Videogame developers: David Font

Today I will begin a new "section" about videogame developers.

The first in the list is a musician: David Font (I think Barcelona, 1979) a computer scientist and musician who has done a lot of things, more or less all the things well.

Speacking about videogames, David Font had performed the original soundtrack of videogames like Yume, Sudoku and Legend of Dragon. For me the the soundtrack from Yume is one of the best soundtracks from past year, based in the subjective perception of remembering the soundtrack after playing the game a little bit.

From Legend of Dragon I have to say that the music is one of the few things with enough score for passing the exam of the critics (together with the graphics) I can't tell nothing about Sudoku, because I haven't played yet. This game was programed by him too, and he has worked in other projects as graphist.

He has a sound engine for portable dispositives, and a lot of things that never were released. Now works for mobile games from Lemon Quest, and programming the sound engine for One putherethenameyouprefere.

Appart from this, is a man that does a lot of things, like helping in S2e and several campus party. He is married, has a dog, and is teacher in a videogame master from Politechnic University of Cataluña.

More information here (I suggest using internet explorer).

GDC 2007 Summary

First of all, thanks to Jare because now i always remember the difference between Summary and Resume.

After this explanation, I will explain to you my feelings about the GDC 2007. That was my firt time I flew outside Europe, so for me this was the first novelty. I arrived to New York airport (where I had my first and last problem with someone), then I flew to San Francisco, and at night I arrived to Berkeley (completely destroyed). The first day I took a look to San Francisco, and was very funny because where the GDC was going to be the next day, there was a comic fans convention called Wonder Con.

The next day I went to GDC, and it was a day of tutorials. I took a look at Games Connection, where I found Victor from Games Gi, a new spanish company. Appart from this I have the chance to listen Jeff Minter (he is craziest than I thought), to talk a bit with Larry Holland, interview Heather Kelley and attend the conferences of Jhon Baez and Telltale Games.

The second day I interviewed Vander Caballero, Timo (From Yager development) and Patrick (From Cyanide). I have to say that first tuesday of the month the entrance to the museums of SF is free, so i entered at SFMOMA and at the Cartoon Museum. After that i was able to going to two partys, one very bluf (foundation 9) and other better (IGDA).

Third day was very crowded, as the fourth and fifht day. Phil Harrison, Shigeru Miyamoto, a lot of japanese developers, the expo, the game career, partys, video games live, interviews, awards (i saw Richard Garriot, and talk with him!)... i have to say that really you don't have a second of boredom.

Conclussions: Is really interesting for developers, but its expensive (although there are ways to make it cheaper), and far away from home (home = europe for me). Could be interesting to attend to leipzig this year.

Bye!.

Campaign "I am not silly,... and i don't buy Playstation 3"

Today is the day I summon the campaign "I am not silly... and i don't buy Playstation 3"

People from Sony has done the things so bad. The last thing they have done is leeting european's ps3s with software emulation instead of hardware emulation (that is always worst). But list is large:

A) The console is sold here later than the rest of the world (America and Asia)
B) Is more expensive
C) Has less options
D) Is sold only in the "for rich" version.
E) They use sentences like ""European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind [the delays], because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan.In Europe, it doesn't seem that the release of our platforms after the US and Japan - in the long run - affects how consumers feel"

So I urge you to say NO to Sony and his Ps3. If you want one, go to Japan, so you will visit one country and you will find the ps3 cheaper.

Expecting your colaboration with a nice poster expressing your discomfort. There will be anounced actions everywhere.
Opa Opa forever!

Nae at 3gsm

Hello everybody, I have been at 3gsm, the world congress in mobile aplications (or something like that). I will resume it telling that, considering the rest of thing, there were few videogames stands.

News from 1st Contest of Game Development "You can do it too".

First of all, we have to say thanks to Pengo, Hackit, Nerlaska, Viralgames, Diego C, Ethy and the Anaitboys, because by their action the prizes of the contest are actually:

1st Prize: 300 euros (the same as ever).
2ndPrize: 200 euros (new!)
3st Prize: 100 euros (new!)

Special prize to portability: 100 euros (New!)
Worst game among the finalists: A determinate game (New!)
Best platform game: a Dracula Twins (New!)

If you want to sponsor the contest you have time till 15 of March. If you arrive later it will be saved for the second edition.

And finally we have a candidate! It's a caracolian version of "el tio penas 3", from hachimorriac. Here you have a screenshot:

1st Contest of Game Development "You can do it too".

Hello everyone. Happy New year, and so on. There has passed a lot of time since the last post i wrote here.

Ladies and gentlemen, the time has arrived. In my way of thinking we should make something for the people we have near. When i was working at Barcelona i wanted to give 10% of the money i had saved for some social activity - to help the fellow men. As i am not in Barcelona, it is not logic to make this, and as the money i have saved has not come from Valencia, it is ilogic too to give this money to the city. I can give it to my country, but is a bit difficult, so I will give this money to... videogame! (or digital interactive leisure, if you prefer).

For this i summon the first contest"you can do it too". Because, my friend, you can do it too. The requirements are very simple: Before the (24 hours of the 4 of june ) the day 5 of june of 2007 the contenders have to send one videogame where the first hostile element should be ... a snail.

Yes, a snail. Its the same the size or the form, but should look crearly like a snail. When we say hostile element could be an enemy from a platform game, a spaceship with the shape of a snail, a puzzle piece with the shape of a snail, or a very unpleasant snail in a graphics adventure.

The reason behind this is a homage to all the snails that invaded us in the late's 80s videogames, when they represented the supreme wickness, wickness that recent videogames like "mapple story" have recovered. Because a snail can have... very bad slime.

Speaking about the prize: 300 euros. Yes, real euros. I don't know a lot about laws, but i suppose that is small enough for not having problems. If I can (any volunteer) i will give more prizes, but now we "only" have this. The prize could be considered "desert" if any contestant doesn't arrive to a minimum of quality (this should be determined by a sworn, formed by person with prestige and ackowledge of videogames world), and i will inform here about any notice or change at this respect.

The game can work in any gaming platform, but if it is a strange one it should be packed with the game (this is, early each thing that is not pc). The rest of the people can send the executable to nae@stratos-ad.com (doubts also here). The presentation and the rest of details will be announced with posterity.

Mucha suerte, and Opa Opa forever!.

pd: This is the same post than this, but in english.
pd2: Sorry for my english... if you see any mistake please write a comment.

Art Futura 2006 coverage

Hello people who can read english but not spanish. Yes... i know, there are a lot of people that reads this blog that know spanish, but for you is the spanish blog XD.

This weekend it will be celebrated in Barcelona the Art Futura 2006. For all the people that doesn't know it, i have to say that is one of the best places to see something related to videogames in spain. Its not e3 or gdc, is something different, small, but very interesting, so i will make the coverage for the people who don't have the chance to enjoy it.

Today was the opening of the show. This year they have added one exhibition place, very interesting and innovative, called "Experimental Arcade". Is like a chill out arcade place, with these games: Okami, shadow of the colossus, viewtiful joe 2, lego star wars, guitar heroes, a dance dance, vib ribbon, uparappa the rapper, un jammer lammy, mojjib ribbon, all of these from ps2, and from psp tokobot, lemmings and loco roco. Add to these Ryota kuwakuwo's toys and, in some moment.. a ps3!

After that we have seen Scanner Darkly, a film that is more a mental fart thatother thing. Visually compeling, its supposed that they will talk about how they made the film in other moment during Art Futura.

So, we stay in contact!. This will be updated as new things come!.