creativity
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Report from the iPadDevCamp
I was just at the eBay/Paypal campus in San Jose last week for 360iDev, but I wasn't able to stay for the iPadDevCamp that went down there last weekend; it featured one of the first big gatherings of iPad developers. Fortunately, GigaOm's David Klein did stay, and he brings us a nice report of the goings-on there. He touches on a wide range of topics, from all of the fascinating apps being developed to fun live events like Rana Sobhany (one of the panelists at 360iDev) mixing the turntables with two iPads. You can read through all of Klein's impressions on the apps that he saw, but I'll pick out a few that seem interesting to me. Audiotorium is a note-taking app that picks up audio while you write along (and it's on the App Store right now), Relay connects your iPad and your computer almost like magic, and there were a few apps that used the iPhone as a controller, including a three-iPad-and-one-iPhone slot machine (pull the iPhone and the three iPads "spin" symbols) and a game called Tank or Die that used the iPhone to control tanks on the iPad. It's good to hear that there's a lot of creativity coming out of the iPad dev community already. Hopefully we'll see some of these prototype apps in the store soon.
iPad apps: creativity unleashed
We love to create things: drawings, movies, photos, songs, and, on occasion, stunning literary imagery with the help of text styling. While Apple didn't necessarily blow us away with its offerings on this front for the iPad (no GarageBand, iPhoto, or iMovie, for instance), 3rd party developers are naturally happy to oblige. We were frankly surprised at some of the depth and functionality we discovered in the App Store, but while what we have here is a nice start, we're even more curious to see what sort of creativity these developers can coax out us with a few months of iPad experience under their belts and a better handle on the strengths and weaknesses of the system. For the time being follow us after the break as we run you through some of our existing favorites. Not enough apps for you? Check out some of our other roundups!
Anti-Aliased: We put the no in innovation
So, yesterday I was browsing our site, and I was happy to see that our community interview with David Allen had gone up, as I didn't get the chance to read it. We had lots of great questions sent in, and I think the ones that Shawn chose were really some hard, direct questions, that I felt someone really had to ask.Reading David's answers left me thinking, however. David is a person who I certainly admire, as he was the brain behind Istaria, and he really presented some very innovative gameplay mechanics in that game. Alganon, however, is not innovative nor is it cutting edge. It is, quite frankly, another World of Warcraft. Something that, in my opinion, this genre does not need another of.David's rationale as to why Alganon looks and plays like Warcraft is the part of the interview where I was left in thought. While I understand he wanted to make a game that players could easily adapt to... did it have to resonate of Warcraft so strongly? Furthermore, are we, as a genre, stuck in a rut?Editor's Note: (As always, if you wish to comment on this edition of Anti-Aliased, please do so on page two of the column. Thank you!)
Dispelling myths to launch Free Realms
The MI6 conference is an annual gathering in San Francisco which focuses largely on marketing in the video game industry. One speaker at the April 8th conference was Laura Naviaux-Sturr from Sony Online Entertainment, who discussed the upcoming kid-friendly MMO Free Realms.She addressed the challenges in shifting focus away from hardcore fantasy enthusiasts (largely male) to a younger demographic that includes more female gamers. Naviaux said, "Turning to a youth and female audience was like turning a ship." It required SOE to re-evaluate some of the 'myths' the company held, which was the focus of Naviaux's talk. She brought up several key areas that the company needed to address if Free Realms is to succeed, ranging from putting the backstory and creativity in the hands of the gamers rather than spelling it out for them, to the music in Free Realms, which is a departure from what SOE has done in the past. If you're curious about how SOE is approaching this new title, you should have a look at Chris Remo's article at Gamasutra titled "MI6: SOE's Naviaux on Dispelling Myths to Launch FreeRealms."%Gallery-12980%
Driven to boredom: Mario Kart, the office supply racer
Collector / creator Donald Kennedy sometimes gets taken over by boredom at work. While we tend to click around our favorite websites (all Joystiq related, of course) or update our Twitter status during those boring times, Donald decides to get creative. Example: This Mario Kart homage created from everyday office supplies. Donald also solidifies his Nintendo geek-cred with a beautifully designed Animal Crossing themed Qee, complete with a 2.5" figure of the diabolical Tom Nook. Way to get those creative juices flowing, Donald. [Via Spritestitch]
Philosony: Give a sackboy a level and he'll play for a day...
Teach a sackboy to make a level and he'll play for... well, an additional day. Or so it seems.I'll be honest. This post is apt to be all over the map. There's so much that could be said and yet so little that has been said about LittleBigPlanet that I'm at a loss for where to begin. I've been trying to hone my thoughts on the game into something bloggable for more than a month now, but a recent post by Michael Abbott got me teary-eyed at the thought of little neglected sackpersons crying from loneliness. I even had a nightmare dream two-nights ago of walking into a store and seeing new copies of LBP selling for $8 (the horror!).So for the sake of some kind of organization let me break down this discussion into three open ended questions:#1: Why has LBP seemingly fallen off the radar?#2: Is it possible to have truly "community made" levels?#3: Should we think of LBP as more "toy" than "game"?
The brain-stimulating 'thinking cap': low fashion, high IQ
In another foray into the realms of improbable brain research, mad scientists in Australia claim to have found a way to boost your intelligence to Rain Man-esque levels using magnets and something that looks like a hairnet. When inspiration is low or creativity ebbs, Sydney University researchers claim that an electromagnetic 'zap' to the left side of the brain will cause all you over-analytic, right-brained types to shift to the other hemisphere, where you will soon be writing operas, penning sonnets and proofreading like a champ. As professor Allan Snyder says: "I believe that each of us has within us non-conscious machinery which can do extraordinary art, extraordinary memory and extraordinary mathematical calculations." Really doctor? Even the guy with the "get a brain morans" sign? Okay, we'll take your word for it.[Via Switched]
Online gaming on Google's Lively to take on "corporate mentality"
Kevin Hanna, creative director of Google's Lively, said at AGDC that he hopes that Lively will become an online gaming platform that will challenge the status quo in a game industry he says is currently dominated by a "corporate mentality" that is "sucking the life out of what should be the most creative and innovative medium out there."He said that game developers and publishers seem eager to be "first to be second." That is, they have no interest in creating anything genuinely new. They just want to capitalize on ideas that have already been proven. His hope is that Lively will lower the barrier to entry so would-be developers ("passionate startups and kids in college") can experiment with new ideas with less risk.So far, the aspects of Google's vision for Lively as a game development platform that we've seen have looked like a greatly scaled back, poor man's version of MetaPlace; just the tools for creating simple arcade-like games, without any of the loftier purpose. But Hanna's comments suggest that at least some folks on the Lively team have grander ambitions after all.
Death is in the air for gold sellers
What smells like dead Orcs and flies? Goldseller spam in Orgrimmar. In the last few weeks it has been dead Gnomes in Ironforge. The dead bodies spell out the name of a gold selling website. This tactic has returned from about a year or so ago, but this is the first time I've heard of it in Orgrimmar. The body advertisements look sharper than the old versions. All in all it seems like an awful lot of work to get around spam filters. Gold sellers have used several means to get their message out to the public, and Blizzard has found ways to combat it. I remember back in the day when we used to get spammed with whispers. Blizzard introduced the report spam feature for users to flag this content, the whispers nearly completely ceased overnight. I have to hand it to them, the gold sellers come up with innovative ways to market their product. Sure it violates the terms of use, but gold-selling by its nature is a violation. What's one more script here and there for them?
All the World's a Stage: Pros and cons of total-immersion roleplay
When you decide to roleplay, a whole new world of imagination opens up to you -- soon you realize that all the World of Warcraft is a stage, and all the orcs and humans merely players.There are degrees to roleplaying. Some people like it "light," so that it never gets too intense, you never have to actually "work" to make your character profound or lore-worthy, and it's generally just a fun way to pass some time. Others like it "heavy;" they view their characters as works of art, taking special care to make their characters believable and interesting, and sometimes planning special roleplaying events for their guild to enjoy. Some even try to do everything in-character, from repairing armor to marking out targets with raid symbols.Recently I joined just such a full-immersion roleplaying guild, and have been trying out their particular style. To be fair, I still have a number of friends on my server that I usually speak out-of-character with, because that's what we're used to, but for everyone in this guild, I do my best to stay in character at all times, with everything my character says and does. To some this may seem like an unnecessary pain, but to others it's a fun experience. Here are a few of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of roleplaying.
Breakfast Topic: Favorite Boss quotes
Many times we find ourselves too busy as rush through dungeons and raids to truly appreciate the creativity that goes into them. I get a kick out of the amusing, over dramatic, and downright egotistical things that bosses say when facing their demise. Balthazaar of Etrigg began a thread in the official forums on favorite boss quotes. The original poster mentioned that simply the word, "Die," as articulated by Gruul [in Gruul's Lair] as being a chilling statement. Nobor of Kel'Thuzad added "Anything Prince Malchezaar [in Karazhan] says. Because he's got the smoothest, sexiest voice in the game." There were several other notables. Winghong of Scarlet Crusade, [James Vishas inScarlet Monastery], "Naughty Secrets." Crits of Magtheridon, Lady Blaumeux (3rd Rider of the Apocalypse) [In Naxxramas], "The first kill goes to me! Anyone care to wager?" Anubie of Eonar, Selin Fireheart in Magister's Terrace, "Yes! I am a god!" Donvito of Gorgonnash, Shade of Aran [in Karazhan], "Where did you get that?! Did HE send you?" Kainas of Stormreaver, [Bill Lumbergh in Office Space] "So, Peter, what's happening? Aahh, now, are you going to go ahead and have those TPS reports for us this afternoon?" Ok, so the last one takes a little artistic license. My favorite is Keli'dan the Breaker of Blood Furnace when he says, "Closer! Come closer... and burn!" What's your favorite boss quote?
Dance piece, for iPod shuffle
Apparently this iPod-enabled dance performance has been around for quite a while (here's an NYT piece on it from 2006), but it's the first we've heard of it, and it's pretty amazing. The 87-year-old choreographer, Merce Cunningham, who has collaborated with John Cage and Andy Warhol among others, has created a dance performance piece called eyeSpace. Apparently, the music, which can be downloaded preperformance and is written by composer Mikel Rouse (no relation at all to TUAW's own Mike Rose) plays in the audience's iPods while the dancers dance (and other atmospheric sounds are added during the performance as well). Very interesting. The NYT piece seems to hint that the tracks are meant to be played in random order on each iPod, which would mean that the timing wasn't too important, but it's a cool idea (even more cool that it's done by an artist of Cunningham's age, but what else do you expect from a Mac fan?).Definitely reminds me, too, of the MP3 Experiments done by Improv Everywhere in New York. Just goes to show you that we're still in the middle of the digital music revolution -- when we can listen to almost anything anywhere at any time, who knows what other creative folks will come up with?
Wii Warm Up: DIY
Loads of Wii owners seem to have something in common: the desire to make something for their console. Often, it's a zapper, but the DIY obsession certainly isn't limited to gun-type projects. We've seen a lot of variety and creativity when it comes to fiddling with the Wii. What is it about the system that has inspired so much creativity in its short lifespan? Is it the inherent fun and whimsicality of the idea of motion-based controls? Is it the expanded audience? The mere presence of a wrist strap and the fun of pointing and shooting? Weigh in -- and let us know if you've made a few things for your Wii.
MMOGology: Build your own adventure
I hope all of you got to check out Elizabeth Harper's great preview of the upcoming LEGO Universe MMOG by NetDevil. I'm personally a huge fan of LEGO and proudly admit to playing with those little, plastic blocks well beyond the recommended age rating. There's just something great about a product that gives you the tools to create without limiting the possibilities of your imagination. When it comes down to it, LEGO is simply another medium like clay or paint. It's up to the artist/designer to manipulate the medium into something unique and meaningful. NetDevil's product will allow us to partake in that enjoyment in a digital fashion, although, unlike creation in Second Life, it appears as though artists and designers will not have free reign over content creation. In the context of an all ages game, the choice to place limits on creativity seems like a valid one. Allowing users to create anything they wanted with LEGO obviously opens up a Pandora's Box of offensive possibilities. I'll take the high road for now and refrain from mentioning the many examples of naughty things you could create in LEGO. But beyond potentially offensive things, creating absolutely anything you wanted in a game could potentially destroy the game from a design and gameplay perspective. User-created content brings up a variety of questions. To what extent can users shape their worlds without breaking them? To what extent can they expand and add to the content without altering the original vision of the developers? What role can user-generated content play in the future?
Regarding content in virtual worlds: build it, or buy it?
For those of you who may not be completely familiar with Second Life, one of its biggest draws is that it's a haven for content creators, as opposed to virtual worlds like There.com, which doesn't let its users build anything of their own. Now, of course, what you get in exchange for the freedom to build anything you want is having to see what everyone else is building, and this includes the infamous flying penises and other Objects You'd Rather Not Have Seen, Thanks.But, as my friend Eric Rice recently pointed out to me, there is something to be said for not having to create your world yourself. "I don't always wanna COOK dinner", he opined, and I know what he means. In my over 2 years as a SL resident, I've not created one thing; I have neither the knack nor the interest, frankly, though I do enjoy the fruits of the labors of other residents. Shopping is great fun in SL, and probably on the top of a great many lists of enjoyable activities. Exploring is equally as enjoyable, and it's this aspect of virtual worlds that deserves some scrutiny. More after the jump.
All the World's a Stage: And your life is a mine rich in gems
All the World's a Stage is a weekly column by David Bowers, now published on Sundays, investigating the explorative performance art of roleplaying in the World of Warcraft.For some, the whole process takes 5 minutes. They log in, click on "create new character," choose a race, a class, painstakingly compare each and every face and hairstyle, type in a name, click "accept," and they're done. Some take their time by paying a visit to the forums of each class, or asking their friends about which race is best -- but who sits down and makes up a story idea, a personality, and actual characteristics for characters these days?Roleplayers do, of course. But how? What if you'd like to try out roleplaying but you just don't know where to begin creating an actual character, rather than just an avatar for yourself in the game? Each roleplayer tends to have his or her own way, but there are are a number of things they have in common. One of the first things to remember about designing your character concept, is to make your character essentially human, relatable, based on real experiences that you know about.Mine your life. Think of what kinds of experiences you are familiar with, and which of them could be used as the foundation for another person's life, a new character with a story to tell, and a personality to engage other people's interest. Today, I'll give you a couple examples of how I tried to do this, and explain some of the pitfalls people often fall into when trying to make up an interesting character.
