Each team was allowed 25 minutes of presentation and question/answer time, during which they would have to convince Dan that their game was not only viable to create within the next 6 months, but that it was also worth the effort to keep it as a finished portfolio piece for FIEA and the cohort students as well. The teams showed amazing progress for the short amount of time they had been in pre-production, each one being able to show an in-game technical demo. Many unique prototyping styles were showcased, as well as different development and organizational methodologies. With no two games alike, Dan was faced with a difficult set of pros and cons to each one and had many options to weigh when considering his final decisions.
The presentations began at 1PM and concluded around 2:40, with most of the teams going out to unwind after a long weekend of preparation for this event. By 3:40, the call went out to all teams to return to The Bridge by 4:30 for the announcement. In that hour-long period, Dan met with the FIEA faculty and discussed each game individually, consulting the professors as to their knowledge of the teams’ capabilities and resources. Based upon what he saw in the presentations, as well as the input on the viability of each project as it related to the teams’ talents, the decisions were made.
One of the major surprises made at the announcement was the decision to cut two games, rather than the predicted single cut. The faculty decided that rather than allow one game to survive 3 more weeks and then get cut at Spring Break, they would rather see the energy spent on 2 games that would be seen through to the end of production. The next announcement was the official word as to which two games would see life through the end of the Summer 2009 semester…
Drifters & Sultans of Scratch
It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to the recently titled “Hell Bound” (formerly “The Chain Game Project”) and Delirium. But as they say, when one door shuts, another opens, and the teams of Drifters and SoS are now doubled in size with fresh talent, more resources, and the comfort of knowing they no longer have to fear being cut. The producers and programmers from Hell Bound and Delirium have been reorganized into Drifters and SoS, with the artists to be assigned soon. Teams were encouraged to take the rest of the day off and take advantage of a little team socialization time before starting a new chapter in their game development with a bigger team.
There are no status reports this week, as Monday’s presentations were sort of an early progress report, and the teams are encouraged to take this week to analyze their new structure and put their newly acquired talent to good use. Tuesday will now be Drifter’s status report, while Sultans of Scratch will be reporting on Thursday, each team getting more time to present if need be. Look forward to more exciting, in-depth news about these two games as the weeks go by. Don’t be surprised if next week the teams announce some major changes and additions to their original plans!
