ImpossibleFX - photography | filmmaking

May 20, 2007

The guys have been contemplating independent game development as a supplement to our current respective sources of income. Edward asked me if I wanted to be a part of it. I told him I had been involved with game development in the past as I had created mods, total conversions and user levels for the games Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Doom 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Quake 2, Unreal, Soldier of Fortune 2, StarCraft, WarCraft 2 and 3, Freespace 2, Age of Empires 2 and the Command and Conquer series.

I attempted to develop an adventure game a few years ago based on the universe I created while developing an animated short film called Hunt; the production of which was halted indefinitely when my workstation crashed in 2001. I was contemplating a game engine called Torque when I decided I didn’t care to learn another programming language and thus got more heavily involved in photography (which has since become my one true passion).

MAY 19, 2007 — McALLEN, TX, USA — Edward Cordero watches as cousin Jay Juarez (left) and friend Mariano Rivera (right) perform song XYZ by rock group Rush in the console game Guitar Hero II. PHOTO BY JASON R. JOHNSTON

As it turns out Edward had bought a book which references Torque, developed by Gas Powered Games for their shooter Tribes. I was already familiar with the engine as I had researched it again in 2005 as I had dreams of another game, this time a post-apocalyptic shooter. But my passion for photography and my unwillingness to learn another programming language kept the credit card in my wallet.

Here presents another opportunity to get into independent game development. I agreed, as long as I didn’t have to code anything. I’d be more valuable as a game designer more than anything else. We pitched our ideas at a lunch meeting earlier in the week and last night met again to further develop our ideas. We were postulating a puzzle game would be our best first bet to enter the gaming world but we could never come to an agreement on what the game mechanics and playability would be. I argued that the game simply didn’t sound fun, even after I had given it a thorough design doc. Then I said that puzzle games weren’t my forte and I would be more valuable designing story-driven action and adventure games. I then proceeded to come up with two more games that I knew I could handle, design-wise. I really, really like the second one.

I think most of the ideas I’ve heard have been too grandiose and the gameplay mechanics too difficult and/or frustrating to be any fun. I rate games I play and spend money on based almost solely on their level of fun; graphic and sound qualities aside. Tetris is my all-time favorite game, despite the fact that I hate puzzle games. I loved a racing game called Mars Maniacs. Half-Life 2 is one of my all-time favorite games, second only to the original Doom which is given absolute credit for not only my interest in gaming, but my interest in computers and technology as well. Preceding that was the original Star Wars trilogy which gave me my first passion. Filmmaking, plus computers and technology, art and science from my artistic capabilities and intelligence, and my interest in composition and lighting coalesced into what is now my primary passion: photography.

So I don’t know how well this puzzle game idea will be. But I do plan to pitch the other ideas I’ve come up with last night. I actually showed them to Mariano as I drew the ideas out on paper and he seemed to really click with the second idea, my favorite. So we’ll see what happens.

As we waited for Marc to show up earlier in the evening, Jay and Mariano played Guitar Hero II as Edward and I watched. Marc was at a quinceañera late into the night so he wound up not coming. Jay ordered pizza from Papa John’s: chicken with onions and black olives. It was actually pretty good. Edward left after 10pm saying he’d come back, then Jay left and came back with a new game, Dead Rising, which he played until about 2:20am. When Jay picked up a wooden bench and started wielding it like a battering ram, we all just about died laughing. Edward didn’t come back. Then Jay left and I got to play the game until I got too tired at about 2:45am. When I got home I popped in a DVD of Deep Space Nine and watched the rest of one episode then started another until I passed out around 4am.

This afternoon I called Gloria [rewind: I've made a casting call announcement for anyone age 18 on up to model for me on a TFP (Trade For Picture) agreement and a girl named Gloria who found me on MySpace contacted me that she'd be interested so I got her contact info and told her I'd call her Sunday afternoon between 1 and 2pm. I also have gotten back in touch with Marian, another model whom I've worked with before to see if she'd like to be a part of my new photo project. Typing this reminds me to talk to Monica at the office tomorrow to see if she'd like to do hair and makeup for me. I wonder if Claudia will be available to assist? Mental notes made.] and left a message. I’m in no rush to get this project off the ground, but I would like to finish it before the fall when school schedules are reinstated. That reminds me also to get back in touch with another Gloria about the same project. More on this later.