Extra Credits: Mailbag #4
-
0:06 - 0:11Mailbag #4
-
0:11 - 0:14As promised, here is that follow up
Mailbag Episode. -
0:14 - 0:16And wouldn't you know it, our good
friend Erin Siegel is back -
0:16 - 0:17to help us out with some more
awesome drawings, -
0:17 - 0:19while Allison catches a breather.
-
0:19 - 0:21We still got a lot left to squeeze
in, so let's get right to it. -
0:21 - 0:24Are you ever gonna do that episode you
mentioned about Voice Acting, -
0:24 - 0:27putting Role play back in RPGs
or Genres or any of those other ones? -
0:27 - 0:30We will ... probably get
to all the episodes we´ve -
0:30 - 0:32put in the "Future Topic" category
at some point. -
0:32 - 0:35Because James spends most of his
Time runnig a consulting company -
0:35 - 0:36and holding a full professorship.
-
0:36 - 0:38Extra Credits episodes tend to get
written as they overlap -
0:38 - 0:40with problems, he is thinking
about in his work life. -
0:40 - 0:43But like I said all these things will
probably come up sooner or later. -
0:43 - 0:46I don't actually need help with the
research project itself, -
0:46 - 0:49but my topic is similiar to what you
guys covered in an episode once. -
0:49 - 0:51Where do you guys find your
research sources ? -
0:51 - 0:52Hmm... that's tough.
-
0:52 - 0:54We don't acutally keep a list of
footnotes for the episodes, -
0:54 - 0:57and some of the Information can't
really be shared anyway, because -
0:57 - 0:59James gathered it from industry
people he works with. -
0:59 - 1:02Other than that though, all the information
we use is publicly avaiable on -
1:02 - 1:04the Internet or through the
US library system. -
1:04 - 1:08We try very hard to keep things that
are speculative in a speculative voice, -
1:08 - 1:10like the possibilities of tangential learning,
for example. -
1:10 - 1:14We also try to always call out when we are
making a logical leap in an episode, -
1:14 - 1:15and suggest other valid possibilities.
-
1:16 - 1:17But we're gonna miss this one
sometimes, so -
1:17 - 1:19fact check us and dig deeper
wherever you can. -
1:19 - 1:22That's actually something I'd love
to see come out of this show. -
1:22 - 1:23I got so many cool game ideas.
-
1:23 - 1:25Is there any way i could pitch
them to a Studio? -
1:25 - 1:26Well here is the thing.
-
1:26 - 1:28Everybody has got Ideas
-
1:28 - 1:30In fact, people in game studios
usually have a lot more ideas, -
1:30 - 1:32they want to work on, than
they'll ever be able to ptoduce. -
1:33 - 1:35Unfortunatly this means, nobody is
really gonna be -
1:35 - 1:36interested in your game ideas.
-
1:36 - 1:38However, prototypes are a different matter.
-
1:38 - 1:39If you could put together a
prototype, -
1:40 - 1:41that really shows off what you're
trying to deliver. -
1:41 - 1:43That is something that publishers
will potentially look at. -
1:43 - 1:45There are thousands of ways
to make connections -
1:45 - 1:47and get people to notice your prototype.
-
1:47 - 1:49But conventions are usually a good
place to start. -
1:49 - 1:50Next question.
-
1:50 - 1:52Is there any place i could apply my
Psychology or Economics -
1:52 - 1:54or whatever degree in the game industry?
-
1:54 - 1:57Most designers and producers i know,
came from disparate backgrounds. -
1:57 - 2:00James, for example, took his
undergrad in classics. -
2:00 - 2:01But if you are looking for an
industry job -
2:01 - 2:03more directly relevant to your field.
-
2:03 - 2:04That may be a pretty tough sell.
-
2:04 - 2:06Only giant companies like Microsoft
-
2:06 - 2:09devote ressources to
dedicated psychologists. -
2:09 - 2:10And only companies, who build
their entire game -
2:10 - 2:12around some non-game related discipline,
-
2:12 - 2:14like Economics in EVE online,
-
2:14 - 2:16hire those fields specifically.
-
2:16 - 2:17It could happen, but it is a long shot.
-
2:18 - 2:19How do you get into game localization?
-
2:19 - 2:21There is a small number of companies
-
2:21 - 2:23that handle a lot of the localization
work for the game industry. -
2:23 - 2:26Just google "game localization"
and you'll find most of them. -
2:26 - 2:28See if they have any openings,
or even just -
2:28 - 2:29send them a resume with your skills.
-
2:29 - 2:30Just be prepared.
-
2:30 - 2:32You'll have to have a strong
grasp of the langugage, -
2:32 - 2:34you are translating from, and an
impaccable command -
2:34 - 2:37of the grammar and idioms of the
language your are translating into -
2:37 - 2:39Are there any game design books
you would recommend? -
2:39 - 2:42First and foremost James recommends
Jesse Schell's "Book of Lenses" -
2:42 - 2:44After that he also suggests
-
2:44 - 2:45"Rules of Play"
-
2:45 - 2:46"Designing Virtual Worlds"
-
2:46 - 2:47and another book called
-
2:47 - 2:48"On Game Design"
-
2:48 - 2:51If you are already a professional
Designer and have those already. -
2:51 - 2:52you might also check out "Game Feel"
-
2:52 - 2:55It's got a interesting and different
take on the art of game desgin. -
2:55 - 2:57But other Books like
"The Design of Everyday Things" -
2:57 - 2:58"Understanding Comics"
-
2:58 - 2:59and "Flow"
-
2:59 - 3:01Are also an essential part of the
game designer's library. -
3:02 - 3:05Don't strictly limit yourself to books,
specifically about game design, -
3:05 - 3:06to learn how to be a better game designer.
-
3:07 - 3:10Is there a reason you haven't done a
"Video Games & Violence" episode? -
3:10 - 3:11We've toyed with this one a lot.
-
3:11 - 3:12The problem is that there is just not
enough -
3:12 - 3:14good data regarding the real effect
-
3:14 - 3:16for us to say anything definitive.
-
3:16 - 3:17You've heard us complain a few times
-
3:17 - 3:19about the fact, that most of the
studies done in this regard -
3:19 - 3:22are funded by groups with highly biased
political agendas regarding games. -
3:22 - 3:24And that goes for both sides
of the debate. -
3:24 - 3:26From within the industry
as well as from without. -
3:26 - 3:27We touched on it a little
-
3:27 - 3:29in the "non-combat gaming" episode.
-
3:29 - 3:30But we could do an episode
-
3:30 - 3:32on why violence is such a common
theme in videogames, -
3:32 - 3:34from a design perspective.
-
3:34 - 3:35If that sounds interesting to any of you.
-
3:35 - 3:37just email, tweet or facebook us and say so.
-
3:37 - 3:38We'll add it to the stack.
-
3:38 - 3:39Next.
-
3:39 - 3:42What do you think about EA's
Origin service thus far? -
3:42 - 3:44Well the E.U.L.A. bugged James enough
-
3:44 - 3:46to not buy Battlefield 3 on the PC.
-
3:46 - 3:48And I can think of plenty of things
we don´t like about Origin. -
3:48 - 3:50But lots of other people have already
made those complaints -
3:50 - 3:52and we seem to do a lot of
EA bashing on this show. -
3:52 - 3:55So instead I'm gonna list off some of
the things we do like about it. -
3:55 - 3:57Most importantly it's a sign that
EA realises that -
3:58 - 4:00physical product sales won´t carry
them through the next decade. -
4:00 - 4:02Which is a positive change.
-
4:02 - 4:03EA is a big player in this industry
-
4:03 - 4:06And it would do a lot of damage
if they were to collapse. -
4:06 - 4:08If you look at all their studio acquisitions
over the last decade. -
4:08 - 4:11And how quickly they shut down many
of the companies they have acquired. -
4:11 - 4:13You'll see that they have been groping
for some answer -
4:13 - 4:15as to why they simply are no longer
profitable the way they used to be. -
4:15 - 4:18Origin may be the first step towards
a real answer to that question. -
4:19 - 4:21And a sincere acknowledgment that
the market is changing. -
4:21 - 4:23Besides, even thoguh Steam has been
a fantastic digital platform. -
4:24 - 4:26A little competiton can only mean
good things for digital distribution. -
4:26 - 4:27But all of that said.
-
4:27 - 4:29They need to fix their dumbass E.U.L.A.
-
4:30 - 4:32Do you see a way for Latin America or Africa
-
4:32 - 4:35or other, seemingly absent markets, to become
more relevant in the realm of games? -
4:35 - 4:37Latin America certainly will.
-
4:37 - 4:37And soon.
-
4:37 - 4:39James does a lot of work there.
-
4:39 - 4:40In fact if you google the words
-
4:40 - 4:41"video games brazil"
-
4:41 - 4:43or "cnn argentina video games".
-
4:43 - 4:45His work will probably be the first
thing that comes up. -
4:45 - 4:47Latin America might even be a future topic down the road.
-
4:48 - 4:48We'll see.
-
4:48 - 4:49As far as other regions go.
-
4:50 - 4:51We have less experience there
-
4:51 - 4:53India is probably gonna be viable
within the next decade. -
4:53 - 4:56Turkey already has a pretty good MMO market going,
-
4:56 - 4:58but these things really go on a case by case basis
-
4:58 - 5:00We'd like to use the Big-Mac-Index,
-
5:00 - 5:01look it up it's a thing,
-
5:01 - 5:03as an off the cuff indicator of wether
or not -
5:03 - 5:06a country will be a reasonable market
for video gams in the next decade. -
5:06 - 5:08If it takes the average person in
a country -
5:08 - 5:09more than an hour of work
-
5:09 - 5:10to afford a Big Mac.
-
5:10 - 5:12Then there's probably a lot of other
things that need to be done -
5:12 - 5:15before they are really ready to be a thriving video game scene.
-
5:15 - 5:17Is there a way we could get the show
close-captioned or translated? -
5:17 - 5:20We're all pretty slammed beneath
our current workload -
5:20 - 5:22But we would love to see the show
be accessible to more people -
5:22 - 5:24I'm not a 100% sure what would
need doing -
5:24 - 5:25through blip or PA TV
-
5:25 - 5:27But if anybody out there is
willing to volunteer. -
5:27 - 5:29We'd be happy to look into a closed
caption edition. -
5:29 - 5:30As far as translation goes
-
5:30 - 5:32It's something we're working on,
-
5:32 - 5:33but could use some help with.
-
5:33 - 5:36We'd like to put the show up on major
gaming sites in other countries -
5:36 - 5:37So more people can find it,
-
5:37 - 5:38but our progress has been pretty slow.
-
5:38 - 5:41If any of you happen to work for
that kind of major site -
5:41 - 5:42or simply want to tell us
-
5:42 - 5:44who's the best source for gaming
infromation in your country. -
5:44 - 5:45Please email us.
-
5:45 - 5:46That would be amazing.
-
5:46 - 5:47And that is all we got time for.
-
5:48 - 5:50I'll plan on scheduling these Mailbag Episodes
a little more often from now on -
5:51 - 5:53and we're gonna try to organize
occasionall live stream Q&As -
5:53 - 5:55so we can answer more of you
guys questions. -
5:55 - 5:56But for now thanks again for all
the questions. -
5:56 - 5:58Thank you Erin for helping us out once again.
-
5:58 - 5:59We'll see you next week
- Title:
- Extra Credits: Mailbag #4
- Description:
-
This week, we return to the mailbag and answer a few more popular questions.
Come discuss this topic in the forums!
http://extra-credits.net/episodes/mailbag-4/#discussTo see Erin's REAL art skills, check out her DeviantArt page
http://esda06.deviantart.com
and her Tumblr.
http://esdafable.tumblr.comDownload the outro music here!
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01751/New episodes every Wednesday on PATV!
- Video Language:
- English
- Duration:
- 06:35
Dreydn edited English subtitles for Extra Credits: Mailbag #4 | ||
Dreydn edited English subtitles for Extra Credits: Mailbag #4 | ||
Dreydn added a translation |