Ugly Baby Studios » Industry Blog

Hey E3…Show Me Some Skins!

Juliet Flores — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:31:11 +0000

Hi boys and girls, got your attention? Alright, lately have you been thinking to yourself, “Hmm…my precious electronic game system/digital device needs a change of style.” Well if it’s some cool graphic artistic change you are longing for then worry no more. I took it upon myself this E3 to walk the many miles, battle the crowds, all in search of some of the coolest kick ass items out there to give our beloved electronics that awesome artistic feel without having to break out the magic markers.

Check out Gametech’s Wasabi at http://www.my-wasabi.com/ these guys carry some of the coolest Japanesque style. They have taken some of the most beautiful Japanese art designs and produced useful products, some of the best and most colorful I have ever laid eyes on. They have taken beautiful prints and applied them for use on important items, such as the Xbox 360, IPod nano 4G, PSP, PS2 & 3 and the Wii. Thanks to Wasabi we can have beautiful prints on more items then just a poster on the wall.

Not only are their styles beautiful their prices are affordable and you get great style. Wasabi’s prices are more affordable than the skins and cases I have seen at the mall. I can afford to purchase more great looking skins and cases with Wasabi compared to what is offered in stores. If the people back at Wasabi are as polite and easy to talk to as the guys working the E3 booth, I know this is one company I definitely want to deal with.

Go to http://www.my-wasabi.com/ to check out their products. You can even make your payment using PayPal, though there is a $9.99 shipping charge for orders up to $50.00 delivered to continental USA. You have to wait 2-3 business days to get your cool new Japanesque style items, but after you see their stuff you’ll know it’s worth the wait. If you order over $100 in the month of June 2009 you get free shipping!

Guys, here is a great place to start looking for a gift(s) if you know your girl just goes gaga for Japanese art.

If Japanesque style is just not your cup of green tea check out GelasSkins at http://www.gelaskins.com/index.php they have some of the most wicked designs and graphic prints to protect and customize your portable devices.

1st E3 Down!

Luke Lancaster — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:09:28 +0000

Well, my first E3 has drawn to a close, and I’d like to talk about a few thing I enjoyed and some I didn’t. As most of you know, E3 is an event that showcases new and upcoming games (entertainment/interactive media) to media outlets.

I’d like to first state that because I’m a guy, the amazingly large number of attractive women-and not just booth babes-at this type of event would naturally be at the top of my favorites list. Getting the chance to play new games and see exclusive demos such as Bioware’s upcoming masterpiece “Mass Effect 2″ and Ubisoft’s “Splinter Cell: Conviction” would come in a close 2nd. I was also happy to see that some Independent games were available for play and demonstration.

Some stuff just bugged the shit out of me though. Bethesda, tell me how it makes sense to set up at E3 and then tell people they can’t come in… smart move.. . Some of the wait times were bad, I’d have played the God of War 3 demo at Sony’s booth if the wait wasn’t an hour or more. I did, however, spare the hour wait for Halo3 ODST; if nothing else it was a well deserved break from another of my dislikes…walking! Yes, walking for nearly 6 straight hours with little in the way of a break sucks…bad. The price of food is kinda ridiculous as well: $9.50 for a Cheeseburger and fries…does it come with a gold napkin?!?!

All in all, my first E3 was fun, I enjoyed the hell out of it and i look forward to more.

E3 2009: Rise of the Mo-Cons

Jason Ward — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:45:47 +0000

I’ll be updating the site with impressions of what I’ve seen today, but one thing is crystal clear: motion controls are in: WAY in. Both Microsoft and Sony showed off new motion controllers, with MS by far taking the lead in a “next gen” motion control system. Sony’s by comparison is more of a “wiimote evolved” scenario, which is all well and good. I’m a fan of the wiimote, after all, so Sony’s approach feels like a natural extension of that, at least from what we’ve seen.

Beyond that, we also have the new Tony Hawk skateboard controller, which from what I saw is very impressive. Not to be forgotten, of course, is Nintendo’s own Wii motion plus, which finally brings true 1:1 control to that platform.

For me, this sudden flood of motion controllers is in many ways Nintendo’s vindication; yes, they shipped a system with less horsepower than Sony or MS, but they took a gamble with motion control that paid off so well that they have now redirected the efforts of Microsoft, Sony and the entire games industry. Love or hate the Wii, there’s no longer any way to deny it: Nintendo was right.

E3 2009: we’re here!

Jason Ward — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:12:49 +0000

So we got here and got checked in, but what have we learned? That the press room is hotter than hell (games journalists don’t need air conditioning!), the show floor is eerily closed until noon and the wifi sucks so bad that I’m actually better off posting from my iPhone.

The future of High Detail 3D Modeling?

Jason Ward — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 05:45:40 +0000

Pardon my french, but this is fuckin’ cool. You’ll have to check out the video for the full skinny, but after you do be sure to hit the jump and let’s talk about what a scanner like this could mean for Indie Developers who don’t have the resources to hire an army of 3D sculptors!

Oh cool, you actually jumped, neato! So, if you’re interested in the development of games you probably already know that modeling 3D objects in today’s world of HD visuals is extremely challenging. Aside from a good low polygon base mesh, many games require meticulously sculpted high detail models from which normal maps can be generated in order to create the illusion of high detail on the low detail models actually used in the games themselves. While 3D artists and the tools they use have long ago come to a point where low poly models can be created with relative efficiency, high detail models can often take weeks, even months, to bring to a finished state. And these aren’t even models that go in the games, we’re talking here about models from which lighting detail is taken in order to facilitate an illusion in the game engine of more detail than is actually present.

For small studios this is a particularly frustrating and difficult issue with which to contend. The artists who can use these tools effectively often command large salaries, and for the scale and scope of some modern games you need a small army of them in order to get any project done in a timely fashion. For an Indie team, this can put some higher end options simply out of reach. Now, personally, I don’t see this as a roadblock because I believe that the best creative minds don’t come up against adversity and pummel their heads in shame, they look for an elegant solution, a way to create great art without relying on brute force alone. These, I believe, are in fact the true artists, and theirs is the true creativity in gaming.

Nevertheless, sometimes you just want to do some high detail shit, but if you’re an indie that’s an expensive proposition. But a device like this, at a cost of only $3,000 (I know, that’s actually a fair chunk of cash, but compared to the price of a high end modeler it’s peanuts), could raise the bar of what a small team could achieve. As long as they are able to produce the low poly models to drive the normal maps from these high detail models, they could potentially achieve very high end results for very little money. Indeed, I can easily imagine larger development studios using this technology to reduce the cost of producing some of these larger scale big budget games by drastically reducing the time required to produce the high detail models needed. Rather than building from scratch, you could simply scan something that’s reasonably close to your intended result and then tweak it from an already well developed state.

Worthy of consideration? Useful to the future of game development? What do you think?

Maybe this is why Wii is so very popular…

Jason Ward — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:36:09 +0000

Although Executive flame wars like those routinely highlighting mega-gaming blogs can be a lot of fun (after all, who doesn’t enjoy reading about Sony’s crackpot comments or Microsoft’s clueless retorts?), ultimately they just make the companies involved look a little…juvenile. We all love to laugh at (insert company name here) when they make fools of themselves, and when they do, the blogs love it because they get page traffic like there’s no tomorrow.

But what these things ultimately end up engendering rarely reaches beyond the level of pissing off Group A, Group B or both. It doesn’t take much effort to find a PS3/360 related flame war on the net, after all.

Then enter Nintendo, who’s Wii has become the utterly undisputed champion of this generation, nearly matching the combined sales of both its competitors, a goal it will likely reach this quarter. When we see mention of Nintendo in the press it’s usually in the context of how their new system and its software is helping someone. The elderly. The sick. The Injured. The Children.

One of the best examples I’ve seen of this is a posting on mega-gaming blog Kotaku today, proclaiming that Wii Fit Helps Paralyzed Girl Walk Again. I’m sure it’s overstated, I’m sure it had more to do with her doctors than Wii fit itself did, but the effect on perception is profound all the same.

In all of these cases, what do we see that we don’t get from the other console vendors by either their press releases, their advertising or their flamebait, crackpot commentary? We see situations that virtually anyone, no matter what their belief system, their politics, their affiliations–can open their hearts to. Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, a Christian or an Atheist, you almost can’t help but feel an affection, admiration or appreciation for anyone or anything that helps people. We all know someone–or of someone–who fits into one of these categories. A grandparent. A friend. Our own children. And when we see that something reaches out, takes a little of the pain away and delivers a smile to someone for whom perhaps it seems that nothing else could, that in turn puts a smile on our faces, a warm place in our hearts, and an opening in our wallets.

I think some things are very clear when it comes to Nintendo and its Wii. It’s not selling on the power of flashy visuals and it’s not catering to the Home Theater enthusiast crowd. It doesn’t do movies, it doesn’t tantalize us with cleverly named processors or promises of 50 million dollar game budgets. Instead it’s reaching toward something far more universal and meaningful than what its competitors are: our heartstrings.

It tugs at our nostalgia with its Virtual Console. It tugs at our sense of family, friends and fun with its playful games that demand a group. And in the media, in our public perception, it tugs at our sense of purpose because–whether its true or not–it reaches out to help those who need a hand–and a smile. In the end, maybe that’s more powerful marketing than any buzzwords or polygon counts can ever be, because while only some of us care about detailed games, practically all of us care about people who suffer more than seems fair.

New Zelda for 2K9?

Jason Ward — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:48:42 +0000

As reported over at mega-blog Kotaku, Analyst Colin Sebastian joins always-ready-with-a-prediction Michael Pachter in stating that he expects Nintendo to ship a brand new Zelda title in time for Holiday 2009. Now, at the risk of sounding all naysayerish, duh. I mean seriously, Holiday 2009 will mark 3 years since the last console Zelda title shipped, that title has obviously worn off some of its polish–and let’s face it, it wasn’t really a native Wii game anyway, it was a ported Gamecube game. A nice launch title, to be sure, but let’s not pretend it was something other than what it is, OK? I hate that shit.

With that said, it would truly behoove Nintendo to maintain their huge momentum with the Wii platform by not only bringing out a new Zelda title in time for holiday 2009 worldwide, but to ensure that the game pushes the system to its absolute maximum limits in all areas from graphics to gameplay. It’d also be beneficial for the game to require and ship with a Wii Motion Plus peripheral. Heck, I’d be onboard with Balance Board support, too. Whatever else is true and in spite of what the other manufacturers like to say, the momentum of this console generation is truly with the Wii platform. The question going forward is, how will they sustain this momentum, and how long until Wii 2 (Wii HD, whatever) hits? What do you think?

Video Game Violence?

Mike Kukuk — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:56:52 +0000

In this modern society in which we live, much is made of violence, fingers are constantly pointing as to “the cause”. Many people have long shouted (angrily) concerning world peace, but easily maintain belief that all stories (book, movie, legend, religion) actually require conflict. Add to this the concept that many individuals are also somewhat insulated from bludgeoning their own food, and have managed to forget a very troubled earth history involving thousands of wars, and the discussion takes on a somewhat pointless tone.

What is ignored in all of this is that humans are violent, and prone to somewhat hysterical views when we are determined to get our way. As a race, we often resort to force to accomplish our goals, and justify our methods using whatever necessary means to accomplish those ends. Consider that it’s just a bit odd when humans can coexist with an idea that peace can be forced on others. Add to this the knowledge of there not even being a ‘Constitution’ (or Declaration of Independence for that matter) if we as a nation did not have the military strength to sufficiently create or protect it; be that from each other, or other nations.
Violent video games allow a player to interact with violent situations, and experience a small portion of how reality ‘might’ turn out, were they able to experience a situation that actually involved that. Most simulation games do not simulate all that well, but what an FPS game can simulate to you is that when a bullet kills you, you are simply dead. There is no ‘restart level’ in real life. Conversely, violent video games also remain more cartoonish like ‘Tom & Jerry’, ‘Popeye’ or ‘Bugs Bunny’ than most would like to admit. Elmer Fudd ran around blasting a shotgun, Popeye beat the crap out of Bluto, and in the next scene, everyone was always ‘Ok’…. restart a game, and you have the same exact effect. Excluding of course, the sacredness of child oriented colors and hand drawn artwork, which somehow manages to sanctify the 1940′s violence. Of course, unless appropriately explained, children can be confused by these concepts – primarily, that real life has only “one life”.

Video games can also represent more than entertainment, and the violence currently in them is merely a cheap way to insert fast action and adrenaline, to keep it all moving. This is a tactic long used in hollywood and books, primarily because no individual has yet found a different method of creating excitement of the same level. Add to this that humans like conflict, and many children will tell you that “you need a bad guy” in order for there to even be a story. Consider also that newspapers (and all TV, including sports & sitcoms) rely on conflict, just to exist.

Any discussion about video game violence therefore falls to a specific group’s constant search for a scapegoat, instead of facing the real problem. Reason it through: Primal man did not play video games. Genghis Khan did not play video games. World War II was not about video games. See a pattern forming? Religious people are often long winded concerning the ‘sin of violence’, quickly forgetting the scriptures they use to make a argument contains a long history of killing, often sanctified by the very god that they worship. Pacifists often get very angry concerning war and violence, and maintain that “mankind needs to rid himself of it”, also forgetting that nearly all activity in the universe involves some level of violence, to something. Legislate that away, Ok?

For a moment, let us examine an extreme world without conflict, and see a few results: No bug or vermin killing, that is violence. So is tree trimming and even eating vegetables, that is violent at its core. No weather, no storms, no hot sun or cold winters, no ocean (all dangerous – death or conflict with nature!). Essentially, the moon is probably the best example of a ‘conflict-free’ environment, (excluding the asteroids). So, at some point, people must begin to realize that life is conflict. ‘World peace’ of course is a wonderful ideal, however, somewhat unlikely when many humans appear unable to have amicable relationships with their own family or neighbors.

Exposure of children to observed violence (as opposed to personal experience) is another discussion entirely, but it remains common historically. We as a nation have only ourselves to blame, more for consistent running away from truth, rather than the facing directly of it, accurately. As much as some folks would like to believe that life is a 1940′s happy ending movie, it isn’t. Add to this that few people have the courage to bring up the subject of bullying, probably because it is socially sanctioned. Advertisers bully us into product purchases, peer groups bully us into behavior, and many of us were (or are) bullied at a school we attended. Our Government bullies other nations, just as the news media subtly bullies us into the opinion they believe that we should maintain. Suffice to say, being physically bullied will cause far more violent anger in a person than a video game could ever hope to.

As personal experience, my own history involves the receiving of a lot of physical bullying. So much so that at one point in my teenage life, I reached for a gun to create a solution, merely because I was so tired of the constant abuse. He thought I ran into the house to escape, but I did not. Luck was with him that day, because someone else was home that stopped me. That was in the late 1970′s, and I had yet to even see a video game. Interestingly, if I were to listen to the psychologist of today, more than likely I would be diagnosed as the guilty ‘problematic’ party, and all of the abusers involved would be given a clean bill of socially approved-of health. We as a nation can discuss all of the so-called “video game violence” situations that we want to, but none of these will be complete examinations without looking at who bullied who, which means physical, emotional and verbal abuse including social ostracism.

No discussion of violence would be complete without bringing the violent gladiatorial nature of ‘sports’ the forefront, the sacred cow everyone worships and loves to protect. How is it that people can compare a few instances of potential “linked” video game violence” (including Columbine) to thousands of proven (filmed) instances of sports violence? Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded in sports riots (or thousands in games, circa Roman empire) for years worldwide, but that is always somehow conveniently forgotten. This of course ignores the general suffering of game play violence (broken arms, legs, etc.) to the players, including the angry brutal violence from over competitive parents and coaches involved in little league type games. Unlike the few instances of video game violence (where many of the guilty were proven mentally unstable) these sports attendees were ‘perfectly sane.’ History will show that the Roman empire had no more or less national violence than we do, we are just far more arrogant and forgetful as a nation, trumpeting our “civility” as we drive to a match of Hockey, Boxing, Soccer, or Kickboxing, etc.

As a race that has experimented with so many types of Government (with questionable functionality and outcomes) are we so sure that we can use the words ‘wrong’ & ‘violence’ in the same sentence so ‘knowingly’? What about a discussion of exposure with positive psychological outcomes? This would include players overcoming their fear of violent people, (via participation) or even ‘exorcism’ (expenditure of emotions or frustration) by playing violent games. Also, games are simply a safe way to resolve a competitive nature, because real people do not generally get hurt in them, unlike a ‘real life’ game of Hockey.

Historically, several nations have existed which determined that forcing every person to “act correctly” was the best of all ideals. Of course, I am hinting about ‘Nazism’ here, which, in a nutshell translates to Governmental decision or legislation of who has the right to choose, and if ‘predisposition to violence’ is on the table, that could be you. At what point did Democracy become about handing over my freedoms to another person and letting them make my choices for me? Yet, this is exactly what is becoming more and more of an issue with some people, who are all but demanding that the government step in and force their opinion and will upon others.

Some brave new world.

Democrats & Republicans: Hand in hand Against Freedom of Speech

Jason Ward — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:28:20 +0000

Source: Reuters. In a move that should surprise no one who’s actually paying attention, leading Democrats and Republicans including Hillary Clinton(d), Sam Brownback(r) and Joe Lieberman(i for presidential race purposes after the d’s kicked him out, but in his own words, he’ll “always be a democrat”) are now putting pressure on the games industry to re-rate the recently released–and heavily edited–Manhunt 2 for Wii and Playstation 2. They cite–as all the game’s critics do–the “ultra violent” content and “advancements in game controllers” as reasons why the game should be re-rated to AO from it’s current M rating.

One might ask, is there a functional difference between M and AO? I’d have to argue that no, there really isn’t, except that neither Sony, Microsoft nor Nintendo will allow AO rated games to be published on their respective systems.

An M rated game is intended to be sold only to someone 18 or older–which, last time I checked, was the age at which one is legally considered an–wait for it–ADULT. Given that the only functional
difference between the two ratings, therefore, is that one can be published and the other cannot, the intentions of Clinton, Brownback, Lieberman and their ilk should reveal itself to be crystal clear: they
are not content merely to warn that only adults should play certain games, they want to prevent the publication of games they find offensive.

For those paying attention, this is a prime example of how Democrats and Republicans–both, together–are working against you, the American Citizen as artist of any form. You might think “oh, this is just about a game”–it isn’t. It’s about censoring even the publication of some piece of expression, and in that endeavor both parties are allied against you and me. Don’t be fooled when either side tells you they’re the guardian of free speech–they’re only in favor of protecting whatever helps them stay in power, and make no mistake, the Democrats and Republicans are the best of friends when it comes to maintaining control of power in this country.

3D Modeling Tutorial?

dragon — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:56:16 +0000

Considering the tiny audience this site has I’m not sure if anyone out there is into 3D modeling?

Well for anyone who cares, I happen to be working in the industry as a professional animator. Perhaps if this site grows a bit I will share some more about me and my experiences thus far. The games industry is a hard yet rewarding field, especially for those of us that are simply in love with the games medium.

So I propose this question, is anyone out there interested in 3D tutorials offered on this site? I know its a long shot but maybe one of our three viewers is a budding 3D artist.