P2 Constructing Analysis - Creating products for a specific audience

Media Text - we would use TV, radio and internet advertisement to help sell our product. This would be more practical for the younger audience but old enough to fit into a age rating.

Genre - Survival Action.

Selection of Content - The game will contain a mission where characters find weapons which get better and so they can fight the zombies. This would also allow people to compare there stats with each other whilst also being able to see how far they are in this amazing open world zombie game.

Construction of Content - Get better gear to find out what happened. there would be no online but there would be a leveling up concept where you can get upgrades to your weapons.
 

Codes and Conventions - 00Z is third person and will have HUD which displays the vitals/minimum for the survival. This will also allow for the person to be able to fight and battle with a more realistic feel to it.

Target Demographic - The Demographics would be 16+. this is because there will be shooting and death as well as blood which would be unsuitable for people under the age of 16 so this is why we have rated it the way we have.
 

Title	00Z
Genre	Zombie thriller, thriller, Action, Horror
Selection of Content	Dark, Gloomy, Disaster, jump Scares, Rain
Construction of Content	Linear, Exploration,
Narrative Conventions	Story Concentrated
Codes and Conventions	Health, Ammo
Target Demographic	16+

Media Text - Media text for Batman would have been TV, websites and magazines and transport advertisement. This allowed for new and returning players to be able to see the trailer and let them decide if they would be playing the new installment.

Genre -  action thriller.

Selection of Content - The game contains mini missions for the players to complete as well as then being able to upgrade your character. This then allows the player to be able to do new cool moves and be open to new weapons which can help you fight better and cleaner.

Construction of Content - the game is set about completing missions and side missions  to upgrade batman and fight the main villains of Gotham. These will help you get more points as well as give you a better ending and a teaser for a sequel. 

Codes and Conventions - Batman used third person as well as being able to use special skills , the HUD for batman looks very high-tech and gives off a expensive technology.

Target Demographic - The demographic for Batman Arkham Knight would be 18+. This is because it is a violent fighting game where each fight ends in a finisher which incapacitates your opponent.

Title	Batman: Arkham Knight
Genre	Action
Selection of Content	Dark, Gloomy, Halloween, Night/fearful
Construction of Content	Non-linear, character/story driven
Narrative Conventions	Story driven to protect Gotham,
Codes and Conventions	Health, Direction, skill level, Control tips/Button help
Target Demographic	(18+)

Media Text - Media text for the Witcher would be advertisement on TV, websites and magazines. This helps the developers get their game out into the public and let them know about it and who would definitely buy the new game.

Genre - Action Adventure fantasy

Selection of Content - The game contains quests which you can do to upgrade the character, and weapons as well as armour. This allows for creation and personal play in their game which is a unique twist to the game.
 

Construction of Content - The construction of constraint for The Witcher 3:Wild Hunt it is set to be very open for layers to do as much exploring as possible but sometimes there can be a long loading screen.

Codes and Conventions - the codes and conventions for the Witcher 3: wild hunt would be that it uses third person and has a very slick but medieval looking HUD but looks very nice.

Target Demographic - the target demographic for the Witcher 3: wild hunt would mostly be 18+ plus

Title	Witcher 3:Wild Hunt
Genre	Fantasy, Action adventure
Selection of Content	Dark, gloomy, wildlife, Exploration, depressing
Construction of Content	Non-linear, Character driven and content
Narrative Conventions	Story Driven, monster killing, Looking for a close friend.
Codes and Conventions	Health, Stamina, active sign, Toxicity, Weather/time mini map, Button Hints
Target Demographic	(18+)

Context Of 3D Games Design

3D Landscape Concepts



What is a 3D landscape? A 3D landscape is something which allows players to see/explore the background and gives the game more depth. This also makes things look like they are complete where as 2D does not have this effect and so this is why 3D has a better effect on gamers.

 What are the tools we can use to create this environment? Some of the tools used to create an environment would be Maya where you can design parts of the background and then import it into you landscape on the software you are using. There are also in software tools to help create your 3D background like lighting & shading which give a realistic dimension to the game due to it looking like it has light effects and this brings a sense of realism as well as life to the background if this is applied, also weather like sun or clouds can effect the light and shading but in their own right they have import rolls in the background and making it realistic, also night and moon light can be important because again light and shading come hand in hand when lighting is added anywhere. Assets such as foliage (Trees, plants Etc.) this again linking with shading and light can effect how shade works from the sunlight hitting trees and rocks which give it a unique shadow and will allow for the background to appear real and this is important to have because this is a basic necessity in nature and so in an open world game or with detailed backgrounds this would be expected to be applied. Physics this is like gravity which is obviously key to have in a game otherwise the jumping and feel to the game would be off due to the lack or too much gravity in the background. Sound this is again key in a game and background because wildlife is never quite so there is always noise like wind or rain plus many other aspects that would be considered.

Why would we want to do this? We would want to do this because it gives us a better experience as well as giving the game depth so it seems more realistic and even could have interactions within it too. This also helps make the player delve into the game more if there is a deeper background which allows exploration. This also allows to give more detail to the game with sounds and other ways to give a more life filled background which otherwise would look bare and dead.

What are the elements that make up a 3D landscape?  The elements that make up the 3D landscape are Rain, Sunshine, sand, snow, mud,

List these elements and give in detail what each is and does within this environment?

Unit 6: Critical Approaches to Creative Media Productions

Unit 6: Critical Approaches to Creative Media Productions

Quantitative, Qualitative, Audience Classification

 Quantitative – this is when a company will use more range of people but less in depth questions (for example ‘do you like games?’) this is normally used when a company wants to get a more brief idea but want lots of brief opinions so this gives them a overview of the general idea of what there customers want

Qualitative – this is when the company talk to less people but go into more depth with what questions and so they get better answers (what’s your favourite game and why?) this is generally used when they want more in depth detail or opinions about their game or other ideas, this is normally used with focus groups to gain the most detail.


Audience Classification – This is to get a better understanding of your audience and what they like and what they want to play, it also gives you information about where they’re from and their income. This can give producers a better idea of who and why they’re playing your game.

 Survey –   Quantitative

Do you like Gears of War?

Do you like Marcus Fenix?

Do you like Dominic Santiago?

Do you like playing as the Locust?

Do you play Gears of War online?
What level are you on Gears of War?

Qualitative
-  Who is your favourite character and why?
- How many gears of war games do you own? Which is your favourite and why?
- Which carmine (Anthony, Benjamin or Clayton) is your favourite? And why?
-  How many hours a day do you spend playing Gears of war? 0-1 / 2-3 / 4-5 / 6-7 / 8-9 / 10+
- What made you buy gears of war? Which one if not all?
- Have you ever bought a DLC skin pack for Gears of War?

 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2KWQFTX

 

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

Gears of war ultimate edition is a 2015 game release of the previously 2006 released version but this time the game is more complete with modern graphics and levels which were not included in the original release of the game.

The Graphics on the newer release have been updated to be able to make the most of the new generation consoles which now have the ability to have better graphics, this allows the developers to make the experience better for the gamer and so it could allow to let people experience the game again but this time can pay more attention to the detail of the game. The new levels in the game also allow the players to experience the full game and what they originally wanted them to see so it finally gives fans a chance to fully complete it and can see what was meant to happen in the game and how it could be set up the other sequels.

 The multiplayer and co-op of the game were also slightly improved which made the game more enjoyable but it still had the annoying over powered shotguns in games which got very frustrating but when you eventually learn how to get past it then the online becomes very entertaining  and enjoyable to play. The co-op of the campaign is very good and makes the campaign even more entertaining which allowed for good memories of the game to happen which makes the game more playable. I recently played the co-op game with my friend and I fully enjoyed going on the battle to fight General Raam which was an epic duel and we eventually sniped him in the head and after many shots he finally died after a few times cause we died several times but this makes killing him even better because you spent a lot more time and effort into completing the game and when it’s on the hardest difficulty it makes it so much better.

 

New York Dailey Times – “Gears of War remains a standout title. It takes a lot for a game to draw raves nine years after its release…Gears is just that good” (Positive because they rate the game highly)

ZTGD – “if you already own an Xbox One and enjoyed the franchise, this is a must have title. I expect some people will be jumping on board in purchasing the system just for this title alone, and I wouldn’t blame them in the slightest” (positive because they gave all positive feedback which shows they enjoyed it)

Gaming Nexus – “New Graphics, new levels and new features make this one of the best games on Xbox One” (positive because they enjoyed the updated graphics and other updated content)

Giant Bomb – “The campaign has aged pretty poorly and the graphical updates to the campaign side of Gears of War fell half-baked, so unless you’re really excited for the competitive part of Gears of War, there’s nothing for you.” (Negative because they didn’t like the way the game has not been changed much and that they’re still problems)

Game Spot – “The return trip might have revealed more cracks than we remembered, but it also serves as a shield for our nostalgia. And as remakes go, that’s worth the journey home” (Mixed because they found good and bad things which effected their experience)

Conclusion - These reviews show that a lot of people who played Gears of War really enjoyed it because at least 95% of reviews were positive so this shows that it is a good game still and it’s still enjoyable nine years later. There were a few people who didn’t like it but that could because they don’t like the game or they have little pet hates about it that were not fixed and so this was the reason they gave it a worse review than some of the others.

What do they have in common? – The reviews have in common that they all enjoyed the game but only some people found faults were as others didn’t and loved the game even more than the original release which is what the main common opinion is. They also share the opinion that this is a good game and matches the original version of the release and this shows that the game is good and still entertaining even after the time it was on sale but now with the updated one it’s a good game. Overall they have similar things to what I said and believed about gears of war but I also there are disagreements between what I put because  they have there preferences which may be different to mine.

Compare – Their opinions are very similar to mine and some are the exact same but I’d say that about 95% of the reviews match my opinion but only a few don’t but overall the reviews are similar if not the same as mine as I put but negative comments maybe were because maybe they experienced stuff that I didn’t

The Analysis of my results show that many people have not played Gears of War but a few people who did my survey did. It also shows that many people who played it or not were not keen on the main characters in the game but this could have been because they did not know the characters so this could explain why they did not like them. The results also showed that they did not like playing as the locust but again this could be because they do not like or have not played Gears of War so this could explain why.

 So overall people who have played Gears OF War do like some of the characters and options but even some who have played it do not like the characters so it is quite a split decision on it but I think it may be differently if more people had played it.

 

 

 Overall my methods to finding peoples views on Gears of War: Ultimate Edition was very successful due to me finding positive and negative results which have proven to show what certain people like or dislike in a game series but also find what people enjoy.

 

 

 

Unit 66: 3D Modelling

3D Modeling


Displaying 3D polygon animations - lighting, shadowing, textures, fogging are all part of a very similar technique when creating characters due to them being with realistic traits which make the object look more realistic and give it a more realistic feel. This are al tools you can use in Maya to help bring the character to life with realistic features.

It is also key to make sure you render the image so it looks complete as well as smoothing out the object to look more realistic. Making sure your image has rendered is also an important feature to creating an object because if it has not rendered then it would loose its quality  which would give it a poor finish.

Geometric theory - basic features n Maya and 3D modeling is that you have to check the vertices, lines, curves, edge, polygons and face. This is very important if you want to create a realistic model because these are the basic tools in creating models and most use many of these tools in one model which is why it is important to know how to use these tools well. Another tool which again is important is the mesh tool and this is the basic tool in creating models and so again this is an important tool to know how to use in order to create a good model and make it easier to create it due to the mesh tool.

Mesh construction - box modeling is important when creating your model because it allows you to create a good and identical look to what you are trying to achieve so this is again useful and a good tool to know how to use and way to create a good and useful model base. Using common primitives (cubes, pyramids, cylinders and spheres) these are basic tools in Maya and if you want to create a good model or object knowing how to use these are important and fundamental in creating even the basic of objects.

3D development software - these are the software downloads you can use when you want to create a model or object for a game, some of them are Maya, 3D studio max, blender, AutoCAD, Cinema 4D these are some of the formats that are used when creating models and objects for games because they have simple layouts but are also easy to understand and eventually can lead to high skill in the software so you can create simply amazing pieces using the basic software. Theses software also use different file formats like 3ds, .mb, .iwo and plug-ins this allows you to save your files in different formats which allow different things to be saved and also the space of the files too.

Constraints - an important tool used in Maya is called the polygon count and this is a clever tool which counts how many edges, faces, sides and other aspects which are important to keep the model high or low which will effect its look but also how it runs because the higher the polygon count the more risk there is of crashing depending how good the computer you're using. The file size is important to keep low otherwise it could lead to it taking up to much space as well as time too keep loading up and big file where a smaller file would open quicker and obviously take less space too.

Game Engines/Reviews

Top Game Engines

There are a few game engines used by different developers but the main three that are used are Unreal, Unity and Crytec, this has seen games becoming more and more realistic with weather and character changes which has paved a new way for high Tec games. Companies that use engines like Unreal 4 can now create ground breaking games that will change the way people experience games.

What Is A Game Engine?
A game engine is something that can be used to create games and add in effects such as gravity and many other physics, the way game engines are now being made it's allowing producers to make the next top games with improved graphics and surrounding which become more realistic each time. Unreal 4 is mainly used for console and Pc users because they can have more effects put in without it effecting the consoles capability of running the game. The next-generation consoles can allow more so due to the console upgrade companies are now making sure their games are on the limit on the best they can be before ruining the console performance.

What Is A Rendering Engine?
A rendering engine is when light is added to objects to give it a sense of realism to the game which makes the game better, Rendering is an important aspect to games as this allows the game to get better graphics and make the game look more realistic and instead of old graphics.

What Is A Physics Engine?

A physics engine is something that allows characters in game push objects as well as many other physics movements which we use in day to day life and this makes characters seem more realistic so this is why it's important to have up to date engines. This is an important feature to the game because this allows the game to flow without you being stuck on every object in the game.

 

Unreal 4 Engine: Gears Of War is made on Unreal Engine and has been made with that engine for all of it's releases which have all been proven to be top quality games. Fable was also made with Unreal engine and has now come along way in it's graphics.

 

Unity:  Many games are made on unity like Assassins Creed which is made on it, Kerbal Space Program was also made on Unity this a little game which allows you to create spaceships as well as vehicles and test them out.

 

Review On Games Maker - I think that games maker is a good way to start learning how to code and what kind of things you'll need to add into games. Also it's a good way to learn how to become more creative in game development with characters as this is a big way to make a game with you developing characters all the time which is common in the game design industry. Once you get the hang of Games Maker you can make a game within minutes and that is a good thing about game maker which is good for new users.

F1 2015 REVIEW

F1 2015 gameplay being uploaded to my YouTube account soon as well as a review being uploaded to my blog in the coming days  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRypohqyIeTCWAdCcPl2NAA/featured

Review - First thoughts (CHAMPIONSHIP MODE), when I heard about the game modes in the latest version of F1 games I was left slightly disappointed by them dropping the game mode where you could play as yourself I thought this was a mistake being as it's one the most popular game modes available. However I must admit codemasters have done a good job with its replacement Championship mode, this new mode allows players to choose what team & driver they would like to play as. In my current championship mode I am playing Force Indias Sergio Perez, I am enjoying this mode especially the new podium cut scenes and the new full race replays which allow you to ride on board with other drivers on the grid. It also gives you a chance to use the new talk to your engineer which is the first time it's being used, unfortunately safety cars & red flags have been removed but could may be introduced as dlc. Overall I do like championship mode despite me wanting a few more details added to the mode.
PRO SEASON MODE -  This is a mode I am yet to play but I know what it is about, Pro season mode is similar to championship season where you pick a driver to race as but that's where the similarities end from this point onwards Pro season mode gets tough. First of all you have to play on the hardest difficulty and you can have no assists, locked into driver cam, no HUD and the only way to get information is to talk to the engineer otherwise you'll get nothing. This shows why this is a tough game mode and why I'm yet to try it.

QUICK RACE - this is the mode where if you just want to pick a team, pick a driver and race then this will suite you, you can pick the amount of laps you do, weather literally anything and then pick the track and race! This a good and quick game mode definitely use this if you are new to the game.

TIME TRIAL - This is the mode where you pick a track pick a driver and do laps trying to achieve the quickest time you can change the weather so you can gain experience in all conditions for that track which can be very useful for new drivers and old, I highly recommend this mode as I enjoy playing it and it's to get used to due to you being the only car on the track.

MULTIPLAYER - This game mode is online only as split screen or offline multiplayer has been scrapped in this version of the game, there are a few options but this sometimes leads you to having to wait several minutes until you get a game. But overall I still recommend this as it is fun to race other people and to test your skills

Game Grenes

Game Genre	Game Description	Game Example
Sci-Fi’s (Adventure)	These are games that are made up of current things but adapted to become futuristic. These are also very popular due to the creativity and individuality of the games due to people’s ideas being unique and so this could give you something that no other game could have. These are mainly aimed at older groups and are not suitable for younger people because these are mainly	Destiny is the most recent sci-fi game released which is about a ‘guardian’ who is brought back to life and has to help the remaining human race in their survival against a darkness. This game was made by the people who made Halo and by the people who made Call Of Duty. It has also been nominated to be game of the year because of the creativity and the originality of the game but there hints of the games that the creators have made before but with slight changes it is completely different.   One of the most popular Sci-Fi games ever made is the Halo franchise. This has been argued to be one of the best sci-fi games in history. The main character ‘Master chief’ and he goes on a mission with the army to fight and defend earth from an alien force which is trying to take over the galaxy and must fight different enemies. There have also been many squeals to the original with Halo2, 3, 4 and soon 5 when it is released but there have also been other versions such as Halo ODST and Halo REACH.
Sports	These are games that are aimed at vary of age groups due to the content being child friendly. Sports games are normally Pegi 3 which means more people can play them and it can appeal to more people who like/prefer this genre. This type of genre can be more competitive with online options which can make people make new friends with friendly competition. This is a more competitive genre than most others.	A recent released sport game was UFC 14 which was is a sports game which can be played online so you can go 1 on 1 with other people or you can play on your own and do a career mode with your own created fighter. You can fight in your career mode but after each fight the more hits you take the more your longgevity is effected and will rise more quickly. This was also the first sports game released on the next gen (xbox one & PS4) consoles and was the first game that was not for the current gen (xbox 360 & PS3) this was because the technoligy for the game was good that it would be too much detail and memory that the current gen could not contain all of the programming which meant it could only be played on next gen.   Another type of sports game is Fifa which is a widely known as one of the best sports games which brings in high ammounts of revenue. This is also a extreamly compettitive game which is also appealing to a widly open audience because there are many people who enjoy football and also enjoy playing fifa but don’t acctually watch it so it can appeal to new people who would enjoy to play the game.
Puzzle/brain training	This genre can be aimed at older people because it can keep their minds active by solving puzzles and equations which can be very beneficial because it can keep them active and can prevent them from getting brain related diseases. This can also appeal to woman who like to test their brains and try to improve their memory or other aspects to their brain.	One game that many people can use is the Nintendo brain training which due to its portable ability it can be played anywhere which can keep people playing it which means that older people can play it in their own time. There are many other ways to play puzzles and brain training  which can also be available in newspapers like suduoko and wordsearches. This game type can sell more copies worldwide due to the age group that it can be aimed at and so it can be more appealing due to the type of game and what it contains.
Simulation	This genre can be aimed at a wide audience due to there being many types of simulators. This genre mainly attracts females but also can attract males to play simulators like Sims where both males and females play the game. It is more open to different genders and simulators do not only target one gender so it makes the game genre more open to other people who normally don’t play other games.	The most popular simulator known is Sims which is played by both genders and is very addictive and many people spend hours playing the game and become very addicted to it. They are also making a new Sims called Sims 4 which is the newest instalment to the Sims franchise which has been a big success since it first was released in 2000 which was a very successful time for the game due to its vast popularity. It was very popular due to many people being able to escape from their lives and be able to enjoy or style what life they really want so to many people it was an escape from reality and which many people loved because they can get lost into the game.
Movement(Kinect, Wii, PlayStation move)	This is a genre where it’s more physical where you move around and where your body is the controller and so this is actually a good way for people to stay fit and to keep in shape due to what type of games they have released specifically for Kinect or other types of devices. Physical games are also aimed at a wide range due to who can use it.	Movement can be a big market for who will play it due to the amount of people who are looking to stay in shape and to keep fit or to even improve your fitness with game like ‘Just Dance’ or ‘Wii Sports’ which has a big audience because many people are looking to stay fit and it has become very popular with people who are in care homes because it can keep them busy and entertained so it shows that old people do still like to keep active and playing games like Wii bowling or tennis and Golf then it could save the care home money and stay in and just let the Old people play on instead of having to spend lots of money and have to fill out lots of paper work if they were to go out to somewhere. It can also be good to people who are trying to get fit but do not have the time to go to the gym so they could buy a game on Wii or Xbox Kinect or PlayStation Move then it could save you money in the long run with games like UFC trainer or Zumba then it can improve your fitness without having to leave the house.  Even young children can get involed with this genre which is why this type of genre is very popular for a bigger audience because there is not a high game rating and it does not contain any inapropriate language or imaggary.
Strategy	This game type is quite popular and has attracted more people into it because of the growing awareness of this type of genre. This game type is where you have to normally build up an army and will have to use tactics to use and destroy your enemy using the best tactics and strategy to complete the game or to have suffered the least amount of losses and this can also affect your strength or strategy later in the game.	One of the recent popular strategy games released and still releases DLC’S is a game called ‘Civilization V’ which is a very popular game which is strategy based and it sees you change threw time and sees how long you and your empire can survive and to see if your Civilization can survive the test of time. The game provides several types of ways that you can win the game with Domination, Science, Diplomacy and Religion. This is also available to play online against other players or your friends and to test your strategy online to see if it works against real people not just the computers.   There are many other strategy games that are also popular, games like ‘age of the empires’ which is a fast paced strategy game which has been around for a while and has now produced more types of the game. There is also another popular strategy game called ‘Rise Of Nations’ which is also a fast paced strategy game which can also chose what century you want it to be set in or even go on to see how long you can last in this fast paced.
Action FPS(first person shooter)	This is a big mainstream genre with most popular games being this genre. This is basically an action shooter where you are feel like you are in the game or in that person’s boots and this makes you feel emotions towards the character and events that happen towards the character. This also gives people an insight in what they are experiencing.	One of the most popular or well-known Fist person shooters is called Call Of Duty which is one of the most know franchises in the world and is also one of the most revenued  game as well.