Recently in games Category
The new federal government is considering amending the rules for video game classification. Currently in Australia Video Games can be only given a classification as high as MA.
There is opposition from the Australian Family Association and the Attourney General of South Australia who are opposed to a change. South Australia's AG Michael Atkinson has attempted to explain his log held position in the state's parliment. Meanwhile Ron Curry, head of the Australian Interactive Entertainment Association has suggested that the rest of the country should move forward without South Australia.
Meanwhile around Australia the games industry and sales continues to grow.
What do you think should happen? Should R-rated games be available?
There is opposition from the Australian Family Association and the Attourney General of South Australia who are opposed to a change. South Australia's AG Michael Atkinson has attempted to explain his log held position in the state's parliment. Meanwhile Ron Curry, head of the Australian Interactive Entertainment Association has suggested that the rest of the country should move forward without South Australia.
Meanwhile around Australia the games industry and sales continues to grow.
What do you think should happen? Should R-rated games be available?
We love the way TV show 'LOST' uses additional material on the internet to
extend the viewing experience. Now in the USA in advance of Season 4 begining
people have started spotting billboards for the fictional
Oceanic Airlines. Providing viewers with yet another mystery to unravel.
The billboards aren't everywhere though, just in towns and cities that have been included in the shows spralling and complexly interlinked flashback sequences.
The billboards aren't everywhere though, just in towns and cities that have been included in the shows spralling and complexly interlinked flashback sequences.
It's a questions that has been asked many times, a few weeks ago we highlighted the discussion that occurred at FTI on this topic when Christy Dena presented her seminar on Filmmaking in the Cross Platform World. In a recent article by Paul Arendt in THE GUARDIAN has sparked some debate on both their site and the ARTICULATE site here in Australia.
Take a look at Fan Trust, a consultancy company that work with content producers to help them make products that will appeal to fans and allow producers to make the most out of fan relationships. This is interesting because it would make sense that the core fans of a show are the ones that probably provide the most word of mouth advertising and promotion for a new venture.
Their blog is full of interesting reports, hey, they're even talking about us.
When Christy Dena visited FTI last month part of her great presentation focussed on how traditionally games were off-shoots of films, created by 3rd parties usually as part of a marketing strategy. Now creatives are involved in many different platforms in the making of one creative venture, a Director may also be involved in the comic, the computer game, the toys, it's no longer an off-shoot of a marketing strategy, it is the main game.
Films are also no longer the 'hero' medium, a comic can become a television show, and then a film or a film can continue it's story on though websites, and in many cases a game can morph into a film project. Christy hightlighted several games that have become films such as 'Tomb Raider', 'Doom', 'Resident Evil' and so on. We pondered why some were a success and others not.
I think the reason Tomb Raider is a success is that we bond with it's character Lara Croft, we contol her, we care about her, we went through a huge adventure together and there is that amazing opening sequence in 'Tomb Raider' when we are introduced to Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, she looks and moves exactly like the game character, the camera moves exactly like the game view. It's a very clever visual link.
'Doom' on the other hand doesn't have a character, it's a first person game. It has an arm. I didn't bond with the arm in 'Doom'. I was the arm. I tackled all those monsters and found my way through the maze. The problem with the 'Doom' movie is, I'm not in it.
This is not a flawless theory though, because 'Super Mario Bros' was a terrible movie.
Their blog is full of interesting reports, hey, they're even talking about us.
When Christy Dena visited FTI last month part of her great presentation focussed on how traditionally games were off-shoots of films, created by 3rd parties usually as part of a marketing strategy. Now creatives are involved in many different platforms in the making of one creative venture, a Director may also be involved in the comic, the computer game, the toys, it's no longer an off-shoot of a marketing strategy, it is the main game.
Films are also no longer the 'hero' medium, a comic can become a television show, and then a film or a film can continue it's story on though websites, and in many cases a game can morph into a film project. Christy hightlighted several games that have become films such as 'Tomb Raider', 'Doom', 'Resident Evil' and so on. We pondered why some were a success and others not.
I think the reason Tomb Raider is a success is that we bond with it's character Lara Croft, we contol her, we care about her, we went through a huge adventure together and there is that amazing opening sequence in 'Tomb Raider' when we are introduced to Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, she looks and moves exactly like the game character, the camera moves exactly like the game view. It's a very clever visual link.
'Doom' on the other hand doesn't have a character, it's a first person game. It has an arm. I didn't bond with the arm in 'Doom'. I was the arm. I tackled all those monsters and found my way through the maze. The problem with the 'Doom' movie is, I'm not in it.
This is not a flawless theory though, because 'Super Mario Bros' was a terrible movie.
This was noticed a few weeks ago, but in case you missed it. It has
been discovered that there is a secret simulator in Google Earth.
Press the right combination of keys and you'll be able to fly a plane
around. All the details are here.
This got me thinking about Easter Eggs, which are becoming common on DVD's, in computer games and their cousin the hidden track on music compact discs.
Then I thought about 'Blink' recent episode of the BBC series 'Dr Who' where a girl is recieving messages from the Doctor, who is trapped in the past, she gets some of the messages through 'Easter Eggs' in DVD's. It's a brilliantly written episode, penned by Stephen Moffat. If the BBC are smart when they release the DVD they will include the footage from the stories 'Easter Egg' as an actual 'Easter Egg' on their own release.
We seeing more stories being told over multiple platforms, through viral marketing and secret websites. The techniques used by Nine Inch Nails 'Year Zero', and the series 'Heroes' and 'Lost' are becoming more common.
It strikes me that to date 'Easter Eggs' secret hiding spaces build into hardware or software have not been utilised directly in a storytelling methodology. Sure - we've found cool things in 'Easter Eggs' but I can't think of an example where the story has been woven directly through. I think the hidden story will become a growing feature in the future and in a niche orientated market - something that is secret is going to be way cooler than something that is mass consumed. I'm not thinking of something that is added on to a TV series or rockband, I'm thinking of a story that is secret enitrely. (At least in it's begining until everyone finds it, through some clues and prompting?
This got me thinking about Easter Eggs, which are becoming common on DVD's, in computer games and their cousin the hidden track on music compact discs.
Then I thought about 'Blink' recent episode of the BBC series 'Dr Who' where a girl is recieving messages from the Doctor, who is trapped in the past, she gets some of the messages through 'Easter Eggs' in DVD's. It's a brilliantly written episode, penned by Stephen Moffat. If the BBC are smart when they release the DVD they will include the footage from the stories 'Easter Egg' as an actual 'Easter Egg' on their own release.
We seeing more stories being told over multiple platforms, through viral marketing and secret websites. The techniques used by Nine Inch Nails 'Year Zero', and the series 'Heroes' and 'Lost' are becoming more common.
It strikes me that to date 'Easter Eggs' secret hiding spaces build into hardware or software have not been utilised directly in a storytelling methodology. Sure - we've found cool things in 'Easter Eggs' but I can't think of an example where the story has been woven directly through. I think the hidden story will become a growing feature in the future and in a niche orientated market - something that is secret is going to be way cooler than something that is mass consumed. I'm not thinking of something that is added on to a TV series or rockband, I'm thinking of a story that is secret enitrely. (At least in it's begining until everyone finds it, through some clues and prompting?
The BBC reports on how the virtual world of 'World of Warcraft' has been used to test how we would react to a pandemic outbreak.
