Remembering the future part 2 / / block i-istory

Remembering the future, part 2

Remembering the future

Part 2

March 21, 2003 the local game development industry has entered a new phase of his ~~madness.~~ She gave birth ~~to the~~ GDC. To quote the original (with the cuts, to preserve the integrity of ~~the brain~~ perception): "Game Developers Conference (KRI) - the official Russian-language forum" from developers for developers and publishers of computer, console, online gaming ... The event, which gathered every year hundreds of artists, designers, animators, programmers and sound designers ... to share experiences and fresh ideas with colleagues, learn about trends in global games market, gain new skills, find new employees, the employer or business partner conference ... also includes a project fair, where young designers can present their projects to the largest Russia's and foreign publishers, as well as an annual prize KRI Awards ... �.

Who does not understand all of the above advertising appeal from the official site activities - the word "forum" there was mentioned with its originally-Roman values - a mass representative assembly ", conducted live, but not virtually on any internet portal.

That first GDC I remember in a special way. First - it was the first. Second - was held at MSU ^1, so sincere was organized to promote not so much games as the industry. So many curious young eyes, see us, as if the gods living on Mount Olympus, I will never forget. Third, it was the GDC, which I had the opportunity to make a report. Therefore, the personal (and very rich) piggy bank of their unusual experiences I could put another one: "read a lecture to students in the auditorium of the MSU." Fourth, the opening day of the event I was invited to the premiere of "Treasure Planet" ^2. And, fifthly, that most impressed me then - I had a chance to get into temporary-spatial wormhole ³ on one of the lines of the Moscow metro. I do not know how it happened to us (I was not one), but the station "The welcome" to "University" We drove for 15 minutes, including transplant. Alas, only Muscovites are allowed to evaluate this miracle.

Since then, KRI has ceased to be such a romantic. Now each new conference as something clearly became the scene of fallometrii ⁴ for local igrodelov. While no official reason refused to meet for joint drinking. A really special awards "KRI Awards� began to be divided prior to the event in a narrow circle implicated in principle "and last year you had two nominations in the Best Play and Best Technology, now you have enough alone Best localization company.

Another omen of the next Level-apa our industry has become an opportunity for all unproven companies to move to these new offices, with secretaries at the entrance and security guards at the door. The first financial success in the gaming market, but the interest of foreign publishers to our development, allowing to attract inward investment, which are in the vicinity of 2003-2004, wanted to spend less on development of technology, expertise and software as new separate offices, unnecessary staff and falloudlinyayuschie any signs of a successful business.

Although there soul curve for us, the simple ~~village~~ workers igroproma, came the real "gold" Days. The bright and clean rooms, new furniture, air conditioners, dining room with a trainer - who is no joy in this new work environment that we hardly been neglected for years, content with mediocre wages so blessed by the tides of enthusiasm.

The year 2004 was in many ways is great for the industry and its releases. List all the decent here, of course, as always unrealistic. I will mention only those which directly or indirectly, I happened to meet: study, play or just listen to others' experiences that have proved my worth mentioning here: EverQuest II, Evil Genius, Far Cry, GTA: San Andreas, Half-Life 2, Hitman : Contracts, Legacy of Kain: Defiance, LotR: The Battle for Middle-earth, Myst 4: Revelation, Painkiller, Rome: Total War, Sacred, Sid Meier's Pirates!, Silent Hill 4: The Room, Star Wars: Battlefront, Unreal Tournament 2004, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, World of Warcraft. Ah! While copying these lines some names, as many as nearly in tears gushed from the memories. A pity that I personally deal with their own hands is not felt, but from the people of those games'd heard plenty. I know many fans of those masterpieces. If I were of that year, was given three gaming desires without hesitation would have chosen a tantalizing Painkiller, the Grand Vampire: The Masquerade and the epic Half-Life 2. On one of the pages of the official art-book the last, let slip a familiar Russian artist immortalized me in the form of a portrait of one of the characters. What will show off in front of her grandchildren.

Among the domestic releases lit in Behind Enemy Lines, Star Wolves, Space Rangers 2, AIM. Not be ashamed to remember this.

But in terms of "Great Phases" throughout the games industry talk about the mentioned EverQuest II, and of course World of Warcraft.

The term MMORPG ⁵ was much more known in earlier times. But only with the advent of these two exotic madness descended to our edges. Many familiar geymdevelopery, spending their hard-earned money only supposed to have a look at "the new word in the universe of games, in the first year subscription to WoW have a long fall from the very process of working on their games. If I was not misled, then at least release the famous "Le Corsaire 3" owes its scandal is notorious game from Blizzard Entertainment. Although, if not this can not, it does not appear to sweat and some great sequels.

Years later, some pundits will claim that this is the WoW time equated to cocaine. They allegedly repeatedly confronted with examples of dependence on computer games and in all cases this was the fault is World of Warcraft, and not some "Three from Buttermilk. But be that as it may, before my eyes is always worth a picture. Imagine. Outside the beginning of either 2005-first, whether 2006-th. In Moscow, the most insane thing in WoW. From Mother Russia's entire government gaming people get smart gift: New Year holidays to all, not only for scholars,: before January 10. And in this most blessed time of our entire neighborhood Otradnoye (Moscow) because of the cracked ~~between the eyes,~~ frost remains on for two weeks without the Internet (thanks to beloved ISP). I then just some fancy loomed before my eyes: mad from the genuine grief and horror person podsevshih on WoW. I myself, fortunately, this infection and not seen in practice, and in Moscow in those days, too, do not sit - go far.

The first seeds of the current crisis igropromovskogo (just then matched with raspiarennym economic and financial) were laid by the igrodeveloperami in the first half of this decade of the new century. Even I know a lot of good teams that have proven a wonderful project, but after the excellent releases suddenly began to realize: "We are such cool and unique! Enough to work on some kind of uncle. And if we do not own the game for nothing similar? ". The core of such teams always took on the voluntary bread, starting all over again and losing the current command for years, picking up after that, on poverty, untested youngsters fighting-developers to design their "brands", unproven by time or game fans. It will take a couple of years and such escaped ~~slaves~~ to the will of the developers will be the fathers of the first wave of boring and unfinished games in the best case, or "atstoya" under less favorable conditions.

However, players have many years did not realize it crept up to the mist. The years 2005-2006 have been able to give a lot of hits, or just strong projects: Age of Empires III, Black & White 2, Call of Duty 2, Civilization IV, God of War, Guitar Hero, Resident Evil 4, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Star Wars: Republic Commando. And to them Ex Machina and Mor-Utopia. Dungeon Siege, FEAR, Fable, Gears of War, Gothic 3, HL2: Episode One and the same Heroes of Might and Magic V.

The middle of the past decade, the game was noted by one very notable event, which, however, can be grouped into three independent. However, their significance still need to unite. This - the emergence of new game consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. Xbox 360 - the official launch in November 2005, Wii - sales began in November 2006, PlayStation 3 - was launched in November 2006 that same-go. Next generation console features a revolutionary hardware, digesting the latest graphics, a special connection to Internet services (not all of these, and not equally of having) and the aggressive policies vparivaniya the world community. What, however, played a role. Now the average game developer would rather do his project "only for the console" rather than "just a PC� - game console to date has divorced so many that even the sale of a provincial game they are paying in full for all development. And yet, admittedly, rigorous specification of the console fillings can safely work on the code of games, not worrying about the disparate operating systems, gamers, so monstrous piece of iron to the incompatibility of Cloverfield-component together with the exotic sets of any strange software, drivers, and DirectX releases ^6. And who in our time does not dream of quiet and comfortable to work on games "of their dreams?

2006-th year for the Russian gamers in the first place was for the developers in the second was established and implemented magically "Russia's first large-scale annual exhibition of computer and video games" - Igromir. This is not mentioned above, the Cree, for which tickets cost a lot, but look at the common man almost no matter what. Boring lectures and modest stands gamer provoke difficult to purchase future ~~atstoya~~ hit. But Igromir - is a real testing ground for emotions of any player. Expanses VVC ⁷ could accommodate not only tens of thousands of visitors of any age, but also smart, attractive displays of many gaming companies, among them dared light up a lot of famous zabugornyh offices. And they, with much less enthusiasm for the pavilions, was something to look at the screens and monitors. Could flog joysticks future hits and ears "live" listen to previously unavailable developers ready to answer tricky questions.

Merits Igromir before the universe quickly appreciated by both players and publishers of games. Best of the booth to advertise future gaming products to think critically. The masses of potential consumers which spread the news of the samples of games around the internet, the crowd hungry �� journalists, television and online coverage of events - everything was at hand. For this go to the many victims: build noticeable and attractive stands, handing out is not useless loot stripped invited the girls and even invited the real stars of Western igroproma.

2007 and 2008 were not the most radically revolutionary in terms of revelations gaming technology. But the world community has not been deprived of. Assassin's Creed, BioShock, Crysis, HL2: Episode Two, Halo 3, Mass Effect, NN2: Mask of the Betrayer, Portal, Silent Hill: Origins, Supreme Commander, Unreal Tournament 3, The Witcher, Dead Space, Fable II, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, Metal Gear Solid 4, Mount & Blade. But just the same STALKER and Clear Sky to him, Collapse, Corsairs: Return of the Legend, and to them the most Corsairs: City of lost ships, the great King's Bounty: The Legend and unusual Tension.

Separate word shall confine Crysis (a game such). With NVIDIA ^8, or rather their secret (and considerable) infusions and constant propaganda by all possible means, a huge army of gamers made the "forced" modernization of its ~~elephants~~ �� and could then more naturally and adequately perceive other gaming products, saturated plenty of graphic bloat . Developers began to breathe more freely. Now, to avoid being labeled as "Count shit", could allow to create a more insatiable beauty, is not afraid to spend money on their production, while losing most of the audience, not burdened with modern computers

Last quarter of this decade brought to the video game industry a powerful new figure to be reckoned with any and all game developers - the spread of broadband and unlimited Internet. Some people have a comfortable environment for the dissemination of information about new or upcoming games, download demos, patches, and full installation kit. Others received a new playing field, the previously most difficult of access, which could build uncharted gaming genres, united under the imprint of MMO. And third, a factor that will soon bring a new relationship between players and developers have easy access to pirated copies of all the new games that do not have presented nothing magic about the latter.

The arrival in 2009 did not bring anything good of the world's gaming industry, much of the local are even better. All the talk about a crisis (it does not play). Closing studios, projects, resale companies, spill-over of staff, freezing started games raspugivanie outside investors - is the only global effects of the disorder, which if completed, it is unlikely to return everything in its place.

Each branch of production in each country had its own reasons to touch the crisis. Russia game industry faltered for several reasons. A large series of failed or really quite awful igroproektov, as well as the kind assistance of piracy crippled financial stability of the studios. Greed and arrogance of publishers only exacerbated the matter - the lack of reserves and the habit of living from day to day led to the delays and failure to pay for game discs store chains left without the means of those who directly worked on the games themselves. Reduction of salaries and delays, reduced budgets, and hence the quality of ongoing projects, freeze-looking games and the sudden release of unfinished - a noticeable impact problems the industry.

As result: memorable releases of 2009 with barely attracted my attention: Killzone 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Machinarium, Resident Evil 5 with one hand and the King's Bounty: The Princess in the Shell, Order of War with raspiarennymi allodium line with the other. Well, at least Dragon Age: Origins many comforts that year has not lived in vain.

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