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Before watching these videos I read all the titles and expected them to be all crazy, especially the one by My Blood Valentine. That sort of name makes me think of their songs being all wild such as screaming and lots of gothic features. To my surprise that is not what it was, it was actually kind of calming to me. It was really hard for me to listen to the actual lyrics of the songs. Most of the time I could only hear the instruments and some voices at times. I had to pull up the lyrics for each song to see what they were saying the whole time. To my surprise I actually liked the song Soon by My Blood Valentine, the lyrics were really good. I liked the part  “Come back/Don’t be/Afraid of me/Soon/That (I’ll harm you)/Your eyes are blue/Blue jewels/Yeah yeah” something about that part really stuck to me honestly.

Something else that I noticed that really struck me as odd but fascinating at the same time, were the music videos for each song. In the music video for Soon by My Blood Valentine, it made my head spin, especially in the parts of the afterimage of the hands of the guitar player. It also made my head hurt a little. I’ve never seen music videos like this before, most of the music videos that I have seen were really crazy and pop like. These were majestic and fascinating like a story. The one that had a story in the music video was the song Lorelei by the Cocteau Twins. All the transitions between running in the grass to the girl staring out looking like she was thinking really hard about something was really well performed.

Overall I really liked the songs and music videos, they are things I have never heard or seen before, that is probably why I was so mesmerized about them.

Blog Post #11

Part 1: Based on the notes you took during class, write a brief description and response to each of the Faculty presentations.

Bob- Bob for me was someone who was really cool. He is someone I like to become when I grow up, because he has experienced a lot in the game industry. Not many can say as much as he can, because he has had lots of ups and downs. I like how he described what his first couple of consoles were, because back then it was extremely different. Games were still trying to make its way to the top. Right now games are really popular and the game industry is worth lots.

Alexandra- What I liked about her was when she talked about how her kids changed her art style. It helped her see it in a completely different way. Something that I liked about her is when she said “Don’t forget to play” That really sticks to me, because even if you are an adult in the outside, you still have an inner child in the inside. IT is good to let that inner child out every once in a while to have fun.

Joe- I really liked how he took the time to take pictures of his family for 20 years. That kind of project really takes lots of dedication to accomplish. I liked how each picture had its own story. There were some where people popped up multiple times. IT shows the progress on how the family has grown since the first picture taken.

 

Part 2: Reflection on this semester and course. Feel free to write any and all comments here. We want and appreciate your feedback (both positive and critical).

I really liked the class. What I would have liked to see more was people from the game industry. It would have been cool if yall would have hosted someone from Blizzard.

Blog Post #10

Part 1: In class Monday we had visiting speakers who work in the local video game industry. Write a short response to our visiting speaker presentations. Who were they? What do they do? Did you learn anything new through their talk?

Nate and Annie are both part of the game industry, they have worked for over 10 years in the industry. They are currently working together in a project. Both of them work full-time, while most of the other members in the team work part-time. Nate is a game developer, meaning that he codes most of the game, while Annie is the artist for the game. Annie’s strong point is drawing two-dimensional, while Nate’s strong point is working with 3D. They came to an agreement to make the game 2.5D. This means that the artwork is going to be in 2D while the playing field is going to be 3D. I learned about different types of game engines. Nate’s tip for us that I am going to take into considerations is NOT making my own game engine.

Part 2: Next class we will have some faculty presenters. This is your chance to ask them anything, no matter how absurd. Post at least one question on your blog. You can post more if you like. I will collate and choose some of the common questions that come up.

  1. Were you a St. Edwards Alumni?
  2. How many people do you work with a day?
  3. What is your favorite thing about your job?

Blog Post #9

Part 1: Based on the notes you took during class, write a brief description and response to the Alumni presentations.

Alejandro- For me Alejandro is someone I can most relate to out of all three of them. I really want to be a game developer for some company here in Austin. I like how he talked about getting to know their audience is key to knowing what kind of game they should make. That is so true, because there are different types of people who do not like the same types of games.

Anthony- Anthony was someone I found really interesting. I did not know about testicular cancer before his presentation. The way he was spreading awareness was so cool. I like how he said that their is no formula for creativity. Creativity is all dependent on your imagination, if you do not have imagination then you do not have creativity.

Edith- Edith I suppose is someone most of us could relate to, she is still new to the outside world, so she has so much to learn. But she does have eyes on her from the City of Austin, even though it might be a part time job and not a full time job. I like how a lot of her work she wants to use her roots as a Mexican. Using your roots as to who you are, then there are endless possibilities as to how your work can turn out.

Part 2: Many of our successful alumni say that their internship was one of the most valuable experiences they had. By searching the web, find at least 3 potential internships that you are interested in, and post the links on your blog. Many art galleries & non-profits, design firms, photo studios, and game companies have internship information on their websites.

http://jobs.jobvite.com/careers/blizzard/job/oDf75fwO?jvs=Indeed&jvk=Job&jvi=oDf75fwO,Job&j=oDf75fwO&__jvst=Job%20Board&__jvsd=Indeed

http://subvrsive.applytojob.com/apply/job_20170828225539_UUCGN24ZDQHNFRFE/Intern-Gameplay-Engineer?source=INDE

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Twisted-Pixel-Games/jobs/Mid-Level-Gameplay-Programmer-8f0fb3d1074864d1?q=Video+Game

Blog Post #8

Part 1: Based on the notes you took during class, write a brief description and response to each of the Faculty presentations.

Jimmy- What I liked about his work, was how he is still very young and has much to learn. HIs type of work is new compared to other works. He implements new technology into his work, and I found that really interesting.

Bill- For me Bill was the most interesting one, his type of work was something I have never seen before. I enjoyed listening to how he takes pictures of everyday objects that he find interesting and transforms them into something completely different. I liked how he aid that if he were to try to recreate the same thing, there would be no way that could be possible.

Kim- For me Kim was really interesting, she described how in her work there are three things that are important when ti comes to making a work of art; Curiosity, Passion and Wonder. Without these three things, you will not be able to fully commit yourself to the piece of work.

Tuan- For me Tuan is someone that enjoy to do his work. He puts so much into the school, when he creates all those posters for different types of events. For me that is something that is really interesting, because that shows how much passion he has not only for the school, but for his work.

Part 2: Create a 5-year plan. What are your long term goals beyond college? What do you need to do to accomplish those goals?

For my first 2 years in college I plan to just study and work hard to try to graduate as early as possible. In my junior year I will apply for an internship here in Austin hopefully in a Gaming company near by. There are plenty of gaming companies here, and I plan to work for one of them. By my senior year, I plan to hope to get a good job at a popular gaming company such as Blizzard. I will continue to work hard in my studies as well, so I will balance work and my studies as much as I can. A year after college I plan to move here in Austin, to keep working for a gaming company here. My long term goal after college is working for Nintendo. That is a gaming company whose games I have played for such a long time, so making games for them is a dream come true. What I need to do for this, is to get a masters degree in either Game Development or Computer Science. Both of these Major require a lot of hard work.

Blog Post #7

1. Create a four-year degree plan. How will this major help you prepare a career in the future? Do you have a back up plan if this major doesn’t work out?

Now this major will help me prepare a career in the future by letting me understand how games are made and possibly allowing me to make my own. There are plenty of video game businesses here in Austin, so in my senior year I will be applying to the closest ones. As of right now I do not have a back up plan, in case this major does not work. The reason is that I feel pretty confident that I want to do this for the rest of my life. There is no better thing to do than making people smile with your accomplishments(Video Games).

2. Do you have a minor or have you considered a second major?

  • If so what is it and why do you think this will be a beneficial choice?
    • I have considered making Computer Science as my minor. The reason this will benefit me, is that when it comes to programming games, you need knowledge of computer science. If I take a minor in computer science, then it will allow me to be better at computer science than other students who do not have computer science as their minor. This will also make me a better candidate to getting a job than other candidates.
  • If not, identify at least one minor or major degree option that you are interested in. Explain why you chose this option.

Blog Post #6

For each class ask yourself the following:

  1. My greatest strengths in Rhetoric and Composition ll include:
    1. Being able to understand what is being said by the professor
    2. Active listener
  2. For greater success in this course, I need to:
    1. Put more time into my work and not rush threw it just to complete it
  3. My greatest strengths in Pre-Cal include:
    1. Being able to understand what is being said by the professor
    2. Active listener
    3. Answer in class questions
    4. Understand the material
  4. For greater success in this course, I need to:
    1. Put more time into studying to help better myself in tests
  5. My greatest strengths in History of Games include:
    1. Active listener
    2. Discuss in class
  6. For greater success in this course, I need to:
    1. Put more time into studying to help better myself in tests
  7. My greatest strengths in Purpose of Social Organization include:
    1. Being able to understand what is being said by the professor
    2. Active listener
    3. Turning all work on time
    4. Discuss in class
  8. For greater success in this course, I need to:
    1. Put more time into my work
  9. My greatest strengths in Leadership Seminar include:
    1. Being able to understand what is being said by the professor
    2. Active listener
  10. For greater success in this course, I need to:
    1. Ask the teacher for more help on material
  11. My greatest strengths in Visual Studies include:
    1. Being able to understand what is being said by the professor
    2. Active listener
  12. For greater success in this course, I need to:
    1. Do my work better and not in a rush

Computer skills:

  1. My computer skills include:
    1. Able to use Microsoft
    2. Able to use PowerPoint
  2. I still need to learn:
    1. How to code Java
    2. How to code C++

Research & writing skills:

  1. My greatest strengths as a researcher/writer include:
    1. Able to find work that is credential
    2. Know how to write a strong paper
    3. Know how to write a thesis
    4. Know how to cite work correctly
  2. I need to work on these aspects of research and writing:
    1. Finding what is necesary to help strengthen my work
    2. Know how to limit myself in quoting another work
    3. Know how to limit myself so I do not pass the word limit that is assigned
  3. I learn best & accomplish most when:
    1. I am in a quiet location
    2. Listening to my music
    3. Take a rest before doing work
    4. Eating before work

ACTION PLAN

Choose one class that you are struggling with or are not doing as well as you could.
Now make a list of 10 ways you could improve your performance in this class.

  • History of Games
    • Read the textbook more thoroughly
    • Take better notes
    • Ask questions when I am confused on something
    • Go over my notes a lot more before a test
    • Organize my workspace when studying
    • Improve my memory
    • Find a better learning style
    • Stop Procrastinating
    • Make learning the material fun, so better memorization
    • Create a planner to when to make time to study

Blog Post #5

Part 1: Your written response to seeing upper classmen work. Based on your in class notes, please comment on each of the student presenters and their work.

  1. Michelle’s art was something I really enjoyed looking at. This is because her type of art is something I see most of the time. It is cartoonish and animated like. These types of things are what get me attracted to art. Her work that I really liked the most was the story of the gay man. To me it had so much aesthetic, that is what catches the viewers attention.
  2. Hanna’s work was interesting. Her major in Graphic Design was something I was considering in doing before I chose Interactive Game Studies. So seeing what they do was really interesting.
  3. Alexis work was by far the best one I liked, because it was I will be doing in the future for my major. I was really happy to see somethings Interactive Game Studies major will work on. Her art was something I really enjoyed. I liked how a lot of it was mostly dragons, because I am a big fan of dragons as well. Especially Charizard from Pokemon. When it came to her Game Design, I got a sense of how difficult it will be making games. Even herself she wasn’t successful, it took a lot of work and dedication.
  4. When seeing Clara’s work it kind of calmed me down. I really enjoyed seeing her nature pictures, because each one tells a different story. Each picture represents a different place she has been and the scenery was something she would like to have more than a memory. My favorite pictures were the ones of Bosnia’s.

Part 2: Each of you will develop your own website in the future, that will act as a showcase for your portfolio. With this in mind, find at least four websites that you find compelling. Insert a link for each site, and add a short summary for each link explaining why you chose them.

  1. One website I really like is Patagonias, the websites aesthetics are really amazing. It is also organized really well, so you know where to click to find put about something. That is how I would like my website to be, really interesting so you will like to look into it more and simple so the user doesn’t get mad when navigating through the website.
  2. Another website I really like is YouTubes website, everything is given to you in the main page. It is extremely easy to follow. Having pictures help you get to where you are. Everything is also easily accessed no matter where you are in the website. For example, if you want to go back to the main menu, you just click the youtube logo in the top left. I am definitely going to make my website similar to Youtube.
  3. Another Website I like is KissAnime. For me this is the source to all the anime I watch, so I use it constantly. For me personally I have some problems when it comes to navigating through the website. It does the job, because the tabs are the top of the page. But the design of the website is amazing.
  4. Last but not least, the last website I really like is Apple’s  the reason is, because throughout the whole time you scroll down the top bar follows you around. Making it easy if you want to go into  a different product. I would like my website to have a similar feature, so my viewers don’t have to scroll all the way up when they want to go into a different tab.

Blog Post #4

Over the past decade video games have changed, not only in their complexity, but also in their artwork. I personally grew up with Nintendo, especially Mario. My very first game was Super Mario Advanced which came out in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance. Now the first photo is a screenshot of the game Super Mario Advanced, the second screenshot is from the game Super Mario Bros which came out in 1985. Last but not least the last picture of the newest game  New Super Mario Bros which came out in 2009. All these game have very different artwork. Artwork is one of the things that is mostly appreciated from a game. Compare the Super Mario Bros. to the New Super Mario Bros., they are the same game, but very different graphics. I loved the game Super Mario Advanced so much, some of the levels did make me rage though. Although it was complicated in some parts, I still enjoyed the game. It was so much to play it, you had to battle various bosses, not only Bowser which is Mario’s Arch nemesis. The one that bothered me the most was the rat with bombs. No matter how hard I tried I lost every single time. After a couple of days, I was able to beat it, which gave me so much relief. Overall the graphics/artwork of the games have changed so much, but we still love the game. Just because the game has a different style to it, doesn’t mean you have to hate it. It just means that it has adapted to the latest technology, and has improved.

Blog Post #3

I love Akira Toriyama artwork, especially his Dragon Ball work. I have always been fascinated on how amazing the artwork is, how much time and patience it must have taken him to complete each page of the manga. It had always wondered how did he come up with Dragon Ball, he discusses this in an interview. It is funny for me, because this manga started in 1986, and he has forgotten some of the capabilities the character have. He admitted himself that he forgot that there was a 3 form to a super sayin. This series still continues today, with it being called Dragon Ball Super now. I first started watching Dragon Ball when I was around 10 when my uncle introduced it to me, he also gave me an action figure of the main character Goku with removable parts. At first sight I was in love with it, the story was amazing, my uncle even to this day watches Dragon Ball Super. My uncle still has collectable action figures from the show from when he started watching it. It is such a big hit not only in Japan, but all over North America. Many people love his work, there has even been fan art with the characters from the show. There is still no knowledge if the series will ever end, but not knowing that makes it even more exciting on how much stronger Goku can get. No matter how old I get, I will continue to watch this show until it ends.