June 25th Mother Lode

Hahahahahaha! Struck the Mother Lode once again this June 25th and it's loaded with rumors, virtual gay parades, straight up good hidden methamphetamine and a couple WTFs! So let us dive in and roll all over this like pigs in a muddy pen.

Metal Gear Solid Film? Say It Ain't So!
Oh hell yes! Word on the street is that this is going down and its going down hard. Am I excited? Hell no! Am I going to watch it? Hell yes! Why? Well because it's a game based movie! This is going to fail so epically it would make the tattooed face lady look like a blessing! Then to add on it rumor also has it is that Christian Bale will be Snake. I swear, this cannot get any better but oh boy am I wrong. Here is section of an interview MTV had with mister Christian Bale.

• MTV: Metal Gear Solid, is this something you've ever talked about doing as a film?
• Bale: No.
  

• MTV: Are you a video game fan?
  
• Bale: Yeah.

• MTV: What do you play?
  
• Bale: That. Metal Gear Solid.
  

• MTV: You play it?
  
• Bale: Yeah.
  

• MTV: How many hours does that suck out of you on a weekly basis?
• Bale: You know what, no, I've kinda devoted my time to more constructive things of late. You know?

Yeeeaaah...I don't consider being an actor in the movie constructive. Source of income? Yes. Constructive? No. Seriously though, I just hope Hideo Kojima won't let this happen to the Metal Gear Solid Franchise. Its like threatening to throw a bucket of STI's to it.*shivers*By the way here is a joke for yah! What you get when you have a couple of cos players all dressed like MSG characters and one so happens to have a camera? Answer below.....


Here is also another short film that I found a long time ago. Very impressive stuff!





First Pitfall and then the World!
Father's start coding some ubber virus and keeping the shotty loaded because SkyNet will occur! You think I'm joking? Sure it does seem that now an days all we are presented with are cute faced and coffee-making making robot who ironically do dance the robot pretty damn well. Yet the real madness is occurring at Rutgers University where a robot has learned how to play Pitfall. Clip below shows off the university's Object-Oriented Markov Decision Processes, which is a fancy way of saying the AI's trial and error processes. So how this work is that the AI tries then tries again until it knows how to do something. The end is cute though because the robot celebrates his accomplishment with the happy dance because it knows how close it is from taking over the planet!




Duke Nukem Still Kicking!
This game just will not die! Why is this? Because developers 3D Realms are still claiming after a decade that the game is still being worked on. In the disclosure which can be found within court documents relating to the franchise specifically reads "[3D Realms/Apogee Ltd.] admits that it has continually worked on the development of the DNF for many years, and continues to do so". In addition to this reveal, it seems publisher Take-Two began development of another Duke Nukem game, Duke Begins, in 2007. This title, however, was canned in April 2009, right around the time the publisher's support of Duke Nukem Forever dried up, leading to speculation that "Duke Begins" was as much a bargaining chip in negotiations with 3D Realms as it was a legitimate product. Yet what boggle my mind is why is everyone wasting there time and money on this and let alone Take-Two. Duke Nukem is so 1996 and it should stay like that. Don't get me wrong I love Duke Nukem but as it is! So please! Let move on to something more productive! Clip below is of leaked gameplay from a while back when all this shenanigans started.




How To: Meth found in GTAIV!
Wanna be the next big meth dealer but you weren't so great in chemistry class? Then pop in your copy of GTAIV! So word is that Grand Theft Auto IV has "recipe" for the production of methamphetamine hidden somewhere in the game. I've got no idea where, exactly, but it's been revealed that during a play through of the game for its classification last year, the British Board of Film Classification "discovered an apparent recipe for the manufacture of the drug crystal meth". It was only after Rockstar informed the BBFC that the recipe was "inaccurate" that it was allowed to stay in the game, and the title could go on sale to the public. It's probably a recite to Chuck Norri's kick-ass cookies!



World of Gay Parade...and Warcraft
Gay Pride Week is one of the biggest deals in the San Francisco Bay Area, or so I've read, and apparently, it's also a big deal to one World of Warcraft. GayGamer reports that the Proudmoore Server hosted a fifth annual Pride celebration and parade put on by guilds The Spreading Taint and The Stonewall Family. According to Stonewall's homepage, this Proudmoore Pride bash was their biggest one yet. Festivities included a Nude Duel Championship, avatar modeling, DJ competition and a user-created parade float competition. It's cool to see peaceful parades occurring even in WoW. Now all we need now is a Imma Ninja Parade! Clip below is a recording of the event.

Through the Rabbit Hole on June 24

Mang! What a hectic week this was! Seeing I am all alone because I gave the whole week off to the team just left me overwhelmed with a ton of work. This actually brings me back to the days when it was just me and Binary Odyssey. Getting just 2 hours tops everyday and living off cereal and the occasional ramen noodle. So once again, I do apologize whole heartedly for the whole late posts but it's improving and I am finding my rhythm so bare with me. Sadly though, the rabbit hole today is somewhat, barren with news and update. All its filled with today is a tons of code and towers of paper work, but knowing me I tend to always have something to reveal and that is where Movie Night comes in.


If you have a good idea of who I am and what makes up Antoine you would know that movies has a very unique spot in my heart the same way that video games and music does. So if you were to call me up to see what I am doing on a weekend I am most likely watching a movie. I like to consider myself a movie buff because I watch any movie either it being good or bad, long or short, national or international! If it is a movie, I will watch it while eating a bowl of pop corn and some sort of beverage. Now this event is another additional event for you Binary Odyssey fans in where you come over every Friday and Saturday right HERE and hang out and chat with a whole bunch of other people while watching the chosen movie of that day. I have been working on the structure of movie night and this is how its going to be working from now on unless changes are made.

• Movie Night occurs HERE every Friday and Satuday
• One movie will be broadcast each day
• On Holidays 2 movies will be broadcast
• Movie Night starts @ 10PM EST/ 7PM PST
• Special nights start @ 9PM EST/6PM PST
• Movie Nights are Themed
• EVERYONE IS INVITED!
  

Now please keep in mind that everything you just have read are up for change because like most things I do either it being with Binary Odyssey or anything assiociated with it tend to be experiments I try and see if floats or sinks. I personally hope this one floats because the closed Movie Night session which went all night till 6 o'clock in the morning was full of technical difficulties but fun none the less after all but said and done. Therefore this coming Friday and Saturday should be as smooth as baby's bottom. Also, I have made up the schedule for the entire year and it's theme and I will be be reminding all of you when it is and what would be showing, but this doesn't mean I am not open to suggestions and movie request you might have. Even if you have a theme night you want and think would be awesome then let me know. Here is what I have schedule for this month, June of 2009. THIS IS NOT OPEN FOR CHANGE!

Theme: Indie Films

• Friday June 26, 2009
  
• Lost in Translation

• Saturday, June 27, 2009
  
• Sex, Lies and Video Tape

Hope to see you there this Friday and/or Saturday! And keep a look out for the FULL Movie Night Schedule.

dotBit: Animation

One vital thing that is always being interchange in video games is information. Either in a hardware level or in a psychological and social level information is being sent and received. This all starts when the user turns on the console and prepares themselves for an immersive experience. This is when animation becomes one very important key factor to making this possible. So today in dotBit we look closely to animation in general, animation in video games and the roles it plays.

Movement speaks volumes. This is fact even in the "real" world. If you see someone upset you would either approach and try and make that person feel better or just avoid the person all together because you might see it as a both a drag and waist of time. Body language is something we as humans cannot do without. Actors have made careers out of saying very little but projecting a whole bunch. It is how the famous saying goes: "A picture is worth a thousand words." Now knowing this information alone, how would you go about in applying this in a game?

Throughout my years of playing and studying video games and game design there has always been one keyword that is golden and it is immersion. You always wanna have the player stuck in your world. You want them to believe what they see and have them feel whatever it is they have to feel to keep them in that universe. So if you want to communicate something within the game world without breaking immersion then don't put an icon or floating text on it. When your outside walking do you see things pop-up in front of you prompting you where to go and what to do next?

Just over there.

This is where NPCs, Non-Player Characters, become very useful in video games. Your in the town called Gnir and your looking for the pub but don't know where it is you would go ahead and approach an NPC. Now through body language and tone of voice the NPC will interact with the player. This is why is why depth of a characters and NPCs are very important. Humans are not plain and simple so neither should NPCs. They need to evoke the same emotions and body language as a regular person would just to keep the immersion a live and running. So if the NPC hates or likes the player, don't give them statistics. Flaunt it! Either by the clothe the NPC wears, the type of tone of voice it projects and even the form it stands. This will help the player know if the NPC is submissive or arrogant, interested or impatient. It is also good to remember that all interaction is an exchange of status. Knowing who your friends and enemies are. Who to call for help and who to avoid at all cost.

Ever since computers were around the idea of AI, Artificial Intelligence, seems to capture the attention of engineers, especially yours truly right here. So it is evident how important AI is for NPCs. Yet it wouldn't be sold if it was not for animation. A game that executes this almost perfectly is Mass Effect. The people at Bioware knew the concept of immersion and the effectiveness of AI with animation can be. I remember playing and there was a plot twist in which I myself did find myself on the fence. So, I went ahead and asked their thoughts on the situation. Thus far I am already way immersed into the game because I am asking genuine help and feed back from the people who help me on my quest and make sure I don't get blown away from the mercenaries after me. As I approach them I notice by their face and tone that even though they did not know what was the correct decision they had my back no matter what! In part with that, this boosted my confidence in what my final decision would be.

Watch what you say fool!

Now I wondered why they knew what to say or do. Sure most games are scripted, but not so much anymore. Games like Mass Effect have a dynamic gameplay which changes every second all depending on the players actions. This is when I noticed that I wasn't the only taking in all the visual and audio data thrown at me but the NPC also was doing the same by seeing how I acted and how I responded to events that presented itself because expression tells your actions. A look of fear might signal a retreat, an angry look of determination might serve as a warning. In a conversation, changing expressions can give feedback on how to proceed. What if you could stop when you sense your words are having the wrong effect? It is also good to notw that perceived emotion suggests intelligence. Between visible observation and emotional reaction, emergent character expression will make our NPCs look a lot smarter than they really are.

Awww!

Make note, animation can tell us about our characters, tell us who they are, tell us what they're thinking, delivering what may be crucial gameplay information. It can do these things without breaking the illusion of being in the game world. With body language and facial expression as our tools we can explore the subtle side of character interaction and reach beyond familiar themes.

The Interrogation Room: Session #001

It is hot, humid and sticky and I am thirsty! Now I know I am in the Interrogation Room. I thought I wasn't gonna get enough questions but you guys did not fail. So let's start for I can go and find some water and take a nice cool bath.

1. What is your favorite video game and why? - Johnny P. of Kansas

• Well, Johnny this is a difficult question to answer but I must say it is Tetris. First off, I have more than 5 versions of it combined for either my consoles, my cellphone, my laptop and electronic handheld. Then, I have remade this game countless of times throughout my coding and game developer life, but most importantly is that fact that I STILL PLAY IT OBSESSIVELY! Oh geesh, even the theme song is my ring tone and believe it or not it is the actual rhythm my heart beats in. Tetris is the reason I thank mother Russia and all its craziness.

2. What game instilled this passion you have for game and how old were you? - Kaitlyn R. of NYC

• Super Mario Bros for the NES and Metal Gear Solid for the PSX. Super Mario Bros was the first game I ever played and I was 4 years old but that wasn't when the domino that caused a chain events. It was later on when I got older, 8 years old to be exact, and I wondered how everything worked. How did the console know I what I was pressing? How they made Mario and the universe come up in the screen? Why were they "blocky" and smooth? All these question made me wonder about video games and what was behind the curtain. Once I knew that Metal Gear Solid came around and that's when I knew I wanted to make games and that it had a place for me and my world!
  

3. What is your preferred console?

• I've been using my PS3 lately either it being for playing games, PlaystationHome, Folding@Home or even listen to music I have been having a lot of fun with the PS3 lately. Yet I use a lot the Xbox 360 because of development, but the Wii I hardly use at all and when I do it is to play the WiiWare.
  

4. What game are you excited about this year?

• The game that I want right now is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. I loved the first one and want to buy it again just to play it again because it was that awesome both story and gameplay wise and art design just made that game look amazing! Then the game that just has me curious and doubtful is MAG. I haven't had the chance to get my hand on it but I have read a lot on it and seen gameplay on it and it just leaves me curious and wondering if I am going to like it. So yeah, those are the games I can't wait for this year.
  

5. What is your favorite RTS? - Matt of Indiana

• I know you have been waiting for this answer Matt and I through thinking back to the RTSs I have gotten my hands on I found out that I really love the RTS genre but there is one game that stands out and that's the Warhammer Series. Running around as Chaos Marines and just blowing up whoever got in my way was just pure fun and it is the RTS game I go back to till today.
  

6. What is your favorite FPS?

• It is not Halo! I love Halo I really do. It introduced to me and engraved the idea of online multilayer on your console. The idea of fragging and pwning n00bs sprinkled with a little tbagging afterwards was all thanks to Halo, but dude without GoldenEye 007 there wouldn't be a Halo let alone any type of FPS multiplayer sweetness that GoldenEye brought into our homes. I remember in get together with the whole family either it being on Thanksgiving, Christmas or what have you and my cousins and I huddled around the television while we played 4 player split-screen death match. Learning that shooting to the head actually had an effect and caused an instant kill. Or running around like a mad man on fire with the Golden Gun was just pure geek galore.
  

7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Gweneth P. of Pennsylvania

• Oh boy, let me think. So at 30 years of age I see myself with a wife and kids a couple gray hairs and living completely happy. Being one of the top game developers and influential at that with Binary Odyssey thriving and being a front runner in the game industry. That's how I picture my life in 10 years.
  

8. Who you thought took the show in E3? Brian H. of New Jersey

• Defiantly not Nintendo! Microsoft was refreshing because they left all the NPD numbers and jargon for me to chew up at another time. Then Sony did what they had to do. They needed exclusivity and they delivered with exclusivity up the wazoo! Yet Sony execution was not smooth and it went for a mighty long time. So with this said I would say Microsoft but I personally was more excited watching Sony's conference.
  

9. When will the game come out? Everyone of Everywhere

• In the year 20_ _!
  

10. McDonald's or Burger King? -Tom Tom of Team BO

• WENDY'S FOOL! EATING FREST FTW!
  

Antoine's SoapBox: Video Games & Art

Today I met someone who actually recognized me because of Binary Odyssey, quick shot out to Gweneth, and it was funny because she was upset to not find the first post of Antoine's SoapBox up and I told her it was because besides the enormous amount of work I also was stuck in Writer's Block Boulevard. Yet our conversation took to a interesting and hilarious turn when she asked me one interesting question. Are video games art? I had an answer to that but right when I was going to spill out my answer and then an explanation backing up my answer I spaced out for a good 5 minutes. Where did I go? I went down memory lane. When the controversy about video game violence is not being spoken about this topic and question is not far behind. So Gweneth, this first SoapBox rant is just for you.

"Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions."

To figure out if video games is an art form we must first observe and analyze all the other mediums that came before. We must also take note that art is a relative term, not an absolute one. What I mean by this is that if I say, "this bowl filled with fruits is art!" you can't really tell me it is not because of a couple reasons. I am the one who was moved and felt some sort of emotional enlightenment not you. Now with that said when a certain art like literature, music or films becomes culturally and even globally recognize it then does become another level of art which has a profound effect society. This can notably be seen in the Renaissance Period. A time where all art was ahead of its time which for the most part was taken with open arms and in other times, not so much. Now what I have noticed is that, like the Renaissance Period, art is always evolving with the times and for the most part portal to what's lies ahead. We now live in the era of computers and high technology. So wouldn't things like animation and video games be a logical process of art movement?

Art or the beginig of one?

Now I myself love art in any way, shape and/or form it is thrown at me and have a profound respect for it. It is then no surprise when I say that I myself use art to my advantage either through my drawings, my photography or my writings to express myself and my thoughts. Now the thing amazing about art is that the creator(s) at some point in time in their life they were inspired to make something from "nothing" which in the end displays their feelings. I for one ended up taking video games as my medium because it took all the other mediums I used to express myself with and mix it together in a very effective way. Against to what most might think, I at first never considered video games as an art because at the time when I started playing video game it was very simple with a sole objective, get from point A to point B and try to beat the high-score. Now how is that we went from Pong which I don't consider art to Okami? What it balls down to is the evolution within art and its maturity.

Are video games getting there?

Ian Bogost, Ph.D., founding partner of Persuasive Games says, “It’s an extremely simplistic question, but the spirit of it is worthwhile. In essence, we’re asking, ‘What are video games capable of as a medium?’ And that’s a very good question to ask.” As to why this is a good question Denis Dyack, president of Silicon Knights, couldn't say it any better. He says “It’s a very important question to ask, especially to game developers, as it helps give metrics to where the mindset of the industry is." So what does this point at? Not all games are not art. The same how all artifacts in other mediums aren't art. Due to the the pure fact that the source of it has to have that intention in mind. Art is maturity and cultural evolution! Popping out some mediocre music/game just for that quick buck is something that doesn't improve its art form in any way shape or form due to the fact that art is also something that comes with responsibility from both the creator and the audience.

Well are we?

In conclusion, it is ignorant to ignore the fact that video games is an art form. One which reflects to the era we live in. It also shows that the game industry as a whole is growing and maturing. Yet does it benefit the game industry and I myself as a young game developer to have video games be an art form? Will that be the rise of it all or just how it ends?

June 18th Mother Lode

Woah! I struck the Mother Lode this June 18th with some funny and interesting news for you guys today. Shall we start?

Harold Ramis Feeling.....Glad?

Yup! Harold Ramis the American actor, writer and director who, for those of you who are playing the recently released game Ghostbusters, played the role of Egon Spengler feels like he also hit the mother lode because of actions he took almost 16 years ago. So what action this is? Turning down the opportunity to direct the infamous movie, Super Mario Bros. Looking at Harold Ramis resume you will find a list of classic comedies like Caddyshack, Groundhog Day and Analyze This so imagine if Harold Ramis took that offer it would have been tarnished by that mutated looking Koopa-Princess Peachless Super Mario Bros. flick. Other amazing actors who escaped 1990s epic fail were Danny DeVito, who turned down the role of Mario, and Kevin Costner, who passed on playing King Koopa. Bob Hoskins accepted the role of Mario and later called the experience "a fucking nightmare". Dennis Hopper, who ended up taking the role of Koopa, said that he did the picture so his son could have shoes. What?! Uh...err...okay?!*I really did not make that last part up*

Microsoft Pulls Plug On Xbox OriginalsFirst launched in 2007, Microsoft's "Xbox Originals" seemed an easy way to re-release old Xbox titles on the 360 as a digital download, and make a couple bucks off them in the process. Hasn't worked out that way. After an initial flurry of titles, releases for the service soon slowed to the point where most of you probably forgot it was even around. So now Microsoft saying it has now "finished it's portfolio" of releases for the service. Though they have made cleared that the Xbox games already offered for download will still be up for grabs.

Left 4 Dead 2 Box Art Were Made for the Weak Hearted in Mind!

Recently the official Left 4 Dead blog explained the rules ESRB has actually stated to be suitable for a public audience. From what it seems rules for how many gnawed of human fingers one can highlight on a video game box is...drum roll please...ONE!According to an update to the official blog, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board apparently thought that having a chewed off pinkie and ring finger in addition to the gobbled up thumb, as seen on the original Left 4 Dead, was going a little too far. Therefore, because of this, Left 4 Dead 2 will have to stick to the "one for the thumb" ESRB bylaw for its box art. So much for freedom of creativity...*sigh*

Through the Rabbit Hole on June 17

Hey you! Thanks for jumping through the rabbit hole. What you will find down here is an exclusive look at what is up and running in Binary Odyssey. So for today we have a couple things to discuss so let's get to it.

To start off I want to thank all those subscribing to and reading our blog. Even better, thanks for those sending in the awesome feedback and comments. I'm also excited to see all the questions for the Interrogation Room coming in, so don't be shy and keep sending them in. Also, our home page is being updated with new info and fixed for better flow so keep an eye on it, and I know how you guys been loving the music on the site so don't worry, the one you like will stay and more will be added. Forums! Yes, I know how crappy it is, but I've been scouting other forums and seeing what works and what doesn't work so while you guys tease about how mine is nothing like the ones at Bungie or PlayStation Forums I will tell you this: you are right.....for now! Lastly, the question on where and when the game will be done I will go into more detail next week. As for now just know that the game, Runner, is still in progress and doing well. Let's keep our fingers crossed for an '09 release!

Now moving on to the epic news I want to share. Since I was a kid the idea of being a game developer and owning my company was a simple dream which I started with and over time it became more realistic and much more centered. It also reflected the type of person I was, and still am. So when people hear Binary Odyssey I don't only want them to think about amazing, fun and unique games, I also want them to think about community. Community to me is very important and the people at Bungie showed me the advantages of having a community can have on a development team as small as ours. To have a place where people can come and meet new people with the same interests is why me and the team work very hard in making the community a growing, living entity just like Binary Odyssey itself is. As of today I am glad to see it grow as much as I and Binary Odyssey has. Meeting new people is part of the norm and the expected. Now, if you can remember back to the nice post written a couple days ago we took note that with a growing community we needed extra venues to go with it. How would this be done? Well, the idea of a clan/social gaming forum was being thrown around a couple of times and it stuck. Therefore, as of today, I am glad to announce the opening of Gates of Binary!


Gates of Binary is where all you nice people who love and support Binary Odyssey can meet up, talk, get to know each other and game together. So lets say you have no one to play with on a Wednesday night or you wanna find someone nerdy to talk to, then that is when you come down to Gates of Binary. All you need to do is join up and make yourself known. We are also making clans of the same name for you to join. As of now we have Killzone 2 going and soon MGS 4 Online, but if those games don't fancy you then tell us what game you want Gates of Binary to be on and we will start a clan on it. So what are you waiting for?! We're done here! Go to Gates of Binary, sign up and show us how much you care. ^_^

Links
Home Site: http://www.wix.com/binary_odyssey/binary-odyssey
Forums: http://binaryodyssey.ogameteam.org/
Gates of Binary: http://gatesofbinary.mygameclan.com/

dotBit: Stop Lying To Yourself!

In my fairly long quest in becoming a respectable game developer I have met many people who had a very ignorant idea and view on video games and the video game industry. These views have ranged from the belief that video games are the main cause for the increase of anti-social behavior and up to the thought that it's easy to make the next best AAA game which will sell billions all by yourself in your mother's basement. Now, today I will not speak about video games and its effects on society and its culture but about those people who aspire to be the next Shigeru Miyamoto or Hideo Kojima.

To start off, why don't you open your eyes and grow up? It's great to dream about your future and have goals set out and placed for you to reach, but it isn't good to dream wildly and have unrealistic expectations. Plus, it is good to take note that any dream or goal you have in life, no matter what size, requires a lot of work and dedication. Don't believe me? Ask Martin Luther King. All that dude talked about was how he had a dream and he fought hard for making that dream a reality!

Once all of that is said and done then you have to find the idea which your game will be based on and I cannot stress just how many times I have heard people just shouting out the supposedly next best game idea. Sure, ideas will just come to you the same way oxygen comes to you, but that is not the one and only idea that you will need. When it comes to having an idea to base a game on it will most likely never end up consisting of just one idea because the quality of ideas tends to be proportional to quantity of ideas. You need lots of ideas to get some decent ones and in the end, it's the execution of an idea that is most important. So let us take Runner for a second. How did the idea come to me? I was traveling on the highway for two hours just looking at the road and thinking and then I thought about a game which consisted of ant-sized people who had internals like a car and raced every year in the beginning of summer. These guys ran the entire world on this one day just as a way to begin summer. Now as you can see I went insane with my imagination and I even gave these runners a name called Atomic Runner. Hence the game title, Atomic Run. So you can see that with that alone, which I thought up almost a year ago and started writing a game document for, if you compare it to what we now know as Runner you will not find an ounce of Atomic Run. This is why you gather all of your ideas and put it in a book of any sort so that when the time comes you can start putting all your game ideas together and end up with a potential AAA game.

So you now have your epic video game idea. Who will make them? Well my friend, I am very sad to inform you that game development is not all creativity. Game design can be fun, it can be creative, but it's also work. To think is to work. So when you are writing out your clear description of your main character and the world he/she roams in, this eventually becomes work. Figuring out how to implement your creative imagination into computer language then testing it to see how you can improve the game is work. I, myself, for a while, didn't consider it "work" until I started Binary Odyssey and the development of Runner. It was, and still is, fun and exciting but there is a joke about being up day after day for 15+ hours coding and testing one level just to get it perfect and presentable and it turns out that joke was a pretty accurate description of game development. This is why the great late inventor Thomas Edison once said that success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.

Great! You manage to have a game idea and develop on it for the past couple of years and you're almost done so you're looking for a publisher. You've caught the attention of a couple publishers and they end up telling you that some design has to be changed for them to jump on the band wagon. Bummer right? Nope! This is the way it works in the industry. Even the most successful designers, such as Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, sometimes must satisfy publishers who are funding their efforts. Typically, you'll be told to work on a particular design problem, and won't be able to do your own thing.

Harsh isn't it? I have been in the industry for a short while and I am still learning the ins and outs but I can tell you that it just gets harder and harder but for me and my team this is fine because it came with the package deal of being a game developer and we never regret jumping on this opportunity to be a part of something great. So a tip from myself to all of you passionate game developers/designers free of charge and here it is: as long as you are truly passionate, dedicated, and assertive about what you are doing, nothing can stop you except yourself.

The Interrogation Room: Session #000

Welcome to the interrogation room! You, the readers, are all interrogators asking the questions that either pertain to a certain someone in the team or a general question to all of us. So when Monday comes around I will post up the 10 best questions and with their answers. Here is a sample below of 10 questions asked to me recently.

1. What site(s) do you get your game news from?

• Ah, Kotaku and Giant Bomb are the spots I go to for all things video game. Kotaku mostly for its articles because I like how they structure their site and articles. Very straightforward. Plus I find it amazing how a new article is up and posted almost every minute. Then there is Giant Bomb. I love this site and the people there like Jeff and Ryan and the entertaining game videos and podcasts.

2. First game development book you ever bought?

• Oh wow! Well it was back in 7th grade and I had money which I saved up from doing chores and whatnot. So I was browsing through one of the Scholastic pamphlets we were given in class before we were dismissed for the day and I found this EB Games book which showed how games work and how to create one. That's when my passion just intensified and rose up on par with my other passions during my childhood which were to become president, a doctor, or a teacher. We all now know which came out victorious.
  

3. If you can be doing one thing right now other than working what would it be?

• I would like to be hanging out with the guys and nerding out like we used to before life occurred and we were forced to grow up.

4. What are you gaming?

• Wow, the things I wish I was gaming.*sigh* Binary Odyssey and my life suck up a lot of time so it leaves little to no time for me to enjoy my hobbies. So, what with video games being my top hobby, I try to squeeze some time in there especially on the weekends and what I always see myself playing during those moments is Killzone 2 online. Boy is that game fun!
  

5. What is one thing you cannot live without?

• I CANNOT live without my family and friends. Those people are always making sure that I am safe and sane. I love them very very much!
  

6. What game company inspires you a lot?

• Bungie and ThatGameCompany. Bungie because of their amazing game community and ThatGameCompany because of their amazing games.

7. What game developer(s) do you relate to?

• Ah yes! You probably never heard of them but you've probably heard of their games. First is Jenova Chen and he is the brains behind the games Flow and Flower. Then there's Jonathan Mak. He's the genius behind Everday Shooter.
  

8. Are you dating anyone?

• No, I am not.

9. What is your favorite number?

• Haha! My favorite number is Pi!
  

10. What is one thing you want to do before you die?

• Oh, this is easy! I want to skydive!

When $#!+ Happens!

Woah! Where is Monday's and Tuesday's post?! Well life ate it and pooped it out because it decided that there were better and more important things than the Interrogation Room and dotBit. Therefor Antoine has told us to post this up to tell you guys that Monday's. Tuesday's and Wednesday's posts are all coming up by later this morning so sit tight and flex those eye muscles because you guys will have a lot to read. He also told us to tell you guys the format of the post from now on with a brief explanation of each.

Mondays
Interrogation Room: This is when you the reader sit us down, point the head lights to our face and ask us all the questions you want. So when Monday morning comes, we will answer the top 10 questions we get. Also, we got questions about how you can hand in your questions so I will take the one and only time to list the ways you can hand in your questions so pay attention!

• Email to binary.odyssey@gmail.com with the subject "Interrogation Room" with your question, name, age, gamertag, psn, and/or location.
  
• Comment or send a private message to our inbox on either MySpace, MyYearBook or Facebook with your your question, name, age, gamertag, psn, and/or location.
• Send us a message on PlayStation or the Xbox.

Tuesdays
dotBit: This is where you read about everything that is video games. You will read about the history of videos games, the idea, philosophy and methods exercised and executed in the game industry or in game design/development.

Wednesdays
Through the Rabbit Hole: This is where you get your weekly Binary Odyssey news.

Thursdays
The Mother Lode: This is where you get your weekly game industry news.

Fridays
Antoine's Soap Box: Oh yes! If you know Antoine as we do you know that he loves nothing more than video games let alone talking about it! So this is when Antoine comes in the end of the day and rants, praise, destroy and what have you anything he desires relating to video games. We sure are looking forward to Fridays!

Wow! What a list and what a ride this will be! So stay tune, same binary-time, same binary-channel! *Boy was that a lame use for 1960s Batman*

.....and still kicking strong!

Wow! Since the last post, which was made December of '08, I can't believe all the things the team and I have learned in such a short time. Plus I cannot forget all the new and amazing people I have met showing the much needed love and support and we thank all of you for it. Now I spoke to many of you on a daily basis and I know what you guys want and are demanding while you all wait patiently for the release of Runner. I can tell you things are progressing smoothly and in due time all your patience will pay off. Being a small team juggling so much can become difficult at times but one thing is for sure: if it wasn't for you guys we wouldn't be here. So while we are all pumped and excited we have promised to do the following by the end of the week all as a thank you to all of you.

First off, many of you love our blog and want it daily. As a dear fan of ours told us: "...your blog is my cup of coffee every morning!" Knowing this has pushed me to construct a format to follow on a daily basis which will suit everyone's tastes. Therefore starting Monday, you will see the beginning of such a format and more about it will be explained then.

Secondly, another huge group of you wanted a more lively forum, clan, and social site where you all can meet and set up times to play together. This is by far the most exciting, demanding and time consuming project yet, aside from developing the game of course. Yet this will not stop us from trying giving it a shot. So for now just keep an eye on future posts while we do our usual talk in the chat room.

Now, there's one thing which I didn't think you guys really wanted which is a video blog of our day to day development life with (maybe) a podcast. Now this had me and everyone in Binary Odyssey very curious. Unfortunately we won't do this now and I am sorry to disappoint but it is something that we can set up for the near future. Imagine now, I and the other coders chit-chatting about the nerdiest things possible or the ladies talking about the best girl game EVER!

So with all that said the future, as always, looks bright and exciting for Binary Odyssey and we are all glad to know that we have you guys with us on this ride. Thank you!

QUICK NOTE!
Out home site is updated and the url has changed. The new url is: http://www.wix.com/Binary_Odyssey/Binary-Odyssey