AD2 Roanoke

There’s an old adage that says “A good director/coach/designer works with what he’s given”. So, what if that’s self imposed palette limitations in a low resolution environment? Today, take some time to be inspired by a few games that come out of the neo-8-bit movement.

Canabalt

Play online | Put it on your iPhone for $3

Canabalt really just needs to be experienced, but I’ll try and describe it anyway. Your city is being decimated, and you have to escape. See how far you can get as you bound your way to freedom in the parkour platformer. For a game that takes only one finger to play, I almost hate to admit how much time I’ve spent jumping from rooftop to rooftop, crashing through plate glass and scrambling to avoid the falling engines. Play this one with speakers up or headphones on.

Play more games by Adam Saltsman

More games after the jump.
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Yes, this is a screenshot of the game I propose you take your lunch break playing, and yes I realize its a cartoon gentleman in the nude on a bicycle, just hang in there with me.

Icycle, from game designer Damp Gnat, puts you in the world of the last successful human to be cryogenically frozen before the world became flash frozen in quiet desolation. Or is he?

I realize this is the second post to feature a game and a game that features a lonely protagonist in a world at a stand still, but it’s mostly a coincidence, if you conciser I work out of my home. But the visuals are lovely and it a great bit of storytelling in this vectorized treat. A nice use of textures, visual cues and sound gags to ensure the game never gets dull, even after you die for the 70th time. Perfect for a little lunch time inspiration.

Play Icycle here, or view a trailer after the jump.
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Prepare your mind for maximum rocking, lest it be
BLOWN AWAY:

I don’t want to tell you how to do your job.
But, could you make the logo bigger?
Bigger, bigger, make it big.
Make the logo bigger.

Make the Logo Bigger by Burn Back

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

[Link thanks Courtney G.!]

Also, Make My Logo Bigger Cream!

Great read on www.adage.com by Brian Steinberg.

A creative genious at Omnicom has designed a paper thin video player insert that will run in Entertainment Weekly. Whoever said a print ad can’t be interactive?

This is awesome. Although it will only be available to subscribers in LA and NY, this is a great example that we have not thought of it all yet.

When Entertainment Weekly readers open the magazine to the ad pages, they will see a small screen flicker on and start to load a video. A brief segment featuring actors from “The Big Bang Theory” will explain how to use the player, while talking about features from Entertainment Weekly and the different video selections a reader can choose. By pressing one of five different buttons, readers can watch a video montage from “How I Met Your Mother,” a montage from “Two and a Half Men,” a humorous ad for Pepsi Max, a sneak preview of “Accidentally on Purpose” or a preview of new CBS dramas “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “The Good Wife” and “Three Rivers.”

Read the full article at http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=138546

Designers, are you frustrated at that Art Director who’s made you edit the same single column ad for the 12th time this week? Art Directors, are you upset with the A.E. that has requested a dozen changes to a simple newspaper ad ‘to get it just right’? Account Executives, are you growing impatient with the clients that are forcing you to talk with those socially awkward and pale ‘creatives’ for, like, the millionth time because they gave you the wrong telephone digit or something? Copywriters, feeling unappreciated? Programmers, getting down in the mouth? When it’s all said and done, what have we accomplished, really? Why do we continue this farce we call ‘advertising’?

Fortuantely, Everything Is Terrible has provided us with this presentation to put it all back into perspective for us:

In case you were wondering, this is why that tune sounds familiar. You can thank me in the comments section.

[via Everything Is Terrible]

About 2 years ago, I went to the National AAF Conference in Loiusville, KY. Had a blast and for the AD2 National dinner we had ourselves a hysterical dinner at Lynn’s Paradise Café. Every year they send me a little reminder that they have the most fun events, including…you guessed it…and Ugly Lamp Contest a the Kentucky State Fair! All the details are below with links to some past winners and contenders.

Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, KY

12th ANNUAL UGLY LAMP CONTEST

• Anyone can enter
• Enter FREE at Lynn’s Paradise Café before August 18th
• Contest on August 22 @ 2PM on The Blue Ribbon Stage
• Lamps displayed during the KY State Fair August 20 – 30th
• Lamps will be displayed at Actors Theatre during the performance of “A Christmas Story”
• Three categories: Born Ugly, Made Ugly, and Leg Lamp (Glam Gam)

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?
Born or Made Ugly
•  Grand Prize: Breakfast once a week for a year
•  First Prize: Breakfast once a month for a year
•  2 Second Prizes: $100 gift certificate to Lynn’s Paradise Café
•  2 Third Prizes: $50 gift certificates to Lynn’s Paradise Café

Leg Lamp (Glam Gam)
•  Grand Prize: Subscriptions for 2 for one year @ Actors Theatre
•  2nd Prize: Choice of 3 show subscription
•  3rd Prize: 2 tickets to “A Christmas Story”
To see some examples visit:
http://photos.dtpbylee.com/UglyLamps
http://www.flickr.com/photos/merfam/222538163/

Also, see a little story on the Café at:
http://www.wgnamerica.com/pages/sky_louisville

For more information, contact:
Patty Schnatter
Lynn’s Paradise Café
984 Barret Avenue
Louisville, KY 40204
Patty@lynnsparadisecafe.com
502-821-8888
502-583-3447

Visually stunning, this is a great example of how to story-tell.

From BoingBoing:

Animator David O’Reilly (Twitter) [...] has created this lovely music video for a little-known band from Ireland called “You Too.” What’s that? Oh I’ve been corrected, “U2.” I think this great little video will really help them get somewhere and make a name for themselves!

[via BoingBoing]

Watch Kseniya Simonova compete on Ukrainian Talent with her amazing sand drawing.

[VideoSift via Neatorama]

It’s true. Nothing like some point-and-click action to make me loose an entire afternoon of work. I thought I’d share this one I’ve seen in the last couple days around the blogosphere (and I promise that’ll be the last time I use the term ‘blogosphere’).

It’s called Little Wheel from Slavic game designer OneClickDog. The premise is simple. You’re a robot, the last of your kind on a lonely planet and it’s your job to restore the power to get the planet moving again after 10,000 years of hibernation. Think Wall-E with less space travel and more Victorian tones.

It’s a pretty little game. Perfect duration for a lunch break. It’s stemming the tide until I can get my hands on the new Monkey Island episodes/Special Edition.

Play it at Fast Games or watch a walkthrough video after the jump.

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