Hi everybody!
The first day of GDC is upon us, and pixEOS is on the scene! I’ve been meeting with tons of gaming developers, and telling them about pixEOS, the merits of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain backed provenance, and the amazing interoperability latent to dApps developed on the EOS blockchain.
GDC is packed full of exhibits, cutting edge technology, and original independent games. I wish there was time for me to check out everything, and I’m going to have tons of notes to to take along the way so I can share as much as possible with everyone.
Mapping Out Your Destiny
The first thing I want to put in the spot light comes from a relatively small studio, Sunhead Games. At the Day of the Devs a series of indy games were all available on screens for people to try; Carto a charming game with a cartographic theme full of verdant notes, and rich but simple textures melds together with notes of innovative puzzle solving through world-building. As you advance in Carto, you unlock map tiles and arrange them in different ways.
I see a lot of potential in Carto to use this dynamic to make for interesting gameplay, to using world objects, the ability to unlock new tiles, and the necessity to arrange those tiles in specific ways to progress. Even more complicated puzzles emerge as the player unlocks more tiles and must work out fusions that fit together properly; certain tiles will not fit with others, so discovering the correct combinations can scale in difficulty as the game progresses.
Carto also strikes a balance between simple and fine detail. The animations are smooth and elements of the terrain range from deserts, plains, forests, beaches, and higher elevation. With a fun native community vibe, this puzzler has me excited to see more from this studio. Check out
Stacking the Deck In Your Favor
If you stood in the right line you got your badge clipped and received a free rendition of Microsoft’s competitive card game Game Studio Stacker. Join friends and contend against one another as rival studios who will stop at nothing short of downright corporate espionage to come out on top, develop their game first, and earn 8 stars to take home the victory.
With amusing cards that cripple development because the team wasted time looking at kittens, got food poisoning, or decided to cash in on that delicious PTO, this game is sure to amuse any small group of friends, and was a classy touch. Plus the cards smell like a freshly cracked pack of MTG 4th Edition cards (never forget where you come from).
A Virtual Paradise Awaits?
I waited in line for a long time so I could demo the much anticipated Oculus Quest. This wireless lightweight easy to wear VR device is probably going to be the talk of the town. It took almost 2 hours to get through the queue to try on this headset, and when it was my turn I followed some brief instructions I was in. The game was a tennis demo, and while it was fun to see the ball flying back and forth between myself and my opponent, I didn’t really get the sense of depth I wanted from the device. As with previous iterations of the Oculus, I just couldn’t seem to get the horizon to come into focus in a way that satisfied me.
The gameplay itself was affected by this slightly, but it’s probably something I’d either adjust to with continued gaming, or find a way to tweak the settings on the headset to set right. Overall I was amused at the different racquets and balls they had in the demo; when struck by the ball different boxes above the net might change the racquet, your ball, or alter the net in some way. There’s also a way to put spin on the ball, but I honestly don’t feel like this mechanic worked well for me; I guess I’ll just need to practice! Overall if you like VR gear this is a step up from other predecessors that feature gangly cables that make it difficult to step around. The mobility makes for a more satisfying experience overall, as long as you don’t try to lean on a table that isn’t really there. I think these devices have a long way to go until they’re lightweight and hi-res enough to appeal to a wider market. That said, I can’t wait to see what kind of awesome ideas and environments developers will bring to the Oculus ecosystem.
Six Shooting Samurai
One final shout out goes to Samurai Gunn 2, which also had a setup at Day of the Devs. Hack slash, jump, boost, and shoot your way through your enemies to come out on top, and then defeat your rival in a classic showdown between blades! I got a chance to go up against some other gamers out there for some wicked, hacking, slashing, shooting 4 vs 4 action. I got my ass handed to me.
I’ll be at GDC all week, so if you want to get in touch with me, or point me towards something you'd like to see more about, let me know on Twitter @ ETH_Nation!