Update on Site Transfer…

Due to a few unfortunate technical hiccups, my site migration has been delayed.  As such, I’ve made minor tweaks to the site. On big area of feedback involved the projects page and how difficult it was to navigate. Hopefully the new layout will allow you to quickly grab the information you need! Thanks for all of the feedback! Until further notice, it seems I will be sticking with WordPress for a little while longer.

On a side note, I am very excited about the first annual Gamification Conference going on NOW, here in San Francisco. Many thanks to my good friend Shaun Saunders over at Graffiti PR for the heads up!

Yes folks, I’ve been keeping busy
On one hand, I’ve given Unity a little break and gone back to life studies/figure drawing. I got my hands on tons of anatomical reference from around the web and in magazines like GQ and Vogue. So far, I’m having a blast! It feels good to pick up some charcoal and graphite once again. Hoping to post a few samples soon, when I’m following Stephen Keith in hopes of getting my Scrum Master Certification!

That’s all for now (besides me waiting to grab Mass Effect 2 on PS3!)

-Stay Warm!!

Site Migration in Progress…

Hello all!

This post is just to inform everyone that I will be moving my site from wordpress.com to another web hosting service. My stay at wordpress.com has not been without merit. Through this site, I have been able to connect with many of you and expand on my networking options.  Unfortunately, I find wordpress to offer restriction along with its many conveniences. However, I have been personally working on some CSS script, which I will be uploading very soon. Please, continue to contact me as you see fit! I look forward to presenting my new site to you all soon. Once it is complete, I will swiftly provide a URL to you all.

P.S. – GDC is right around the corner. Hope to see many of you there, as well as make new contacts!

A little late, but happy New Year!!

Slowly, slowly…but surely! Unity!

Hey there!

Back with yet another post, to keep everyone up-to-date with my progress. While re-familiarizing myself with San Francisco, I’ve decided to seriously devote myself to the Unity Engine. Still, this isn’t my first run-in with the engine. I’ve played around with it in the past, but obligations such as graduate school have prevented me from fully grasping it. Now, I actually have a bit of time to further this endeavor.

It’s strange how I’ve taken such a shine to this particular engine. During my undergraduate study, I’ve been spoon-fed the Unreal 3 Engine. While it is a powerful engine, I’ve always taken a liking to trying something new. From all the buzz I’ve been listening in on, Unity is quite the impressive engine. I’d also be able to kill two birds with one stone and familiarize myself with iPhone development through Unity. Furthermore Unity appears to cater to casual game development very well. While people aren’t restricted from experimenting and creating mods with Unreal, it doesn’t necessarily have that casual appeal.

So there you have it! Wish me luck as I delve deeper into this development jungle!

Also, if anyone has any links to reliable and concise Unity 3D tutorials, it would be much appreciated!

Until next time everyone!

Like a phoenix…

…I have risen from the ashes, yet again!

First and foremost, I apologize for the rather lengthy lapse in time between this current post and the last. So many things have been going on in my life as of late. Most dramatic of which, involves my most recent move to San Francisco! I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for this city. After grad school was finished, I felt I needed to head back to the west coast and reconnect with friends and professional contacts alike. Whether it be within the space of a professional game dev studio or within the living room of a handful of like-minded individuals, I’m eager to jump back into project work. San Francisco definitely lends itself to this effort better than my humble environment in Orlando would have.

While not working on design documents and art assets, I’ll now have the liberty of re-immersing myself in the local culture. No stone will be left unturned as I venture to the SF MOMA, Japantown, and my alma mater (The Art Institute of California – San Francisco), just to name a few. So many people, so many places, so little time. All the while, I’ll be keeping this blog updated as tightly as possible…starting with a few promised items from before. Shortly, I will be posting the presentation of Team Banana Sticker’s game, “App Attack”. Feel free to leave any comments behind as well.

As always, thanks to those who stood with me during this major transition. For those new to my website/blog, welcome! For those familiar, keep your eyes peeled…there are some very interesting projects on the horizon!

Massive Site Updates!

I’ve just updated the Graduate Work and Projects page. As always, feel free to browse the content and leave commentary/contact me

lewischrisprimer@gmail.com

Thanks! More updates to come!

All Wrapped Up!

Wow…

It has been a while since I posted last. I’m trying my best to keep this site with new content. As time passes and I continue to play games, various ideas and viewpoint come to mind, which I would then choose to write about it. This time around, however, I’ve been busy for good reason. Since the last time I posted, I have successfully defended my graduate thesis and wrapped up production on our team’s game, App Attack!

My thesis proposed the creation of a color-based formula that would output regional-based color swathes with respect to cultural sensitivity and taboo. The purposes of the formula include serving as a tool set to help develop games with sights set on the international stage, and increasing the feasibility of taking foreign based IPs and introducing them into the market. Should it prove unable to meet these needs, ideally it would shed significant light on the importance of color usage in games. Sure, there are a few threats and issues that arise such as keeping the formula up-to-date with current trends and markets, as well as the amount of ambiguity when it comes to international color cognition. Despite this, the research (given a very small scope and sample size) has proved promising. I do have copies of my thesis, but at the moment I have opted to not include it on the website. However, copies can be requested via e-mail, lewischrisprimer@gmail.com.

As for Team Banana Sticker’s presentation of App Attack, I shall be posting pictures, video, and a link to our game/website very soon! We’re excited to have been able to complete our project and share it with the masses. It has been an exhilarating five months, but I wouldn’t take it back for anything. I’m excited by how the game turned out, and hope to be involved in many other projects in the future (hopefully a sequel to App Attack!) You can check us out on the web at  http://appattackgame.com/

There, you can download our game and look at our progress through a series of youtube videos, from Proof of Concept up to Beta. Final Build video is forthcoming!

What’s next after Grad School? Well, you just have to wait and see!…

Game Designer vs. Designer’s Game

It has been a while since I posted, and the site yearns for more content

Well, as you may or may not know, I’m a Masters of Science Candidate at Full Sail University (check out the “About Me” Page). Majoring in Game Design and Production, we’re given the opportunity to serve as Internal Producers on undergraduate final projects. My specific team, Banana Sticker, is fast approaching the Gold Milestone for our game “App Attack”. Look forward to links and gameplay videos of our project. Still, I digress…

During one of our production sessions, I thought about my favorite gaming icon, Mega Man.

I am a rabid Mega Man fan

As I reflected on the franchise, I thought about the man touted with the creation of the series, Keiji Inafune. Countless hours of my life has been spent playing these games. While they may not be the most incredible examples of game design, they possess a baseline level of charm that keeps me coming back for more. Over time, I’ve come to align myself with the series and with Inafune-san’s work. Not every Mega Man game has benefited from Inafune’s personal involvement. Mega Man X7 was one of those games that, even though I played through, just didn’t feel like something he personally crafted. On top of that, Inafune has had promotion after promotion. At this rate, it seems as if he’s being pushed further and further away from Mega Man. At the same X9 doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.

In the end, I question myself. Do I love the game designer or the designer’s game more? While in my undergrad at the Art Institute of California (San Francisco), I was often told that artists should try to separate themselves from their work, so as not to take critiques to heart and accept constructive criticism. There are pros and cons to everything and this advice is no exception. I don’t hate Inafune, nor do I hate Mega Man (good GOD, no!!). I’m glad he’s been promoted, but I wish that he had the time to take the reigns over the series and provide some added guidance. Who am I kidding though? At the end of the day, I’ll end up playing anything with the Blue Bomber’s face on it. Ambivalence, you win this time…