Life at an underground game company.
The very latest in idiotic notions.
15 months ago
by Azrael
in Double Cluepon
I want to take some time today to point to an article at gamesindustry.biz. The article is a brief on one of the things which came out in a longer interview with RebelPlay. The gist of the article was: Indie game developers should be willing, and accepting of giving up their IP for funding. This is the biggest load of unadulterated bullshit I think I have heard in a long long time.
Here’s some excerpts:
When we talk to developers they realise that the ownership of the intellectual property isn’t as important as being associated with it and going on a journey with you when you exploit it.
No, what it is really, is a journey where you probably wind up getting told how it will be exploited. Because when you sell your IP to someone…it’s just that: selling a piece of property. You no longer own it. You no longer have complete control over it.
Something we do with all our contracts is that by default all developers get first refusal on sequels and ports to do with that IP, so they are effectively intimately connected to that IP through its lifetime. They can exploit it with us and benefit with us.
Do tell, how well did that attitude work out for Jason West and Vince Zampella? How well did their right to refuse sequels work out for them? Care to answer that one? You know, my Dad used to tell me “The big print giveth, and the small print taketh away”…never in my life have those words come so alive..as they have after reading this article. Notice the language here, and pick it apart a bit. You can benefit with them. As long as you sell your IP. To them. They own it. Let’s refresh our basic vocabulary…
sell/sel/
Verb: Give or hand over (something) in exchange for money: “they had sold the car”.
That’s the top entry on google. Why is it so important that you tag along for a ride with them? Is not the idea of them tagging along with you just as valid when it comes to the publication of ideas in any format?
“They get to earn off it whatever happens,” added Cubbin. “So if it becomes a film they earn off it, if it becomes a toy they earn off it. I think a lot of people die with great ideas that are never developed.”
How magnanimous of them, and every single developer should be reading that first bit carefully, because “Whatever happens” may not be something of your choosing. They are not forking over money out of the goodness of their heart. They are buying the right to determine “Whatever happens”. It may be small but it will grow.
What I see this as is a blatant attempt to frame this pitch as something positive for developers. But the truth is much simpler: this is a way for a publisher to purchase, and harness creativity for an industry that is lacking any originality or creativeness of its own. It’s a grab, plain and simple. Anyone with a grasp of third grade vocabulary and critical thinking can see the language for what it is: inherently one sided in many respects.
What if Notch had given up the Minecraft IP for something as common as an advance? What if Team Meat had done the same with Super Meat Boy? Would they be the same games? I suspect they would not. When an indie developer does not scrutinize where the money is coming from, and more importantly…what the cost of that money is, they run the risk of becoming a “dependie” instead of an indie. Understanding the difference between the cost of something, and the value is a skill. Something anyone who is doing their own business in development needs to understand.
The sad thing is, Authors get advances all the time. For Novels, for books of all kinds. Imagine for one moment if J.K. Rowling had signed away her IP just for a shot at publishing? Imagine if you will, if J.R.R Tolkien had signed away the rights to his mythos just for being published? Yet that’s what these funding companies in the games industry expect. It’s insane.
Sometimes, a good deal is a good deal. Understanding how to evaluate a deal is incredibly crucial. If you don’t understand a deal, and do not understand the value of what you are about to give up for money…you should run, not walk away.
Happenings, stuffs and things…
06 months ago
Another late night for me at the office. Problem is, Gremmie's are not conducive to work. Also, keeping them away from markers = crucial.
It’s been awhile since you’ve heard from good old Azrael. Needless to say, I have just been a busy Gremmie stomping fool. A lot of great things have been happening here at Double Cluepon, and a great many hours have been put in as of late.
At the end of the day though, things are moving right along. Meetings and schedules are being tightened on a weekly basis now. It’s going to get a lot crazier still too. The good news is, the ball keeps moving forward.
One of the things I am seriously contemplating is doing “In Bed with the Producer” every couple weeks. I would be doing this via a live stream from this very blog. I would probably do this Saturdays, in the Afternoon. If you’re keen to see such a thing, where you can hang out, ask me questions about Emerald Kingdom, make suggestions…be sure to leave a comment on this post.-
But, let me tell you about a few of the cool, and not so cool things happening as of late:
Our blog was down part of Sunday due to a conflagration of update stupidity. We use the Mystique theme for WordPress. Mystique is a pretty rad theme, very configurable and very robust. Over the weekend Digital Nature released an update. For various reasons, some WordPress.org related, some Digital Nature related….upgrading broke the hell out of the blog. We wound up having to downgrade back to 2.4.7 from 3.0. It’s pretty unfortunate. We’re still deciding what we should do about this situation, as theme’s can get to be notoriously unstable as WordPress’ version increments. Right now, I am weighing forking the theme and rolling it into something custom for our use only. Alternatively, I could also set up a one off WordPress install with the new theme, and use it as a starting point to migrate changes to the production blog. One of the things I like about our blog is, how nice it looks, and how easy it has been (for the most part) to maintain. I really cast a dim view on disruption of any kind.
Castiel: Why no Mister Bond, I expect you to file these TPS reports!
Castiel, our new writer is trucking right along. She has been applying pen to paper furiously. Between her and I, the back story rewrite for Emerald Kingdom is flat out moving at a very acceptable speed. While some changes have been made, they have been for the better. I certainly didn’t think it was possible to add more intrigue to things, she has upped the ante on a few fronts. One of the things she specializes in is keeping a great balance between showing and telling. She is also pretty awesome when it comes to pacing. While the back story for Emerald Kingdom may get published at some point, in the context of our development the back story is more of our “Reference Tome” so to speak: in order to be able to write the In Game story, and keep the story moving at the frequency we want, we have to know how things got there. On this note, Castiel is astounding us with her ideas, and her plans. Her work in this regard is so incredibly crucial. Unlike a great many others, we do plan on episodic content. To do that, and do it well…you really need to keep a close eye on where you’ve been, where you are, and where you are going. We have a ways to go yet, but we have a better picture in our mind now.
Caelum: Yo dawg, we heard you like beards...
Another prime mover in the last month is Caelum. He’s currently on a triple workload. He has laid out a solid foundation for our sound effects library. By itself, that is quite a feat. But he has not stopped there. He and Uriel have also streamlined our process for prop creation, (buildings, accoutrements, etc) as well as trucking right along with getting the starter clothing pathed out for Sandalphon to add to game sprite animation. Sound wise, he’s been crisscrossing states in some cases to do field recording of sounds, cleaning them up, and then working with them to create a variety of sound effects for use in Emerald Kingdom. Prop wise? He gets a flat drawing from the Art Department which he then runs through Maya in order to give us plan renders…the advantage being we get every isometric view we need, without needing the art department to draw every view by hand. All in all, Caelum is really showing how much he cares, his attention to the little details results in more quality for the players. Quality for the players is paramount for us.
Because we’re also players.
Other things in the mix: the other things happening as of late is that we are making a number of changes currently, as well as planning for more changes in the next month or two. It’s all in preparation for Emerald Kingdom going to live testing. Here are some of the other things bring churned:
Elphie awaits!
We have recently put WireWorks up on its own page here at Double Cluepon. You can now play WireWorks anytime you want, at wireworks.doublecluepon.com. While we are not tracking the high scores, and we know there are some bugs that escaped notice…it should be noted that this version of WireWorks is the classic version. There’s a new version in pre-production. It will have many new features such as new parts to assemble boards with (capacitors, transistors, etc). It will also be the main labor puzzle for the Junkworks in Emerald Kingdom. While there will be new tiles/pieces bits and bobs to use one thing that will not be changing: the basics. You should practice now while you can!
Also, Elphie does not mind. She could use some company!
The Emerald Kingdom page has been updated! We have converted it to something more akin to a “Landing Page”. You can now sign up for early access to Emerald Kingdom, including Alpha/Beta testing. Please note that if you signed up for our mailing list updates you are already on the list for early access! You don’t need to sign up again. But, we definitely encourage you to tell your friends and spread the word! The more sign ups the better.
The Emerald Kingdom forums have actually had a minor address change. The forums are now available at their own (and now non re-directed) URL: http://forums.emeraldkingdom.com/ . You should make a note of this. Also, don’t be shy. If you have questions, we have answers! Be sure to bop on by and keep us on our toes!
Been to the conventions, such as Otakon? Do you have one of the new “Bitsy’s Bullets” shirts? How about a “Twin Perennial” shirt? Show us your pride! Send me (Azrael) a good picture(s) of you wearing the shirt. If you catch me on a good day, maybe I’ll send you something! I think we even have a coffee mug or two around. Sending me a picture is easy: kick me a link on Twitter (@ArchAzrael) or email me at: azrael AT doublecluepon DOT com.
That about wraps things up for now. As usual, from all of us here…we hope your summer thus far has been safe and fun.
A Guide to Characters and So Can You!
26 months ago
by Castiel
in Double Cluepon
Hi all! Castiel, here!
As my first post, I wanted to talk about, drumroll please!: CHARACTERS!
This is my face right now. XD
I had the task of reading through about 150 pages of pre-game story that had been developed before I came on board. This was filled with the stories of all 26 (main) characters, their origins, and their interactions with each other. Now, let me preface this by saying that the previous writer put his heart and soul into his creation, and I admire him for that. He was really dedicated to his work and I can tell that he loved these characters. However, there was one main problem with what I read…
Nothing happened. At all.
Yep, did that too.
As a screenwriter, I know the basics of creating characters. And good ones, to boot. A character needs motivation, drive, and want. As the great Kurt Vonnegut says, “Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” The simplest act of wanting something speaks volumes about the character himself. So when nothing happens in a story, that usually means that character doesn’t have a goal, which in turn leads to bore-fest. Now, I’m not saying that’s the case for ‘everything ever in existence ever…’ because there are of course outliers, particularly done by those who are the greatest writers of our time, but I’m generalizing this for our purposes.
Compelling characters have goals and that’s what drives them forward. Indiana Jones wanted the Ark of the Covenant. Luke Skywalker wanted to learn the ways of the Force. Neo wanted to kick the pants out of Agent Smith. The key word here is: ‘want.’ See where I’m going with this? Characters with goals make things happen!
So, after pulling my hair out about what I was reading, I spoke with Azrael and decided to do something drastic. This wasn’t a matter of me editing the piece, make it coherent in the timeline, or fix names of characters that we didn’t particularly like…
I was going to rewrite everything.
My muse was going to murder me...
What I wanted to do was start from scratch. I wanted to focus these characters down and give them clear goals that would either showcase their good, bring out their bad, and a lot of both.
I absolutely love the idea of female characters being the main focus of the story. They’re real people, rather than just sexy clothes on a two-dimensional character. I usually write from female character perspectives and I’m super psyched to stretch my legs in this massive world. So none of that is changing.
I have modified a lot of character origins, however, and I’ve established new familial ties between characters that changes the dynamic drastically. There will be more drama! *laughs manically*
Now I’m not really allowed to talk specifics, but I can give you a general example of what I’ve done. The following link gives fantastic examples of characters with great arcs and what can happen when characters have no personalities whatsoever, I can’t say it any better.
Let me refer you to the gloriousness that is RedLetterMedia’s “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Review (Part 1 of 7)” In it, Plinkett details what specifically went wrong with the prequel, and he hits the nail on the head with what I experienced in my readings as well.
This genre of sci-fi and fantasy is specifically hard to write, especially when trying to emulate the greats like Tolkien and Herbert. We need some character to kind of represent the audience – asking the same questions that the audience is, introduce the audience to the same new world that the character is experiencing, and giving the audience some kind of normal person to relate to. It allows for the viewer or reader to stop asking, “Who are these people and why should I care?” and have them start asking, “Where the hell can I get more?”
I'm a... Wait, what?
If the audience gets confused, you’ll lose them – like that. And they’ll never come back.
I completely reworked the entire interaction between some of the characters, giving the reader the opportunity to step into the shoes of a character and just let go.
Another thing that I needed to change was the idea of a protagonist. I have always loved the idea of ensemble casts, but I think this story really needs to focus on one person that will help lead the readers through the journey. This just allows for the reader to have a helping hand through the world.
I’m a huge fan of Joseph Campbell’s “A Hero’s Journey” and I was heavily inspired by the events that transpire in the stories from his work.
Okay, maybe a little lecture.
All in all, I want to make sure you guys are as involved in this as possible. I always want to have you guys in mind and I don’t want to let you down. As for the story, the reader needs to explore the world just as the characters do. It’s part of the magic of reading. It’s also the magic of movie-making! As well as game-playing! And when I get this story done, maybe you will all be able to read it in the future.
Hopefully everything I’m trying to do will work out for the better.
And I think I’ve bored you all far too long for now, so I’ll sign off here. ^_^
I’ll update every once in a while to keep you guys current with where I am in the story. Hopefully as we get closer and closer to release, I can actually give you little bits and pieces!
So I’ll leave you with a little question so I know what you guys are interested in: Who is your favorite cinematic character?
Mine is Indiana Jones. Gotta say I have a thing for the adventures. ^_^
<3 Cas
Welcome to the new staff.
07 months ago
Double Cluepon has added again to its numbers. We have added three new folks to the fold. Each of them brings their own unique stamp to what we are doing, and where we are going. So, let’s get down to it!
* Caelum: Caelum is our new Swiss army knife. Since coming aboard, he and Uriel have streamlined our prop production. But he also has proficiency when it comes to sound production. His primary project is well on its way: building the sound effects library for Emerald Kingdom. Between doing iso renders in Maya, and creating our catalog of sound he’s a busy little bee. You can find him on twitter too! (@CaelumDC)
* Zeruel: Our new creature designer. Zeruel has been creating a complete bestiary for Emerald Kingdom, from the ground up. When it comes to creating monsters and creatures, she has shown a zeal and aptitude not often seen. She has also been working to simplify some of the existing creatures, so as to make Sandalphon’s job easier.
* Castiel: Castiel is our new writing director. She has taken over all of the writing duties for Emerald Kingdom, and is plowing through current stuff while preparing to carry the ball over the goal line. Castiel comes to us highly recommended, and we look forward to not only the the final rewrite of the main piece of story…where it goes from there.
So, you know. Let’s give them all a big welcome.They have all received their orientation, and their complimentary straightjacket. =)
Allow me to infuriate you: Playing is what games are about.
17 months ago
One of the sticking points from Tuesday’s post has rung a bit harder than most, and as I have thought about it the past few days…I feel it warrants it’s own post.
The original quote was from ApochPiQ’s gamedev.net post. I’ve linked to it in the previous post. The relevant snippet is this though:
Graphics are amazingly critical. If you don’t have a great looking game, don’t expect to attract too many players. The MMO space more than any other genre is dominated by players who are into aesthetics and first impressions. A great game with bad graphics might still get some hardcore fans, but it’ll never compete with a great game with great graphics.
In this one statement, more than anything, is a solid definition of what is wrong with parts of the game industry. Let’s review a game franchise that tragically (In my opinion) went down the “improve the graphics at all costs” road.
Final Fantasy
Let’s face it… Square, whether it was their intention or not turned themselves into less of a game company in favor of becoming more of an interactive movie company. The very RPG elements that made Final Fantasy so highly regarded were, over time, discarded in favor of cut scenes and pretty. This process accelerated with the purchase of their main competitor Enix. Without any serious competition…the games became less than mediocre. Gone are the games which required strategy, planning and thinking. It has recently culminated into people succeeding in FFXIII by doing nothing more than simply pressing X.
Final Fantasy looks very nice. But, I don’t want to play something that amounts to an interactive movie 100% of the time. Call me old school, but I happened to like having to plan out attacks. I can look back and honestly say: I enjoyed a system where I could fail. But those days are mostly gone in the Final Fantasy franchise. I expect them to be completely eradicated with the acquisition by Disney.
Aside from Final Fantasy VII..the first in the modern console era… know what the runner up usually is when it comes to favorite Final Fantasy? 4, 5 or 6. Many people consider Final Fantasy six to be one of the best ever.
The lesson of Final Fantasy is one that should be obvious to every single person who refers to themselves as a game developer or designer…
“Just because you can do a thing, does not necessarily mean you should.”
The most dangerous and wooly thinking comes into play when you start believing that gameplay in a game takes a backseat to graphics. Yes, to some degree you have to design visuals that can give you a suspension of belief. Yes, sometimes that design has to go an extra step and create immersion. But the moment you start to tell yourself graphics are the bigger priority…you’re already in trouble.
We here at Double Cluepon deliberately selected static camera isometric for Emerald Kingdom. We did this for many reasons, but I can tell you right now the primary reason was this: We had game play ideas that precluded the need for bouncy breasts or photorealism. Static camera isometric has been in the spec from day one.
Could we have created an MMO using full 3d? Sure. But the temptation to attain the unattainable when it comes to looks is not something we ever wanted to contend with. We wanted a better, more satisfying challenge. We wanted to challenge ourselves with game play, mechanics, and fun. Graphics can add to the fun, certainly. They should not be discounted. But they should never be at the apex in terms of design and function.
A lot of game companies, especially the AAA title publishers will keep foisting mediocre shovelware games on the public, as long as the public keeps buying them. Sure, Final Fantasy can still sell. But you know what everyone talks about? How cool Super Meat Boy was. What is notch up to with Minecraft? Popcap might get purchased for 1 Billion. Nobody is talking about the cool new battle system in Final Fantasy games. Most of the stuff in Final Fantasy as of late is regurgitated (yet nerfed) elements of titles long past. Nobody talks about the must have innovation in the latest Dead or Alive.
When you start thinking that graphics trump all, you run the risk of ignoring game play. Playing is what games are all about. If you have forgotten this, you need to take a step back and ask yourself some hard questions.
