Animation with a moustache

The animation with a .... je ne sais quoi!

Category: Video Games

EA “Spare Parts” 0

Animation / EA / Video Games

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EA “Spare Parts”

EA just announced what appears to be a very fun XBLA, PSN game!

“Electronic Arts has announced a new tiny action-adventure game called Spare Parts, to be released during Winter 2010 on Xbox Live and PSN. Your goal is to repair your spaceship to escape from an unfriendly planet. Therefore you can upgrade your robot with collected items and a friend of yours can join the game to help you in co-op mode.”

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_ea_presents_spare_parts-9432_en.html

Would a video be following very soon?

“Shower power” short film 6

Animation / Animation Mentor / EA / Friends / Video Games

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“Shower power” short film

I just realized that I never featured my friend and (ex)coworker Dan Carrey!!!

Here is his short film. “Shower Power”
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/9982267[/vimeo]

You will also find Dan’s showreel on his website
http://www.bluepencil.org.uk/DanCareyShowreel09.mov

We definitely had a bunch of top animators at Rare. Here is also Peer Lemmers showreel if you didn’t know his work:
http://www.chicop-animation.com/demoreel.htm

My current animation lead, Neil Parkinson, is also a very inspiring animator/modeler/rigger/concept artist. Don’t be surprised about the crazy amount of skills, all my coworkers are Jacks of all trades at EA which can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.

Neil is currently finishing rendering his short film so in the meantime check out his reel:
http://www.neilparkinson.com/

Well while I am at it. I think I should also feature our local concept artist Burt Ross. Ross is a crazy Scottish guy who can be pretty loud when he plays Fifa at lunch. He also happens to be really talented at what he does, namely Concept art and Storyboards.

Ross is also the creator of the Astrofunk comics. Number 2 just came out by the way!

Check out his blog:
http://rossburt.blogspot.com/

Ok, that’s it for today but I will soon create a new post feature the other crazy artists surrounding me.

Xbox gaming room 0

Video Games

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Xbox gaming room

Xbox Game Room

Xbox Game Room

I am about to buy a new game console and didn’t know what to choose between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 since my Bluray movie library is increasing dramatically but this is something exciting coming on the Xbox 360!

This looks like a clever move from Microsoft. This looks like the Itune version of Arcade games and this is a great opportunity for the old Arcade developers to bring their old IPs out of the dust and fight against or conquer the illegal emulator scene. Pac Man at the click of a button on your Xbox 360 or what about “Ghost and Goblins” with portable achievements!!!!

http://kotaku.com/5443015/hands+on-with-xbox-360s-arcade+crazy-game-room

http://kotaku.com/5443104/more-hands+on-details-from-xbox-360s-game-room

I have the feeling “The King of Kong” will have a sequel in no time 😉

EA 5

Animation / Video Games

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EA

EA

EA

well, I just started working for the UK branch of Electronic Arts, the Bright Light studio located in beautiful Guildford. The only thing I can say is that it is a new IP and it is a really cool project. I am doing a crazy amount of commuting between Guildford and London at the moment but hopefully I will be able to settle down very quickly and find the time for my personal projects.

… (more…)

“The increasing role of character animation in games” 0

Animation / Animation Mentor / Education / Video Games

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“The increasing role of character animation in games”

The increasing role of character animation in games

The increasing role of character animation in games

Several month ago, with few other Animation Mentor graduates, I was asked to write some clever thoughts about the increasing role of character animation in games. My name got misspelt few times but the article is still a very good read.

You can find the article here on Animation Arena.
http://www.animationarena.com/character-animation.html

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Game Credits 0

Animation / Video Games

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Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Game Credits

bgbanjokazooienutsandbolts

Googling my name I realised that Microsoft had put my name among all the great people who worked on Banjo Kazooie “Nuts and Bolts” on the Microsoft website. Cool
http://www.microsoft.com/games/mgsgamecatalog/banjokazooiecredits.aspx

Banjo Kazooie is a fun little game I was about to say but it is actually a fun Massive game!!! Just like “Viva Pinata”, I think Microsoft could easily make a TV series or even a feature based on those really great characters. To me, Banjo Kazooie is probably the strongest cartoony IP on the Xbox 360 at the moment so whywnot a true plateformer in the meantime?