GM Insider

Interview with AndrewFM by Vance_Kimiyoshi

2006-08-25T09:36:00.000-04:00

Okay okay okay! We haven't done anything in what seems a lifetime... but we got a new writer, who did this nice article, and we're working on a new GMI. Yeah, really. It should be done soon. It'll have reviews, previews, interviews, cheats/tips/walkthroughs, it's own site, keeping the forum, and more and just all that stuff!

So don't worry, all your waiting will be so totally worth it. I think so, anyway... yeah, well, here's a good interview our new freelance writer, Vance_Kimiyoshi, scored with AndrewFM. Read!

Vance: Hello Andrew.

Andrew: Hi

Vance: You have two projects, Rocketman 2 and Chaos Heaven. How are they coming?

Andrew: Well, they're coming out pretty well. Chaos Heaven is almost ready for the first demo to be released, while Rocketman is still quite far from there... but, then again, that is a much bigger project. However, Chaos Heaven is currently the more active one.

Vance: Could you describe Chaos Heaven? What will the final version have?

Andrew: Chaos Heaven is a very difficult, and extremely fast paced scrolling shooter. It has 3 varying difficulty levels,and will have 10 (Maybe more or less?) waves, 10 (Depends on the number of waves) different chaotic bosses, and a very large number of enemys and attack waves. You can see a 30 second preview of the gameplay here:
http://www.dlstudios.net/uploaded/25example.zip

Vance: I've seen the clip, and it looks very nice. You have some interesting weapons, how many are there?

Andrew: Currently there are 4 weapons, with 2 upgrades for each. For the first demo, I plan to have 6 weapons done. I'm not sure how many are going to be in the final version, but I hope for around 20.

Vance: 20 weapons with 2 upgrades, 60 weapons? That sounds like a lot. So, any last words on Chaos Heaven?

Andrew: Nope,no other words that I can think of.

Vance: Okay, onto Rocketman 2. Could we have a basic overview of the game?

Andrew: Rocketman 2 is a game for my nephew about his made up character Rocketman. Its a platformer/shooter, with some RPG elements (spells, items, leveling up and stats). It will feature 6 worlds, with 4 levels and a boss within each. It will have 5 difficulty levels, and hopefully, hundreds of unlockables.

Vance: When you say unclockables, what do you mean?

Andrew: Various things, ranging from big things like New modes, to hidden courses and bosses, or smaller things, such as minigames. Or, even as small as something like a spell, or a new accessory, such as a new gun, or new armor. Basically, anything other than like potions, and standard items. In other words, by an unlockable, I mean something that you aquire, and its permanent.

Vance: Okay, got it. What's the basic story behind the game?

Andrew: Right now there is not much of any. Since its my nephew's character and all, I'm letting him design stuff such as the storyline, the character, and various suits and guns. But as for now, you're some dude that has a laser gun that goes around shooting stuff, and flys from planet to planet. He's trying to save the universe from this guy called "The King of Darkness", who is trying to take over the universe or something from a place called The Eternal Void. Something like that.

Vance: About what part in it's development is the game? What are you working on now?

Andrew: I'm currently working on the shop. However, it is quite difficult to program, and its starting to get confusing, because theres way too many things in the code to keep track of at once. However, I will say that I got the basic system now, just some things such as when your inventory is full, it asks you if you want to swap the item you bought with an item in your inventory, or cancel buying the item. The swapping system is quite glitched right now.
Heres an older screenshot of the shop:
http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/9594/shopyg1.png

Vance: Sounds good. Do you have any last words on Rocketman 2?

Andrew: Nope. That's pretty much it

Vance: Alright. Do you have any approximate dates for demos of either game?

Andrew: As for Chaos Heaven, I would actually say that the demo might be ready within the next week. As for Rocketman, I cant say. Theres still much to be done.

Vance: Okay. Anything else you'd like to say?

Andrew: Nope.
However, any questions or comments:
AIM: AndrewFMs
MSN: pnqpnq@hotmail.com
YIM: pnqnqnp@yahoo.com

Vance: Alright then, bye.

Andrew: Bye.

Interview with YMM, by Jabberwock.

2006-08-02T15:14:00.000-04:00

Well well well. Here's another interview from everyone's favorite freelance writer: Jabberwock!

For those who don't know about it, can you give a brief synopsis of your current work-in-progress 'Untitled'?

Untitleed is an exploration-platformer based on old-school platforming fundamentals and the joy of discovery. The player explores a unique world, initially just for the sake of exploring it. You play as an egg and the only real goal is self-evolution (finding more power-ups so you can perform more complex and powerful moves). It is heavily influenced by Super Metroid (Nintendo).

What have you done with Untitled that is different from your past projects?

Most obviously, the art style. All the graphics/music/sounds are done by me, and they all reflect my love of artistic simplicity.

Otherwise, though, the development process has been very strange with this one. In Jumper Two and Jumper: Redux, I had known from the start the entire storyline, how many stages there would be, what amount of collectibles would be hidden in each stage, etc. With Untitled, it's sort of a "this sounds like a good idea, I'll try that here", and "oh, it'd be so cool if this happened" kind of thing. I'm pretty much just coming up with it as I go along.

With any game, though, you're bound to think of stuff before you can implement it. I may have started the game without an ending in mind, but right now I know exactly how it will end, and I'm only about half done with level design (but that is just a rough estimate, again the nature of the game keeps me from really telling anyone exactly how long it will be).

Will 'Untitled' have a storyline and/or different title when it's complete, or is the 'Untitled' permanent?

The demo reflects the storyline of the final game. What I mean by this is, you'll start the final game knowing the same thing syou know when you start the demo: the controls. However, later on in the game a storyline of sorts does surface. You can already see the very basic beginnings of it by chatting with the NPCs in SkyTown in the demo (though you must get relatively far in the demo to do this).

As for the title, I'm fairly certain it is final. If I can think of a title that suits the game better then I will rename it, but I don't think I will.

Can you tell us a bit about what features you plan on implementing into the game (gameplay elements, areas, level design, etc)?

The gameplay is constantly changing and evolving. One day I might think of a cool new move and program it in, so it is ready to be hidden when I think of a good place for it. This combined with the fact that I've already shown much more of the game then I planned on showing keeps me from revealing any new moves to you.

However, I can say that I would absolutely love to implement a multiplayer mode. I've mentioned this before but never really expanded on it. Basically I'm thinking of a split-screen mode where two players essentially play capture-the-flag, except with banks and big sacks of money as bases and flags. I call it Heist mode, and you play as bird characters wearing little bandit masks. It is still very much in the concept stages of planning, so I'm still deciding what to do for moves (start with all of them? find them? steal them from eachother somehow?) and other details, but know that I'll try my best to squeeze a multiplayer mode in.

How much of the game have we seen in the demo, and how large of a game do you expect it to be? Do you know approximately when the game will be completed?

Again, it's tough for me to estimate exactly how large the game world will be. My rough estimate is that the demo contains ~50% of the game. My current projected release date is Q4 2006, but I'm not known for keeping my "projected" release dates, so I'd say the odds of that date being kept are about 1:1.

Do you have any other projects that you're currently working on? If so, can you tell us about them?

Jumper Three is still frozen in time until I feel I'm ready to pursue it seriously. Otherwise, I have a strange little engine with the current codename "Flail" sitting on my harddrive that I'd love to turn into a game post-Untitled.

What are your opinions on the success of the Jumper series (and the fact that people are referring to you as a 'GM Legend')?

The response to Jumper at the GMC was amazing, and I'm very flattered that so many people had fun with it. Considering the simplicity of it, I can understand the negative backlash as well. It was just pure level-design, with no real difficulty curve, polish, or presentation to speak of. Jumper Two did a similar feat, but introduced real physics and storyline to the series.

As for the GM Legend thing: If it really is public opinion I'm honored, and hopefully Untitled won't make them think otherwise!

Interview with tapeworm by Jabberwock!

2006-07-25T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hey there! Jabberwock, our first Freelance Writer, has submitted his first article. Yes, we are still looking for maybe one more freelance writer, so, if you think you can do it and if you really want this, join our forums which is linked to all over the place, mainly on the right, though. Anyway, here's the interview!

1. Besides the three projects we've all seen on your site, do you have any that you're working on?

Not really. I have lots of game fragments that might turn into something, but I try not to let myself work on too many projects at the same time. And I can’t really say that I’m working on Ambleek—I haven’t touched it since 2003. My current active projects (though not active enough) are Avaus and Velella.

2. Which of your projects is currently taking up the most of your time?

Avaus has been my main focus for the past year or so. That year hasn’t been as productive as I might have liked in the area of game creation, though.

3. Since, judging from your previous work, you're normally a solo developer, what has it been like working with Darthlupi on Velella?

We don’t really have set roles, but pass the source code back and forth and add or change whatever we want to. Each of us has areas of the game that we sort of own, but even that isn’t very strict. Our artistic visions for the game (and, in many ways, for game making in general) are similar, so we haven’t really had any major creative differences.

4. What are your contributions to Velella?

The closest I could come to naming specific aspects of the game I’ve focused on would be to describe some areas—that is, themes, tilesets, and level designs. The basic engine is mostly Darthlupi’s work, but other than that we both work on everything.

5. So far, we haven't heard much about your game Avaus. Can you tell us a bit about the game (style, story, etc.)?

I couldn’t tell the story even if I wanted to; I still have several directions I might take it. The basic premise is that people and animals have been mysteriously disappearing. Some scientists eventually track a few of the taken creatures and are able to open a portal to where they end up. The protagonist pilots a special ship to the other side, which appears to be a sort of dream world.

I started Avaus because I wanted to create a space shooter. But that’s such an established genre that I don’t think I could contribute anything worthwhile if I didn’t combine it with some other mechanics and ideas. So I also made it an exploration game. You pilot the ship for most of the game, but you can also be able to get out and walk around in many places.

This game will probably look similar in a lot of ways to my other projects. The game world will be very large. I’m trying something a little more ambitious than I have in the past for music. Finally, I have some ideas related to breaking out of video game formulas. If I take these ideas as far as I’m considering taking them, then Avaus might end up pretty strange and maybe kind of irritating.

Sorry to be vague about some of these things, but I don’t like to spoil a game or to discuss plans that I haven't yet realized.

6. Ambleek has also been a bit under wraps- besides the demo, we don't know much about it. Can you give us some information on it? What is the storyline, if any?

So far, the demo is all there is to the game. The rest is just ideas. I don’t think Ambleek will have a storyline, but assuming I finish it, it will include elements from a dream I had many years ago and also elements from a sort of comic strip I drew—also many years ago.

7. Do you have an idea of when your next game will be complete?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to say. I had expected both Velella and Avaus to be done by now. All I can say for sure is that those two games will be finished—they are much too large to abandon. Unless I make another small game or two in the meantime, I think that Avaus will be my next release. Or maybe Velella, if we suddenly get motivated again in the near future.

8. Lastly, do you have any new screenshots or other content to show us?

Sure, here are a couple Avaus screenshots—ones that aren’t especially revealing, of course.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/7385/avaus20051119te9.png

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2909/avaus20060718vj2.png

Now these links are fixed. Again.

Radnom Games Article, by NzC

2006-07-20T14:50:00.000-04:00

Hey, there! Boy, have we got a lot going on. We're finally going strong again, with plenty of articles to work with. We just need all of our readers to join up at the forums, GMIF, and chat a little bit there. Anyway, let me continue

This is not an interview. In fact, it's more of an article. I happen to like this style of writing more than an interview, but that's just me. If you like it, or hate it, goto our forums and let us know what you think about it. There may be a poll there already or you can start your own.

This is another article we have with bonus extras for GMIF members. The only difference is that there are a BUNCH of extras with this article. If you want them, though, as you will read again at the end of the article, you will have to join up at our forums to get them. But I don't feel like rambling on and on about stuff most of our readers already know. Here's the article.

DDDEVASTAIONNN by NerdzClub

NOTE- I decided to do more of an article this time around, to kind of throw in something different. The actual original interview with Radnom will be published on the GMI forums, so log on and go check it out!

Okay, I’m back w/ a new interview with Radnom Games on one of his latest games, DDDEVASTATIONNN. This game made its debut in the Game Projects forum of the GMG on July 8th, and much progress has been made since then. Its gameplay was influenced by the Contra game series, and it deliberately has no HUD (that’s “heads up display” for those of you who can’t keep up with the acronyms).
The Contra series is a well-known shoot ‘em up game produced by Konami since its first installment in 1987. This series, (along with a few others like “Metal Slug”) pretty much defined the entire genre of scrolling shooters.
With this background information, it was easy to understand when Radnom told me that DDDEVASTIONNN was really a “love it or hate it” game.
“Because it is original, yet reminiscent of the old hardcore shooter games like Contra,” Radnom says, “Which themselves are 'Love 'em or hate 'em' games. There are the casual gamers who won't be able to really get their full enjoyment out of DDDevastationnn and there are the gamers who don't like the idea of game almost completely stripped of all the 'necessities', a HUD, a menu and 'proper' sprites and graphics. I think the game will only truly appeal to those like me who have played and enjoyed games like Contra for what they are. Then again, I'm not making Contra. DDDevastationnn will be different enough to stand out, hopefully.”
It appears so. Along with a demo, you can also watch a Flash trailer for DDDEVASTATION (that looks cool in all Caps). I asked Radnom if he was going to involve Flash cut scenes, and he told me, “I plan to make DDDEVASTATIONNN so that the control is never taken away from the player... the character will always be on the screen, there won't be any parts where the control is taken away for a cutscene... if there are any cutcenes you will be free to move normally in them. In fact, there won't even be a menu, or even an in-game help file. The instuctions will be given in the game, and there will be no need for a menu because I will make the game autosave at the start of each level, meaning once you've beaten a level you should never have to beat it again.”
After playing the demo it was noticeable what difficulty Radnom was aiming for. “Hard,” he said simply. There’s no health or health bar, when you run into an enemy it’s pretty much over for you.
Now, in the game you have a primary weapon and a secondary weapon. I asked Radnom how many weapons there will be. So far three are planned (although technically it’s six, since each weapon has a secondary weapon). Those weapons are:
- Assault rifle (with homing rockets as a secondary weapon)
- Flamethrower (with grenades)
- Plasma weapon that shoots beams (undecided secondary weapon)
“I wanted to go for a smaller amount of weapons because then I can make each weapon completely useful in its own way,” Radnom told me. “If I went for a huge amount of weapons it would be very hard to balance them, it would be very hard to quickly scroll though and find the right weapon in a hurry, and they would all be very similar.”
Very true, Radnom Games, and thanks for being interviewed!
But we’ve hardly covered everything Radnom and I talked about! Don’t you want to hear some exclusive updates on Grenade Boy and Mechbot (games I have already interviewed him about)? Do you want to check out the EXCLUSIVE DEMO of Radnom’s latest brawl game in the works, “Gorilla Madness”? Do you want to see the original interview with Radnom Games with all of the information he gave about DDDEVASTATION?! Well, of you answered “yes!” to any of these things, head over to GMIF (the GMI Forum, there’s a link on the little bar to the right) and check them out!
-NzC

Interview with Exo_Kopaka by Cigaro

2006-07-18T15:46:00.000-04:00

Yet another long drought without an article... the forums are dying and so is the site... at least, that's what you thought. Cigaro has helped out by interviewing exo_kopaka.

But that reminds me, we have hired a freelance writer! Say hello to Jabberwock! (No, really, say 'hello' out loud. He can hear you.) I've already said enough to Jabberwock about the job, and I only have one thing left to say to him: "C++"

Anyway, if you want to be a freelance writer, come to our forums at http://z7.invisionfree.com/gmi and join up and submit an application! We also have exclusive articles and screenshots for forum members and plenty of article and off-topic chat for you there. But, no more small talk. Here's the article:

Cigaro:How does it feel to have possibly two of the most hyped games at the moment?

Exo: Having the two most hyped games is excellent. With the players wanting to play my game, they act of somewhat as a foundation, so later when I release a new game, everyone will want to play it. Somewhat of steps for a giant staircase to something big.

Cigaro:After spendind so long on these games, when can we expect a demo/full game?

Exo: I don't think anyone should expect a demo. A video, maybe, screenshots, a must, but not a demo. The player should not be able to press buttons, but to infer the gameplay and awe at the game, so when it comes, they would be more excited than ever. As for the full game, that will come in time. You can never place a due date on a game, because then the entire production will feel rushed, even though you have like another month.

Cigaro:Where did you get your inspiration for these games?

Exo: Many think that I made Halo: Lone Spartan out of being a fan of Halo and trying to make a good fan game. However, its not like that at all. It started long ago, with my first experience with SuckBox and Halo. Me and my cousins played it, but I was dying to play more (I didn't have an SuckBox at the time). So I created Halo: Revised, where it was created all from memory. My cousin played it over and over, even though I only had 7 levels or so. It was also my first sucessful platformer. So I decided to remake it, when I stumbled upon Rayg's sprites, and asked him if I could used him. So, its kinda like a small game I created to something entirely large, just to bring an old friend a smile.

As for Black Silhouette, that started even longer ago. After playing Rouge Spear for Dreamcast, which was a very limited multiplayer shooter, but was fun for what we had at the time, I decided to make a recreation of it, but instead, add a twist. It was to include Metal Gear like style of gameplay, which was one of the games I really enjoyed at the time. Not only that, but it was also suppose to include characters like the Ghost unit on Star Craft. Later, I decided to scrap the idea, and make a two player co-op game, but instead of using rifles and machine guns (like what was inteded for GATT), I decided to limit them to only pistols, like that on Splinter Cell. I left that game alone for a while, and started a ninja game, where it was influenced by Tenchu 2: Birth of the Assassins. Later, after playing the next Tenchu installment, other games, and watching movies, I decided to use my Mecha War engine, and create a stealth game out of it. The idea sparked Black Silhouette, where I took everything from GATT to the ninja game, merged them together, and created something even bigger. I knew I wouldn't finish them, even though they were really good ideas.

Cigaro:What features will be implemented into the games?

Exo: Anything I see on movies and games that I think need improvement, things I like, and things that make it a sucess, I add into my games somehow, and try my best to make it better. For example, I loved the stealth system of Metal Gear Solid and the ninja action of Tenchu, so I placed those into Black Silhouette.

Cigaro:Do you have any unreleased screenshots/info that your ninja purposes wouldn't mind sharing?

Exo: Of course I will release more info and screenshots, but that should be answered over time, to keep the entire audience wanting more, kind of like trying to keep a ball in the air even though gravity doesn't want it to. smile.gif

Cigaro:Any last comments about your game?

Exo: They are all based on past experiences and more. I love making them because after creating something so big from a small idea, or ideas in most cases, and letting everyone see and play my creation. I try my best to get recognized and at least get a rating from the judges. They all have been great, and I try to keep them diverse based on things I see or do.

Cigaro:How does it feel to work so long on a game knowing that most GM games dont make it past a few weeks?

Exo: I have a strong tolerance when it comes to game making. Normally, when people have an idea, they make a game on it, but never finish it. I think clearly through it and make a strong game from the idea. And if anything arrises that catches my mind and I want to start a new project on it, I will try to work my way around it and try to implement that feature in my games. I see how many games recieve reviews, and that is what I am aiming for, but it kind of ticks me off when its something you could whip up in three days, when my projects take months to even years.

Final Message: My games are to be diverse as possible to spark intrest in those who like that, or for those who haven't even been exposed to it. I try my best to even get a rating, for everyone to enjoy my idea from my head, and for the satisfaction for my hard work and dedication that really paid off. For the future of my game making? Well, I guess we will have to just find out. smile.gif

Cactus, Interview with Tokyoma

2006-07-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

Yes! We are finally back up and running smoothly again. Articles are coming out frequently and without much pause. I'm thinking we can keep this up with a little effort, and maybe, if need be, help from some outside sources.

Nonetheless, I've got a new article ready for you all to see! Normally, we cover games in the 'Games Projects' section, but this time, I headed into the 'Game Ideas' section. There, I found Tokyoma and their 'seeeeeeeeeeeecret' game. Of course, I don't like secrets, so I decided to get all the info. Or some, anyway. Here it is, for everyone to read!

GMI:To start off, why is this game a secret?
Tokyoma: The main reason I tried to keep Cactus such a secret is to toy with Cactus a little, give him a little taste of his own medicine. But also because I think it will be more of a success if released when it's pretty much finished. This way more people are excited about a suprise and give me more drive to work hard to make it a good suprise.

GMI: So the name is Cactus? Is it about cactus?
Tokyoma: In a sense yes, it is about the Cactus we all know and love. But also.. It's more like.. I gave the Cactus we all know.. a story... a tale... Something interesting and fun, yet still represents and has a feel to it much like that of a game that Cactus himself would enjoy.

GMI: When will it be done? The suspense is killing a lot of people!
Tokyoma: The release date is still ticking down on the very first post I made about the game. I believe the official day is July 15th at midnight.

GMI: Are you going to release anything more than just hints? Like maybe screenshots or a demo?
Tokyoma: No demo, possibly a screen shot or two. Just to tease.

GMI: Well now we should get down to the game. What's it like?
Tokyoma: Hmm.. For the most part it follows a sort of Action/Puzzle game tone, but there's a lot more to it than that. To be honest, when it's completed... It will probably span across at least 4 to 5 different generes.

GMI: How long do you think it'll take to beat it?
Tokyoma: I can't honestly say. It's too early to tell how long it will be.

GMI: Other than the main game, will there be any special features or extras?
Tokyoma: Possibly one or two secret endings and some secrets around the game and allusions to Cactus and his games.

GMI: What game (professional or Game Maker) would you compare your game to, if you had to?
Tokyoma: To be honest, it KIND of makes me think about Cactus's Retro Adventure. But still pretty different. I can't really say that there's much to compare it to that I know of.

GMI: Is there anything you can tell us, GMI, that you haven't told the general public yet?
Tokyoma: Would anything that I tell GMI be released to the public anyway? Heheh.. Anyway, I supose that I could reveal that it has cool music. Heheh.. But on a more serious note, It will probably be rather difficult concidering one hit results in instant death. However, the game automatically saves after you enter anyroom.

GMI: I think that's it. Anything else?
Tokyoma: The game will retail at about $235 a copy.
Tokyoma: Ahaha, totally kidding

Thanks a lot, Tokyoma! There it is, friends! I hope you liked it! Be sure to join our forums, which we link to all over the place here.

Danse Machina Remake, Interview With Malaika by Venom

2006-07-08T12:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, we are becoming active again! Several articles are ready/in the works, so don't worry about weeks of pause. At the most, for the next while, there should only be a day or two's pause. Keep reading, friends, we are working our way out of this hole! Keep coming back to our forums (GMIF)!

We've got a special interview with Malaika about their new re-make, Danse Machina. Also, for GMIF members, you will all get exclusive screenshots not yet released. Want to see these screens but not a GMIF member? Then join the forum and you can see! Just be sure to be active. ;)

GMI: Okay, so first off, you're working on a remake of Danse Machina. Why?

Malaika: Well, the original Danse Machina, which I stopped developing last year, was a bit of a disappointment. I've always been a big fan of robot action, and I felt it was my responsibility to do it right this time.

GMI: So what are you chaning for this version?

Malaika: Pretty much everything. The graphics have had a total overhaul, I've altered the characters and the storyline to be more interesting, and I've taken a new direction in level design. There were many elements in the previous version, like the level and user-interface design, that really dragged the game down. This time around, I'm prepared for it, and those are the elements I'm focusing on most.

GMI: So you're confident this will be a much better game?

Malaika: It's already a much better game, and I've been working on it 1/10 as long!

GMI: When will this game be released?

Malaika: I'm thinking by the end of the year. There's a lot of work to be done with the levels and story, but the crux of the game is essentially complete.

GMI: Are you going to release any demos or trailers at all?

Malaika: I already have a demo, which runs through the tutorial, and gives a sneak-peek at the first level. You can get that here: http://64digits.com/games/index.php?cmd=view_game&id=673

Other demos will follow - hopefully with a little more content.

GMI: Is anyone helping you with this game?

Malaika: Nope, I'm doing it all. Although, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Nobody for the graphical inspiration. It's made a big difference.

GMI: So... tell me, exactly, what is this game and what do you want it to be like?

Malaika: Danse Machina is essentially a top-down shooter. You take control of a robot, which can be fitted with different weapons in the two hardpoints. It's heavily character-driven. Gabrielle (your character) is thrown into a conspiracy which jeopardises the peace of the galaxy, and the only thing that can keep her alive is her own dark past.

I'm basically combining two games for this one. The first is an old arcade shooter from '96 called The Machines, which is where I got the gameplay inspiration from. And the story and basic level inspiration comes vaguely from Deus Ex. It has the atmosphere I want to capture in my own game - the story, characters, puzzles, etc.
Mala'ika says:
So expect arcade action, with a uniquely deep storyline!

Thanks, Malaika! And remember, screenshots provided exclusively by Malaika can be found on the GMI Forums, but only if you're a member! Other than that, expect a new article up in a day or two! Thanks for reading!

Black Silhouette Fact Sheet, by ronnoc

2006-07-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

Yes... it's been a long time. Again. Sorry for all of this! We'll be trying to pick activity back up really really soon. We've got some great ideas in the works. We hope to get some readers back and even some forum members back. :)

ronnoc has submitted his first article! It's not an interview, rather, it's a fact sheet for Black Silhouette by exo_kopaka. So, please read it. The come to the forums and talk about it!

It’s the ronski! Bit too lazy to interview someone, so I complied a fact sheet about the wonderful Black Silhouette, by Exo_Kopaka. Thanks to Exo_Kopaka for the input.

Name: Black Silhouette
Development time: Two years
Genre: Stealth/Adventure
Known moves:
-9 Ninpo Abilities
-2 Aerial Attacks
-Jump
-Kitana
-Submachine Gun
-Grenades
-Sniping
-Driving
-Motorcycle

Locations: Various places around the globe.

Misc. info:
-Multiple endings
-Lock-on system
-Ads: On 14 members sigs.
-.gm5
-Lots of items
-Ninpo

From Exo_Kopaka:
There will be 50 mini-levels that you need passwords to unlock. That is just a minor part in this game.
I am also slowly putting together pictures for a "behind the scenes" on how much work has gone into this game. I believe its the only isometric stealth game on GMG, so I better make it good!

Inspiration:
-Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rouge Spear
-Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2
-Tenchu II: Birth of the Assassins
-Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven
-Splinter Cell
-Star Craft
-Hitman 2
-and a whole lot more...

Known weapons:
Sword, HKMP5K-SD, Shurikens, Grenades (smoke and frag), and Berret Sniper.

People in on the game:
Exo_Kopaka(graphics, coding, and everything) and cornandbeans(music). Hopefully Tokyoma(AI).

The Intro is being released as a teaser. Intro mini fact sheet:

Intro size:
700kb in GMD form

Completion Log:
05.27.06- Added most of Scene 3 of the intro.
05.31.06- Finished Scene 3 and Scene 4.
06.10.06- Finished Scene 5. Began production on portraits.
06.13.06- Finished 4 Portraits. (Yoru, Riku, Takeda, and Koji)
06.14.06- Finished 2 Portraits. (Megumi, Hawk)
06.15.06- Amazingly, I finished 2 Portraits. (Steve, Natasha)
06.16.06- Yeah! I finished 4 Portraits! (Kage, Damein, Kara, and Mr.President)
06.17.06- Finished a scene for the intro. Also made some changes with the particle effects on the intro. I worked on (50%) of the city scape (Hong Kong), which takes forever to do...
06.22.06- I finished the city scape and fixed up the intro a bit. Thats about all.
06.24.06- Finished Scene 6 and 7.
06.30.06- Managed to squeeze in Scene 8.
07.01.06- Finished Scene 9. Started on Scene 10. Almost done!
07.02.06- Added some really cool particle effects. Also made soldiers have more lighting effects.
07.03.06- Finished Scene 10 and 11. Added Haiku, boats, more effects, and a new background. Soon.

Interview With Don Arthuro, by Mooseyfates!

2006-06-29T10:44:00.000-04:00

Yes... it's been like 2 weeks since the last update. The staff has been busy and lazy. :( But whatever. Let's get on with the real stuff. Mooseyfates has volunteered to do an article, so hopefully this will push the staff to get another one out. But, without further ado, here it is:

GMI: You said this game was like Risk. Do you have any other inspirations for this game?

DA: In fact the game is based on the Total War series. When I played Shogun Total War the first time a long time ago I really thought it was a very nice game.. Then Medieval and Rome Total War followed, and they just got better.. When I discovered Gamemaker I tried to make such a game, but I was far to inexperienced to make it.. After I made a lot of small games, I tried it again, not knowing I would make such a big game out of it.

GMI: When are you planning on releasing it?

DA: I really can't say when it will be released.. It will take a long time complete the AI. It's not as good as i want it to be, but to make it better a lot of testing is required, which takes a lot of time. But since I have vacation now I think I will work on the game a lot more. I'll try to finish it as fast as I can, but I really can't say when it will be released.

GMI: About how long have you worked on this game?

DA: As I said, when I started on it I had no idea what I would make out of it. I don't even know exactly when I started.. I think it was almost a year ago.. I first created a very bad engine.. But while I was trying to add features to it, I got more experienced and found ways to make it better. I also had long breaks when I just lost motivation to work on it. But I always continued after a while..

GMI: What new features can we expect to see in the final version?

DA: The main think I worked on lately was a new system for fleets. Another mayor change is the possibility for every faction to build it's own special building. If you build this you unlock your specialty. Further there will be a lot of changes you as player would hardly notice, like improvement of the AI. I will also add a tutorial, and I want to get some nice music that fits to the game, but i can't make it, so if someone can make good music, please PM me.

GMI: Are all of the graphics made by you?

DA: No, in fact I didn't make any graphics.. The mainmenu and the 'settingsscreen' are made by a friend I know in real [life], B Artistic, and the other graphics are made by Cakesniffer

GMI: Are there any other games you are working on?

DA: No. ATM is Imperial Domination my only project. I worked on some small projects when I was tired of it, but none of them are spectacular.

The new 'Fleet' system

Interview with Mr. Chubigans, by NerdzClub

2006-06-13T09:23:00.000-04:00

Mr. Chubigans is likely one of the greatest individual Gamemaker game programmers of all time. In the six years that Vertigo Games has been around, Mr. Chubigans has been a pioneering programmer. He was one of the founding fathers of the original Game Maker Community, (it apparently later closed as it was then) and he won 4th place in the first ever official Game Maker Competition with “Prisms of Light”. Since then he has created smash hits such as Ore No Ryomi (it won a perfect 10 at Squackle.com) and eventually Sandbox of God, possibly his most recognized game. Liquisity, Ore No Ryomi 2 (won the “Top Dog” award at the-underdogs.com), Prisms of Light 2 (scored a perfect 100 at the gamingw.net), Helicopter Cacophony 2 (perfect 10 at GM Review Database), and others are all made in these five years and have all been critically acclaimed. Again and again Mr. Chubigans has created true quality Gamemaker games, which he has done again with Vivid Conceptions, his newest platformer. Here, I (NerdzClub) got the chance to interview this outstanding Gamemaker, so here goes.

NerdzClub: Where did you get the name Mr. Chubigans?

Mr. Chubigans: From a TV show called Freakazoid actually...it had a really fat cat named Mr.Chubigans, and I thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.

NzC: How did you come up with Sandbox of God and Vivid Conceptions?

Mr. Chubigans: Sandbox of God was inspired by eyemaze's "GROW" flash game, and I thought it was a great concept to really flesh out. Vivid Conceptions was actually going to be a Pikmin 2D type thing, but I realized that wasn’t going to work all that well and it spun into something completely different. Whether I made the right decision or not is hard to say; I do think Vivid Conceptions isn't my best game, but a step into more professional territory.

NzC: Which of all of your games is your favorite to play? Which was your favorite to make?

Mr. C: Oh man...I’d have to say Liquisity, since that one is purely user interaction. Other games I already know what the computer AI is gonna do, solutions to levels, etc...but Liquisity is all skill, and I still pop that one in every now and then. As far as favorite to make...Vivid Conceptions was actually. That's probably the most telling point: if a game is a horrible, horrible experience to make (like Ore no Ryomi 2 and Sandbox of God was) it will probably turn out great in the end. I might have had too much fun making VC. :)

NzC: What games are you currently working on?

Mr. C: We're getting the ball rolling on Ore no Ryomi 3 this summer, though I’ve been busy writing for IGN as a freelancer. We're gonna start doing a weekly flash game segment for them and it’ll turn out pretty neat I hope. It’s still under negotiations as of right now though.

And I am toying the idea of combining Helicopter Cacophony 3 and Liquisity together and making a game...I have an engine and everything. We'll see how that goes. :)

NzC: When do you expect them to be done?

Mr. C: I probably wont do any more release date things, since they always come back to haunt me. A March release of VC ended up a late May release, so watch for ONR3 to be a holiday release hopefully. It will be our first shareware game.

NzC: When can we expect a sequel to Sandbox of God? What happened to the working title "Sandbox of God 2: Paradise"?

Mr. C: SOG works as a small game, but in a huge scope with multiple eras I don’t think It’ll work...there's so many combinations that it would be nearly impossible to get them all. Its paperware [Note: Paperware basically means that it’s only written down on paper and hasn’t been really made. It’s a nice word] as of now; I know better than to say it won’t ever come out, but it has some tough barriers ahead.

NzC: What's new in Helicopter Cacophony 3?

Mr. C: I’m not gonna say too much about HC3...Him has finished the sprites, I got a debris engine, and now I’m toying with the idea of using these things for something totally different...but we'll see. :)

NzC: What about Ore no Ryomi 3?

Mr. C: There's tons and tons of work to be done on that, and I’ve been so busy with IGN that its tough getting that ball rolling. Very little work has been done. But I’m confident once we get the outline of the game it will be done fairly soon.

Thanks Mr. Chubigans!

You can go to Mr. Chubigan’s website and discuss stuff in his forums or download his games there: http://www.vertigogaming.net/

You can also discuss this article and much more at GMI’s Forums. Check out GMIF (GM Insider Forums) here: http://z7.invisionfree.com/gmi. Bookmark it!

Also, I have an announcement. In some of my future articles, I may have exclusive material that will be posted on our forums at GMIF only. It’s free to register, and since you’re apparently reading our articles how much could it hurt to talk about them? Sign up now!

Interview with Nobody about Smallness, written by NerdzClub

2006-06-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

Well well well! Sorry for being so inactive here, but the forums (GMIF) have been really active! That, and I'm on vacation, so please forgive me! But we've cranked out a new interview... this time with Nobody. It's called Smallness, and, well, you can read about it in the actual article.

NerdzClub here. I got my interview with Nobody, one of the most influential GMG members of all time, about one of his latest and most hyped games, Smallness. Shortly after he revealed his artistic exploration game, clones and copies sprung up all around GMG. What is he doing about that? Well, he’s changing Smallness altogether. Read on to find out more!

NzC: Okay, where did you get the idea for smallness?
Nobody: I looked at the gmpixel banner, and thought, hey, it would be awesome to actually walk trough that! So well, I basicly made that...

NzC: What kind of locations do you play through?
Nobody: Anything I want. Currently there is this all-known starting room, and the caves, after that there will be a snowy part, with a village. But this part of the game isn't planned at the beginning anymore. It actually isn't in the same dimension of the full game!

NzC: Any enemies or obstacles to speak of? Are there any planned?
Nobody: They are planned. That's all I will say. Smallness got a kinda new concept, because I thought there were too manby copies around. I want it to be unique. Anyway, something enemy-like is indeed planned. Expect hunting. (Won't say more about that.)

NzC: Do you have any exclusive/never-before-seen screenshots to show us?
Nobody: Smallness concept got totally changed, but for you guys, here is a little sneak-peak:

[Note that it's not ingame, but just a raw sketch of a level.]

NzC: When do you expect for it to be out?
Nobody: Well, probably not very soon. Expect 2007/2008... Demos will come though. :)

NzC: Do you have anything else to say about Smallness?
Nobody: Well, expect the "remix" to be even more awesome!
And one thing: The new version is called for now:

Smallness: After

Some quotes from comments in your Nobody’s Blog:
"Nobody Says:

May 15th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
”Smallness is just kinda on-hold, but I’ll continue it. Slowly, but steady. Too good too cancel. “

Nobody Says:

May 29th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
”Probably gonna redo smallness. :O "

Thanks, Nobody! It looks like Smallness is being remade, and Nobody’s vision is as unique as ever.

Vacation

2006-06-06T11:27:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm going on vacation. I'm leaving later today for Orlando and coming back next Tuesday. But that doesn't mean I won't be publishing any articles during that time! I'm taking my laptop with me, but it's really slow so I am not entirely sure how much I can do, but I WILL try.

So, because we don't have an article ready yet, I'm going to talk about our new forum we set up and what you can be expecting. Just know that all planned editorial content is subject to change.

Two days ago (6/4/06), I set up a new forum for the staff (ronnoc and NerdzClub) and I to talk things out and plan articles with greater ease. I also had the idea of allowing other GMI readers to join and chat amongst themselves. It is now a 17 member site with 205 posts! You can goto the forum here. It's got an article chat, an off topic, a Game Maker help and creation area, and a whole bunch more. I'd be delighted to see more readers join and it'd be great if our members we have now told their friends about GMI in hopes to get even more readers and forum members!

We also need a moderator to keep things under control, so we (the staff and I) can concentrate on the content for the blog. So if you think you have what it takes, join up, make a few posts and get known, and check out the topic about Moderation Positions and apply. Everyone has a fair chance at getting the job.

But enough about the forum. Coming up, you can expect articles about your favorite game makers, mostly from NerdzClub. These will include: an interview with Mr. Chubigans, Nobody, and Don Arthuro. We're still trying to get something for ronnoc, and he may take one of NerdzClub's articles and do it himself. As always, I'll be doing an article or two here or there, also.

Thanks for reading and hopefully we'll get a few articles and updates this week while I'm gone!

Interview With Radnom Games, by NerdzClub

2006-06-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

Well, here we are with another interview. I'm glad that I finally picked up some staff (NerdzClub and ronnoc) to help carry the load. NerdzClub has been doing a wonderful job and has surprised me a lot. I'm sure ronnoc will be the same. But, without further ado, a look into Radnom Games' mind:

Interview with Radnom Games – By NerdzClub

NerdzClub here again. This time I was lucky enough to get an interview in with Radnom Games. RG’s two most anticipated games, Mechbot and Grenade Boy, are pretty much my favorite shooters in development, so needless to say, I didn’t have any trouble finding questions to ask. The only question I didn’t ask was where he got the name Radnom Games, but alas, it’s too late anyway for such a question anyway. Onward to the interview [Note: I use brackets to clear things up, they weren’t in the original interview.]!

NerdzClub: Okay, Radnom Games, what was your inspiration for Grenade Boy and Mechbot? How did you come up with them?

Radnom Games: Inspiration for Mechbot: Well when I started Mechbot the whole 'TDS' [Note: TDS=Top Down Shooter, for those unfamiliar with the lingo] craze hadn't started at the GMC [Game Maker Community] yet, so at the time it was a fairly unexplored market. I also decided that I would try something different from a basic platformer which, at the time, was pretty much the only sort of game I made. Mechbot's inspiration mainly came from my love of robots, explosions and fighting off hordes of weak enemies.

Inspriration for Grenade Boy: GB's inspiration came from the fact that in all games, with, I think, no exceptions, grenades are always the side dish. For once I wanted, just to be different, for grenades to be the main course. I made it a platform shooter as I love making them. Because at the time I didn't really feel like animating a detailed player sprite, I just made GB a circle dude. Kinda simple, but it means I can spend more time on gameplay instead of the graphic side.

NzC: Do you have any unreleased/exclusive screenshots to show our readers?

RG: Not for these games, sorry.

NzC: Which game is your favorite? Which will be released first? When can we expect them to be done?

RG: My favourite [sic. British spelling]? Agh, that's a hard one. All of my games have emotional ties with me, and in my head, they're all special. It's like trying to choose one of your children as the best, it just feels wrong.
I have actually got about 5 or so main projects, along with about 10 mini-projects, and each is worth continuing, I just don't have the time.
I'm not sure when any of the games will be finished... I know I will have one game done by the end of the month, but it's not one that anyone apart from me has heard of yet.

NzC: Do you have any exclusive info about these games?

RG:
Mechbot:
It's going to have a Campaign mode, a skirmish mode, a 'secrets' mode (by finding things in the campaign you gain codes to unlock little things) and a level editor+campaign editor (if things go to plan).

Grenade Boy:
It's going to have cutscenes, many, many types of enemies, many more types of grenades and vehicles in the full version.
I've recently finished the HUD for GB but may change it later. I have made three new types of grenades: Cluster, Stick and Beehive.
Also, pressing J in the game turns you into one of my designs for a vehicle. That is in the current demo.

Other projects include (in order of completedness [sic.]):
- 360 Smash
- Redemption: Hacker
- Smile Arena
- Save The World
- Venality
- Monkey Madness
- Dogfight
- Xplode [sic. Well, I guess anyone would figure he spelled it differently, but that’s deliberate. It’s the name of the game. You get it.]
(these are the games that I still work on every now and then)

NzC: Now specifically for Grenade Boy...
- What made you decide to make it so violent in the recent demo?
- How exactly did Grenade Boy get his grenades? Is there some kind of legend behind his name? Care to give us any hints or anything like that?
- Come to think of it, how did GB's "Rage Mode" originate?

RG: The game got really violent because... well I'm not sure. It could have been a happy children’s platformer with grenades, but I decided that gory games just appeal to me more. It's definitely more mature than some of my other games, but I will make a 'child-friendly' version of the final game (and maybe a 'directors cut' with even more gore).
The other questions will be explained in cutscenes in the final version (and are hinted in the F1 help menu of the demo).

NzC: Now onto Mechbot:

[QUOTE from Mechbot String on GMG forum]
“PROGRESS REPORT:

I'm just saying that this demo (DEMO 11) is the final demo, the next thing I release will be the final version.

I am working on cutscenes and storylines, new enemies, new modes, secrets and hidden minigames, vehicles, better ally control, new ally units, improved map editor, campaign editor (maybe), plenty of stuff to keep the game great.”

NzC: Great! How's that coming along? Any new enemies/modes/vehicles /etc. you'd like to reveal? Any screenshots of them?

RG: Well actually progress on Mechbot is really slow. I've been working on many of my other projects (Venality is what I've been working on mainly recently) and then there's school which takes up far too much of my time.

What I have done, though, I'd rather keep a secret until the final release.

NzC: Okay, thanks for taking this interview!

RG: No problem, and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
[Note: At this point, I would have asked him where he got his interesting name, but it was late at night and I had set myself a deadline to finish this story tonight on time like a professional. And I probably sound completely unprofessional admitting that, but whatever.]
Thanks, Radnom Games!

Thanks, NerdzClub! I'm sure our readers will greatly appreciate this piece of fine work you've done here. But now onto other matters. I have recently (yesterday) put up a forum for GMI, mainly for the staff and I to talk, when I thought, 'It'd be nice to open it up to the public, just in case they want to chat about GMI.'

Specifically, it's got an Article Chat, where you can talk to other users about your favorite articles, it's got a GMI Suggestions place, which is self-explanatory, a nomination and game submission area, where you can nominate games for coverage or submit your own to a staff member. It's got an off-topic and just a whole bunch more, and it'd be great if you all give it a look, join up, and post a little.

You can get to the forum by going to http://z7.invisionfree.com/gmi

Thanks for reading and I wish everyone well!

Make-A-Call, Interview with noobfarm

2006-06-04T13:38:00.000-04:00

Haha, here we go. Make-A-Call (MAC) has been greatly hyped until some members basically proved the project impossible. But I don't feel like explaining 6 pages of controversy to you. Read the interview.

GMI: So there has been a lot of controversy over whether MAC is real. Is it?
noobfarm: Yes MAC is real.
GMI: Can you prove this?
noobfarm: Well, yes. Im not saying that you can come and PM me asking for MAC and i'll give it to you. But yes I can prove this.
GMI: How?
noobfarm: How? Posibley a demo, or maybe a video of me calling someone. Or I can tell how it works. But for me to tell people how it works they would have to work at A2 Gamespot (a2gamespot.tripod.com)
GMI: How do you get a job there?
noobfarm: Well, you can simply talk to me by, PM'ing me on GMG or Talking to me on AIM: Tutandusflander
GMI: What can you do in Make-A-Call?
noobfarm: You can call people and you can program into 5 numbers for "Flash Dial"
GMI: When will MAC be finished? Do you have a release date?
noobfarm: Well it should be somtime around the end of the summer(a little before september) becuase I have pushed it to the bottom of my "To do" list becuase GMG does not support the project.
GMI: Will you release a demo at all?
noobfarm: Maybe. Im not quite sure at this point.

We are still looking for staff! Recently, ronnoc just joined and is going to start working on some material soon, and NerdzClub has just finished an interview with Radnom Games, which will be published soon!

Interview with Game Fortress - by NerdzClub

2006-06-01T14:12:00.000-04:00

I know there hasn't been an update in what seems like ages, but finally I, or should I say 'we', have one. I have decided to sign NerdzClub as a new writer for GMI, and you can expect one or two articles a week from him. He got an inside interview with Game Fortress about 4 upcoming games.

Interview with Game Fortress

As my first interview on behalf of GM Insider, I got the honor of interviewing revered game maker Game Fortress. Just last February, GF’s game “The Curse of Kaumaha” was released. It received critical acclaim for its originality, intriguing graphics, and interesting puzzles. “The Curse of Kaumaha” won the Spotlight award for February. Since then, Game Fortress has continued work on a handful of projects all at once, apparently with others yet to be announced. I got the chance to ask him a few questions about his games, here we go:

NerdzClub: You're currently working on four games at once right? (Isn’t it Magnetic, Aqua Artist Colorful Virtual Aquarium, Pokemon Twilight, and Blackwater?) Are there any others you are working on?

GameFortress: Blackwater is the main project I am working on at the moment. The other games listed are either side projects (like Magnetic), old projects I plan to revisit later (Aqua Artist) or just for fun (Pokemon Twilight). I have many more game concepts in progress, but none of them have moved into official production.

NzC: Which do you work on the most? Which one is your favorite?

GF: It depends on my mood. Blackwater is easily my most ambitious project so far, and in terms of the grand scheme, I would have to say it is my favorite. It is a massive amount of work to put together an RPG, so the actual development is less than rosy. I think I have had the most fun putting together Magnetic.

NzC: Do you have any unreleased/exclusive screenshots to give us for the article?

GF: I want to keep Blackwater mostly hush-hush, but I could probably provide a few screenies for Magnetic.

NzC: Could you briefly explain each game? Where did you get these ideas? Inspiration of some kind?

GF: Wow, this could take a while. I guess I will start from the top.
Most people probably know me from my work on Pokemon Twilight. PT was a game I decided to make for two reasons and two reasons only. 1.) Nobody at any of the GM forums seemed to think a quality Pokemon game was possible, and 2.) Pokemon was my childhood fixation and I had always aspired to make my own. Basically, I did it for personal fun. PT is not and will not be my main project in the near future, it’s just for kicks.
Aqua Artist is probably the first game I created that I really liked. I made it a month or so after getting an aquarium full of fish, and the concept seemed to fit really well in a game. The game currently available for download is well over a year old by now, and the first version I ever made is now reaching its 2 year anniversary, so It is a deep rooted game. I really like the concept and I plan to do a total revamp sometime this summer. My programming and graphical skills have increased substantially and it should be a pleasing game experience.
Magnetic was a very spontaneous Idea. It cropped up in my head while I was trying to get asleep last august, and It wouldn’t get out until I got a prototype working. The demo I released on the GMG and GMC nearly a year ago is simply the two day product of that idea. I recently restarted the project because it kicks butt and because I needed to get back into the summer swing before Blackwater. It is really fun to work on, and in a way, I wish I could dwell on in longer. Unfortunately, it will take a back seat for Blackwater for the next few weeks.
Now for the big one, Blackwater. Many people have questioned my judgment with this game. For anyone who has followed it science its release will probably be familiar with the main character, a greenish yellow sea horse looking creature. Spout, as he is called, was the product of some sketches I drew early last year. The game was originally slated for the name “The Legend of Spout” but it was switched to “Blackwater” in January. The game has changed substantially from my original vision. It was meant to be an underwater side scrolling platform with puzzle elements. It has become a much more grandiose project science then. The story has exploded into a plot filled with treachery and deceit, all revolving around the mysterious end of the world, also known as “Blackwater”. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot but for those of you who have played it, expect dramatic changes in the next few weeks with new demos.

NzC: Which game will be out first, you think?

GF: If luck is on my side, it will be Blackwater

NzC: Do you have any exclusive or unreleased info that you'd like to share, or that you're going to share soon?

GF: I don’t know if I should say this so early on, but there is a good chance I may work on an MMORPG, after the success of PT over the net, but it will NOT be a Pokemon game.

Thanks a lot, NerdzClub! Game Fortress also released a screenshot for Magnetic.

"This is an image earlier on in the game before the little blue guy finds his magnet"

Deity

2006-05-27T17:10:00.000-04:00

Another interview, ready to see the light of day. This time it's with Team Darkmatter and their upcoming project, Deity.

GMI: This game has been in production since Dec. 19, 2005. When do you expect it to be done

edenb: It will (metaphorically anyway) hit shelves near the end of the year, probably about Christmas.

GMI: So we all know that, as God, you'll have special powers. Do you have a list of powers that you can show us?

edenb: No, but there will be hundreds of possible combinations.
We haven't decided on all miricles yet.

GMI: Is this game going to cost anything? Or will it be free?

edenb: Of course it will be free!

GMI: What are you working on right now for the game?

edenb: I'm personally overseeing all aspects of Deity, like graphics, music, programming and design but most of the design work was done at the start. The big feature we're working on now is enemy god AI, which is arguably the most difficult feature of Deity programming- wise

GMI: Are you working on, or going to work on anything you haven't said publicly?

edenb: yes, I can't say much now but the Deity expansion pack will add a lot of different gameplay mechanics to Deity, a few new features never used in "god games" before. Deity 2 is in early stages of planning and will be like the transition of Mario to Mario 64...

Unfortunately, edenb couldn't supply me with any 'exclusive' screenshots. But there are some out there, and they can be found at this link.

Thanks, edenb!

Do you have good writing skills? Would you be interested in writing for GMI? If so, please contact me somehow and I'll see what I can do!

Diary of the Phoenix - Interview With cactus

2006-05-25T20:25:00.000-04:00

Here it is... everyone's been clueless as to what's really going on behind the scenes of 'Diary of the Phoenix' by cactus. He's posted several fake download links and a bunch of screenshots. Some have called him a master of torture, and others have asked if he was on crack. I've got the inside scoop, though. I scored an interview with the game maker, along with sketches he used for the cutscenes. So sit back, relax, and learn!

GMI: Okay, in your first post you said if anyone could guess what the game's about they'd win a free copy. Does this mean everyone else has to pay?

cactus: No, everyone will get a free copy. Maybe I'll have to charge a small fee for the uncensored version of the game, to ensure that people are of the right age to play the game.

GMI: What's up with the fake download links? You mentioned you were bored but was there any other specific reason?

cactus: Yeah, it was fun to tease everyone, but it was also to cover up that the game was in such an early stage of development that I couldn't even release a demo if I wanted to.

GMI: So, without ruining anything, can you tell us what this game's about?

cactus: Hm, I'll try. The game is set in the future, where mankind has migrated into space in order to escape the earth, which has been devestated by a major nuclear war. In order to survive they have constructed four small artificial planets where they've built up their new civilization.

The main events of the story occurs a few centuries later, where terrorists has developed new weapons of mass destruction and tries to subdue the governments of the different planets.

The player will take the role of a rather bleak character that gets pulled into the terror organization mostly just for kicks. It will play out like a simplified, and surrealistic adventure game (think the La La Land series, and add some slightly more refined gameplay and adventure elements, and you'll get the picture).

GMI: The graphics look really nice. Are they all yours?

cactus: Yes, I've drawn everything freehand in paint, without the use of existing motives or models. The only thing that probably won't be made by me is sound effects, but I'll have processed them quite a bit, so no one will recognize them from anywhere else. The music will be analogue, and recorded by yours truly, which will add quite a lot to the filesize (and hopefully to the atmosphere of the game).

GMI: You said you want some beta testers before it's finished... do you know who you're looking for and when?

cactus: I'm looking for serious people who can dedicate more than just a couple of minutes to make an indepth review of the game. Puzzles are hard to do in adventures such as this one, since everyone doesn't use the same reasoning when trying to figure out what to do. And I don't want anyone to get stuck while playing the game. That would just take away the fun from it.

I'm not sure when I'll be needing people to test the game, probably when the game is nearing completion.

GMI: Last question... you told everyone that they should see the real thing by the end of the summer. Do you have a better idea of a certain date?

cactus: No. I keep drawing new stuff for the game nearly everyday, yet I can't see an end of the list of things to do, yet. So, your guess is as good as mine.

Although, I've considered releasing the game in parts. It's going to be built like a diary, so maybe I'd release a few entries every now and then untill the game is done. But I'm not so sure that it's such a good idea, since I might want to go back and change things around when the game is done.

And that was the end of the interview. When I asked him for a few screenshots, he told me he didn't have any at the moment, but he had some sketches he made for the cutscenes. He gave me links to three, but I can only show two, because one was too inappropriate. You can, however, contact me somehow and I WILL show it to you.

Sketch One
Sketch Three

He also told me about the minigame he's working on. Here's what he said.

"The new minigame I'm working on is pretty hard to describe without ruining it. The whole point of the game is to figure out what to do next, and how to do it. It's a platformer made in the same style as the RETRO series, but you will notice right from the start that it's very different from my other projects. As the game progresses the gameplay will successively change into something new.

You basically will have a new type of challenge in each room, and you'll never be able to guess what comes next. It's going to be a seriously sweet, but probably rather short adventure.

Enough talking, I have some games to work on."

Thanks goes to cactus, for doing this interview so willingly. I hope that helps some of you who are really hyped about his new game. Thanks for reading!

GM Insider Update

2006-05-24T14:33:00.000-04:00

Hey, all, this is just an update for the site.

If you want to help GMI out, you can do so by copying and pasting the following code into your forum signature.

[url=http://gminsider.blogspot.com][img]http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/9739/gminsiderbanner5ku.png[/img][/url]

Doing so will hopefully get new viewers. I thank everyone who does this. If you have one of your own designs, you can e-mail it to me and if I like it, it'll become available to use.

Also, expect the interview with cactus (about his new, very secretive project, Diary of the Phoenix) to be posted later tonight or sometime tomorrow. And don't forget about the demo for Detoss Law 2 coming out soon, exclusively for GM Insider; nowhere else.

One more thing: I would really appreciate it if you, the viewers, could contact me somehow and let me know how I'm doing with this. If you hate it, tell me why. If you love it, tell me why. That'd really help me out, so thanks goes to anyone who will do so.

That's it for now, be checking back because that interview with cactus is coming soon, along with sketches he used for the cutscenes (indcluding one that's too inappropriate to show!).

GM Insider Update - What's Coming Up!

2006-05-23T12:45:00.000-04:00

I have a lot coming up that I think everyone will be happy about. I'm really glad to see that a lot of the game makers are willing to help out and give me material. I also just want to thank everyone who's helped out. This includes any suggestions you've given me about the site (that means you, Joewoof!), those who have given me game ideas, and all the developers who I interviewed and asked questions.

But to the point: I have a lot coming up. But I don't want to burn this thing out 3 days after I made it, so I'm going to spread it out. Yes, I'm going to try and do a little each day, but you may have to wait for the big stuff.

What you can expect in the near future, though, is a demo for Spiderman Simulation that hasn't been released yet. You can also expect an EXCLUSIVE (read: nobody else will have this) demo for Detoss Law 2, thanks to FearedMachina. Also, you'll be seeing an interview with cactus about his new game, Diary of the Phoenix.

So I hope all of you will keep reading and I hope everyone's looking forward to the near future as much as I am.

Spiderman Simulation - New Exclusive Screenshots

2006-05-23T11:14:00.000-04:00

After learning a lot about NerdzClub and Unique-Gorilla's new game, Spiderman Simulation, NerdzClub kindly sent me a bunch of unreleased screenshots. Underneath each one, he gave a description of what's going on in the shot. All of these will be actual quotes.

"This pic shows Spiderman catching Nightcrawler in one of the challenges in the new demo (catch nightcrawler 7 times). His Spidersenses are also going off (the yellow flash) because he's standing on spikes that will shoot up in the air soon."

"From the same level, Spiderman avoids Nightcrawler's line of vision (the red bars) and waits for him to look the other way so he can pounce...."

"^ This pic demonstrates what happens when Nightcrawler sees you. He disappears and you can't catch him! Instead, you have to wait in hiding for him to reappear (usually takes 5-6 seconds)."

"This is a pic of a level that gave some testers a lot of trouble. A cannon is continuously firing high-velocity cannonballs at Spiderman. My tip is, stop trying to dodge the cannonballs when they're going around 6 times faster than you. The idea of the level is to trust your Spidersenses and judge the distance between you and the cannon. If you're right up close to the cannon and your spidersenses go off, jump away from the cannon and sprint and jump away. If you're by the other wall, climb up or down the wall to give the cannon a moving target that's harder to hit. If you're in the grounds in between (like in the pic), just trust your Spidersenses and jump when it flashes. You can tell in the pic I had a pretty close call, but I survived by jumping the moment the old senses flared up."

He told me that nobody else (not even Unique-Gorilla) had seen these pictures and that they're exclusive to GMI. Thank you, NerdzClub.

As always, you know how to contact me and let me know what games you want to see being covered here.

La La Land 6 by biggt

2006-05-22T13:48:00.000-04:00

This is what we've all been waiting for. I think this is the first anyone's heard officially from biggt concerning La La Land 6, part of his famous series. I got an exclusive interview with the amazing creator and got to dive into his head and learn some things about his great series. Here goes:

GMI: We all know that the La La Land series is great for it's surreal and abstract feel to it. Why did you make your games like that?

biggt: If you were moved by the game, chances are you know where it came from. I don't mean to sound cryptic or stubborn but over-analysis can really ruin some experiences I think. Then again it can also add to them.

They were made after intensively working on another game. I became overwhelmed with the pressure of knowing that I may never finish it. That's a horrible feeling, especially when you put so much heart into it. These games were like the byproduct of that.

GMI: What do you have planned for the next La La Land game?

biggt: If I planned these games they would become methodical. I try to avoid that.

GMI: When will La La Land 6 come out?

biggt: On my mother's birthday.

And that's what I've got so far, at least concerning interviews. I have screenshots, too.

Screenshot One
Screenshot Two
Screenshot Three
Screenshot Four
Screenshot Five

I hope to have more from biggt and other people, so be sure to check back for all the latest from Game Maker Insider!

Site Update - New Name

2006-05-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

After receiving some feedback, I have decided to change the name of this blog from 'GM News' to 'GM Insider'. Thank you, Joewoof!

Also, I highly recommend you use RSS/XML feeds here. It's clean, easy, and you'll know when I get a new article up. :)

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. You know how to contact me.

First Coverage - Spiderman Simulation by NerdzClub and Unique-Gorilla

2006-05-22T07:28:00.000-04:00

Well, here it is, the first coverage I'm doing. It's about a new platformer where you control Spidey and use his powers to get you through the level.

The official last update on the game was 5/20, and today is 5/22, so we have two days of nothing 'officially' happening. But we all know that there is work going on behind the scenes that no one know about except the creators. So that's where I come in. I asked NerdzClub a few questions about his game and got some good answers.

The official post stated that the next demo will be released anywhere from 5/21 to 5/28. The first demo, however, can be found here.

But I got the real story, here. When asked if he had an official demo release date, NerdzClub replied, "Yes, the next demo will be released between today and one week from now (in other words, sometime this coming week). Most likely next Saturday, but possibly earlier."

The demo is supposedly going to have "more than" 3 more levels, "possibly" a boss, "and more".

I also asked NerdzClub about an official release date for the entire game. He told me that the game development was going smoothly and working with such progress, that he is expecting a late Summer/early Fall release for the game.

There was one more question that he answered for me. I asked him if there were any 'secrets' in the game, or something planned that no one knows about. He said, "... for fun, I often hide hidden messages or symbols in my games..."

He didn't have all of the material I was asking for at the time that I asked for it. Thankfully, though, he said he could get me some inside screenshots within the next day or two. So be checking back every once in a while 'cause I'll be getting some secret, never before seen looks into NerdzClub and Unique-Gorilla's new game, Spiderman Simulation.

Do you know of a game that you think should be covered? PM me on the GMG or send me an e-mail at raisinbran91@hotmail.com. Have any comments, rants, or raves? You can always post a comment. All are welcome, as long as you keep them under control. We may have young ones visiting the site and we don't need to hear your nasty language ;).

Welcome!

2006-05-20T10:43:00.000-04:00

Welcome to GM News! I'm your editor, Venom, and I am going to be showing you around the Game Maker Universe. I'm going to get you inside your fellow game maker's minds, getting screenshots and info on games not yet released! I'll get you all the info you want to know but don't. If you have a game that you want to learn more about, whether it be a screenshot or two, a release date, or anything, please e-mail me at raisinbran91@hotmail.com and I'll see what I can do!