimedia designer perspective — to see how this clash of Titans took place.
I believe we can learn a lot from this example, about how mishandling of Social Media can backfire, even for a corporation of the caliber of Nestlé.
Moreover, I’m in particular fascinated by the idea of how this technologies are changing the system, if driven by an organized and resolute force, capable of channeling the collective energy into a meaningful unidirectional effort. Read the rest of this entry »

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You know those mornings.. missed the bus.. freshy spring breeze.. Nothing better to do than reading a good book while waiting to go to work!
Here an excerpt from a book called “Changing the Game, How video games are transforming the future of business“.

Alternate Reality Games (ARGs)

Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) are another way that marketers are blurring the line between the real and the virtual. AGs, like virtual worlds, are not quite games in the traditional sense of the word.

ARGs are best described as collaborative, interactive narratives that blur the lines between reality and game. They employ a wide range of electronic and physical media to engage with players, such as Web sites, text messages, e-mail, real-world billboards, comic books, and staged publicity events. The end result is a storytelling experience that draw hundreds of thousands of people into an incredibly engaging puzzle-solving exercise that persists for days,weeks, or months on end.

Unfortunately, our description hardly captures the magic of a good alternate reality game. So please indulge us for a moment, and imagine that you are playing Changing the Game — The ARG. Read the rest of this entry »

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Click to play the game!

Second version of the game concept “The Overfisher”.

..Still in a prototype stage, this version of the game differs from the previous one on the following characteristics:

• AI vessels now sail following smooth courses, resulting in less robocrappy trajectories.

• The player can collect Boosters pickup, or jump on ramps to gain a bonus speed, for a certain amount of time. Read the rest of this entry »

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..What a better way to wake up than thinking about a new game concept?

Here is a very simple idea, that could use humor to help spread awareness about a very serious issue: Shark Finning.

Now there are two possibilities.. or you know exactly what am I talking about, or you have no idea.

Until few months ago I fell into the second category, so here a brief overview about the problem. (If you do not care/are already aware/have to catch a bus, jump directly to the line marked by * )

Read the rest of this entry »

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..and finally, here the first game completely homemade, with pure genuine brainz effort and no step-by-step guidance..!

The purpose of this minigame is simply to get to know Unity’s scripting, in a crash course style.

Click to test your skills as ferocious fisherman!

..my highest score, 135! ..anybody willing to challenge me?!

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