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In the fight between tablets and handheld, there should be focus

February 6, 2012 in Opinion, Technology | Permalink

By Jeremy Kahn

The iPhone/iPod has revolutionized how we listen to music and watch videos. Over time this device added the ability to play games, achieving the success that the Apple Pippin couldn’t. At first Apple denied that their product was a gaming device, but this stance eventually changed. Nowadays it is more common to see kids walking around with an iPod than a handheld gaming system.

For many people, the choice hinges on the fact that they can only carry one hand held electronic at a time, thus they choose to go with the iPod as they believe it can provide better entertainment for any type of travel. Even more recently there has been a boom of Android tablets which offer similar features to Apple’s device but is more user friendly (in terms of what you can put on it).

Nielsen surveys have shown that very young kids want an iPod or iPad for a present instead of the major gaming handhelds. This new demand for iPods and Androids puts dedicated gaming handhelds at a disadvantage.

You can’t release a new system nowadays without a few extra features that make the device more than what it is. This brings up the question, is there still a place for dedicated gaming handhelds in today’s market?

One of the first things handhelds have going for them is their interface. Tablets lack physical buttons; those that do have them aren’t responsive enough or aren’t set up in a way that’s complementary to gaming. There are some ways to work around this problem like the iCade (an iPad holder that looks like an old arcade cabinet). All that is extra however, because the fact is that with most tablets gaming is an after thought. There is no universal physical interface built in.

Unfortunately, this breaks a lot of games that could otherwise be good. Playing a 3D open-world game on a phone, for example, is not the same as on a handheld. While graphics for tablets, phones and handhelds are about even, without proper controls it’s pointless to play them.

One thing that people seems to argue over is the length of a game. Some prefer games that provide a short burst of play while others want longer, in-depth games. These preferences are reflected in the tablet versus handheld argument. Most of the games found on tablets fall under the category of quick, easy-to-pick-up games. They provide short bursts of play that can be finished during short breaks.

On the other hand, handhelds often provide more in-depth games that require a longer involvement. To some this longer involvement is considered a deal breaker, equating longer, more complex games with consoles or PCs.

Just like how controls are usually an after thought when it comes to tablets the same can be applied to handhelds when examining some of their extra features. While having some sort of built in media device isn’t new to handhelds it is something that has been evolving over time. Take the Tiger Game.com for instance.

This system consisted of a monochrome touch screen, built in address book and calendar, an attachable modem for Internet access (good for checking email and surfing the web), and of course supported by a few major game developers. Yet overall it was a complete failure.  The gameplay element was just not strong enough; it was nothing more than a PDA that happened to play some games.

This same argument can be applied to many devices in the market today. Companies focus too much on making their product do dozens of things that they wind up overlooking the basics. You make a gaming device; focus on making it play games. You have an mp3/video device; focus on perfecting the audio and video quality before anything else.

By focusing on features that aren’t normally associated with the main purpose of the device things get complicated and mistakes are made. This is why a lot of devices’ features wind up seeming like they were an after thought. As the old adage goes, keep it simple.

A student’s perspective: Lynda.com

November 12, 2011 in Opinion, Reviews | Permalink

By Carlos Serrano

Chances are that by the end of their first month, many students have already been told about Lynda.com. Briefly, Lynda.com is a website that offers, for lack of a better term, crash courses in a wide range of topics. From business to animation, there are hundreds of different lessons available.

But for all that students hear about the site from advisors and professors, many don’t know exactly what a Lynda.com lesson entails. Luckily, I was recently assigned to complete a Lynda.com course, and can use that experience to bring a student’s view of Lynda.com into the conversation.

First thing’s first, where to find Lynda.com. Surprisingly, it’s not as easy as just typing in the address. Lynda.com is pay-to-use service, which means the best way to access it is through MySCAD. This takes you directly to the site and gives you access to all the lessons for free. The link is located under the Student Workspace tab, in the Student Toolkit channel.

For a website that offers so many lessons, it’s actually very easy to navigate. There’s a menu at the top of the page that divides lessons by subject, software, author and new releases. They’re all pretty self-explanatory, although it’s easy to be a little confused by the software menu. Basically, if you have a specific program you’re having trouble with (Photoshop, Pro Tools etc), the software menu lets you narrow your search to only the lessons that deal with that program. It’s actually a pretty big time saver, since it eliminates the need to look through multiple subjects for the lesson you need.

The lessons themselves come to find out, vary by subject. Most, if not all, of the lessons incorporate video streaming in one form or another. This is an important note to remember, especially if your Internet connection is unreliable for whatever reason. Lessons can also include exercise files, which is where the main difference between subjects comes in.

If, like me, you choose to do a more business-oriented course, there’ll be effectively no exercise files to speak of. More arts-oriented lessons will, of course, have more of them available. That being said, it’s my experience that Lynda.com acts more as added lecture time than anything else.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. The videos are very high quality, and they’re divided into manageable sections. A four-hour lesson never really feels four hours long because you can do it in increments of 20-40 minutes. Introductory sections can get a little repetitive, especially if you already know the information. As the lesson moves on though, you definitely get into the meat of it.

If you think you can just put this on in the background and ignore it, you’re wrong. After the first few sections, things get more technical and demanding. In my experience, there are no tests or quizzes or anything like that. On the one hand, this makes taking the lessons easier because they feel different than an actual class. On the other hand, some people might need the discipline in order to really take it seriously. Take note of your own personal learning style so that you can take advantage of Lynda.com seriously.

Ultimately, my time on Lynda.com was in fact very educational. There were a few hiccups here and there, the experience was over all a good one. As a student who’s taken a Lynda.com lesson, I’d say it’s a good idea.

Speaking Up For Yourself

April 11, 2011 in Opinion | No comments

By Dreama Jeantet

Winter quarter was supposed to be the last quarter of my B.A. in Game Development. It started off like any other quarter, excitement about the new courses, and pressure because of the amount of assignments. I was managing, maybe not gracefully, but still managing.

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