Ken Finney
In 1998-2000 I developed a mod for the Delta Force 2 engine from Novalogic called 'Tubettiworld-Online Campaign' which provides a battle-directed method of controlling map rotation (for a game that is not really mod-able). I have written a remote hosting tool for DF2 called QnD (QuicknDirty) that allows hosts to remotely monitor a game, post information to players in-game, ban or punt players and so on. I've also created several tools for extracting, organizing and managing statistics from DF2 games.
My primary focus in online gaming is the social interaction of players. I believe that games in general do not sufficiently exploit the social dynamics of online gaming communities. Chat windows, extra-game forums and blogs and voice comms are merely the coastlines of that uncharted territory.
I am developing the online adventure/shooter game Return to Tubettiworld using Torque. It is a family project with all members of my family participating in the the design and development, with the help of a few family friends. The game was formerly called Tubettiworld II, but the rename has come about as the result of some fairly major scope changes, and some minor theme adjustments. It maintains the battle-directed campaign mode and persistent world system of the original Tubettiworld game.
(Return to Tubettiworld is dedicated to the memory of my late father-in-law, George Tubetti, who would love the idea of association with Garage Games because he owned a small chain of service stations and garages and always had grease under his finger nails...)
I am the author of 3D Game Programming All In One,ISBN159200136X, Thomson, 3D Game Programming All In One, Second Edition,ISBN1598632663, Thomson, and Advanced 3D Game Programming All In One,ISBN1592007333, Thomson.
I also teach Game Development, Design, and Prototyping at the Art Institute of Toronto.
UPDATE Dec 16, 2006
I'm now V.P. at the newly created Sprite House Games, Inc., where we are working on "The Edge". So Tubettiworld is on the back burner for the moment. It's okay, it'll keep.
Keep Cool, But Do Not Freeze
Ken's GG Blog
I will be a guest speaker at Microsoft's EnergizeIT! event being held this weekend at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre. I will be presenting at the Game Camp / XNA breakout thread, at about 2:30 pm on Saturday, the 16th.If you want to attend, you'll need to register here (Click the Register Now b ...
My friend, and fellow GG Torque dev, Master Corporal Allan Stewart, aka Dr. Evil ~ TAG, was killed in combat yesterday in Afghanistan, along with one of his buddies. They were in their Coyote AFV about 45 km west of Kandahar, racing to the rescue of another Coyote crew, when they were hit by an IED. ...
Quote:Yay!As a direct result of this event, Sprite House Games, Inc., a new independent game company, was formed: a three-way partnership of myself, Paul Forest, and Josef Rogovsky. 
With the ( ...
During the past couple of weeks, I've been to a few game industry events, two of which particularly deserve mention: MIGS (Montreal International Game Summit), and the Microsoft GameOn XNA event in Toronto. I intend to write more about both of these in a later .plan when I have more time.However, so ...
3D Game Programming All in One, Second Edition (3D2E) was finally put to bed today. It should be on the shelves in November. The CD has gone for printing, the book is rattling through preprint layout, and I'm a wreck. Everytime I finish one of these things I feel ever more deflated afterwards.The TO ...
