tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12351387139677192752024-02-19T19:30:03.397-05:00Michael Sheidow - FootprintMike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-67268670327283565422008-04-04T08:17:00.006-04:002008-04-04T10:41:22.268-04:00Magic Crystals are so cliche.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyPnfNj7oYBGiqPe5NnGgVRtetT9xrivQHS6_TdoM_cJjotZe8awRdP9o884U-7_v9NmVPvR_rUHGAGt64qM-PPls1al7mX-_ZtVR__Dh89kKKweAZg-M-tvJE_uZfZ0I098Ojv_3jend/s1600-h/VaultRoomStoryShard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyPnfNj7oYBGiqPe5NnGgVRtetT9xrivQHS6_TdoM_cJjotZe8awRdP9o884U-7_v9NmVPvR_rUHGAGt64qM-PPls1al7mX-_ZtVR__Dh89kKKweAZg-M-tvJE_uZfZ0I098Ojv_3jend/s200/VaultRoomStoryShard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185363522659572290" border="0" /></a><br />Once you have finished your lava level and your ice level you should check to make sure you have enough magic crystals. This is an old sketch I did for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Asheron's</span> Call 2. This sketch is of a Vault crystal shard that one would find at the end of each Vault dungeon quest. The player, once making it to the end of the dungeon, would come upon a massive underground cavern. Cantilevered out into the middle of this massive space would be a stone bridge with a circular platform that holds a crystal shard. After clicking on the shard, the player would be presented with a short movie slide show with dialogue that would reveal a small piece of back story. To really build visual suspense I made sure the bridge was very long so it took a while to run up to the crystal. I also used some forced perspective to make the bridge appear longer so that crystal appeared further from the player than it actually is. Once the player made it to the shard, I wanted the visuals to capture a bit of Indiana Jones, when he was in the Mayan temple about to take the golden idol. A heavenly light has made its was down through the earth to add dramatic effect. I was very happy how the vault cambers worked out and they were a nice visual pay off for making it though the dungeon.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-7439799684305538812008-04-02T08:25:00.005-04:002008-04-02T08:50:18.952-04:00Sci Fi - Alien Pod Plants<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wyE50QiO-etVzx7S2J9JFFvMLLecRvU9qhOWP7BCtGWW8XbMmEUOVi145z5Tg1JR386ZQoHbt98EXt6a8ydSxVGSeF612gLZuUbu7O21SkhxM0GrPY7u8NBqmI3uv_CQ9pjNQuPgSYWi/s1600-h/AlienLandscapeSketches.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wyE50QiO-etVzx7S2J9JFFvMLLecRvU9qhOWP7BCtGWW8XbMmEUOVi145z5Tg1JR386ZQoHbt98EXt6a8ydSxVGSeF612gLZuUbu7O21SkhxM0GrPY7u8NBqmI3uv_CQ9pjNQuPgSYWi/s200/AlienLandscapeSketches.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184629401079536178" border="0" /></a><br />I have been working on fantasy sword & sorcerer games pretty much for 12 years. Not by choice, but that's what the companies that I had worked for wanted to make. Finally now that I'm at Conduit Labs, I'm working on something other than dungeons. There was a brief moment a few years back I almost had a chance to work on a Sci Fi title. This is an old sketch of a couple alien environments. Many of the shapes of the plants pull from pod-like shapes or succulent plants. These are just simple form studies, and like with many of my sketches, I focus on trying to create interesting silhouettes through positive and negative shapes. Texture and color can come later once I have a better idea where these plants will be located.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-29368140119936474072008-04-02T08:04:00.005-04:002008-04-02T14:57:44.335-04:00REM - Accelerate 4/5 Stars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVuOOaEL72aUIywTxkHli-n4JLALFdE9c0AfT30TuC7a3Qs9Fp9JnkQ-N4aOqbXix3IOEss_kADFXxDUxHs3mVfpqPivyJhuMYmW658N6dUzSB14wBz4EewzOTU5vhSXignL4O9Y5tOyx/s1600-h/REM_Accelerate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVuOOaEL72aUIywTxkHli-n4JLALFdE9c0AfT30TuC7a3Qs9Fp9JnkQ-N4aOqbXix3IOEss_kADFXxDUxHs3mVfpqPivyJhuMYmW658N6dUzSB14wBz4EewzOTU5vhSXignL4O9Y5tOyx/s200/REM_Accelerate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184618461797833234" border="0" /></a><br />After a decade of very disappointing albums, the vintage 80's alt rock band that contributed to my high school audio scrapbook with Out of Time & Automatic for the People, have found their way out of their middle age fog. With help from producer Jackknife Lee, the band has dusted off their distortion peddles, found some memorable guitar runs and crafted some melodic & ironic lyrics. Accelerate has the fire that is reminiscent of Monster or New Adventures in Hi Fi, but also pulls tones and colors from their earlier albums. I know the "kids" have their own bands that represent their generation. The members of REM may have grown older and may not be considered "trendy," but don't give up on the guys that help create today's sounds. These guys finally have something to offer and if you have ever been an REM fan, you are sure to find a few tracks on this album that sound familiar but fresh. This is a great Rock album for 2008.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-30533991742391629532008-04-01T08:51:00.006-04:002008-04-01T11:28:41.566-04:00Hobbit home for sale - 3 beds, 2 baths, nice neighborhood.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjgI8nq6Kf2tOfI_ZvuHqSfmvbijBPFdfyegiAzE9QbgMwIflQKXN7AJ-rxMZHFUKjeKBB4wU2_bR4PCRpzIJ-CYTETu7s2-sHbMaUyrXDZ9YfktZJpFhyphenhyphenmhMa_vpp3Kbpm3Xjg2w0277/s1600-h/4_HillsideHome.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjgI8nq6Kf2tOfI_ZvuHqSfmvbijBPFdfyegiAzE9QbgMwIflQKXN7AJ-rxMZHFUKjeKBB4wU2_bR4PCRpzIJ-CYTETu7s2-sHbMaUyrXDZ9YfktZJpFhyphenhyphenmhMa_vpp3Kbpm3Xjg2w0277/s200/4_HillsideHome.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184258882840844802" border="0" /></a>Back in 2003, when I was at Turbine, a small group of us was asked to build a demo area of The Shire from Lord of the Rings. There was only 5 of us, but we were a good group. I took on the task of creating some of the buildings. I really enjoyed creating this Hobbit home. It has a fun whimsical shape but it's still earthy and weighty. It was designed to be mushed into a hill to blend into the terrain. It did this very well. The movie, Fellowship of the Ring had already been out in theaters so I had seen what they did with their buildings, but Vivendi didn't have the rights to the movie. We were dealing with the book rights only, so I couldn't just copy Weta's designs from the film. Instead this design is an amalgamation from previous illustrations i had seen, some ideas from the movies, and a bit of my own imagination. The folks over at Vivendi and the Tolkien folks loved our demo and thought we did a great job capturing the feeling of the shire. Two weeks later I was asked to move over to the D&D Online project because the Lord of the Rings deal got signed. I was a little disappointed that I was moved to the other project, but what disappointed me even more was to see that the next artist that took on the Hobbit homes did not build off of what I had created but instead built a series of homes that fit more comfortably in with Smurfs villages.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-42271114201487177562008-03-27T08:39:00.004-04:002008-03-27T11:42:27.353-04:00Modular Gear - Character Sketches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqJ6Hq20W-yq-90AL-qr2BzYBRSuLGV9ohS7LFq-I5tsJ-cqkYQVrHDUbRjFbPXMrJhx8CsKWe03kEkxd3yk03W3lid_HiwOcWhaI86lDeRELtmksXxeWmfi7mmpTUK4g0MnV7cgpka7g/s1600-h/GearSets2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqJ6Hq20W-yq-90AL-qr2BzYBRSuLGV9ohS7LFq-I5tsJ-cqkYQVrHDUbRjFbPXMrJhx8CsKWe03kEkxd3yk03W3lid_HiwOcWhaI86lDeRELtmksXxeWmfi7mmpTUK4g0MnV7cgpka7g/s200/GearSets2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182400888578529762" border="0" /></a>While working on D&D, we came up with a modular armor system that we referred to as "gear sets." A gear set is a piece or group of pieces of armor that would be parented to the base skeleton of a character model, then the verts were weighted so the gear pieces would deform properly on the body. A couple other games had done this technique before us, but at the time this was a fairly new technique for creating modularity in character assets. Before this technique, we would just swap out an entire torso for one with armor on it, or the hand meshes with one with built in gauntlets. The sketches that I did here illustrate 5 different gear sets being applied to the same base body mesh. The base mesh and texture does not change, but through gear set swaps, you can quickly get a large variety of looks. I made sure this technique was fully implemented for Titan Quest. Without designing the armor system in this fashion, we would have never been able to pull off the millions of possible armor combinations that we did. Now a days you see this technique being applied to vehicles, buildings, and weapons.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-74437168425697050432008-03-16T20:05:00.005-04:002008-03-16T20:23:19.496-04:00Mr. Bones - Dungeons & Dragons Online<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJaksmHYRF7cwPn5bapPbGpg6binlsR2MBk590HyQRRxPfyPnrxy2e4jBd_Q8iBTTecHacstqqczcsMfZyhrRxOlCxMP_GfnaMesH4k1ubflyFruMwab1uuj6nvTknd3nkJJbGN5SNncI/s1600-h/Skeleton_Warrior.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJaksmHYRF7cwPn5bapPbGpg6binlsR2MBk590HyQRRxPfyPnrxy2e4jBd_Q8iBTTecHacstqqczcsMfZyhrRxOlCxMP_GfnaMesH4k1ubflyFruMwab1uuj6nvTknd3nkJJbGN5SNncI/s200/Skeleton_Warrior.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178495513507510690" border="0" /></a>I don't do nearly the amount of modeling and texturing I use to. Now that I'm at a web company, I'm pretty much up to my eyeballs using Flash. This fairly low poly skeleton warrior was one of that last things I created for the D&D project. Like in all MMO's (massively multi-player online...<span style="font-size:78%;">games</span>,) you can't make it far without having to kill 100 rats. In the case of DDO, you can't go far into the caverns of the damned without cracking a few of these guys. Good times.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com112tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-33641321751635916432008-03-16T18:27:00.006-04:002008-03-16T20:27:03.417-04:00Ye 'Old Sketches from Dungeons & Dragons Online<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjte0_-wTO-E7cl_FZF1SMhpZDj0DTfjJ4bdBPmItP_meWqV7LdGRpOBrC7rJhFcMiwLCSDOJLAppC2Yp4D_Pmge7ZPsdIQbslcbCjJL9t6xVTZy6FkuAsTF26FgnYLD4W78nOBD67qDNyv/s1600-h/DungeonSketches.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjte0_-wTO-E7cl_FZF1SMhpZDj0DTfjJ4bdBPmItP_meWqV7LdGRpOBrC7rJhFcMiwLCSDOJLAppC2Yp4D_Pmge7ZPsdIQbslcbCjJL9t6xVTZy6FkuAsTF26FgnYLD4W78nOBD67qDNyv/s200/DungeonSketches.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178471070848629090" border="0" /></a><br />Just digging through some old sketches of mine. Here is a collection of dungeon sketches I did in 2003 blocking out some visual directions for Dungeons & Dragons Online. An overarching visual idea that I was exploring was a tremendous sense of weight to the architectural elements. The scale of some of the stone work shows carved blocks the size of a 2 meter tall human. Some of the stonework has been repaired over thousands of years so somethings might not look structurally sound. I particularly like the tortured soul sculptured in the lower left, supporting the weight of the dungeon on his head. I left Turbine before getting a chance to use that idea in DDO, but I may have done something similar in Titan Quest Immortal Throne. That game took place in Hades. That visual would have fit in well there too. Good ideas are never forgotten. They just might be put on the shelf for a while.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-45578877221333030952008-03-12T12:28:00.004-04:002008-03-14T09:13:13.361-04:00Watch Your Head - Concept Sketches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5X8U0whs_hJNhRFKmYhrJ-kkpP7QpXMJiaKeE5pT9WYqRTFhaVT1wuPbcJQVjRayN-dYmx39se_uv5aauOBBJw5NNEbhvTXMndVgVFU75C6JtSBmQazGOB3WUKMYTSJWeE0rXUKS_XsD/s1600-h/TQ_Helms_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5X8U0whs_hJNhRFKmYhrJ-kkpP7QpXMJiaKeE5pT9WYqRTFhaVT1wuPbcJQVjRayN-dYmx39se_uv5aauOBBJw5NNEbhvTXMndVgVFU75C6JtSBmQazGOB3WUKMYTSJWeE0rXUKS_XsD/s200/TQ_Helms_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177584718447753554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These are just a few helmet designs that I did for Titan Quest. Many of the designs are based on actual helms from the early bronze age but some are made up from pulling decorative elements and details from other ancient artifacts. When sketching helmets, armor or weapons, one the of main things I think about is trying to accentuate the silhouettes of each armor piece. Having a broad range of silhouettes give the biggest visual impact when character customization is a consideration. I might consider doing another pass on each one of these helmets to block out material changes. Through a series of texture swaps, one helmet might start off as cloth, then leather, then reinforced with metal details. Another thing I pay attention to when sketching is I consider the distance of an object to the game camera, or how big the object will be 90% of the time when it is on screen. There is no sense in putting in detail that will never be seen or add additional visual clutter to the texture. An even distribution of small detail in a texture will cause the object to appear busy. Instead I try and block out the larger detail and focus on the silhouette. I enjoyed creating these sketches and referencing ancient Greek, Egyptian and Persian culture.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-42447514159444841512008-03-06T08:03:00.004-05:002008-03-06T09:04:25.426-05:00Every detail counts - Treasure Chests for DDO<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RtSNUxNsVw_NjQGgdTB7l3bN2h5FvWiLRU11EmYhayaxaD7Kl3XJGTTTR16qLJHCYiq1mQyCGfnkJjM7CEryOjfWDtedwL23r9cxW4BHH4MotS3UMDH2qBqAPKKRp4SvAqbujOCJYwRO/s1600-h/TreasureChests2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_RtSNUxNsVw_NjQGgdTB7l3bN2h5FvWiLRU11EmYhayaxaD7Kl3XJGTTTR16qLJHCYiq1mQyCGfnkJjM7CEryOjfWDtedwL23r9cxW4BHH4MotS3UMDH2qBqAPKKRp4SvAqbujOCJYwRO/s200/TreasureChests2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174613908400710818" border="0" /></a><br />When I was the Lead Artist on Dungeons and Dragons Online I was doing a number of tasks from concepting, scheduling, going to meetings and working with some of the tech artists on prototyping dungeons. I had a newer artist on my team who didn't have much experience and was eager to learn. I remember I had asked him to create a series of treasure chests that would be used all throughout the game. He just rolled his eyes and asked me if one of the interns could do that kind of work. He just wanted to work on characters or "something cool." I didn't have time to argue with him, so I just gave him some other task. I learned early on while working on Asherons Call, that if you are going to be creating a piece of art that will be seen very frequently, it better look good, no matter how small of an object it is. I decided to model & texture the treasure chests myself. It was a fun task and I take pride in every single art asset that I build no matter how small. These are just painted textures, no bump or specular maps. I can't remember the poly count but I know it was low.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-71987160342313716642008-03-01T11:49:00.004-05:002008-03-01T13:37:03.601-05:00Death of a good Independant Game StudioOn February 19th 2008, Iron Lore Entertainment closed it's doors for good. The independent game developer studio located in Maynard MA that created the Titan Quest franchise for THQ and the Dawn of War expansion Soulstorm, did everything they could to stay afloat in the rising tide of PC game piracy, unprofessional game reviewers and the shrinking PC Gaming market. I worked for Iron Lore for 3 years and truly enjoyed my experience there. It is very unfortunate that this had to happen and I wish it didn't. Many of my good friends worked there and are now looking for work. A former co-worker of mine sent me this link he found from Michael Fitch, our Creative Director at THQ that worker with us. His forum post best describes our frustrations during the TQ development and the difficult uphill battle that small indie studios have to deal with. I left Iron Lore in 2007, but still feel saddened by the closure of the company. Check it out.<br /><a href="http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=42663">http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=42663</a>Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-77586136780048848362008-02-27T13:47:00.007-05:002008-03-03T08:37:45.480-05:00The Meaning of Life over Burritos - Part 1So the other day I received a call from a good friend of mine whom I have known for 20 years. <span style="font-size:78%;">(Wow, I just realized I have known him for almost half my life.)</span> He lives right down the street from where I work so on occasion we get together for lunch. It's a nice break during the week to step away and just hang out with my friend. We have been through a lot together. In high school we were in a band. There was 5 of us in total. We really created some amazing friendships from that band. We were good, but not great, but played some really great gigs. The only people I keep in touch with from high school are those 4 other guys. Some of them I see more frequently than the others, but when we get together, it's like no time has passed at all. They are part of my family.<br /><br />So we went out for lunch. It was great to see him but I could tell he wasn't himself. He seemed lost or unsure. "When we were in high school," he said, "...we could go to the guidance <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">counselor</span> if we needed some help in figuring out where we should go to college." "When we were in college, we could talk to an assistant to guide us on our way so we could graduate." "Now we are in our mid-30's, we graduated from college, got married, had two kids, bought a house, have had three or more jobs. Now what?" Where do we go from here was the question. It is quite the juggling act when you are a coworker, father, husband and a friend. Your time is usually prioritized in that order too. Not by choice, but by necessity. Your time for you wife diminishes as soon as you have kids, and your time for friends is nearly none existent. It happens slowly, but it happens. What is even more derailing is that you become so focused on everyone else, that when the occasional opportunity arises for you to do something for yourself, you have forgotten who you are. This is not my house? This is not my beautiful wife? Where do I go from here? Do I really want to do this job for the next 30 years? Do I really want to live here? Is this the precursor to a mid life crisis? We joked that if that were the case, then neither one of us could afford the sports car. All of this sounds a bit depressing and in some ways it is, but in another way I think we are reaching a cross road in our lives. We just need to figure out which way we should be going and men are usually not very good at pulling over to ask for directions.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-38492206125530926522008-02-27T08:54:00.006-05:002008-02-28T08:57:25.744-05:00Concept Sketch - Tower Defense<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwAiwUdXk2kY05j6HyYjitffmBH-mRxKj7EYdbnVRYFfrisUH9GVjXTetwxzaVwn00pStyQz1c6mOikD9UVWOaiyIKJFGDxFu0ddlo57upXNrT744jPDySqnP9GqaMdQNinBpmoAtStm7/s1600-h/Tower01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwAiwUdXk2kY05j6HyYjitffmBH-mRxKj7EYdbnVRYFfrisUH9GVjXTetwxzaVwn00pStyQz1c6mOikD9UVWOaiyIKJFGDxFu0ddlo57upXNrT744jPDySqnP9GqaMdQNinBpmoAtStm7/s200/Tower01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171658509887341842" border="0" /></a>The armies of Hades have torn down trees from the great forests of Elysium, scorched the golden fields and constructed towers and defensive walls as they march to destroy the greatest heroes of Greek Mythology.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-40245414800543192612008-02-27T08:43:00.003-05:002008-02-27T08:50:49.183-05:00Eternal Flame Concept<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMKzyrJH9ZF6BNYQeN5RxYnxRqsixU_8J4TEY-hGlcgbtF-LjG6j2KWJNiwvxwsoix0vJ7UXfMLVjsNpLq9ChzEl-_oklWGJ8PgZtwQIEKdSKUUaODl2e8FxklQu9v1vzaCVqp1ISUn2R/s1600-h/EternalFlame&Door.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMKzyrJH9ZF6BNYQeN5RxYnxRqsixU_8J4TEY-hGlcgbtF-LjG6j2KWJNiwvxwsoix0vJ7UXfMLVjsNpLq9ChzEl-_oklWGJ8PgZtwQIEKdSKUUaODl2e8FxklQu9v1vzaCVqp1ISUn2R/s200/EternalFlame&Door.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171655215647425778" border="0" /></a><br />Concept sketch of an eternal flame & Door for the City of Lost Souls located prior to the river Styx. For some reason, the figure I put in for scale ref has taken on the form of Batman. What can I say, Batman is cool.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-36961708487677067982008-02-26T08:44:00.003-05:002008-02-26T08:52:36.266-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CTXQw7AhqnnktAYGXjqyXTawPmlfPrzZKJE6jNfOTKCZuCEsZKPO2EZ8-l29z7PTzTWKnCTfOS0d11Tm98VpF0AweYwHp05vgo3Ituvw1AcAc5Fp_jg9DLO6tf8YZdsI8QNfcrS9pHST/s1600-h/FrogCulture_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CTXQw7AhqnnktAYGXjqyXTawPmlfPrzZKJE6jNfOTKCZuCEsZKPO2EZ8-l29z7PTzTWKnCTfOS0d11Tm98VpF0AweYwHp05vgo3Ituvw1AcAc5Fp_jg9DLO6tf8YZdsI8QNfcrS9pHST/s200/FrogCulture_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171284401055991010" border="0" /></a><br />The frog creatures of Titan Quest Immortal Throne inhabited the swamp & marshes of Ancient Greece. These primitive, but clever little creatures constructed huts from the tall reeds and grasses in the swamps. Crudely formed pots & vessels were made from the abundance of clay in the soil and glowing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">starfly</span> nests were attached to strung reeds and used for lanterns. These critters may seem unassuming and cute, but when attacked in groups, these frog creatures can chew you down to your bones. Be careful!Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-90710041978275120442008-02-25T08:53:00.005-05:002008-02-25T09:00:57.374-05:00Concept Sketches 02 - Ruins w Creep<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pGsQkdofPh06z-Jj8I90kETZjOc456Aq6OCLHSCP8g0dr7_XveI9So8SDfjdzM8buqwDUqs7YVNOkvxNxTn2dNGzhmrTfJPmc8tThGMtgSGqu7cWDxBxzZthsg2-Nv-GVOhyphenhyphenvWT2TP8f/s1600-h/RColumn_withCreep.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pGsQkdofPh06z-Jj8I90kETZjOc456Aq6OCLHSCP8g0dr7_XveI9So8SDfjdzM8buqwDUqs7YVNOkvxNxTn2dNGzhmrTfJPmc8tThGMtgSGqu7cWDxBxzZthsg2-Nv-GVOhyphenhyphenvWT2TP8f/s200/RColumn_withCreep.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170916116200293570" border="0" /></a>Black tar goo is bubbling up from underground forcing skeletal remains from burial sites to rise to the surface. This stuff grows like vines to consume and devour any living thing that gets stuck in it. A small crow has recently discovered that fact.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYDSskiWtEcYrDcvu4lziyMY9XSCdaGzcKl0LnadN5U5hKGim7QXaO9Hwq1kJeNHZCcvC9xT91UGfxFPKbgFm3U7c-EzXAB-rjD44sltF-C-p2uV73G1H5J0X7MYwoXBzKKQuPiXmVZQx/s1600-h/Tomb_w_Creep.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYDSskiWtEcYrDcvu4lziyMY9XSCdaGzcKl0LnadN5U5hKGim7QXaO9Hwq1kJeNHZCcvC9xT91UGfxFPKbgFm3U7c-EzXAB-rjD44sltF-C-p2uV73G1H5J0X7MYwoXBzKKQuPiXmVZQx/s200/Tomb_w_Creep.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170916120495260882" border="0" /></a>Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-27446832379562552432008-02-22T11:57:00.006-05:002008-02-25T09:02:38.976-05:00Concept Sketch 01 - Post & Beam Rome<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gYuYZ_yNZK4mgEugHh3bvuHqL9vOsbb9WYQrcGocQ5ZLNILb4a-ItzwiCXPFW-RcQJkuldJKIz9tzCMthwNxX5b_rZrNgsk8hOv2angaRRRMOK9IB0GqdcgPYmB68AKC2dDmYyCQTcK4/s1600-h/SupportedCity_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gYuYZ_yNZK4mgEugHh3bvuHqL9vOsbb9WYQrcGocQ5ZLNILb4a-ItzwiCXPFW-RcQJkuldJKIz9tzCMthwNxX5b_rZrNgsk8hOv2angaRRRMOK9IB0GqdcgPYmB68AKC2dDmYyCQTcK4/s200/SupportedCity_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169850092432524450" border="0" /></a><br />Well it recently dawned on me that I haven't posted any artwork of my own on this blog, so here's some stuff. This is a sketch of a Roman alleyway that I did for a Titan Quest 2 project. The TQ2 storyline was based on an alternate Roman time line with fantastical mythological creatures. The city of Rome had endured a number of mysterious earth quakes and as you can see, the citizens quickly constructed a framework of post & beam supports all throughout the city to help the weakened stonework. There are also some giant wooden gears and pulley contraptions that reflect the influence of the great engineer, inventor & astronomer, Archimedes.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-39680621335332084742008-01-05T12:37:00.000-05:002008-01-05T12:39:28.683-05:00Great MP3 Music Site.<a href="http://www.skreemr.com">www.skreemr.com</a>Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-52201981086153348602008-01-05T10:41:00.000-05:002008-01-05T13:28:14.051-05:00We have lost our way.Now that the Iowa Caucus is over and done with, the focus is on the highly independent and irreverent state of NH. LIVE FREE or DIE! That's right, we're not messing around. My state goes "all in" when it comes to politics. I've lived in NH almost all of my life. I grew up here, moved away for college, but moved back as soon as I could to raise my family. NH is such a great state, the folks that have screwed up Massachusetts are moving to NH in droves. Over the past 10 years the population of Massachusetts has plummeted while the population of NH is growing like crazy. Folks in NH work hard, want a simple life, and want to be left alone. Politicians are the last people they want in this state. When we look at the candidates that come here to win our vote, many NH voters cast their vote on the person who will ultimately leave them alone and not mess up this great state.<br /><br />It is clear after the Iowa Caucus, that there is a desire for change. I could not agree more. This country needs to clean house, hold a yard sale, pay off some credit card debt and get its ducks in a row. This country needs to re-think the roll of the federal government. Folks shouldn't have to look to far, it's pretty much spelled out in the Constitution. Has this world changed and does that document need to be amended to take into consideration todays issues and world events? Of course, why not. That's the whole point of the Constitution. Instead the President & Congress bend the laws and ignore the Constitution to go to war and violate citizens personal rights without batting an eyelash. Now is the time for a diversity of ideas. It is not the time to change from Vanilla to French Vanilla to use a tasty ice cream analogy. This country needs a candidate that will shake things up and make us think and re-think what the roll of government aught to be. The President is not a dictator. Congress can push back if certain ideas stretch the limits of the people. (whom they should be working for) It is our government that has lost its way. Both the Republicans & Democrats are to be blamed.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-25226228021628527252008-01-03T07:41:00.000-05:002008-01-05T13:33:57.046-05:00Ron Paul at the Red Arrow Diner.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_EqBzRk0wB2zrM0cje9SpIhYh7HxZwKC0jGK6OiguS4iiZddOd-1THTg9mHaamu5mqFnf1YlY8jVzWMDw_AnXYSYK9_YqV0BgHeK1uz-CLy5h5bx7o_S4QEugHOTJ6zMLGGoshDuWNNl/s1600-h/RP_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_EqBzRk0wB2zrM0cje9SpIhYh7HxZwKC0jGK6OiguS4iiZddOd-1THTg9mHaamu5mqFnf1YlY8jVzWMDw_AnXYSYK9_YqV0BgHeK1uz-CLy5h5bx7o_S4QEugHOTJ6zMLGGoshDuWNNl/s320/RP_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151253848897863346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Over the holiday break, I attended a small Ron Paul meet up at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, NH. The Red Arrow is one of those places that all of the candidates go to on their "Stumppin" through the state. On this particular morning, it was about 20 degrees and there was chance of an icy mix of snow and freezing rain. I showed up at the Diner at 7:50. It was reported that Ron Paul would be arriving at 8:30. When I arrived, there were about 5 people standing outside the diner. With-in minutes Ron Paul supporters started to pours out of the streets. There was around 35-40 supporters, some had traveled from Seattle, Texas, and South Carolina. All of the out of staters have come to NH to help for the primary. An older couple had traveled to NH to support Ron Paul. This couple had converted one of their hot air balloons to have the slogan RON PAUL REVOLUTION on the side. There were three news organizations there interviewing supporters and customers of the diner. Doctor Paul arrived before 8:30 accompanied by his son, some campaign people and a state trooper. He greeted all of us warmly, shaking just about everyones hands and speaking with us and the press briefly. After a quick hello, he proceeded into the Diner to meet with the locals having breakfast. The supporters of Paul remained outside to wave and greet early morning risers. After 20min, Doctor Paul exited the Diner to then speak to the growing crowd. He spoke of his message and vision for America along with Fox New excluding him from a round table discussion that was to be held one day before the NH primary. Fox news selected to not invite Ron Paul despite the fact that he is polling higher than Fred Thompson who will be attending. Bias media? Doc. Paul got the crowd all wound up then he was off to his next event. What is more interesting is that weeks prior to this event, the Paul campaign had made reservations at the Red Arrow for this event, however a night before the event, they got a call from the Diner canceling Paul's visit because Bill Clinton wanted to visit at the same time. Well, that didn't stop Doc. Paul and his supporters. We all showed up anyways. The funny thing is though...we never saw one Clinton supporter that morning.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-86166971205440638922007-12-31T11:40:00.000-05:002007-12-31T12:27:13.489-05:00THANK GOD...Christmas is over!In true form I have not posted anything on my blog for a long time, but while I'm now enjoying some vacation time i figured it would be a good time for me to catch up on some thoughts I have had floating around in my head.<br /><br />Thank GOD...Christmas is over. This time of year depresses me for so many reasons. I had wonderful Christmases growing up and have very fond memories of me and my brothers getting up at 5am (or earlier) and quietly sneaking down stairs to see if Santa left us some presents. My brothers and I could dig into our stockings and play with whatever we got in those but we had to wait for my parents to get up to open presents. Needless to say, we got pretty noisy around 5:15 to encourage them to get out of bed. Despite all of the wonderful memories I have as a kid, the holidays are much different to me as an adult. Sure there are some quite moments at night, while looking at the tree that I believe in the magic of Christmas, but unfortunately now it's a noisy, stressful, overly garnished, expensive, and fattening time. I know, I know...BAh Humbug. With all of that said, I bend over backwards to give my kids the most wonderful Christmas that I can while trying to teach them to be giving and humble human beings.<br /><br />December 26th is the GREATEST day of the year. As far as I'm concerned, this is the day that truly kicks off the new year. Down comes the tree which is now a house fire waiting to happen along with all of the decorations and lights. This is a time of purification and simplification. Wiping the slate clean. Opening the windows and letting in some fresh air even if it is 20 degrees outside. I feel energized and ready to start the new year. The shortest day of the year is over and from this point forward the days are going to get longer which mean not getting up in the dark and driving home from work in the dark. I enjoy taking personal, financial, and mental inventory and getting rid of what I don't need, looking forward to what I would like to do in 2008 and plan on what I can do to make myself more of the person that I want to be. One of the first things on my 2008 agenda is to post more frequently on this blog.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-27132707685209993952007-10-20T00:56:00.000-04:002007-10-20T12:37:48.906-04:00Who is Ron Paul?I didn't want to talk about politics in this blog however I feel so strongly that our government has become so incredibly corrupt, wasteful and inept from both republicans and democrats that I feel it necessary to stand on my virtual soap box and ask you to just listen to what Doctor Ron Paul has to say. He is like no other candidate that is running for President of the United States and his views and beliefs cross party lines. I have never felt this strongly about any political candidate before and for the first time, instead of voting for the lesser of two evils, I feel confident that I will be giving my vote to a citizen of the United States that will truly uphold the Constitution and bring dignity back to our country. Please check out the link.<br />Thanks.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA&eurl=http://www.ronpaulhq.com/2007_10_01_archive.php">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA&eurl=http://www.ronpaulhq.com/2007_10_01_archive.php</a><br /><br />You can also find out more about Ron Paul here.<br /><a href="http://www.ronpaulhq.com/">www.ronpaulhq.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.ronpaul2008.com/">www.ronpaul2008.com/</a>Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-1715879952767521242007-08-14T20:09:00.000-04:002007-08-14T21:29:22.282-04:00Iron & Steel. Art of the Industrial Revolution<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJ2RSOmRD1jN_mg7PCgiG3jrDa_Ph-Kn0-8icd4fqFZYNfi_YchccAvatecfzLG_TjCRlGdg3AWyWQ8SHop2bjeMQoUUX98-EQ_MWev3xfyhGopEdZjF_HkqW8bqim52sroeUyfvv2o2s/s1600-h/4matt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJ2RSOmRD1jN_mg7PCgiG3jrDa_Ph-Kn0-8icd4fqFZYNfi_YchccAvatecfzLG_TjCRlGdg3AWyWQ8SHop2bjeMQoUUX98-EQ_MWev3xfyhGopEdZjF_HkqW8bqim52sroeUyfvv2o2s/s400/4matt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098732697158755234" border="0" /></a><br />53 years ago, Walt Disney Productions released their full length motion picture adaptation of Jules Verne's classic, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. I wasn't around to see the film when it was first released however I had seen it when I was a kid. About a year ago, I saw the newly digitally remastered version on a Best Buy shelf so I picked it up. I remember liking the film as a whee lad and figured it would be a good flick to add to my collection. When I got home I popped it into my dvd player and watched it. I was shocked at how vibrant the colors were and how detailed the set pieces were. I had forgotten how amazing the Nautilus interiors looked. There were details that I had never seen before especially when viewing the film on a tv. I believe the movie was filmed in 72mm which means there are beautifully composed panoramic scenes that one can only appreciate if you watch the letterbox version. Now the special effects are a bit dated compared to any major film or decently funded tv show nowadays, but the craftsmanship of the Nautilus still impresses me. The ship is piece of artwork from the apex of the industrial revolution. A sea monster made of iron and steel with an interior of velvet, brass and oak. The interior of the ship overflows with late 1800's decadence. The ships heart beats with an intense energy source that at the time made reference to nuclear power. Although I know the Nautilus is just a movie prop, I recently took a ride on an old steam locomotive constructed in the mid 1800's. The shear size and mass of this train reminded me of a iron dinosaur. I would not call this thing an iron horse, it was 4 times taller. While this train rested idly on it's tracks, you could hear loud and clear the churning of the massive pistons. It sounded like a very low, powerful, prehistoric heartbeat. This massive work of art could have only been created in the hottest of foundries and been built with raw determination and will. The Nautilus blue prints I found online represent three appreciations of mine. The imagination and craftsmanship of the Disney imagineers, the forward thinking and adventures of Jules Verne and the awe inspiring testament to human ingenuity. In this day and age everything feels like it has become disposable digital, downloaded and stored as ones and zeros. Just a movie prop, like the Nautilus.Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-28275335735186642292007-08-03T23:43:00.000-04:002007-08-04T00:37:17.710-04:00Inside the Magic podcastsI'm a HUGE Walt Disney World fan. I've been to the '<span style="font-style: italic;">Mouse House</span>' nearly every single year since 1996 and my parents took me and my brothers there a number of times while we were growing up. What is worse is my wife is just as bad as I am. We joke around saying someday when we are older, we'll get a job working in the parks or the hotels. It's tough to pinpoint a single reason why I enjoy going down there so much. Maybe it because I had an amazingly fun experience the first time my parents took me and my brothers there. Whatever the case, the place is truly magical. Now I know that the place is not for everyone and that's fine. To each his own. To those people that have been to Disney World and enjoy it, I have found a podcast that takes you back to the warmth of a spring Orlando morning. Back to the smell of freshly popped popcorn on Main Street and the cool spay of water from the first plunge down the Pirates of the Caribbean. Back to the scenic views from the Wedway People Mover over in Tomorrowland and of sitting on the monorail just after watching the end of the day fireworks, feeling completely exhausted. I get so much pleasure from so many of the little things in the parks & hotels. Below is the link to the Podcast I found a week or two ago that takes me to my laughin place when I'm driving to work on a gray dreary rainy day. <a href="http://www.distantcreations.com/insidethemagic/">http://www.distantcreations.com/insidethemagic/ </a><br />If you need to take a quick trip back through your Disney World memories, just listen to a few of these podcasts and you be strolling through the happiest place on earth in no time.<br />EnjoyMike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-65139985928922845442007-08-03T22:56:00.000-04:002007-08-03T23:38:53.260-04:00What is Conduit Labs?Well it has been about 6 months since the last time I posted and I'm feeling pretty bad about that. So here's the deal. I am now working for a venture backed start-up called Conduit Labs. We are building Club Penguin for the Facebook audience. Well, not quite. We are building an MMO that incorporates and piggybacks off of preexisting social networks and other web 2.0 utilities. That's about as high level as I can get. To talk about some specifics, we are building a game in flash, but doing some amazing, never before seen techniques that's gonna blow some minds and have some folks scratching their heads. I can't really dive into anything too detailed about the game right now, but i can say you'll be hearing more about us shortly. Over the past few months, our very small 4 person team has been prototyping, testing, and developing a working demo of our game. For me, this process has been very exciting because I have had to learn Flash while figuring out what our art pipeline should be while traveling to meet a number of venture capital groups. Long story short, some of the top VC 's in the country were fighting over us to give us round A funding. I can't begin to tell you how good it felt to have people willing to give you funding when my past experience in the games industry has been the opposite. We are very lucky. Now that we have a better handle on pipeline and tech specs, we are ramping up the Conduit Team. The team that we are putting together is just unbelievable. This past month we have been focused on hiring and it looks as though the team will be about 9-10 people by the end of August. So anyways, that's what's up. Nearly all of my creative energy has been directed towards work the past few months so I haven't had the fire to post to this blog. I think the recent news about Disney buying Club Penguin for $700 million the other day makes me fell less guilty about not posting and better about staying productive at work.<br />Cheers! <a href="http://www.conduitlabs.com">www.conduitlabs.com</a>Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1235138713967719275.post-7933189937289009952007-01-03T08:49:00.000-05:002007-01-14T10:06:26.587-05:00Why Brain Age for the Nintendo DS rocked my world.Math problems, speed reading, and mental focus puzzles. No I'm not talking about the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">SAT's</span> or your days in high school. I'm talking about the hand held game phenomena, <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">BrainAge</span> for the Nintendo <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">DS</span>. Why is this game doing as well as it is? It wasn't this much fun the first time I did it when I was in high school. For me there are a few simple things that this game does that captures my attention as a gamer and one really cool thing that captures my attention as a human. Let me explain.<br /><br /><span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">BrainAge</span> presents very simple logic puzzles with very simple graphics, that get progressively harder over time. The game encourages you to play briefly, but often. The game also rewards you every time you play by keeping track of your progress and by giving you a stamp on a calender. The game could easily stamp the calender for you, but it allows you to do it. There is something very gratifying about putting a stamp on your calender and watching it fill up. Its a similar feeling to crossing off a task on a long list of chores. It reinforces the feeling that you are making progress. This game also rewards you by unlocking new content based on the number of times you play the game. For example, if you do your "Daily Training" 5 days in a row, the game will grant you the ability to play a new logic puzzle. The next time, it may take 10 days to unlock new content, and so on. That's exciting! Unlocking new content is fun, even if the game that you unlock is just another simple logic puzzle. There is no reason why the folks over at Nintendo couldn't give you all of the content up front. They just decided to hand out that content as a reward. As they say up here in New England, "That's wicked smart!" Another thing that the game does well is allow you to see your progress over time with a line graph. I know that sounds crazy, but it's cool! I can look at how I have improved on a month to month basis and I can also compare my results to others that have been playing, but the greatest thing about <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">BrainAge</span> is how it interacts with you with the little floating head of that <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Neuro</span>scientist, Dr <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Kawashima</span>.<br /><br />When I boot up my <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DS</span> to play <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">BrainAge</span>, the game knows what the actual time is and that floating head of the Doctor says something brief to me like..."Oh, It's nice to see you again," or "It's been a week since the last time I saw you." If I boot up the game at 6am he will say something like "Boy it's nice to see you this morning," and if I play at 2am he might say "Don't you think it's a little late?" The Doc will also give me praise after if I have improved my ranking within a certain puzzle or give me words of encouragement if I did poorly on any puzzle. I have a theory that if I boot up the game on my birthday, that floating head Doctor will wish me a happy birthday. My point is, that even though I know his comments and reactions are all programmed in, it feels good for this little floating head to recognize my achievements and encourages me if I have an off day. I feel it is this design feature that really taps into a basic human desire. It's always important to feel like you are making progress in a game so it's extra gratifying if the game you are playing recognizes your achievements and makes comments about it. For example, if were playing an <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">MMO</span> and I went into a dungeon and saved Gretchen the fruit stand girl from monsters, it would be great to have the blacksmith in Gretchen's village say something like..."Hey Mike, I heard you saved Gretchen from those goblins. Because of your heroism, I'll give you a discount on the price of my swords." Not only does the game recognize my achievements, but I'm rewarded for completing this quest. It also reinforces the fact that I have an effect on this game world. Over time, based on the quests that I have accomplished, it could have an accumulative effect on the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">NPC's</span> in the game world. Some of the effects could be positive while others could be negative depending on your actions.<br /><br />The main point I'm trying to make is that when a game acknowledges what you are doing and reacts it feels much more interactive and more memorable. Without that floating head of Doctor <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Kawashima</span> reacting to you, praising your achievements or <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">guilting</span> you into practicing more frequently, I don't believe this game would have done as well. While typing this entry, I got out my copy of Brain Age to refresh my thoughts and feelings about this game. I had put it down for a month or so to get caught up on Mario. The first thing Doc <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Kawashima</span> said to me was..."<span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Ummm</span>....WHO ARE YOU AGAIN???Mike Sheidowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01825576655889127493noreply@blogger.com1