Posted by Derek Yu
Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:40:00 GMT
I really like this idea:
The Artsy Games Incubator exists to help people in Toronto that have a drive to make games, artistic talents to bring to the table, but no programming experience.
We will be making game elements and games using the emerging array of point-and-click tools that require no coding, just a Photoshop level of computer familiarity.
Based somewhat on a writer’s-circle model, we will be meeting weekly for a four week period to share our progress and give feedback to each other.
We are all about making games now!
As much as I like talking about games, the real joy comes from making them. I wish there was one of these in every city!
(Source: GameSetWatch)
Posted in Games and Art, Community, Developers | 7 comments
Posted by Terry
Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:07:00 GMT
There’s a good chance you’ve already heard the news by now: a week or so ago Nicklas “Nifflas” Nygren announced the Knytt Experiment, a totally goal-less version of Knytt with one level, built out from the centre of an empty world with user submitted maps. After working on that for a couple of days, he cancelled the project, along with the new Knytt Stories expansion. Apparently, he feels that the success of Knytt Stories has put a lot of pressure on him to produce something at the same standard, and that it’s affecting the quality of his work. On the future of his projects, he had this to say:
I’ll definitely keep creating games, but I need to find the way back to the spirit I had when I created Knytt, when nothing mattered except just the artistic expression. One step in this is probably to keep my future projects secret. You’ll probably not even know about them before the release.
(You can read the full forum post here.)
Nevertheless, Knytt Experiment is basically finished, and released. You can find it here, on his forums. At the moment it’s quite small, but it’s growing all the time – when you first start it up, you’ll only have access to the centre room. To get the latest maps, simply select the “update world” option under each of the level types.
It’s much closer to the original Knytt than to Knytt Stories: the only differences are that the map now scrolls, that your Knytt is invincible (in fact there’s nothing to hurt him), and that he can float in the air with a balloon (making exploration a lot easier). Unfortunately there’s no music (which is a big part of the Knytt experience for me), but I guess that’ll only add to the atmosphere for some people. I played it with the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack in the background, which worked pretty well, heh.
In summary, nice work, Nicklas! I for one can’t wait to see what you come up with next, regardless of what direction you go in.
Posted in Platformers, Games and Art, Windows, Developers | Tags Nifflas | 11 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 10 Sep 2007 06:00:00 GMT
Wow, I’ve watched the trailer for “We are the Strange” a few times now, and it’s more bizarre with each new viewing. A blend of claymation and 3d and 2d computer graphics, We are the Strange is heavily inspired by retro gaming and probably a good amount of psychotropic substances. It also features the voice of Korean American artist David Choe and a soundtrack by a number of notable chiptunes artists.
Reminds me of The Desolate Room and the whole “B-Gaming” phenomenon! Buy the DVD, if you wish! I might!
(Source: Insert Credit)
Posted in Unique / Bizarre, Games and Art | 16 comments
Posted by Xander
Sat, 08 Sep 2007 03:51:00 GMT
Kotaku have an awesome piece of footage up at the moment from GC07 which was really quite impossible to pass up posting here too. Not strictly an Indie Game, but then not exactly a game at all.
Phillip Worthington’s Shadow Monsters is essentially the greatest peripheral in the world. You simply make shadow puppets in front of a projector, and then the projector itself adds sound effects and animations to your actions. Something that in writing sounds a little underwhelming, but in action is so ridiculously cool I may actually quit my efforts for a film degree and become an official Phillip Worthington Stalker here and now. It’s pretty damn amazing, and with all the Wii’s efforts to innovate with a remote control so well chronicled, it’s pretty unbelievable that this is the first time I’ve actually heard of this. Impressive stuff.
(Thanks Kotaku for your continued greatness! Also the video is their own footage so it really didn’t feel right to just embed it here. Also I have no idea how to do that. So I guess you have one more click to make, but it’s probably the greatest click you’ve ever cluck. For True.)
Posted in Unique / Bizarre, Games and Art, Developers | 5 comments
Posted by BMcC
Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:59:00 GMT
On the topic of Phil Fish, Montreal-based experimental indie game development collective Kokoromi (profiled here in This Magazine) just launched their new site. It’s nice—you should check it out!
As for Fez, Phil linked me to a corrected version of the infamous “somethig” screenshot. (Which, I agree, deserves to be a meme.) Fix your lookin’ balls on it here.
...I liked the old one better.
Posted in Games and Art, Community, Developers | Tags Kokoromi, PhilFish | 13 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:23:00 GMT
Squidi has ended his “300 game ideas in 300 days” project at 50 ideas, citing irreconcilable differences with his audience as the cause.
I feel for him, I really do, but hey, if you’re going to make something legendary, you have to be willing to put up with people. No matter what, there’re always going to be the ones who don’t like what you do or don’t think you did it right… that’s the nature of art and it will never change! You gotta have a thick skin in this business.
In the end, for every person who criticized him about the project, there were probably hundreds that really got a lot out of it and were excited to see him reach 300, myself included. It’s too bad.
EDIT: Squidi’s reply in the extended…
Read more...
Posted in Games and Art, Community, Developers | Tags Squidi | 23 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:38:00 GMT
Caption: “Marriage ain’t easy.”—>
You guys ever take a philosophy course in college, and there’s always that one student that liked to spend 10 minutes of explanation and name-dropping before asking the professor a really, really simple question? Just to show how many books he’s read?
This interview kind of reminds of that, but it’s actually quite interesting. Whether The Marriage succeeds as a game is questionable, but there’s no doubt (in my mind, at least) that it is a fairly important piece of indie gaming. I hope Rod continues his experiments.
Also see: The Divorce
Posted in Games and Art, Interviews | 2 comments
Posted by BMcC
Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:00:00 GMT
The Marriage is a game by Rod Humble that “is intended to be art.” As such, I think it fails on most levels. But it did get me (and others) thinking, so perhaps for that it ultimately succeeds…
The game is meant to stand on its own, but if you just don’t “get” it, you can read the creator’s interpretation on his website.
Feel free to post your thoughts here. And if you’re interested in some meatier discussion, visit the forums.
(Source: Tim’s Blog)
Posted in Games and Art, Windows, Freeware | 23 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:23:00 GMT
Are games art?
Teeth responds: “Things become art in at least a couple of different ways. The first is the creator of the work presents it as such, and the second is a work elevated by weight of public opinion to art status. So, under the above terms, one could create a video game as an artistic installation and have people experience it, thereby rendering the answer to the question as ‘yes’. Has anyone done this? Possibly, I don’t know.”
Well, Edgebomber is a video game installation where players use duct tape and scissors to create levels to run and jump around in. Does that count?
Posted in Platformers, Unique / Bizarre, Games and Art | 29 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:03:00 GMT
Man!...ifesto Games is scheduling an IRC chat to discuss that most horrible of questions, are games art? Well, we all know what Roger Ebert thinks… what do you NHP-TIGS readers think?
Personally, yeah, I think you could consider video games an artform. Why not? How is it hurting anybody to call games art? The fact that it’s a commercial business, that games are mass-produced products, makes no difference to me. Why should it? Every other artform is commercialized – packaged and repackaged for a mass market.
Video games have altered the way we interact and the way we think. They are an inexorable part of our every day lives, even if you don’t play them. They can be socially conscious, poignant, visually beautiful… hell, even Grand Theft Auto is social commentary if you see it as a reflection of an urban culture obsessed with sex and violence. They make people talk.
And in response to Ebert’s quote that video games “represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic…” I would say tell that to the young Chinese kid who bonded with his dad through Zelda, who understood the power of visuals and music by watching the snowy intro of Final Fantasy VI, who felt genuine despair when Nei battled Neifirst in Phantasy Star II… and who basically became inspired to create himself because of the games he played as a kid.
Posted in Games and Art, Social Impact, Community | 40 comments
