[laser guns blasting]

Yeah we have a million ways to destroy life, but not a ton of ways to make it. So I think this is a pretty great step forward. Although if anyone here has read The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, this does make the idea of micro-machines that float around invisible to the naked eye MUCH more real. The imagery from the book where the poor kid comes into the house and starts coughing up black crap (micro-machines) really affected me because its a man-made problem.

Also in the article, you'll notice it mentions several times that the replicated cells are not "perfect", so that makes me wonder how far along this really is. But it sounds like its definitely on the right path to making some awesome medical breakthroughs!

Though I'm not pretty sure what do you mean by micro-machines, I think that they are more likely stuff of nanoscience unless they are explicitly meant to cause diseases. This cell and DNA thing is actually more related to biology than actual "machines". And by the way, just a fact that nanobots can have in theory laser guns blasting your veins raises their coolness factor above cell bacterias

In more serious sense I think this is great step forward Not sure how much more dangers it brings. Tapping with genetics is always a bit risky but rewards are also great ones.

Most of the R&D money in the world goes into military science, doesn't it? Or space. Either way, competitive/combative stuff.

That's probably true, though I'm not that sure of space. Actually space research has a bit problems with money since their experiments and researches tend to have rather big budgets since everything has to be transported to space. However, it's rather small area of science, so eventhough single missions are often expensive, overall costs are smaller than most of the wider range areas of science such medics etc. Not sure though, but this is assumption after reading several books of astronomy and space research. Besides, the space research suffers much from "it's useless, what use we can have from researching some damn rocks 4000 million kilometers away here!?" attitude, which is fundamentally misinformated considering how many technical everyday products have come from there.

EDIT: Lol, about the dangers, I wonder what people will talk thousand years forward when they start tapping with possible vacuum energy which can blow whole solar system aways if gone wrong? 

Just be aware that things like these can be scams, so you should try to do some background research. Is it arranged by trustworthy people? What do people from previous years think?

It's legit since it's arranged by college which also offers game development degrees and the ad came with the letter inviting to entrance exams to this college.

Good to know these are things which are actually needed However, I'm bit sceptical now if I can attend to it, since after a bit research, I found out it's about 306 kilometers away from here and I doubt that my father would take me there or lend a car since he has to that a couple of days before too when I go to exams there. And not to speak about how I have another exams at the same day in other town as the camp starts

However, I'd like to ask how difficult or time consuming to learn these things myself really is? Camp is about five days long with 8 hours studying. Not sure if I have time or will to start moving to another languages now but just asking

@Derakon
I once though about lifting objects with body pretty much like you suggested but never went to actually implement it or even ponder it more throughly. I like that idea and will put it up somewhere

@chrknudsen & neoshaman
I think that magic is actually more casual than robotics but that I'm not yet sure how the game will turn out. Originally (and for now) this concept was paired with rather difficult level design, but with lot's of checkpoints. I think that devlog topic covers a bit more of this subject though. So I'm not sure how casual I'm going to make this (at least in difficulty sense).

How about a military science experiment gone wrong? You were a scientist working on an invisibility suit, but when you tested the prototype jumpsuit, instead of turning your body invisible, it phased it out. That would also explain why your head, hands are feet are still in existence: the prototype jumpsuit didn't cover these parts of your body.

Interesting idea/new viewpoint though I'm not sure if this theme would personally interest me, since I'm not really excited in these military stories in games...

Hmm, so far the robot and magician theme intrigue me most, the latter one maybe little more. Magician theme would be interesting since I think it's so bizarre and seldom seem concept which would therefore pair well with gameplay concept and possibly produce more memorable game. However, I'm not sure which kind of level designs/places game should have. I should think of theme with good excuse for lots of sledge hammers, spikes, shurikens and/or other deadly things In this view, the robotic theme would probably give more advantage, unless magician theme takes place mostly in magician's castle or something (cliche I know). Thanks for input so far, these really got me thinking and thanks for all praise for concept, they get me working even harder

EDIT: Just came up a new theme.Player could be a skeleton and game could take place in pyramid or other tomb. Basic storyline could be about thieves who steal player's sargofag or something but for some reason leave head, hands and feet behind. Player's job is to chase these sacrilegs and give them some good mummy/undead punishment :D

Today I got an ad from mail along one of my entrance exam invitation papers about game programming summer camp. It piqued my interest, though I'm not sure if I will take it since it's pretty far here and I have one entrance exam in the first day of the camp.

Anyways I though to ask here what some game programmers think about camp's contents, are they worth of the price etc. or how good base they could give to create games. Camp is about XNA and Visual studio. My game development experience is so far mostly game maker based.

Contents of the camp:
- Basics of Visual studio and XNA.
- Game application's working basics.
- Basics of 2d game
- Basics of 2d mathematics
- Loading and presenting 2d assets
- User input
- Creating game mechanics
- Adding sounds
- Adding HUD and menu texts
- Developing a game

Price is 90 euros. Camp is designed for youths interested in game programming age 14-20.

There might be some translation errors I did as this was finnish ad

[is]

@Benza
That robotic approach is pretty interesting. And not least because I used slightly robotic/space theme when I first time prototyped this idea several years ago Thanks for reminding though and I like your mockup, will definitely consider that too

@Chromanoid
That actually is very good idea! I think it could turn out delighfully weird if I would humanize the main character like you proposed :D I have to really think this approach more and prototype & doodle bit with it. Thanks!
Problem with it is though that my sprites (body parts) are around 16x16 which makes details very hard to depict 

Oh shit that would be cool if as you collect more parts of your body you have to maneuver around more parts. Like after you get your arms and torso, then stuff can no longer go between them.

I have thought about that sometimes, but so far I haven't came up any decent gameplay uses for that since getting new body parts would limit you rather than help to advance. Unless you have to collect them at each level and then reach the goal or something. Or maybe game starts with just head, then player finds from the first level all parts, or from very first levels etc.

Only seen Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle. The latter was good, but disappointing. That was probably because Mononoke is probably in my top 2 movies ever. I need to watch more, I just wish they were easier to find.

Haha, in recent years one film publisher has brought every one of them in to Finland and one can find them at nearly every store with about 5-8 euros now ^^

I usually play as character too. I generally like more games where I control certain character and guide him/her through the story rather than exploring "myself".

Surprisingly fun and difficult game Couldn't get too far Along with concept I liked the music and graphics too. Only things to criticise would be a bit too slow walking and explosion effect which for some reason felt a bit out of place related to the rest of the graphics. Probably because graphics are pixelled while explosion effect is blended smooth looking particle effect. All in all, pretty nice lil' game 

A somekind exploration game where you can find new skills or verbs to be used to different objects to advance or something.

Pretty weird mockup since this born just by doodling around today with marker pens and coloured it afterwards with PS so there is actually two scenes and some random crap in the left up corner :D Not sure if this kind of graphics would attract anyone but they were really fun to scribble  

Now, I can't be of help, not much an artist myself, but I did see the video.

Where'd you get an idea like that? Bizarre, quite cool. Hope you find your artist (or satisfactory art style) - I'd love to play it.
 

Actually the concept is several years old now so I can't remember clearly where it came. However, I have hazy memory of playing some random minimalistic platformer where character was form of 5 pixels. The game was pretty standard platformer but I instantly figured out what one could do with character like that

I'll do my best to finish this. Right now I have hands full of things IRL, programming and graphics wise but after I get some of them out of the way I'll get on the graphic design unless I find someone else to help with it

[Loom]

I would like to add Lucasart's Loom to your list since it has pretty different interaction mechanics than most of the adventure games. Plus, it's somewhat classic too. You can buy it from Steam at least.

Incredible work dude
I like especially that Gish and weak point beanies. I also love the idea of weak point being your head

I'm currently developing a puzzle platformer "Bodiless" and looking for graphics artist to collaborate with. I have got working prototype of the concept and I'm working now to program a level editor for level design. What's open right now is the theme and style of the game. I'm looking to someone willing to design interesting and fitting setting and theme for the gameplay concept. So along with graphical work you can get to influence how the whole game will feel and be And since I'm programming editor, you may have chance to actually design levels too if that's your thing

To get quick glance of the concept, look

, devlog or just download to play the prototype.

If you get interested, either reply here or PM me to get more info and things sorted

Thanks for your insights, you got me thinking this from a bit different perspectives I suppose I have somewhat negelcted this side of game development while studying more actual game design etc. Now I'm realizing this part a bit better

Well, I think it's pretty much time to dive in to these things then and try my luck

Thanks for that link, very interesting to read since these collaborations are bit new for me as I have mostly worked alone (except my friend used to do graphics for my projects, but he is too busy now and I have music artist who usually does music when I ask). However, this left me wondering my current case:

1. Do not come in to a collaboration with a preconceived game idea. Seriously. Don’t.

Somehow I guess it will be hard to find anyone to support my game idea regarding to this quote? Except I at least have working demo to show off.
And btw, what do meant by "rev. share"?

Hmm, this networking thing is pretty hard I guess 

@Jakman4242
Yes, I have something like that in my mind too.

@aeiowu
I think you are right though the problem is to find artist willing to collaborate with me since I can't afford to pay for it Actually I'm not skilless with graphics either but I have my hands and mind filled with other things so your idea is probably good.

@Toeofdoom
Thanks for clarification. I think I got it now though I'm not sure if I will implement it but I will put a note of it somewhere

can you show some examples of the art you've done that you're talking about?

I don't follow you. I haven't done much of any art besides the one in video right (which are more or less placeholders) now since I'm still pondering the way I should go with them.

@Toeofdoom
By 128x128 tiles do you mean that I would use them both 16x16 floors and empty areas (where player can't access) to avoid the repetitiviness caused by 16x 16 tiles? It's interesting idea and I guess it should be possible though would need a bit rewrite. Oh well, I'm making level editor anyways so I might as well add that feature in to it

Well, I haven't exactly thought it as ghost. More like that someone stole his body, it fled him or he is just a vulnerable spirit now looking for his body. I like that shackle idea since it fits quite nicely into concept and that perspective could give me possibility to make game's theme either a bit creepy or somekind weird spirit world. Thanks for comment definitely

@Robottwo, aeiowu
Thanks for compliments

It worries me that you guys can just focus on the battle system in the video and none of you is shocked or even surprised by the rest of it. What was going on in there ?!

Lol, I though same. However, I guess it's not questioned since this is japanese show :D

Nice finds Theo Chair looks confy and I guess those games have some nostalgy feeling

Hmm, should I be worried that my computer sounds like throtthling a car when I'm playing Aquaria? Whole time whoooom!.....whoooom!.... etc. I'm now little paranoid for playing it.

Well, sound support is still like it has been since 6.1. Updates have mostly consisted support for alpha channel pngs. For sounds I usually use dlls. Still, chance to get game for psnetwork is rather fascinating.