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Perforce Video Game Game Developer page ad.indd 1 06/07/2011 19:14 THE LEADING GAME INDUSTRY MAGAZINE VOL18 NO5 CONTENTS.0911 VOLUME 18 NUMBER 08 MAYM A Y 20112 0 1 1 INSIDE: BROWSER TECH MEGA-ROUNDUP DEPARTMENTS 2 GAME PLAN By Brandon Sheffield [EDITORIAL] The Portable Future 4 HEADS UP DISPLAY [NEWS] The Difference Initiative, HALO 2600 Source Code Released, and Flashback, Recipes, and Zombies POSTMORTEM 31 TOOL BOX By Bradley Meyer [REVIEW] Soundminer HD 14 SECTION 8: PREJUDICE With SECTION 8: PREJUDICE, TimeGate took what was planned as a 35 THE INNER PRODUCT By Nick Darnell [PROGRAMMING] console game and presented it as a $15 downloadable title. Not only Automated Occluders for GPU Culling did the team have to change its way of thinking about pricing and presentation, it also had to work out how to shrink assets and scale 42 THE BUSINESS By David Edery [BUSINESS] the design appropriately to fit within the download limit. As this sort Realm of the Mad Developers of story grows more common, the lessons learned here become more important. By Adel Chaveleh 44 PIXEL PUSHER By Steve Theodore [ART] Conan the Illustrator 22 SWORD & SWORCERY Much to everyone's surprise, not least the developers, a tiny iOS 47 GOOD JOB! By Brandon Sheffield [CAREER] adventure game known as SWORD & SWORCERY was featured twice Q&A with Scott Brodie, Who Went Where, in Apple's shop and went on to sell over 250,000 units. This game, and New Studios with its odd visuals, odd design, and odd music, was in turn an odd collaboration by three different creatives. This went both as well and 48 DESIGN OF THE TIMES By Damion Schubert [DESIGN] as poorly as you can imagine. By Craig D. Adams, Kris Piotrowski, Good Grief! and Jim Guthrie 50 GDC NEWS By Staff [NEWS] FEATURES Game Developers Choice Online Awards Honor Kesmai Founders, SOE's EVERQUEST, GDC China 7 THE STICKY COLLISION BEAM Registration Now Open, First Talks Revealed Creating intelligent third-person cameras is rife with difficulty. There are enemies to keep in view, obstacles to avoid, and important objects 51 AURAL FIXATION By Jesse Harlin [SOUND] to highlight. Here, engine programmer Eric Undersander proposes Playing The Field a camera with a sticky collision beam to bypass many of the major issues faced by AI-controlled cameras. By Eric Undersander 53 EDUCATED PLAY By Tom Curtis [EDUCATION] WOMP! 40 BEAUTIFUL CODE: AN INTERVIEW WITH BILL BUDGE Bill Budge paved the way for user-generated content with his early 56 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT By Matthew Wasteland [HUMOR] games PINBALL CONSTRUCTION SET and RASTER BLASTER. But that wasn't Outsourcing Life really his intention—he just likes making software tools. This interview tried to get at the heart of his love for code. By Brandon Sheffield 1 GAME DEVELOPER | XXXXX XXXX WWW.GDMAG.COM 1 GAME PLAN // BRANDON SHEFFIELD GAME DEVELOPER MAGAZINE WWW.GDMAG.COM United Business Media 303 Second Street, Suite 900, South Tower THE PORTABLE FUTURE San Francisco, CA 94107 t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090 IN THE HANDHELD MARKET, SONY AND NINTENDO’S GREATEST ENEMIES MAY BE THEMSELVES SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, WE’LL PSP, because that has essentially and large living in that “smaller” FOR INFORMATION, ORDER QUESTIONS, AND already know the preliminary happened in Western markets arena. While the platform holders ADDRESS CHANGES results of Nintendo’s 3DS price already. The PSP still does well insist that they offer deeper t: 800.250.2429 f: 847.763.9606 drop. As of this writing, we can only in Japan, where, popularity-wise, experiences than the smartphones, e: [email protected] speculate, but we do know that piracy is less, and MONSTER HUNTER that has to be backed up not only FOR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION this is one of the most drastic price is decidedly more. But even there, by the software, but also by the www.gdmag.com/digital drops that has ever been made the PSP is definitely ready for a delivery of that software. If my Droid EDITORIAL so close to a system’s launch. The successor. can easily download games on the PUBLISHER decision-makers at Nintendo did it The Vita has a touch screen on train, shouldn’t my Vita be able to Simon Carless l [email protected] because they had to. But why did the front, and a touchpad on the do it better, if it’s the deeper, more EDITOR-IN-CHIEF they have to? back (and if that winds up being dedicated console? Downloadable Brandon Sheffield l [email protected] One of the big problems is a fantastic gameplay enabler stores are going to be an incredibly PRODUCTION EDITOR Jade Kraus l [email protected] differentiation. Without the 3D, the I'll eat my hat). That’s a bit of important factor in the next ART DIRECTOR 3DS is more or less a DS with nicer differentiation, but in a game like generation of handhelds’ success, Joseph Mitch l [email protected] graphics. Without a big software UNCHARTED: GOLDEN ABYSS, how and both Nintendo and Sony have a DESIGNER push, that’s not nearly enough to central will the touch screen really long way to go here. Jessica Chan CONTRIBUTING WRITERS warrant a purchase if you have a DS be to core gameplay? Everything If Nintendo and Sony are Tom Curtis already, especially if you’ve already that’s been announced for the Vita going to keep saying that Jesse Harlin replaced your older DS with a DS Lite, so far has been pretty hardcore- their handhelds offer deeper Bradley Meyer Steve Theodore DSi, or XL. Consumers are clearly oriented. The console is essentially experiences for core players than Nick Darnell taking a wait and see approach to a PSP with nicer graphics—but iOS and Android, they should David Edery Damion Schubert the 3DS, but while they wait, DS in opposition to Nintendo, I don’t back that up with the biggest Matthew Wasteland sales are dropping significantly. It think this is a problem for Sony. differentiator between the two ADVISORY BOARD seems that people are waiting to The PSP was always pitched as a system styles—buttons and Hal Barwood Designer-at-Large Mick West Independent see whether the 3DS will become console experience in a handheld, control. If you’re going to say Brad Bulkley Microsoft relevant to them, and they are not a disruptive device. The DS you’re better than Apple, stop Clinton Keith Independent was meant to change the way we Brenda Brathwaite Lolapps already mostly done buying DS units trying to shoehorn Apple’s ideas Bijan Forutanpour Sony Online Entertainment and games, as those numbers have played games—the PSP was just into your product, and emphasize Mark DeLoura THQ trailed off significantly. In effect, supposed to bring our consoles games that control well with actual Carey Chico Independent Mike Acton Insomniac the 3DS is competing with the DS, with us. Replacing a machine with pads and buttons. That speaks because that’s what it supplants. nice graphics with a new machine to the core player more than a ADVERTISING SALES And if the 3DS isn’t currently with nicer graphics makes more touchpad. In this regard, I think GLOBAL SALES DIRECTOR Aaron Murawski e: [email protected] compelling enough to buy, and it sense for Sony than it does for Sony’s announcements of Vita t: 415.947.6227 replaces the older model, it makes Nintendo, because that’s how the titles is more compelling, with MEDIA ACCOUNT MANAGER both systems look bad. console has always been marketed. UNCHARTED, RESISTANCE, and others. John Malik Watson e: [email protected] And on the consumer side, with The Vita is currently being Nintendo continues to release t: 415.947.6224 GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, RECRUITMENT so many handheld gaming options targeted more like a portable home software that could potentially Gina Gross e: [email protected] available, including the PSP and console—it's not trying to reclaim be on an iPhone alongside its t: 415.947.6241 iOS devices, any game player with the PSP audience, it wants to win youth-core offerings like KID GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, EDUCATION Rafael Vallin e: [email protected] more than one handheld has a lot over the PS3 audience. This brings ICARUS. (Sony’s Xperia phone could t: 415.947.6223 of options right now. If people aren’t memories of the PSP and the PS2, be a contender here, if they were buying many DS and 3DS games, which had a similar issue. making a bigger push with it.) ADVERTISING PRODUCTION The 3DS and Vita are not PRODUCTION MANAGER they’re probably buying something The Vita and the 3DS seem to Pete C.