I eat other people's food when they're full

Decided to draw Hagrid!

# Harry Potter

# Potter.

# Norwegian Hedgeback

Finally submitted to the Irish Sketch Society. This week the theme is CATS! So I drew a smelly cat.

# Cat

# Smelly cat

# sketch

# Irish Sketch Society

# Unsuccesful

# Smelly

A swallow got stuck up against the window in the garage today. After getting him out, whether it be out of sheer terror or whatever, the swallow stayed in my hands and allowed me to take some pics up close. I do love swallows.

I’M IN A FILM.

What I’ve Been Reading

Hey kids, how are we all? So long time no talk. I don’t always have time to write these days, but I’m still reading a hell of a lot. So I said I’d make a weekly page where I post my favourite articles, videos and random stuff I’ve seen on the internet. It’s more than likely going to be game related, but there might be something different thrown in week to week.

I enjoyed all this content, I hope you do to.

Opinion: Why My Wife Won’t Play Bioshock Infinite

http://www.polygon.com/2013/4/2/4174344/opinion-why-my-wife-wont-play-bioshock-infinite

The Problem with Bioshock Infinite’s Combat

http://kotaku.com/the-problem-with-bioshock-infinites-combat-46853014

The 2012 Game Developer Gender Wage Gap

http://borderhouseblog.com/?p=10567&buffer_share=a8883&utm_source=buffer

The Last of Us Extended Red Band Trailer

Human Angle: We Built A Booth

http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/4/3/4176056/PAX-indie-megabooth

Activision Lays Off High Moon Studios Deadpool Team

http://kotaku.com/activision-lays-off-high-moon-studios-deadpool-team-466330803

April Fools - Dishonored Devs blantantly lie about their game

Podcast Beyond - The Fireside Chats IV

http://ie.ign.com/articles/2013/04/03/podcast-beyond-the-fireside-chats-iv

David Cage Interview: “We have to live with the things that make us different

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/398914/interviews/david-cage-interview-we-have-to-live-with-the-things-that-make-us-different/?page=1#top_banner

Bioshock Infinite: Reviewers Roundtable - SPOILERS

Disney Closes LucasArts:

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/disney-closes-lucasarts/

Rabbit and Paul page 2 =]

COMICS! I started a webcomic along with my chums at Comic Society in college. This is page 1, Starring Rabbit & Paul! Enjoy, and check out the society’s page here.

# Comic

# Rabbit

In college we were asked to design a USB, so I chose to design one based on the OmniWrench from Ratchet & Clank. It’s a bit rough, I didn’t have time to add any primer (the brief didn’t want any paint jobs).

But hey, I think it’s quite nifty. And I forgot the LEDs. Shite.

GIG IS TODAY

Hi everyone! Today is an exciting day as Microsoft’s Game Dev Day and Games Ireland Gathering 2013 are happening at the Aviva stadium. Of course, I’ll be attending and relaying all the news, interviews and highlights I can humanly do.

Check back over the coming days, as I’ll be updating as I can produce the work. I’m planning on attending talks for Construct 2 and Cocos-2DX, along with the keynotes and other scheduled events. I’ll also try live Tweet as much as possible during the event, keeping you up to date with what’s happening.

If you want to contact me for any reason, hit me up on Twitter!

The Stream of the day is available here.

Unsuccesful is heading to Microsoft Game Dev Day and GIG

This week, I’ll be attending the Microsoft Game Dev Day and Games GIG. I’ll be there reporting from the events, so check back here for all the news and details.

I’ll be around the event introducing myself and trying to have a few brief interviews from members of the industry. If you’re a developer or just like to talk, send me a message on Twitter or email me at unsuccesfuljournalism@gmail.com (careful of the missing s).

See you there!

Kú: Shroud of the Morrigan - Developer Interview

Young indie developer bitSmith Games released its first title, Kú: Shroud of the Morrigan, last week. I had the opportunity to interview level designer Paul Conway, in which we discussed Kú’s influences, the appeal of iOS and the struggles involved in being an indie dev in Ireland.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did bitSmith Games come to be?

The team was formed out of a mix [of graduates from] Dublin Institute of Technology Master courses. The game was initially their final project but D.I.T. are great with IP ownership so let the team continue developing it commercially. Over the course of the next year, we got a place on the NDRC Launchpad program and received CSF, which is a €50,000 investment available to high potential start-ups. This helped grow the team and allowed us to finish the game.

Mixing an Irish legend with a steampunk vibe is an unheard of mix. How did the concept and story of Kú come to be?

It was born from the idea of exploring Irish Mythology, something that has been largely glossed over by the medium. There are so many untold stories. We were immediately drawn to ‘The Tain’ and Cú Chullain’s tale. Then came along the idea of exploring Ireland’s economic crisis and we came to the conclusion of setting the game in the future where both themes collide. Artistically, we use the term Celt-Punk to express the style, as it is a combination of Celtic and Mechanical influences.

What would you say were your greatest influences as a team creating Kú?

Obvious influences would be early Nintendo games. We all grew up with games like Zelda, Metroid, and Chrono Trigger and these are the types of games we all want to make. This fueled the game design and provided a constant source of inspiration throughout development. On gameplay, more specifically, our aim was to maximise the touch capabilities of the iPad. We felt that the device could offer more than tacked-on virtual d-pads and compromised controls.

What made iOS, as opposed to Android or a traditional Sony or Microsoft console, attractive to you as a game creator?

I think it was the low barrier to entry that was enticing. Sony and Microsoft were out of the question as the cost to even begin development on those platforms was well outside of our budget. We are working on an Android version currently, and a PC release is just around the corner.

The gaming industry in Ireland is relatively new. What are the biggest hurdles you face as a young Irish studio?

Really we’ve been pretty lucky in that the government and various other bodies have been tremendously helpful and supportive. Generally, the biggest hurdles are funding and recruitment. You really need to get a product out fast due to the low investment and there is a skill shortage in certain areas, although this is becoming less of a problem with all the new college courses popping up. Another issue we should be addressing is a lack of sharing. We’re notoriously bad with sharing knowledge and solutions to problems, many of which we’re all trying to solve at the same time. It’s just not efficient and is something that needs to be properly addressed.

How has Kú been received so far?

So far Kú has been received really well. We’ve identified that success nearly entirely relies on the US charts and we’re up to 80 there and climbing. We’ve been told that it is incredibly difficult to even break into the Top 100. We’re really happy with the launch and we’ll be soon bringing the game to a wider market on Android and PC.

One piece of advice for anyone wanting to jump into the indie game market?

Biggest advice is to start small. We made the mistake of attempting an overly-ambitious project for our experience level and budget, that being said, it can also pay off, if you’re lucky. Start small, finish something and release it. It doesn’t matter if it’s rubbish, but you will learn exponentially more with each release.

One prediction for 2013 in gaming?

It’s like the Wild West out there, nobody can predict what will happen to gaming in 2013 and beyond as the way consumers buy games and perceive the value of games in general is changing dramatically. I fear for console manufacturers, I just don’t think they can emulate the success of previous generations. With the Steambox and OUYA releases coming up soon, there is just an insane amount of options available. Either way, it will be an interesting year!

Kú: Shroud of the Morrigan is available on the iPad App Store for €3.59 and is rated 12+.

Your posting scedule has been a little “Unsuccesful” as of late, huh Seán?

So eeeehhh, yeah. Great plans do not make content magically appear on the computer screen. Remember this post? Yeah, turns out you still have to sit down and write. Funny.

Anyways, HELLO! So yes, I took a little break from writing. I’m a monster, I know. I decided to play some games, rather than sitting around worrying or looking for something to write. BUT I’M BACK AND PACKING PERSONALITY.

So what do you, fantastic reader, have to look forward to? Well, I’m planning on covering some upcoming events here in Ireland, namely the Global Game Jam and the Games Fleadh in LIT-Thurles.

Along with that, I’m hoping to get a few interviews with some Irish devs, have some random features here and there and maybe even make another foray into making videos (because the results were so amazing last time).

So stick with me, there should be an interview going up by the end of the week (I’m very excited about it) and hopefully I’ll get around to posting more art here.

So thanks for reading and here’s for an unsuccesful year.

(And yes, that is an intentional spelling mistake. Stop rolling your eyes).

Kú: Shroud of the Morrigan launches on iPad

It’s always great to hear about success stories in the Irish game industry. With that in mind, I’m glad to write that Dublin based bitSmith Games launched their first game yesterday. Kú: Shroud of the Morrigan launched on the Apple App Store for iPad yesterday and as of writing, Kú is #1 in the Irish charts for paid apps.

Based on the Irish legend the Táin, Kú boasts a Celtic/punk aesthetic with hand drawn art and a full Irish translation. The game seems pretty ambitious from the gameplay trailer, having much in common with other isometric games like Bastion and Deathspank.

The Irish Times wrote a brief review of Kú, summarising the game as “Imperfect, but effective, Kú is a hugely promising debut”. Sadly I don’t have an iPad to check the game out with, but if you want to support Irish game developers then Kú looks like a good place to start.

Kú is also on Steam Greenlight, a platform for indie developers to get their games onto the Steam Store.You can vote for it here.

Kú: Shroud of the Morrigan is available on the iPad App Store for €3.59 and is rated 12+.

Okay… Tumblr does not like Sound Cloud all that much

Heard these guys, Wonder Villains, after about 7 o’clock on 2FM (you know, when the music gets good?) a few weeks back. Finally got around to checking them out, pretty good! their from Northern Ireland so well worth checking out local(ishhh) band!

http://soundcloud.com/goodseedpr/01-zola

This year’s pumpkin!