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23
Mar

March Game Madness

   Posted by: Con in Game Design, News

So a few weeks ago, I was out of town in Sydney to watch the first UFC event in Australia. I was excited, I had floor seats, I was having a great time and I got a twitter message from an old work colleague that simply read: “Are you going to GDC?”. In my then excited state I replied with “I am if you are”. 2 weeks later, I’m in San Francisco.

Flash Gaming Summit

First on the list was my first Flash Gaming Summit, a meeting of the biggest and best names in the Flash games industry. Meeting a lot of people and having people know who I was was a little strange at first, but when it was followed by “oh you’re just one guy?” I felt I’d regained some of my anonymity. Amongst everyone there I got to meet quite a few guys who are in exactly the same boat as me, which was reassuring. Here’s some of the people I got to meet and hang out with:

Hero Interactive – Jared, Jimmy, Eric and the crew are just awesome guys. They made Paint the motherf’in Fence man! Oh and that Bubble Tanks thing.

Ben Olding – Creator of the Warlords series, still didn’t get around to buying him a beer for stealing that game concept.

Sean Cooper – Who I’ve looked up to even more after I discovered he’d programmed Syndicate in the 90′s. His Boxhead game tech is just amazing. We determined that we’re not competing with each other, somehow.

Sean McGee – responsible for Thing Thing games and Endless Zombie Rampage over on crazymonkeygames. We’ve agreed to co-ordinate future zombie game releases a bit better.

Greg from Kongregate - Really nice guy who’d embedded himself in the Flash gaming community, hope to get to speak more with him next time.

Overall it was a great summit, getting to make a bunch of new contacts and friends in the industry as well as seeing where everyone sees the industry going. My only wish is that it wasn’t so far away, 14 hours on a plane does bad things to your body.


GDC 2010

So the following day after drinking with the FGS attendees until about 2am, came “The Game Developers Conference Twenty Ten”. I was there, I have the seat sores to prove it. Truly, the worst seats known to man, in which you’re expected to sit for 6 hours a day.

Chairs aside it was an inspiring week listening and being amongst a bunch of game design gods. I got to see Sid Meier (Civilization) and Will Wright (The Sims) speak, spotted Patrice Desilets (Assassin’s Creed) and Cliff Bleszinski (Gears of War). Oh and of course Jonathan Blow (Braid) was hanging around the Indie game summit.

It’s hard during all these sessions not to let your brain wander and think about what you’d do in your own games. Got some great ideas and understanding from the talks and panels at the event, especially Sid Meier (blurrily pictured above) on the topic of rewarding players.

Armor Games Office and Home

So after a long week and about 30 sessions later, I headed down to Irvine just south of LA to hang out in the Armor Games office for a few days. It was great to see where Dan, Joey, John and the rest of the crew work and to see how much it resembled my old company in terms of atmosphere. Had a really productive few days working with Joey on this new project.

Now I’m home I’m trying to get my bearings back, been home for 5 days now and I’m just starting to feel normal again. I’m putting together artwork for this new collaboration with Joey for the next week or so, then it’s back to Union City for more work. Until then, enjoy the Alpha from the last post.

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  • umyeah

    I’m lucky I know alot about the game industry,because if I didn’t that post wouldn’t of made any sense at all. Oh and I wouldn’t feel bad about being one guy, I honestly think you should get applauded of being one guy. Well, apart from that, I’m glad you got to be inside your um…own kind? Seeing as many developers as you did probably wore you out, but I bet it was, well, inspiring to see so many great developers. So…. any hints of the game with Joey?

    Nice to see you back the one and only…

    -Umyeah

    Being one guy isn’t a bad thing at all. People seem to be surprised though, which is flattering. Even John from Armor admitted that he didn’t realise that I did all my own art until I worked on Crush the Castle with Joey.
    - Con

  • Heavenlysword

    You are pretty incredible, con.

    Get some sleep, and feel better.

  • http://armorgames.com/user/Dannydaninja DannyDaNinja

    Wow you met Cliff Bleszinksi… shame i didn’t see you there Con.

    Great you met all those other flash game developers too, i feel so jealous…

    Now, you must forfill my cursosity finnally, is Dan really bald? Lol, but seriously… is he?

  • keatosimo

    wow, i’m glad you’re back and i have 1 question.will the combat bow make a comeback? other than that I hope you met the uber designers of the 21st century, and i cant wait for the game you’re making with joey.

  • 2501

    Nice post, Con. You where there with some of the makers of my favorite browser games :)

    But lately the future of Flash doesn´t seems really promesing… A close language, with high use of cpu power (even they say it will improve in close future) and I´m sure you know what Steve Jobs and Google have said about it…

    Have you thought about triying a new language for your games in the future?
    I just have curiosity about what you think about this.

    By the way, I have always thought your art is really good. It has character.

    All the best.

  • Name’s Bond, Matty Bond

    Where do you get the SFX from? Do you design them, pay for them or get them for free?

  • http://Armorgames.com Kevin From AG

    You could even say, Home sweet home. its bee over 2 weeks since youve been in san fance cisco

    You could even say 6 days…I got back on the 19th. See, international travel takes a long time.
    - Con

  • miller

    DUDE! i live in Irvine and my dad is the arson investigator for Irvine.

  • Nox

    Awesome Con!! Hope the GDC gives you more inspiration for you future games!
    So, how was the UFC? Is it awesome as they say? I really wanted to watch one, but I´m from Brazil… Dana White has not gave us the opportunity to watch a UFC event yet… But that´s awesome Con! Good luck!!

  • hades

    WHERES LAST STAND UNION CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Don’t be that guy, come on.
    - Con

  • Gweddry

    Wow! Sid Meier! He sure is a god! And if you said you have new inspiration from him, then the LS:UN will be surely ultimate! (though I hope there will be even better games later from you)

  • http://kacboy.webs.com/ kacboy

    Cool. Yay! Jon Blow was there! New collab! Oh yeah.

  • tjerr08

    You saw Patrice Desilets from assasian’s creed and Will Wright fro the sims thos my two favorite games!

  • tjerr08

    dude did you get to talk about the next assasain’s creed to that guy

  • 12345

    really hope you can get back to work on the games as they are some of the best on the net.

  • Travelight

    Incredible, ansoluetly incredible.

  • Rez

    Cool man, all sorts of gamers would do “horrible things” to get into those Conventions. Seriousness, though; glad you got to go there, mate, really good influences. Wish I could live in SF again… would make my life easier.
    Cheers!

    Rezidual Shok

  • Dave

    Awesome glad you got some new ideas for the game and all of that.

  • Jonah

    You met some pretty sick gamers. Sid Meire? Will Wright? Dude Civilizations,Sims,Spore some of my favorites and GOW? Who was your favorite?

    Will Wright’s most definitely, he’s surprisingly funny.
    - Con

  • Jonah

    You should make a game with Ben Olding or Sean McGee because I love their games.

  • http://NaN Perry

    You must have won some award con,what was it?

    No awards for me.
    - Con

  • Anonymous

    Aww, too bad about no awards. Your games are definately up on the charts. Doing everything on youpr own deserves a great round of applause. Your games are incredible for being one person. I’ve seen multiple people make games that arent near as good as all of yours.

  • WolfZeroX

    Haha, trip took it out of ya did it? It must have been one awesome experience to see some of the developers from some of the biggest games. Not that yours isn’t, mind you. The Last Stand will remain one of my top favorite flash games. Any insider info we could get from you?

  • Mogi

    Looked like awesome fun! Good to hear you made it back in one piece, albeit with jet-lag.

    How was the sashimi?

    Great, got me some swordfish. Happy man.
    - Con

  • http://armorgames.com/user/Dannydaninja DannyDaNinja

    Hmmm, that’s funny, i posted 2nd but for some reason it isn’t there.

    Annnnnyyyyywaayyyy, congratz con, shame i did not see you at the conference.

    Huh? You were there?
    - Con

  • Berg

    Did you get to look at a real city (nuthin in australia counts :) while you were in the states?

    If a real city is someplace that is extremely similar to the city I live in but is filled with homeless people, then yes.
    - Con

  • http://Armorgames.com Kevin From AG

    Well i thought you were in the nominations, I guess those nominations are only those who invented a game that is for PS3s and Ps2s do you really like the game warlord which ben invented?

  • Allan

    Im with Con on big citys. The only difference between the citys in Aussie(im from melbourne) and in the states is that the states is filled with homeless people.

    And drug stores. How many Walgreens do you need, America?
    - Con

  • Andrew

    Ha. I rather like the Walgreens bit. And Wal-Mart is losing its luster faster every year. Other than that, was John from Armor Games at GDC?

    Nah, I only got to see John at FGS and when I visited the offices at the end of the trip. It’s a shame the Armor team wasn’t around for GDC.
    - Con

  • Dogmeat

    More than or equal to the number of CVSs we have.

  • Allan

    Well in Melbourne we do have a lot of drug stores. . . .but yea there are more in America

  • Hollows

    Did you get a chance to see the golden gate bridge or did you get that picture off the internet? It’s a really cool bridge

    Yeah, took that shot myself. It’s a nice walk over there.
    - Con

  • josh

    con you be suprised. we have so many obese, disease ridden ppl here that you need at least one store that sells medicine one way or another every 3 blocks.

    and as far as homless, well i live in claremore, Oklahoma and we dont have many homeless. so i wouldnt know about that

    This is my point, sprinkled in between the drug stores is all the fast food joints that make all those people obese. Seems like it’s a vicious cycle. That said, San Franciscans seem pretty healthy on the whole.
    - Con

  • josh

    omg. con i think you have some compitition, Dead Frontier is going 3D!!!!

    They’ve got an extra dimension to their not very good game?! Oh noes!
    - Con

  • Greg

    Damn if only Steve Jobs was there…

  • ewet8

    Hey lets not make fuun of other game ok? i play DF and it is sort of fun… aside from the horrible severs… BUT still, I was wondering while you were in san fran, did you see any smug? yes i mean smug.

    I’m unfamiliar with smug. Besides the personality fault.
    - Con

  • John_234

    Being honest, DF had many more problems than just perspective…

    Interesting conference. I realize how much awesome stuff happens only a couple hours from where I live, but I never attend. Flash game summit… tells you how far everything has gone, eh?

    Just a random question that popped into mind, did you drop by any shooting ranges on your states visit? I know Aussieland isn’t the friendliest on guns (nor the worst, by far, as my friends tell me).

  • Hollows

    I think Ewet’s referring to a South Park episode, which you might not know of cause you live in Australia.

    Hobos proportional to welfare
    fastfood proportional to people
    drugstores proportional to elderly+adicts
    zombies proportional to evil curses+dead
    crazydrivers proportional to#of lanes on road

    PS recently tried my hand at modding, anyone ever made any for EldrScrlls? My head feels like a coconut, alot of wishing back and forth.

  • Jonah

    If Union city is truly an American city will there be hobos, walgreens, and fast food joints in it?

  • chris

    its good that your back , but get your rest back first ,we don want the last few bits to be like left 4 dead 2!

  • Ajay

    hey i have a question y is it taking so dam long t make one flash game it took a shorter period of time to make cod 6 i know that because i was the graphics enigeer

    Yeah, I somehow doubt that.
    - Con

  • a concerned gamer

    I played TLS 2 for the first time yesterday, and I fell in love w/ it. but when i got to the claysburg place, i was offended because you used a church as a slaughter house. I’m strict Catholic, and that completely contradicts what churches are meant for, and what we Catholics believe in. If you make another barricade defense TLS, please dont use a church as an undead target-practice.

    When this sort of thing concerns you, maybe this isn’t the game for you. I can guarantee that there’ll be churches of no specific denomination in the game.
    - Con

  • Zslayer74

    Be nice people! Jeez, why would you ask why is a game taking so long!

    Anyways, ya, I used to live in San Fran.
    Man, I saw fast food right next to drug store and I wondered what the (censored)!

    It’s a great city though, plenty of landmarks, like Treasure Island and The Golden Gate Bridge, and a lot of other neat features.

    I was thinking I might run into you, but nope, meh I don’t mind.

    And San Fran is better than Oakland and Hayward, where there are frickin gangs trying to kill each other. Heck my teacher got shot because one gang mistook him for someone else!!!

    Anyways, sorry for the rant. Good luck on recovering from the Jet Lag and on The Last Stand: Union City.

  • Bensen

    Hey con,
    aren’t you just sick of people asking how long its going to take to bring out the game. PEOPLE he has to debug the most previous alpha, adjust the program and tweak everything.

    Oh and Ajay yeah I built the Eiffel tower, the aqueducts and im the pope if u were the graphics engineer

  • Travis Kolber

    It appears you had a good time

    Welcome back to repeating questions and complaints, Con.

  • http://mochigames al2653

    ajay, you arent the engineer because u couldnt even spell it right

  • Jonah

    Con you seem to be taking rather pathetic insults like “Cod 6 took less time to make,” or “Did you see a REAL city while you were here?” alot better, pat youreslf on the back.

    Oh don’t worry I’m cursing at my screen instead. That and I’ve made a habit of not reading comments before midday.
    - Con

  • AndrewFrmNz

    Your a legend mate.

    Cheers mate.
    - Con

  • Ninjat_126

    Don’t approve them, don’t put them on the site. Simple response. You aren’t removing their rights to free speech, they only apply to humans.

    Just keep ignoring the trolls, banning the spammers and eviscerating the hackers, and everything will be alright.

    Nah, I don’t like deleting stuff for the most part. I will when they’re really really stupid, but when it’s someone who has obviously has a passion for the game (they’ve made their way to my site) it’s in my best interest to try and explain to them what’s wrong about their comment or point them in the right direction.
    - Con

  • keatosimo

    Con, whats the time difference between my time (eastern standard) and yours (IDK)?

    I’m on Australian EST, which is GMT +10. So, easiest way from EST is to just deduct 9 hours and add a day. So for example, it’s 9:30am Wed where you are right now and it’s 12:30am Thursday here.

    - Con

  • keatosimo

    Kool, right now in New Jersey, its 6:55 pm on thursday, so its 9:55 on friday were you are!

  • Nickod777

    Back a few years ago I met Sid in person. charged me $20 to autograph my civ 3 special edition Box. Brother met will and said he would autograph sims 2 special edition box for $30. So my bro found his car and egged it.

    Wow, that’s crazy. They must be thinking you’ll run off and sell them or something. That said, Sid did have large men on hand so he could be whisked away at the end of his session.
    - Con

  • josh

    completely off topic but important!!!

    some studio that published over at xgenstudios.com made a game called “the Da Vinci Cannon” thats a cheap knock off of your “crush the castle” i mean, its pathetic!!!

  • gamer

    the game should start of with you having nothing and having punches for attak

  • Marcus Vince

    You know…. Sean McGee is one of my biggest fan…. He is so amazing… I just want to meet him but i am not a official…. Good to you… You’ve met some bundles of officials….

    I just want you to know that you’ve made your top…. and your the best of the best… well…

    Im still waiting for the LSUS…
    (Just keep up the good work mate)
    G.L.

    -Marcus Vince

  • ehw

    woah you know john? I just love how he puts some famous quote at the ends of his best games.
    say, how do keep track of new comments? If you don’t then you probably won’t notice this comment.

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