ID: brilbear
Occupation: Director of cocoa beans
Deployment: The Great Chocolate Factory
Appearance: suspiciously reminiscent
Distinguishing features: particularly noticeable in the winter in a forest in the jacket turned inside out "Alaska"

An anonymous insider wrote a novel in short stories and essays "Gameriada" without even knowing that it has read.

Remembering the future Part 1

Remembering the future

Part 1

Many years ago, somehow suddenly come XXI century, he reveals the world understand that "the future - has arrived." For me as a representative of the generation that grew up on tales of the 80's, the advent of the era of computers and all connected with them, including virtual adventures and a global network, was the very embodiment of this fiction, which dreamed of in childhood and adolescence.

Parish 2010 First, in the opinion of the majority, has left behind the first decade of the new century (many people still naively believe that in January of 2000, they met another stormy Century). However, whatever was in fact a good reason to look back and assess the ten-step evolution of one of the areas fantastic today - computer games

What happened all those years with people on this side of the market of video games, many still remember, many will never know, but many, by and large, this is on the drum. But few have heard that it was there all the time, in the crucible of the gaming industry - from developers themselves. What are the joys and challenges they worried that it was important to them and on what they laughed, then waited, and then afraid.

Russia game industry, despite its characteristic differences from the Western U.S., in many respects is still similar to its more serious and older brothers. Therefore, scenes from her life to a large extent reflect all characteristic of the world igroproma. And only the Japanese studio, as true representation of alien technology does not fit into the usual formula, we create virtual stories.

The year 2000 came in the full bloom of a rare (if there at all possible) in our time "fans developer ^1". Computer games (and they then in fact they were in contrast to those who are naive to such a view) literally sat for days and nights in the studios, fired with pleasure his eyes and the brain monitors, archaic, the grass, not moving away from the keyboard and mice, cheap plastic "dinner" and were ready for years not to think about some 'mythical profits from sales, content with the usual at that time salaries. Though personally, I have embraced this enchanting industry only in the early 2002-th, I was lucky to find a time when zasizhivaniya at work to pass some sort of end with rare versions of pizza and otsypaniem five together in one corporate couch was lucky to take part in noisy gatherings , where several times a week, decided the fate of the world game, where the move invented features, characters, plot. It was not that of insanity, which is now called "design-document" and "Business Plan". You could simply create, invent and "tear". Should not have to have a project manager or the Chief Designer, so you could say "let's ...", so your idea swept to the head of the discussion, beginning her to embody the next day. In those days, every Big Boss (BB) - usually the financial director of a studio or even like her boss - to a large extent understood not only in the new for all the intellectual and media business, but the gut feel of the gaming market trends, the needs of players and secret desires of investors feel like characters in fiction books. For only they, on the submissions of the townsfolk of 2000-ies, to the "you" to communicate with computers and rule over those who understood this better than others. In addition, a routine occurrence, each BB could easily descend from heaven to developed in the studio and practical advice to help its igrodelam stick to your game what new-fangled trick peeped competitors to growing together in force Slot exhibitions. And there was something to rejoice. Golden Age Igrostoya - that's how I would call it. If you please, if anyone of you with me in this to disagree? American McGee's Alice, Baldur's Gate II, Deus Ex, Diablo II, Final Fantasy IX, Hitman: Codename 47, Homeworld: Cataclysm, Icewind Dale, Might and Magic VIII, Resident Evil, Rune, Sacrifice, Sims - someone has galvanized this short list of releases of 2000?

Russia also does not dwell "in the mist": alone Corsairs and damned of the earth may already have to war for the hearts of true gamers. And they are not lost!

Then it was not worse: Anachronox, Arcanum, Black & White, Civilization III, Fallout Tactics, Final Fantasy X, Gothic, GTA III, Legacy of Kain, Max Payne, Wizardry 8 - year 2,001th.

Well times! But these lists are hit far-far from complete.

Domestic developers (and neighboring countries) is also, apparently, did not sleep: Rig 2, IL-2 Sturmovik, the Cossacks.

In those years, could actually find work in geymdeve, having published novels, earned 2D-or 3D-Award "Dominance War" ² or a fully working demos autograph game engine. To do this, it was initially only able to contribute something useful for the project, but the desire to self-development through the design, not to be useless sinker in the busiest days, and with a clear conscience screaming with joy at the moments of triumph. Although, by itself, without a share of pretty good luck had nowhere to go. Studios were not enough, they were hiding in basements humanized yes faded buildings, the Internet was a wonderful application to rare back then personalkam and magazines are not particularly spoiled with stories about the life of ordinary igrodela. And the studios themselves did not grow like mushrooms after a warm rain. Domestic industry owes much to the origin of well-known in the old days, manufacturers of pirated products, many of which have grown from sales of Chinese shoes. Although there were among those honest "samodelkiny" ³ who, through their labor (but more tenacity) got out of the studio-yourself in the kitchen, having risen to this game office.

From technologies in the years to fight even though it was not easy, but fun and pleasant. Modelers polygonal worlds and characters into all-pervasive enjoyed the arrival of more or less decent 3D-graphics in the game, seeing the need to do something grander 1000 triangles in the model. Figures were moved by the heroes of all its joints in one piece and not separate the parts hands and feet, like a real puppet dolls that before. These recently some incredible things, like the eyes, some fingers, teeth and hair zamodelennye with large parts of costumes enthralled all the participants of the madness that was called "Development of a computer game."

2D-artists to develop more in 19 (!) Inch monitors (just a standard CRT ⁴⁾ with flat (!) Displays, which are behind thick glass in white image looked through the thin metal filament - to hold the stability of the image. And the other artists were happy to play the development of graphics tablets and care from drawing on paper or cardboard.

Programmers only keep up with technology and DirectX ^5. The revolution occurred in 2002, he reveals the world our good old DirectX 9, still in use today, albeit in a somewhat improved version. Established Shaders ^6!

Since then, the race for the re-establishment of realism in games has become unforgiving. All that straight animated picture - the play of light, the repetition of these materials and reconstruction of weather effects, with the help of programmers has become available the creators of games, well, and then by the players. However, the last of the naturalistic and dynamic picture since then has continually shell out. "Beauty requires sacrifice!"

Start-tion in 2000 was marked by the emergence of grace fields for ambitious people, eager to make their games. They are, surprisingly, was not so much as today. But, as today, they not only did not have any slightest experience in development, but had no idea how to do this will exert forces. They found the same crazy-minded people and create teams that, with due diligence in the beginning of the road, we managed to breed such as inexperienced and novice publishers to loot the funding of their paranoia. Most of those lucky people could grow up to the status of the studios and even then a long way before the release of his "dream". For a great dream, it is capitalized, managed units. Others were able to create a great Atstoy. And that was plenty of reasons of which I am already lucky enough to tell you.

Because of an unexplained shortage of ideas for the start of funding, and hence the game's development, it was simply banal courage and applied for her design document, a magical notebook into the cell, which contained all the ideas, plot, characters and game described location. There had been prescribed the most advanced formulas and mechanisms of events, but also comes with the bundle of sketches of heroes, but crooked scheme of the interface. But those who worked sincerely, in full force and constantly evolving in his craft, not only were able to bring his creation to the final, print titles and selling them in stores, but also later managed to gather around their draft army of admirers, journalists and rave reviews decent, by local standards, the fees from the sale.

Games Press is still having some kind of exotic, finally gained weight, the large army of clients and somehow suddenly drew a sharp attention to the game developers themselves. Now the paper editions are not so much an arena for honest and objective reviews and previews, as advertising platform for future games, and for the future Atstoev disguised hits. But online media for a long time to resist the onslaught of both PR-managers, and developers and their publishers - no matter what the network reporters have written, but the whole truth, they do not hide the womb - all expressions of players on the forums are not clean and not concealed. Began to appear the players that, before you buy a gift boksike in plastic, covered with cellophane, were waiting for assessments of game sites and most of forum community.

Separate multiple phrases you can write about game piracy. In the early 2000-governmental download ISO-images from the Internet was not made uncomfortable. Small, even within the limits of Moscow, speed and cost of traffic did not allow them to compete with the beautiful and rich merchants drive trays scattered in all markets. They were not deprived and big stores. Beautiful cover and the opportunity to put the game on the shelf after its passage gave additional advantages. Another quite decent localization and an additional service to exchange discs were purchased as a bonus. Only growing local distribution network and a CD-drive (for DVD games have not yet been taken to print - missing or less) hit the pockets of both editors and pirates.

In 2002 th and 2003 and it saw the world a little smaller hit than before, but they still remember: Devil May Cry, Disciples II, Dungeon Siege, Hitman 2, Icewind Dale II, Kingdom Hearts, Mafia, Morrowind, Syberia, Warcraft III. And then: Call of Duty, Gothic II, Homeworld 2, Master of Orion III, Max Payne 2, Silent Hill 3, SW Jedi Knight. Native fatherland remember Pirates of the Caribbean Sea and Space Rangers. Õîòÿ, ñíîâà ýòè ñïèñêè íå ïîëíûå, à ëèøü ïðèçâàíû íàïîìíèòü ìíîãèì òî èíòåðåñíîå âðåìÿ.

Ìèð íà÷àë ïðèíèìàòü ñåðüåçíîñòü ðàçðàáîòêè íà èãðîâûå ïðèñòàâêè (ßïîíèþ ñíîâà â ðàñ÷åò íå âîçüì¸ì, òàì íå òàê, êàê ó âñåõ). Ïîìíþ, êàê ïåðâûå ñïåöèàëüíûå âåðñèè XBOX-îâ (íå 360) äëÿ ðàçðàáîò÷åññêèõ ñòóäèé ïðèâåçëè ê íàì. Øèêàðíûå ñåðåáðèñòûå ÿùè÷êè ñ ñåòåâûì èíòåðôåéñîì è ðàñøèðåííîé ïàìÿòüþ äîñòàâèëè íåëåãàëüíî: â ìèðå âñ¸ åù¸ ñóùåñòâîâàëî ýìáàðãî (çàïðåò) íà ââîç â Ðîññèþ è äðóãèå îïàñíûå äëÿ Çàïàäà ñòðàíû âûñîêîòåõíîëîãè÷íûõ èçäåëèé, ñ ïîìîùüþ êîòîðûõ, âåðîÿòíî, ìîæíî áûëî ïîäîðâàòü îáîðîííûé ùèò ñòðàí NATO. Ðåñóðñîâ íà ýòîé êîíñîëè êàòàñòðîôè÷åñêè íå õâàòàëî, ïîýòîìó â ðàçðàáàòûâàåìîé èãðå ïðèøëîñü æóòêî âñ¸ îïòèìèçèðîâàòü, â îòëè÷èå îò ïåðâîíà÷àëüíîé âåðñèè ÷èñòî ïîä Ïåðñîíàëêó. Ê ñ÷àñòüþ, íà óðîâåíü ãðàôèêè ýòî íå ïîâëèÿëî, ïîýòîìó áëàãîäàðíîñòè èãðîêîâ íå áûëî ïðåäåëà – âñ¸ ðàáîòàëî áåç òîðìîçîâ äàæå íà ñëàáûõ ìàøèíàõ. Ñ òåõ ïîð ÿ âñåõ áåç óñòàëè óáåæäàþ: âñÿêàÿ ðàáîòà íàä èãðàìè ïîä êîíñîëè èä¸ò âñåé êîìàíäå òîëüêî íà ïîëüçó. Ïîòîì, ÷òîáû âû íè äåëàëè, ó âàñ áóäåò ïðèâû÷íàÿ ñàìîäèñöèïëèíà ñ ïëàíèðîâàíèåì ñðîêîâ è ðåñóðñîâ, äà è ïîñëå îïûòà êîíòàêòîâ ñî ñòðîãèì è äèêî ïðèäèð÷èâûì èçäàòåëåì âàì âñå îñòàëüíûå ïîêàæóòñÿ ïðîñòî áëàãîäåòåëÿìè.

Âñå áîëåå-ìåíåå çàìåòíûå è ïðèëè÷íûå èãðîâûå ðåëèçû ðîññèéñêèõ ñòóäèé (è ñîïðåäåëüíûõ ñòðàí) óæå áëèæå ê ñåðåäèíå ïîñëåäíåãî äåñÿòèëåòèÿ ñóìåëè ïðèâëå÷ü ê ñåáå íå òîëüêî äîïîëíèòåëüíûå âíåøíèå è âíóòðåííèå èíâåñòèöèè, íî è èíòåðåñ èíîñòðàííûõ èãðîâûõ èçäàòåëåé. Òàê è íàñòóïèë íîâûé ýòàï ðàçâèòèÿ îòå÷åñòâåííîãî èãðîïðîìà.

To be continued ...

¹ - (àíãë. fun ) - óäîâîëüñòâèå îò ñàìîãî ïðîöåññà, à íå òîëüêî îò ðåçóëüòàòà.
² - ìåæäóíàðîäíûé êîíêóðñ ïî èãðîâîìó àðòó.
³ - Ñàìîäåëêèí - ðîáîò è ìàñòåð íà âñå ðóêè, ñêàçî÷íûé ïåðñîíàæ äåòñêîãî æóðíàëà «Âåñ¸ëûå êàðòèíêè».
⁴ - (àíãë. Cathode Ray Tube ) - ìîíèòîðû ñ ýëåêòðîííî-ëó÷åâîé ãàçîíàïîëíåííîé òðóáêîé (êèíåñêîïîì).
⁵ - íàáîð ìàòåìàòè÷åñêèõ ôóíêöèé, ðàçðàáîòàííûõ äëÿ ðåøåíèÿ çàäà÷, ñâÿçàííûõ ñ èãðîâûì è âèäåîïðîãðàììèðîâàíèåì ïîä Windows.
⁶ - (àíãë. Shader ) - ïðîãðàììà äëÿ ãðàôè÷åñêîãî êîíâåéåðà, èñïîëüçóåìàÿ â òð¸õìåðíîé ãðàôèêå äëÿ îïðåäåëåíèÿ ïàðàìåòðîâ îáúåêòà. Âêëþ÷àåò â ñåáÿ îïèñàíèå íàëîæåíèÿ òåêñòóðû, îñâåùåíèÿ, îòðàæåíèÿ, ïðåëîìëåíèÿ, çàòåíåíèÿ, "îáú¸ìíîãî" âûäàâëèâàíèÿ è ðàçëè÷íûõ ýôôåêòîâ èñïîëüçîâàíèÿ îáðàáîòàííîãî èçîáðàæåíèÿ.