Video Game Development at the University of Michigan

Industry

Open Source

Open source is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of video games. After all, not many people play Tux Racer or Arianne RPG on a regular basis. On the other hand, Ridge Racer and World of Warcraft are extremely popular. Actually this is an unfair comparison because the open source games listed were not financially backed projects.

Why aren't there financially backed video game projects that are open source? The simple answer is that potential investors see no way to make money on open source games. After all, why would anyone pay for…

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Game Development Elite

As many people involved with Wolverine Soft know, producing a great game is no simple or easy task. Whether one starts with a basic compiler and some free libraries, or a top-notch team and the most sophisticated tools available today, it is difficult to make a truly great game. (For the purpose of this article, take 'great' to mean both critically acclaimed and, in the case of a commercial games, a big seller.) But what is it that makes some games great and other duds or merely decent?

One could begin by listing various qualities of games that one…

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Hayden's Story of E3 2006

Note: Each of the three parts was written at a different time and with a different state of mind. I decided to mostly preserve the original format of each part for the sake of authenticy (and laziness). Hopefully you will observe and find it interesting to see how the writing reflects the shift in mindset.

Part I - Day 1 Game Impressions (May 10, 2006)

Going into it: Really excited to play Wii, Too Human, 99 Nights, Viva Pinata, Guitar Hero 2, new Sonic, and others that i can't think of right now. Didn't expect much from PS3…

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Microsoft and Mechs

If you don't read this whole article, understand this:
  1. I love Mechs.
  2. An arcade-style combat sim with 2 joysticks, foot pedals, and an assortment of secondary controls is one of the best game experiences possible.
  3. Microsoft has had access to a tactical Mech game they could develop easily but have not, and this confounds me.

MICROSOFT AND MECHS

I'm a sucker for Mech games. I don't know why. There isn't any consistent reason I prefer them; but adding Mech to a game automatically makes it superior to other games. I assume most gamers…

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To The Revolution

When I think of video games, I think of immersion. The ideal video game grabs the player and keeps them engaged in an entertaining experience, and that requires a certain amount of pulling the player into the game's world. Looking to the future, I think that one day games will have the ability to be completely immersive, bringing the player of a game inside of them. From the moment I picked up a controller and moved something on an external screen, I imagined a virtual world where I myself could be the main character, participating within an interactive and deceptively…

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Rating Inflation

I found an interesting post on Joystiq a few days ago. The post is about a meta-review of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. It raises a few interesting points regarding "rating inflation" as it pertains to video games.

Now, of course nobody wants to release a game only to find afterwards that the reviewers think that the game is mediocre, or less than mediocre. Not only does it hurt developers' egos, but it hurts sales. With games costing millions, or even tens of millions of dollars to make, mistakes aren't taken lightly. Surely developers should not mind if…

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Has Nintendo Gone Crazy?

Since the N64/PS1 generation, consumers and critics alike have wondered if Nintendo has lost a couple of its marbles. As such, Nintendo's popularity has declined since then. In many ways, the Revolution, Nintendo's latest console, was to determine its fate. Already trailing at last in sales in the United States, this new console, many believed, would either solidify that position or give them their last chance to turn things around. Well, the Revolution's revolutionary controller has finally been revealed and it's . . . a remote control? Like . . . a TV remote control? Yup. If…

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Have We Forgotten How to Make Portable Games?

Both the Nintendo DS and the PSP promise to bring you a better portable gaming experience. However, games for both of these systems have design features that make them more attuned to a console game than a portable one. First of all, there are some key differences between portable gaming and console gaming. The most obvious difference is that portable games are not as technologically advanced as consoles are in terms of graphics and sound. While that is the most obvious difference, I would argue the biggest difference is the amount of time you have to play. People playing console…

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Thoughts on E3 2004

I find the E3 experience to be a mixed bag. On one hand, I find myself in the center of a gigantic, upscale arcade full of new and unreleased videogames and attractions promoting them. There are elaborate sets, lights, girls everywhere you look, all of them entirely focused on promoting the games that you love. On the other hand, E3 showcases games and the game industry itself in such a way that I can't help but feel a little disappointed. Not to mention how incredibly exhausting it is to walk around all day, carrying a bag…

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