Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw’s Novel, Mogworld, Available for Preorder

I knew about Yahtzee before he blew up and everybody started talking about him on the internet.

Ben has a website, fullyramblomatic.com, where he has everything from stories to video games he’s made in AGS. Then he started writing video game reviews on The Escapist, called Zero Punctuation. He even started a pub in Australia. Now he a novel called “Mogworld”, which is set to be published by Dark Horse, and available in August, 2010. It’s retail price goes for about $8.00.

The 350 page novel is of the comic fantasy type, and takes place in an MMO.

"In a world full to bursting with would-be heroes, Jim couldn't be less interested in saving the day. His fireballs fizzle. He's awfully grumpy. Plus, he's been dead for about sixty years. When a renegade necromancer wrenches him from eternal slumber and into a world gone terribly, bizarrely wrong, all Jim wants is to find a way to die properly, once and for all.

On his side, he's got a few shambling corpses, an inept thief, and a powerful death wish. But he's up against tough odds: angry mobs of adventurers, a body falling apart at the seams and a team of programmers racing a deadline to hammer out the last few bugs in their AI."

You can preorder this novel from Amazon.

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Source: Mogworld: Yahtzee's Game-Themed Humor Novel Available To Preorder [GameSetWatch]

Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw’s Novel, Mogworld, Available for Preorder

Game Maker 8 Available for Download

Not that I really dabble in this sort of thing anymore, but I was reading recently that the latest version of this little program is now up for download.

The last version I toyed with was version 6, 6.1, or something years ago while I was studying a course at college. I wasn’t very good with it. It’s okay for small, scrolling based games, but I actually preferred working in AGS (Adventure Game Studio). This program is great for making those classic point and click style games, and even a basic RPG if you know how.

Here’s the blurb from the site that explains what it’s all about, better than I could.

“Do you want to develop computer games without spending countless hours learning how to become a programmer?

Game Maker allows you to make exciting computer games, without the need to write a single line of code. Using easy to learn drag-and-drop actions, you can create professional looking games within very little time. You can make games with:

* Backgrounds, Sprites and Images
* Animated Graphics
* Basic sound functions, Special effects, 3D music, CD music
* Even 3d games!

And when you've become more experienced, there is a built-in programming language which gives you the full flexibility of creating games with Game Maker.

The Lite Edition is meant for those taking their first steps on the path of developing games. It can be used for free but is limited in its functionality. When you are using Game Maker regularly you are strongly recommended to upgrade it to the Pro Edition for $25.”

Along with this, I was checking out some of the website, and there’s a new Game Maker competition just starting.

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Game Maker 8 available for download

http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker/

Game Maker 8 Available for Download

Dan Marshall: Game Journos Should Make Games Themselves for a Change

Someone's bitter because game journo's ripped in to one of this games. Dan Marshall of Zombie Cow, in an interview with Gamasutra recently stated: "I think all games journos should be forced to make a game somehow, see how they get on. It gives you a more rounded perspective."

Now he does have a point, but you know what I think? I think it's fanboys who should be forced to make a video game themselves. See how they get on. They often bitch all the time about games, and they even rip into the video game journos. I mean, I may be but a humble (pfft) blogger, and not one of these corporately owned news websites, but I think that game journos take out their bitterness on games, and for a reason.

This is how it goes: fanboys hate on games, hate on game reviews, hate on game articles, and so the game journos rip into the fanboys favourite game to hit them where it hurts. And unfortunately the developers suffer from this too, and not just the fanboys, and so they blame the journos. If you ever go on to Destructoid, you should check it out. There are often articles, I think by Jim Sterling, where he makes plain his loathing for the terrible creatures.

I tried to make video games once. I fooled around with different small game creation tools like AGS (Adventure Game Studio) among others. I did this while I studied a programming course at college, but after a year of doing this I thought, no, I don't think this is for me. And since then I've focused more on my writing efforts.

I like playing games, and I like writing about them, among other subjects, but making them- that is hard.

Dan Marshall: Game Journos Should Make Games Themselves for a Change