chris-hecker
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Social game devs rail against divisiveness, armchair designers, and s*** crayons
As a response to frequent use of social games as punching bags by the rest of the industry, a group of Facebook, mobile, and otherwise social game-identified creators took part in a series of short "rants" during GDC. During this event, a social game was happening in real time: coins were handed out, and attendees were encouraged to collect coins from each other, with the person who was able to get the most invited up for a mini-rant. The winner's rant turned out to be about the positive mental and developmental effects of games. Longtime game designer and Loot Drop founder Brenda Brathwaite opened with an impassioned refutation of the division of social gamers from other gamers. People told her she was "ruining games" back when she was working on Wizardry, for making an RPG that could be played alone, implying that this attitude was as harmful as the dismissal of social games now. "We stood together," she said, when games like Mortal Kombat came under attack from government and other groups, and when "hot coffee" came to be known not as a "steaming hot beverage but a steaming pile of shit". She urged that game fans stand together now "because we love games." A transcript of Brathwaite's rant has since been posted on her blog.
Totally crazy, totally canceled indie games, and the people who made them
From World of Goo dev Kyle Gabler to Plants vs. Zombies director George Fan (and everything in between), GDC's "The Failure Workshop" panel was full of thrills. Each of the panel's developers brought a project that never managed to make our acquaintance, offering a detailed explanation of what went wrong. Gabler, of 2D Boy, kicked the chair out from under his studio's robot-based sidescroller Robot and the Cities That Built Him when he and his cohorts finally decided that it simply wasn't very fun. After months of mock-ups and brainstorming, the game was finally turned into a fairly basic prototype (playable here) that sealed the project's untimely fate.
New SpyParty video walkthrough sneaks around The Balcony, onto The Veranda
In case you didn't already know, SpyParty is being made by one dude -- ex-EA developer turned one-man indie studio, Chris Hecker. As we've been covering his game leading up to GDC, we asked if Hecker would perhaps give us a taste of the two new levels he'll be debuting at next week's show in video form. Normally, this might not be such a high-level request, but when you're one man with a family and a game to develop, well ... let's just say we really appreciate how late he stayed up last night. Check out the full four-minute walkthrough of both "The Balcony" and "The Veranda" maps just after the break. GDC won't be your only chance to check out the lastest SpyParty demo. Hecker will be making the cross-country trip to PAX East in March with the new build in tow. Just remember to play it cool!%Gallery-117474%
'The Incompetent Perfectionist': Inside SpyParty dev Chris Hecker's process
"When you're trying to do that perfect jewel, there's a kind of bar you have to hit. People argue that Jon [Blow, developer of Braid] could've shipped with the programmer art -- I mean, it won the IGF design competition. And I don't think so. I think the game design was the most important part, but the whole package came together so well -- the way David [Hellman's] art looked with the thing, and the .... I think that there's a certain quality bar that is the expression of what you're trying to do, and you kind of have to hit that." SpyParty developer Chris Hecker doesn't plan on releasing his ambitious one-on-one spy game until he feels that it's hit the "perfect jewel" point -- an indescribable essence, or rather, a point in development when the concept and execution gel. "I'm not that interested in shipping the earlier version of it," he told me at an NYU coffeeshop late last year. Hecker's bringing the game with him to next week's Game Developer's Conference where he'll also be giving a few short lectures. And yes, he'll be making the trek across the country in a few weeks to PAX East so that everyone can check it out. %Gallery-117474%
SpyParty playable at PAX East, two new levels viewable right now
Ready to get your psychological, one-on-one sleuthery on? Well, good, because Chris Hecker's bringing just that with him to PAX East this March, where his reverse Turing Test game SpyParty will be playable by attendees. Hecker revealed as much to us this afternoon when he shot over screens of two new levels, "The Balcony" and "The Veranda," that we first heard about back in January. Hecker actually hadn't planned on bringing the game to Boston after last year's experience at PAX Prime. He is, after all, just one man. "Late last year I decided not to attempt PAX East, not because I didn't want to, but mostly because doing PAX West almost killed me. Putting a booth together is an insane amount of work, costs a ton of money, and is just totally exhausting," he told us. By this January, however, he had reconsidered -- "I started getting the itch," he admitted. After some mulling over the opportunity -- plus some help from Slam Bolt Scrappers devs Firehose Games, which is generously sharing a spot on the show floor (#1133) with Hecker and SpyParty -- he changed his mind. One piece of logistics he hasn't worked out yet? Where to sleep. "I still haven't figured out where I'm going to sleep, but that seems like a minor detail. What could possibly go wrong?" Indeed! Check out Hecker's detailed, hilarious account of how he ended up going to PAX East this year, as well as a handful of new information about new modes in SpyParty, just below the break.%Gallery-117474%
Two new (super difficult) Spy Party maps in the works
Chris Hecker has updated the blog of his innovative Turing Test-turned-espionage thriller, Spy Party, with a look at two new maps he's been designing. Unlike the plain, rectangular "Ballroom" we've seen before, the new levels don't offer balanced gameplay. For instance, the "Balcony" map is a small, open area which can only fit about eight characters, making the Spy's job a living hell. On the other hand, the "Veranda" location (pictured) hosts 22 characters and requires the Sniper to move around in order to get a clear shot at every area of the map. These new maps sound interesting, but we're not sure the Sniper needs a helping hand on any levels. Isn't it bad enough that the dude has an extremely high-powered sniper rifle?
SpyParty dev details his Blizzard-inspired 'depth first' approach
Speaking to a packed room at New York University's Game Center last week, developer Chris Hecker -- a man perhaps best known for giving ... impassioned rants -- detailed his "depth first, accessibility later" approach to development of his latest project, SpyParty. The game is a twist on the Turing Test: one player is "the Spy" while the other is "the Sniper." The Spy must complete a set of objectives without being spotted, while the Sniper looks on and tries to pick out who the Spy is from a group of NPCs (and then murder that Spy) before the time runs out. How does the sniper spot the spy? By paying attention to a variety of "tells" -- from the subtle (a human Spy's order of actions may differ from an NPC's) to the "hard" (catch the Spy covertly slip an object to an NPC). As Hecker is keen to point out, SpyParty is a game about human interaction. "You have to decide where you're going, go there and don't look back (basically). Of course, I also make the NPCs fidget occasionally, just to fuck with people," Hecker revealed to a laughing audience. "And that's interesting -- that interplay ... I mean, it's an inverse Turing Test at a certain level." %Gallery-107897%
NYC: Come play SpyParty with Chris Hecker at NYU
Back at PAX, game developer Chris Hecker had his innovative project, SpyParty, on hand for showgoers to try out. Justin loved it, and now those of us in the Northeast who couldn't make it to Seattle earlier this year will be able to get our hands on it, as Hecker is holding an open play session today at New York University's Game Center (not to be confused with Apple's virtual Game Center). From 1–7PM, Hecker will host the hands-on session in the Game Center's Open Library at 721 Broadway, followed by a talk about the game wherein he'll ask for player feedback and discuss development. He'll also be interviewed by Game Center director (and Drop7 creative lead) Frank Lantz. Hecker says this will be "the last playtest for awhile," so we'd suggest jumping on the chance while you can. And if all that wasn't enough to entice you, yes, refreshments will be served. Head past the break for all the specifics (and the gorgeous full-size art for the event).
SpyParty preview: A triumph of reverse intelligence
I know times are tight, especially for one-man indie dev teams, but, as a service to the gamers of Earth, Chris Hecker has got to get a better booth. In a nondescript corner of PAX, under a nondescript banner and sporting slightly worse than nondescript graphics (all placeholder, Hecker assured) it would have been easy to miss SpyParty. It would have been a particularly unfortunate fate considering it was (drumroll) the best thing I've played at PAX so far.
Recently laid-off devs rant about being recently laid off
I think we can all agree that, aside from being hit by a speeding train or dropping a hot meal you've been cooking for hours, being fired from your job is like, the worst thing that can happen to you. As such, we expected the speakers on last week's GDC rant panel, titled "Fired and Fired-up: Jobless Developer's Rant," to be especially inflammatory. We were not disappointed. Just past the jump, we've highlighted three of our favorite presentations from the panel. Some of them get awfully, explicitly blue, so if you happen to find yourself reading this video game news site while at work, you might want to think twice about going beyond the break. (You should also get back to work, you lazy so-and-so!)
Former Maxis employee working on new project, SpyParty
If you enjoyed the bioengineering action of Spore, you owe Chris Hecker a debt of gratitude. He was a contributing developer for the title, and is a six-year employee at Maxis -- rather, he was an employee, until he was let go from the company during Maxis' recent round of layoffs. However, he's not recovering from the downsizing by crying into his ice cream -- instead, he's using his newly found free time to develop one of the most interesting-sounding independent games we've heard of in a while. Hecker's project, SpyParty, pits two players against each other in two different roles -- one plays the eponymous Spy, who must move around a party, discreetly completing objectives and blending in with the other guests. The other player is a Sniper who must identify the Spy's movements, and, well, snipe them. The game was received fairly well when demoed at GDC earlier this year -- now, we hope Hecker will have the time he needs to crank out a finished product. Best of luck, Chris! [Via Big Download]
Key Square Enix, Media Molecule, Valve, Maxis staff keynoting Montreal game summit
The keynote speaker lineup for the Montreal International Game Summit 09 has been announced, and, fittingly, it's an international bunch. In fact, the Canadian event, which runs November 16 and 17, will be kicked off by Square Enix prez Yoichi Wada.Other speakers announced include Paul Holden, lead architect at LittleBigPlanet dev Media Molecule; Chris Hecker, lead architect at EA Maxis; Valve's Jason Holtman, the bizdev exec who heads up Steam; and author slash NPR games contributor Heather Chaplin. It's Hecker who will wind up the event with a discussion titled, "Can video games be considered as cultural products in the same way as literature or theatre?" Yes, the "games as art debate" -- or at least one person's views on it.
Readers pick best webcomic: Hecker the Traitor
It may have required some background knowledge of 300 and Chris Hecker to understand, but the Joystiq webcomic lovers chose via parliamentary procedure 2P Start's entry as the best webcomic of last week.Second place went to Penny Arcade and third from Scott Johnson's Extra Life. Thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week!
Another side to Chris Hecker's duct tape rant
If you've followed the Game Developers Conference at all, you probably heard about Maxis programmer Chris Hecker comments that the Wii is nothing more than two GameCubes duct tape together (though, to be fair, that's a 0.5 upgrade from comments that the Wii is "GameCube 1.5"). We're willing to wager that "Product X is just two Product Ys duct tape together" is on track to becoming a popular phrase in gaming circles.Kim Pallister of Microsoft Casual Games has risen to Hecker's defense, which ultimately led to an apology we feel was somewhat coerced by his overlords at EA and Maxis. The major point in Hecker's argument is that having an innovative control system "should not give them a 'get out of jail free card' on the fact that they have delivered an underpowered machine," according to Pallister's interpretation. And by underpowered, Hecker is referring to computations and not the graphics system, which puts his rant in line with what he said last year that the PS3 and Xbox 360 also underperform in terms of computational power while focusing on a graphics-heavy system.We're not going to take sides on his point that Nintendo needs to "recognize and push games as a serious art form," though the statement does make for a great discussion. We will say all three companies have pushed for more involvement with independent developers. (Microsoft has Castle Crashers and Roboblitz, Sony has flOw and LittleBigPlanet and Nintendo has Line Rider and possibly Telltale's Sam & Max.)Don't forget about the heap of praise that the IGDA community gave Hecker just last year after winning the Community Contribution Award. Though, to be fair, that award is just two IGF awards duct taped together.
Complete Flamebait: Hecker says the Wii is a piece of... schmidt
This isn't related to the PlayStation 3 at all... wait, barely. We've already warned you this is flame-bait, so if you're easily offended, uh, rant away. This isn't coming from PS3Fanboy's mouth. First off, let's say this: Chris Hecker, founder of the developer Definition 6, spoke at GDC the other day... not so much spoke as ranted and raved about how crappy things are. Especially the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo's inability to recognize games as a form of art. We mostly disagree, but for the sake of making this guy look even more like an ass, let's go on.Last year, Hecker said the PS3 and 360 had focused their lenses too much on graphics instead of gameplay. This year, he's attacking Nintendo. "At the end I asked the audience, will Nintendo save us? Will they deliver a balanced machine that's fast enough? The answer to that question is the topic of today's rant." He flashes a slide that said 'Fear of the Wii Planet' and ranted on, "Everybody loves the Wii. 'Oh, God, the Wii, we love the Wii so much'... The Wii is a piece of shit. I have uncovered the secret to Wii manufacturing. The way you manufacture a Wii is you take two GameCubes and some duct tape." Heh. Funny, maybe. Crude, sure. True, mostly.He also said: "This thing is totally underpowered... This is not about graphics, more polygons, all that kind of crap. What I want to be able to do is spend CPU to make the machine smarter, more interesting and more automatically intelligent." Which, granted, it is. But... motion-sensing!Hecker used some quotes from Phil Harrison and Bill Gates referring to video games as works of art. He then juxtaposed a quote from Zelda creator Eiji Aonuma: "I don't feel that games can necessarily be considered art. There's nothing wrong with that; our goal is just to make games that are fun." Hecker feels that people shouldn't think like that anymore, that gaming has transcended the frame of making "a fun toy".He said he'd rush Miyamoto at the keynote today, asking two things: "Number one: recognise and push games as a serious art form. Number two: make a console that doesn't suck ass." Ouch. Looks like they'll never be asked to work on a Nintendo platform. What do you guys think? Are games still just toys, or should they be cared for and developed as something higher and more important? I feel, personally, that "fun games" are perfectly fine, so long as there's a proper mix of "artsy-fartsy" games in there too. What I mean is, variety is a spice of life. I don't want to play 100 Shadow of the Colossus style games, nor do I want 100 WarioWare titles. Different games suit different moods. Hecker, you're a jerk. And yes, that is the best response I can come up with. I wouldn't waste my brainpower on thinking up something better.
Wii is two duct taped Gamecubes and other publisher rants
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Wii_is_two_duct_taped_Gamecubes_and_other_publisher_rants'; The developers rant is typically a highlight of the Game Developers Conference. This year, to mix things up a bit, there was a heapin' serving of publishers rant. Eric Zimmerman emceed the event and this is what the publisher had to say:Alex St.John (CEO and co-founder of Wild Tangent): The former Microsoft employee went all out against Vista. Speaking about how most games ended up being broken. Essentially it all came down to that Vista's security is so tight that it views "everything as dangerous." St. John said that Vista moves everything around to the point where he says, "It's the only self-breaching security system I've seen in my life."Richard Hilleman (Electronic Arts): This is where the theme for the rest of the rant came about. Leadership, leadership, LEADERSHIP! Although offending some people who believed that alpha males do not help, it was an issue across the board that a stable and competent leadership is lacking in the industry. Hilleman said that people in the industry want to think vision is more important, or reaching for that shining light on the beacon hill. But he says that the people he is seeing and teaching are not capable of providing the leadership for the million dollar projects that come their way. They can't lead beyond groups of three. Once again, the overall theme was leadership, leadership, LEADERSHIP!
Joystiq interviews Spore's Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker
On the first day of the Montreal International Game Summit, Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker presented a keynote on the topic of "advanced prototyping," specifically as to how it pertains to Spore, the game that currently occupies their time over at EA/Maxis. The same talk, given at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, was rated higher than any other presentation, including Will Wright's, their boss's. Before the keynote, Joystiq had a chance to chat with both Chaim and Chris, and discuss their impetus for joining Maxis, the evolution of Spore, and the relationship between Maxis and EA.You're both at Maxis now. How did each of you get there?CHRIS HECKER: We both started full-time the same day, actually.CHAIM GINGOLD: Yeah. I was at Georgia Tech doing a masters program in integration design and technology, and there was a required internship over the summer. My advisor asked me "where are you going to work?" And I was like "I don't know." She was like "Didn't you have an interest in working with games?" and I was like "It would be fun to work with Will Wright, not that that would ever happen. That would be totally crazy." And then one day I got an e-mail from him, saying "We're looking for interns." And then an hour later I got an email back saying "You got it." And so I got the internship, and at the time there were like four or five people working on Spore. That sort of really small team, and I spent the summer working on that. Everyone was crunching on TSO [The Sims Online], and when I got done they asked me back, so I came back.When was that?CG: I've been there four, five years now.CH: So, I was working in indie games for, like, eight years, and my wife was basically paying the mortgage. She kinda had the high-powered, executive job. And then, we had a baby, and she decided: "Well, I'm quitting. It's your turn to actually work." And I was like "Uh-oh! I guess I'm going to have to make some money." Indie games don't pay that well.
