tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3759872984715850172023-12-12T06:48:33.427-07:00Daniel's blog o' game-makingDaniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-12149285684751222292012-01-04T15:41:00.000-07:002012-01-04T15:41:48.706-07:00Solo Show<div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I recently finished my last semester at Colorado State University, and as part of my final drawing project I worked on a version of my upcoming platformer for a very different context: the fine arts exhibition. It was a strange experience, I'll be honest. How do you take an exploration-based platformer meant to be played for an extended period of time, and make it work for an art gallery context where people might only come up and try it out for half a minute? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, one way of doing that is by taking away the platformer from the game. I thought that simple platformer controls would be easy enough for anyone to pick up and play, but still many people at my critiques were confused and frustrated. So I had to further simplify, a few times up until the point where all you have to do is move in four directions using a USB NES controller. That even proved a bit difficult for some, but overall the exhibition was a success. </span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FF6Azaa6pvA/TwS2vPD-GfI/AAAAAAAAAho/JBtDGQvNLk0/s1600/show_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FF6Azaa6pvA/TwS2vPD-GfI/AAAAAAAAAho/JBtDGQvNLk0/s320/show_1.jpg" width="320" /></a> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3cb8iCy51E/TwS2w5iZtFI/AAAAAAAAAiA/bRGrt2G7CvI/s320/show_4.jpg" width="240" /></div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had two projections of the game on either wall, and accompanying music by Nicholas Singer playing through two sets of headphones. Most people got the idea, and I was pretty happy with how it all turned out.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now I get to finish the game as intended. :)</span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bHvhFD9c74/TwS2wO4n69I/AAAAAAAAAh4/vgym-IEVHnk/s1600/show_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bHvhFD9c74/TwS2wO4n69I/AAAAAAAAAh4/vgym-IEVHnk/s320/show_3.jpg" width="320" /></a><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of the art is complete, and since the game design has been completed for over a year, all that's left is finishing up animations (which I may do myself, unless I can find an animator to help me out) and polishing/testing. Hopefully this process won't take more than a few months, but I've learned by now not to make release date estimates when I can only devote some of my time to game development. </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FF6Azaa6pvA/TwS2vPD-GfI/AAAAAAAAAho/JBtDGQvNLk0/s1600/show_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VLLVPirc_0U/TwS2vjNbErI/AAAAAAAAAhw/iNX7E3lwBs4/s1600/show_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bHvhFD9c74/TwS2wO4n69I/AAAAAAAAAh4/vgym-IEVHnk/s1600/show_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3cb8iCy51E/TwS2w5iZtFI/AAAAAAAAAiA/bRGrt2G7CvI/s1600/show_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.42780937533825636" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b></div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-77858786360920058922011-11-04T17:08:00.000-06:002011-11-04T17:08:43.727-06:00I am still making games!My game design work had to take a back seat after I decided to finish up my last two years of university, and neglecting this blog was a product of that. I only have five weeks left to go, and my game (formally the XNA game, now coming out via Unity on PC and mobile devices) is my capstone project.<br />
<br />
More to come soon, but in the meantime some new art! click for full-res<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HblhDcrAqMg/TrRvKYQaT7I/AAAAAAAAAhc/LvnPy4-ddL8/s1600/3_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HblhDcrAqMg/TrRvKYQaT7I/AAAAAAAAAhc/LvnPy4-ddL8/s320/3_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXKjBLtcNzU/TrRvKc3ENqI/AAAAAAAAAhc/2JJmx5Hr4RI/s1600/6_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXKjBLtcNzU/TrRvKc3ENqI/AAAAAAAAAhc/2JJmx5Hr4RI/s320/6_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJlvalEUml4/TrRvKwcZnEI/AAAAAAAAAhc/QhMzUPvO61Y/s1600/2_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJlvalEUml4/TrRvKwcZnEI/AAAAAAAAAhc/QhMzUPvO61Y/s320/2_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlS1aiJUeJs/TrRvLgzVWUI/AAAAAAAAAhc/qANRhrEJ6gw/s1600/7_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlS1aiJUeJs/TrRvLgzVWUI/AAAAAAAAAhc/qANRhrEJ6gw/s320/7_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-56690919881989177862010-08-16T22:50:00.002-06:002010-08-16T23:00:09.569-06:00Another updateI've shown a bit of the title I'm currently working on for PC/XBLIG, and while it's a simple game it is going to take a bit longer to develop than I previously thought it would. Mainly because it cannot be my main focus in life at the moment. But I finish what I start and I really want to complete this project. In the meantime, I was thinking about the general secrecy associated with games early on in development and how things are usually held close to the chest until the game is ready for its PR campaign. And I'm not sure if that's the best idea for an indie game.<br />
<br />
At the very least I would like to start documenting the process of development on the art side, and I like the idea of making it public and immediate. Things will no doubt change before release, and sharing my work will be a good motivator for me and a good way of getting feedback from others. <br />
<br />
So here's a proper start. I think this is the aesthetic I want to achieve with this game. I will explain more in future blog posts!<br />
<br />
(click for big image)<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEylMwxUa5FL1ouOls1Mm3NO0xMrbvUUTnBfuRcqifY7S5kXFfFd6UYsOf2R2j4fBfUxUUJlFzthI_lYLYHGoK7tFclEB7MIycOhtIaG1VtNPieKGM3UcwgL0VBNO3CSNpWrGocckJb8//" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEylMwxUa5FL1ouOls1Mm3NO0xMrbvUUTnBfuRcqifY7S5kXFfFd6UYsOf2R2j4fBfUxUUJlFzthI_lYLYHGoK7tFclEB7MIycOhtIaG1VtNPieKGM3UcwgL0VBNO3CSNpWrGocckJb8//" width="640" /></a>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-90678145878283742622010-06-11T16:18:00.000-06:002010-06-11T16:18:58.706-06:00little updateStill working on the xna title, and here's some more art preview. (click for large)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZok9bJAdoMlKSiHjf91peznSHX3tlgER3L6v_Z1tYtmE8dqkggUO6puOBpQQwjVRwcGXFBiboPUndrUr9aYxUGi_VZZy6gi13ee7nHS-kE8FeE-Xotm-Thw_vCKhyDHe0Dw9YiiGgO_M//" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="457" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZok9bJAdoMlKSiHjf91peznSHX3tlgER3L6v_Z1tYtmE8dqkggUO6puOBpQQwjVRwcGXFBiboPUndrUr9aYxUGi_VZZy6gi13ee7nHS-kE8FeE-Xotm-Thw_vCKhyDHe0Dw9YiiGgO_M//" width="640" /></a></div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-4765376230087316672010-04-08T12:58:00.005-06:002010-04-08T13:01:05.960-06:00new project<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ctable%20style=%22width:auto;%22%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%3E%3Ca%20href=%22http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CptP3L1F6lvoa8zgUPOqwQ?feat=embedwebsite"%3E%3Cimg%20src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/S74luucaWGI/AAAAAAAAAXI/eZrZZOWMV6k/s144/xna_asset.jpg"%20/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%20style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;%20font-size:11px;%20text-align:right"%3EFrom%20%3Ca%20href="http://picasaweb.google.com/semnatstudios/Misc?feat=embedwebsite"%3Emisc%3C/a%3E%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3C/table%3E"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ctable%20style=%22width:auto;%22%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%3E%3Ca%20href=%22http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CptP3L1F6lvoa8zgUPOqwQ?feat=embedwebsite"%3E%3Cimg%20src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/S74luucaWGI/AAAAAAAAAXI/eZrZZOWMV6k/s144/xna_asset.jpg"%20/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3Ctr%3E%3Ctd%20style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;%20font-size:11px;%20text-align:right"%3EFrom%20%3Ca%20href="http://picasaweb.google.com/semnatstudios/Misc?feat=embedwebsite"%3Emisc%3C/a%3E%3C/td%3E%3C/tr%3E%3C/table%3E"></a><br />
I'm working on a game for the Indie Games channel on 360. It's a small project but it looks like I'll be able to fulfill one of my development wishes which is to create a game world composed entirely of original hand-drawn assets. No tiles, no repeating textures filling up polygonal meshes, not one reused asset. It's a ton of work on the drawing side, but it's work that I love to do.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Development only really began about a month ago but I hope to have the game finished by this summer.<br />
<br />
Here's a little peak at one of the structures you'll be running atop of (unless I decide to redo it again). If everything goes as planned it'll all be running at 1080p.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"></span><br />
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/S74luucaWGI/AAAAAAAAAXI/eZrZZOWMV6k/s1600/xna_asset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/S74luucaWGI/AAAAAAAAAXI/eZrZZOWMV6k/s640/xna_asset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: center;">(click to enlarge)</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">-Daniel</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-56404394604820194322010-02-16T12:41:00.002-07:002010-02-16T12:42:20.380-07:00alternateOur new game came out today for the iphone, yay<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.alternate.semnatstudios.com/">Check it out!</a></b><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alternate-arcade-action-game/id353303799?mt=8">app store link</a> </b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.alternate.semnatstudios.com/images/alternate_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alternate.semnatstudios.com/images/alternate_2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.alternate.semnatstudios.com/images/alternate_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alternate.semnatstudios.com/images/alternate_3.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.alternate.semnatstudios.com/images/alternate_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.alternate.semnatstudios.com/images/alternate_4.jpg" /></a></div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-84125438313657112082010-02-12T12:54:00.001-07:002010-02-12T12:56:03.079-07:00high-res ost artWe've received some requests for higher-res album art, so here it be:<br />
<br />
(click image for full res) <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/S3WxbsdUUBI/AAAAAAAAAWU/X0VU8dTLJLQ/s1600-h/cover_highres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/S3WxbsdUUBI/AAAAAAAAAWU/X0VU8dTLJLQ/s640/cover_highres.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-8653362881247163782010-02-09T12:14:00.003-07:002010-02-09T12:16:56.922-07:00hooray for free things that are good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>We've finally released the soundtrack for Eduardo,<a href="http://www.eduardothesamuraitoaster.com/"> so enjoy! </a><br />
<br />
Everything Raymond Gramke composed for the game, including tracks that didn't make it to the final release.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eduardothesamuraitoaster.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/S3GzcH0JFDI/AAAAAAAAAVY/eMrDp9w39nc/s320/eduardo_soundtrack.jpg" /></a></div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-16664082892552901982010-01-13T13:01:00.004-07:002010-01-13T14:30:57.501-07:00New Eduardo siteWe have a new website up! Spread the word!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.eduardothesamuraitoaster.com/">http://www.eduardothesamuraitoaster.com/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eduardothesamuraitoaster.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://www.eduardothesamuraitoaster.com/images/eduardo-header.png" width="640" /></a><br />
</div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-57942197279217732282010-01-13T12:59:00.001-07:002010-01-13T13:00:32.254-07:00Prototype background 2And here is the second background I've made for the <a href="http://semnatstudios.blogspot.com/2009/12/happy-new-year.html">project mentioned in the last post.</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">(click for large view) <br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4271713211_7edc354d0f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4271713211_7edc354d0f_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
</div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-56162215077534911992009-12-31T13:21:00.004-07:002009-12-31T13:31:05.375-07:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4229643652_53d5012ffa_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><br />
</div>Taking a bit of a break from my Eduardo posts (I will return to that again) I'd like to start showing more non-Eduardo work into this blog. I've been doing some concept work for personal projects, and recently started making art for someone else's game, an unannounced project.<br />
<br />
It's a sidescrolling game, and the first thing I did was create some bricks. I just had the idea "bricks" and went from there, with no real idea how everything would end up. It's a fun and adventurous way of making art at times, though usually I have a clearer idea of what I'd like the finished project to look like before I start. This time though I only saw one step ahead the whole way through.<br />
<br />
I finished the middleground first, thought it could use some vines, then started work on a suitable background. Everything was done on computer obviously, but I used textures that I created with traditional media and layered them together. <a href="http://semnatstudios.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-interviews-that-ive-done-over-past.html">Similar to the proccess I used in some levels in Eduardo</a> but more refined, and using many more layers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(click for full view)<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4229643652_53d5012ffa_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4229643652_53d5012ffa_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Below is the background I made using a lot of the same textures.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4229642166_76b23daa42_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4229642166_76b23daa42_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I love creating art for games so if any of you reading this are programmers in need of an artist for your game, drop me a line and I'd love to talk. I'm going to be creating art for my portfolio anyhow, so it might as well be for an actual game.<br />
<br />
-DanielDaniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-34956861282527788292009-11-25T13:26:00.000-07:002009-12-10T16:15:59.368-07:00ASSETS: LEVEL 4Level 4 was another one of those very early concepts that evolved over the years. The basic idea was to make a level using assets similar to those from the first area of the game and transport them into a grainy black and white movie world. Everything in the middleground was in silhouette and this idea lasted until we brought the game over to WiiWare. For gameplay purposes silhouetting simply wasn't going to work; there was just too much going on and you wouldn't be able to tell what's what.<br />
<br />
Below is a rough timeline showing how the look changed (click for full size):<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sw2YJIMcg1I/AAAAAAAAATk/YJohkXrP1F0/s1600/timeline.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408146010127762258" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sw2YJIMcg1I/AAAAAAAAATk/YJohkXrP1F0/s400/timeline.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 141px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Note that this isn't a complete, comprehensive look at the silhouette theme. I want to show how the <span style="font-style: italic;">cloudy </span>silhouette theme changed. In a future post I will show discarded areas and different versions of this theme, and the Torque Eduardo screenshot is a glimpse of that.<br />
<br />
As usual, very few assets were used to make up this level. Many of them based on assets from level 1.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sw2YJvcvkkI/AAAAAAAAAT0/3uQbZstdpdw/s1600/assets.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408146020665102914" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sw2YJvcvkkI/AAAAAAAAAT0/3uQbZstdpdw/s400/assets.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 251px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(click for full size)</span><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
Below is a reference mock-up using final assets.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sw2YJrbT5eI/AAAAAAAAATs/XK4HmEDL3PQ/s1600/scene.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408146019585353186" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sw2YJrbT5eI/AAAAAAAAATs/XK4HmEDL3PQ/s400/scene.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(click for full size)</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
And here's an in-game screenshot from the final game:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://semnatstudios.com/images/screens/eduardothesamuraitoaster_10.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://semnatstudios.com/images/screens/eduardothesamuraitoaster_10.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 457px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(click for full size)<br />
<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">The grain is exaggerated in the screenshots--don't ask why. It should look more subtle on your tv screen. Of course, as it always happens, whenever I look back at the game I feel like changing this and that and in this case toning down that grain a bit. But that's okay, I'm satisfied with the end result all things considered. Take what you learn from the past and apply it to whatever you do next, right?<br />
<br />
-Daniel<br />
</div></div></div></div>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-65657605588764430492009-11-04T13:13:00.000-07:002009-12-10T16:16:52.825-07:00ASSETS: Levels 2 & 3Level 2 and 3 both have assets based on those from the first area. Long ago in one version of Eduardo we were going to split up levels into worlds-levels, similar to something like Super Mario Bros. 3. World 1 would have its own theme, world 2 its own theme, etc. This carried over into the final version of Eduardo in a couple of ways: the first three levels and then the final level which is split up into four parts. At one point we had a bamboo world with three different variations and I hope to delve into that later on.<br />
<br />
I've mentioned in previous blog posts about how my own process of asset creation changed over the years, and level 2 represents an example of some older sensibilities. I was inspired by some Japanese woodblock prints for this level, for the background sky and the bridge which you happen upon toward the end of the level. By "inspire" I mean that I rather shamelessly recreated the bridge from one particular print:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHj-ET10WI/AAAAAAAAATA/pBuwMNePvAA/s1600-h/848.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400348083642290530" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHj-ET10WI/AAAAAAAAATA/pBuwMNePvAA/s400/848.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 278px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
I changed it a bit but it was a pretty close recreation done in photoshop. If I were to do something like that today it would look completely different, and most likely be done on paper first. I always try to improve my processes and techniques, and this is an example of learning from working.<br />
<br />
So just like level 1, level 2 had to use very few assets, shown below (not pictured: the overlays used, which in most cases were the same ones from the first level).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHlBl0s9QI/AAAAAAAAATI/ILz7F3wM3sM/s1600-h/assets.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400349243689727234" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHlBl0s9QI/AAAAAAAAATI/ILz7F3wM3sM/s400/assets.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 296px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(click for full size)</span><br />
<br />
Concept image using assets from the game:<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHlVa2doKI/AAAAAAAAATQ/vOWYJnQ0apg/s1600-h/B2+copy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400349584341704866" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHlVa2doKI/AAAAAAAAATQ/vOWYJnQ0apg/s400/B2+copy.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 225px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(click for full size)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Onto level 3.<br />
<br />
Similar as before, but as the only vertically-scrolling level I decided to add a few more hills for the parallax layers. I rather like the way this one came out. It's also the only level where I didn't create the background from scratch. It worked best to use a real space photograph and add a bit of color to the bottom of it.<br />
</div></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHpdXoOafI/AAAAAAAAATY/ylUIQQ4Gbqk/s1600-h/assets.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400354118962145778" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SvHpdXoOafI/AAAAAAAAATY/ylUIQQ4Gbqk/s400/assets.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 289px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">(click for full size)</span><br />
</div><br />
That's all for now!<br />
<br />
-DanielDaniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-7171580511418770552009-09-24T10:47:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:17:19.745-07:00Assets: Level 1With Eduardo I wanted to be able to bring something visually different to games. From the beginning of development where I didn't know what I was doing up until we sent the game to Nintendo, I just wanted to do something different, something aesthetically appealing or interesting. I took a lot of risks--some paid off and others didn't. The way I've always worked is that I have an idea and I go for it. Essentially I work and learn and refine until I'm satisfied. I work as much as I can and learn while I'm creating.<br />
<br />
I had this vision of doing something unique with Eduardo's visuals, but I also had to deal with technical limitations. Our total file size was very low, and if I had it my way I would have created each level as layers of unique drawings instead of repeating patterns that have to be used over and over again. I decided to save a lot of space for the finale of the game <a href="http://semnatstudios.blogspot.com/2009/01/finale.html">as detailed in this post</a>, so the challenge was to come up with nice-looking locales using as few assets as possible.<br />
<br />
The first level's assets come to a little over 1MB as <span style="font-style: italic;">png</span> files. The way we did the terrain for almost all of the levels was by using a single repeating texture, usually one just 256x256 pixels, and filled in a polygonal mesh. To get the best visual effect possible we had to forgo this method for many of the <span style="font-style: italic;">background</span> layers, even when they were comprised of similar repeating textures. For example, in level 1 I wanted two parallax scrolling hills in the background which needed to have a shadowy gradient, and it looked best when we merged the gradient with the hills themselves. So in some cases we used big images instead of polygonal meshes. In all middleground cases aside from the last level and the shmup levels, however, polygonal meshes were used.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SruuWTWPpYI/AAAAAAAAASc/ziNuthTG-GE/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SruuWTWPpYI/AAAAAAAAASc/ziNuthTG-GE/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 256px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">(above: 256x256 repeating texture used in level 1)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
I laid out </span>all of the levels in programs like photoshop. In most cases I could figure out how an entire level would look within a single 854x480 image since we had to repeat about a single screen's worth of images over an entire level. We had to make repetition work, and I think we were able to pull it off successfully.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SruuWMZR-PI/AAAAAAAAASU/HlcrI6DM_LY/s720/A480%20copy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SruuWMZR-PI/AAAAAAAAASU/HlcrI6DM_LY/s720/A480%20copy.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 306px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 544px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(above: a photoshop mock-up using assets from the game. click for larger image)<br />
(below: screenshot from the game. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">click for larger image</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">)<br />
<br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://semnatstudios.com/images/screens/eduardothesamuraitoaster_02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://semnatstudios.com/images/screens/eduardothesamuraitoaster_02.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 307px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 548px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Here are the assets used for the environment in level 1, layered on top of each other:<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SruuWZud81I/AAAAAAAAASg/j1Bq5PqCKKc/s720/scene_1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SruuWZud81I/AAAAAAAAASg/j1Bq5PqCKKc/s720/scene_1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 307px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 544px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><br />
</div></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br />
</div></div><br />
I usually had a few parallax scrolling background layers and every level aside from a few used overlays. They were simple gradients and textures placed over everything else for added polish. For the first level we also had petals dropping in the foreground. I show one such petal in the above image but we actually used four images as an animation.<br />
<br />
It can be a fun challenge to work within such limitations, so please don't take my comments as being resentful over the process. It was a tremendous opportunity to make a game for a major platform and I always love a good challenge.<br />
<br />
Next time: Level 2.<br />
<br />
-DanielDaniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-25696264398502134702009-09-24T10:34:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:17:42.635-07:00Ich bin zurückNow that Eduardo has been out for a few months and people have had a chance to play it (and hopefully derive some enjoyment from the experience), I think it's time that I finished the job I started here.<br />
<br />
The main purpose for creating this blog was to detail my process in creating the art for Eduardo. Starting now I am going to go level-by-level and show how I put together assets for the game. I'll try not to repeat myself, so for certain levels where I previously went into detail about art creation I will skip over those details but provide a link to previous posts.<br />
<br />
That's the goal, but if there is anything anyone would like to know about any aspect of Eduardo, send me an email (daniel [ a t ] semnatstudios.com ) or leave a comment below and I'll do my best to answer your questions.<br />
<br />
DanielDaniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-64572444194343055632009-06-08T14:03:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:18:04.546-07:00It's coming!We found out just hours after I made that last post but wanted to wait until today to make the announcement. But Eduardo is ready for release in N. America: next monday! Just 800 points. Not bad, eh?Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-47443817826886673682009-06-04T09:35:00.001-06:002009-12-10T16:18:16.909-07:00UpdatesWe have an updated trailer up on the Nintendo Channel (viewable through the Wii itself). It was on the last page the other day, hopefully it's still there now, somewhere. We should also have some stuff put up on nintendo.com tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Now we're just anxiously awaiting the release, hoping we pass lotcheck soon. Cross your fingers, folks.<br />
<br />
My plan is to be updating the blog more often as soon as the game comes out. That way people will have a bit more context for the behind-the-scenes stuff.<br />
<br />
So anyhow, since Eduardo has been finished for a while now we've been working on a prototype for a possible second project, and I've been experimenting with different art processes to see what direction I want the art to take. I'm not going to show any of that, but I thought it would be fun to recreate a screen from one of the 2D Metroid games (a favorite series of mine) using the process I'm currently messing around with. I laid out all of the inks with a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPuzj6NQJxiq0JBhEpi4NuSkh9WCDf076PnySVWW1OCN2M3_Y2LfpHCmgBIjsxNDmu1TWd8iLGDOWqBeN4MunXI71xWzsh99sov2gxrJ1Wn89iRHsGIbey11olYhlLLk0x-YyLLsSRHZc/s320/bamboo_pen_ink_for_web.jpg">bamboo stick</a> two nights ago right before going to bed, and then spent a few hours trying to get some decent colors in photoshop. This is just a recreation of a scene, we're not actually making a Metroid game.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U-ekQUR7iiiScogkN7NM3g?feat=directlink">Here you go.</a>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-77757897131617560692009-04-28T15:13:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:18:49.799-07:00off topic post #2I'm doing a little project for school right now and it's kind of a videogame. A weird, few minute-long game that most people are probably going to hate, but I thought it would be nice to offer it for free once it's finished (couple weeks I'd say). I came up with the simple idea and created most of the assets for a drawing class last semester, and this semester Robert and I are actually turning it into a playable game-sorta-thing (for the PC).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">(click for full resolution)<br />
</div><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sfdy5BXTK2I/AAAAAAAAAMo/FtW2Dud29Lk/s1600-h/test.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329855007960542050" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sfdy5BXTK2I/AAAAAAAAAMo/FtW2Dud29Lk/s400/test.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 246px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
Lot of fun doing the art, and at the very least the visuals should make it interesting. Everything is animated (including the big background), so it should look neat.Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-80997555762447817292009-04-20T10:47:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:19:12.314-07:00evolution of a level: the bamboo.. uh, levelThe bamboo level, or level 12 as it's now called, went through around as many revisions as the grass level. Due to my poor backup organizing, this isn't quite a complete look at the evolution of the level, but it's close enough.<br />
<br />
Like the grass, the bamboo idea was there very early on in development. So I had a long time to work on it. This is basically how my process has worked:<br />
<br />
1. Have an idea, draw assets.<br />
<br />
2. Be satisfied with my work, or hate it and start all over again (and go back to step 1).<br />
<br />
3. Put the assets together in photoshop or something similar to create a mock-up of how a level would look like.<br />
<br />
3. If satisfied, I will probably start disliking it within days.<br />
<br />
4. Repeat process 5-20 times until finally, totally satisfied.<br />
<br />
There are a few levels where I got it mostly right the first or second time, but for the most levels this is how I've worked. So what I've learned is that if I'm not completely satisfied with my work and I think that I can do better, I should give it another go. Experiment as much as possible. And if I get stuck, I'll work on something else and come back to it later.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SeyvSJMoocI/AAAAAAAAAKo/y-4v6XpFsZk/s512/old.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SeyvSJMoocI/AAAAAAAAAKo/y-4v6XpFsZk/s512/old.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 512px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 99px;" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SeyvRY6TF9I/AAAAAAAAAKg/CUKtkbQDDnk/s512/sketch.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SeyvRY6TF9I/AAAAAAAAAKg/CUKtkbQDDnk/s512/sketch.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 422px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 422px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
<br />
These two pictures were done in Painter IX, before I really tried using traditional media. The thin black lines in the second picture made it to one version of the area but I can't find that so I'll show how I used some of these other bamboo stalks for another version.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo1EIacFI/AAAAAAAAAJk/5XRP1jmXBIQ/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo1EIacFI/AAAAAAAAAJk/5XRP1jmXBIQ/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 370px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 418px;" /></a><span style="color: #ff6666;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
I liked this at the time, and proceeded to make some foliage to go with it:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo8eXVASI/AAAAAAAAAKA/JH5gZKXvpsk/s640/test2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo8eXVASI/AAAAAAAAAKA/JH5gZKXvpsk/s640/test2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 371px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 464px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
<br />
Not too bad I suppose, but it didn't feel right. I think the problem here was that everything looked too stiff, too rigid and perhaps even a bit plastic-like. And the terrain outline didn't do it for me. So I tried some more, this time attempting to create a painterly terrain texture and changing the leaves:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo1cFe4_I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/dCFmt0EYyjY/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo1cFe4_I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/dCFmt0EYyjY/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 262px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 466px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
Kind of a step back in many ways, huh? The ground texture reeks of lame photoshop filtering and the vignetting (something I think I figured out later) was absurd. The lighter leaves were a step in the right direction, providing some translucency which helps when you're dealing with parallax layers. Still, this wasn't looking good.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo8hHFLAI/AAAAAAAAAKI/Cowr2AIDiA8/s640/test3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo8hHFLAI/AAAAAAAAAKI/Cowr2AIDiA8/s640/test3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 343px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 431px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
Here's another attempt. Different terrain again, and different leaves. The leaves here are actually in the final assets, albeit arranged quite differently. The mist is present because at the time the bamboo <span style="font-style: italic;">world</span> was going to be split into three levels: a day level, a misty level, and a night level. This made sense back in 2006 when I didn't have as many ideas for level themes. I remember being pretty happy with this mock-up for a little while, but I revisited the bamboo concept later on after I started using traditional media for the artwork.<br />
<br />
The first step towards going that route was in April 2007 when I experimented again:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sey4redpOTI/AAAAAAAAAK8/6h5Ewgalx9E/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sey4redpOTI/AAAAAAAAAK8/6h5Ewgalx9E/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 238px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 425px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
Yikes. Well I wasn't satisfied before so I kept on experimenting, and in an attempt to create more <a href="http://www.jeankigel.com/Bamboo%20Grove,%20%20sumi-e,%20Jean%20Kigel.jpg">sumi-e styled bamboo</a>, I created <span style="font-style: italic;">bones</span>. One good thing did come from this one though, and that was using scanned-in media for the leaves, as weird as they looked:<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sey4rlIEgUI/AAAAAAAAALE/pKYOQ5mv5ZM/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sey4rlIEgUI/AAAAAAAAALE/pKYOQ5mv5ZM/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 465px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 465px;" /></a>I was introduced to a certain kind of mixed media process by one of my art teachers, a process I was quite taken by. It's basically a wet/dry process of layering charcoal and acrylic paint. I believe it was the bamboo level where I first decided to use this process instead of going the computer-painting route. Here are some terrible scans of the assets now present in the final level of the game. All done on gessoed newspaper with layers of charcoal and acrylic.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seywx6y-gZI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9htEaGaI6vU/s512/2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seywx6y-gZI/AAAAAAAAAK0/9htEaGaI6vU/s512/2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 512px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 158px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo08ptfvI/AAAAAAAAAJU/jlRdpudnofw/s512/1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo08ptfvI/AAAAAAAAAJU/jlRdpudnofw/s512/1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 512px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 301px;" /></a><br />
<br />
The funny(sad?) thing is that I never rescanned them. I thought it was okay at the time, and what you see in the game are these scans, cut out and messed around with in photoshop. I never felt the need to rescan them.<br />
<br />
For the ground textures I used the same process and created three sets of textures and blended them together in photoshop. I could only find two of the scans in time for this post, the third one having bits of twigs mixed in with the charcoal and paint.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SezF1d8EQdI/AAAAAAAAALs/wtOsOo-p3QM/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SezF1d8EQdI/AAAAAAAAALs/wtOsOo-p3QM/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 317px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 459px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SezF1d8EQdI/AAAAAAAAALs/wtOsOo-p3QM/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo80Bw51I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/o5KHOuKCQbQ/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo80Bw51I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/o5KHOuKCQbQ/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 408px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 466px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
<br />
I didn't really know what I was doing. Again, just experimenting, trying out new techniques. And I liked where it was going. Here's an early piece of concept work using these assets:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SezF1UnfiII/AAAAAAAAAL0/KCGoDDSRwJw/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/SezF1UnfiII/AAAAAAAAAL0/KCGoDDSRwJw/" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 217px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 386px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
I spent quite a long time figuring out how to use these assets. This is one of many concept works I made--I was finally getting somewhere satisfying with the bamboo level after years of working on it. And after this I did just about every proceeding bit of artwork using traditional media.<br />
<br />
Here's the final bit of concept/reference work I made for the bamboo level, using final assets from the game. If you pay close attention you'll see those twigs in the ground textures I was talking about:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo1MqJ4bI/AAAAAAAAAJs/jG3HNRMnSF4/s720/overlay_ex.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Seyo1MqJ4bI/AAAAAAAAAJs/jG3HNRMnSF4/s720/overlay_ex.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 236px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 421px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
And here we have the level in the final game:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://semnatstudios.com/images/screens/eduardothesamuraitoaster_06.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://semnatstudios.com/images/screens/eduardothesamuraitoaster_06.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 260px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 465px;" /></a><span style="color: red;">(click for larger picture)</span><br />
</div><br />
<br />
Overall I'm pretty satisfied with how the level came out (especially in motion). I learned a lot during this process and at the very least I have a rough system in place for asset creation. I'm looking forward to trying out new methods and techniques for future games if we get the chance (*psst*<span style="font-size: 78%;">buy our game!</span>*psst*).<br />
<br />
-DanielDaniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-72569373742075440022009-04-10T14:55:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:19:33.661-07:00imagine (toasterz)If Eduardo were a retail game and I could choose my own box, ignoring market realities and simply doing what I felt was creatively fulfilling, the box might look a little something like this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(click to enlarge)</span><br />
<br />
</div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sd-zmdBejrI/AAAAAAAAAI0/NnKmCa-4ilI/s1600-h/cover.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323170757782441650" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vipC3lpajTQ/Sd-zmdBejrI/AAAAAAAAAI0/NnKmCa-4ilI/s400/cover.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 284px;" /></a>Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-20977520911675196462009-04-09T15:42:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:20:03.501-07:00I suck at updatingAfter we completed development I thought that I'd have more time on my hands, but that didn't turn out to be the case. There's still much to do! More press releases, gotta finish that final trailer, take more screens, and get everything ready for a European release (as much as we can prepare now, anyhow). And then there's school stuff, and prototyping for a potential future project. But I'll try to update the blog more often with more process-oriented posts.<br />
<br />
Oh, and <a href="http://leakybattery.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/interview-with-daniel-coleman/">here's an interview</a> I did recently. Nice guy, and I feel ashamed for missing the Arrested Development reference at first.Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-18494379897661073252009-03-19T14:13:00.000-06:002009-12-10T16:20:13.635-07:00WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOToday we passed a huge milestone and can finally, thankfully, take a break. For a bit, while we work on the final trailer and then get to work on translations and ratings stuff for other territories.<br />
<br />
Celebration will take place when we get a release date, however.Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-36750364242157893182009-02-18T09:32:00.000-07:002009-12-10T16:20:33.366-07:00off topic!This has nothing to do with us, but I wanted to point out a <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/noby-noby-boys-keita-takahashi-interview">great interview</a> with Katamari and Noby Noby Boy creator Keita Takahashi. I'm a big fan of Katamari and can't wait to play this bizarre new creation of his.<br />
<br />
I thought this was hilarious:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eurogamer</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">: Did your bosses at Namco complain when you said you didn't want the game to have objectives?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">Keita Takahashi</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: As my hierarchy only complains and only talks about the so-called "right things" to do when creating a game, I just tried not to care about what I was being told. To be honest, I don't really remember. But I was told something like "make it look more like a game", "make it easier to understand", "make it more accessible" I think.</span><br />
</blockquote><br />
Ha ha, so great.Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-28194651622709995372009-02-17T11:26:00.000-07:002009-12-10T16:20:43.848-07:00Nintendo PowerJust a quick note, we have a two-page interview in the newest Nintendo Power (the one with the Indiana Jones cover). What luck!<br />
<br />
IGN also has a couple of exclusive videos that were put up a week or so ago, so head over there if you want to see some more gameplay footage.Daniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375987298471585017.post-941542036018675492009-02-04T11:25:00.000-07:002009-12-10T16:20:53.949-07:00first videoWe finally got some video recorded! We only got our capture card last week so this was done very quickly. When the game is about to launch we'll make a couple more trailers and take some more time creating them.<br />
<br />
German gaming site GamingXP quickly put it up and <a href="http://www.gamingxp.com/download-details-42-movie_zu_eduardo_the_samurai_toaster.htm">have posted a direct download</a> but I think you need to register first.<br />
<a href="http://wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14309076/eduardo-the-samurai-toaster/videos/samuraitoaster_trailer_020409.html"><br />
There's also some good-quality footage over at ign. </a><br />
<br />
<br />
-DanielDaniel Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02458646332998914630noreply@blogger.com6