Blog has Moved to www.fuzzmonkey.ca

To anyone who reads my blog. I have recently moved my blog to www.fuzzmonkey.ca. This is now the permanent home of my blog. For new entries please feel free to visit the new site! For those of you that subscribe to the RSS feed you can resubscribe using the new site. Until next time!

MMOG's What are they?

I remember, there was a time when the common taboo term in the industry was Persistent Online World. This was back in the day when RPG's like Final Fantasy VII was ballooning into massive popularity, Meridian 59 became the first Graphical MUD, and the anticipation of another graphical mud was as sparse as a fart in the wind. 5 years ago when SOE's Everquest became Evercrack and Asheron's Call was a Garage Developer success for newly formed Turbine Games, the term, Persistent Online World was “The” catch phrase to describe this niche market that was emerging from the brilliant minds of various vets in the industry.

But what is the state of affairs now? What is a Persistent world and why do we continue to create Static copies of hard coded Environments. Developers say that to create dynamic content for 24hrs to 15 days of event gameplay would accrue very little ROI (return on investment). Game development is not trivial nor is it cheap so I completely agree with this notion. However...

One would say that building a website would have no parallel to developing a game. In my experience they are both very similar in actual fundamentals. A website is an experience. Users can book flights, read user generated content, play games, or see what's going on in the world. To view the world through a window. Features that allow new content to be updated efficiently to enhance or change that user experience in some cases is built in from the beginning. Data tables are designed so that the applications can pull the necessary data required to change the experience for the user. Someone correct me if I am wrong on this one. In any event my point is that this dynamic content creation functionality is created before the site goes live. What does that tell you? Web developers think ahead. So why doesn't the game designer let alone the online game business?

Now in an online game, what is persistent? Well traditionally it was content. Let's add new weapons for the rogue class, let’s add new stories to the story line, and let’s put a dungeon where there was no dungeon before so the player can have something new to do. Why did we feel we needed to add persistent content? Well an MMO was in theory supposed to emulate a changing world. The best way to accomplish this task at the time was to create and update the game using patches. Patches are not persistent. They are repetitive static events created by the game gods to add new stuff.

But persistence in content does not necessarily create a persistent world, it emulates the idea in a band-aid fix type fashion at best. If we are to emulate evolution in a virtual world as it happens in the real world. Things change in our world all the time. GM comes out with a new car to buy, in comparison, the hunter will have a new gun to use. The real answer to our question is another question. The answer is Why? "...but that's not really an answer," you say. Actually it is. You need to answer the, “Why does the hunter have a new gun?” in order for you to understand what is persistence. Persistence is the evolution and exchange of ideas and ideologies. Persistence requires very little encouragement, it just happens. How do you encourage the exchange of ideas and ideologies of a game? The answer is that you don't.

Let’s think like a web developer for just a moment. To create dynamic content we would take basic content requirements and design a robust data system, and application to work together. so when the exchange of ideas and ideologies turns into new information which would translate into a new experience, that dynamic content would be more efficient to develop and upload. Now we are getting somewhere.

The evolution and exchange of ideas and ideologies comes from the user who will experience what they are expecting or unexpecting in some cases. They are your target market. They are your customers. Persistent virtual worlds are created, developed, supported, and maintained by the service provide, Turbine Games, Sony Online Entertainment, Blizzard, CCP. These are service based software companies. Your business mode, product development methodology needs to cater to the needs of your customer. Great games come from great ideas, yours as a game designer is not necessarily the answer. Which is odd because that’s why they pay you and not the gamer. This is not an easy balance to figure out.

So what is an MMOG? Persistence.

Defining Roles.

So today I talk about Roles. Many people approach me and ask me about their portfolio, how to break into the industry, where should they concentrate their skills, what do studios look for, and so on. The largest common denominator in all of this is role. It actually kind of depends on a couple of things. Primarily experience is a good role defining factor.

Now you can't easily just say, "well I have good ideas and I can use Photoshop and Maya. So I am going to be a game designer." It's not quite that simple although if it were, game's would not be to the caliber they are today, nor would they look and feel half as good as they do now when you ply what could be your favorite title. "Well that's a pretty bold statement Bruno." you might say. And you're quite right. It is. I'm not trying to toot my own horn or stick "The Game Designer" up on a pedestal but they do play a major role in what makes or breaks a game just that, a AAA Title.

I recently did a presentation on a topic about Design and what it is, sponsored by Level Up Society in Calgary. My presentation primarily spoke about some of the different requirements and tasks needed to take on the role of a "designer." I must say that in all my years in the industry the design role is one of the most difficult, confusing, challenging, crazy, fun, and exciting jobs that I have ever had the pleasure of tasking. Not only is it quite the experience but you are given the chance to barf out so much of what fills your head its not even funny! Truth be told barfing is never been on my list of comical events. Aside from that, the role of design is very difficult to define.

Why? Because in our industry how can you put a cap on creativity long enough to achieve productivity and turn thought into a tangible. Well I could sit here all day and tell you how designing a game requires these skills, good communication, skill refinement, outlandish ideas like the Alien Jelly Bean Jumper Possie, and some how aliens and jelly beans associates well together, how to accurately ensure continuity in a project between the art, gameplay features, and technical features, and so on until I am blue in the face and still we would not be hitting the mark. In fact we would be so way off base that it would be a ridiculous notion to continue this route after many books have already published, methodologies created tested and implemented, and many designers including myself have and continue to prove said theories. In fact it's so blatantly obvious that our clouded brainstorming activity throws dirt in our eyes and tells us to walk the razor wire strung above a pit of snakes naked with a searing red hot iron poking us in the ass the whole way through.

Our job as a game designer is just that. To put a cap on creativity long enough to achieve productivity and turn thought into a tangible. You have the skills right? If you need to advance them you can figure out how to do that right? Now go and define your role.

We're not gods, We are just like you.

Without trying to sound high in my own right about my successes and failures I just wanted to quickly note back to the human condition. Before I continue, I would like to make reference to a show that deserves huge merit on their accurate exploration into what it means to be human. In recent years from media hype and pushing the taboo boundaries in todays pop culture, we have come to coin the term as the Human Condition. What does that mean? In my opinion it simply defines a maximum six degrees of separation between each other in relation to our emotions and our experiences. What I mean by that is even though you may have just met me, or you may iconize Wayne Gretzky, or even Madonna for our successes or failures, we go through the same trials and tribulations in our every day lives. Am I rich? It doesn't matter. Am I successful? I think so, but only because I have given way to allow myself to grow my career path where my passions cultivate. This show that I am referring to and by no means has it been the only or the last to, is broadcast around the globe and is quite unique as the setting is one such that most wouldn't imagine this type of human condition exploration.

Do you ever remember watching Star Trek one day with your boyfriend, or girlfriend, and thinking, "wow I live with the biggest nerd on the planet?" The setting is for obvious reason space. The plot is based on a dismal present, with a potentially positive outlook led by nothing more than hope. George Georgeadis said it best in one of his presentations, "The characters in fiction need a Kryptonite, so that we too may relate to them." The 200x saga of Battlestar Galactica has the perfect mix of epic tall tale adventures and halt grinding character tragedies to help pave the way for the insight into what makes humans, human. Entertainment such as this relative saga not only bring me down to earth but help me realize that the Icons in our industry that I admire, once sat in my shoes going through the same thing as I am, and funny enough still do.

In my still green Career as a video game, designer, producer, and entrepreneur I have had the privilege to meet some of the people that I one day strive to become. The one's I most not only relate to, but continue admire are the humblest of people. Even though they have been in the industry for many years, made their money, and have been and continue to be acredited for many AAA titles, they talk to you and give you their opinions and experiences in a down to earth manner. Are they gods? No they are just successful. I'm not sure the history of this phrase but we have all heard it, "Funny enough it's not made of gold and their shit stinks too." It's a brutal truth.

Busy Birthdays and Happy Feet Forwards

So, today is my birthday. Not that this affects many of you reading this today but I just thought I would let you know. Hey they should make a game about birthdays! Wouldn't that be exciting? Kind of like a Massive Multiplayer Online Birthday Card! The action adventure of a lifetime. Whao! Just imagine the headlines. MMOBC the new Genre of game for everyone. One thing that gets me is out of 365 days a year which day has the most birthdays? What a study that would be.

Well, I will post something more interesting soon. I've been busy getting ready for my first industry presentation! Level Up on June 6th. Be there or be square! Not that an MMOBC wouldn't be interesting but come on. Right? Well That was my little brain fart for the day. Ciao!


~Bruno

Captain's Log...star date 1249am

*blink* *blink*
*rub eyes*
20hrs sleep in 6 days is just,
not,
enough.

..
...

....

Back to work.

The Laugh.

Have you practiced recently? I make it a point sometimes to practice laughing. No not watching comedy. Just by myself doing whatever at that present moment, but also taking time out of my day to practice. "Practice what?" You say.

The evil diabolical laugh.