tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post899424343610152136..comments2024-03-29T05:58:33.888+09:00Comments on Japanmanship: For the love of itUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-47701322631173340462007-01-23T13:52:00.000+09:002007-01-23T13:52:00.000+09:00Ah, indeed. Last thing you want when you come home...Ah, indeed. Last thing you want when you come home late of an evening is stare at more screens. <br />For me personally too, if I play Japanese games I actually have to concentrate on translation; which is no fun.<br />Hence when I play I usually play throwaway, no-brainer, no thinking required, pick up and play titles.JC Barnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00122980021264683075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-70220544664196135912007-01-23T11:34:00.000+09:002007-01-23T11:34:00.000+09:00Although all the points you mention for game-playi...Although all the points you mention for game-playing going sour (or fading) I can totally sympathise with, I'm suprised you didn't mention the really obvious one; working in games, we have a hell of alot less spare time, so the meager non-sleep non-eat time-off we do manage, we're alot less likely to want to play games (especially given how flaw-sensitive we've become).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-42603486965455049702007-01-22T23:13:00.000+09:002007-01-22T23:13:00.000+09:00There is bound to be some love lost.
Guess I'll j...<i>There is bound to be some love lost.</i><br /><br />Guess I'll just have to console myself with all that money I'll...<br /><br />Oh, right.<br /><br />Someone remind me why this is my life's ambition.Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15801134365000273797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-63339055079138344932007-01-22T09:07:00.000+09:002007-01-22T09:07:00.000+09:00Hehe, sorry Bez. But in fairness I had written thi...Hehe, sorry Bez. But in fairness I had written this post (but not posted it) before that TCE thread. <br />I think the idea bloggers hate their own writing isn't just us, though.JC Barnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00122980021264683075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-25675499498845889242007-01-22T09:02:00.000+09:002007-01-22T09:02:00.000+09:00"It goes with everything I do, including this blog...<i>"It goes with everything I do, including this blog. The moment I press that “publish” button I think “Oh flip, why did I do that? What a horrible, whiny waste of text. People are going to hate it.” "</i><br /><br />Oi, JC Benton, you are litrally taking the words out of my mouth. LIT-ER-RAR-LAR-LY.<br /><br />I don't mind though. I think we had a good conversation about this, and you helped remind me that to enjoy life, all these artistic endeavours should be taken on for the <i>implicit</i> joy of creating. Money should be the means, not the end. To do it for the love of the creative process, rather than the monetary (or even artistic) ends normally leaves your work glowing with your own creative soul, rather than the drips of sweat you've shed to get it in on time for a friday night booze up.<br /><br />Seriously, thinking of your job as... well... <i>a job</i> definately helps to cheapen the reasons you endeavour. <a href="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/motivation.html<br />">It has been shown in studies</a>. But then, I don't think it's in me to work on something I don't fully believe in, which would be a useful skill, for sure.<br /><br />Working on our game, I had been pretty low because lots of the early stuff was engine work, and I didn't feel like I was able to help (I'm a game designer/game programmer, but not so hot with low level engine stuff). Now, a lot of the foundation is in place, and I'm well oriented around our code base... I'm starting to be able to actively create, properly sticking my teeth in, and I am happier than I've ever been for about 2 years.<br /><br />I get the same enuii about squandered opportunities when playing games, by the way, but again, that normally just fuels me to make use of the freedoms I <i>do</i> have while respecting (but not fearing) the limitations I'm under. Terry Gilliam said that limitations saved him from mediocraty many times: it's good to learn to embrace the swerves they throw you.<br /><br />Oh dear... I'm sounding terribly naive and full of vim, aren't I?Bezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08296337066041438209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-17102519785632638092007-01-21T23:18:00.000+09:002007-01-21T23:18:00.000+09:00Andrew, I'm not talking about the indiscriminate b...Andrew, I'm not talking about the indiscriminate bashing of other games; something that happens in Japan too, actually. That is for the young and irresponsible. I used to do that too, once.<br />No, I'm talking more about being acutely alive to the many little imperfections ALL games quite naturally have. And not in an arrogant, know-it-all way, but in a painful understanding way.<br /><br />Gene, yeah, I think so. I've worked with one or two burned out concept artists. Just think; you're making your hobby or artistic skill your dayjob. There is bound to be some love lost.JC Barnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00122980021264683075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-55360188063002545902007-01-21T17:05:00.000+09:002007-01-21T17:05:00.000+09:00Any kind of similar burn-out effect with concept a...Any kind of similar burn-out effect with concept artists? I'd imagine it'd be harder to be such a perfectionist when everything you do is meant to be provisional ( or so I'd hope).Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15801134365000273797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-48267012763395909812007-01-21T15:24:00.000+09:002007-01-21T15:24:00.000+09:00This just means you're the same as all of us "arti...This just means you're the same as all of us "artists" (pah!), JC... Despising your own work and the majority of games out there is an occupational hazard it seems, and precisely what turns me into the unintelligbly nazi-ish nerd that I am, who only likes, but really really likes, about a handful of titles out there. And never really the ones I've worked on, ofcourse. I find that I do the best work when I am free to do exactly what _I_ want, but still under some kind of self-inflicted pressure that keeps me from caring TOO much about every single little thing to mess it up. I reckon one is as good as what comes out of these kind of cirumstances, where there is inspiration under time-pressure, be it for personal projects or on a reasonably interesting project at work... But then yeah, things are NEVER good enough, are they? And thank god, or we might just stop there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-78316563572206147552007-01-21T14:49:00.000+09:002007-01-21T14:49:00.000+09:00Imagine this "eye" or "musician's ear" as a tester...Imagine this "eye" or "musician's ear" as a tester.<br /><br />Also, watch out for the ever intrepid "internet detective" - enterprising and idle-handed people will try to determine who you are and use the information to "grief in real life".<br /><br />I also like quotation marks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-58064925272565681052007-01-21T12:13:00.000+09:002007-01-21T12:13:00.000+09:00There are certain people in the company I work at ...There are certain people in the company I work at completely unable to ignore any glitch in a game, no matter how small. They generally hang around the gaming corner when a new game is inserted into the machine and point out all the flaws in the game without ever laying a finger on the controller, all the while spoiling MY enjoyment of said game.<br /><br />Whilst I notice problems more than I would if I had never learnt how games are made, I tend not to let it affect my enjoyment of the game. If the game is shit and full of problems, then I wouldn't have enjoyed it anyway, but if it's a fun game and has a few rough edges, who the hell cares?<br /><br />Still, I know how annoying it can be when dealing with your own work in a game. If you are forced to knock something out quickly, or have to make alterations against your will for some reason or another, it can be quite annoying to see the finished product in a screenshot or in a magazine. "Damn, if only they had given me another week to polish that level up!" or "Why on Earth did the (code/art/design) lead request that to be changed? It worked much better before".<br /><br />Still, at the end of the day, seeing the product on the shelf is still cool - even if the cd inside contains a wreck of a game, it's kind of cool that it's on the shelf and people are going to buy and play it. Of course, it would be much better to work on some awesome game that's a million seller and that you are really proud of, but that won't happen every project (unless you work at Blizzard or Valve... git)Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07560127905071502261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-24142414317976266882007-01-21T09:36:00.000+09:002007-01-21T09:36:00.000+09:00It's really fun and interesting reading about the ...It's really fun and interesting reading about the life of a gameartist in japan.<br /><br />Being a graphical artist myself and working on my first project to be released and sold in stores it's very nice to see that the feelings and experience I feel now is something ordinary. You could say I really relate to what you say about how whenever something gets nearly finished it's not good enough and how comments on the games forum makes it worth it for thoose few that seems to like it.<br /><br />I think I probably dont enjoy games the same way I would have if I didn't know what I know now as a gameartist, but what makes it worthwile for me is the urge to make that perfect game<br /><br />bottomline is that for anybody to enjoy this work you need to like the craft not the playing or consumtion of the product. Sure I like games alot but I enjoy it even more to produce content and trying to achieve a result that will make others happy.<br /><br />One needs to find it fun (hopefully most of the time) to sit in photoshop and work on that texturemap or tweak the uvs to perfection. It's not only the results that counts but for one to work with this you need to enjoy the tools and craft.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02320350841991529787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-78221894125577051192007-01-21T09:25:00.000+09:002007-01-21T09:25:00.000+09:00Man, who do you work for and what kind of game is ...Man, who do you work for and what kind of game is it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32650776.post-42519880704269650882007-01-21T00:42:00.000+09:002007-01-21T00:42:00.000+09:00As an art student who is lectured in the semiotics...As an art student who is lectured in the semiotics of movies and animation, I understand that inside knowledge can spoil ones enjoyment of a movie. However, I have found I can kind of switch this on or off. I can either sit in front of a game or movie and choose to be the reviewer, analysing the material, or just feck everything and watch it oblivious of all the rules. It's a skill worth developing, I should think.<br /><br />Of course, when one encounters an obvious jumpcut or other extremely obvious flaw, no barrier can prevent you from noticing it. But that needn't spoil your enjoyment. Just like I can't watch any movie anymore without identifying the Wilhelm scream as soon as fighting commences. But that only adds a layer of amusement, I guess :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com