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Program Announcements / Last Life - DarkBasic at GCAP 2009

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MMM
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Joined: 21st Jan 2009
Location: NSW, Australia
Posted: 17th Nov 2009 23:47 Edited at: 18th Nov 2009 00:06
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Some of you might remember Last Life, a game my team and I made over the last southern-hemisphere summer and wrote about on these forums (http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=145154&b=5). I was very pleased when the game was featured in the Game Creators newsletter shortly after the beta was complete (http://www.thegamecreators.com/data/newsletter/newsletter_issue_74.html). The beta can still be downloaded at File Factory, as I've so far failed to secure a better host (http://www.filefactory.com/file/af0hadh/n/LAST_LIFE.zip). Since then, Last Life has received sporadic attention from a few sources and while I have since engineered a 'release' version, the game is basically the same (I've been working on other, larger projects).


More recently the team submitted Last Life to the Independent Game Awards at Game Connect Asia Pacific 2009 (http://www.gameconnectap.com/index.html). This is pretty much the largest game-industry event in South East Asia and this year is being held at the Crowne Promenade Hotel on Melbourne's Yarra River - pricey! There were over a hundred entries to the competition this year and of those only nine are traditionally shortlisted for presentation at the conference trade fair.


I'm proud to say Last Life was shortlisted.


I think this is the first time a DarkBasic Pro game has been selected for GCAP. On top of that, the language has only been taught academically at my college for one intake and I have no previous coding experience - the first time they trial the subject directly on students and it produces a GCAP shortlisted game. If any C++ junkie smirks at DarkBasic now, I will just laugh.


The conference is held from the 6-8th of December. Winning games in categories of Best Art, Best Gameplay and Best Unsigned Game will be judged and awarded at the conference itself. Regardless of awards, I am totally stunned to have made it this far and just wanted to extend my thanks to everyone on the boards and to the DarkBasic team itself. Thanks guys. Next stop, IGF in San Francisco.


Also, some updated screenshots of the new release! Unfortunately, I can't make it available for download before the conference. Enjoy!











Edit: also have some productions videos since last time I posted.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFazZcEc_kY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1hQxGyn73c

Powerboard Productions
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seppgirty
FPSC Developer
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Posted: 18th Nov 2009 00:03
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congrats to you and your team MMM..... i'll keep my fingers crossed for you and your team..

gamer, lover, filmmaker
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tiresius
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Posted: 18th Nov 2009 00:59
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That's awesome, congratulations.

I'm not a real programmer but I play one with DBPro!
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Van B
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Posted: 18th Nov 2009 15:51
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This intrigued me when I first saw it, and I'm not surprised that it's doing so well. The style reminds me of PC games from the last decade - not in terms of visual quality of course, but in the freedom you've afforded yourself. Know what I mean? - we had these artistic and quirky games a few years ago (American McGee's Alice for instance), but nowadays it's pretty rare to see unique styles like that on the PC - they always end up on the DS or 360. I think it's probably due to games like that becoming mainstream rather than casual games. Who knows, we might see your game on the Wii one day!.

Your game looks great, interesting and unburdened, but logical at the same time. Looking forward to playing it, and hope you smash the competition with it.


Health, Ammo, and bacon and eggs!
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MMM
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Posted: 20th Nov 2009 09:27
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Thanks for the kind words guys, you flatter me too much. It's even a little weird to actually get praise for my work - as I'm more used to getting slandered and put down by everyone outside the games community. Call it an Australian thing.

Thought I'd bring this up too: http://www.igf.com/php-bin/entry2010.php?id=534

So basically Last Life was successfully submitted to IGF 2010. We only really wanted the coverage from being listed on their site but there are 306 entries this year - so that shine kind of wore off pretty quick. I guess we'll need to get shortlisted again now - with any luck.

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JLMoondog
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Posted: 20th Nov 2009 18:21
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I remember playing this a while back and enjoying it. It was fun trying to figure out how to gather resources and defend yourself at the same time.

Good luck!


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Echo5
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Posted: 29th Nov 2009 10:07
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Wow. Love the graphic's and the art style you have here!

Print "DarkBASIC 4 Life"
Wait Key
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MMM
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Posted: 12th Dec 2009 14:29
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Thanks for the kind words guys. It's all justified really, because at the pricey GCAP Awards Dinner on Mon 7th Dec, it was announced that...



Last Life won 'Best Gameplay' at GCAP 2009.



I bold this because it makes me rather happy. Firstly it means that Last Life is apparently one of the best examples of gameplay from the whole Asia Pacific region. As I am a game designer and the only one working on this project, with no previous coding experience, that is rather a heartwarming thought. Secondly, it means that a game done in darkbasic can comfortably win one of the major independent game awards on the planet. Third, it means that attitudes toward game creation in general are changing.

I like that an indie game can be a 'game' and not a 'prototype'. I like that darkbasic holds its own against raw C++ and even Unreal Engine (yes, there were a number of unreal mods and one even won 'best unsigned' which is good). I like that experiments are recognised as important to our industry - even if they fail from time to time.


Apart from the awards, the conference was great and in case anyone here went, thanks for coming and mingling with all us smelly Australians. If you weren't there, maybe I'll see you next year?

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JLMoondog
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Posted: 12th Dec 2009 15:22
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Wow, great job! All that work paid off.


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Van B
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Posted: 12th Dec 2009 21:20
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Congratulations!

Be sure to email Batvink so he can include your good news in the next newsletter.


Health, Ammo, and bacon and eggs!
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MMM
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Posted: 13th Dec 2009 01:33
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Indeed it seems the work did pay off. I'll write this little lesson down in my book of important things. And I surely will send off appropriate emails on your advice Van B, thanks for that.


Just an update though. We've had some press coverage and I thought I'd post some links.


We are featured here: GCAP09: Wide range of independent and student creations

And a small mention here: GCAP09: Best video game from Australia in 2009


This is good coverage too, because it shows both the results of the entire awards ceremony and gives some info on the other entrants. I was also the lead game and story designer on 'Blakely van de Buckle's Brass Cabaret' which was shortlisted but surprisingly came away empty-handed. Thanks goes to that production team which was much lager than the Last Life team.

Enjoy!

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tiresius
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Posted: 14th Dec 2009 20:06
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That is awesome MMM congratulations on the award!

I'm not a real programmer but I play one with DBPro!
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Sph!nx
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Posted: 15th Dec 2009 12:38
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Nice! Congrats MMM (and team)!

Regards,
Sph!nx
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MMM
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Posted: 16th Dec 2009 01:36
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Thanks guys! It just goes to show what can be done with this little language of ours.

Also, got a funny mention in the Australian Gamer Podcast:

http://www.australiangamer.com/podcast/2862_the_gdaa_awards_rebooting_medal_of_honor_and_raskulls.html

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Coder#05
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Posted: 11th Jan 2010 22:19 Edited at: 11th Jan 2010 22:25
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Nice game! Well deserved!

And good luck geting nominated at IGF!



http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=127385&b=8
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baxslash
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Posted: 12th Jan 2010 16:16
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Great to see a DBP game doing so well against other languages, well done!!

WEB
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Plotinus
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Posted: 14th Jan 2010 15:48
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I only just spotted this - well done! I think it was a very well deserved award. This was a really original game in concept and execution and I very much enjoyed it. Following up Van B's comment, I can absolutely imagine this game on the Wii. I hope your success at GCAP inspires you to keep on game-making!
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The Slayer
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Playing: (Hide and) Seek and Destroy on my guitar!
Posted: 14th Jan 2010 20:26
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Congratulations to you and your team! This really shows that this 'little' language called DBPro has more than enough power to compete with the rest, and you and your team showed that to the rest of the world! Well done! This also confirms that it's not always about the best graphics, or the best engine, or money, but more about gameplay and fun and commitment. This inspires me (and i am sure all the other members of our community) even more now to also make a great game! Keep those great games coming!

Slayer rules!!! Yeaaah, man!
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MMM
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Posted: 15th Jan 2010 12:22
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Aww shucks. Thanks guys. It's kind of a strange thing to be getting internet cudos even after the event - but hey, one could get used to it. Particularly because we're almost finished our next DB game - which is wildly different to Last Life.

I've also been working on a new website! Here: Brass Octopus

Brass Octopus is the name I usually use for games. So now that I'm actually making games, I'm using it more and more.

Thanks again!

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greenlig
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Posted: 19th Jan 2010 03:21
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Awesome work MMM, I really like the look of the game. Curious, did you go to the 48 Hour Challenge in Brisbane last October? I was there and met a few of the QANTM guys. I hadn't met any Aussies that used DBPro before that, so it was great.

Again, congratulations on the award!!

Greenlig

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MMM
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Posted: 24th Jan 2010 01:01
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Hey greenlig,

Yes, I was at the 48hr Comp. We didn't do too well last year (slept too much!) but we'd won accolades for best games mechanics in previous years. If I met you there I'll probably remember you - visit my site and shoot me an email some time.

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greenlig
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Posted: 26th Jan 2010 06:21
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That's cool. I was in the team "Immigration Office". We made The Great Migration and won the Best Concept award. What team were you in?

Greenlig

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