Eli Games

www.Threeli.com

2010-04-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

Anyone coming to this site, should know I live over at threeli.com now: please head over there and update your bookmarks.

Thanks.

Thoughts

2009-05-14T23:27:00.001-07:00

I’ve been questioning what gives games their allure for several years now and I think I’ve come to a conclusion or two. The main quest in my search has been to find the games I really find engrossing - dissect them - and discover what the core components are. Personally, I’ve settled upon three variables that drive the volume of fun and set how habitual my experience with the game will be.

To connect with the being I will play as, the game must not overpopulate the world with beings of a similar nature. By this - I mean to say that in the game world I must feel alone. Even if the game world is (lets say) a planet rife with all manner of interesting characters, they must feel alien, or at least foreign. Isolation seems to be another factor, even if it’s just in select moments. Strangely isolation seems to create a drive to move forward and understand the presented world better. (but, that might just be me)
Exploration - is - in it’s own right a tool for generating the feeling of accomplishment in players. This plays off the above characteristic of feeling alone quite nicely. The effect of seeing a new area, zone, or location for the first time can be increased if the player feels he or she is the first to do so. This is not to say that exploration is limited to visual changes in the game world. Exploration can just as easily be the interaction a player has with the game itself. I would go so far as to write: The amount of exploration is in a 1:1 ratio with the amount of value a game can have.
The final aspect seems to be a well paced sense of progress. I think the key here is not the advancement itself - which is present in all media, even if internal to the viewer - but instead the pacing of said progress. The way in which a world moves forward is directly proportional to how alive it seems to be. In this light, correct momentum in a game seems to be paramount. You could correlate this to storyline, character growth, scenery, audible changes, and basically any other facet of a game to see it’s importance.

I think it’s important to note that simply having these themes is not the same as having them be executed well. There are plenty of low quality examples one could find that feature one or more of the above and still suck - but I’m not game bashing here, so let’s move on.

One final point is how these concepts can come to interact. I hate to bring up any real examples but since it will most likely come up anyway and this is an opinion piece - here we go. Let’s take a look at the first half of the Metroid series, which is in my eyes possibly the best series ever created: Each of the games in turn (though, I guess Super Metroid shines) features these three components in spades. The isolation and panic drove me forward where I was greeted with a sort of forced exploration; but no matter how linear Metroid is, it never fell as such thanks to its excellent pacing.

I’m sure there will be people that disagree, and I’ve not really fleshed out these ideas yet, but I think it’s a start in defining what makes a game experience useful or fun. I will continue to work on this theory of mine, but I would like to hear what anyone reading this has to think as well.

(This post taken from Threeli.com )

Excerpt from the Internet: Misery

2009-05-12T21:52:00.001-07:00

I witnessed some small animals being mauled yesterday. This was sadly the inspiration for a small flash game/story: Misery

(This post taken from Threeli.com )

Music watch: My third studio album is complete.

2009-05-12T06:55:00.001-07:00

I have completed my third studio album; Vizionz on the Horizonz. For now; the single 12-52 can be heard on my musicians myspace page. Check it out now. The full album will be released here, as well as a few other locations digitally, on May 30th.

(This post taken from Threeli.com )

Excerpt from the Internet: Today I Die

2009-05-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

A short while ago, before the press leapt upon my like so many wolves, I discovered Today I Die. First reaction: This is refreshing stuff. It’s interesting in a way the flash ‘game’ stream pouring from the bowels of the internet and the so-called abstract indie games can’t be. It’s short - yes it is - but quite sweet. It’s deep, and once again I must stress that it is refreshing.

Definitely worth a play; and while you’re at it, play creator Daniel Benmergui’s back-catalog of games. They carry the same torch as TID.

(This post taken from Threeli.com )

New Site!

2009-05-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'll be slowly transitioning from here to threeli.com
but I'll mirror all posts here for a while!

New project in the works...

2009-05-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

[Update] - It's not really a new project per se... but instead one I have picked back up and am going to rescue from the walls of my brain. If you follow me you'll note the last project I spoke of (before FTG) was one focusing (in some respect) around the element of survival. Well; here at two A.M. I remembered suddenly a second game I had started (also focusing around that theme), so there will be two. Exciting no?

I won't say much right now, but I have a new project in the works. It will be small, and hopefully interesting. Unlike most of my other ideas; this one seems doable in a short time-span, which is apparently a facet of design I'm starting to understand the need for.

I also will be moving this blog away from blogger and to my new (newly redesigned) website, Threeli.com; which will concern my thoughts on game design, the actual games I produce, and my music. I'll let you know when that happens.

More info soon,
3

Sometimes...

2009-05-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes; and this is rare at best, but sometimes people read what ed mcmillen writes... And even more rare; they do what he says.

Getting Things Done,

2009-05-06T01:28:00.001-07:00

One cannot stress enough how awesome it is to get things done. It is quite awesome. Firstly, apologies for me taking so long off from writing and generating output; though I am also a musician and the call to arms (musically) has hit me of late. Either way, I am now back, and will resume outputting that which I love so dearly (games). I think I'll have a new smallish game here soon (for the remaining 3 people who read this blog).

Thanks.

Favor The Gods

2009-04-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

I am working on, launching a brand new online browser based game/experience/choose your own adventure; favor the gods.com.

You should check it out, more on it later.

A smashing good time

2009-03-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our latest project is one of exploration and survival in what is actually quite the forgiving environment. I will and can say that the premise alone is interesting enough to warrant it's development and production through to product. The game will be simple, zany and most importantly fun. (hopefully, or, that is the plan)

Status Report:

Core Engine - 65%
Graphics - 75%
Audio - 20%
Area Design - 10%
Testing + Polish - 0%

Thanks.

Game development is not unlike walking initially.

2009-03-05T09:24:00.000-08:00

For each step forward; it seems, there are two steps back. Oh the bugs; the bugs!
So many of my bugs now are graphical errors - and in a project like this, there is no room for errors of this sort. They are; however, relativity easy to work out and present no real problem. (momentary setbacks)

Bugs aside, the core engine for mystery game is taking to being polished quite nicely. Having re-directed all of my energy into completing this project; I'm hoping i'll get it completed before I loose my sanity. (I see that there is no real point to this post so how about another small detail about the game?)

Mystery Game has been an idea in my head for several years, and we've been kicking around the idea to produce it for about two years. Not only that but my artist had some of the original land-scape pieces done over a year ago. So I'm guessing it's about time we got to work on it.

Hmm,
Thanks.

An eye for trees.

2009-03-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

Game And/Or: The development there-of.

So we are hard at work on our first great work; and after a few false starts, it looks as though my vision is slowly (well, swiftly actually) coming to fruition. It was originally slated to be a re-make of a game I designed some 8 - 10 years ago for DOS. I've decided; instead, it will be a direct sequel. Such things usually make sense, and secondly, I want to take advantage of the power and capabilities computing devices afford us developers these days.

In keeping with the theme of slowly releasing tid-bits of glorious information about this game:

Mystery Game (not really the title, of course) will be an adventure/labour in storytelling for me. I have a grand vision for what is to take place between the player, the character, and the world surrounding that character. Weather or not I can supply everyone with an accurate depiction of this vision, remains to be seen. (pun?)

I'm quite large on the exploratory games (in the event you haven't come to know this yet), and this my first large release should exemplify that notion quite well. I'm working in tandem along side my artist to realize a world where each moment should be both interesting and vivid. Honestly; I am more concerned with the ambiance of this world than of tired game-play mechanics and genre labels. I think it'll be interesting to see how this turns out.

[Edit] Ah, and I should point out that only posts with mystery game in the tag are relevant to the current project...

If anyone is wondering about the status of either Egg or HooChoo.. they both still exist; but are taking a back seat. I need more time to consider how I wish them to turn out; and in all likely hood, will be giving one or both away for free when it comes to that.

Thanks.

A Punishing Read; See: The Future

2009-03-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

Well my team is finally hard at work on the game we should've been working on all along. Though I can tell you very little about it at this stage (alpha), suffice it to say; it will be an odd-ball adventure.

I am also going to use this particular post to announce two details about this mystery title.

It will be episodic; so if you despise this growing trend in the entertainment industry, I will ask that you take each epsiode at face value. Simply pretend that each is a complete game in it's own right. That's how we are approaching the design of each.
It will (for now, anyway) be a mac exclusive. Until we can judge the feed-back and profit, this game will reside in the mac only realm. If we are even modestly successful and there is demand, we will undoubtedly port it to windows.

Having divulged more than I had hoped to I shall now retire for the night.

Thanks.

A New Game, In The Works.

2009-02-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

I will release details as soon as there are any to do so with; but it should be a grand adventure.

General Update

2009-02-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

Merely wanted to announce, that I am back... And there will be fresh new updates.

Character Development: a fresh perspective (Owlboy)

2008-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

You'll have to take my word here that every other post will not simply be a link to elsewhere on the web. Having said that:

I found a recent post on the D-Pad studios page concerning the Owlboy Project; and it struck me as being wholly engrossing. This post was Simon discussing his step by step process for coming up with the character of Owlboy himself. In this thorough (yet concise) post one can see how he not only came up with a character, but in doing so, was able to remain true to (and refine) his original vision for the game as a whole. This is; in reality, a great way to do it. I'm a huge fan of the iterative design solution. (Just not so good at implementing it personally!)

As I said in response to his post: 'I quite enjoy hearing people discuss their character development; as mine always ends up being something of a dartboard style. (I.E. scatter-shot attempts until one sticks.)' The only exception I can think of off hand would be characters I feel; in some way, personally attached to. These seem to get some greater level of refinement. Any real attention my characters core design is derivative of my game's world design as opposed to the other way around.

Enough chatter from me: go now and enjoy this link to elsewhere on the web. When you are finished tell me how you design (character design or even generally speaking). I personally find the topic very interesting and worthy of a large volume of attention.

Thanks.

Project Egg Teaser

2008-09-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

-Please note: This does not represent the final quality of the project! An actual game-play video will be released as soon as possible. Thank you.

Project Egg Update

2008-09-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

A new teaser will be up for Project Egg on Friday.

The current projected release for PE still stands; (late October) however, I am having to go back and retool much of the engine and revert it to the original design documents. Everywhere I look it seems as if large game corporations advice to indie(s) is the same, "do not try to create a grand new experiment on your first go!" I knew this, understood this, and tried my best to follow that mantra. Yet somehow; new ideas and thoughts kept getting added on until I realized I was working on a beast which would take a year to complete (at least). So; by shedding much of the weight, we are back on track. Not only does it feel good to be in line with my original vision for the game, it should end up being a far greater product.

Thanks.

Budapest Descension

2008-09-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

-EDIT/UPDATE - It would seem two things need pointing out to the masses, as there seems to be some confusion. Firstly; this game is really short and quite difficult. It was designed intentionally to be so. It should not be taken as a benchmark for the quality of our upcoming releases or projects. It's just a 'fun' little thing we did in a short amount of time.

Secondly; no one has sent any times officially but if the emails are to be believed, the best I've heard personally is 12:00. Come on folks, lets shoot for speed here. Thanks, on to the game info!

Budapest Descension is a 'game' my team and I thought up, wrote, and finished in 48 hours. It is simply a punishing platformer with a timer. In many respects; I wish I could prattle on about how there is some mysterious subtext to this bit of interactivity or how it is in actuality art, but this is not the case. The game is hard, short, and most importantly free.

There is more to the story:

We will a release a free game every month or so ( of varying quality). Even thought I need to survive; and games are a viable front for this, I don't want justify game creation as a 'means to an end.' In this light; we ask that you do buy our large projects when they come out or at least donate, but that you also enjoy any free material we release.
In addition to being a jammin' little platformer; Budapest Descension might be your ticket to our (unrelated) first commercial game, Project Egg. An open challenge stands for anyone who can play BD and record video of said play-through.

The Challenge:
From today (September 4th at the time of this posting) until September 29th I am asking people to record their play-through of BD. These are to be emailed to me as proof of both completion and time. Come the 29th; the top three times will receive e-vouchers for a free copy of Project Egg. Anyone who can reach top three status and not die more than once will gain both a voucher for PE and a mention as a character in it! (Mind you this game is terribly difficult to some and child's play to others; my personal record is 2:56 ) -Be sure to tell us how your descent went.

Thanks.

Budapest Descension Download Links*:

For now...
I have taken down the links to the downloads, if you want to play email me, I'll send you a copy.

* if you have any issues with either downloading or playing the game, please email me. I will get back to you as soon as I can, thank you. I am aware that I've left the system requirements off the page for this game. It is small, and most (somewhat modern) machines should be able to run it.

Thr33li@gmail.com

Fine Print:
The play-through must not contain any editing and the final screen which shows the time must be visible for at least 3 seconds. The winners will receive an email confirming their victory as well as a mention on this blog (unless they ask otherwise). Email me a Thr33li@gmail.com

HooChoo

2008-08-29T04:22:00.000-07:00

You decide how you feel about this early morning shot. I won't spoil any plot points just yet.

Enjoy.

-Edit-
I will answer; before anyone asks, no not every character is/will be a square.

HooChoo

2008-08-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Single new shot. It's coming along.

I'm creating this game with a single focal point. Exploration; or more importantly, the seeming human need to explore. There seems to be an omnipresent need in humans to explore; and I feel the need to rate all games I play on some sort of exploration scale. I'll discuss this a length soon.

Thanks.

-Edit-
Having spent literally all day dutifully producing gameplay and graphics for HooChoo, I can safely say -if it results in even representing a splinter of my vision- it will be vast, interesting, and fun. I have; however, just noticed a strange tendency in myself to overproduce test areas in the early design phase. I act as if anyone will ever see these bits of hodgepodge. Anyway, back to work.

Thanks.

Return Home

2008-08-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Bernhard Schulenburg poses a very interesting question in his blog, concerning the nature of feeling at home in a game. (Either in a specific area or generally speaking) I think it's an interesting question and so responded as such:

"I believe in some respects; it's more the new and strange aspect than the cozy that generates the strong feeling of home you seek. I think in most of the common cases, home is the base around which you (anyone reading this) gained understanding of world. So were I looking to evoke a feeling of home (or homeliness) within a game, I would stress learning new concepts in a singular location; as well as keeping that area safe from any harm you might find around the game world."

Not sure if this is the best answer I could've come up with; but at the moment I'm pressed for time. You should think about it and share your ideas with him.

Good stuff!

Screenshot from soon to be released HooChoo!

2008-08-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is a shot from my personal project HooChoo... currently in development for 1 short days. I'll release HC one way or another as soon as it's as complete as I would like. Best of all; HC will be way shorter than my other projects, and as such it will be free! Enjoy this early shot for now!Looking rather interesting I should hope. Mind you the landscape is half placeholder. That having been said; I plan on making the environments in this game out of old school tiles... So it won't look vastly different upon completion.

Thanks!

Newsletter.

2008-08-26T00:36:00.000-07:00

If you would like to receive the newsletter; email me at Threeli@gmail.com with "Newsletter" in the header or simply leave your email in the comments of this post. There will be many perks to being a subscriber above just knowing cool information ahead of other folks.

Thanks.

The Team I trust!

2008-08-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

The current team behind my games is as follows:

Eli Cordy: (game design, coding, music, character design)
Michael Kantack: (lead artist, code aid, tech artist)
Zach Talbot: (man in Japan, PR reviewer)

There are countless people that support the three of us, and this team will eventually grow, but for now this is our team as it stands. Don't let the small number scare you off! We fully intend on releasing quality projects.

If a game does not meet my standard; it'll get scrapped and unless otherwise stated, released for free to the general public.

Brand new game soon!

2008-08-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

I will attempt to post some details of my first project soon. I am going to update this page with stuff about my company, my team, and the games I make. Feel free to check back every so often to understand who we are and what we do!

Now on to the exciting stuff...
My first game!

Project Egg (working title)
PE is going to be an open world 2D platforming adventure filled with choice. The story centers around you the player, a mute, anonymous character who owes a large sum of money to a large corporation. This company has threatened to blow up your home if you do not pay your debts within three days time. The game is how you attempt to pay off that debt in the time alloted!

Speaking of Choice::

It seems as if every game being made these days flouts some type of choice or good/ evil system. Frankly I'm sick of this (Yes, I am aware that making a game with a choice system doesn't quite express a fair level of disgust for there being too many games with choice). The difference with PE, is twofold:

The choices will be more of a real life variety, as in shades of gray. When faced with a decision in life; the choices are not color coded to provide an easy answer. If this were the case, the gravity of choosing would be nil. Such is the case with PE; there will be no one to hold your hand. Only the choice to make, and your eventual decision.
The choices will (at least) seem more arbitrary. Not every decision you are subjected to in life has a glowing sign above it screaming, "IMPORTANT CHOICE BELOW." PE will follow suit; many choices will seem commonplace, even when altering the game world dramatically.

This might seem a bold statement from a group whom have not yet released any games; and perhaps it is. But rest assured these ideals have been present in the design of PE since it's conception. I'm not looking to change the world of games; only to provide an interesting and refreshing game experience.

There are a few more large details of the game I will be keeping secret until it's release, but I'll do my best to provide a steady stream of information on it. I will also put up some screen shots once it hits the late beta stage. While much of the solid game work is completed, there is much in the way of graphical tweaking remaining.

Current Release Date: October 2008