Ah, another E3 has come and gone. Well, technically it only just started, but the press conferences from the big companies and all the big announcements always start the day before the convention opens to the public. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is known as the largest gaming show of the year, with millions of viewers. Despite that, I’ve talked with other people who actively play games, and even employers who are technically in the gaming industry, and most of them still have no idea what E3 is. It’s still a time for the hardcore and truly dedicated, and not nearly as mainstream as one would think, even if updates in gaming this week will be read more than updates in any other entertainment medium.
Tag Archives: true next-gen
Further Developments…
A lot happened this week. I should talk about it.
Firstly, demo for “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth” turned out to have a couple bugs in the menu system I didn’t see before. Thanks to the good people on REDDIT who pointed out the flaws. I don’t normally like to update demos continuously anymore, but it didn’t seem fair to leave the game as it was. You can try the demo if you haven’t already here: http://drew.fromdustscratch.com .
Secondly, a gameplay video that shows the levels seen in the demo (and one extra one from the trailer). If there was any question about gameplay, this should fix that. It can be seen here:
First Trailer for “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth”
Finally, the moment all three of you have been waiting for. The first trailer for “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth!”
Game Developer Contest Deadlines
When you make a game, project, research contribution, etc., where do you show it? Typically, you take to online and submit it to contests, conventions, conferences, and other places hoping for recognition.
I’ve been to a couple research conferences before, and they tend to be small events with dozens of awkward researchers saying hi to each other, while getting to make a powerpoint presentation of something they’ve dedicated years of their life towards while hoping in vain that someone else in the room is as excited as they are. Typically, this is purely meant as a resume booster, and I feel similar events are the same: it’s good experience, but it won’t change your life as much as you hope. When it comes to game development however, press and exposure is important even if futile, your game will not be seen if you don’t at least try to put it out there, and people won’t flock to you to see it without exposure elsewhere. Also, game conventions also tend to be exciting and get thousands of interested attendees, so the energy is better. The various online contests for indie games probably won’t get you attention, but can sometimes get you money if you win a prize, and can lead to your game being showcased elsewhere, all the better for you.
Final Animation For “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth”
I just finished animating Drew, the main character in “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth,” my upcoming indie game for PC, Mac, and Linux.