Category: 2021

Gameplay Vs Narrative: The Greatest Battle Throughout Video Game Development

Published June 3, 2021

Video game development and design can be incredibly complicated but easily one of the greatest debates is the battle of gameplay vs narrative. Relatively new, video games represent an unusual area of interactive entertainment, in sharp contrast to other mediums such as film, television, books etc. and it can feel like video game designers are still trying to figure out the balance of gameplay and narrative. In recent years, I’ve heard an increasing number of opinions with regards to this debate and I decided that it was worth looking at this topic and share my own thoughts and opinions.

When it comes to video games vs other entertainment mediums, it is clear that gameplay is the single most defining aspect that distinguishes video games. The ability to interact with the world, characters, gameplay systems etc. isn’t possible in more traditional entertainment mediums, excluding board games, and this aspect is what most people will think of when they think of video games. However, as video games have become more and more technically complicated with greater graphics, audio, voice acting, etc., many video games have become progressively more and more story-driven.

Hearts of Iron IV is very gameplay driven.

Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy Remastered is driven by its narrative.

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The Strange But Fascinating World of Doujinshi

Published May 31, 2021

When it comes to the manga industry, it is very easy to only focus on professional manga, particularly when professional manga tends to be the only form of manga licensed by Western publishers. However, this ignores one of the more strange but fascinating aspects of manga culture in Japan, that being the world of doujinshi.

First, let’s define what doujinshi is. The term doujinshi combines the terms “Doujin” which refers to people who share a hobby and “Shi” which refers to magazines. Basically, it refers to self-published series and is typically, but not exclusively, released by amateur artists. Many professional mangaka started their careers by releasing doujinshi with a particularly notable example being the series “Black Magic” which was originally released as a doujinshi before later being rereleased by a manga publisher and kickstarting the career of Shirow Masamune, creator of Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell.

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The Unusual Process of Japanese Voice Acting

Published May 27, 2021

When it comes to the differences between anime and animation from the rest of the world, I’m always startled at how different the various processes can be. Easily one of the more unusual is the process of recording Japanese voice acting for anime. Considering how different it can be compared to other forms of animation, I thought it might be worth examining this process and learning why it’s done this way in Japan.

First, I should probably explain the standard outside of Japan. In Western animation, and most of the world, the voice actors are provided the script, deliver their lines and the animation is later animated. There are numerous reasons why this is done but a sample would include being able to use the performance to inform the way the character moves and emotes and to lip synch the dialogue to the character’s mouth. If you have ever watched a Disney animated movie, a Dreamworks animated movie etc., this process is how those films were produced.

Interestingly, Akira, an anime, was also produced via this method.

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Why Is Audrey Hepburn So Popular In Japan?

Published May 24, 2021

I’ve recently begun watching Gundam Unicorn, an entry in the Universal Century timeline, and have been finding it to be an incredible experience. However, something that caught my attention was when one of the characters, not wishing to use their real name, identified themselves under the alias “Audrey Burne”. “Surely this is a reference to Audrey Hepburn” I can remember thinking to myself but it also made me wonder how popular and well-known she was in Japan.

First, it might be worth explaining who Audrey Hepburn is for those who are unfamiliar with her. Originally born in Belgium before moving to Britain and performing at the West End, she eventually made her way to Hollywood and ended up becoming an exceptionally popular actress, being recognised by the American Film Institute as the 3rd greatest female star of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

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What Is Crossplay And Why It’s Suddenly Relevant Again

Published May 20, 2021

The recent ongoing trial between Epic Games and Apple has proven to be a treasure trove for those seeking information about the behind-the-scenes of the secretive video games industry. Much of this information has revolved around the Epic Games Store itself but we have also seen some information regarding other video game companies. One of the more interesting discoveries was with regards to Sony and their attitude towards crossplay. This has suddenly shone the spotlight back on crossplay and made the discussion relevant again.

First, I should probably explain what crossplay is to those unfamiliar with the term. Short for “Cross-Platform Play”, it refers to when a game supports players playing together across different gaming platforms. This concept is relatively new within the games industry with the first console games with crossplay support only first appearing around 2000 when several Sega Dreamcast games allowed for players playing on the Dreamcast, Windows PC or PlayStation 2 to play multiplayer together.

4×4 Evo was one of the first games to offer crossplay, allowing Dreamcast, Windows and Macintosh players to play together.

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Why Autobiographical Manga Is So Interesting

Published May 17, 2021

When I was perusing my manga collection recently for something to read, my eyes were drawn to a manga called “Ichi-F”. Covering the cleanup operation after the disaster at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, the story followed the true tale of a worker called Kazuto Tatsuta, a pseudonym, as he worked at the power plant and, later on, covering his decision to write the manga series itself. I found the manga itself very enjoyable but, more than that, it reminded me of how unique reading an autobiographical manga is and I decided to take a look at some particularly notable examples and why I find them so interesting.

One thing you’ll notice when you begin to examine the field of autobiographical manga is how many of them centre around artists and the manga industry. This makes sense to me as, in contrast to autobiographic prose where most people seem to have some capability to write, being able to draw a work to an acceptable quality is not a skill that most people tend to have. I do confess that this seems to restrict the variety of autobiographical manga to a certain extent although we still see some series develop that cover unusual topics.

The cover of the English edition of Ichi-F.

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How Successful Have Anime Films Been At The US Box Office?

Published May 13, 2021

One of the more notable pieces of anime news recently was the announcement that “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” had become the first anime film in decades to reach the top spot in the US box office. Having recently taken a look at how anime films perform in the Japanese box office, I found myself quite intrigued by this success and thought it might be interesting to take a look at anime films at the US box office and how successful they’ve been.

The first anime film to be released theatrically in the United States of America was Panda and the Magic Serpent, sometimes referred to as The Tale of the White Serpent. Originally released in Japan in 1958, Panda and the Magic Serpent was the first anime film to be released in colour and was later released in the US in 1961. The US release of this film, along with two other anime films that year, Magic Boy and Alakazam the Great, underperformed at the US box office, either being box office failures or mild successes at best.

A shot of Xu-Xian and Bai-Niang from Panda and the Magic Serpent. — A shot from Panda and the Magic Serpent.

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The Amazing And Not So Amazing World of Don Bluth Part 2

Published May 10, 2021

Here is the conclusion of my article that began in The Amazing And Not So Amazing World of Don Bluth Part 1.

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Thumbelina, released in 1994, is an adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same name. Interestingly, the character of Thumbelina was voiced by Jodi Benson, the same actress who voiced Ariel from The Little Mermaid, an adaptation of another Hans Christian Anderson story. The movie Thumbelina begins with a widow, who longs for a child, receiving a seed from a witch. This seed eventually produces a flower which reveals a tiny girl who is adopted by this old lady and named Thumbelina. Thumbelina feels isolated due to her size, despite the love of her adoptive mother, but eventually comes across a fairy prince called Cornelius and falls in love. However, a travelling show troupe leader called Mrs. Toad decides to kidnap Thumbelina and have her marry one of her sons. The film got only a more marginally positive reception than Rock-A-Doodle and grossed $17 million, well short of its $28 million budget.

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The Amazing And Not So Amazing World of Don Bluth Part 1

Published May 6, 2021

I recently discussed the films of Warner Bros. Feature Animation as well as discussing the 2D films of Dreamworks Animation in the past. However, arguably more important than those when it comes to the legacy of animation are the films of the legendary animator Don Bluth. While his films are certainly not of even quality, I still think it worth looking at the various films he directed and examining the amazing and not so amazing world of Don Bluth.

First, it’s worth discussing who Don Bluth is and his work prior to directing films. Don Bluth first began working in the animation industry as an assistant animator on the 1959 Disney classic “Sleeping Beauty”. He would continue to work on many other Disney animated films such as The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Rescuers etc. as well as working on some TV animated series such as Fantastic Voyage, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Groovie Goolies etc. The last Disney film he worked on was The Fox and the Hound and, in 1979, he led a group of animators out of Disney to set up Don Bluth Productions, later renamed Sullivan Bluth Studios, due to his dissatisfaction with Disney’s attitude to animation at the time.

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The Difference Between Video Game Remasters and Remakes

Published May 3, 2021

If you’ve been following the video game industry for the past few years, you’ve probably noticed the dramatic rise of video game remasters and remakes. While there is legitimate criticism for retreading old ground, I’ve personally been enjoying the chance to revisit video game classics whether they be remakes or remasters. However, with this rise, I’ve noticed that there’s been plenty of confusion between the two. Therefore, I thought it worth looking at the differences between video game remasters and remakes and where the confusion may stem from.

First, let’s start with what a video game remaster is. A remaster uses the original content of the game but might allow the game to run in a higher resolution, perhaps with higher frame-rates, improved textures and gameplay and UI tweaks. An excellent example is the upcoming Total War: Rome Remastered which has seen a variety of graphical and gameplay upgrades but is running on the original game engine with a lot of the original scripting.

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