Update!

I have finished all work for this module and now they are just waiting to be printed. Its hard to write a cover letter but I think I am happy with them.

TO DO OVER EASTER:

• 250 Word summarising Media Molecule. PDF.
• CV with Cover letter tailored to Media Molecule
• 250 Word summarising Mind Candy. PDF.
• CV with Cover letter tailored to Mind Candy
• Choose artwork to be printed for portfolio - possible digital portfolio also. 
• 15min PP pitch speaking about Ceres the game. (The mechanics etc, selling it to potential investors)
• Print GDD.

How to hand in: Printed 250 word analysis, cover letter, CV, CD, Portfolio.

(Note - Pink portfolio for Mind Candy)
(Note - spark for this game derived from research carried in regards to the craft researching Ceres.)

Looking at Portfolios:

DESIGN

Jacob Minkoff:

More detail, more content are quite a heavy website, it is a designer one, not a concept art one and this shows the large contrast between the two styles of website. More like a blog than a website. Wordpress site.

Sam Kaplan:

Strange website, not very nice layout, text heavy, possibly suitable for a designer but not an artist.

Both lighter website design.

ART

James Haywood:

Quite sleek, nicely done, not text heavy, barely any.

Dark website. Easy to navigate.

Jon McCoy:

Another dark website, makes it look sleek and polished. Simple, hardly any text.

Easy to navigate.

Richard Craig:

Simple, quite dark again, easy to navigate. Art is the only feature/main feature.

What Makes a Good Design Portfolio?

Easy to navigate, a well made website, not a naff one from a company with premade websites (I personally think) gets the vision across clearly, easy to see what the designer has done before, what they are doing in the future, upcoming projects? Shows the designer is still in demand? Not too ‘busy’. No need for lots of text, more than an artists, but not loads. Easy to get to contact info. Well written, possibly themed on the designers previous work?

What to Avoid in a Design Portfolio?

A messy website, hard to navigate, hard to find info. Clashing backgrounds/themes/font that make the website not nice to look at or navigate, hard to read. Mix message theme with the designers work, ie- cartoon layout with realistic work from the designer. A good balance between formal and informal wording, swearing for example would not be professional. 

Hello Games/Ninja Theory

Hello Games and Ninja Theory, differences and similarities

Similarities:

Both English companies based down south, not too far from each other.

Both started as very small companies with only about 3 or 4 people.

They each have only made a handful of games but they have all been critically acclaimed.

They are both hiring.

They both work on PS3 and Xbox.

Differences:

Ninja Theory focus on larger games, such as big campaign console games such as DmC and Enslaved.

Hello Games focus on smaller, downloadable names.

Hello Games also develop for iOS.

Ninja Theory seem to aspire to be one day a big games company, whereas Hello Games seem to like being a small company and are happy that way.

One way to really notice this is the look of the websites each own. Hello Games is cutesy and fun whereas Ninja Theory’s looks slick and serious using a mainly black theme with basic font.

Even their logos give you a sense of what their companies are about.

Art style, Ninja Theory’s is realistic whereas Hello Games is cartoon.

For over the holidays: (unfinished post)

CV and cover letter for one AAA company and one Indie company each.
I need to choose one of each to tailor my CV towards.

AAA
I used to always like the sound of Visceral because I liked Dead Space and the character/set/creature design but I think I need to look at more before I make up my mind.
I'll go for Media Molecule, theyre based in england and their designs, ethos and games are really inspiring and with my art style I think I can bring something to the table.

Indie
I wouldn't mind Mind Candy or Pop Cap, but to choose one, I'll go for Mind Candy.
They have produced the Moshi Monsters series and are also based in England.

Slight addition:

I forgot to include the health for this game so I have amended this, it is mushrooms grown in the caves that Westley finds he can eat and he keeps a bottle ith him and fills it with he water from the pools in the caves.

I just thought it'd be a nice cut scene for him to find he can eat the fungi by seeing a little herbivore creature eating them.

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