Album released

Hi guys,

So this week I published my first album with the help of bandcamp and loudr [n.n] which is more of a personal achievement than a bid for flowing income. The question now is, what next?

Have a look at the cool artwork by Dundee artist Michael Doig:

Have a great day

SGWilson

First Album Release

Hey Guys

So Some might know I have an album being developed this year, due out hopefully this year also. But it has some back story to it thats a little different from most albums.

I started it last year as a small project to develop some music along the lines of an RPG with inspirations from the Sega Saturn game, Panzer Dragoon Saga. With me learning Wwise at the time and if you read here regularly you'll know that I incorporated the music into the development. It was to become part of the components that could be used to make a game. So from no visuals or code or a world to place my work in, I began to make little functions and events all based on the sound of a theoretical game.

By the start of this year I was well under way with the album, being slightly detached from the game in that I could finish it but not agame by myself. However I began to apply my curiosity to game dev, firstly in Gamemaker from Steam which I made my first game. Secondly I went through Unity and through that I created a level which you could walk about in and enjoy the sounds and music. Step forward to today and I've been tinkering in blender to produce props for a second level that was designed to be a part of the original concept game I previously made functions for.

This summer I have began to tie down the album, refining and remixing to get what I could get out of it. This would be my inspiration to build the game, all the music tracks based on my imagination would become explorable levels. The really exiting prospect of being able to make a game around my own artistic direction but restrained by my beginner skills has kept me pushing through the rough recession.

I hope you enjoy the album and will release more details when I can [n.n]

Have a great day
SGW

OTT and hard to replicate

Hi guys,

So this week I set out to make a short reel, around 1 minute from a set of factors that were challenging and new to me. This ended up being over the top (OTT) fighting effects, which I had never done. This came from a Dynasty warriors clone game called Sengoku Basara, in which the ott levels raise a little more than your average Dynasty warriors game.

I picked a ninja character Kataro Fuma for his swift movements, teleportation and silent demeanor. I chose a fight between a half robotic fighter Tadakatsu Honda which there is a scene where he uses his rocket pack and charges a set of pylons. Very hard to replicate unless your working with similar source. I used a wheelbarrow for the rocket and a bus engine for the pre ignition and oscillators, recorded material, vocorders and other processes for the electricity.

Notably I stayed away from too many robotic system noises for Tadakatsu as I didn't feel they were needed. Mechanical movement for the rocket pack only. I'm unsure as to the extent of his robotic parts other than his eye, the rest could be armour. Using self manipulated vocals for the grunts etc. I also found a limitation in my current trend of VO, I can't do an old man yet. So I placed in a rough version of my own accent, keeping the audio made completely by myself.

So here we go;


Audio FX reel of Sengoku Basara Samurai Heroes from Stuart Wilson on Vimeo.

Have a great day
SGW

Next Gen Controller?

Hi guys,

I think its time to let you know about the prototype. Its undergoing the patenting process atm and im currently looking for a company to take it on to further develop. Couldn't get through to Valve yet and have had some discussion with Sony so far.


"The present invention concerns a haptic feedback device and in particular a haptic feedback device for providing directional haptic feedback to a user using a device such as a video game controller, mobile phone or tablet". - the first line in the patent draft

What is it 

 

    So what it is and what it could mean to you, a potential maker and player of games [n.n] Its a design around a set of emitters based on the hand placement on the controller. These placements allow the vibrations to be felt at certain points of the hand giving a directional impression. The placements of these give a 360 plane of vibration that accumulates to a 360 perspective of the game world in a first person perspective and a directional in a third person perspective. The variations of these allow another game mechanic to be used in giving the player feedback.

    The designs are at the moment a 4-8 single emitter style and a strip emitter style. What this means is 2-4 emitters on the left hand and 2-4 emitters on the right hand spread along the grip from palm to fingers. The strip style is a continuous strip from palm to the fingers. Protruding bumps are also viable to focus the vibration, housing and mitigation as well for inside the case on the emitters.

    This design can also work in conjunction with the standard vibration emitters within controllers today. The designs place the emitters so that vibration is intimately directed to the users skin on the base of the palm to the tip of the fingers. If you were racing in game and some one nudged your car on the back left for example, your left palm; near the ball joint at the wrist, would feel that contact with the emitter.

    Or your feeling your way around in the dark in an alley trying to loose an attacker, stumble out and get hit by a car and roll on the road then wake to see your attacker punch you in the face. Now that's a little detailed but can you imagine how feeling that would intensify the connection you have with the character? Incorporating a mechanic that requires no visuals would benefit visually impaired players and add more to the sense that I feel has been neglected in developed tech lately.

 

Here is a rough layout of the 8 emitter models 

Backstory 

 

    This idea evolved in my third year at uni and was initially going to be my project but it was dismissed as not being related to audio enough at the time. Which is fair enough because I was new to all this and couldn't do it on my own at the time. The idea began because of my research into spiders. I chose to research something unappealing to see what ideas came from it. It actually turned out to be an interesting discovery on what a spider is and can do and that led me to the web it uses. Check out their legs btw, amazing.

    Through the web im sure you know it senses vibrations along the threads and I believe knows the direction of the prey because of the initially hit leg with the wave and then subsequent legs, similar to how we perceive left and right (but with 8 "ears"). As an audio guy this intrigued me to no end and even started writing docs for games with spiders. However the idea was to input it into Sonys smaller controller with the sixasis and it didn't have vibration, because it interfered with the sixasis. Research stopped and I moved on.

    It was sometime after this that I decided to build the controller, along came dualshock 3 capable of using sixasis and vibration emitters. Unemployed and needing a project to keep positive about things. It was my first self directed project in a while and knowing little about the physics behind setting up a circuit, long forgotten teachings in secondary school. The project began bumpy with the first prototype failing but the second succeeded and with that diving into coding for a while. Just enough to test the emitters, and they worked. In honours year being mentored by Yann Seznec  co-founder of Lucky Frame, he later helped me with directions to sites and such for help.

What now 

   Now what could I do with it? Well, managed to get a sales job and saved to pay for a patent lawyer after concluding it would be the next logical step if this project was to keep going. All my savings (plus some backing from my family) straight to this little hope I had, and here it is now. Patent pending and looking to get it off the ground [n.n]

    I would like to get this tech incorporated into sound designers tools as well as programmers. For me, the touch sense would partner very well with sound in games. That is my next step once the design is taken on by a company and developed; which hopefully I can stay a part of. I'd really love this to take off and get everyone involved when it does, possibly being a small step in a larger unseen plan. Let me know what you think.


Have a great day
SGW

Effective Scoring?

Hey guys,

I'd like to put to you all a question about game design when it comes to effective scoring. Is being no1 the only way to win?

Im self asking this myself because lately I've been playing Sleeping Dogs and King Oddball, two completely different games but ones that offer a scoring system. In Sleeping Dogs for example you partake in races and must be the first over the line or you don't complete the mission; every race. Why is it so important to be no1? I see the point in being able to obtain no1 status as a goal but completely disregarding your attempts until otherwise seems a bit harsh. If the goal is to be number 1 to win then it might be nice to let me finish the race, get anything positive out of it.

In King Oddball; a game where you throw rocks and destroy the army of earth, lets you pass each level once you destroy all the objects needed, the ultimate goal is to use as few rocks as possible. Now this could be seen as the same as what Sleeping Dogs does on a pass fail basis. Well King Oddball has a nice little scoring system in place not with numbers but with positive phrases for whatever outcome you get once you complete each level depending on how many rocks you used. Isn't that nice.

Fostering the idea; the idea mind, that you can achieve something without it being perfect should be considered in games more often. A lot of players aren't great race drivers or mathematicians or cooks, they come to games to play, and I'm not saying codling should be instilled or competition taken out. All I'm saying is, Is being no1 the only way to win? And lets admit a gamer rage reduction should be considered a plus if we can reduce that.

Just something that caught my attention lately,

SGW

Find Your Way or Force Your Way

Hey guys, it starts a little sad but keep reading.

Side note, this is not about how to get in. This is just dealing with the journey, how I'm coping.




Lets start with how I got in the mindset to write about this, not to put too much of a downer on my positive approach to job seeking. Two close relatives where hospitalised this week. This made me sink quite low, and at a time when as you might know its hard to get into a full time position, more stress. So my mind battled against itself as I held the hand of someone I really cared about, unsure whether they would be there the next day. But, I did pick them up the next day, cheery as ever.

The day after, restless sleep. The flood gates opened and doubted myself for a short time on my career. Had a lot on my mind and hoped that my part time job would remove my constant thinking of what may be. So I carried on as normal.

Skip forward a few days, I missed my train by 3 minutes. Ran to the stop in hopes of making it. I either walk to the next stop about 3km away or wait an hour for the next train. I walked, reflected on what my career was at this point in time. A little annoyed I still hadn't made it; meaning have the job I wanted - which may seem a little silly of me to claim that as "made it", and a little jealous of others. Didn't like where I was, I felt like I was a stapler, but was always in the drawer and used only as a makeshift ruler occasionally. Never for what I felt I was. But, some people get in easy or hard, sooner or later or never. That's just it. And pause on that for a second.

You can take what options you have and use them, show you can get there or...try something else.

I thought my current situation isn't that bad however. There are some nice enough colleagues at my part time job, hard working people who mop the floors but in their break time get out the books and study. But, some people who spout sectarian speeches or are sarcastically mean. Friendly and not so friendly people or situations are absolutely everywhere. Just getting a job in the games industry won't make everything alright, there will be bad times. Plenty of them. My point is, keep doing what you love and it will take you places good and bad - but enjoy what you do. Find Your Way.

To show you a positive example of what became a not so great situation, let me start with me just leaving uni. Good year, worked hard on everything. Took on extra projects and did extra work for the masters students, side projects, charities, local business etc. Got out, different story. Unemployment hit for a good while, sound familiar? I made games though and a few linear audio projects as well, some small success and it was all for free but no job became of it. Ended up moving back home, which is now my current situation.

So sometimes, I help out my friends and family with techy stuff . One neighbour wanted a website, half a day and was done making a site and popping it up. No worries I said. She happened to be an operatic singer and offered a few lessons in return. Jumped at the chance. Would have never been able to afford her normally nor got the chance living elsewhere. She got me from being an apprehensive singer to projecting my voice in song. I'm also in the final stages of finalising my patent application; with all that unemployment time I learned how to create a prototype with electronics, based on an idea thought up in Uni.

Try your best to use the dealt cards and work at what we can get, is what I'd like to say. Be your friendly and helpful self (characteristics may not apply) and try to ask yourself "Is this what I want to do?". If I have to clean tables or move stock it shall be done, we all could use money to Force Our Way. It might take longer than others to get in, but you will appreciate it when and if it happens. I'll understand that being in a company means getting along with everyone, to better the customers experience and your own. I'll understand whats on the line and what its like to be unemployed if we close the studio, understand that relaxing is a useful time to be creative.

A good tip from John Cleese (auto correcter wanted to spell it as Cheese, made me laugh) said exactly that; which I won't delve into. I find that letting everything go in a sort of "find your center way" can help out. When your just about to sleep, when you let everything go from the day and start to fall asleep. I start to think of solutions to problems, finding new Wways to improve on projects; many times. Then, pop out of bed and scribble messages to myself in the morning, hopefully eligible. Sometimes viewing the situation differently can help.

So, as you can imagine this piece has been edited a lot, changing states of mind and such. I do feel somewhat better for writing it down, going to set aside some family time. Maybe some of you in a similar situation might feel a little better knowing that I've been at this job seeking a few years and I'm still chasing it. We may just need to stop seeing the "made it" as such a fixed idea, more of a "I'm making it, my way".


That's life, and its a little fun that way.

SGW

I've got an Itch!

Hey guys

So this goes post goes out to the Itch topic that I was chatting about with a few guys on twitter. Starting as a phrase to show how "I have to scratch the itch of creativity". It then turned into a topic on how to implement interactive itching and inevitably, to cats.

What I eventually came up with was a double blended set of containers, which change to an RTPC. It concludes with an event trigger and music for a buff that you would receive by "scratching the itch". Depending on the variable, the event gave a different music buff. Its a musical dragon, yey! Also I got round to the footsteps.

Its my longest video so far, so here is; before I go into depth about it all [n.n]



Interactive Itch and Steps integration in Wwise from Stuart Wilson on Vimeo.