My Final Game Design Idea
https://padlet.com/warrior182011/dx46xd78n3zt
https://padlet.com/warrior182011/368rutr7yimf
https://padlet.com/warrior182011/wlohvhci0fml
https://padlet.com/warrior182011/3wr5r3odkm67
The four links above are the links for my game ideas, I needed to choose a game idea that could be managed to be made and that is a game idea here is why I chose my game idea.

The first game idea was a car racing game where you drive through the streets of Chinatown and pickup powerups on your way to help you win races. I chose not to use this game because it would not be possible to make within the time limit as the time limit is short. The physics for this game would also be very hard to do within the time limit and just in general therefore this game idea was not chosen.
The second game idea was called Run Jack Run it would of most likely been a mobile app similar to Temple Run but you play as Jack Burton instead. This game was a relatively easy game to create compared to the others however, the game I planned to make was for a PC not for an app therefore this game could not be chosen either.
The third game idea was called Chinese Whisper it is a stealth game that is set in Chinatown and uses various game mechanics like an alarm system which I think could be very good in a future game. However, this game idea was a first person game that would take a lot longer than I have to make the game meaning we chose a different game idea. But in the future I would like to use some of these ideas to make a game.
The final game idea is the game idea we are going to use is a game idea about the story of Fortune and her gaining powers to eventually save the day. It is set in Chinatown and this is the game idea we have chosen to do. I have chosen to do this game idea as it has a very good story and it is a pretty big game with good game mechanics but not too big meaning we can complete the game before the time limit. The game location and models all have been carefully thought through so we know what everyone looks like and that it is possible to complete.

Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games
P1 Understand the use of music in games and the methodology of recording and production
Compare and contrast the following console game music.

The Last of Us main theme is a western style song. The timbre of this song is very good unlike Little Big Planet 3 which has a worse timbre than The Last of Us this is because TLOU is a serious game that is more about the countryside and out in the wilderness whereas LBP 3 is a children's game and therefore doesn't need a good timbre. Another thing that reinforces my point is that the main characters are on a horse in the game making it seem more western.  
Neither of these music pieces use Foley in it as they are all recorded using sound effects or instruments. The wavelengths and waveform for TLOU is a simple pattern that goes up then down a lot in a simple pattern. The waveform for The Last of Us is shown below and shows how high it goes but also how low it goes.

The frequency is how quick it is and with TLOU it is a moderate speed which is not as fast as other musics but is fast. TLOU also has a low amplitude. In comparison LBP 3 has a low amplitude too as the music stays at a low amplitude with a quick frequency with short wavelengths different to TLOU but it also has some long wavelengths just not as often. Both of these pieces are used with a loud speaker however, TLOU has surround sound as well. The Last of Us main theme makes you feel different to how Little Big Planet 3 makes you feel. The Last of Us music is made to feel like you are in a western, in the countryside it also makes the listener feel a bit nostalgic as it sounds very nostalgic and makes you think. Little Big Planet however, is more dramatic and makes you feel tense as if something is about to jump out and happen it also suggests something like a boss battle is about to happen. The music loudness is different for both, LBP 3 is louder as it is meant to be more dramatic than TLOU. Neither piece of music has speech in it and neither are iconic pieces of music. Both pieces of music as well were made by an individual person meaning that there are no copyright issues. But because both musicians, Barry Adamson and Gustavo Santaolalla signed a contract the rights to the music will be given to the companies so that they can use them in the game and there will be no copyright issues.

The Last Of Us
The Last Of Us is uncompressed and probably would use the WAV file because it keeps the warmth in the sound meaning the sound will sound more original and like it hasn't been edited by a digital software and less robotic. Another reason I know this is because Gustavo Santaolalla told a paper after he had recorded it that he went into the bathroom so he would get the right sound and warmth meaning he will keep it uncompressed and like that. The picture below shows an example of a PCM.
PCM: Pulse-code modulation is raw sound being recorded in analogy and being changed to digital. The reason why it is limiting the recording of sound is because the sound can only be recorded in pulses and different time frames not all at once.
File format:(MP3, Wav, Aiff) The reason why these file formats limit the recording of the sound is because the files run using PCM so it is the same reason why it cannot be done in one go.
Audio output: The limitations for audio output is that you have to find places to put the sound recorders so you can make it sound realistic and move the positions.
DSP: A DSP is a digital signal processing microprocessor it makes it for the fast operational needs for digital signal however, it cannot work if the audio is analogue meaning it is limited to digital only.
RAM: RAMs are required to change the signal to digital and process the information quickly but some cannot change the analogue signal to digital meaning you cannot use it until you have changed it to digital.
Mono is the basic audio that has been around for years and is the sound that sounds like it is one position.
Stereo is the audio that manipulates the sound waves so that it sounds like they are coming from other directions and positions.
Surround sound is a system of stereos that surround the person listening to it to make it seem more realistic and like they are coming from a certain position.
The Last of Us uses surround sound and stereo for the game so you can get a very immersive experience.
The Last of Us was recorded in analogue as I mentioned earlier on as Gustavo wanted to record it in the bathroom.
Sample rate:
Sample rate is the number of samples in a piece of audio per second it is measured in Hz so for example 44,000Hz. So the sample rate for The Last of Us is around 30,000Hz. With The Last of Us there was no problems with file size constraints.
Little Big Planet 3
The file size will most likely be compressed for Little Big Planet 3 as the game has less storage space meaning they would have to compress the music so there would be enough space for it. The picture below was took from a website that says how much memory Little Big Planet has showing they would of compressed it.

 It is also an original development by Barry Adamson for the game itself. The game will be compressed and most likely use MP3 to store it as that takes up the least amount of space. The audio output for Little Big Planet is stereo. The limitations for Little Big Planet is the RAM as the RAM is very small meaning it will limit and make it so you have to compress it. Another limitation is PCM because it cannot all be recorded at the same time.

Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games
P1
Sound file formats
Uncompressed: An audio file that is uncompressed is an audio file that is just radio waves. They are the most accurate but takes up a lot of disk space about 34MB per minute. So you would use the uncompressed audio file if you were trying to get a very realistic and better quality than compressed files.
Compressed: Compressed files are files that are reduced in size so that it does not take up as much. Due to popular believe compressing it does not change the quality at all. Compressed files are usually used on phones and MP3s because they do not have much storage compared to things like computers.
Audio Sampling
Resolution and bit-depth constrain the file size because they have to have a certain amount of memory which can not be reduced meaning the file size is constrained

Sample rate:
Sample rate is the number of samples in a piece of audio per second it is measured in Hz so for example 44,000Hz.
Mono:
Mono is the basic audio that has been around for years and is the sound that sounds like it is one position.
Stereo:
Stereo is the audio that manipulates the sound waves so that it sounds like they are coming from other directions and positions.
Surround:
Surround sound is a system of stereos that surround the person listening to it to make it seem more realistic and like they are coming from a certain position.

Audio Limitations of Game Platforms
PCM: Pulse-code modulation is raw sound being recorded in analogy and being changed to digital. The reason why it is limiting the recording of sound is because the sound can only be recorded in pulses and different time frames not all at once.
File format:(MP3, Wav, Aiff) The reason why these file formats limit the recording of the sound is because the files run using PCM so it is the same reason why it cannot be done in one go.
Audio output: The limitations for audio output is that you have to find places to put the sound recorders so you can make it sound realistic and move the positions.
DSP: A DSP is a digital signal processing microprocessor it makes it for the fast operational needs for digital signal however, it cannot work if the audio is analogue meaning it is limited to digital only.
RAM: RAMs are required to change the signal to digital and process the information quickly but some cannot change the analogue signal to digital meaning you cannot use it until you have changed it to digital.

In what types of scenario may you use the following audio recording equipment?
Multi-track recording, if you are trying to mix songs together and if you are editing. 
Midi-multi instrumental interface, works best if you have recorded many instruments and want to mix them together
DAT, DAT is good when you want to use analogue and make it sound more realistic and hear the warmth in the voice/music/sound.
Analogue, Analogue is used if you want the audio to be raw radio waves. 
Software plug-ins, Plugins are used if people do not have instruments in real life so will have to use the online plugins for instruments. It can also use real life hardware like compressors and reverbs
Software sequencer, can be used in any situation as you can make music, edit it, play it back and handling performance. It can do basically everything. 

Unit 73- Sound for Computer Games
Understanding Sound Design Theory
Grand Theft Auto 5 death sound Symbolical metaphor
The Grand Theft Auto 5 death sound is an iconic soundtrack that most people know it is used to convey the information that their character is dead by using a sad sound track it also has text which counts as speech which says "wasted" which also tells the player that they are dead. This soundtrack is symbolic as being a sad soundtrack so they took that symbolism to make it show more that if you listen to it you are dead.

The Last Of Us Death Sound Symbolical Metaphor
The iconic music has been used here to show that the player is dead it does that by making it very dramatic and loud so that you know you have died. Just like Grand Theft Auto 5 it also puts text on the screen saying that you are dead and asking to restart. They use this as a symbolic music sound as every time something bad is going to happen or you die it plays showing the character that it is a bad sound to hear.

Resident Evil-opening soundtrack Iconography Speech
The resident evil opening is a very iconic sound as if you have played even one resident evil or have heard the sound it also has speech which makes the player know it is a horror game and it will show that it is going to have jump scares.

Iconography: Something which is iconic for example the Star Wars theme tune is very iconic and one of the most famous soundtracks of all time.

Unit 73 Sound For Computer Games L3
Understanding Sound design theory
P1
A. mood and atmosphere
The Last of Us by Gustavo Santaolalla
The mood and atmosphere of this song has a very sad and empty feel to it as if there are no people but at the same time the music is quite lively. It has a faint sense of hope and is taking kind of a journey. The game maker made music like this because it is leading onto a journey after something sad has just happened and it adds to the atmosphere and makes the listeners feel how the characters feel. I wouldn't use a different type of music or different song as this song works and makes you feel almost sad and nostalgic.
Gravity Rush by Kohei Tanaka
It is very lively and sounds kinda like the game is an adventure game to explore and go around the world doing things. It also seems like nothing bad is happening and everything is good. The game maker used this music to start the game of all happy and there is nothing wrong with the world and its one big adventure. The music used here worked in starting the game and making it so you think everything is good and get a feel for the lively world but also so that you can tell it is an adventure  so I think that it did work.
Mass effect 2 suicide mission by Jack Wall, Sam Hulick, David Kates and Jimmy Hinson
It is a very dramatic song. It defiantly sounds like the name of the song. This song worked as the scene that is played at is a very dramatic scene as you are fighting through and could die making the song work very well. I would keep the same song as it makes everything feel dramatic and makes it feel like you need to do this otherwise something bad could happen which builds the tension making it feel dramatic. The game maker made this song to make the scene more dramatic and tense.
Kingdom Hearts Rage Awakened by Yoko Shimomura
The song is peaceful but there is also a sense of energy and it seems like there could be a fighting scene. This scene is in the game when you are doing a boss battle it works because the music seems very energetic and uplifts you and gives you energy. The song is a good song to be used for a boss battle because it isn't dramatic and tense but also makes you want to beat the boss The game maker made this song for this scene was because it was a scene that needed to have an energetic song to make the players want to beat the boss.
Payday 2 Full Force Forward By lord Simon Viklund
This is very energetic and has a sense of chaos. in the actual game it is when get seen and then they call the police and they get ready to apprehend you that's when this music comes on. it has tense atmosphere but it a beat that keeps you motivated to move on with the heist. The game maker used this song because they needed something with a beat to get the player motivated.

Foley: relating to or concerned with the addition of recorded sound effects after the shooting of a film
This is the google definition of what Foley means. To put it in normal words it is making sounds for a film or game so for example if you need a creaking door you have to go out and record a noise for the creaking door to put in the game or film. This process was made by someone called Jack Foley as he invented the process. 
Timbre: the distinctive quality or character of someone or something.
The meaning of Timbre is the quality of the sound.

Waveform: The generic term waveform means a graphical representation of the shape and form of a signal moving in a gaseous, liquid, or solid medium. For sound, the term describes a depiction of the pattern of sound pressure variation (or amplitude) in the time domain. In colloquial speech, waveform audio is often used to mean the recorded sound itself (not the graphical representation) in order to distinguish it from structured audio, e.g., MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data.

The temporal frequencies of sound waves are generally expressed in terms of cycles (or kilocycles) per second. The simplest waveform is the sine wave, since it has only one frequency associated with it. The sound waves associated with, say, music, are constantly varying.

The meaning of waveform is writing down the sound in a graph, shown below. It is based on the frequency, amplitude and wavelength to get a graph like the one below. 

Pitch: in music the pitch of a note means how high or low a note is. The pitch of a note can be measured in a unit called Hertz. A note that is vibrating at 256 Hz will be caused by sound waves that vibrate at 256 times a second.

The pitch is how high or low the note of the sound is. It is measured in Hertz for every hertz the sound wave vibrates more so for example if you have 56 Hz then the sound waves would be vibrating 56 times a second. 

Decibel: The definition of a decibel is a degree of loudness, or is a unit used to measure how powerful or loud a sound or signal is using a logarithmic formula. When you turn your iPod up as loud as it can possibly go, this is an example of when you listen to your music at the highest decibel.

Decibels are the way that sound is measured, if you look at the graph below it tells you how many decibels there are for what sound.

Sound Generator: A sound generator is a vibrating object which produces a sound. There are two main kinds of sound generators (thus, two main kinds of musical instruments).
Sound generators are basically loud speakers which are used so that you can listen to music. 

third assignment

Unit 78 Digital Graphics for Computer Games

Games Development level 3

Jack Palmer

I did everything on time and have completed everything in time for the deadline date. The software I used to create my sprites was piskel the reason I used piskel to create my sprites because I wanted them to be pixel art and piskel is the best software to do that on. 

I also made a HUD this was made the way it was to show the health at the top, underneath that is the mana and then at the bottom left there is the super bar this shows how close to getting your super power you are and finally the bottom right is how much ammo your gun has. 

Task A understanding hardware technologies for game platforms

HCI (Human Computer Interface)

An HCI is basically what you use to control your console so controllers, joysticks, keyboard, mouse, wheel and pedals, motion sensing input device, motion controllers and voice controller. 

Controller

The controller is a device that is used for controlling a console usually a Playstation, Xbox and even a computer with the steam controller. Controllers have been around for many years and have adapted and changed since they were first made. Controllers now have adapted so they are comfortable and fit in your hand so it is easier and better to use. As you can see on the picture to the right it is adapted so the buttons you use most are in places that are easy to reach and use.

Joysticks

Joysticks are a fairly old form of HCI it is usually used in flight simulators or many different simulators they are also used to train people how to fly without using a real plane. The Joystick is made for flying so it is easy to use and helpful if you are playing a flight simulator. 

Keyboard and Mouse

The keyboard and mouse are most likely the most famous and popular HCI it has been around since the computer was made and is easy to use as you can just press keys to do certain things. There are some keyboards and mice that are called ergonomic this means that they have been adapted to make it feel comfy which helps. 

Motion Controllers 

Motion controllers are for Wii and recently new devices are coming out like the PlayStation Move and the Oculus Rift. The way these work is by moving the controller around or moving yourself around which will make your character move. The controller have four buttons and a motion detector so it can tell when you are moving to move your character.

Voice Controller

A voice controller is controlled by the voice examples of this is on the PlayStation when you speak through the headset or camera you can command the PlayStation and go onto things that you want to by speaking and not using the controller. 

Motion Sensing Input Device

Motion sensing input devices consist of the Xbox Kinect and the PlayStation Camera these are used for capturing motion and displaying it so you can move your character which will be you. 

Wheel & Pedals

Wheel and pedals are what they say they are they are a steering wheel and pedals you can use them on the PS2 to play various racing games including Need for Speed. 

Advancements

As you can see in the pictures the controller has advanced and changed a lot since the NES. The two pictures above shows a modern day PlayStation 3 controller and the old NES controller. As you can see in the picture above the NES controller is a lot wider than the modern day controller meaning it is less comfortable to hold. Another difference is there are less buttons on the NES as there were less features to do in the game whereas nowadays you have more features. Also the modern day controller is shaped so that it fits perfectly into your hand and make it comfortable. Another feature is that you can go to the main menu with the modern controller but with the older controller there is no menu button so to get to it you have to use the actual console. I think that the modern day game controller is a food dispenser, the controller will release a certain piece of food that is something from the game and you get to eat it to see what it tastes like and you feel immersed.