|
Who makes video games so hard to beat? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by asap
|
|
Wednesday, 31 May 2006 |
|
|
|
|
Go ahead. Be jealous.
Joel Van Eenwyk, 21, is a senior at the University of Kansas studying computer programming, but he doesn’t have to be in school. With a few phone calls, he could line up a job designing video game levels, an art form he wrote the book on — literally — when he co-authored “Mastering Unreal Technology: The Art of Level Design.”
Van Eenwyk freelances as a game programmer and is considered an industry expert on games that incorporate the Unreal Technology software. When he graduates he’ll likely take a full-time job with a video game giant like Epic Games, which has already tapped him to teach at design workshops and write the book.
Ever wonder who came up with those game-ending challenges that keep players up until 3 a.m. until they throw the controller across the room in frustration? Well, meet Van Eenwyk.
PIXELS TO PLAYER
Think about the last time you played a video game. Do you remember the texture of the wall as your character moved past? Or the ambient noise after you fired your gun or grabbed a power up? Chances are you didn’t, but those minute details that help immerse the gamer in the imaginary world are Van Eenwyk’s obsessions.
In the early 1990s it took video game designers a month to write an entire game. These days it takes a team of designers a month or two to write one level, Van Eenwyk says. It’s an evolving art form.
“With Mario there was static lighting. Now you control everything from texture, noises,” he siad. “That’s more to do, so much more flexibility you didn’t have before.”
For something so high tech, video game design starts with a very low tech step: laying out ideas on paper before the work flow is divided among the team. Van Eenwyk equates it with architecture -- designers worry about lighting, texture and background music.
“It’s very similar to building an actual building in the real world,” he said. “You want to make it like the player feels they’re there. You really need to know what kind of feeling you want the player to feel. You can’t just say, I want this to be cool.”
Once the level is finished, it goes to professional gamers hired by software companies to test the design.
“Level designers are fixing it as the play testers are giving suggestions,” Van Eenwyk said. The final stage of testing and revision can take anywhere from a month to a year.
Even then, criticisms can abound, he said. In multi-player games it’s often that the level is easier for one or another player. In single-player games it can be frustrating if the levels are too difficult.
VIDEO GAME GURU
Van Eenwyk grew up in China and moved to Kansas to go to college. Two years ago he was offered a full-time job designing games, but turned it down because he wanted to get his degree.
“Realistically, I could have gone two, three years ago and been fine in the industry,” he said. “But I don’t want to be your average programmer. Once you got your foot in the door it’s not hard to jump back in.”
When he’s not attending class or designing games, he’s gaming himself for about 10 hours a week.
“When you’re creating games, you want to learn from the other video games,” he said.
A note from his blog:
“When I am completely burnt out and need a break, I’ve sought the comfort of games -- most recently that would be The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. And I must say, what an incredible game! Ever since classes have started, I’ve had a very hard time sleeping, so I try to do something to relax before-hand. With Oblivion, however, it’s hard to pull away from it once you get started ... very hard. I will sit down, decide to play for a few minutes, and when I finally stop 3 hours will have passed! So, I only play that game on weekends now....something I definitely look forward to.”
AN EXPERT CITES THE BEST
Van Eenwyk offers his picks for the five highest-quality video game levels:
- Doom 2 -- Level 20
“It was a really vast level. It was an action game but you got to explore it. You felt like you were in hell, which is really cool because it pulls you into the game,” he said.
- Thief: The Dark Project — Level 2
Set in medieval times, in this level the player helps characters break out of prison. Van Eenwyk says the lighting is stellar. “You had to be careful other people don’t see you,” he said.
- Unreal — “Ironic” Level
For a multi-player game, Van Eenwyk says this is a very well-balanced level. “There are a good variety of weapons. Everything about this level is well balanced,” he said.
- Prince of Persia 3-D — Whole game
“It was a lot of acrobatics. You’re jumping off walls. It was designed in such a way it was challenging. It felt like you really were in Persia at that time,” he said.
- Super Mario 3 -- Whole game
“If I don’t mention it, it would be wrong. Even though a lot of the levels are linear, it was constantly interesting. It was challenging,” he said.
asap’s Midwest reporter Caryn Rousseau always chose the Princess in Super Mario 2.
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
