The Visual Story by Bruce Block

     The Visual Story presents the basic visual components found in every moving or still picture we see: space, line, shape, tone, color, movement, and rhythm. After hearing these components the average person may be taken back to the days of practicing the use of the primary color wheel in middle school art class, but Bruce Block has more to offer the reader than how to color inside the lines. Bruce not only defines these visual components to the reader, but describes how to use them to create certain moods in works of art. The author provides examples for each component and assigns the best kind of homework - watching classic movies.
     For me The Visual Story has done two things 1) given me a concise formula for approaching visual design pieces, and 2) made me appreciate the incredible amount of skill that goes into directing visual art. It was very rewarding for me to read this book during the Academy Award season, where the world's best visual artists showcase their work for everyone to see. I look forward to watching many of the nominated films (Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, and Selma) in the coming weeks and analyzing them using Bruce's visual components.
     It's easy to skim through The Visual Story as it is less than 300 pages and contains many pictures and diagrams, however it is a book that is best digested slowly. Take some time between chapters and look for examples of what Bruce describes out in the world. You will begin to see things differently, and possibly come away with a better understanding of yourself as a result.

Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment by William C. Byham

     Zapp! is about a fictional company in a fictional town. The Normal Company in Normalburg, USA manufactures Normalators. Things aren't looking great for the Normal Company. Profit and performance are poor and employee morale is at an all time low. Ralph Rosco, a particularly disgruntled employee in department N, has a brilliant idea for a new product. Ralph uses parts from old Normalators to build his invention, the Ralpholator. The Ralpholator transports users to the 12th dimension where they can see the physical manifestation of a person's energy and feelings. In the 12th dimension you are able to see if people are getting zapped with positive energy or if their energy is being sapped out of them.
     Right away Ralph notices the energy sapping decay that the Normal Company is in. As Ralph is wandering the 12th dimension he sees all kinds of unspoken flaws of the Normal Company. There is only one place that is operating effectively, department Z. Ralph studies department Z and notices that the department supervisor, Lucy Storm, practices 5 key principals to energize her employees. These five key principals used in Zapp! are:

1. Maintain or enhance self-esteem
2. Listen and respond with empathy
3. Share thoughts, feelings, and rationale
4. Ask for help and encourage involvement
5. Provide support without removing responsibility for action

     Ralph brings this discovery to the attention of his supervisor, Joe Mode, who learns to use the key principals over time. Lucy Storm, Joe Mode, and Ralph Rosco then team up to transform the whole company using the successes of departments N and Z as models.

     Although Zapp! is an abstract and humorous story, its application to everyday life is fantastically obvious thanks to characters Joe Mode and Lucy Storm. Lucy is the star supervisor who sets the example for other departments. Joe is a distrusting supervisor who usually does not consider his employees when making decisions. Joe tries to implement the key principals lazily and hastily at first which ends up sapping employees more than if they had not been implemented at all.

     Zapp! is a fun short read that would probably take most readers 3 hours or less, but the key principals mentioned in the book are deep in value. It will be fun and challenging implementing them in my next design project.

Understanding Video Games, University of Alberta

Understanding Video Games by the University of Alberta was my first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The class was not very challenging but the material was gold. I was just beginning my knowledge quest for all things video game design when I started the course. The class material served as a great complement to the book I was reading at the time (The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell). I'll be sure to call upon the videos and course material in my future pursuits. Take the class for free here!

Mirror's Edge

     Mirror's Edge was a phenomenal game because of its art style, combat system, and gender neutrality. The game's aesthetics were simple and elegant. The silver reflection of the skyscrapers against the white landscape created an environment that felt perfect, too perfect. The all too perfect landscape meshed well with the game's story. 

     I admire the combat system in Mirror's Edge because of how difficult it was to master. The game is not a standard shooter in which you mow down an endless horde of less than intelligent enemies. The enemies in Mirror's Edge strategize, form counter attacks, and are nearly impossible to sneak up on. As a "runner" you are not compelled to charge head first into bottle with guns blazing either. You instead must master an array of well timed disarms and aerial maneuvers to outlast the enemy. 

     Finally, the game's gender neutrality is refreshing. The player controls a female character who is strong, swift, and interesting. She is interesting in the sense that she has a unique back story, not because she contains hypersexualized qualities. The strong female role combined with a combat system that is not overly violent make for an experience that girls can enjoy just as much as boys. 

     The beautiful art style, non traditional combat system, and respectful use of female characters in Mirror's Edge create one fun and memorable game.

Gender Inclusive Game Design by Sheri Graner Ray

   

     As a relatively new participant in the world of video game design, I have not been subject to the history of the industry's gender inequality problem. There are things I have noticed as a video game player through my years. When I was growing up not many females played video games. It was just thought of as an activity that girls did not have interest in. Later I would find out that some girls did play games, but only a few games appealed to them. Games that were rich in story, had some sort of fantasy element, and weren't overtly violent (Crash Bandicoot, Cool Boarders, Final Fantasy, etc.). Other games like BMX XXX, DOA Beach Volleyball, and Duke Nukem didn't exactly invite women to come play games.

     What I have noticed more recently is that more females are in fact playing video games. My little sister can't stop playing The Sims, my girlfriend plays 2048 and various logic puzzles to no end, even my mother calls me up when she is stuck on Bejeweled! More women are buying video game consoles, couples are gaming together, and the recent boom in mobile games is making it easier for everyone to play games. DID I MENTION THAT MY MOTHER IS GAMING?! All of this inclusiveness in recent years has me excited for the future of the video game industry. Games will get better and will become more accessible.

Video Game Storytelling by Evan Skolnick

     Video Game Storytelling is a fantastic read for anyone and everyone involved in video game development. Evan talks about a lack of respect for the narrative craft in the game industry. Video games take months/years to develop, yet narrative integrity is something that is often overlooked until late in the development process. Evan argues that for a game to feel whole, narrative design should be planned for and implemented from day one, because it is not just a game's writer that impacts the story but everyone on the development team.
     A well-rounded story is my favorite part of any entertainment medium: movies, books, tv shows, plays, etc. I scrutinize games even more than other forms of entertainment, because in games you aren't just witnessing the hero's journey, you are living it. A game can have great gameplay, but if the story doesn't add up then it will not resonate with me (see my write up of Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor). That is why I place games like Morrowind, Knights of the Old Republic, The Darkness, and The Legend of Zelda in such high regard.
     Evan does more than argue for the appreciation of the narrative craft in video games, he teaches you the basics of video game storytelling so you can develop better narrative in your games even if your team can't afford to hire writing professionals. Evan's first lesson is about conflict and how it is the fuel for any good story. This is an excellent starting point, and one that feels quite obvious after reading about it. Everyone in a story is trying to do something. What makes a story engaging is when someone is trying to do something and it interferes with the thing that someone else is trying to do. I will be sure to use conflict as the heart of my future games.
     I have a feeling that Video Game Storytelling will be kept in my arsenal of game design tools for years to come as a reminder that it is my duty to make games that are not only fun to play, but engaging to play through from a story telling perspective. Thank you Evan for sharing your knowledge.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

   

     My latest video game conquest took place in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, in the land of Mordor to be more specific. Only Shadow of Mordor did not feel like a Tolkien tale, and that's because it was not meant to. It was much too dark for that. The story focuses on a ranger named Talion who is charged with guarding the Black Gate of Mordor. Upon the Dark Lord Suaron's return, Talion and his family are murdered. Talion does not stay dead for long as he is possessed by a wraith who you later find out to be Celebrimbor, the smith who created the Ring of Power. You play the game under the impression that you and the wraith were bound together as part of a curse that only defeating the Back Hand of Sauron can reverse. Later you realize that Celebrimbor chose you as a host and is using you to take revenge on Sauron. The game ends in a cliff hanger in which the player is left wondering whether he really accomplished anything or had just been used by the Dark Lord himself.

     Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has me torn. On one hand, the gameplay was phenomenal and on the other, the story felt rushed and short. The game did not end with a warm and fuzzy feeling, which is okay, but it also left me thinking "what just happened?" It seems as though the main campaign was meant to lead the player to a series of clues which would tell the true nature of his body's ghostly occupant. If this is true, then the apex of the story should be the point in which you learn the truth about Celebrimbor's past and future intentions. By the time this point comes along, you are given enough clues to guess it for yourself. There are just too many coincidences for the game's central conflict to be that much of a mystery. At this point in the story you learn that Celebrimbor has been using you, and continues to use you for the rest of the game to defeat the Black Hand of Sauron. What bothers me, aside from being able to guess the story's big mystery before it happens, is that after you fulfill the wraith's desires, you do not know what becomes of Talion. The ranger starts out as a victim who is not yet permitted to die and be with his family, and ends with a red glow in his eye uttering the words, "The time has come for a new ring." What does this mean? Did Talion forfeit all control of his body to Celebrimbor? Is Talion himself drunk on power now? Did the Black Hand not really die, but bind with Celebrimbor and Talion instead? WHAT'S GOING ON!?

     The entire main quest took me 18 hours, but it could have probably taken 12 if I spent less time exploring. In my opinion, this is way too short for a new age open-world game. Much more time could have been spent introducing other NPCs and letting the player discover substantial plot twists. Even the boss battles felt short and unsubstantial.The final two bosses of the game take less than ten minutes to defeat and neither feature a true battle. I was severely disappointed that I did not get to put all the skills I had mastered throughout the game to use in the final battles. After all, the player spends a good amount of time customizing weapons and training to learn new abilities throughout the game.

     Shadow of Mordor was a very fun game to play, but much too short and weak in the story department. Some DLC that further explains Talion's transformation at the end of the game could help the overall experience. Monolith/WB have a great track record for developing games with fun and challenging combat dynamics (see Batman), but I would like to see them spend more time on story and character development like the developers at BioWare. In the end, I do not regret playing Shadow of Mordor, but I do regret buying it.