conquest dynamics – Page 2

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Several times a year I get wheeled out in front of undergraduates and I’m expected to say something that will inspire them. Like I have a secret or something. Some folk listen intently, some folk don’t. Some ask questions, some stay silent. Some never look up from their device or their notes. I feel guilty every time I don’t get a question. Like a lack of clarity on a point is an opportunity for engagement. I feel the need to polarise, to incite some sort of debate and I feel like I have failed when this has not happened. Sometimes the students file out silently, avoiding the gaze of this old bloke who has turned up to prance around in front of a projector. I’m the thing standing in the way of lunchtime, or worse, beer. Every now and then I see some rare gems. Like an artist who sets about a stop motion animation with nothing but a phone, a pen and a packet of post-it notes. Or a passion for music that sets the individual apart. Or a pair of comedians who love their art and are teaching themselves fire-breathing.

In truth, I am consistently the one inspired.

Greg Maguire posted this on Digital Circle. It’s a showreel from one of his Masters students, Gerard Dunleavy, who just won the Computer Graphics Student of the Year Award. An international competition, with the most amazing competitors.

The message I try and give students I meet is that the pieces of paper that a college or university gives you are not the worth of you. Things like the showreel above show your passion, commitment and talent.

I’ve said before that my big plan is to start a games company. And I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find the right people with the right attitude. I’m looking for guns and tanks and aliens. But to attract the attention you want, you might need to make birds or grass or tables and chairs your subjects. I remember an interview with a comics guru who said that he was inundated with pictures of impossibly muscled men and ludicrously buxom women in spandex. But he would invariably give the job to the guy who could draw normal people. Who could make unreal things seem real in the context of comics.

I think Gerard has excelled in this, even among his competitors. My suspension of disbelief is almost complete when watching the sequences with the alien ships and the zombie assailant. It’s just amazing and I can think of nothing else. Someone will be very lucky to work with Gerard in the future.

if you won’t make the games we want to play, we’ll make them ourselves

This is about two things. Kickstarter and Day Z. But it’s not really about them, it’s about the emergent culture that has appeared and these two are the most obvious indications that the culture exists. Kickstarter is a natural progression. Just like we saw with Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, folk who have become immensely … Continue reading “if you won’t make the games we want to play, we’ll make them ourselves”

Kickstarter is a natural progression. Just like we saw with Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, folk who have become immensely successful using the traditional markets are able to pivot this success into the new non traditional marketplace. With the musicians I mention, they were able to sell their music directly. With Kickstarter projects, it’s all about pre-orders. Essentially the same. People tired of formula productions and so we see non-formula productions. Albums a traditional record label may not have published. Games a large publisher would have modified. Because of the faith of a few, many will get to see what the artist wanted to create.

Day Z still fascinates me because it’s a situation rather than a story. Ordinarily this should have writers of game backgrounds shaking in their boots – but this game is describing something new. A game which is borne of games. It’s not a toy or a puzzle. It’s not a grinding engine or a jury-rigged television or movie plot. It’s a sandbox: it has limits but within those limits you can do anything you want. It bears more homage to childhood games of Cops’n’Robbers than to the hyper-violent activities in Modern Warfare. I’ve not logged in for days and when I do I know I’ll be starving. And death just that one step closer. And death, as we know, is permanent.

It’s fair to say that my own thoughts for Conquest Dynamics are changing. And why not. I doubt I’ll ever go the Kickstarter route (I just don’t have the résumé – despite publishing The 23rd Letter, SpaceNinjaCyberCrisis XDO and Zombi a decade ago.). But I feel like any game designer can learn from what is happening now. Change is happening right now and it’s both exciting and unsettling.

Another Life (persistence in games)

Peter Molyneux at Eurogamer: What I love about cloud computing – and this hasn’t been explored yet – is that it allows for something that we as gamers haven’t had since the start of gaming, and that is persistence. We don’t have worlds or experiences that can continue and last for extended periods of time. … Continue reading “Another Life (persistence in games)”

Peter Molyneux at Eurogamer:

What I love about cloud computing – and this hasn’t been explored yet – is that it allows for something that we as gamers haven’t had since the start of gaming, and that is persistence. We don’t have worlds or experiences that can continue and last for extended periods of time. We need to get rid of saved games.

I think game designers are afraid of persistence. You have to figure out the consequences of persistence or figure out a way to fudge it. You have to explain what is going to persist, why and what happens when the game is a year old.

Look at Call of Duty. Are the wars persistent? What about the damage to buildings? And what about the dead? Eventually the bodies will start to smell. How you add persistence to an FPS will change the game. Who’s making the ammunition? We’ve bombed all the factories?

Look at Warcraft. Eventually you’ll have chopped down every tree and mined every mine. Eventually the Undead will likely take over by amassing huge shambling armies. Adding persistence means thinking about the long term consequences.

And what happens in persistent worlds with clues and traps? Do you come across the body of previous players? Or do you brave the terrors of the dungeons only to find the burial chamber contains only the burned out campfire of the guys who looted it before you?

But I don’t think Mr Molyneux is being particularly prophetic. Persistence is the Next Big Thing in games. The challenge will be in not making it awful.

Some companies will deal with it in terms of expansions. More new places to go. Others will use resets. Once a year, everything gets ‘reset’ after a fashion. Others still will place their game in a sandbox. New resources will be supply drops.

What I’m interested in is a game where the structures are built by people playing Sim City or Minecraft. They’re destroyed by people playing Call of Duty and Warcraft. Supplies are generated by people playing FarmVille and shops are staffed by people playing Dead Hungry Diner. Bystanders in the street are Sims, crossed with GTA.

They don’t have to be playing the same game. But what’s to stop a Sim shopkeeper (in real life, a lawyer from Seattle) playing out an interaction with a grizzled CoD veteran (in real life, a 35 year old video store clerk from Miami). The CoD player is playing his favourite FPS and from his point of view is trying to track down the whereabouts of a possible insurgent in the area. The Sim player is interacting via SMS messages and emotes on his mobile phone. He’s dialled up the realism so later that day, he’s interacting with a GTA mugger (in real life, a 17 year old college student on her summer holidays) and escaping with his life but not his wallet.

Isn’t that what Second Life should have been?

Conquest Dynamics: Codename Adams 2

Aidan continues. Related posts: EAGLE LAKE Conquest Dynamics: Codename Adams Missing key IM conversation

Aidan continues.

Conquest Dynamics: Codename Adams

Aidan has been sketching out storyboards for the intro movie…. Related posts: EAGLE LAKE Conquest Dynamics: Codename Adams 2 ASPIRE

Aidan has been sketching out storyboards for the intro movie….

So why not Kickstarter

I got this question yesterday. If I want to do this, why not use Kickstarter as it’s been such a success for heaps of stuff. The world famous Double Fine Adventure sets a precedent. A small team of dedicated people can achieve great things. But, ultimately we’re not ready for that. We’ve got the start … Continue reading “So why not Kickstarter”

I got this question yesterday. If I want to do this, why not use Kickstarter as it’s been such a success for heaps of stuff.

The world famous Double Fine Adventure sets a precedent. A small team of dedicated people can achieve great things.

But, ultimately we’re not ready for that. We’ve got the start of a team with Aidan and Willem. We’re trying to raise some cash for assets – images, music, animations, movies. We have our Lo-Fi movie, a wiki that’s growing with game design features and background and we’re talking to Northern Ireland Screen about what they can do to help.

We’re not ready for something like Kickstarter because we don’t have the twelve year background of Double Fine Productions, the reputation of Tim Schafer, the back catalogue of 2 Player Productions. Kickstarter is a big step and we’re not ready because we don’t have anything to show.

We’d like help to get there.

We’re on Seedups.com

Though, to date, we’ve had one inquiry. So rather than hide it all behind a wall, here’s what we’ve written. As my theory is that telling no-one was getting us nowhere, I’m now telling everyone. About Matt 1990-1994 BSc Hons Genetics 1994-1996 PgCert Computers and IT 1996 Joined Nortel 1996 Published first game: The 23rd … Continue reading “We’re on Seedups.com”

About Matt

1990-1994 BSc Hons Genetics
1994-1996 PgCert Computers and IT
1996 Joined Nortel
1996 Published first game: The 23rd Letter
1998 Published second game: SpaceNinjaCyberCrisis XDO
2001 Published third game: Zombi: the earth won’t hold the head
2003 Started own IT company, MacSys Ltd
2006 Started Infurious software
2008 Started developing Digital Circle in Northern Ireland
2011 Put together the team for Conquest Dynamics

Business Opportunity

We will need an initial £200,000 of funding to produce the first game and the development of the initial IP for the second and third. We are not aiming for the 69p market, but rather delivering some new ideas in social and multiplayer games which will drive payer recruitment and engagement.

Our initial game has a basic game design document but this also needs enhancement and we are keen to find additional advice as well as funding to assist in the delivery of this.

The opportunity in a global, networked marketplace is immense thoughwill only be realised through appropriate marketing, use of social media and development of a die-hard player community.

We aim to sell more than a million copies of each game each year and establish four important new properties over the next five years.

Product/Service

We will make games and sell them. A lot.

We have one developed idea and three further games on the slate and a dozen more in the distance.

Market Information

We are aiming for a market segment that is at the intersection of 11M subscribers to World of Warcraft and 65 million iPads.

We will be targeting a sector we know well. Gamers who have limited time, some money to spend and a desire to play games which have more depth than casual games. We’re targeting gamer dads.

Financial Information

To be decided. Come and talk to us.

We’re looking for a committed partner who will provide more than just funding. We’re in for a roller coaster; we have big plans so come and talk to us.

Intellectual Property Information

We will be developing new content-based intellectual peoperty based on original ideas and tell engaging stories.

And then there were three…

Last night I tweeted that we had now managed to graft an important third limb onto our Frankensteinian creation. Some real progress was made in cementing relationships and I’m very upbeat about the whole process. This week we will be seeking funding options which include but are not limited to NIScreen, HALO, Seed EIS and … Continue reading “And then there were three…”

This week we will be seeking funding options which include but are not limited to NIScreen, HALO, Seed EIS and some local private investors.

Watch this space.

…that was when I carried you…

I have always been a team player. I don’t know where it came from (though possibly reading “The Adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table” far too many times) but I’ve always enjoyed working in a group. My role in the group doesn’t tend to be ‘follower’ and there is always … Continue reading “…that was when I carried you…”

I have always been a team player.

I don’t know where it came from (though possibly reading “The Adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table” far too many times) but I’ve always enjoyed working in a group. My role in the group doesn’t tend to be ‘follower’ and there is always the tension when more than one ‘non-follower’ is in a group. But this tension is what creates great work. You need to have multiple people with vision explaining their points of view. And I, for my part, have boundless enthusiasm for good ideas.

Back, a hundred years ago, there were multiple visionaries in our little creative group. The thing that set me apart from the rest was in what happened with the ideas. The ones I created (The 23rd Letter, SpaceNinjaCyberCrisis XDO, Zombi) made it to publication (with the exception of a few which, to this day, I just can’t finish). But no other ideas made it to the stage where they could be sold.

And it wasn’t that I forced others to only work on my ideas. In fact, I expended a huge amount of effort on others ideas but, in virtually every case, I never felt like the effort was appreciated. The feedback was never entirely clear but it seemed like I was stepping on toes by being enthusiastic. And when your contributions are unrewarded or worse, rejected, you stop doing it.

Good teams need to have that mix. In fact, the point of a team is to have members able to lift and carry for others when things get maudlin. I reckon this is the primary reason for pair-bonding in humans. We need to rely on someone to keep good results consistent. And it’s just as important to take it in turns to inspire each other.

I miss working with others on new products. It’s probably the thing I miss the most in the whole world. Working alone is like being in an echo chamber. Working with others is exciting, challenging – even if it’s not always productive. It’s not always fun either – but sometimes it’s the best.

Lo-Fi

In the vein of telling everyone* in an attempt to try and raise the funds for this game, here’s a lo-fi trailer that Aidan, my friend (and close collaborator in all things important to me), put together to help us visualise the story and content. This is a 3 MB M4V. What do you think? … Continue reading “Lo-Fi”

What do you think?

*telling no-one wasn’t working very well.