GDC stuff: "Unannounced: The Game"

I mentioned that Kyle Gray was rumoured to be announcing his new DS project at GDC and indeed, he did, referring to it as "Unannounced: The Game". I won't bother describing it as I advise you to check out the videos below for yourself and make your own mind up.

Here's the footage - I suggest that it is best to the view the videos in this order:

http://gamevideos.com/video/id/17596
http://gamevideos.com/video/id/17595
http://gamevideos.com/video/id/17593

“And then you go on a killing rampage, because that’s what English people in giant mechs do.” Awesome.

Other coverage of the "Tale of Two Kyles" talk can be found at these news outlets:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3166364

http://www.gamedev.net/columns/events/gdc2008/article.asp?id=1126

New look

I've now got a colour scheme and a layout for the blog that I'm very happy with and likewise a great header, achieved with a little help from my best friend Dave. He's currently working on a very different sort of beer rating site, which I'm really looking forward to seeing. In the meantime, check out his lovely Colourcountry.

GDC stuff: Pick a card, any card

This year I caught up (once again) with Randy Pitchford, head of Gearbox Software. Apart from being a great guy to talk business with, Randy is also an accomplished magician. He was inspired to take up magic by the fact that his great uncle was the celebrated magician, Cardini.


He always has a pack of cards in his pocket and if you ask nicely, he's happy to bust out a few tricks, which is a refreshing break from the endless grind of commercial meetings. I love talents/skills that people can take anywhere with them and it's great to be utterly bemused by simple sleight of hand now and then.


Also, Gearbox are doing some interesting projects at the moment - Borderlands, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and a game based on a movie you might have heard of.

GDC stuff: No-one's gonna eat your eyes

The highlight of my week at GDC was seeing Jonathan Coulton perform live at the Steam party.

The set list was (as I recall) :

The Future Soon
Code Monkey
I Feel Fantastic
Re: Your Brains (a great singalong - I can sing as a zombie!)
Skullcrusher Mountain

and...

...culminated in a rousing performance of Still Alive inside Rock Band, ably supported by Harmonix dudes on guitar, bass and drums, and cheered on by pretty much everyone in the place.

GLaDOS would have been proud. Give that man some cake.

GDC stuff: Naming

The best possible name for an outsourcing studio specialising in graphical assets for FPS games is ALREADY TAKEN.