GDM August 2011

2011·10.1 MB·English

by  UBM TechWeb

T H E L E A D I N G G A M E I N D U S T R Y M A G A Z I N E v o L 1 8 N o 7 A U G U S T 2 0 1 1
I N S I D E : T I L I N G p E R L I N N o I S E : A N E w T E c H N I q U E

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL 11111111111111111111111111 88888888888888888888888888 NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 55555555555555555555555555
CCCCCCCCOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSS........00000000888888881111111111111111
VVVOOOLLLUUUMMMEEE 111888 NNNUUUMMMBBBEEERRR 000777
AAAAAA UUUUUU GGGGGG UUUUUU SSSSSS TTTTTT 222222 000000 111111 111111 I N S I D E : 1 0 T H A N N U A L S A L A R Y S U R V E Y
POSTMORTEMS
12 TOTAL WAR: SHOGUN 2
TOTAL WAR: SHOGUN 2 is the latest in a long line of TOTAL WAR games,
and this time the game focused in, rather than expanding the
universe outward. This turned out to be the critical tipping point
toward success for the team, as the studio struggled with multiple
projects and an increasingly branched codebase. By James Russell
20 TERMINATOR SALVATION—THE ARCADE GAME
Making arcade games is a lost art to much of the game industry, but
Play Mechanix and Raw Thrills have been keeping the fires burning
for many years now. This postmortem shows what it takes to make a
modern arcade game, from software to cabinet. By Scott Matott
FEATURES
7 RANDOM STRUCTURE
Perlin oise has become a staple of many randomized or procedural
actions in games. But what if you wanted this randomization to tile,
for seamless world creation, or art purposes? Joshua Tippets has a
heretofore unseen solution. By Joshua Tippetts
DEPARTMENTS
2 GAME PLAN By Brandon Sheffield [EDITORIAL]
Most Likely To Achieve
4 HEADS UP DISPLAY [NEWS]
Arcade! returns to France, and arcade game
development tips.
27 GDC ONLINE PREVIEW By Frank Cifaldi [PREVIEW]
Top session picks
30 TOOL BOX By Bijan Forutanpour [REVIEW]
Donya Labs' Simplygon
34 THE INNER PRODUCT By Paul Laska [PROGRAMMING]
Ready, Set, Allocate!
42 DESIGN OF THE TIMES By Jaime Griesemer [DESIGN]
Undermining Achievements
44 PIXEL PUSHER By Steve Theodore [ART]
All In the Family
47 AURAL FIXATION By Jesse Harlin [SOUND]
Crowd Control
49 THE BUSINESS By Christian Nutt [BUSINESS]
An interview with Square Enix's Mike Fischer
50 GDC NEWS By Staff [NEWS]
GDC Online's Narrative Summit, and GDC Vault numbers
51 GOOD JOB! By Brandon Sheffield [CAREER]
Ken Finlayson Q&A, who went where, and new studios
53 EDUCATED PLAY By Tom Curtis [EDUCATION]
Enjmin's PAPERPLANE
56 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT By Matthew Wasteland [HUMOR]
The Best Video Game Studio In the World
1 GAME DEVELOPER | XXXXX XXXX WWW.GDMAG.COM 1
GAME PLAN // BRANDON SHEFFIELD GAME DEVELOPER
MAGAZINE
WWW.GDMAG.COM
MOST LIKELY TO ACHIEVE
United Business Media
303 Second Street, Suite 900, South Tower
San Francisco, CA 94107
t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090
A DISCUSSION OF WHEN AND WHY ACHIEVEMENTS MATTER
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
FOR INFORMATION, ORDER QUESTIONS, AND
LIKE MANY OTHERS, I SCOFFED AT But you have to be careful with felt warranted an extra award. In
ADDRESS CHANGES
the idea of achievements when they even these, especially in how you the case of the combos, I simply t: 800.250.2429 f: 847.763.9606
were introduced to the mainstream describe them. For example, in one wanted to show off. In the case of e: [email protected]
through Xbox Live. Now, there are DUNGEON SIEGE 3 boss encounter you the monster raising, the new forms
FOR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
times where I actually miss them get an achievement for “defeating weren’t sufficiently amazing on www.gdmag.com/digital
in games where they’re absent. 50 automatons” before taking their own, and I felt I needed an
EDITORIAL
This is especially true of games that the boss down. I counted some extra reward. It seems that while
PUBLISHER
are good, but need that extra push 120 automatons defeated before I achievements can't save a bad
Simon Carless l [email protected]
to be great. And more than that, if finished off the boss, just to be sure. game, they can give a bit of a boost EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
I’m going to try to suffer through But I received no achievement. The to game that's 80 percent of the Brandon Sheffield l [email protected]
something I actively dislike, such game was not supplying me with the way there. PRODUCTION EDITOR
Jade Kraus l [email protected]
as DUKE NUKEM FOREVER, I at least correct information or feedback, and If achievements are indeed
ART DIRECTOR
want my friends to be able to know I felt like I was getting cheated out extrinsic rewards, not an intrinsic Joseph Mitch l [email protected]
about it. of something. After jumping through part of the fun, this leads me down DESIGNER
This is a strange new the flaming hoops, I did not get the another path. Sony is starting to Jessica Chan
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
relationship to have with electronic treat at the end of the performance. charge for its online experience
Tom Curtis
media. In the olden days, you’d On the other hand, getting new in used games, giving download Jesse Harlin
have to send your high score in rare loot was compelling enough codes for newly-purchased titles, Paul Laska
Bijan Forutanpour
to a magazine via a screenshot on its own, and I didn’t feel like I to discourage used game sales. Jaime Griesemer
in order to get any recognition for needed an achievement at all here. EA gives bonus content to those Steve Theodore
doing something spectacular in a Getting a lightning-infused Spear of who purchase games new. What if Christian Nutt
Frank Cifaldi
game. Now, with achievements and Magnificence was its own reward. platform holders universally decided Matthew Wasteland
leaderboards, anyone can know that Then there are games like that only purchasers of new games ADVISORY BOARD
you got the “Seriously 2.0” award in DRAGON AGE. In this massive would have their gamerscores Hal Barwood Designer-at-Large
Mick West Independent
GEARS OF WAR 2 (for killing 100,000 RPG, achievements encourage displayed, through a code entry, or Brad Bulkley Microsoft
enemies). For many people this kind exploration of alternate narrative some other such method? Would Clinton Keith Independent
Brenda Brathwaite Lolapps
of reward is quite compelling, and paths, leading players to more people still feel that achievements Bijan Forutanpour Sony Online Entertainment
just increasing the number of points content that they otherwise might were extrinsic rewards? Would used Mark DeLoura THQ
Carey Chico Independent
they have in their gamerscore can be not see. They are actually partially game buyers feel cheated? This will Mike Acton Insomniac
enough motivation to play a game. responsible for improving (or likely never come to pass, but it’s
But in my opinion, achievements extending) the player’s experience. certainly food for thought. ADVERTISING SALES
just for the sake of achievements are This also serves the developers’ best As Nintendo prepares to GLOBAL SALES DIRECTOR
Aaron Murawski e: [email protected]
not worthwhile. I like to see numbers interests, because it means less of release Wii U, the company is also t: 415.947.6227
go up as much as anyone—but I their hard work will go unnoticed. reconsidering its online strategy. MEDIA ACCOUNT MANAGER
want to feel that I’ve earned them. Now that we’re all so used One wonders whether Wii U will John Malik Watson e: [email protected]
t: 415.947.6224
Receiving 200 points at chapter to these sorts of systems, what continue to buck the achievement
GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, RECRUITMENT
endings doesn’t feel like something happens when we aren’t provided trend. Nintendo already lets you see Gina Gross e: [email protected]
I’ve really achieved. If I’m playing with them? No Nintendo console the how often and how long you've t: 415.947.6241
the game through, passing a has ever had a proper achievement played games on the 3DS and GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, EDUCATION
Rafael Vallin e: [email protected]
chapter point is inevitable, if the system built in, and at times, Wii, but doesn't let you share that t: 415.947.6223
game is fun. So how interesting is I actually miss them. In GHOST information. Will Nintendo be the
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
that, really? The more interesting TRICK, for example, you’re moving lone hold-out in the race to gamify
PRODUCTION MANAGER
achievements are those that linearly through an adventure, and the world? It seems an inevitable Pete C. Scibilia e: [email protected]
encourage alternate paths or play achievements would necessarily issue to address. Nintendo has the t: 516-562-5134
styles, or reward exploration. But be of the “progress” type, so opportunity to provide, rather than REPRINTS
you have to do it right. achievements are unnecessary. arbitrary achievements, actual
WRIGHT'S MEDIA
Recently I was playing DUNGEON But in MONSTER TALE, which is a data about the games you've been Ryan Pratt e: [email protected]
SIEGE 3, a passable dungeon smart beat-em-up combined with a playing. This could be an even more t: 877.652.5295
crawler with a middling story that monster raising sim, I’ve felt their meaningful achievement system AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
I continued through because it got absence. I can consistently get of sorts, and one which wouldn't TYSON ASSOCIATES Elaine Tyson
the loot mechanic right. Many of the over 30 hit combos, for instance, require developer implementation. e: [email protected]
achievements, rather than being which is somewhat difficult. It feels When achievements move into LIST RENTAL Merit Direct LLC
secret, were visible to the player like I should be rewarded for that, or hard data, I think the game will be t: 914.368.1000
if they cared to look. This is fine, compelled to push myself further. changed for the better.
and in my case it compelled me Likewise, there are rare forms of —Brandon Sheffield
to try to fulfill the requirements. monster you can raise, which I also twitter: @necrosofty
WWW.UBM.COM
2 GAME DEVELOPER | AUGUST 2011

HEADS-UP DISPLAY
AudioSurf, SpAce GirAffe,
rez, Geometry WArS
retro evolved 2, oSmoS,
and Super lASer rAcer,
because he felt these
games were best suited as
performance pieces that
were easy to understand
and spectacular to watch.
His team found that while
most players slouched
and were sedentary
when they played these
games in a regular
gaming environment, in
the Arcade! setting they
became more aware of
their bodies and played
differently.
“Nowadays people are
playing at home, laying
on a sofa and grasping
their game pad, or sitting
at their desk with mouse
a mixture of video games and performance art and keyboard ... All these
gaming experiences
involve the body, but in
such a mundane way that
\\\ Seven years ago Nicolas Rosette’s housemate brought home a projector to screen films on
people don't even notice
their lounge room wall. Not wanting to limit the use of the new household gadget, Rosette plugged
they are bodily engaged in
a console into the projector, turned up the sound to match the size of his wall, and fired up rez.
the game,” says Rosette.
Standing in the middle of the room (his controller cable was too short for him to be seated) as the
“Having them standing
music pumped and his character floated from side to side, he felt like he was playing a game that he
in front of a huge controller
had played so many times before for the first time in his life.
displaying a wide angle
image is forcing them
“It felt like it was meant Little did Rosette institution known for intention is not. As a sport to be more conscious
to be played this way, know that this one gaming pushing boundaries performance, it is about of their body. This also
on a scale of 1:1,” says session would be a seed in theatre, dance, and showing skill and mastery allows them a freedom
Rosette. “Not only was that would blossom into music—Rosette began of the game. As an art of movement, and as the
the image wide, it also felt Arcade!—a full-scale his push for a theatre performance, it is more games have an important
open—there was organic touring exhibition, program to allow people to about interpreting the musical part, they can also
and architectural feedback launching in one of experience video games game piece through an act start moving in rhythm ...
from the image being Paris’ most cutting-edge the way he was able to of performance.” it’s like dancing.”
projected and reflected theatres six years later. back in 2004. Although “It can be considered The reception
into a physical space; it After taking on the role now, it wasn’t just about a bit like playing a musical to Arcade! has been
didn’t feel restricted by a of artistic advisor at the playing the game on a big score (the game) with overwhelmingly positive,
monitor.” Théâtre de l’Agora—an screen with loud music. the dedicated musical with theatre goers who
After years of research instrument (the game would normally have little
into how people played device). And then comes engagement with video
games, he wanted to the choreographic part: games being given a
look at game playing as a the way the player ‘plays’ chance to consider games
performance. (in the choreographic or as dynamic experiences.
“Performing video dramatic sense) creates Arcade! will be
games can mainly be a dynamic shape that has returning to France in
understood in two ways: its own narrative (even November 2012 at the
as a sport performance, if abstract) drive, and StereoLux in Nantes, before
or as a performing art aesthetic value.” commencing a European
proposal,” says Rosette. Rosette experimented tour in fall of 2012.
“While the activity itself with a number of games —Tracey Lien
may be the same, the but eventually settled on
4 gAmE DEvELoPEr | AUgUSt 2011
the good old days
remembering the still-existing challenges of arcade games
Along with our terMinAtor SAlvAtion poStMorteM, GAmE DEvEloPEr preSentS thiS diScuSSion of whAt MAkeS developMent of A Modern ArcAde gAMe different froM A
Modern conSole or pc gAMe. plAy MechAnix MAnAger of gAMe SoftwAre developMent MArk MAcy ShAreS hiS thoughtS.
\\\ Designing and balancing the gameplay for the fun of it, there is
developing high again and again. Your a business side (or dark
end video games is core gameplay dynamic side) as well. Sometimes
a challenging and must be easy to learn, yet the arcade game is
competitive endeavor. difficult to master. owned and operated by
Developing coin- the pizza joint or movie
operated arcade the Whole PaCkaGe theater that houses
games brings its \\\ In addition to designing the game, but more
own unique set of and developing a game typically, the game is
challenges on top that appeals to all levels owned by a company that
of that. Here are a of players, an arcade places games in various
few key concepts game team needs to locations and works out
an arcade game design, procure, and often an arrangement with the
developer must keep build the hardware as location to split the money
in mind. well. A good game will go taken in. This means
completely unnoticed in that even if your game is
Insert CoIns to Play a bland or boring game the coolest, if it doesn’t
\\\ When player picks up cabinet. An eye-catching earn enough quarters, it
a new console game, he cabinet will get players will be replaced by that
makes one decision to to walk up and try the game that tries to pick
purchase it, then plays it game—then it’s up to the up stuffed animals with
as much as he likes. With game to deliver the goods. a flimsy claw. The hope
arcade games, the player The careful planning of is that great games will
must choose to pay each the game cabinet, the deliver great earnings.
time he plays. The average computer, all the electronic That way everybody wins.
arcade session typically wiring and interfaces So how can you tune
lasts 2–3 minutes, so inside, and any peripherals your game to maximize
the challenge to the such as a plastic gun or earnings? Dropping in
arcade game developer player with a stream without sacrificing steering wheel are critical a quarter-eating super
is to create a gameplay of new and exciting accessibility to the to a game’s success. No boss may seem helpful,
dynamic that is so fun, challenges, because if the beginner. In a console matter how fun the game but is more likely to
and so compelling, that first two minutes don't game, you can put very may be, if the gun doesn’t result in players feeling
players will play again and deliver, she probably difficult or challenging work, no one can play it. helpless or cheated by
again. This also means won't stick around to see gameplay 20 or 30 hours Electronic or mechanical the game. It might help in
that the experience has the next two minutes. into the game, separating features such as aiming the short run, but won't
to be divided into smaller Every moment must be the expert play from the the plastic gun at the result in lasting earnings
chunks of play. This might engaging. You can’t make beginning play. But in screen, or adding a clip- month after month. A
mean a single race in a the player hunt around an arcade game even style reload to the gun better approach is to try
driving game, or a five-site to find the key to unlock the beginning must be can greatly enhance the to find a dynamic where
hunting trek. In the case the treasure, or present a layered so that there are gameplay experience, the player feels he “just
of an action gun game like puzzle that requires trial challenges for the expert, but each new technology missed” the goal, that
TerminaTor SalvaTion, (see and error to solve. and accessibility for the needs to be designed, built magic balance where he
Pg. 20) your game lasts as beginner at the same (usually from scratch), got 29 out of 30 targets
long as your health bar. one sIze FIts all time. The presentation often redesigned, and and barely missed
\\\ When a player starts of the challenge must heavily tested in order the last one. You want
Get to the Good an arcade game, they be obvious for the first to assure a reliable him to feel challenged,
Part may be playing for the time player, but not experience for the player. not frustrated. If he's
\\\ If a player ever grows very first time, or may be monotonous for the challenged, but seeing his
bored with your game, a seasoned veteran at expert player. This is Players Vote skill progress, he'll come
she’ll move on to the your game. This means an extremely difficult WIth Quarters back again and again.
next one. You have to you need to find a way equilibrium which often \\\ While we wish we —Mark Macy
constantly confront the to challenge the experts involves tweaking and could create games just
www.gdmag.com 5
The best ideas evolve.
Great ideas don’t just happen.
They evolve. Your own development
teams think and work fast.
Don’t miss a breakthrough.
Version everything with Perforce.
Software and fi rmware. Digital assets
and games. Websites and documents.
More than 5,000 organizations and
350,000 users trust Perforce SCM
to version work enterprise-wide.
Try it now. Download the free 2-user,
non-expiring Perforce Server from
perforce.com
Or request an evaluation license
for any number of users.
versioned with Perforce
Guild Wars 2 art above ©2011 ArenaNet, Inc. All rights reserved.
Guild Wars 2 is a registered trademark of NCsoft Corporation.
Perforce Game Developer page ad.indd 1 06/07/2011 19:13
j o s h u a t i p p e t t s
Procedural generation of assets, including textures and geometry,
has become an integral part of many modern game development processes.
Implementing procedural methods as part of the pipeline can free up artistic
manpower for the creation of all the other rich details that are required to give
the game world life. There has been a lot of research into various methods of
procedural generation, and since its invention by Ken Perlin, Perlin noise has
become an irreplaceable staple of the field. Coming in a number of variants and
flavors, Perlin noise is commonly combined using various fractal methods to
create continuously varying noise patterns suitable for use in generating random
yet meaningful textures, pieces of heightmap geometry, maps to model the
distribution of vegetation, precipitation, and other systems. It can even be used
to add levels of jitter or variation to physically modeled systems (see Creator of
Worlds, April 2011). In short, Perlin noise is found almost everywhere these days.
This article is not intended to be an in-depth explanation of Perlin noise; that
topic has been covered exhaustively in other places. Implementations of both
classic and improved Perlin noise have been written in countless languages,
and have even been implemented as part of procedural texture shaders on
GPUs. Instead, this article will talk about a topic that hasn't received quite as
much coverage: making Perlin noise (and other arbitrary noise functions) tile
seamlessly. Seamless noise is useful, for example, in creating landscape textures
intended to be tiled across a terrain. The borders of the textures must align so that
no visible seams or edges appear, and thus the functions that model the texture
must themselves be made to tile. Tiling can, of course, be performed by an artist
using post-process methods to edit the seams out once the texture has been
modeled. But much work can be saved if the seamless tiling is included as part of
the procedural process.
The key to performing seamlessly tiled mapping of a noise function is to
minimize distortion, discontinuities, blurring, and muddling of the final image. A
number of methods are available to tile a function, but most involve some sort of
blending or filtering to perform the seamless mapping, which may result in visual
artifacts in the final output. >>>
www.gdmag.com 7
soft-edged, regular, or irregular as needed.
However, many other functions do not work well
with this method, because the blending that is
performed to hide the edges can cause artifacts
to crop up that can disrupt the shape and flow
of the texture or create obvious patterns that
stand out.
This method tends to work best when
performed manually, as a post-process pass
performed by an artist, with an eye toward
explicitly blending and modifying regions
in order to enhance the final result from an
artistic standpoint. Figure 1 demonstrates
this technique. In Figure 1A, you see a texture
mapped from a function and offset by half.
Figure 1B shows another texture mapped from
the same function, not offset. In 1C there’s a
sample mask that can be used for blending,
which takes into account where the edges are
in the offset texture. And finally, 1D shows the
final texture after blending. Greater care taken
in mask creation can serve to eliminate many
of the artifacts you see in 1D, primarily around
the apexes of the mask. Unfortunately, this
method requires additional development time
for the creation of an appropriate mask texture
or function.
Weighted Regional Blend
¶ Another commonly used algorithm for
computing tiling 2D noise samples four different
Figure 1: A texture created by blending an offset texture with a non-offset texture using a mask.
locations within a region of the function, spaced
according to the dimensions of the output
I’ll discuss two commonly used techniques Mask creation is performed so that the texture, then uses weighting or interpolation
that utilize blending of different layers. The first artifacts caused by superimposing the regions to blend between these values to obtain the
involves offsetting a layer of the texture and onto the wrapped image are minimized, final output value. To visualize this in operation,
blending it with another layer using a mask. The otherwise inappropriate visual defects may imagine a 2x2 block of regions sitting within the
second entails blending four regions of the noise occur. For certain functions, this method works domain of the function to be mapped, as in the
function together using a weighted blend. I’ll well. The mask may be created sharp-edged, left side of Figure 2.
also touch on a final technique which involves a
procedure for producing the seamless mapping
as a product of a domain transformation applied
to a higher-dimensionality variant of the noise
function, in order to avoid the artifacts produced
by blending.
Offset and Blend
¶ This method of seamless mapping
requires the creation of two separate layers
of noise from the function, and offsetting one
of the layers by half the image dimensions in
each direction, wrapping the image around
so that the seams appear inside the image
while the edges of the images tile perfectly.
Then a blend operation is performed, which in Figure 2: A texture created by
effect snips out regions of the non-wrapped blending four points sampled from
image and overlays them onto the wrapped a region twice the size of the final
texture. The blue dots correspond to
image in such a manner that the interior
the blue dot in the final output.
seams are hidden.
8 game developer | august 2011