12-09-05
Bit of an update to the Resumé.

12-01-05
A nice preview of Hit & Myth has been published at GameZone. Everyone check it out!

Also, a little update is on my 3D page. :)

11-12-05
I (finally) have updated my 3D portfolio. Although it's not from Hit & Myth. Head on over the the 3D page and check out some sample work from Shadow of the Ring - a project I worked on a couple years ago and just recently got permission to display. It's rather old work, but still, it's work just the same. :) Hope you guys enjoy it.

11-06-05
My second book proposal is being reviewed soon, and one thing they'll be looking at is the critical response to my first book. If any of you bought and enjoyed my book, I'd be highly appreciative of a nice review at sites like Amazon.com. Thanks!

10-04-05
Everyone go see Serenity! ;)

08-19-05
Wow, I never would have figured MY site would ever be the source of game news, but apparantly my previous update item below has suddenly shown up on a couple of different game sites as "news." I may need to put up a disclaimer or something! Just in case, no one should take anything I say here as any sort of official Gizmondo statement or announcement. This is my personal site that I've had long before I started even working in games, and I'm purely stating opinions and such and am in no way a part of the big decision-makers here at the studio. I'm just the art-guy. lol
Hope I don't get in trouble! :P

08-08-05
Long time, no update! Good news, though. Hit & Myth is complete! Or at least, the art is. The game itself is still having the final touches, programming-wise, being done. But I'm very happy with it, and hope all of you get the opportunity to play it soon!

06-04-05
I noticed that my book has managed to get a couple reviews at Amazon. Many thanks to everyone who has done so! I thought I might respond to one of them here, though, since I can't do it at Amazon. You can read the review at the Amazon page. It's entitled "The GAME ARTIST'S part of the title is IMPORTANT!" In it, the reviewer wasn't happy with the book because it was not for Maya beginners. That part is very true. The book even says as much in the "who should use this book" section. It is not designed for the beginner in Maya. It is, however, designed for the beginner in game art, which the reviewer did not seem to agree with. He seemed to think it was a game art instructional book for game art professionals. Personally, I thought that a bit strange, as it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. If someone is a game art professional already, why would they need a book? This line in particular I thought puzzling: "The author does not explain a lot of what he's doing as far as theory goes, because he's assuming that you already KNOW the theory..."

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that his opinion is wrong, persay. I'd just like to respond to his concerns in case others have similar feelings. In my own experience (and my own opinion), there isn't much in the way of "theory" when it comes to game art. And if there is such a thing, I must confess I have no clue about it! Which would explain its absense from my book. In the book, all I do is convey the techniques and procedures that I have used in my own career. Of course, many people's work habits vary. If you're looking for a more philosophical view of game art, then I'm afraid I'm not that knowledgeable of such things. I just get the job done and enjoy myself as I do it. If that's more your cup of tea, maybe you'll like my book. :) Thanks for reading. If you'd like to talk about this more or anything else, for that matter, feel free to email me or catch me on IMs now and then.

05-16-05
Whew, long time, no update! E3 is upon us, and as per the course, we've been working like dogs on our new project! I've updated the 3D page with a bit of info regarding it. Not a lot I can say yet, but after E3, I'm sure there'll be more.

02-27-05
My book, The Game Artist's Guide to Maya, has been reviewed in the latest 3D World Magazine! It recieved an 8/10. Not bad! Here's a scan.

For those interested, I thought I'd comment on some of the points the review brings up as negatives. That being the relative length (fairly short at 223 pages), lack of color images, and its price. The lack of color and the price of the book, I had no control over. The length however was specifically asked of me by the publisher. In fact, they asked for a 200 page book... so you could say I made it longer than they wanted! But the review does go on to say that the content is "packed with tutorials and advice for game artists." So, I'd call that a good review!

01-07-05
I hope everyone who has ordered the book has enjoyed it! If anyone might be holding out on it, here's a Sample Chapter for you to look over going over texturing!

Until next time....

MICHAEL MCKINLEY