The Importance of Preserving Traditional Filipino Games

 
    Magna Kultura, a Philippine based NGO that aims to implement educational, socio - cultural programs in order to strengthen the Filipino well being are responsibly vigilant with regards to the fact that Filipino children nowadays spend they childhood playtime on Internet cafes or with their handheld game consoles instead of socializing with other children playing the traditional street games that for years is a culture  and a norm for a typical Filipino child. Magna Kultura is seriously advocating such concern by holding tournaments and educating the children in their schools all focusing on traditional Filipino Games. But why do they need to go this far in promoting and encouraging young children to play the games? 

     Apparently there is indeed an obvious issue regarding the increase of children spending their playtime in Internet Cafes and the number of children that still are playing the traditional games are seen to be going downhill. Instead of the usual Patintero, Tumbang Preso, Piko, Tago-Taguan, Siato and the like many children indulge themselves with computer games such as DOTA: Defense of the Ancients, Counter Strike etc. and those children who are above the middle class are expected to own at least a PS2, a PSP , an XBox, or a Nintendo DS. As the researchers have done relevant reading about the matter, the researchers found out that a lot of bloggers and article writers who are wired on this issue agree that children nowadays that do not know how to play traditional Filipino games tend to be more laid back, unconfident, lazy, lack social skills and some claim that they also lack sportsmanship and have hard time accepting defeat. Having read these people's opinions and as Filipinos ourselves, it is one of those issues that indeed needs to take a closer look at .   

    Filipino games must at least be seen played by many children if it won't be possible anymore that it would be back in the mainstream , at least that's what these writers are trying to tell. They believe (especially Magna Kultura) that these games should be preserved not only because they prefer Filipino children play these games as like they did when they were in their childhood but they insist and believe that these games help the children grow in mind, body and character and it also helps instill patriotism and nationality in a child's mind. Aside from significant sentimental reasons others believe that it should be preserved and thought to the Filipino children for they think that Filipino games like Tumbang Preso, Sipa, Patintero and others alike help improve a child's physical and motor skills as well as strategic logic and since most Filipino Games are team games, teamwork and sportsmanship as well as self confidence and leadership skills are being emphasized on a child while playing these games. 

    Filipino children nowadays are left with a choice, to keep up with the flow of modern times ,dwell on virtual games and completely leave behind traditional entertainment or try to learn the games and simply have fun with it. But they don't have to make this choice at all if we just lay out our concerns on this matter and find a better, drastic and creative solution to create the balance that is justly needed. 

Sources 


http://bluecheese.wordpress.com/2009/05/23/filipino-street-games/
http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Effects-Of-Playing-Defense-Of-580808.html
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Delos-Reyes-paper1.pdf
http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/manila-bulletin/mi_7968/is_2007_March_4/games/ai_n34602762/
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=210591292325711
http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?i=10&subcat=13
http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Soc/soc.culture.filipino/2007-02/msg00863.html
http://larong-pinoy.weebly.com/index.html
http://magnakultura.multiply.com/?&show_interstitial=1&u=
http://www.slideshare.net/dickieaguado/magna-kulturas-palarong-pilipino-advocacy

Flop 'em Up: Project Justification

    Flop 'Em Up is a 2.5D is a proposed game project that aims to promote and uplift traditional Filipino games into the gaming scene and also aims to instill in the players especially Filipino players the essence of the traditional game itself. The researchers have observed that nowadays most people  especially the younger ones are now drawn to digital gaming and not many are going outdoors playing traditional games anymore, that is what made the researchers thought of a concept that aims to urge the Filipino youth to engage themselves once again into traditional Filipino game (in this context Tumbang Preso) and in order to make it possible the researchers have thought about creating a digital interface in order in the form of a game in order for players to enjoy the in game version of the game and at the same time instill the rules and the game play in their minds that they may once again make them play Tumbang Preso outdoors. The researchers , once the project is complete also aims to put the concept of Tumbang Preso in the game development scene, open to game developers to use the concept to come up with projects of the similar concept. Coming up with this project concept, the researchers had done research on the game itself and its rules and also other existing game with the same concept. Apparently as the researchers had sought for existing games that used Tumbang Preso as a concept, "Tumbang Preso" a flash based game came to the researchers' attention.Though it contained the same thought that the researchers had in mind the game play completely varied from the game play the researchers are trying to come up with. The "Tumbang Preso" didn't really follow the official rules of the Tumbang Preso game itself instead it is like a shoot 'em up / whack a mole type of game wherein the player shoots slippers on to the targets appearing from holes , the player must hit a can to earn points but once the player hits a tarsier no point is counted. The researchers on the other hand is trying to come up with a 2.5D game wherein the game play and majority of the rules are being referred to the official traditional Tumbang Preso mechanics. Basically Flop 'Em Up is a project that aims to promote the traditional game Tumbang Preso in the gaming world but it could greatly boost Filipino culture and associate it with digital concepts. With a very common concept to most people the researchers can assure a participative target audience to conduct necessary survey, the concept of Tumbang Preso game is known by most Filipinos so more information about the game are accessible, the right tools & technology in order to help complete the project this game project sure to be challenging and interesting to implement. 

Flop 'Em Up: A 2.5D Game Adaptation based on the Traditional Filipino Tumbang Preso Game (Tentative Storylines)

   Storyline 1:

       The Main character (Player will choose from Boom , Arv, Cram, Aki, Mej )  wants to be the best Tumbang Preso player in their neighborhood, but in order to make it possible Main Character must defeat elite Tumbang Preso players around the neighborhood, little did main character know he will be facing elite players that has the same goal as his. Each stage main character is faced with a challenger ,beat that challenger then main character proceeds to the next stage.  

    Storyline 2:

    Main character's (Player still chooses from Boom, Arv, Cram, Aki, Mej) grandfather was once a very skillful Tumbang Preso player on his youth now that he is old and can't play he could only be but an avid fan of the game. Seeing how the main character and other children in the neighborhood play, main character's grandfather decided to have a street tournament and the winner will receive his hidden prized possession, curious and determined, other Tumbang Preso players in the neighborhood are all eager to get that prized possesion and the main character shall prove to his grandfather that he is the one deserving of that prize.  


   Gameplay (more to be added):


- Each stage main character has to earn certain amount of points in a certain amount of time 


e.g: Stage 1 - 75 pts - 5:00 mins duration


failure to earn the points makes the player to repeat the stage. As player gets to next stage the points to earn increases and so as the difficulty.


-

Short Comparative Study of 2D, 3D ad 2.5D Games' Perspectives

   Games nowadays are enjoyed by gamers and non-gamers alike because of its gameplay, story, and graphics and even more enjoyed because games of different consoles nowadays come in different perspectives. Perspectives wherein gamers of different sorts can experience a game in different views and would seem like the game is on a different world, others also prefer more classic views. These viewing perspectives namely 2D, 3D and 2.5 D are perspectives that are standard for game development .

   2D Games:

    Super Mario Bros., Adventure Island, Popeye, Donkey Kong and other popular games we played on NES or more known as the Family Computer were among the leading examples of 2D games. But now in our present time games like the newer versions of Sonic and Mega Man not to mention Patapon and World of goo are the household names in 2D games But what exactly are 2D games ? As defined these are games wherein objects and elements and gameplay itself lie on the X & Y coordinates. Obviously these are games that uses side scrolling or up & down scrolling on its movements (and its projectiles if these games happen to be shooter games). So it is safe to say that once you played a fighting game , a shooting game , adventure or arcade and the gameplay takes place on a plane it is probably a 2D game. "Probably" because of the other more recent game perspective which is the 2.5D.

From top to bottom: SNK's Samurai Showdown, Patapon, Metal Slug and World of Goo

   3D Games: 

   Dominating the gaming industry nowadays , 3D games have indeed revolutionized the gaming universe by bringing state of the art graphics bringing gamers a seemingly close to reality gaming experience. From PC, PlayStation, XBox down to smaller consoles like the Nintendo 3DS and even in smartphones that are Android ready, 3D games are almost everywhere captivating audiences of all sorts. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Assassin's Creed, 2K sports games are some of the many 3D games available nowadays. Again aside from realistic graphics games in 3D perspective allows gamers to view different angles of the game environment making gameplay much more realistic and better. Imagine 3D games like counter strike didn't exist, it wouldn't be so strategic after all because everyone can see each other on a plane(assuming it's only 2D).  

From top to bottom: Call of Duty, NBA 2K13,Mario Galaxy,Madden 2013

   2.5D Games:

   Now with both 2D and 3D games present in today's gaming market developers have seem to innovated a concept wherein gamers can enjoy both. Because some gamers may find 3D games too good and others may find 2D games too classic developers came up with the idea of having games in 2.5D perspective. A 2.5D game is widely defined by sources as actually a 3D game in nature but is being viewed in a 3/4 camera projection or in orthographic perspective. Some simpler definitions suggest that a 2.5 game is a game wherein a 2D sprite in placed in a 3D environment. Quickhit Football, a simulation browser game is one example, most strategy games and Viewtiful Joe are games fit to be called  2.5D games.

From top to bottom: Dragon Ball Z: Revenge of King Piccolo, Conquest: Divide and Conquer, Smash Brothers Brawl, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds 

   Sources:

   http://www.giantbomb.com/2d/92-1427/
   http://www.giantbomb.com/25d/92-660/
   http://www.giantbomb.com/polygonal-3d/92-1430/
   http://www.giantbomb.com/stereoscopic-3d/92-1204/
   www.eastcoastgames.com/design/glossary.html

Flop 'Em Up: A 2.5D Game Adaptation based on the Traditional Filipino Tumbang Preso Game (Overview - As of July 3, 2012)

Title: 

Flop 'Em Up: A 2.5D Game Adaptation based on the Traditional Filipino Tumbang Preso Game

Main Menu/Interface:

• Story Mode

             - Choose character

             - View Game Map

             - Story takes place

             - Play Game

             - Proceed to Next Level

• Quick Play

              -  Choose character

              -  View Game Map

              -  Play Game

• Mini Games (To be unlocked on certain levels; mini games either helps you earn points or unlock certain level)

               - Guessing Game

               - Takyan/Sipa Game

               - Marble/Jolen Game

• Shop (Choose flip flops that varies from weight, size and design)
• Exit (Exits application and closes the game)

Fundamental Rules/Mechanics:(Still subject to minor changes in order for the researchers to enhance effects and other features)

Rules according to :
http://classes.dma.ucla.edu/Fall10/157A/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DRUBRAMLETT_OneofaKindGame.pdf

                - Begin by drawing circle on the ground and a straight barrier line +20ft away. all players will THROW their "pamato"(the flip flops) towards the circle. those who throw the pamato too far or not far enough will repeat until one person is left. this person is the “Taya”

              - The “Taya” will guard a milk can in the aforementioned circle while the other players will attempt to knock it over with their pamato from the barrier line.

              - Players after throwing their pamato , will have to retrieve it without getting tagged. 

                - If the milk can is standing, the “Taya” can tag anyone attempting to retrieve their shoe only if the milk can is standing upright in the circle.

              - If a player hits the milk can and pushes it out of the circle, but it doesn’t fall over, other players may proceed in throwing their pamato at it until it does fall over. It makes no difference if you knock it over within the circle. however, the “it” must place the pamato back into the circle in order to tag anyone once it falls. 

                - Once a player is tagged, they become the new “Taya”.

Point system:

+10 pts: If the main character gets the "pamato" and did not get tagged
+5 pts: If the main character is the "Taya" then he/she gets a tag. 
- 5 pts: If main character gets tagged. 


-Game has 5 levels. On each level the player must earn the most points against fellow opponents in order to proceed to next level.
-Certain levels when completed unlocks an item from the shop or a mini game. 

Sources 

http://classes.dma.ucla.edu/Fall10/157A/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DRUBRAMLETT_OneofaKindGame.pdf 
http://www.angelfire.com/games4/pigssai/tradrules.htm

Concept Overview (Updated with Partial Title)

     Since Unity 3D and Adobe Flash are capable of developing 2D games, the proponents have proposed to implement a game application using the concept of Patapon, patterned into the Flash Game that uses the basic Photoshop tools and be able to use it as main characters or objects in the game. But unfortunately the researchers have once again reviewed Unity 3D's limitations in terms of Flash , and the researchers found out that some of Flash's image effects aren't supported by Unity 3D, that is according to Unity 3D's User Manual under documentation. With that in mind , the researchers now decided to pursue the research about developing a game adaptation of traditional Filipino game, this time the researchers decided that it would be Tumbang Preso , the researchers are still going to use Unity 3D though but the game will be in 2.5D. The main objective remains the same and that is to promote filipino games in a form of a digital game and the researchers are also currently conceptualizing mini games that would come along with the main game. So the researchers have came up with a partial title for the research project and that is "Flop 'Em Up: A 2.5D Game Adaptation based on the Traditional Filipino Tumbang Preso Game"
 

    Now with a partial research title. The researchers have searched the internet for games similar to the proposed game project and what the researchers found out is that there is only one existing 2D Flash game entitled "Tumbang Preso" , but this version comes with a twist. Instead of following the fundamental rules of Tumbang Preso the game is played with the objective of hitting the cans that would pop out from the set holes there would be distractions in the form of tarsiers once hit there would be no points garnered the cans contain points and in order to proceed to the next level the player must hit as many cans as possible in order to reach a certain score, failure to do so the game is over. The game is patterned to a "Whack-a-Mole" concept only the player is using slippers to hit the cans and the tarsiers are served as distraction(images of the said game shown below).

The main interface of the Tumbang Preso Flash Game.

The player aims the can to score points .

Player throws slippers to a certain target.

When scored enough points. Player gets to advance to next level.

Not enough score means game is over.

   

    Though similar to the concept presented by the researchers, the Flash Game "Tumba Lata" the researchers are still willing to pursue the study because : (Refer to the outline presented below)

"Tumbang Preso" :


- Used the basic elements of "Tumbang Preso" like the can and the slipper(Flip-flops)
- Used the Whack -a- Mole concept and used the tarsiers as the characters that pop out on the holes instead of applying the traditional rules.
- Is in 2D Flash based game platform .
- Has limited features(e.g. sound cannot be turned off in game).

Proposed Thesis Project:

- Will be a 2.5D Game to be developed using Unity 3D
- Will be based on the official game rules. (The researchers are planning to add extra features and rules to improve gameplay but would not be totally altering the official game rules)
- Will have a storyline equipped with trivia and other relevant information about Tumbang Preso itself.
- Will have mini games.
- Will have a Story Mode and a Quick Game mode for players to have more options in gameplay.
- Would have different levels also with different levels of difficulty

    Aside from the probable features being outlined by the researchers , they themselves are still currently coming up with additional features and concepts that would be added to the game project itself. As for the research title the researchers will for now stick with the working title "Flop 'Em Up: A 2.5D Game Adaptation based on the Traditional Filipino Tumbang Preso Game".

Sources:

http://unity3d.com/support/documentation/Manual/flash-whatssupported.html 

http://www.kongregate.com/games/halohalo/tumbang-preso

2D Game Development using Flash and ActionScript in Unity 3D

    Undeniably games nowadays gets better and better but it turns out not only the game is improving but so as the ways of coming up with such. Thanks to Unity 3D, game development has become more possible and more accessible to the people . Basically Unity 3D is a 3D software which means it is mainly built to cater 3D features and functions but then again as it turns out Unity 3D is supporting Flash which would only mean that coming up with 2D games equipped with ActionScript are all possible with Unity3D.

Bumble Bee - 2D shooter game created using Unity

    Apparently upon starting up Unity3D you get to choose from a variety of platforms ranging from PC, IOS, Android ,Xbox, PS3 and Flash to name a few. So why develop games using Flash and ActionScript which are known to be 2D under a 3D software? Aside from Unity 3D is free, it is also a good practice to develop games using ActionScript and Flash based applications since there are sites like Miniclip and other free flash gaming sites that can give your Flash game the exposure it needs before hitting the bigger market like the mobile market where you get to compete with Android and iPhone game apps and 3D software like Unity 3D is known to have dozens of support over the internet and is also known to have different kinds of plug - ins that can help improve and make game development easier and more effective. Seen below are 2D games developed using Unity 3D.

Dangelitis Hockey is a 3x3 street Hockey 2D game also developed using Unity

One of the most recognized Unity 2D game made, Zombieville made its mark in the iPhone market

Sources:
http://blog.onebyonedesign.com/actionscript/santabot-a-unity3d-flash-game/
http://unity3d.com/unity/publishing/flash
http://unity3d.com/support/documentation/Manual/flash-whatssupported.html
http://unity3d.com/support/documentation/ScriptReference/ActionScript.html
http://maniacdev.com/2012/02/developing-2d-games-in-unity-3d-without-paying-extra-for-tools/
http://www.rocket5studios.com/tutorials/creating-2d-games-with-unity3d-part-1/
http://www.animationxpress.com/index.php/latest-news/bumble-bee-a-2d-shooter-game-with-3d-graphics-for-android
http://learnunity3d.com/2011/03/zombieville-usa-unity-2d-post-mortem/
http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/140104-Dangleitis-Hockey-%282D-game-built-in-Unity%29

Patintero Playtime: A Filipino Game for iPhone

    Released on November of 2011 & Developed by Zeenoh Games, Patintero Playtime an iPhone app game based solely on the traditional Filipino traditional game Patintero itself. Patintero as Filipinos know it, is played on a 2x3 grid , each partition including the middle one has its defenders called taggers, the goal of the game is for the players or the offense must pass through the grid without getting tagged, once tagged the defense would claim the win but if all the players have passed the grid without getting tagged then the players on the offense win. In a real life scenario agility, strategy and teamwork is the key in order to win. Indeed Zeenoh had captured the essence of the game emphasizing its core concepts by adding power ups to improve speed , stop time and score points because in the game the team scoring the most points would win the game.Patintero Playtime also has other features such as the achievements that the player can unlock during the course of the game. Surely Patintero Playtime have set the bar for game developers especially Filipino ones, for them to come up with this kind concept and put in mind to the developers that Patintero is only one of many Filipino traditional games that by date still exist. 

 

Sources:

http://www.zeenoh.com/blog/1-blog-entry-/21-patintero-playtime-the-spirit-of-the-filipino-traditional-game-lives-on.html 

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/patintero-playtime/id476312935?mt=8

http://www.gdap.org.ph/news/patintero-playtime-for-ios-the-spirit-of-the-filipino-traditional-game-lives-on/

http://asia.gamespot.com/patintero-playtime/images/1615565/

Level Up for Photoshop: A Comprehensive Tutorial Game for First time Photoshop Users

    Adobe Systems recently introduced a new way of learning and gaming experience for Photoshop newbies and amateur photographers. With the demand for tools and fundamental tutorials for absolute beginners Adobe Systems have changed their marketing strategy by introducing LevelUp for Photoshop.Released on June 25, 2012 exclusiely available only in the US and in Canada LevelUp is a tutorial game designed for Photoshop novices, in a form plugin to be installed in the Extensions panel of the existing pre-installed Adobe Photoshop software. LevelUp for Photoshop is a game that aims to bridge the gap for first time users and the complexities of the Adobe Photoshop software functions, the game is simple , there are predefined missions in the game wherein each mission there is a challenge to be completed for example (as shown in the image shown below) Mission 4's task is Whiten teeth, the user must whiten the teeth of the image subject using Photoshop and following basic objective instructions provided. Once the user has successfully whitened the image subject's teeth then that certain mission is complete and the user will get to earn credentials in a form of points and badges. If the user has reached 400 points that user has earned an entry in Adobe's daily drawing giving him/her a chance to win a copy of CS5.5 master collection and more prizes in the Monthly Draw. LevelUp can also be downloaded as a trial in order to convince potential clients that Adobe Photoshop is not just user friendly but interactive as well.

LevelUp In-Game: Whiten Teeth mission

 

LevelUp In-Game: Mission Complete

LevelUp In-Game: LevelUp leaderboard and user's badges

Sources:

http://blogs.adobe.com/phosphors/2012/06/play-levelup-for-photoshop-and-win.html

http://www.practicalphotoshopmag.com/2012/01/09/have-you-played-photoshop-level-up-practical-photoshop/

http://success.adobe.com/microsites/levelup/faq.html

http://success.adobe.com/microsites/levelup/index.html

http://www.creativepro.com/article/adobe-launches-levelup-photoshop

http://gamification.com/post/10510323510/levelup-for-photoshop-gamification-of-learning

http://success.adobe.com/microsites/levelup/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvnh8_Cv-Wk

A Short Comparative Study on 2D Game Concepts of Plants vs. Zombies, Patapon & LocoRoco

Patapon In-Game

    Two dimensional games or 2D games were known to be the pioneer of all games. Not much of the people remember anymore especially the new generation of gamers , but before they experienced the fun of playing state of the art 3D games like Halo , Devil May Cry , God of War , Assassin's Creed or maybe even sports games like NBA 2K series on their Xbox and PlayStation and in PC consoles, one which nowadays rule over the market and the mass' attention, 2D games namely Pong, Space Invaders and Super Mario which then were eventually improved with the help of the pioneering gaming consoles like Nintendo 64 and the Family computer which is technically known as NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) were once the game industry's juggernauts. That is why some people nowadays may insist that 2D games are out of the mainstream, obsolete and seen as lackluster because of its limitations in its in game features as well as its in its graphics.

Plants Vs. Zombies In-Game

      But has 2D games lost its charm? With the technological improvements that took place on the past years and apparently as well as the gaming industry is concerned 2D games still exist in platforms such as PlayStation , Xbox and in PC, and they exist in a very profitable manner and may be even more so with the emergence of mobile applications using Android technology .The 2D game Plants vs. Zombies released by PopCap Games captivated millions of gamers and may be even non gamers that it won multiple awards namely "Casual Game of the Year" , "Outstanding Achievement in Game Design" and "Interactive Achievement Awards" from the award given body of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences to name a few. But not all 2D games share the same attention like the Plants vs. Zombies franchise, Patapon now on its 3rd installment got mixed reviews but mostly positive from gaming critiques online. But inspite of all the criticisms Patapon undeniably made a name for itself all these years by its unique characters and its Rhythm game dynamics wherein musical sequences are incorporated in the gameplay that took the attention of the gaming world. Also from the studios that made responsible for Patapon , LocoRoco has now become one of the 2D games that is making such impact captivating younger and more gentle gamers because of its feel safe graphics and adorable characters. But what do these 3 games all have in common?

LocoRoco In-Game

     Aside from the characters the 3 aforementioned games have unique and charismatic ones and its catchy musical score and soundtracks its in game features also have distinct similarities. And the similarities they share are the following:

• Antagonist characters of the respective games are trying to take over and cause trouble on the place or people the Protagonist characters thrive in or protecting.

 - Plants Vs. Zombies - Protects House and Crazy Dave from Zombies

 - Patapon - Zigoton empire takes over the Patapon Tribe

 - Loco Roco - The LocoRoco and their neighboring friends the Mui-Mui were being abducted by the Moja Tribe for invasion purposes, now the remaining LocoRoco have to gather and rescue as many captured friends as possible in order to save their community.

• There are multiple antagonist characters and each character has its unique function. Functions of the characters may range from offense, defense and support.
• Anatagonist characters are mostly seen in groups.
• Mini Games are present in order to help gamers raise in game monetary units or unlock or acquire other characters. 

     All 3 games mentioned are considered and classified to be arcade games, though unique and distinct the game plays are there were significant similarities seen that might give these kinds of 2D a special genre that caters all the similar features that were observed.

Key Words: 2D games, Patapon, Plants Vs. Zombies, LocoRoco

Sources:     

2D Games:
http://bendarby.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/the-history-of-2d-games/
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=479154&page=2
http://www.ign.com/blogs/mrghost56/2011/11/01/2d-gaming-isnt-dead/
http://paranerds.com/?p=3648
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/153063/great-modern-2d-platformer-games
  
Patapon:
http://psp.ign.com/articles/852/852601p3.html

http://www.ign.com/games/patapon-3/psp-77360

http://www.metacritic.com/game/psp/patapon
http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=466093
http://www.vgchartz.com/game/29426/patapon-2/Comments/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patapon
http://asia.gamespot.com/patapon/reviews/patapon-review-6186272/
http://www.gamingunion.net/reviews/patapon-3--487.html

Plants Vs. Zombies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plants_vs._Zombies#Awards
http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/3156/how-does-plants-vs-zombies-differ-from-platform-to-platform
http://ds.ign.com/articles/111/1115117p1.html
http://www.ugo.com/games/plants-vs-zombies-impressions

LocoRoco
http://psp.ign.com/articles/730/730456p1.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5_OeWt4R9w
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LocoRoco
http://www.1up.com/news/locoroco-2-details-creator-tsutomu
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/gamingreviews.php?reviewid=705
http://asia.gamespot.com/patapon/related/

Animator Vs. Animation: Flash Game & Animation

         The video above is a Flash based animation conceptualized and made by both Charles Yeh(Game Designer) and Alan Becker(Artist). This is a series of short animated sequences wherein the main character is a stick figure that for some reason came into a life and causes havoc on the animator's screen, and the animator on the other hand is trying to stop the stick figure for causing further chaos. It all started when the animator created the stick figure, then the stick figure got loose and seeks to destroy everything on the window and even worse on the animator's desktop. Both the stick figure and the animator are capable of manipulating the icons on the screen and use it as weapons (e.g: the animator uses the lasso tool to tie and immobilize the stick figure and the stick figure uses the eraser tool to erase whatever weapon the animator is creating using the brush tool.). The animation (video shown above) which is entitled "Animation vs. Animator (Full Series)"  got 1,443,308 views by far. Because it became viral Yeh and Becker decided to make agame adaptation of the animation sequence also entitled "Animation vs. Animator" wherein users may choose which role to play , the Animation or the Animator. The game has difficulty levels and the weapons are the tools on the Macromedia Flash environment e.g Brush tool, Eraser tool, Eyedropper tool etc. which serves combat purposes. The objective is to contain each other (whether Animator or Animation) in 2 minutes, fail the objective and you lose the game.

Sources:

http://alanbecker.deviantart.com/

http://www.alanbecker.net/faq/

http://eactiv.com/digits/flame862/avafaq.html

http://eactiv.com/digits/flame862/flash_ava2.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOXhYqtk_-0&feature=related

Concept Overview (Concept Paper)

       Coming up with a research topic especially in multimedia has become more challenging nowadays. Topics should be able to be as innovative as possible, purpose driven & at the same time relevant to the community . But with opportunities in fields like mobile application development, game programming, video processing & computer aided design student researchers like the researchers are driven to come up and conceptualize research topics that would surely benefit society or a certain social community at least. With this in mind the researchers came up with concepts wherein the proponents can enhance, innovate and engage the concepts in a real world settings and preferences with a  purpose of entertaining and providing users interactive learning experience  . The researchers came up with the idea of adapting one of many traditional Filipino street games such as Patintero, Luksong Tinik, Shatong, Tumbang Preso and the like into a computer game application. With this traditional Filipino games would gain necessary attention to the mass (or on a certain target audience to say the least), be an enjoyable learning medium and would be able to prove to be an effective gaming platform . And also since a wide variety of computer games has become mainstream on the youth, the researchers are also coming up with a concept that would incorporate gaming experience to education and that is through an interactive movie game. An interactive movie game is a game which takes place on a storyline and is patterned into movie scenes wherein users may decide on the outcome of the scenes , the decisions of the character/s and also its courses of action. The said movie game would take place on a storyline that would be fit for a game & at the same time would be instrumental in relaying educational concepts to the users. The researchers are also currently seeking out research opportunities for mobile applications that would cater the standards of the research guidelines provided unto the researchers.With this to consider the researchers are planning to implement the aforementioned concepts in either Flash based inteface using Actionscript in mobile using Android and in a 3D platform by the help of Python in Blender 3D or in Unity 3D.  .