Work has been continuing on my mobile Alternate Reality Zombie Game "ARG Zombies" We have launched a closed beta on Testflight, and we have nearly completed the story for the game. Independent game production is, of course, much harder than I initially imagined... but, I have been shlogging along just the same.
My brother Trevor has been a lead game tester for the game Blacklight Retribution a free to play first person shooter from Perfect World and Zombie Studios. Today he quit his job to come work on ARG Zombies!!
This means that Tando Productions (our company) now has David O'hagan doing social media and user engagement, Trevor will be doing our sound effects and QA, and I am the director designer (and of course business guy)... So yeah- that sounds like a team to me!
Look out world... TANDO is coming!
Showing posts with label iphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iphone. Show all posts
Monday, January 30, 2012
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Is Man Evolving a Collective Consciousness?
Life is constantly evolving. Since protein began replicating in strings, life has been adapting and moving, but towards what end? Much like a chromosome trying to understand a creature, we may not be capable of grasping the next evolution of man, but we all know it is coming.
the past two hundred years have recorded the largest changes to human society ever witnessed. Technological advances have changed the way that most humans interact with the planet. These interactions are so different that we believe ourselves and our actions to be "un-natural". While a technologically advanced object is not, by itself, natural, the drive to create and share such things is a natural drive seen in humans for ages. Like the first leg on a fish, we have sprouted a fledgling collective consciousness- the Internet.
We have all known that the Internet is an amazing technological achievement since it's early days. However, much like the first leg on a fish, the Internet has flopped around a bit. We all knew it's potential to unite people just like we know that that fish will eventually walk with ease. Technology, being unburdened with the constraints of biology, has quickly strengthened and adapted. Nowhere is this new strength more apparent than the middle east, where twitter has toppled governments. The illusion that any man has power over another instantly dissolved in Tahir square.
Mans creation of technology is natures adaptation to the constraints of our biology. Operating as a society on such a massive scale requires adaptations like the smartphone (the world in your pocket) in order to function. These things draw us together like the nervous system unites the bodies organs, toward the single purpose of life. Like a fledgling organism the collective mind has gone through some growing pains, but trudges forward up the beach. The future is never certain, but somewhere inside, the fish knows he will walk, and perhaps one day- even fly.
See Also: Transcendant Man
the past two hundred years have recorded the largest changes to human society ever witnessed. Technological advances have changed the way that most humans interact with the planet. These interactions are so different that we believe ourselves and our actions to be "un-natural". While a technologically advanced object is not, by itself, natural, the drive to create and share such things is a natural drive seen in humans for ages. Like the first leg on a fish, we have sprouted a fledgling collective consciousness- the Internet.
We have all known that the Internet is an amazing technological achievement since it's early days. However, much like the first leg on a fish, the Internet has flopped around a bit. We all knew it's potential to unite people just like we know that that fish will eventually walk with ease. Technology, being unburdened with the constraints of biology, has quickly strengthened and adapted. Nowhere is this new strength more apparent than the middle east, where twitter has toppled governments. The illusion that any man has power over another instantly dissolved in Tahir square.
Mans creation of technology is natures adaptation to the constraints of our biology. Operating as a society on such a massive scale requires adaptations like the smartphone (the world in your pocket) in order to function. These things draw us together like the nervous system unites the bodies organs, toward the single purpose of life. Like a fledgling organism the collective mind has gone through some growing pains, but trudges forward up the beach. The future is never certain, but somewhere inside, the fish knows he will walk, and perhaps one day- even fly.
See Also: Transcendant Man
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Death of the Arcade
This week I found myself going to an arcade with a four year old. As soon as I walked through the door I had flashbacks to the 80’s, when arcades ruled. Children dumpped their coins into the latest video games, and roamed the arcades claiming high scores. Young social lives formed around these places. THIS used to be the place to be, but what I saw an empty arcade full of flashing lights. Regardless of the other factors contributing to the desolate scene- the impressoin had already been made. Arcade games have been replaced- the industry has moved on.
I walked around to see what games the few people (mostly hidden in the corners) were playing. Shooting games, driving games, allmost all multiplayer inherently, like racing. I started to think more about the endangered arcade game, and the future of gaming. I began to trace the steps from this place to where we are today. I thought of the children that bought an Atari/Nintendo/Sega Genesis/Neo Geo/Jaguart 64… Then everyone realized that not having to put coins in meant you needed more games. So the industry made games as fast as they could- regardless of quality. Multiplayer emerged as an important aspect, but adding controlers was nothing in the face of the mother of all platforms- the internet. Even consoles have been forced to incorporate online gameplay. Gamers are no longer satisfied being the best on the block. They want to compare their scores the the best the PLANET has to offer.
What started with kids looking over their shoulder to keep the high score in Donkey Kong, has grown and grown and broken barriers that nobody knew were barriers. Found ways to draw people together, and draw people in with all sorts of new gameplay. The better this interaction between people- the more successful modern titles are.
So what conclusions did I draw from all of this? The mobile gaming industry is flooded with over 40,000 titles… it might pay the bills to make poor quality games, but the winners in the mobile industry will innovate and find new ways to bring people together. A well made, well thought out game, that brings people together in fun new ways- a recipie for mobile gaming success!
(now I just have to make http://www.zombieapocalypsemobile.com to have all those things)
I walked around to see what games the few people (mostly hidden in the corners) were playing. Shooting games, driving games, allmost all multiplayer inherently, like racing. I started to think more about the endangered arcade game, and the future of gaming. I began to trace the steps from this place to where we are today. I thought of the children that bought an Atari/Nintendo/Sega Genesis/Neo Geo/Jaguart 64… Then everyone realized that not having to put coins in meant you needed more games. So the industry made games as fast as they could- regardless of quality. Multiplayer emerged as an important aspect, but adding controlers was nothing in the face of the mother of all platforms- the internet. Even consoles have been forced to incorporate online gameplay. Gamers are no longer satisfied being the best on the block. They want to compare their scores the the best the PLANET has to offer.
What started with kids looking over their shoulder to keep the high score in Donkey Kong, has grown and grown and broken barriers that nobody knew were barriers. Found ways to draw people together, and draw people in with all sorts of new gameplay. The better this interaction between people- the more successful modern titles are.
So what conclusions did I draw from all of this? The mobile gaming industry is flooded with over 40,000 titles… it might pay the bills to make poor quality games, but the winners in the mobile industry will innovate and find new ways to bring people together. A well made, well thought out game, that brings people together in fun new ways- a recipie for mobile gaming success!
(now I just have to make http://www.zombieapocalypsemobile.com to have all those things)
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