Kratos...as Smurf?!?

Literally days before we announced the first game to the press, this was Kratos:

And then someone on the team- I think it was Ken or Max- showed us this:

If you don't know, this is the Barbarian from Diablo II. I had played Diablo I but never II, and this was sure news to me. As it was to clearly to many/all others on the team, as this was the first we'd heard of the character, let alone the similarity. 

So you can bet we changed it, lickity fuckin' split! 

Which is good cause I think this is a much better look for our guy...

...even if now Kratos- much to my never ending disappointment- seems to be fan of the Crimson Tide :(...

I Am A Shitty Ass Parent!

Terrible Parent Award Goes To...ME! 

AKA I woke up sicker than yesterday and thus cranky. So I not only yelled at the kids (for no reason*) AND at the dog (who is as sweet as the day is long** so he had NO idea what he had done to deserve my wrath), but I was also too tired to make the kids a proper, healthy breakfast.

Because I was dealing with all of that- and because being sick made me sluggish and thus made me run late in getting the kids off to school- we went thru the McDonald's drive thru and got biscuits and hashbrowns for breakfast.*** 


So yes, I suck much.

Ok, guess I should get to work and try to at least do SOMETHING right today...:)

Later y'all! 
David

* I apologized within seconds for snapping at the girls, but my oldest was like, 'That's ok, dad'...which really made me feel worse. Damn her! :)

** Yeah...so, not sure why I'm channeling an old southern grandmother sitting on a porch sipping sweet tea from a mason jar while she fans herself with a ripped page from the Penny's catalog, but there it is...

*** I am fully aware this very easily is a 'must be nice' kind of problem that I am bitching about :). Aka 'Poor guy (poor 20 lbs. OVERWEIGHT guy, might I add!) who took his kids to get drive thru food instead of making them some organic such and such from Whole Foods. for breakfast. Man, Jaffe, that IS tough. And you know, I'd feel bad for you too, I really would, if it's just I wasn't so busy dealing with the fact that my own kids are like, oh I dunno...STARVING!...stupid ass.'

ps. Oh, so here's an interview I did the other day:

Fun guys to chat with but man, come on- PLEASE stop using that horrid picture! Altho I know by asking people NOT to use it (forget that it's bad, how about the fact that it's from 2006!?!?) all I'm doing is giving haters a reason to use it more. Whatever :).

Oh, and sorry for saying 'You Know...' so much :(...

All I Want For Chrismukkah is...

All I Want For Chrismukkah is:

1. To catch up on every unseen episode of Shark Tank and Homeland.

2. Play much more of Sonic Racing Transformed, Walking Dead, Dishonored, Far Cry 3, and Halo 4.

3. Read a great new fiction book (specific book TBD)

4. Lots of time to play with the kids and hang with family.

5. To be able get into and enjoy any of the following: Mad Men, Downton Abbey, Walking Dead, Breaking Bad. I get these are all amazing shows and I respect them but I can't seem to get lost in them.

5. My dad back. And very much alive*. And super healthy and as wonderfully optimistic and happy as he was for the vast majority of his life.

6. If I can't get #5 then I'll take peace and healing for my sweet mom who- obviously- is going thru a lot right now. 

7. For the world to give this new batch a' Glee kids a G-damn'd chance. They are all really great save for the new blond hyper religious/mean girl. But the rest? Just great! And man, the lunch lady's daughter is super hot and-damn!- can she sing! I may have a tiny crush on her, truth be told.

8. Relief from my shame of being 41 and having a crush on one of the Glee kids.

9. Relief from my shame of watching- and really digging- Glee.

Ok, that's all! Is that too much to ask for, you think?!? 

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Magical Movie Season to you all!

David

* I ain't falling for any of your tricks, Calypso! 

Tales From Orth Nation!

Adam Orth: great friend, great designer, and all around bad ass!

Adam and I worked together on and off over the years and two of the games we worked on were HEARTLAND and CALLING ALL CARS.

He shot me some pics from some of design docs yesterday and I thought I'd share.

Been super busy so no time to dive into too much context at the moment, but figured they prob speak for themselves anyway. So here ya go :)...


HEARTLAND: Was going to be a return to more old school, opened up single player (and co-op) Goldeneye/Doom II style level design. Plus a little Deus Ex thrown in, in terms of multiple solves, as much emergence as we could intentionally create (not the mention the happy surprises):

Note: This ONLY woulda been an escort mission if you played it ONE way :). You could also get a sniper rifle AND turn on the power in the theme park (this level was gonna be like Disneyland meets Red Dawn). Doing so would let you activate the ferris wheel that you could use to ride up to a killer vantage point that would allow you to snipe the single enemy that was leading the troops that were trying to stop your buddy from getting away. Kill that guy and mission over. Your co-opbuddy could have also played the dude trying to escape. So there! :) 

CALLING ALL CARS: Amazing imagery as ALWAYS by the one and only John Wu!

 John is a stunningly talented concept artist/game developer with stunning skills and the uncanny ability to swap between pretty much any art style and BLOW YOU AWAY with all of them! I really do think the guy is a mute!  Don't believe me?!? Ask Professor X, asshole! :)... or Please check out his FANTASTIC work at his site.

Ok, gotta get back to it! Later ya'll!

And thanks Adam for this great blast from the past!

David