Gameway Studios» Games posts

It’s… an actually humorous and informative ATOI video blog!! (In my opinion, at any rate)

Vince — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:16:44 +0000

Check it out in all its humorous and informative glory:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Some Times! (cymbal)

Vince — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:23:52 +0000

Hello, people. Nick and Seth want to actually start having a budget, so I decided to lay out a rigid schedule for A Touch of Insanity. If I procrastinate, Nick and Seth, I’m handing this company over to Luke. (I think that’ll be sufficient motivation.) So, here it goes:

8/30/10: Beta period begins

11/11/10: Pre-ordering becomes possible

11/11/10: 6-level demos are released to all pre-orderers

2/1/11: 12-level demos are released to all pre-orderers

2/1/11: 6-level demos are released to the public

4/1/11: 24-level demos are released to all pre-orderers

4/1/11: 12-level demos are released to the public

6/11/11: The game releases!

6/11/11: 24-level demos are released to the public

Note: All the 1s and 11s are in honor of our fallen original planned release, rest its soul.

Hey, Everyone!

Vince — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:30:28 +0000

It’s a mini-vlog! Tell me if you think my amazing special effects skills ramped up the quality. I’ve got one relevant to AToI coming tomorrow.

Tip: Don’t watch this fullscreen. My lips look weird.

Hello.

Vince — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:04:36 +0000

New poll.

Braid Speed Run Time: 44:52.52.

YES.

Universal Appeal: A Weird Look at Puzzles and Platforming

Vince — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:14:37 +0000

I’ve noticed that, nowadays, there is not much variety in the challenge level of your standard, mass-production game: only easy (e.g. Wii Sports Resort) and medium (e.g. nearly anything you care to mention), and I’ve been lying awake at night, thinking about why that is. It’s not like it’s a major, pressing issue, just that I’m a slight insomniac, and need something to think about in those hundred or so minutes before I finally manage to fall asleep. Anyways, I realized quickly that there’s not much of a market for impossible games, and they’re a massive risk for publishers. After thinking about it, though, I began to create an analytical chart in my head, which consists of four categories of puzzle difficulty, four of timing/mechanics difficulty, and four types of gamers. To be honest, I just really like powers of two. Anyways, the four types of puzzle difficulty are:

1. Synapse Destroyer. These are the games that consist of no thinking, just mindless jumping or whacking things like a deranged lunatic. Like sports games.

2. Slight. These are the games that have puzzles, it’s just not part of the main mechanic. Nearly all Mario games go here.

3. Thinkers. These are where you are constantly faced with puzzles, usually ranging in difficulty. World of Goo would be an example.

At first Portal seems confusing and impossible, but once you get used to it, it moves to the high end of Level 3.

4. OH MY CRAP. There are some games that just seem to demand that you think, think, and keep on thinking. Also, these games steadfastly refuse to let your brain stop churning for one second. The obvious example, of course, would be Braid. (I got 52:11 on the speed run! YES!)

Then, there’s gameplay challenges, by which I mean: how hard is it to destroy the mustache? Is it so freaking impossible to make that jump between moving platform number 17 to number 18? Basically, how near are you driven to suicide?

1. Blank. In this, there are nearly no gameplay challenges. These are usually accompanied by Level 3/4 puzzles. Or Dora, of course.

2. A Little Bit. This is where there are a few challenges, but not too many.

3. Getting Hard. This is where Mario comes in to the gameplay aspect of challenge.

4. (suicide). This is where you keep trying, over and flippin’ over, to make the jump. If the game doesn’t have some great, addicting gameplay, it’s doomed. Think Bit.Trip Core.

And, then, there are the gamers, the most important part of gaming.

1. The Casual (35%). These people can be anybody from a middle-aged guy who occasionally plays a bit on the computer to an old lady. Generally, they’re all willing to try anything in the first two levels of anything and about half of them will venture into level three.

2. The Average (15%). These are the people who are fairly willing to try anything in the first three categories, and about half of the fourth.

3. The Hardcore (25%). Hardcore gamers will pretty much try any game, although not so much in the first category of gameplay.

4. The Puzzle Gamer (25%). Puzzle gamers will only play games with level 3/4 puzzles, and maybe the upper half of 2′s.

So, uh… I’m should make a chart, but it’s almost time for dinner… hm…

[please insert chart and conclusion here.]

Kingsisle and Wizard101

Seth — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:48:56 +0000

I emailed Kingsisle regarding Wizard101; an MMORPG by them. Wizard101 is an awesome game and being a 3D game Designer with plans to a RPG and a MMO I just had to ask them some questions and they replied!

“Thank you for your interest in Wizard101.

Products used in the making of Wizard101 are listed in the credits, which can be accessed from the Options menu in the game.

Wizard101 uses the Gamebryo Engine.
Our artists and designers use 3d Studio Max.
Our sound designers use Miles Sound System.

Our animators use the Open Dynamics Engine.

We also use several in-house developed proprietary tools for implementation.

For information on each of those products, please use a search engine to search for those individual companies.

See you in the Spiral!

~Professor Greyrose”

Awesome Right!? Anyway that’s all I had to say.

-Seth

It’s Beautiful!

Vince — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:25:54 +0000

And from the ashes or something, there was this:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Physics Blocks

Nick — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:59:27 +0000

Hello! This is Nick. I just wanted you to learn more about my new game Physics blocks! Basically, what it is is a game where there is a block, and your goal is to knock that block of the stage in each level. Boring, right? WRONG! There will be 20 fun, challenging levels that will use physics to do things! So it will be fun. Hopefully. Anyways, before that game starts to get on the way i need to do some things:

Learn JavaScript
Learn C #
Find out how to use unity 3D really well.
Get the art done
Get the music
Plan the levels
and Beta test it

That is probably going to take awhile, so, yeah. Bye!

Awesomeness II

Vince — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:35:36 +0000

Hello, everyone! After two long months (of trying to beat the second level of Bit.Trip Core) I’m back! As they’ve told you imaginary readers, we have two new 3d animator/programmers: Nick and Seth Welna! They remade this website over the past few weeks. At the moment, they’re experimenting with Unity. Also, there’s the Pyshics Blocks and the Mystery RPG. Coming whenever.

Getting Stuck While Climbing a Fence that has a Gate

Okay, so about that picture. I think, in that picture, I represent A Touch of Insanity. The fence represents my incredible procrastination, and me getting into the neighbor’s yard to give their 15-year old arthritic Golden Retriever food? Maybe? Okay, I guess not. I just kinda wanted to include that picture, because I think it’s a kind of some Gary Larson-style humor.

Anyways.

I have decided I will do a blog post once a week, alternating between these post subjects:

1) The creation of A Touch of Insanity

2) GameWay Studios in general

3) Gaming in general

4) Random crap

So, yeah. Expect me to make my next post on Saturday.Or something. Bye.

By the way, I think I may have given a bit of awesome to my brother…

“I’ll get you this time, geckos!”

Update: Also, BEST 404 PAGE EVER.

Hola

Seth — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:46:05 +0000

Yo! My names seth! im nicks bro and a 3d designer/programmer here at gameway studios. there might be a mystery RPG game in your futures.

-seth