|
|
*** Ritual Entertainment's Finger Server
User name: backslider
Plan modified: Mon Aug 09 17:51:56 1999
August 9, 1999
Heavy Metal 2d job update:
We are currently *still* looking for a 2d artist the likes of the pixel-master Adrian Carmack. =)
There have been a great number of talented artists who have sent art in response to the first time that we posted this position. For the most part, we have been very impressed with their work and have even done a bit of interviewing, but the one thing missing in most portfolios is a health set of high quality game tiles and skins.
This is nothing new; game companies have this problem every time they try to find someone to create tiles and skins.
In the past, the way we have handled this problem is by giving certain interested candidates an "art-test." No reason to freak out, it's super simple! We give you example tiles to look at for quality. Then your objective is to create your own tile set to submit for review.
To be perfectly honest, I really never look forward to go through this process. However, looking back, I should have prepared the "art-test" the first time I announced the job opening. Every 2d artist ever hired at Ritual has completed the "art-test" before we even looked at any of his or her other art.
If you have never created game tiles, this is the perfect exercise to see if you got what it takes. Plus for those artist that are just coming out of school or those trying to make a career changes, 'with no real tileskin experience', this the type of specific "game" art samples that companies like Ritual are looking for. So, even if you don't get hired at Ritual, after completing the test, you now have a great new portfolio sample to submit the next time you apply at your favorite game company.
Go here http://www.ritual.com/files/arttest.zip and download the zipped file, unzip it, read the doc and check out the art samples. Next, get to creating a sample tile set that even mom would be proud of, then send it to roba@ritual.com.
After you take a look at the files and doc, and still have questions just mail. I get back to you ASAP.
August 6, 1999
Heavy Metal press stuff:
A few updates ago, I mentioned that there was going to be a huge 'kickass' article about the Dallas gaming community in the Houston Chronicle. Well, Tricia, the author (did I mention she is fine?) emailed me. Anyway, the word is the story runs in the paper today! YEA!
There will be something for everyone; she talked to just about every Dallas developer including Ritual Entertainment. Plus there will be some cool new art from the different games in development from local companies who participated. Lots of cool stuff!
So if you are into games and stuff, go to your local newsstand and buy Friday's Houston Chronicle. The article will be in the tech section andor if you can't wait go read it online at www.chron.com OR www.mercenarystudios.com (In Missions section - "Taking Root in Dallas").
I would still plan on getting a few copies of the printed paper, because there will be some gameart not available anywhere else.
BTW- The second site, Mercenary Studios, is a new techgame news site that Tricia just started. I'm trying my best to get her to upload some *more revealing* pics of herself to the site. Send her some mail tharris@mercenarystudios.com, maybe you can be more persuasive than I have been. Nothing wrong with a little skin with your daily game news. Be creative (not crude) with the "subject" field, make it something like "can we see your butt?" =)
Also press related, ZDTV has a great Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 interview preview http://www.zdnet.com/zdtv/gamespottv/videofeatures/story/0,3776,2300862,00.html , with a bunch of the team and Kevin Eastman. Today is the first day that I was able to get the Real player to actually run the damn thing, but it is diffidently worth the wait. In the interview you get your first chance to see and hear the Eastman speak about the Heavy Metal title. For those lucky ones who get ZDTV, they are running this thing all of the time. A must see!!!
Only thing not so cool, is that the game footage has the old Julie model and animations (show taped at E3). All I can say is that the NEW model and all NEW animations (not seen in video) are so sweet! We literally can't stop looking at her ass. It's a third-person game that may have something to do with it. =)
July 27, 1999
We are looking for a "professional' 2d artist with game development experience to work on Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2. If you want to work with some of the coolest and most talented guys in the industry on one of the wildest games ever, then get over to http://www.ritual.com/inside_ritual/help_wanted_2d_artist.html for the details.
It would be ideal to get someone here no later than the first of September. So, if you are in a contract or obligation that you are unwilling to break free of, I understand, we can't wait.
With the changes of sounding like a real dick - if you are straight out of school and without professional game development experience, chances are you are not going to have the skills we are looking for, so please don't send me your work unless you meet the criteria.
Thanks for understanding.
July 14, 1999
Darrin pointed this little bit of news out, "Court TV has signed Martin Sheen to host its one-hour documentary "Virus of Violence," which examines how children can be desensitized by media violence."
Yours truly, against the better judgment of everyone I know, got sweet-talked into taking part of this documentary. I play the part of the 'defensive' game developer caring father, who defends his industry in the wake of backlash from the resent wave of school shootings. The subject has been weighing heavy on my heart, so I was very grateful to have the opportunity to speak. However, after the Washington Post article, "Click Bang It's only a Game," I'm still very gun-shy (excuse the pun) when it comes to journalist.
"Virus of Violence" will premiere in the near future during Court TV's 10p.m. umbrella show called "Crime Stories." I think it's going to air August 14, but these things do change. As the time draws near, I'll let ya know, then we can all watch to see if they give the topic the fair unbiased coverage that it deserves.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/re/story.html?s=v/nm/19990714/re/television_sheen_1.html
Speaking of journalist, Scott Miller (3D Realms) read my update about Softdisk and mailed to reminded me about this super-fly article coming soon in the Houston Chronicle that will cover the birth and rise of the Dallas gaming
community.
The writer, Tricia Serju-Harris, came up to BigD and spent time with each of the local developers researching the subject. (One of the best experiences we've ever had working with a professional writer outside of the gaming media.)
Side note, it might not be P.C. to say, but this sister is sooo "fine!" Also, she did some serious partying with the Dallas crew. I think she is Jamaican, so you know she can hang. Don't worry Tricia, we'll burn the photos, right after the article comes out. ;)
Anyway, I heard that Scott made this diagram which depicts the family-tree of the Dallas gaming community. I can't wait to see it, and too read the article.
Also, he reminded me of a few more names that I forgot to add to the Softdisk Shreveport industry connection: Greg Malone (producer of Duke Nukem 3D), Keith Schuler (3D Realms), and Scott Miller, before starting Apogee, had about 10 of his games published through Softdisk. Also, not sure of his name, but the lead designer of "Redneck Rampage" is from Shreveport.
There you have it, more unless information.
July 13, 1999
(for those who are into trivial history and such)
I was in Shreveport Louisiana this weekend to pick up my boys from the grandparents. For those new to the industry that have never heard of Shreveport, well it's only the "center of the universe". =) At least when it comes to PC gaming.
You see everything has an origin and PC gaming's started, in Shreveport, at this little company named Softdisk Publishing. Softdisk created a subscription disk, which included about five new programs in the mail each month, plus other features such as clip art, puzzles, fonts, sounds, articles, and games. In the early 90's this little company was the only computer software publisher in Shreveport, little did anyone know what was about to happen.
Something magical was amiss, the planets aligned and in September of 1990 while working at Softdisk four would-be-gods John Carmack, Adrian Carmack, John Romero, and Tom Hall created the first game in the Commander Keen series, Invasion of the Vorticons.
One month after Commander Keen was released, John Carmack, Adrian Carmack, Tom Hall and John Romero, with the encouragement of Scott Miller (Apogee), left their low paying jobs at Softdisk and officially began id Software.
We all know the coolass history of id Software, but as for Softdisk, you would have thought that after loosing the arguably the greatest gaming company in the history of gaming they would have been destroyed. Well, they were not, their focus was not about making games, matter a fact the management never saw games as something that important and at the time not many others did either. Face it, what did we have worth a shit on the PC to play before id started making games?
Well I found out this weekend that after the best part of a decade (after loosing id) Softdisk is finally closing their doors for good. I can't let this opportunity pass without thanking the person that hired those guys and placed them in a small room together with one mission in mind - make cool games.
Now that I dusted off the name Softdisk off in this plan for the trivia geeks, it's time to place it back into the micro-fish of PC gaming history once again.
-------------------
There are other gaming industry good old boys(gals) of note that got their start at Softdisk or from Shreveport: Kevin Cloud (id Software), Michael Hadwin (Ritual Entertainment), Mike Wilson (Gathering of Developers), Steven Mains (Rogue Entertainment), Jay Wilbur (id SoftwareEpic MegaGames), Mike Maynard (Third Law), Rich Vos (Gathering of Developers), William Haskins (Ion Storm), Jen Emert (Ion Storm), Mark Rein (Epic MegaGames), Lane Roth (company?) and of course me (Ritual Entertainment).
------------------
BTW- Saw Toadies Friday night at the taste, they ROCK! If they come to your town, go see them.
July 7, 1999
I was feeling a bit guilty about the plan update earlier today not having any "real" gaming news...then I picked up a copy of MCV. This rag is cool, covers mostly entertainment business, not really something that the average consumer is going to be reading, but I find it's very informative.
Anyway, on page 18 (June 18, 1999) a picture in the "feature" section caught my eye. Everyone in the industry and most fans for that matter have felt some serious heat from the aftermath of the latest high-school shootings.
The action game makers are still on the hot seat from law makers like Liberman, and individuals like Grossman who honestly feel in their hearts that our products are to blame?
With all of these lawsuits and the reformers wildly swinging their razor sharp swords of self-righteousness around ready to lop anyone's head off who dares stand up for the most basic of all constitutional rights "self expression", who is the marketing genius at Hasbro who thinks this is the right time to introduce an actual electronic handgun with a kids computer game?
Good luck with this line of kid's products, when Grossman sees this you'll need it.
You got more balls than anyone does in our genre. If the good folks at Xatrix would have tried that "motherfucking shit" by including an electronic handgun with the game, I doubt if EB would have even carried Kingpin (great game BTW).
Maybe Xatrix can team up with the folks at Hasbro to come out with KingpinJr PlaySets, fo the little "motherfucker" in all of us.
http://3dgamegeek.com/viewimage.php3?title=atkins/kidgun
Thanks Jack for the link to the pic.
July 7, 1999
Pimp daddy Hadwin sent a mail that most of this info came from:
The "Taste of Dallas" is this weekend (Jul 9-11) in the WestEnd that's where the Ritual offices are located near. For those of you not familiar with this event, it's the largest free out-door event in Dallas. It involves tasty food from local restaurants, groovin' music from live bands, more Beer than you can shake a stick at, and freaky people watching of all kinds. It's hotter than hell in Texas right now, so that means the babes are going to be wearing next to nothin'. Spread some sauce on that ass give me some cornbread, cause I'm hungry.
(smacking myself across the face) Where was I? Oyea, some of the cool bands playing, fo free, this year are The Toadies, Brave Combo, Trout Fishing in America and others. For those in the know, the Toadies are a kick ass local band that made it big. They'll be playing Friday.
Anyway, if you're in town, make sure to get down to the WestEnd and the Taste. If you see a bunch of dorks wearing Sin paraphernalia, it's most likely the Ritual tribe, stop by and say hi or better yet buy us some beer.
July 2, 1999
Just got the August issue of Computer Gaming World today. They have a special section named "CGW's Top 20 Games of E3." The gods at CGW were impressed enough to name Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 as one of the 'best of the best.'
Here's a taste of what to expect on page 33, "the heat waves radiating from Ritual Entertainment's motor home at E3 weren't from the sun but rather from the scorching graphics of F.A.K.K.2...." "The game has come a long way since we previewed it in our May issue, and we think it'll be one of the hottest for 2000."
WoW! That's cool stuff. I'm so proud. :)
Also, on page 80 they have a special article about 'insider game tips' in titled "CAUTION: Developers at Play." There's like this guy named like the Levelord(tm) and stuff, talking about games and stuff. This leveldude is like everywhere.
That's it.
Have a great 4th and try not to blow off any fingers with fireworks, you'll needed um for deathmatch.
June 29, 1999
What's the deal with some cops?
From a little situation that involved one of Garland Texas' finest, during a 'routine' traffic stop that happened on our (Darrin and I carpool) way home, from the office.
As we past 2 cops waiting under a bridge. "Hey dude you might want to slow down on this part of the highway. I've seen cops pulling people over here all the time."
I sounded like my mom. Why should I worry? The only people I've seen pulled over in this stretch of road have all been minorities. Realitycheck - look in the mirror hippie, the only thing that Texas cops hate more than blacks are longhairs.
You see, in the state of Texas, 2 hippies and out-of-state plates (Darrin just moved here from Washington) equal 'drug bust.' Funny how things add up.
Make a longhair story short, he asked Darrin to step out of the vehicle. Gathered his ID and insurance, took him to the back of the truck and started asking "So, you would not happen to have any chopped up body parts, weapons or drugs in the vehicle would ya?"
Body parts?
With the possibility flashing in his mind for a split second, someone might have broken in and planted a black trash bag full of 'chopped up body parts' in the truck, Darrin stutters "No I don't think so."
"What do you mean 'I don't think so?'" Then he proceeded to definitively tell Darrin, "I know you have drugs in the truck and I'm going to find them."
Then the cocky bastard walked over to me took my ID and started with more of the asinine questions. "Where do you live." (Before I could answer) "Got any warrants out for your arrest? How about a juvenile record? Come on I know you must have broken the law where you were younger? Arson, theft come on what did you do? Are you sure that you don't have any warrants out for you arrests? How about drugs? Got a dime bag? Step out of the vehicle."
He starts pulling shit out of the truck. About 20 seconds into the illegal search, he turns around holding something between his thumb and finger. Whatever it was it looked like a huge ass oat or pea. He turns towards Darrin, "why do you have marijuana seeds in your vehicle?"
Darrin leaning forward to take a look, "what!?!"
Before Darrin had the chance to see what this guy was holding, the cop proceeded to throw the so-called marijuana seed into the grass. What cop is going to throw evidence onto the fuckin' ground? Talk about planting evidence. ;) I got a good look at the seed in question boys and girls and it weren't no marijuana seed.
Convinced that the motherload was yet to be found, he illegally searched the truck for another 20 minutes. At this point, Darrin and I were bored with this shit and sat our asses down in the grass (the kind you can't smoke).
Disappointed that his illegal search was not fruitful, he turned his attention back to Darrin and I. "Got a dime bag on you? I know you got a dime bag in your pockets. Stand up and empty your pockets."
We sorta felt around in our front pockets, he did not even frisk us, standing from three feet back, started in with the "I know you have a dime bag and how about warrants" statements 2 more goddamn times.
For the last fucking time, I am absolutely positively certain "I don't have a 'dime bag'!!"
This complete waste of time came to a close with the officer saying, "I did not pull you over because of your out-of-state plates. I did not pull you over because you were going 64 in a 55 zone. I pulled you over because I am looking for drugs. Are you *sure* you don't have a dime bag on you?"
And cops wonder why they don't get respect, when they treat law-abiding citizens this way.
I just had to write and say, thanks for making me 30 minutes late for dinner with my kids and wife dickhead!
--------
On the Heavy Metal front, just got my August "Computer Games Strategy Plus" magazine in the mail. It's their "Ultimate Preview Guide" which covers everything worth covering at E3. To my surprise and our honor, Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 is sharing the cover with some of the coolest tiles from the show, Q3 Arena, Final Fantasy VIII, THE SIMS and ONI.
On page 55, there is a short write up about the game. If you missed E3, this issue breaks down over 193 new releases shown at the show. It's diffidently one to go pick up.
Also, Zak Belica, sound god, is in town for a few days. He's polishing up the character dialog and sound effects for the first episode. Then he is off to LA for recording sessions with the movie actors. He is going to be working with Julie, Michael Ironsides (Total Recall and Starship Troopers) and of course Billy Idol. There are others, just can't say yet.
BackSlider
June 17, 1999
Ron just dumped a huge box on my desk full of HEAVY METAL, Movie Special issues, magazines. This summer issues is totally dedicated to the new F.A.K.K.2 movie and all of the affiliated products (like our game). In the back you will find a little surprise, created by yours truly.
The screams of "badass", "holy shit", "whatafuckin'trip", "kickass" "goddamn that's cool" and the likes aPre ringing through the office as the tribe gets their first look at Kevin Eastman's F.A.K.K.2 story, illustrated by the man himself, Simon Bisley! The adaptation is a visually stunning 80 page full-color comic with the story taken from #14 of the 24 total versions of the screenplay. Up till now the Ritual tribe has only seen the first half (black and white) of the drawings and no copy. Kevin and Bisley have out done themselves! If Hollywood can do half as good as they have, the movie will fuckin' rule!
Sex, drugs, violence, and Rock N' roll! What more is there!
For those Bisley fans out there, this is his best work in years. Whatever drugs you're doing Biz, send some my way dude. You are brilliant!
It's not hard to tell when something is a labor of love.
Also, there's an ad for a new F.A.K.K.2 Statue created by D-Boy and Art Asylum. Holy shit, these guys can sculpt a great looking ass! I must have one of these for my desk!
There's all kinds of other cool stuff in there as well, don't want to give it all away. Stop reading this and haul your butt to a newsstand! Or, order direct from http://www.heavy-metal.net
BackSlider
June 16, 1999
Our love goes out to a great friend and loved one Richard "Levelord" Gray and his family. Richard's loving father(best friend) unexpectedly died yesterday.
His loss weighs heavy on all of our hearts.
Send condolences to Richard at: levelord@ritual.com
BackSlider
June 4, 1999
Said that I would never do it, but what the fuck, here's a plan file. It was due time and with all of the cool things going on with the Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 movie and our game, I needed a quick forum to present important information.
First, I want to thank all of the online and print media gods who saw the game at E3, went home and wrote some really kind words about what they saw. Positive feedback and good drugs are what hardcore developers crave during the development process.
Second, for those who are asking what the hell is Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K.2 the game and why should I care, go to http://www.ritual.com/FAKK2/index.html.
To learn more about the new animated film coming this fall go to http://www.heavy-metal.net/. This animated flick's got everything. "Chicks with guns" - need I say more.
For those who have never read a Heavy Metal magazine, do yourself a favor, go to your local newsstand, buy a copy and get ready to fall in love. It's the stuff wet dreams are made from.
Third, Billy Idol is lending his golden pipes for the voice of "Odin", one of the main characters, in the film. This is one of the first announcements of the talented voice lineup that Kevin Eastman is putting together. I know for a fact that there will be more, but at this time I cannot disclose their names. Sorry. http://www.billyidol.com/frames/latest.html (Idol's site)
This info came to my attention from our new kick ass animator (been here about 2 months) and huge Billy Idol fan, Darrin Hart. This mountain man came to Ritual via Washington State. Last title he worked on was a Playstation game named "Syphon Filter". He is responsible for all animation, most modeling, and design of the weapons & characters.
Got any questions about this email him at gorp@ritual.com
Fourth, on the moviegame soundtrack front, Bill and the cool ass folks at Restless Records are putting together a killer set of tones. For those who are a bit older (myself) and remember the first soundtrack and movie can only imagine what they might have in store for this contemporary rock album. I know of course, but can't say. Trust me, it will kick ass.
Lean more about Restless at http://www.restless.com/
That's it for now,
Robert M. Atkins
backslider@ritual.com
|
|
Ritual...
Also Today...
Yesterday...
Full list
|
|
 |
Copyright © Square
Eight 1998-2016. All Rights Reserved.
The BlueTracker is provided by Webdog.
We are not responsible for the content of the .plans displayed here.
|
|
|
|
|
Twitter 
