C+VG Speciale: come nascono i videogiochi Speciale tratto da C+VG numero 6 (pagg. 61-63) e C+VG numero 7 (pagg. 63-64)
di Fabio Rossi con Paolo Cardillo & Simone Crosignani
Uno dei temi più ricorrenti nelle lettere che riceviamo riguarda la creazione di videogiochi. I lettori ci chiedono continuamente consigli & indirizzi per diventare programmatori, grafici o musicisti: visto l'interesse dimostrato abbiamo pensato di dare una volta per tutte una risposta alle vostre domande. Così, in un piovoso giorno di maggio, abbiamo present some of the most famous Italian authors e. ..
It's amazing: I never thought of being able to organize a meeting like that. At the beginning was to be a chat with a couple of authors that I know particularly well, perhaps during a spaghetti together. Then someone thought of bringing his entire team, someone else has proposed other names ... and now I find myself with a score of programmers, graphic designers and musicians eager to tell their work! This time, readers will have no right to complain about ...
Despite the large number of people belonging to "teams" rivals the atmosphere is quite relaxed and cheerful. The trays of chips and snacks put on the table have already been taken with great discretion assault by someone, and when finally we all sit down at the table seems to be (well, maybe "big table") of a bar between old friends. Some guests
unfortunately could not come, but maybe it's better this way: where I could find a meeting room large enough to house them all?
After the (long) the presentation of ritual, we discover that we have brought together representatives of all the Italian software house games: Digiteam, Genias, Idea, Lake, and Lindasoft Simulmondo. This variety will allow us to better understand the ways in which they work the "video games" Italians. While Simon takes pictures treason the meeting has finally begun.
(Fabio Rossi) The purpose of this meeting is to explain to our readers what the life of the author of video games in our country. I would say since then with the most common question: how to become game programmers? (Omid Ehsan) I do not think you become a programmer, it is. We must now point out that playing surface or know how a computer is a completely different thing to know from the program. I myself have lost about four years before figuring out how to work with the C64.
(Emanuele Bergamini) For this reason we must specialize on a particular machine. For example, I've started several years ago sull'Atari 8-bit and I had some problems in the transition on the ST. The biggest difference now is that authors can not be "complete."
(Paul Ms Khan) I agree with Omid. Before venturing to contact a software company had already written many utilities and five games.
(Doriano Benavides) In the sense that it became a work team?
(Emanuele Bergamini) Exactly. On the old computer I was able to create graphics, code and sound of good quality all its own. You must instead rely on the ST other specialists.
(Eugenio Ciceri) In fact you can work alone, but it is uneconomical and impossible on 16-bit. To return to the question, however, it is better to admit that all of us in the past we were pirates.
(Fabio Rossi) Is that true? Hands up all the ex-pirates! (There are only a few hands down - Ed)
(Paolo Galimberti) Hey! I never did the pirate!
(Eugenio Ciceri) What I meant is that we all have learned by examining the work of others, going to see what was in the games sold in stores. Studying the work of others is very important.
(Steed Kulka) It was a good school. The official documentation for a programmer is always too little and outdated, so you might "get" games. In addition, it is essential to know English to read the official information.
(Doriano Benavides) If one has knowledge of even amateur, however, may present itself to the software house. In some cases they will help.
(Eugenio Ciceri) We amateur programmers we have sought, but in several years we have found only a couple! Do not expose themselves ...
(Paolo Cardillo) a moment. But there is really someone that wants to educate prospective authors?
(Eugenio Ciceri) We at Digiteam. If anyone knows how to use the C language or the machine can access our library routine.
(Ivan Venturi) The Simulmondo encourages people who are proposed, especially with advice.
(Omid Ehsan) But on balance there are editors who have the facilities to actually do grow programmers!
(Stefano Cecere) Well, training for me was mainly pirate. We can not support the software house! The best thing is to work on codes commonly available, such as the intro pirates, and modify them to see what happens.
(Doriano Benavides) There is also to say that the more time passes, more than the average quality improves. Future programs should be increasingly good.
(Steed Kulka) be necessary to see how you put things when you start to be a bit 'more programmers to a 16-bit machines.
(Paolo Galimberti) In general, those who work on 8-bit must strive harder to achieve effects directly available on 16-bit.
(Eugenio Ciceri) But the 16-bit you must learn to suffer the impositions of the operating system ... In fact, it funny work of our program is that those games have much more problems than those who write things "series" as management programs. Moreover, it is time to explain to readers that those who program generally does just that: Sundays and holidays do not exist ... but I'm really sure you want to become game programmers?
(Fabio Rossi) This is a really good question. The rewards are great, but the sacrifices to do quite a lot. The graphics are rather than life? (John Papandrea) depends. Who works on 8-bit to learn a variety of techniques and methods that those who work on paper - or the 16-bit - not even imagine. Scans, masking, conflicts between the colors ... the list is rather long.
(Ivan Venturi) No doubt you need to know to work on paper. If you can not draw on paper, let alone you'll know to do on a computer. Then you need to know how best to use the editor.
(Paolo Galimberti) The big difference is having to know and take into account the many limitations ...
(Joseph Tress) Graphics must take into account the needs of programmers. Being able to draw (including computers) is not sufficient, because it can happen that you suddenly have to change their job because of technical limitations, e in questi casi l'unica possibilità di salvezza è l'esperienza accumulata con molta sperimentazione.
(Giovanni Papandrea) È però anche vero che più il tempo passa, più il lavoro del grafico viene semplificato. Quando ho iniziato a fare grafica sullo Spectrum dovevo addirittura scrivermi da solo gli editor grafici: per chi lavora oggi sui 16-bit può essere sufficiente sapere usare bene un programma come il Deluxe Paint III per produrre cose decenti.
(Paolo Galimberti) Non dobbiamo dimenticarci che per adesso abbiamo parlato solamente di immagini statiche. Fare animazioni richiede invece un'ulteriore formazione specifica che una persona abituata a disegnare su carta non può certo avere.
(Fabio Rossi) Tirando le somme, sembra che il modo migliore per diventare un buon grafico su computer sia quello di fare molta pratica con i programmi e gli editor in circolazione.
(Giovanni Papandrea) Esatto!
(Fabio Rossi) Parliamo ora di un'altra importante categoria di autori: i musicisti. Quali caratteristiche deve avere un buon autore di musiche per videogiochi?
(Ivan Venturi) Per produrre suoni con un computer sono necessarie parecchie manipolazioni tecniche come attivare e spegnere filtri, creare forme d'onda e altro. Di conseguenza la cosa più importante per un musicisa è conoscere il funzionamento dell'hardware.
(Paolo Galimberti) Conviene fare una distinzione fra il produrre effetti sonori e il realizzare musiche. Su macchine come il C64 prima di creare suoni pieni e soddisfacenti bisogna riuscire a superare i limiti dell'hardware, e quindi conoscere alla perfezione le caratteristiche del chip audio.
(Eugenio Ciceri) Naturalmente ci sono computer su cui è più facile suonare rispetto ad altre macchine. Il C64 è il più ostico, l'Amiga è una specie di via di mezzo e l'ST è il meglio per un musicista.
(Emanuele Bergamini) Per quanto riguarda le macchine 16-bit, direi that once you know it is only the MIDI instruments like many others.
(Omid Ehsan) Who knows how to use a synth is very definitely an advantage when it comes time to work on a computer.
(Paul Ms Khan) I knew already work in MIDI, but I still had considerable trouble with the format conversions. Graphics - On the Amiga at least - have the IFF, but the musicians ...
(Steed Kulka) I would like to remind readers that the audio in a video game is considered the least important, and therefore the most expendable. For this reason, the musicians must always try to get the most amount of memory rather small.
(Paolo Galimberti) Another characteristic aspect of the music on your computer is not being able to improvise, in contrast to what happens with any other instrument on which you can immediately test their ideas. To schedule a music takes a long time, so be able to imagine the whole development from the beginning of the melody on the various items.
(Ivan Venturi) Every musician has his favorite sound editor. In general, I would say that to get the result we improve our editors need to study quite complex: more than an editor is easy to use, the more it sounds bad.
(Simone Crosignani) is true. When the track began to turn the attacker used by editor Chris Hülsbeck (the musician's Rainbow Arts - Ed) the instructions on the disc is opened with a message: "This is the best music editor of the world, but do not waste time try to use it. The one who succeeds is Hülsbeck Chris! "
(Fabio Rossi) One day I will explain how can you have such information. In the meantime, we try to answer another common question: which computer should learn to program? (Eugenio Ciceri) The C64 has a huge user base and hungry for news. I think that would be considered a machine interesting for another five years.
(Paul Ms Khan) I have several machines at home, but only write On the Amiga: the right of the fair, I think has the best balance between ease of use and dissemination.
(Ivan Venturi) Your PC! You espandibilissimo and is selling a lot.
(Paolo Galimberti) Who spreads it? We must spend a lot of millions just to get benefits the same as the Amiga! (The following is a very lively discussion in which everyone has to say about his personal computers, often at quite high voice. In the end it seems that the only positive to see this machine are the authors of Simulmondo - Ed)
(Paolo Cardillo) And the Macintosh? It is still a virgin market for video games.
(Eugenio Ciceri) So was the Olivetti Prodest, we worked on in the past ...
(Doriano Benavides) I'm clutching agreements to produce software for the Lynx.
(John Papandrea) course work for the console would be nice, but for the moment there are no Italian software houses enabled the production for Japanese cars.
(Fabio Rossi) Let's step back. First, we determined that to make a video game bisogna lavorare in gruppo: potreste spiegare in dettaglio il tipo di rapporto che c'è fra i vari autori? (Ivan Venturi) Parlando per esperienza, posso dire che è meglio che il grafico cominci a lavorare quando è già pronto almeno il 50% del codice del gioco. In generale, conviene stabilire sin dall'inizio uno schema di lavoro.
(Paolo Galimberti) Un attimo: io in passato ho avuto dei problemi proprio perché non mi era stata fornita in tempo la grafica di un gioco!
(Eugenio Ciceri) È chiaro che ogni situazione richiede soluzioni particolari. Un programma è sempre un compromesso fra le esigenze dei vari autori, sino a che non si riesce a far stare tutto in memoria.
(Giuseppe Tresoldi) Vero. Nel caso del mio gioco, la versione che è stata pubblicata era circa la ventesima, nata dopo aver cercato di bilanciare la qualità grafica e sonora con quella del codice di gioco. Una cosa senz'altro molto importante è quella di lavorare vicini l'uno all'altro.
(Eugenio Ciceri) O essere collegati via modem.
(Steed Kulka) Noi lavoriamo via modem con l'America quotidianamente e senza problemi, ma sembra che fra italiani sorgano sempre un sacco di problemi...
(Paolo Galimberti) Un problema sta nel fatto che non sempre le software house realize the needs of authors, and require working relationships among people far removed thus creating serious problems.
(Omid Ehsan) In the case of our group, we were certainly very lucky to live all in the same area. In this way we were able to solve problems in hours that would take weeks of time off.
(Fabio Rossi) And it finally came time to talk about the making of the game. What advice would you give someone who is about to make his debut work? (Luca Podestà) I think the important thing is to let go of the fantasy without unnecessarily rebuild the work of others, because after all the first game is always made as a hobby and then essentially to free creativity. Lemmings is an example of how a concept can become a very personal success. Of course we must also be sure of what you can do, because the final appearance of a game depends on the programming techniques employed.
(Steed Kulka) For a professional know your limits is particularly important because there are deadlines to be set and enforced.
(Joseph Tress) A good advice to give is to provide all the alternative uses that people can do of your game and then the chances the most absurd, in order to establish a program that remains playable in all circumstances.
(Omid Ehsan) In fact, this is the reason why it is easier to write a program "seriously." With a management program, people follow very clear instructions, and is easier to foresee all the possibilities that can come and create.
(Eugenio Ciceri) Another good tip might be to maintain a degree of flexibility than the original concept, because a game is always evolving along. Should also be wary of any opportunity to simplify the work: se non si devono realizzare giochi velocissimi non è nemmeno necessario essere dei maghi del Linguaggio Macchina. In alcuni casi il C può bastare.
(Luca Podestà) Ma l'L.M. è sempre una base fondamentale!
(Paolo Pobbiati) Beh, io ho scritto il mio ultimo gioco (strategico) in AMOS...
(Steed Kulka) In realtà, l'unica base è una mentalità da programmatore.
(Giancarlo Calzetta) E l'unico modo per costruirsi questa mentalità è programmare. Si può cominciare col BASIC, poi passare al C e raggiungere alla fine l'Assembly.
(Paolo Galimberti) Naturalmente, prima di cominciare a fare qualsiasi cosa bisogna procurarsi i giusti tool di programmazione, che generalmente si trovano fra i programmi di pubblico dominio.
(Luca Podestà) Penso che noi siamo stati fortunati ad aver cominciato lavorando sui primi home computer, molto semplici. Programmare il VIC 20 o lo Spectrum era molto più semplice che lavorare sull'Amiga o anche sul C64, e in questo modo ci siamo fatti delle basi solide.
(Emanuele Bergamini) È vero. Chi comincia adesso inoltre non ha il supporto delle riviste tecniche che circolavano qualche anno fa. Vi ricordate di quando venivano pubblicati un sacco di listati dappertutto?
(Giovanni Papandrea) If nothing else, life has become a bit 'easier for graphic designers and musicians. (Followed by a pause during which we remember the old maps, old computers and especially the older programmers, who became billionaires writing games that today would be considered abhorrent. When the order comes back, it's the right time to introduce a new topic. - Ed)
(Fabio Rossi) We have seen in outline how a video game. At this point it would be interesting to see how we can publish it for a software house. (Giancarlo Calzetta) In fact, I would understand it too. Look what happened to me: I wanted to make a sort of cross between Zamzara ...
(Paolo Galimberti) ... and 'O Snout ... (All laughing like crazy at this joke humorous quality that denotes the average programmer Italian - Ed)
(Giancarlo Calzetta) Sgrunt. So, I sent a demo to the idea but received no reply after a few months I was about to sign with Genias for a strange game of maze, and suddenly I found myself making a platform for the Idea! Can someone explain?
(Eugenio Ciceri) even stranger stories I've heard about the contracts for the production of a game. However, in general, it can send a demo of its ability to offer software house or a complete or nearly complete game. In this second case will probably be asked for some minor changes, and it will be easier to publish it in something close to the original concept of the game.
(Paolo Galimberti) This is true only for the first job, though: after the software company will always be to propose a game plan.
(Fabio Rossi) During the break we talked about the first programmers of the Elite, who went around in a Ferrari even though he's only a game. But now things have changed a lot, is not it? (Eugenio Ciceri) Absolutely. Today the author of a games can only think of living based on the quantity of products, even at the cost of keeping the quality in the background.
(Ivan Venturi) Well, you can live by the programmer.
(Joseph Tress) Personally, I am happy to have another job that provides me some income. It is certain that if all games are paid as the debut in particular continue to be an architect.
(Paolo Galimberti) The software house should respect more the work of the authors of games. Their qualitative claims are disproportionate to the compensation offered.
(Omid Ehsani) Un grosso problema è il fatto che gli autori non sanno mai con certezza quante copie sono state vendute dei loro giochi e quindi non possono accampare delle pretese proporzionate al giro d'affari della software house.
(Steed Kulka) Giusto. Spesso si dice che un gioco in Italia non vende più di 10.000 copie, ma penso che la pirateria sia sempre stata un'ottima scusa. Nell'85 abbiamo prodotto un gioco che ha venduto per certo 40.000 copie. Quando si pensa a come è cresciuto il mercato, è evidente che i conti non tornano.
(Paolo Pobbiati) Io non conosco particolarmente bene il mercato, ma con la Lago ho un rapporto molto positivo, sia nel work on the human level. With them I have always trusted, but you do not understand why so many facades problems: Check the turnover of a company is very simple.
(Eugenio Ciceri) For the purposes of the readers, must say that most software companies offer two payment options: a percentage of sales - but you can not directly control - or a fixed amount to the delivery of the program.
(Steed Kulka) With the current salaries of the programmers, the only way to survive with this work lies in its ability to build on its previous work to accelerate and simplify the future production. What the author wants to game has to work hard and long.
(Joseph Tress) What the authors do not earn a lot of games is a fact. The only way to change this situation would discuss the issue with the leaders of the software house, perhaps on an occasion like this. What about Fabio?
(Fabio Rossi) is an interesting idea, and I was thinking about for a while '. Who knows, maybe in the future we do not review here ...
Finish. TO PUBLISH YOUR GAMES YOU CAN CONTACT:
GENIAS * - VIA Gallinea, 10 - 40055 Castenaso (BO)
* IDEA - Via Mazzini, 12-21020 Casciago (VA) *
Simulmondo - VIA Berti Pichat, 26 - 40127 BOLOGNA
* DIGITEAM - TEL. 02/29409073 *
LINDASOFT - TEL. 039/835052
