Assignemtn 7 Voltron

Copyrights

In the mid-1980s Japanese’s publisher released an animated series called ‘Voltron Defenders of the Universe’. The series has a combination super robot that has captured imagination of children around the international. Although in Japanese version there were a lot of violence but initially they cut out the scene that was unnecessary, formatted to clean version of Voltron.Voltron has a formation with 5 lion robots forms into huge mechanical humanoid in battle mode.

“The original series was created by Peter Keefe in 1984 using material that he had licensed from the Japanese cartoons Beast King GoLion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. The producers had no means of translating the Japanese series into English, thus they surmised the plots, created all-new dialogue, edited out the more violent scenes and remixed the audio into stereo format. The series was an immediate hit in the United States, topping the syndication market for children's programs in the mid-1980s”.

Beast King Golion is also a Japanese super robot animated television series. This series was edited and modified the lion version of U.S Voltron: Defender of the universe series. Some of the dialog was redone and some of the story and its concepts were change too.  The developer wanted entirely new direction of story; these were changed by ‘World Events Productions’.

The World Events Production is an American-based animation distribution company, which was founded by Ted Koplar. The company have purchased other titles such as saber riders, Denver the last dinosaur, and Voltron: third dimension. The only way WEP can get the japanese series is by getting license from Toei Animation. Now on other hand Toei Animation is Japanese studio from Japan. The company was Founded in 1948, they have created a number of series such as voltron and others. But the in order for the products to be sold there are some areas and facts needs to be considered such as nudity, violence etc.

When it comes to the key point they need to think about the audience and rating their products. Voltron did have some violence like said they were to cut down the gore as the audience can see that includes children.

Patents

                        Zyuranger/ power ranger                                 Voltron

The left picture is Zyuranger based super sentai franchisee and on the right picture is voltron. According to the comparison they both have different design, the theme and different animals. But they have same discipline. Well it’s the formation when the 5 lion robot forms into battle mode. Now the dinosaurs they also combine and switch into battle mode but slightly different. The artistic and design theory has indication of source and a copyright which goes into intellectual property. They are different franchise but the Toei Animation owns the two franchises so therefore there isn’t much of confliction.

Take a look at both pictures, the design of their costume is entirely different. On the left picture can see more like spacesuit, on the right picture their costume are exact same but different helm. They always have colour coded to their robots match but again there is another similarity.

Voltron Defender Universe Video Game

“The game was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con, which included a Voltron panel.It was developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by THQ. Original clips and voice overs from the show as well as remastered music is also be featured in the game.THQ's Russell Brock stated that Voltron's development was a "labor of love". Brock cited the original voice clips and video clips from the show as well as Peter Cullen's inclusion as narrator. He also stated that as an "in gag" forVoltron fans the pilot of the blue lion changes from Sven to Allura as the game progresses.The game's soundtrack was remastered and modified to fit the length of the video game.”

The Behaviour Interactive taken two years gap times to develop this game and was published by THQ. The interview was taken by Russell Brock who works for the THQ.  Russell has two years’ experience for being Producer, he has shipped six titles and top he has five years working in game industry. “Specialties: Licensed based games, original IP, licensor management, team management, QA (compliance & functionality). Experience on all console gaming system.”

Voltron Gameplay

“Voltron: Defender of the Universe is played primarily as a twin stick shooter. During most levels players control one of five Voltron lions. The lions are equipped with multi-directional cannons, controlled with the right thumbstick, while the left thumbstick coordinates movement. Each lion is equipped with pounce and melee attacks. Each lion as features a unique special attack and individual strengths and weaknesses. These levels consist of both ground and space-based levels, with only secondary controls changing between the two environments.^[4] The game features cooperative gameplay with up to five players. Up to two players can play on a local machine, and the game supports any combination of local and online players up to five. The game features leaderboards and a downloadable challenge mode in which players must combat increasingly difficult waves of enemies.”

In Voltron : Defender of the Universe is based on shoot’em up. Overall in level players will control one of the five Voltron lions and it has two player cooperative in story mode. All lions are equipped with multi- cannons allowing the players to aim and shoot the enemies in different directional. Each of the lion as their own unique special attack and there are powers up depending on the combination the player does. There is another mode to this game called Suvival mode, when the mode is initiated when a lion takes severe damage. The character/player will eject from the pilot and the player will need to surivive for like 10 seconds while the lion repairs itself.

When you arrive to the boss, the five lions will combine and transform into humanoid battle mode. This was was tricky for co-operative players because one of them will need to control voltron. But what the developer did is give each player one per attack at a time, it only applies to the co-op rule.  As shown in the picture above. Left icon, is flame attack, the bottom icon is sword attack, right middle icon is fist attack and the last icon on top is laser attack. The player must select one of the icon in order to perform an attack.

Once player has decided to choose an attack it will come to this stage as the picture is shown. The round green red dot is player target and other is meter that needs to be filled only where the white bar is. When it comes to cooperative one of the players will control the target and other player will need control the meter. However if the attack was not successful the enemy will avoid and then he will try to strike player. Player has another chance to avoid his attack by pressing button shown on the screen. If the player avoids the enemy attack then the player will go back for choosing attack mode.  At the bottom of screen each corner the player and enemy have the life bar so the player can tell how much damage the enemy has taken.

Voltron game review

Well first of fall the good news is  what players did really enjoyed about the game it has original clips and they were  detailed   more like the developer buff the  scenes. The bad about Voltron game it had low-resolution texture, punchless effect weren’t much effective as they were; there are lack of enemies although players have found it too easy in gameplay, climatic battles were reduced and disappointing quick-time event.

Voltron  live-action movie

Voltron movie  is still in development with Relativity Media as Kopla announced. “Josh Oppenheimer and Thomas Donnelly are working on the script and they have some cool ideas. It’s going to be a big action adventure flick and we’re really excited about it. We have some talented producers on it.” The movie under production and they are working on the plot and concept. The story follows where 5 brave space explorers find lion a robot which forms into battle mode known as Voltron.

Bibliography

Bailey, K. (2011, december 7). Retrieved from Gamespot: http://xboxlivemedia.ign.com/xboxlive/image/article/118/1182385/voltron-the-game-20110718092832266_640w.jpg

Brock, R. (n.d.). Linkedin. Retrieved from http://www.linkedin.com/pub/russell-brock/3/891/a0

gamersdailnews. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gamersdailynews.com/userfiles/image/2011/November/Voltron-review/boxartlg.jpg

interactive, B. (n.d.). Ign. Retrieved from http://xboxlivemedia.ign.com/xboxlive/image/article/118/1182385/voltron-the-game-20110718092832266_640w.jpg

Julian, M. (2012, 07 16). http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/GraphicCity/news/?a=63946. Retrieved from http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/GraphicCity/news/?a=63946

Koplar, T. (n.d.). World Events Production. Retrieved from http://www.wep.com/

Melton, S. (2011, December 19). xblafans. Retrieved from http://www.xblafans.com/interview-thqs-russell-brock-on-voltron-33871.html

Assignment 06 Killing Floor Fps

Genre

This topic will be reviewing the game which is called “Killing Floor”. The genre of this game is a survival horror, first person shooter (fps) and its co-op developed by Tripwire Interactive. Well the game can be played by solo or with co-op up to six players. It’s a shambling horde can be found and it resembles to other action titles such as Left 4 Dead, Dead rising and dead island. The scene contains minor gore; it is suitable for the age of 15 or over to play the game. Online is a friendly game working as a group to take out the monsters. There is no friendly fire on this game.

Background story

The story takes in London, England. A company Biotechnology were working on specimen and experimenting, involving cloning and genetic manipulation. Initially the process went wrong during experiment and humans began to mutate and disfigurement. The team will be sent down and fight off the horde until the mission is complete.

Gameplay

When it comes to Killing floor gameplay it doesn’t really have a story during the gameplay. It allows the player choice of class and for a map to choose. The game has well balanced for beginners and experts. Because of this not all players are equally to be played as good. Especially the maps they are well designed for the players to navigate. There are also defence mechanism where they can weld the doors and buy themselves more time to escape the area. It is basically a non-linear play area: choose where to stay, where to fight or run and weld that area. The players will fights waves of monster like specimen, as players progress the waves it will be more difficult and will be fighting tougher specimen.  The player will receive money by killing monsters, depends how much damage that has player done. Let’s take an example if the player shoots them on the head will receive double of that money. This is where the skills come from and perks for them to choose depends on players what they are comfortable.

Identification of class elements

There are 7 classes and each of them has its own unique way fighting the hordes and different abilities. As mentioned earlier not all players able to play equally. Biggest importance the players is our main priority, they have different intellectual and experiences of playing Killing Floor. This is where the balancing of gameplay comes and it needs to be stabilised if not it can reach a failure of boredom and hassling to gameplay and classes.  The class elements have their own function and the purposes what they do.

Medic

The medic is healer who has the ability to heal other players with the MP7M ( submachine gun). It is modified gun that can shoot the enemies and change its fire to healing mode. This allows the player to aim to heal other teammate instead of being close.

Sharpshooter

The sharpshooter is for specialises for long range headshot and long range weaponry. This class main priority is to focus on dangerous threats and have the ability to eliminate enemies faster. The sharpshooter has high accuracy and damage.

Support Specialist

This class has the ability to stand out front line of shooting waves and carries more ammunition than any other classes. Specialist can also weld the doors faster than any other classes. The specialist can carry more weapons and does have increased capacity of the inventory.

Commando

Commando is more of captain and generally serves eyes of his teammates. The commando has the ability to see the enemy’s health, detect cloaked enemies and finds the weakness of the enemies point. The commando should always look out for stalkers, crawlers, clots and gorefest.

Berserker

The Berserker is a melee class and its purpose to kill the enemies in physical like machete, fire axe, katana and chainsaw. Berserker can move 30% faster than any other classes. This class can gain more money as dealing in physical damage and can support the team by giving them any excess money.

Firebug

The fire bug is more supporting class and very much defensive class. This class can ignite its enemies, deals a massive damage and using hit and run tactics. Firebug grenades do more 2 times damage than any other classes. Especially the enemies are in s group.

Demolition

Demolition is more focused on specialising explosives.  This class allows the player to inflict high damage upon crowds and large enemies. This class can carry more grenades and also pipe bomb which function as mine when enemies trigger them.

Each class serves its purpose of its role and players can get taste of skills and adapt to it whichever they prefer. Each of these classes can purchase the weapons that they need and require for their class. Also theses classes can be levelled up to 6 and if the player does reach level 6 they will receive a special weapon.

Buy/Sell/Trade

The only time you can buy weapons and armours after the player has completed the wave. There is gap; initially they need to find local trader nearby and there is navigation to the trader in order to find it on the map. Players are given one minute to sell or buy weapons before another wave starts. Players must be careful what they buy for their weapons because each weapon has its benefits to that class. The only way the players can tell because of there is an icon (symbol for the class) next to the weapon.

“Fairness

Do any players get unfair advantage by buying certain things, or earning certain?

Punishment

How punishments affect a player’s ability to earn and spend money?

Choices

Do players have enough ways to earn money? To spend money?”

Weapons

These weapons have its own function for each class. However if the player does buy wrong weapon of his class, the player will lose its benefits for e.g. let’s say a firebug buys a sharpshooter dual pistol. That player may have dual pistol but will not able to do much damage as sharpshooter class. So there is a penalty to this for buying wrong weapon which leads punishment for the player. It is recommend that the player buys the right weapon for their class and also the trader can give the player discount to buy that weapon.

The only way to get money faster is playing the right skills for their perks.  By doing that gives a combination hits that the player makes and will double the money up. Even if the player can’t afford the weapon they want to purchase but little low on cash. The players can communicate to other players for request to give money. Or the player can sell its own weapon and buy better one that is if the player has exact cash the player needs.

Player’s and penalty death

If the player dies then that player will not able to re-spawn until the wave has been complete. When the player does re-spawn will lose a lot of cash and any the weapons were purchased previously will be lost unless if another player has it or it’s on the ground where the player had died previously.

Weapon skill elements

Weapon	Damage	Fire rate	Accuracy	Reload time	Overall score
shotgun	20	0.50	3.0	-2.35	25.85
Magnum	25	0.35	4.0	-3.5	25.85
Mk34	18	1.50	1.5	+4.85	25.85
AK47	22	2.0	1.0	+0.85	25.85

Application Accessibility

Killing floor application can be modified such as the theme, the sounds, character texture and the map. All this can be done by an application called Steam. Steam has its workshop able to customise the game of Killing floor.

Adaptation of Killing Floor

The killing floor needs more modes like campaigns, team death match and survival vs survival etc. they can also add more weapons to the classes. More animation needs to be doing on knife, instead attacking with the knife, they should have ability where they can throw knife and can retrieve it back from the corpse. They can also have player becoming a high level mutant if the player dies

                           

Bibliography

 

Balthazar. (2009, december 16). Retrieved from Killing floor wikia: http://kf-wiki.com/wiki/File:Trader_AK_47.png

Schell, J. A. (2008). Game Art Design. Morgan Kaufmann.