When this baby hits 88MPH you're going to see some serious stuff fall off!

Well it's time to get started on A4069 and what better place to start then with your brand new ride. The 1995 3-door Ford Fiesta!

Yes this highly reconstructed car is what you will be driving in A4069. With it's new age CD player and sleek design this puppy is ready for the open road.

Hopefully I will start work on the teaser trailer for later this month so is to put a footing on my plans. Peace out!

A4069 First Concept

Well it is just about time to start on my next project. Named A4069 which is road name for the Black Mountain pass the game will be a look into the beauty of Driving and solitude. With music accompanying you as you drive this famous road along with visuals which coincide with the music and the player. There will also be scenes of reflection where the main character takes time to reflect on their life up until now.

Below if the first concept for the game the night time level where Light trails playfully lead you to the end.

I'm really excited for this and see this as "That Game company's" game "Flower" but with a car. Watch this space.

(Larger version can be found here)

The Horror the Horror

I have just got onto an MA animation course so this means I have another year to get my act together. This is great news for me because it might get rid of my shame of having a 2:2 Result for my BA Hons. At the moment I'm very very late to get in  3 weeks late but in fact. but catching up has been smoother than I had expected.

I had recently done a  presentation of  my project "All Alone" Which has changed allot since it's last incarnation. Now instead of a FPS with no action it is a Stealth RTS. The visual style will stay the same but the gameplay and the interface will be completely changed. I'm enjoying this but I must be sure to set limits I might not even do this project for my MA, unless I can find enough people to help me out.

The other Game project I have in the works is known for now as "A4096". Now A4096 is a road in mid Wales also known as the "Black Mountain Pass" which was made popular be Top Gear a few years back. What does this even mean, well this is a driving/art game think "Flower" by "That game company but with a car.  Although there is no racing and it isn't heavy on metaphors instead it is all about the joys of driving and solitude. I want to make music a key factor in this by using artistic visuals like light trails and colour as a driving force (Pun not intended). I still have little idea on how to do all of it but it is a nice little spark and hopefully the wood is dry enough to actually set alight. Watch this space.

As it is nearing the end of October that means only one thing, Yanks have fun eating sweets while I have fun at Game City playing the video games. I have my business cards ready and I am looking forward to show off what I can (getting drunk and spending money in "Page 45" is also on the agenda).

I have also been caught up in Haunted houses over in the States. They not only look like fun but They seem like a great idea by looking into how to get an interactive audience to react. I would like to go over to "Halloween Horror Nights" over at Universal Studios Orland and get some ideas for scaring an audience for a horror game.

Sorry for the lack of work and pictures but getting on this MA has been a top priority for men and I am also in the really early stages of concept hopefully soon I can get something out soon. in the mean time have a Brushie.

Lighting cont'd

Well I've finished the Tutorial a little slower than hoped but it's done. Here are the results.

Overall I'm pleased but I would of liked to finished them sooner. Also I want to focus my attention onto environment art now. I have a project nagging at the back of my neck based on my love for abandoned buildings and the Med School's New blood 2011 Album.

Unfortunately I have yet to complete my two other projects, Project Night light and the Farnsworth House. So that Will have to wait till Later, I also got work experience that is completely Irrelevant to anything I want to do (cheap labour for them)

Let there be light

Okay Not a super productive week as I have been doing a lot of odd jobs around my house (painting furniture mostly).

I have been able to practice my lighting techniques. I've looked at Maya Essentials magazine to help me out. There are a whole load of useful stuff in there.

(Sunset Render Time to render 1 Hour and 10 Minutes)

I have also been brushing up on my Texture painting (get it Brush, painting). Thanks to this great but pricey Gnomon tutorial by Paul Campion. I have only completed half of the tutorial as the second half is based on faces and I want to leave it for when I might need to focus on characters.

Link

(Shark tooth)

The fact of the matter is that I have little time to work on my technique as I being dragged away from it whether it is by doing odd jobs around the house of the distraction of working from home.

It's over

It has been half a year since my last post. I have been too busy to much of stuff in my free time but now I'm out of University with a miserable 2:2. What brought me down was my Dissertation which I foolishly made on sound and music. In all honesty though there were other "Distractions" including a new television show involving Small Equines.

Now I'm out I'm just looking for a job any job. I have already sent out a few portfolios but no response yet (No surprise). In the mean time I have decided to work on my CGI skills and build a few pieces of work. whether they are art or just tests I hope they can build up my portfolio. The first of these is called Project Night light. Basically it is a recreation of a scene in the for-mentioned show a fantasy throne room. Stereotypical I know but it is a good place to look at bump, normal and specular maps.

The Second is my attempt at recreating the Farnsworth house. It's simple geometry, open plan and minimalism is perfect for not only practice but lighting tests.

Both are in their early days and I don't know when they could be completed.

I am also looking into making music as a hobby. I have already Fiddled around with FL Studio but now I'm looking into LSDJ and program that lets you make music through the sound card of an old Gameboy. I need this because If I am just focused on one thing then I loose all of what little personality that I have.

Hopefully I will find a job and then I can get some money, it will be even better if I can find a job making games.

Aftermath

Well the Concept doc is done, Game Jam over and now the real work begins.

A lot of written work has been done but I have been foucused on how to get to work. I think I have some idea of how to do it but I have a lot of work to do.

We Game Jam for me was ok. several problem had turned up on my account but eventualy I became a sort of Merc. If I was to do it again I will only be able to work on 3D projects (Not easy when making a game in 48 hours.

to top it off here is the final Concept shot for FP3

Blarghifragle

Well it has been a long time since I've updated this blog. so far I can't get any sleep and I'm entering the Global Game Jam on the 28th of Jan two days after my birthday. the reason why I'm typing really is because I have just finished a concept for my final year and I impressed myself (not saying much) so bask in it's awesomeness.

A Change of Plan

Things didn’t turn out as I had planned for the week. For a start I have completely scraped my idea for a game based around Zero G platform/Puzzle game, sort of “Portal” meets Dead Space in which the player is placed in a Zero G environment and needs to traverse different obstacles and traps in order to reach their goal. To aid them they would be given tools like a mid-air break and a grapple.

On the meeting on Tuesday I pitched my idea to the rest of the class. I had originally put a video up on my facebook page to ask people if this was any good so a few people knew what I was planning. Time came and when I announced it not a major uproar of applause, no Ticker tape parade and no piles of naked women on top of a mountain of money. Well I might be getting off point; basically everyone had good and bad ideas.

A lot of people had already formed groups so if I was to have anyone on board pickings would be slim. After listening to everyone’s “Elevator pitches” I aloud my mind to choose which one held the most. I had no intention of doing this alone as I have heard many stories of people working on their own not even getting something out the door so to speak

The one game that stuck in my head was Charlotte Gyseman MC Esher FPS. The one thing that really got me interested was the abandoned building art style she had mentioned. I for one love that particular style not just in games but in art and films.

So if you want to see more of this then here is the projects blog .

Last Week

Well summer is up and it is back to Uni thanks to the Ryder Cup giving us another week off. There is a lot of things to go on including work on all alone Eurogamer Expo and Uni Work so lets get at it.

I'll talk about all alone first. There has been a lot of progress on this even though the writing is not yet complete there has been some great suggestions from these guy who are doing a great job of helping me out.
Keriann Nelson- http://tudocs.ning.com/profile/KieranNelson
Jamie Boyle- http://tudocs.ning.com/profile/Jamie
of course I want to keep my cards close to my chest so no spoilers.

As for the game itself I'm finding coding very hard so I need to keep on working on that. on the Levels themselves I have one more map to go. It's been great experience and has really improved my Maya skill even if the models are simple as they can be.

Music wise I have gotten permission to use music from this great artist Named Kilton:
http://soundcloud.com/urlyd-recordings.
His songs sound amazing and fit so well with the game I can't wait to use them.

I have also made new posters here:



More in game!


As for Uni work I'm a Little bit unsure I have two ideas in my head either a Zero G puzzle game or a Music game for the Android/IPhone where you collect icons into baskets to complete a song.

As for my dissertation I want to have a look at marketing in games especially for the Halo series as during the realise of Halo Reach there were amazing marketing campaigns some viral and some more public. it might not be a bad thing to look at really because if it wasn't for Alfred Hitchcock's marketing for Psycho it might not of been the classic we know today.

I also went to Eurogamer Expo in London for the Friday, Got up at 5 in the morning just to get there. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I did have to wait an hour to play "Brink" (Which was worth it) unfortunately I didn't get a looking with my portfolio but I got some great advice from the guys over at Rare. Apart from "Brink" I enjoyed playing Need For Speed Hot Pursuit and Crysis 2. I played others but those three were the best.

So one more Year then I have to work. I have no idea what is going to happen but as I always say...

"The only easy day was yesterday".

Straight from the hippie's mouth

Smile and Obey

I've decided to show off some of the propaganda posters for All Alone. I love the of the second world war and Soviet Union propaganda posters which had a lot of minimalism in their design. I also made them like this to give the player about what time this was set and how controlled this place was. Hopefully I can make some more soon.

New Logo now I'm like a real Game Designer

Hay Boys and Girl I've being scouring the one sea that is the Internet and I've done some interesting things. for one I'm going full steam ahead with All Alone and getting really excited.

I have even Made a Logo for myself if you look down there you can see it for yourself.
I have also been playing Kane and Lynch 2. I will say it is best bought as a rental but it is a good rental at that. A very short campaign but with some really cool moments.

Farm and Industrial

OK midway through and here is some of my progress I have had to get some help by using some great models from Turbosquid. in the writing side I have found for some reason the soundtrack to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky to be a great Muse. the biggest problem is keeping to a theme. The main books I'm using to help our are Sara Kane's play "4:48 Psychosis" and (Strangely) Max Brooks "World War Z". "4:48 Psychosis" is a strange play not only for the content but also in the way it is written no definitive characters although there seems to be three. the writing has been refereed by many as Sara Kane's Suicide note, very dark and misleading. My former tutor David Surman had pointed me to this play so kudos to him.

"World War Z" is a Zombie Horror written after the events of a global outbreak of Zombies. So why has this influenced me? The way it is written is just like an after action report to any war and in doing that gives the impression that you have been locked in a bunker all this time and have been given this to know what has been going on in your absence. one very importance scene I have taken influence from is where the author is visiting a young woman in a mental institute who has regressed into a child way of thinking. a very strong scene and shows how mentally destroying a situation like that can be. I hope to recreate the same atmosphere in this game as well with the writing especially in the later parts.

Now I am now looking for any programmers or Musicians to help out in any way possible. Musically I am looking for something similar to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76JMTvB5Vwk&p=5915B9CCD0DA343F&playnext=1&index=3. If you can help that will be great.

P.S.-How to make a Cult

A little treat

High Guy a lot of little things have been done but I want you guys to see for yourself so here is a link and tell me what you think.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QVUGNRU1
The main thing is that I haven't put in any of the writing yet and I need props for those.

Back from France Bringing gifts

OK Guys, and more like Back from holidays and it was great got a tan on my skin some I'm just a little less plain paper some not so white paper.

Any way Picked up some graffiti mags which you can't get over here in the UK and I love them I wish some one would make them available over here and in English.

I wanted to get a video out for "All Alone" to give people a better picture of what it will look like. I have only got the visuals down and quite pleased.

All Alone from Tim O'Connell on Vimeo.

Week 3

Unfortunately it's been quite a busy week for me looking for work and making good excuses. I've mostly been working on the script trying to get enough lines of dialog to spread across the game. I'm looking for people to help out hopefully programmers and musicians so any help is appreciated. some few more screen shots just for the hell of it.

Week 2

Temple Interior

Temple outside

Basic Building Interior

Basic building outside

Well 2nd week and I'm keeping up, lets wait till next week. The main problems I have been having is with the writing. Basically if I can't get the writing up to a certain level the this will all be for nothing so it is a real conundrum so far. Hopefully I will get this sorted out before next month. I've started with the buildings now. The Temple is complete and a basic building is complete which I will fill with props.

Lazy Boy making experiance

I have been planning to sit on my arse allowing it to ferment all through the summer but my arse was having none of it and told me to do some work over the summer. So I've decided to make a short project based on my Video "Abandoned". So what will it be it's mostly a love letter to Chinese Room for their awesome mod "Dear Esther" the first thing is the title, I wanted to call it Abandoned but this will be a bit to Brash so I've decided on the lesser title of "No one here". The game play itself is more of an experience nothing serious and I might not even if have a game play mechanic (if I can't find a programmer for cheap). Finally the visual style, because I am crap at everything I want to make it as simple as possible. I 'm going for a monotone look which adds to the idea of being alone and void of life.


I want to update this on a weekly basis so I actually complete it and get feed back from anyone who stumbles onto this.

Des Bois Finished