Tag: Game Design

Grand Theft Roleplay

A good portion of the years 2017 to 2020 were consumed by a deep addiction to what I now view as the natural evolution of open persistent multiplayer worlds for emergent gameplay. (In short, virtual worlds where developers create systems built around driving random social interactions between players). I had dabbled in "roleplaying" in PC multiplayer games going back to the mid-90s, starting with BBS Door Games and peaking (for me) with Ultima Online and the roleplaying community there. My teenage self even somehow found the focus to create a website/IRC community around the roleplaying scene on Ultima Online's Pacific shard (server) with a good friend of mine, Dan. Roleplaying in the late 90s on Ultima Online's Pacific Shard That is a completely different story however, and not one that I am sure those of you who will read this came here for.  Early in 2017 I found myself sitting in my living room in Newport Beach - having just come home late from working on a (now shelved) VR open world design project at inXile Entertainment. My eyes were glued to the screen of my TV as I watched my roommate and coworker upstairs (Lou), appearing on the livestream…continue reading →

Atari v Meteos?

I think the important takeaway here is that Tim (as intelligent a person as he is) is off the mark with any swipes taken at PUBG. It is subjectively undeniable that the foundation of the Fortnite design pivot was inspired by the success and/or design of PUBG. The core mechanics of PUBG itself can be traced back to countless gaming experiences, even within its own genre to the @Survivor_GameZ series of events. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q83nYaDr27w The Original Survivor GameZ Trailer US Law (to the best of my non-lawyer knowledge) is fairly clear in Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act that "In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work". (Lawyers, feel free to tell me if I'm wrong).Note: It seems my anecdotal knowledge comes primarily from the 70s and 80s, wherein Tetris Holding v Xio Interactive may flip the script - who knows. At this point in the genre especially, no one person or group can claim ownership or moral genesis of the pillars of Battle Royale, nor should…continue reading →

Perception

I'm a terrible Producer. To be more specific, I'm a terrible example of a Producer. Which is amusing, as I currently find myself in the role of an Executive Producer.I've spent the last seven and a half years working exclusively on open world survival games, the last six of which continuously in the Creative Director/Design Director role.Early Whiteboard Designs for Initial DayZ Base BuildingI find myself back in a producer role, likely entirely based on my friend and coworkers perception of me - obviously influenced by what he knows me to be, what he has seen the most positive success working directly with me from. From my joining the DayZ team in 2013 through to early 2014 when he left to begin work on his next project, this is what his experiences with me were colored by. Which isn't to say this perception of me is false by any means. The decisions I make in a production role are entirely influenced by amazing Producers I have worked with in the past, those of which who specialize in Production and have years and in some cases decades of experience. Their names, and the actions they took on projects I worked with…continue reading →