E3 2011

This year's E3 is shaping up to be quite an exciting event. The web is buzzing about all the possibilities and it's just getting better as we get closer. Nintendo is set to unveil its newest console, codenamed Project Cafe, via a live broadcast on the web. Hopefully Nintendo has learned from their recent lackluster launch of the 3DS that in order to sell this new piece of gaming hardware it needs a solid list of interesting first and third-party launch titles, not promises of what will happen in the far off future.
The same concept is relevant to the 3DS. If Nintendo wants to have a shot at keeping their grasp of the handheld world they better bring a long list of soon-to-launch 3DS titles to the show. As tantalizing as the upcoming remake of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is, we as gamers need completely new titles to keep us from dwelling on shelling out $250 for a handheld. I can't speak for anyone else, but I still feel that Nintendo killed off the DS early. Considering their launch list for the 3DS, I would have been more than content to wait for a more diverse selection at launch.
I'm also curious about what Microsoft's strategy will be this year. Obviously Gears of War 3 will be a major title at the show, but there are also rumors of a new Halo title, Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3 are competing against each other for dominance, and what about the future of the Kinect? I have never been a fan of it, and last year Microsoft pimped the heck out of it. So what will they have on hand for those who did invest in it?
And then there's Sony. They've had a lot to deal with, and I commend every effort and incentive everyone in the industry has put out in the world to soften the blow of the damage caused by the hackers. It's really woken up the industry as a whole and forced game companies to learn how to handle an awful situation. Rumors of Sony's next console are trickling out, so perhaps we'll hear more about it at this year's show. It's coming up fast, and I'm very eager to see how it all plays out.

Short Films and Weddings

Today marked the end of a month long collaboration between a few friends and I. The writer/director and I just put the final adjustments on a short film I had a small role in and edited. It was a lot of fun, and as always I learned a lot from the experience. It should be posted up on Youtube soon.

I don't know what it is with this year, but there's certainly been a lot of talk about weddings lately. The fact that I'm taking notice could very well be attributed to the fact that my own is ever-approaching, but everyone from my sister to several of my childhood friends are engaged and in the midst of planning their own.

Speaking of which, today was Arturo and Jazmin's wedding, so Congratulations!

Concept X Headphones

The second entry in my series, X's headphones would feature LED lights that make the outside of the ear cups and the center gem glow. They come with a helmet attachment that slips on beneath the main headband. The interior of the ear cups feature X's main blue color.

You can view a high-res version on my DeviantArt account.

Onyx Animatic

I just posted my original Onyx animatic from 2008, which you can view here. The original name of the island he lives on was tokidoki, but it has since changed. Actually, nearly everything has changed or evolved in some way. Onyx was originally blue! And his initial arm cannon design has always reminded me of a trash can.

Kira Buckland was Onyx's original voice actor. Tuck's design (and gender) has changed drastically since, and her original voice came from Alynne, my fiancée and co-conspirator. Magus's original voice actor was my good buddy Luke Martinez. Both Alynne and Luke were also involved in our Twilight spoofs, and the Army of Gamers short.

Connecting the Dots

This past month has been incredible! I've been doing a lot of research for my first Onyx book, creating concept sprites and levels for Onyx and Scruffy games, caught up with family and friends, shot a short film (currently editing it), had the great fortune of visiting Treyarch studios, went camping, have been playing way too much Call of the Dead and the Gears of War 3 Beta, and now I'm more determined than ever to bring Onyx's story home.
I've been writing like a mad man these last several weeks and have put nearly every other project on hold as I put pen to paper and let the rest of Onyx's first adventure flow. I've been writing this book for almost a year now, between working full-time and developing everything else, so I'm very eager to see it complete and give it to the world.