Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2

108 Pages·2010·21.06 MB·English

I n n e r P r o d u c t s t r e a m i n g v i r t u a l t e x t u r e s
vol17no3MARCH2010
Hacks, kludges, and under-Handed tactics
from beyond tHe matrix
Production tecHniques across tHree leading studios
an interview witH ncsoft illustrator and
director Hyung-tae kim
[ [ o
www.seapine.com/gamescm r
P
Satisfy your quality obsession. ®d dstingstingstingstingstingsting
zarzard Ted Ted Ted Ted Ted Te
WiWiateateateateateate
mmmmmm
A A oooooo
QQAutAutAutAutAutAut
nt nt nt nt nt nt
® memememememe
Meeeeee
gggggg
Caaaaaa
e anananananan
nMMMMMM
pige ge ge ge ge ge
annnnnn
ehahahahahaha
SCCCCCC
nt nt nt nt nt nt
eeeeee
mmmmmm
® eeeeee
MMagagagagagag
nnnnnn
CCaaaaaa
SSMMMMMM
d d n n n n n n
ununatioatioatioatioatioatio
oourururururur
urrurronfi gonfi gonfi gonfi gonfi gonfi g
SSCCCCCC
© 2009 Seapine Software, Inc. All rights reserved.
Get More Change Management
o o g g g g g g
didikinkinkinkinkinkin
uuacacacacacac
with Seapine Integrated SCCM ®k StStkg & Trg & Trg & Trg & Trg & Trg & Tr
acacninninninninninnin
TrTranananananan
ttPlPlPlPlPlPl
esesst st st st st st
TestTrack Pro + Surround SCM = infi nite SCCM possibilities. Seapine’s integrated software change and TTTeTeTeTeTeTe
confi guration management (SCCM) tools do much more than competing tools, and at a much lower price
point. Start with TestTrack Pro for change management and add Surround SCM for confi guration management—
two award-winning tools that together give you the best integrated SCCM solution on the market. M M ent ent ent ent ent ent
mmmmmm
CCeeeeee
• Link issues, change requests, and other work items with source code changes. TTgggggg
® nananananana
kaaaaaa
• Manage simple or complex change processes with fl exible branching and labeling. cMMMMMM
Traase ase ase ase ase ase
• Coordinate distributed development with RSS feeds, email conversation tracking, caching proxy tCCCCCC
servers, change notifi cations, 3-way diff/merge, and other collaboration features. TesTest Test Test Test Test Test
• Enforce and automate processes with incredibly fl exible work item and fi le-level workfl ows.
Built on industry-standard RDBMSs, Seapine’s SCCM tools are more scalable, give you more workfl ow options,
and provide more security and traceability than competing solutions. Pro ent ent ent ent ent ent
®k gemgemgemgemgemgem
Get more, do more with Seapine tools. Visit www.seapine.com/gamescm. acnananananana
TrMaMaMaMaMaMa
Testssue ssue ssue ssue ssue ssue
IIIIII
CONTENTS.0310
VOLUME 17 NUMBER 3
POSTMORTEM DEPARTMENTS
20 NAUGHTY DOG'S UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES 2 GAME PLAN By Brandon Sheffield [EDITORIAL]
UNCHARTED 2 is Naughty Dog's latest foray into what they call the Playing God
cinematic action genre. The game released to nearly-universal
acclaim, and here they discuss everything from multiplayer 4 HEADS UP DISPLAY [NEWS]
mechanics, to over-ambitious scope, to the power of playtesting. A report from the Art History of Games conference plus
By Richard Lemarchand Xbox Live Indie Games sales analysis.
FEATURES 47 TOOL BOX By Damian Kastbauer [REVIEW]
Audiokinetic's Wwise 2009.3
7 DIRTY CODING TRICKS II
In our second installment of Dirty Coding Tricks, programmers share 57 THE INNER PRODUCT By Jake Cannell [PROGRAMMING]
their last-minute kludges and hacks all in the name of getting a game Virtual Textures
out the door. Lessons abound for coders and the non-technical alike.
By Brandon Sheffield 63 DESIGN OF THE TIMES By Soren Johnson [DESIGN]
Theme Is Not Meaning Part II
15 TAMING THE WILD WEST
Production methodologies differ from company to company. Here, 67 AURAL FIXATION By Jesse Harlin [SOUND]
Matthew Burns explores the disparate tactics of Harmonix, Treyarch, Planting the Seed
and Valve, to determine some best practices.
By Matthew S. Burns 69 PIXEL PUSHER By Steve Theodore [ART]
Zombie Apocalypse
31 BREAKING THE ICE
Conversation systems are becoming increasingly prevalent in games, 74 GOOD JOB! [CAREER]
with dialog trees and databases aplenty. Serious games developer Career Pavilion Tips.
Brent Friedman proposes a simple language as a potential solution.
By Brent Friedman 92 EDUCATED PLAY [EDUCATION]
Focus on UCLA student Peter Lu's CAVE
53 INTERVIEW: HYUNG-TAE KIM
Hyung-Tae Kim, currently art director for NCSoft's BLADE AND SOUL, is 104 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT By Matthew Wasteland [HUMOR]
best known for his approach to anatomy. This interview illuminates This Just In!
his thoughts on the subject of character and art in general.
By Brandon Sheffield
COVER ART: NAUGHTY DOG ART TEAM
WWW.GDMAG.COM 1
GAME PLAN // BRANDON SHEFFIELD
www.gdmag.com
UBM Think Services, 600 Harrison St., 6th Fl.,
San Francisco, CA 94107
t: 415.947.6000 f: 415.947.6090
PLAYING GOD
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
FOR INFORMATION, ORDER QUESTIONS, AND
ADDRESS CHANGES
A CALL FOR NEW UNIVERSE CREATION IN GAMES t: 800.250.2429 f: 847.763.9606
e: [email protected]
EDITORIAL
REMEMBER WHEN THE NORM FOR about what is being taught to Maybe in the past we created
PUBLISHER
a video game was a blue hedgehog children or impressionable folk. crazy games simply because we Simon Carless l [email protected]
that ran fast and collected rings Not that this should influence couldn’t recreate reality with the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Brandon Sheffield l [email protected]
and emeralds? Or a plumber that creative decisions, but when a technology. Consider BAYONETTA.
PRODUCTION EDITOR
took mushrooms to become large, cartoon mouse hits someone Here you’ve got a woman whose Jeffrey Fleming l [email protected]
and grabbed a flower to throw with a mallet it’s a lot different clothing is made of her hair, and has ART DIRECTOR
fireballs? In reality they do none from when a prisoner in MANHUNT guns in her shoes. I’ve heard a lot Joseph Mitch l [email protected]
of those things, but in the name of does it. The discussion needs to of people—journalists especially— CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Jesse Harlin
a game, they make sense, inspire take place, even if the decision is talk about how crazy this is. In Steve Theodore
wonder, and create a new universe. ultimately to go with reality. 1992 this would not be crazy, this Daniel Nelson
Soren Johnson
This isn’t another one of those would be par for the course in the Damion Schubert
articles about the good old days, PANDORA'S BOX creation of a video game. ADVISORY BOARD
and how everything used to be » Games that emulate reality do Hal Barwood Designer-at-Large
Mick West Independent
better. Rather, this is an article have the powerful opportunity to CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE Brad Bulkley Neversoft
about missed opportunity. make people think carefully about » There is a choice that developers Clinton Keith Independent
Bijan Forutanpour Sony Online Entertainment
the world around them. By placing can make now. We know that we
Mark DeLoura Independent
TIME TO CRATE the player in real-world situations can visually emulate reality to a Carey Chico Pandemic Studios
»
As the graphical capabilities and applying real consequences pretty convincing level. Now is the
ADVERTISING SALES
of computers and home consoles in-game, a spark may well go off time when we can decide whether
GLOBAL SALES DIRECTOR
increased over time, and as in little Jimmy’s brain. But there’s we want to use that power to Aaron Murawski e: [email protected]
demographics skewed older, the a high likelihood he still won’t see recreate reality or forge universes t: 415.947.6227
temptation to emulate and recreate the consequences as real. After all, of our own. We don’t need space MEDIA ACCOUNT MANAGER
John Malik Watson e: [email protected]
reality grew stronger and stronger. you turn off the TV or the monitor marines or aliens to do it, either. t: 415.947.6224
To that end, games increasingly and that entire world is gone. The world of BIOSHOCK’s Rapture GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, RECRUITMENT
tried to make their systems and I’m not a fan of James captivated audiences immediately. Gina Gross e: [email protected]
t: 415.947.6241
design follow realistic constructs, Cameron's Avatar, but its simple It was recognizable, but different,
GLOBAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, EDUCATION
boasting the most realistic cars and story resonated with a lot of and this is something that Rafael Vallin e: [email protected]
licenses, or the most realistic guns, people, and I’ve heard more people resonates with people. t: 415.947.6223
or a military contractor on staff to talking about injustice and the I just downloaded and played ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
advise on tactics. But games are politics of power based on having the HEAVY RAIN demo on the PS3. I PRODUCTION MANAGER
not reality, they are games. watched a movie about fake blue urge readers to do the same and Pete C. Scibilia e: [email protected]
t: 516-562-5134
We’ve seen time and time people than I have heard them see how they feel about the reality
again that the closer you try to talking about Guantanamo Bay, or emulated there. Sure, there are REPRINTS
emulate reality, the more the the war in Afghanistan. It doesn’t complex emotions and scenarios WRIGHT'S REPRINTS
“game” aspects begin to stick out. mean these people are stupid, in place here—but when I’m Ryan Pratt e: [email protected]
t: 877.652.5295
Invisible walls in FINAL FANTASY, or or even necessarily uninformed, playing, I’m just pressing random
grenades spawning at your feet but it does mean that in order to buttons that come up on screen THINK SERVICES
when you go the wrong way in really reach them, they had to be and have nothing to do with the CEO UBM THINK SERVICES Philip Chapnick
MODERN WARFARE 2 are examples approached in a different way. I actions I’m performing. Whether GCRREOAUTPI VDEIR DEIRCETOCRTO KRa Cthliyff SScchoorsboack
of kicking the player out of that think that this can be true of fun, you agree with designer David CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Anthony Adams
illusion of reality, and letting them as well as serious messages. Cage in his choice to make the
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
know that yes, this is a game, and We miss out on some of the game this way is not the point.
TYSON ASSOCIATES Elaine Tyson
yes, the rules are designed to keep great potential of this medium The important thing is that he did e: [email protected]
you in the space of this world, not if we focus too heavily on the make a specific choice, as he told LIST RENTAL Merit Direct LLC t: 914.368.1000
the real world. real. We have the power to create me in a Gamasutra interview. MARKETING
In reality, as a soldier I could entire worlds—isn’t using this When a game is made,
MARKETING SPECIALIST Mellisa Andrade
disobey my orders and go exploring power to create a shadow of think—what universe fits my e: [email protected]
around the other side. I could be reality a bit of a cop-out? And view? Can I tell my story with
UBM TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
cowardly and turn back to base. really, it’s only a conceptual cop- a Rapture? With a Pandora?
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER David Levin
Games shouldn’t have to plan for out. In practice, reality is quite Or does it need to exist in my CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Scott Mozarsky
every eventuality, of course, but hard to recreate. This is why the reality? If these questions are CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER David Wein
CORPORATE SENIOR VP SALES Anne Marie Miller
it’s not so hard to create universes lushly-detailed world of Avatar’s answered honestly, and with real SENIOR VP, STRATEGIC DEV. AND BUSINESS ADMIN. Pat Nohilly
that are compelling but where Pandora is so compelling to thought, games will resonate SENIOR VP, MANUFACTURING Marie Myers
the unusual—or even simple people. It’s new, but recognizable. better, and their messages, their
backtracking—is not so unfeasible. It’s compellingly different, but not fun, and their immersion will only
Emulation of reality also brings alienating. This is the potential increase in potency.
with it all sorts of moral concerns that exists within games. —Brandon Sheffield
WWW.UBM.COM
2 GAME DEVELOPER | MARCH 2010
GMD_FPo.indd 1 09/02/2010 16:10:44
HEADS-UP DISPLAY
the art
history of
games in
atlanta
Brenda Brathwaite on creating board games about tragedies (Photo by auriea Harvey).
We Were a mixed croWd. “The Atari 2600 was created to play art titled “Fountain”) put into a Bogost. This was the strongest
Professional game developers, just two games.” museum. He did a great deal of commercial industry presence
art aficionados, students of all Day two switched to an work involving skilled technique as of the show. These three ground
varieties, and a number of folks academic perspective, digging well—including “Nude Descending breaking designers love their work,
from the area that were just plain into the cultural roots of games a Staircase, No. 2,” a piece many but it was clear that they love
curious. John Sharp, Ian Bogost, as art. Much of the day included of us first heard of through their work primarily as games, not
and Michael Nitsche began the Art background on classical Calvin & Hobbes. Outside the necessarily as art.
History of Games conference with art, including Celia Pearce’s art world, Duchamp was a chess The final night, IndieCade
a claim captured from SIGGRAPH. introduction of the Fluxus master, once declaring that “all and IGDA Atlanta hosted an Indie
“Games: 18.25% art.” movement, and John Sharp’s chess players are artists,” and Game Slam, giving 14 indies each
No matter our background, discussion of games taking on most photos of him include a a three-minute window to show
attendees could all agree that new cultural roles during the chessboard. Game makers and off their projects. Jesper Juul
putting a percentage on game art Renaissance. Projects by the Jodi traditional artists alike seemed and Brian Shurtleff showed their
was nonsense. This set the tone art collective—such as those thankful to have a common hero. projects from the Global Game Jam,
that carried through the entire changing the rendering process The third day, each of the Connor Fallon shared a student
event: we would welcome bold, of existing first-person shooters artists from a gallery opening game from Carnegie Mellon’s Game
over-generalizing statements, if WolFenstein and Quake to be more the previous night had a chance Creation Society, and Nathan
only to have something to talk abstract—were offered by Jay to share with us their visions for Jerpe demonstrated his ASCII epic
about. This was going to be fun, David Bolter and Brian Schrank future games. Tale of Tales kicked legerdeMain. I took the opportunity
not clinical. during their talk as examples off the “Not Games” movement. to share a few highlights from my
Each presentation brought of avant-garde game art. Jason Rohrer created a Gamist Manifesto, 219 daily experimental projects.
something unique and valuable. Rohrer’s Passage received frequent suggesting that games should The Art History of Games crowd
Unfortunately 18 talks spread allusions, and Rod Humble’s not try too hard to be like films responded very well to the
across three days can’t fit on one Marriage had a few references as or novels in terms of narrative. original concepts.
page, so I’ll present a few highlights. well. Cory Arcangel’s suPer Mario The panel of designers afterward The event was a success, from
John Romero delivered the clouds was brought up the most was intense, partly because it beginning to end. It came together
opening keynote. His main point times in terms of video game art immediately followed an emotional with the right mix of perspectives,
was that the innovators of our that has made it into museum presentation by Brenda Brathwaite backgrounds, and attitudes.
industry are still alive today, and culture. (suPer Mario clouds is about her current board game More questions were created
we ought to be learning everything suPer Mario Brothers with only the project, which is about the than resolved, but for this type of
that we can from them. In 1998 clouds displayed.) struggles of Native Americans. gathering, that was the point. The
John Romero caught up with the Marcel Duchamp was declared The last panel put Richard next time this event rolls around,
legendary programmer from Final the patron saint of the conference, Lemarchand (uncharted 2), I can only hope attendance will
Fantasy i–iii and secret oF Mana, and referenced more than any John Romero (dooM, Quake), and grow, and more people can share in
Nasir Gebelli, for an interview. “Our other artist. For readers unfamiliar Harvey Smith (deus ex), on stage the conversation.
masters worked within a lot of with his work, he famously along with art curator Christiane
constraints.” Romero pointed out. achieved getting a urinal (Dadaist Paul, moderated by professor Ian —Chris DeLeon
4 gAmE DEvELoPEr | mArcH 2010
ANALYSIS: XBOX LIve INdIe
GAMeS SALeS FOR 2009
GamerBytes.com has Been keepinG a than $17,500. That’s more than a grand
close eye on the Xbox Live Indie Games per week for that game’s development.
scene and while the service had a bit of One of the main complaints about
a rough beginning, XBLIG now includes the XBLIG space is that people just aren’t
a ratings system, avatar support, an looking at it. However, the numbers are
entirely new name, and new pricing tiers. increasing—55,000 people downloaded
Finding the sweet spot for hobbyist and the trial to liTTlE rAcErS, 26,000 people
user-submitted indie games has been a have played the trial version of AvATAr
long process, but there’s definitely been SnOWBAll fight, and nExTWAr had 30,000
progress. people give it a go. People are looking
Larry Hryb, Microsoft’s director of at more games, especially those in the
programming for Xbox Live recently top 20 lists. Just having them download
released a list of the Top 20 XBL Indie the demo is a huge step—that means
Games for 2009 on his majornelson.com the premise has piqued their interest,
blog, and thanks to the participants of or the box art has made the game look
the official XNA forums—including many interesting, or that the developer has
developers—the list has been fleshed strong marketing skills.
out with sales data for the Top 20 games. To expect the same top-line numbers
James Silva’s GAM3 W1TH ZOMB1ES from Xbox Live Indie Games you see on
become the top selling game of the the iPhone’s App Store—as some critics
year. Like many top tier indie games do—is short-sighted. The App Store is a
it features simple play mechanics, an different animal. Top games sell up to
unusual art style, quirky music, and 30,000 copies a day, but often at bargain FiGUre 1 the graph shows sales of the top 20 XBLiG games, the
amount of trial versions that were downloaded, the conversion
an extremely low price. All these points basement prices—and the vast majority
percentage from trial to sale, the price and the money made by the
helped bring the game to the attention of sell very few.
developer itself. note that the money made by a developer on any
gamers and game blogs. The release volume for XBLIG is XBLi game is 70 percent of its selling price—microsoft picks up 30
Applications are also getting a somewhere between Xbox Live Arcade percent of each sale.
lot of attention on XBL Indie Games. and the App Store. It’s worth noting that
DruMKiT allows players to take control with only one or two Xbox Live Arcade
of their rOcK BAnD or GuiTAr HErO drum games released weekly, developers are
controllers. AquAriuM HD and MyFiSHTAnK guaranteed at least a little prominence.
turn Xbox 360s into habitats for digital Yet XBLIG titles can get lost in the
fish, while ruMBlE MASSAGE and A PErFEcT shuffle swiftly after they move off the
MASSAGE let users go crazy with the “New Releases” page. After that, they
controller’s rumble ability. EZMuZE+, a can’t do much to get back up—or at least,
complex audio looping system, made it to price cuts like those implemented in
the list even at a $10 asking price. Apple's App Store seem to have less of
Other games that have done well are an effect.
usually simple but direct—HEADSHOT and To succeed developers need to
HEADSHOT 2, AvATAr DrOP, and THE iMPOSSiBlE keep the awareness up. Send out press
GAME, all of which sport very simple releases to blogs, create trailers, Twitter
concepts, have also made it into the Top 20. about it, get on NeoGAF, IndieGames.com,
The Xbox Live Indie Games scene and TIGSource and talk about your games.
has been criticized for less-than-epic The more people you get to download your
game sales, but looking at the numbers demo, the more purchases you ultimately
helps put this into perspective. SOlAr has get. For mid and high-level performers,
sold around 10,000 copies over its nine XBLIG is fast becoming a viable platform
months on the market. The game took for hobbyists and single-man shops to
about four months of work during the make some cash and get their game
developer’s spare time. For the majority of seen—and for end users to pick up some
FiGUre 2 additional indie game sales data gathered from the
the time the game was sold at its original genuinely interesting games.
majornelson.com and Xna.com forums.
$2.50 price point, overall making a bit less —Ryan Langley
www.gdmag.com 5

It’s time once again to revisit the mighty kludges and
well-meaning hacks that are occasionally required
to get our games into the hands of eager consumers.
As we did last year, we’ve compiled a host of stories,
this year using both voluntary submissions and
online comments.
These hacks and heroics span the entire history
of computer and video games, even extending
laterally into the business software sector. Delight
at the ingenuity, marvel at the audaciousness, learn
from the mistakes of your predecessors, but most
importantly, release games that work—on time, too.
—Brandon Sheffield
WWW.GDMAG.COM 7
Wing Commander.
Thanks For Playing! the map. To this day, I don't know why this happened, but I believe that the
»
Back on the first Wing Commander engine’s BSP compiler added brushes to the BSP tree in a random order, and
we were getting an exception from certain combinations would just ... randomly break things. At the time, I had
our EMM386 memory manager when never heard of a randomized algorithm, but I invented one regardless—a
we exited the game. We'd clear the preprocessing stage was added to the BSP compiler that shuffled the order of
screen and a single line would print the brushes before they were fed to the engine's BSP compiler. That way, if the
out, something like "EMM386 Memory level geometry broke the BSP compiler, we could just try shuffling the brushes
manager error. Blah blah blah." We had to ship ASAP, so I hex edited the error in with different random numbers until we found a combination that worked,
the memory manager itself to read "Thank you for playing Wing Commander." and then we stuck with it until the next time the BSP compiler broke. The
—Ken Demarest game itself was a disaster, and both the engine and the game were featured
in a Penny Arcade cartoon that contained the first ever appearance of the
100 PercenT PUre FrUi T JUices Fruitf*cker 2000. This remains a milestone in my personal career.
»
When I first started working in the game industry I spent most of my time —Nicholas Vining
shuffling between various small, underfunded startups. Here is a horror
story from the good old days when men were men and used DirectX 7. Flash ForWarD
»
I worked for a company that had been forced to use a certain 3D engine I was working on nBa Jam Te for the Genesis, which used a flash chip to
by the publisher. The engine shall remain nameless, but the publisher had store game data. The game had been tested for months, and everything was
been persuaded to buy a number of licenses for it as part of a bulk licensing ready to go, so the publisher ordered 250,000 copies of the cart. But it soon
deal, and insisted that we use it. To be blunt, the engine did not work, and became apparent that no one, for months, had reset the flash chips on the
I spent most of my time at the company making the 3D engine do obvious test carts to make sure the flash init routines worked correctly. Nor did
things correctly, such as fixing the engine company’s implementation of anyone order any carts for testing.
single-pass multi-textured lightmapping. It was only after all the carts had been ordered that we discovered the
One of the more interesting things that did not work was the BSP compiler. flash init code was dead, and that the carts could not save games properly!
Level designers would build level geometry with correct visibility, and then The studio went into meltdown trying to figure out how to ship 250,000
minor geometry adjustments would break visibility on the other side of broken carts. Suggestions of production lines adding extra resistors and
other hacks to every cart were tried and failed. When all seemed lost,
someone figured out if you played the games in an odd, and very specific
order, the flash memory would sort of work. So an extra leaflet was added to
every box explaining how to use this "feature."
—Chris Kirby
sMoking secT ion
»
My favorite last-minute hack was in the four-player mode of niTroBike
il PS2. As usual, the level designers and the artists had done their work
l
U without the slightest concept of real-world feasibility, and as usual, the job
s
Tr of "finishing" the game was left entirely to me.
a
Tio After much battling and butting of heads, I got them to simplify the level
n c artwork, create visually occluding features, and remove excessive dynamic
oU objects, but that couldn't save one particular movie-themed level. The level
r
Te design itself resisted occlusion; it consisted of two large rooms (sound
s
y stages, in the fiction) with no occluding features, connected by two open
o
F P doors. One door was in the middle of the wall. There was no possible way to
en arrange occluding polygons to block one room from seeing the other room in
n
y any effective way, and there was no way to cut out any more level artwork
a
rc without completely ruining the character of the level.
a
D I really needed a way to put one big occluding polygon in the wall, covering
e
8 game developer | march 2010