No Nukes: Brief

Japan is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. Even now, one month after the earthquake, the situation at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains critical. Unsurprisingly there is pollution within a 30km radius, where orders have been issued to evacuate or take shelter indoors, but for a while radioactive substances were also detected in tap water in Tokyo, over 200km away, with the Tokyo government distributing mineral water for infants. Further, TEPCO has detected low-level radiation in seawater, arousing fears in neighbouring countries.

We think now is the perfect opportunity to tell people that a society powered by natural energy is indeed possible. No Nukes Posters calls for submissions worldwide to broaden the dialogue of a post-nuclear movements. 

There are three themes:

1. The depiction of the possibility of natural energy
2. A system that enables a choice of electricity
3. Any other appeal for a Post-Nukes society

In Japan, protests calling for a stop to nuclear power have started to spread. They could potentially become the biggest groundswell since the student movement of the sixties. We hope to see posters inspired by these protests.

There are basically no regulations on the contents of your work if you identify yourself with our aim.

You can use any possible materials for your works but please consider that your work can be printed out and distributed as a poster. So it should be a printable jpg file (max 1MB, 2480x3508 pixels).

Eligibility

Open to all around the world.

Prize

Your work will be published on the web site as long as it does not abuses, slanders nor harms anyone.

Not only does this brief tie in nicely with my dissertation, as it views the positives of a wholly negative situation, but it potentially offers a design related solution in raising awareness of the severity of this problem.

It echoes the solemn world of Fallout; a world where national strife affects the minds of the country, as well as the everyday environmental hazards the people will have to face.

It is a problem that potentially could be a global pandemic in decades to come, facing this adverse situation now may help to promote the colossal effect that radioactive materials and facilities have on our race on this planet.

I do not want to fall into the trap of being an eco-warrior however as they tend to guilt the audience rather than informing them with a persuasive nudge in the right direction to help.

Winning

Insert Coin Clothing


Based in London, Insert Coin Clothing started in 2010, in their own words: 

"when a group of avid gamers, hardcore designers, eagle-eyed fashionistas and seasoned writers realised that gaming fashion left a lot to be desired."

This statement alone gives me great pleasure in emailing them for placement or for a business contact. They really speak out to alot of gamers who - like me - like the geek chic culture associated with the gaming industry and who have their childhood rooted into the best  8/16/32 Bit console available to play.

From evil supercorporations to high tech weaponry, the digital worlds gamers are involved with have some of the most memorable names and places ever conceived, be it the Umbrella Corporation or the A R C H I M E D E S II weapon this company are aiming high to be one of the uk's leading clothing designers.

Instead of the commonplace character slapped onto a shirt with a comical comment to the game they are from, most of the designs incorporate the references made in games onto their designs or simply using the logo from the games to create a design.

Their site is impressive; professional looking with good looking models, a variety of designs and an easy way to join up and keep a part of the community they offer.

One small snag however, their range is bitterly disappointing. 

Considering I saw this as a full page advert in OXM and there is nowhere nearly enough designs as I had expected from such a company, which gives me all the more reason to sell some of my designs to them or get into contact to give them more incentive to create some more high end versatile products that would give their community a boost as well as broaden the demographic they are so desperate to sell to.

Split Reason

Is the only real site that shows incredible potential, using the same method for designs as Threadless do, they hammer away at the fact almost all the stuff on site is made my users, not just designers. A website dedicated to all that is nerd: gaming, sci-fi, comic books, 20 sided dice and about 100 bit art games. 
They regularly hold design competitions, sweepstakes and freebie holdings, as well as offering a host for their huge online community. The company was founded on like minded people who have a penchant for anything with geeks or gamers who cater for the sub culture of the digital age extremely well.
I have no real qualms with this company at all, their website is sleek, easy to use and full of great designs the viewing options accessible and quick to use.
A real must use for the experienced gamer.

Xbox Arcadia

Since I posted about the Behemoth game company, I started to look on the Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace to find some more games that have a similar outlandish style to Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid with a retro 'user friendly' feel to them. What I mean by 'user friendly' is that the games are easy to use and the controls are basic but demand a large amount of button bashing to achieve said goal, albeit simple yet rewarding as well. 




The MAW
Winner of the 2008 PAX-10 Audience Choice Award, Maw is a full featured 3d action/adventure game that has its roots in Naughty Dog platformers such as Ratchet and clank, with black humour found in the likes of Jak and Daxter.
The plot starts when a galactic bounty hunter ship crashes on a strange planet leaving the captured Frank (the hero) and a tiny blob in a cage labeled  "The Deadliest Organism In The Universe" (Maw) as the only survivors.

Aware of the certain doom he must be wading into, but concerned with travelling alone on a foreign planet, he hooks the strange blob to a plasma leash from the wreckage starting their journey to the communication tower in the distance into the path of danger and adventure that lay before them.

The rendering on this game may not be something I could do per se, but could propose the characters and levels that are present as well as do a cool title like this one has. 
The tone, humour and audience are similar to the demographic I would like to be aiming towards in term of my own work, blending slapstick with the macabre to create a game that echoes the nostalgic framework that is integral to todays platformers.

Raskulls
Released in early 2010, Raskulls is a bone-marrowing hectic action platformer that seems to a be a mass improvement on Super Mario Bros. The huge cast rivals that of the Nintendo franchise, as well as challenging it for the various titles involved (eg Mario Kart, Dr Mario etc) as Raskulls offers a Grand Prix Mode, as well as a whole host of puzzle games that show a diversity in game play. 




The Mega Quest is the main game that the player can jump, fall, swim, bash and hack through a massive variety of levels in the rich Raskulls world. The plot is: 


"The evil Pirats have landed on the Raskulls world and begin a dastardly plan to steal the valuable Shiny Stones. Join King, Dragon, Ninja and more as they embark on an adventure across three exciting chapters to save the world!"

After playing through a couple of levels with my girlfriend it has already become apparent that this game is seriously trying to be better than its rival of sorts, Castle Crashers. 

A different game altogether as is more like Mario than Golden Axe, although its brash easy gameplay married with puzzle solving gives the game a whole new depth.

The character and level designs are a little more developed than most arcade games I have played, but the breadth of characters along with the detail of the worlds is unmatched. 

Plants vs Zombies

A popular title amongst the iPhone users, and slowly becoming a huge hit on the Xbox Live Arcade, PvZ is widely successful for its similarities to the 'Tower Defense' style of games, but giving it one hell of a facelift. 

I will be honest, the game does get incredibly tedious and repetitive early on which is a major let-down, but yet there is a market for this type fo game, especially with those who favour strategy over action - which is not me.

The main attraction for me was purely the character design as well as the new take on the strategy genre. The game in its entirety is designed elegantly, the title screens offering more than the game itself in terms of well scripted contextualised design decisions.  

Costume Quest

This inventive and imaginative take on the contemporary RPG from Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions takes the reality of the game and superimposes itself as a double reality. Wait, a game that suggests hyperreality in itself?! 

The monster-filled neighbourhood of Auburn Pines, Autumn Haven Mall and Fall Valley Carnival is the backdrop for the Final Fantasy esque gameplay here, with the focus being on collecting magical costumes with super powers, unique weapons and special items as you complete quests. 

The artwork is simple as hell but works incredibly well, as the battle artwork is completely different to that of the actual navigational gameplay, giving the player two unique experiences when exploring.

Double Fine have a knack of keeping their individual approach to artwork consistent, especially when you look at their previous titles, Costume Quest is however, their largest production to date in terms of extensive level/character design as well as gaining a huge rise in popularity in recent years.

Castle Crashing Alien Hominid Style

In light of my second year final major project, I wanted to start to utilise my abilities as an illustrator in a context that I am familiar with but will be a challenge to produce considering most of the work used for characters in video games is essentially a variation of a concept or theme that is versatile enough to produce a range. 
Using Sonic as a frame of reference that is ( at least I hope ) an iconic representation of contemporary gaming culture.


The Sonic franchise started off as a series of 2D scroller platform games that relied on the player being as quick and efficient as possible in completing the level. The majority of the themed levels made were a universal mirror of our own world ( chemical plant and casino zone to name a few ) but the main feature was that each of the level's elements were unique only to that set of themed levels. Take here in the Emerald Hill Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the enemies are predominantly fish and insects all of which are mechanised versions of their natural counterparts, the scenery consists of palm trees, coconuts, sharp inclines, flowers and a background that suggests only of a tropical paradise somewhere.

The original characters were soon developed after the release of Sonic & Knuckles into a range fit for the modern gamer but without taking away the original illustrative style that holds onto the nostalgic die hard fan's interests.

Not only did they produce a far wider variety of games with the constant reworking of the familiar villan of the Sonic series, Dr. Robotnik along with his never ending imperial elitist army of robots and genetically modified animals but they managed to keep the ( more or less ) same themes in each of the new games.

Now, moving onto a similar game in terms of its 2D scrolling and frantic gameplay, Castle Crashers. This game is more akin to Golden Axe a primitive beat em up game that has its roots in fantasy fiction and can be easily referred to board games like Dungeons and Dragons. 
The company who produced the game, The Behemoth have produced an incredibly popular scroller shooter called Alien Hominid, which started out as a popular Flash game that appeared on newgrounds. The game took the internet by storm due to its similarities with the game Metal Slug which had gamers all over the world hooked because of its user-friendly controls and interface but challenging if not incredibly annoying gameplay.
The game itself is injected with humour from the outset with enemies ranging from the large to the disproportionally absurd, a change from the serious overtone most games have.
This running theme of absurdities, black humour, huge enemies and seemingly impossible odds against an unfathomable evil leads nicely into the game that I have been playing and pining over since the viral trailer went on newgrounds.

Castle Crashers has an incredibly huge online following ( see above ) probably since Alien Hominid was re-released for the Xbox 360 Live Arcade in 2007 boosting the company's growing infamy in the games industry.
Castle Crashers has no dialogue, and relies on its animated visuals, characters and scenery to provide a legitimate ludoliteracy for the player and a more retro feeling when playing the game that makes casual players more interested, compared to a long winded dialogue between two characters that is integral to the plot. 
Besides this, the game has a multitude of characters available both playable and enemies all with their own unique abilities that can be levelled up after beating in game challenges, levels and gathering experience points to attribute to your character. 
The fields of experience are; 

• Magic - governs skill level usage and recharge ability
• Agility - governs navigational speed and how fast you shoot projectiles
• Strength 
• Defense - as well as health

As you can see from the character sheet here, the basic template for the body and face is more or less the same throughout, except for garments, weapons and size. This goes to show that the elements of a 'good game' is not complex intricate AI that relies heavily on a personality complex based parascript along with some advanced rendering techniques, but a basis of relative function according to the context.
Each enemy has its own set of functions, abilities, magic powers and individual weapons that are all correlative in their level context ( see Sonic example at top of post ) which has been the staple of games for generations but this game constantly surprises with its plot and enemies respectively.

One other huge positive to this game is the arsenal of weapons available to the player, all possessing different qualities that can hinder one skill but improve the other, my particular favourite being the fish from the Tall Grass Field level, not for its qualities as a weapon but purely on a humour basis.

The odd looking creatures at the bottom of this inventory sheet are actually performance enhancing orbs that follow you around in game providing assistance wherever it is needed adding another dynamic to the game, which healthy distracts away from its repetitive gameplay.


The Behemoth website is really something, having all links easy to find and a navigable friendly homepage reflects the games values. The history of Behemoth is long but its titles short. Started in 2001 by Tom Fulp and Dan Paladin both leading art directors/developers for both ALien Hominid and Castle Crashers they are now working towards a new title called BattleBlock theatre, with not much news on it yet, I can only hope it will be a game as good as both the old games they had developed.
Behemoth's website has a load of cool merchandise ranging from keychains, stickers and figurines, to hoodies, hats and belt buckles, the best part about the shopping experience on the site is that the entirety of the site has the company's distinct cartoon style running throughout.

In conclusion, these are the sort of games I think my style of illustration would best suit, be the most fun to make and be a good insight into myself as an individual with no limits or boundaries to my creative endeavours. The sort of gameplay that these two titles inhibit is the sort of gameplay that should be revisited, easy to gain access to on work/school breaks, fun conversation starters and a good place to start on the game industry ladder without fear of competitive next-gen games that offer too much and rarely deliver.

Self Evaluation

Engagement:


In terms of how I engage with the course I would say that my attendance is great if not impeccable apart from the odd sick day or mitigating circumstances that marry into my punctuality in more or less the same fashion.
Im motivated enough to get up early, take notes and my level of commitment is only hindered by my sometimes negative attitude,  but my contribution to the group is always noticed by my peers and tutors alike.
The quantity of my work is biased, my pre-development work tends to dwarf the final outcome's quality which is something I need to rectify, along with the printed quality of my work which can take a sufficient hit when time is not organised properly.
Communication for me is another situation of bias, sometimes I can often appear muddled or incoherent when in a verbal or visual context, whereas I think my written skills often outweigh my oral skills, which I have begun to better myself on since the last project I did.
Organisational skills are something that have been a previous barrier for myself in the past 2 years and I will not allow myself to slip on this basis again since it tends to contribute to my downfall on some of the briefs.
In crits I see myself as someone who is now able to (since the end of year 2) present myself to some form of respectable standard, laying my work out in a chronological order rather than awkwardly scattering remnants of paper in a vain attempt to cover up an insubstantial body of work.


Research


Without going into too much detail for this, I believe that overall my research skills are of an average if not great standard, I am not afraid to use the library, can reference internet sites correctly and gain an accurate time stamp from posts and have recently kept my blog in check. The only negative I can come up with is my apprehension toward visits that may offer much better experiences and information than just looking something up.


Practical/design skills


Software skills that include Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign are all of an average standard, though if I am being honest it is a vital area I wish to focus on when I come back. Having not enough money to shell out for the full package has hindered me since day one, which irritates me on enough levels to stay at college until the latest time possible, leaving me too tired to work properly when I got home. this I would like to change this year by spending more time having a more direct approach to my learning of the software and working on my reluctance to just ask for help, not try it alone.
I have rarely/barely used quark, flash or after effects. Out of those 3 there is only one I would like to try to work on, especially since I would be gearing my work toward game design, and seeing as many games I have played, as well as gone past the production stage have been on flash, which is also a huge contributor to modern website design.
So in conclusion my use of software is something that needs a huge polish on.


My practical skills are a little more honed, albeit a tad rusty. I am competent enough to use typography be it hand drawn or digitally sourced but do feel it could do with some considerable improvements, which I am sure the journal will do for me.
My illustration skills are not the best, but I am skilled and able to produce clear visuals be it product visualization or general illustration of a good level.
I think to improve my skills in photography is an understatement, as it is a standard requirement in order to document and present my work accordingly, I need to brush up on my skills when I return, as well as my screen printing skills, as it is something I would greatly like to do when I get back. I dont really have any interest in stop frame animation or video as it tends to take up vast amounts of time, then it seems to me that I produce work at an extremely low level.


Critical Studies


Planning for an essay is not my strong point, as it changes so often for about 3 weeks then it settles into a more cohesive structure that is informed by my research, mainly when the honeymoon stages of the Eureka moment is in my mindset. I am a confident writeI and have not had that much trouble writing essays, my main problem is writing too much and having to reduce it significantly at the expense of the essay as a whole, as well as typing at a computer too long, leading me to forget to proof read. The presentation is something that may need some looking at as I tend to format the essay incorrectly (double line spacing etc) but I think my referencing in bibliographies is accurate if not, too extensive.


Professional Practice*


This particular area is something I need to take a look at, as I could cause a hinderance to me in the not so distant future. I believe that my communication skills when addressing a client are at the very least attentive. I take notes on what is being said to me whether it be the substrate, concept, idea, information or restrictions needed then make informed decisions based upon the information given. I am not afraid to ask about something that may be a problem or need verifying, and dont have any qualms about calling someone whom I barely know and can construct some dialogue suitable to the person at hand or the context it serves be it email, phone or written down.
I would say a major flaw of mine, which would come as no surprise to anyone in industry, that is the feeling of dread when handing over my creative CV to anyone who I believe to be out of my league design/work wise. This attitude needs to change, despite my own personal feelings that my work tends to be lacking a standard of presentation/finishing that reflects my own capabilities and ambitions within a professional context. When it comes to a standard CV I have no problem, as I have dealt with the monotony of single minded corporate entities since I was in my early teens. So one main focus is to hammer away at my portfolio and make a start on my creative CV if I am to realise my potential and get myself heard. 
My own promotional material needs to be done this coming year, as I have not done a great deal in terms of live briefs due to conditions at home, but I will not let this hold me back anymore. I have no website or business cards yet simply because I have not let myself have enough time to develop a coherent design style that can be put across these types of media. Along with my portfolio, I think that I should start to turn my energies into producing a good solid base in terms of starting to define myself properly in the field and start to really show what I am capable of.


Enterprise and Innovation


As mentioned in PPD*, client contact seems to not be a problem of mine, as I have no problems approaching people I barely know and engaging with them in an appropriate manner. (although sometimes I can come across as a bit flappy)
When it comes to a basic business plan, I know the various details of how I would develop a business, when I would do it and who's going to play a part as well as help manage the finances. Things like an executive summary, marketing/sales strategy, management team/staff/personnel, operations and some form of financial forecast is the standard business plan template. An executive summary is an overview of what sort of business it is,   many investors/lenders make judgements based upon the summary, as well as including some form of description of what the business has to offer, to why and who. Or to put it in an easier format, the business: its products and services.
Operations I think are all to do with the production facilities, management systems and IT, so the technical and structural elements of the business. I could though, do with a brush up in terms of how they apply to different business', which could involve doing case studies on businesses that are relevant to my area in the industry.
Something else to note would be project costing, as I am a not so good at estimating budgets, as I tend to under price or over price I leave myself in the dark for a lot of projects, that is something I need to capitalise on in order to make sure I effectively sell myself at the right price, and not too short.
In terms of accessing legal, business and financial advice, I have had no problem with, I have a great source of contacts, websites and books that can help me find the relevant information should the time come, then again it never hurts to have more.