[DEVELOPMENT] Making a Current and Dream CV

To get a place in the working industry, you need a great CV to grab attention of potential employers. Without it, you could still get some where, but then the employer would have nothing to document you by and they are unaware of who you truly are. It is always worth making one because you are never sure to whether it will come in handy or no.
I researched many CV’s, and doing so helped me gain confidence in writing my own one. It needs many facts like Skills, Educational value, Achievements, and other great stuff which is always important.
But also, it is always good to aim high, and make up a dream CV. What the task was, was to specify what exactly we have done now in a current CV and then accumulate that into a CV into something we would like to be or have in the future.

My Current CV

I know there is quite a lot blurred out on this document, but here is an example of my own CV. I know there is a lot to change and work on. I could include a better personal statement, which explains my achievements more clearer and the skills which I have obtained. My experience could also have a taper down, maybe just include a few things which are required in the job which are important (key skills which would be required in the new job I am going for). I’m happy with how the education is ordered and how my name and details are placed.

 

My Dream CV

Here, I took everything I placed on my current CV and revised about what I could achieve through the current talents and skills I have. I have always dreamed of becoming a concept artist, and I am still striving to become one, so a lot of the information on here consists of achievements, skills and areas which are necessary for a concept artist. You must be multi-skilled also, just in case you are unable to get the job you want straight away. It’s always advised you learn multiple things, because you also may find that it will help you climb to where you would like to be in time.

[DEVELOPMENT] Creating a Game With Just Two Words

There is a lot you can create with just two words at your disposal. In a lesson, we were given two random words to play with and create a game from, within the time limit.
The good thing about doing this is that it restricts you from making drastic choices and make you less attached to your idea, enabling you to not worry so much about telling everyone the filling details. This could be a bad thing, because your heart isn’t in the project, but at the same time you can easily go off and try again with another two words.
We were then told to create a Hollywood catchphrase. A Hollywood catchphrase is a sentence or a phrase which is meant to catch some one’s attention, create confusion or curiosity and make them ask “What? I want to know more!” The reason we were asked to do this was because we needed to pitch our idea to our Tutor, and if it caught his attention, he would ask for more.

First: Taking Two Words and Making a Random Game

Our first try at this, I stumbled quite badly because we were given such a short time limit. With the given two words (“Extreme” and “Rock”) I contemplated on making a game which resembled music. Realising, however, that I didn’t want to make it close and personal to myself, I went off the rails and took on another idea which resembled the two words instead of taking on the obvious.
Here is my game idea:
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Extreme Rock
Hollywood Catchphrase: “You haven’t lived until you’ve skimmed with bombs.”

You are a person trying to skim your rock (Or Bombs) to the other side of the river to destroy your neighbour’s house. Little does your neighbour know, you’re an extreme rock skimmer.
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Second: Taking Two Words and Making a “Facebook Game”

We were next assigned to create a game, using the two words randomly picked for us (“Mum” and “Mountain”), and make a Facebook type game. I found this quite challenging, but a little more easier. I had to consider what is currently on Facebook and try and make it user friendly, but also enjoyable and re-playable. Then I realised I could easily add another quality from other games, such as Curiosity.
Here is my game idea:
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Mum Mountain
Hollywood Catchphrase: “There may be a heaven, you just need to climb.“

A mother has ran out of food to feed her children. Your job is to lead the children up the mountain to reach the heavens and get to the only shop that is around, the grocery store.
This game is an online game, and the Mountain is updated every week. The updates include constant changes in obstacles (like monsters and such), areas where your characters can rest, care packages which your friends can gift to you, and hidden areas. Your friends can tag along and defeat the enemies with you or you can brave the harsh mountain alone. When you are defeated, you are sent back to the beginning with nothing.
Just like the web game Curiosity (a game where there is loads of squares which you have to click, and the last person to click the last square wins whatever is in the middle), no one has yet reached the top of the mountain, and who ever does gets some form of great prize at the end.
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[RESEARCH] Digital Arabs: Representation in Video Games

Critically looking at the extract that was written by Vit Sisler (Digital Arabs: Representation in Video Games), he looks into how Eastern Cultures are represented in a sense of ‘bad guys’ in video games. All of the things which have happened in History that we all know of, games glorify this and make it their own story. Because of this, we then believe this rewritten history and tell others of it, never really knowing the truth.

The extract starts of with “Video Games inherently provide a schematized image” could mean that we influence our own with our own ideas of justice; what is right and what is wrong and ‘we’ are the superior country. There are many parts of his extract where he goes into detail about this, but this line really struck me as interesting because straight off the bat, he explains that video games just go off the rails and into their own little battle of truth.

He then goes on explaining that the “Middle Eastern” settings in games use a fantasy based story. Religions which include kings, queens and gods, and express them in a very exotic way towards the player as a representation and difference from the players own culture. This is possibly why players find it quite fascinating and want to experience more of the game due to it’s difference.
Sisler gives a huge list of all sorts of Middle Eastern symbols and how they are portrayed in games so that we, as the player, know what we are dealing with. When games then use the Middle Eastern representation, players then understand where the characters may come from, where the terrain they currently stand on comes from and other different symbols which gets us thinking ‘Ah, exotic!’.
We then look at their mythology, historical mythology which they have gained through the ages, and made our own history of them based on passed Chinese whispers through the ages. Demons, helpless maidens and a hero happen in many video games. Yet, Eastern sided video games have a unfair culture difference, and it feels like no one is aloud their own opinions. For example, the game Prince of Persia “the hero is unjustly imprisoned in a

 caliph’s dungeon and his quest is to save himself from beheading” this shows corruption in the East

ern society and all the politics care about is pain and suffering to the poor and innocent for their own pleasure. These people are normally represented as ‘Demons’, which takes me back to the mythology part; demons in mythology bring pain and suffering to the weaklings as part of a punishment for being ‘insuperior’ to the victorious. But the Western cultures (Call of Duty, Battlefield, etc) tell a different story, when they show just shooting up some random person is considered justice and self righteous, however any one could do it in the Western world. In the East, that would be called a ‘criminal offence’.

Sisler then goes on to explain about games which applaud violence in the West as a justice action. Because of this, the Western side in the game sees the East as ‘pathetic’ or ‘a culture with no soul’ at keeping their own soldiers in line; “they are not real soldiers“. Being patriotic can go either way: It helps a country to bind together, or it tears apart to fulfil orders of aggression. Eastern soldiers in games have a tendency to instruct “undisciplined poses, shouting and yelling” also “laughing mockingly after they kill” really strikes as an insane image to players. Uncontrolled and ballistic soldiers have no soul for their country, and therefore (to westerners) “not real soldiers“.
There is also references that shows that the East is sloppy with their own tactics, and also stereotypical. “Car bombs and truck bombs” and “explosives strapped to their bodies” are things which have happened in the past in many countries (specially United States of America), which is possibly why this portray of Terrorists is as it is. But in the game, the Terrorists have no sort of plot device, but only to kill the western civilisation. Little do they know that the West has “Powerful and expensive units“, “vehicles that can heal themselves” and a “flexible air force which allow them to strike quickly” completely throwing the terrorists off balance and careless about how their units are used in battle. It’s an unfair advantage, even if the terrorists are seen as the enemy, it completely over kills the fact. History really plays a big part in games, which is why we believe in the stereotypes of today; “9/11 is so culturally significant that games take on a new meaning” (Nina Huntermann, Barron, 2004).

These representations then bring on a new type of game which completely flattens out the existence of stereotypes and gives a new meaning. Strategy games have been around for many years, and Sisler picks out the Sid Meier’s Civilization series as a great example. You have a chance to play many countries, have the decision to conquer and take over any country you please with the country you chose at the beginning, and “allow players to act on the part of the various civilizations“. Sid Meier spent years of study and development to make the games accurate and insure that the tactical perspective, building, creating and establishing your connections is as close to real life as possible. Coming back to stereotypes, because of games like Civilization, people get a whole new perspective and are interested in the Encyclopaedia which is available to look at in game which is known to be “unique for it’s correctness“. With “Islamic Civilization“, Meier treads carefully with his own information by making the sensitive material much more easier to understand. He also understands that it is quite a “delicate subject” and tries very hard not to offend.
It’s not to say that the game is good for its promotion to conquer areas of the world. Sisler then gives a small explanation of his own understanding of Ted Friedman, which challenged Sid Meier’s games: “Ted Friedman (1999), who argues that the game proposes imperialism by rewarding violent exploration and expansion.” There are many ways to see Sid Meier’s creations as ‘fair’ and ‘fun’ but Meier decided to take on board the essay that was written for his games and base his new ideas around it.
At the end of Sisler’s essay, he concludes that because of the Civilization series, people now have a new understanding of Muslims as not the main problem or enemy of a game. Instead, it invites you to think of your own thoughts and opinions on the matter and focus mainly on the “player’s Self“.

[RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT] My Genre Concept Project

Currently we have been assigned to do a concept based on a genre we are very interested in. I have done this quite a few times, but I decided to do something a little more personal.
Here is some of the text I will be using in my presentation, as well as images that really explain the whole concept of what I am trying to grasp at.

What Genre Will I Be Doing?

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I pick a “Musical Platforming Game”
Musical platformers (such as Bit. Trip Runner) use momentum to create exciting sound effects and a beat for the player to follow. If the player does this correctly, the game flows fluently. However, one wrong mistake, or out of time with the music, you fail. Games like these are normally fast paced and use obstacles, colours, animation and other things to throw you off balance.

Environments and Musical Feelings
Musical games are all very different, but all really focus on how music makes us feel (even self-consciously). Because we all have some sort of rhythm, games which ask you to keep in time with the music also throw bright and distracting colours at you. This is the competitive side of the game, and can really keep you on edge or make you frustrated. Bit. Trip Runner does this quite a lot, but because of the fast pacing of the game, you keep coming back for more.

Platform Games and Characters

Platform Games and their characters normally don’t have the greatest appeal, and normally don’t have an emotional attachment (Mario is a good example). But what if you bring quite a big story concept with the character? Great games like Limbo and Dust: The Elysian Tale have, and gain great emotional attachment through their own stories.

  
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I used these examples because I wanted everyone to realise what kind of character, scene and story I would like to incorporate in my concept game pitch. I also wanted to show how much detail I had looked into these games. Through all the searching and examining these games, I came to the conclusion of my back story I would like to do for my game. I wanted something very intricate and very open for people to use their own imagination to come up with a story they wish to conceive.

My Games Backstory and Idea

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“What is it like to be part of a program that you never knew existed? Yuki Kenba contemplates this every day. As he strives to be the musical artist that his heart desires, he feels a lack of motivation, courage, and self esteem. He blames the program, the machines inside of him. Not only does it suppress his own encouragement, but it only guides him to do what they want. He will fight back through the only thing he has control of; his dreams.”
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[RESEARCH] Post-Colonialism and the “Others” (Orientalism)

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What does Post-Colonialism mean?:
Interaction between European colonies and Non-European colonies which causes changes of history and development for the less dominant colony.

What does Orientalism mean?:
A ‘European’ invention to explain other places other then their own. Places which are exotic, different, and weird (the East).
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Manipulation from European colonies really make an inpact in the Eastern world in many more ways then one. Because of this, we are unsure whether the representations of Eastern civilisation is considered different or completely on the mark because of our own interpretations of it. Post-Colonialism has damaged our chance of actually learning and understanding Eastern history, life style, clothing, cuisine, etc.
The stronger, more dominant side of the world will use their power to shape the world to fit them, making people who inhabit the European side respect other cultures in different ways and support their claims by saying ‘oriental’ words about their experience (exotic, romantic, beautiful landscapes, horrible memories/past and great experiences.) The ‘Others’, also described as the ‘Orients’, is what Europeans see Eastern countries as, and dub them as the Others to separate their own “perfect” life with “strange” eastern cultures.