Thursday, May 29, 2008

Diary of a Mad, Black Woman

...

ok, I have no idea why I used that title. I'm a Tyler Perry fan...so shoot me.

Anyway...

Out in Utah for full time meetings as these pics can attest:





These meetings focus mainly on scope of the game, budget, feature set, etc. It's basically us meeting with Sony to review where the project is at, not so much game design or production wise, but more from a financial standpoint.

It's so odd/funny/wrong to say 'us meeting with Sony'....we've know these people- and worked with them- for like 13 years. And for many of those years, Scott and/or myself were Sony employees. So it's more just kind of like old times, like nothing has really changed.

Good meetings, got alot done.

Then we went out and smoke and drank a bit:



There's me (with the cee-gar smoke), Scott Campbell, Allan Becker (head of Sony Santa Monica), and Tina Kowlaldekdkwkjdweidjwiejdijsosidski. She is the new head of external development for Sony Santa Monica. And she knows like EVERYONE in the freaking biz. I mean EVERYONE. Most connected person I know. She rocks.

She's actually got this amazing book she's been working on for years that has little sketches/drawings from all of the most successful and well know game designers in the biz...West AND East! It's pretty amazing to see little drawings from Kojima and Miyamoto in there, right next to each other! She should really publish that thing one day....anyway....

Good times.

Ok, still out in the Utah, gotta get in for a design meeting. Chat with you guys/gals later.

David

ps. took a pic of this cartoon from a book on the Disney World theme park ride builders that my brother had. It reminds me very much of the process of making a game and the process of scoping out a game, which we are going through right now (hell, that process never ends, you are always adjusting design, adding, cutting,etc). It's kinda blurry but here ya go:



Panel #1 says: Concept Phase
Panel #2 says: Feasibility
Panel #3 says: Reality
Panel #4 says: Descoping (which basically means, the reality of money and time has gotten in the way so go back to your 'amazing, brilliant' concepts and chop them up!)....hardest- but often times the most important and best- part of making a game. My experience says that 30-70% of what you are forced to cut for money ends up being stuff you needed to cut anyway, so you can get to the heart of your product. And we've cut on this game, but there's alot of meat left on the bone and we're working hard to make sure we don't cut anymore cause I think where we have it right now is the sweet spot. But as always, I know ya'll will let us know if we hit the bullseye when the game hits.

Ok, running late. See ya!

21 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:31 AM

    good stuff man, hope you get all the funding you need (and deserve!)

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  2. So the game is going to be done next week? right? ;)

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  3. haha, Dave looks like Hannibal, he loves it when a plan comes together =)

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  4. Anonymous12:42 PM

    That's how all meetings should go!

    "Ok, we beat our heads together, now let's go smoke and get drunk"

    good times

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous4:19 PM

    David!

    I just read that Brett Ratner said he'd be interested in directing a GOD OF WAR movie adaptation!

    David, this man gave us a stale Hannibal Lecter adaptation, a mediocre Rush Hour 3 and an abomination in the form of X-men 3. If you have the power to do so, don't let him near this project!

    I know it would make a great popcorn flick, but this man doesn't know fun and subtility even if it bite him on the ass.

    Cheers

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  6. this will be the best on yet, i know it..kick ass and take names Dave

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  7. Make the God of War movie 3G. Don't make it live action and change the voices of all the charactors. Those "live action" Halo 3 videos. There all 3g (really well done). Just... I don't want the God of War movie to change too much from the game. Ok, I had to get that off my chest.

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  8. Anonymous7:58 PM

    Allan is a cool guy. Tina I don't know yet.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8:07 PM

    I know this is totally off topic but I just read a rumor that brett ratner might direct a god of war movie???!!! I mean JESUS-FUCKING-CHRIST nooooo that dumbass should not direct a GOW movie in fact he should not direct a movie at all please dave tell me that's not true PLEASEEE!!!

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  10. Anonymous9:30 PM

    Woot! 'Port 'O Call' all the way!!!!

    And who said you couldn't git drunk and smoke stoggies in Utah???

    ;-)

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  11. Let that woman know that I'd hella buy a book with little drawings from Hideo in it.

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  12. Anonymous5:08 AM

    You must receive each days tons of letter to work on your next project.

    I hope you don't mind if I send you few words here, even if I have already send my references on Ready at dawn.

    Hello Mr Jaffe,

    My name is Alex Tuis. I am a freelance artist specialized in movies conceptual designs and illustrations, and especially creatures.
    I write to you because I am very interested in doing some Concept Art for your projects. Maybe on another Kratos adventure!
    You could find some of my personal works after these words.

    I have worked two years in Cryo, a french video Game company, on Atlantis IV and Salammbô.
    And I am now more specialized in the movie industry.
    To introduce myself further on, I worked as first concept artist on Blood The Last Vampire, live version of the cult animation movie,
    as creator of vampire designs and transformation process.

    I am involved in next Xavier Gens’ horror movie, Vanikoro (Hitman the movie s’ French director).
    I have been lead artist on the sci-fi Chris Noonan’s project The Crash Dummies in the gone far away.
    I have also created for an attraction park in Spain (The Katmandu House), characters as well as accessories and places.

    For Vincent Guastini Productions, I designed strong characters for two slasher movies.
    I also did some designs for Amalgamated Dynamics on Dragon Ball‘s creatures in the movie adaptation of this cult manga and Red Riding Hood,
    a blade runner fairy tale.

    I am currently on very cool designs for Spider Baby, remake of the cult movie.
    I recommend you my creature section:
    http://a.tuis.free.fr/creatures.html

    Many thanks for your attention. I hope you will appreciate my work.
    Regards,

    Alex Tuis
    http://a.tuis.free.fr

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous6:37 AM

    Someone mentioned God of War movie? Twisted Metal movie for me please

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  14. Anonymous10:09 AM

    Get yourself out to KOKO Kitchen on 300 East 700 South. BEST japanese in Utah. they serve beer and Sake too! The guys downstairs at Smartbomb go there all the time.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous12:54 PM

    who doesn't love tyler perry?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous6:48 AM

    Sounds like things are going well. You and your cigar. Haha, that's funny man. Hope work on "the game" continues beautifully.

    -G.W.

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  17. Any meeting ending in booze and cigars sounds like a good meeting :)

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  18. Anonymous8:19 AM

    poo in a jar

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous6:48 PM

    Hello David

    I didn't really read the blog as such, but just wanted to get something off my mind! lol

    I have always loved the God of War Series, and would love that you be involved in God of War 3.

    I have had my ps3 for 5 months now, and I downloaded Calling all cars tonight, after a lot of deliberation. When I first fired up the game, I was like what the fuck is this game, cartoony graphics etc. And now that I'm writing to you, I regret I didn't buy it earlier.

    I have played the game for 3 hours tonight only, had 2 mates with me, I guess that's the downloadable game I've played the most in one day, even pixel junk monsters doesn't give you this instant gratification you get from bringing a hammer onto your friend's car, or dodging one missile... WOW :)

    Just wanted to tell you my appreciation for your work. You are among my most loved game developers out there, along with hideo kojima, blizzard peeps, insomniac and naughty dog!

    Hope you produce more downloadable games, or if you're secretly involved in God of War 3, I mean... whatever you do, it's gold dust!

    -darkos87

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  20. It's cool that you're a Tyler Perry fan. I am as well. He has made crap too, but every director screws up. Anyways, I wanted to let you and fellow gamers on this board that G4 has decided to start showing their old programming again. I'm talking G4TV.com (with Laura Foy, Tina Wood, and Scott Rubin), the old X-Play, Blister, Filter, Icons (the one about game designers), and more are on the way if the fan response is good. Please support this, so that we might be able to see The Screen Savers again! Just visit:

    http://www.g4tv.com/rewind/

    Show some support and we CAN bring the current G4 back to its former glory!

    ReplyDelete
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