Very nice It does lose a bit of charm when not operated by a touch-screen & not hosted by a pocket-sized device, but it still invokes curiosity just as well ~

I wonder if it's possible to get that painterly feeling into a 3d-environment.

Technically it's not all that difficult to replicate in 3D, but it simply won't feel the same as soon as you start moving the camera.

Interesting that you use the term "painterly". To me this technique / aesthetic embodies the exact opposite .. apart from a distant resemblance to Pointillism

Personally I think / feel that notgames should still incorporate interaction, just not in the traditional gaming sense. Screensavers don't .. as soon as you move-your-mouse / press-any-key the application quits.

Assuming your level is at least 4 times as big as your viewing distance, you can use the following technique.

- Split your level in at least 4 pieces*
- Loop the position of your player / camera at the level' dimensions.
- When a level piece is more then half the level size away, move it a "level size" closer ( per axis ).

So for example .. the red player starts moving towards a edge of the level.


Now that he's gotten closer to the edge of the level then the center, the level pieces jump to the other side.


After passing through the level boundary ( green rectangle ) the player ends up on the other side, which makes the level pieces move back into place.


*It is recommended to make each piece slightly bigger then your viewing distance, this will allow you to do some very cheap & efficient clipping.

Makes you wonder why grown-ups indulge in culture, social interaction, sensory experiences or simply unwind on their vacation, while they could be playing tag at Piazza San Marco just like their children.

Something seems off indeed

.. simple controllers are made to the benefit of relatively simple computer systems. They produce very little data. In the case of the keyboard a single bit ..

All controllers are motion controllers. A gamepad just uses a different technique to record motion than a camera based system.

I want a motion controller that allows me to control a game like I would smoke a fine cigar or drink a strong coffee from a delicate porcelain cup or gently stroke the skin of a lover.

Exactly, humans primarily use their hands for physical interaction. Using locomotion makes more sense in a social / emotional setting ( although face + voice are more significant ).

If you've ever seen a novice gamer fumble around with a gamepad -or even a mouse for that matter- you'll know that this is extremely subjective. Gamepads are far from intuitive or comfortable to the unaccustomed player.

Touchscreen is probably the most intuitive ( mass-market ) interface there is at the moment.

NiGHTS into dreams

It should be easier for non-trained people to approach them.

Easier is a non-argument, since that is just as valid for game creation software.

Perhaps we should start a thread on what (y)our ideal creation environment ( using conventional hardware ) would look like?

@Utforska - What would you envision to be the primary difference between such a tool and a "traditional" game creation tool?

http://bambuser.com/channel/nomoresweden/broadcast/881027 @ 59:00

OnLive is a rental service. The full price licenses give you access "until at least 17th June 2013".

Understanding next-gen streaming game services

[highly]

In case you're completely new to game development / programming I'd highly recommend going with a authoring tool that lets you preview your project in real-time ( instant feedback ). This includes for example Unity, DX Studio and 3DVIA Studio but excludes Game Maker and MultiMedia Fusion.

Don't bother with design documents when working alone, it primarily serves as a communication vessel within teams.

[wordimagesoundplay]

wordimagesoundplay
http://www.tomato-ps2.com
One of the few true notgames on a gaming platform. Not all that interesting per se, but it did widen the spectrum.