December 31st, 2008 - Murakami Chocolate Crunch (Thanks to Erin for granting me this experience by getting the chocolate for me!) I could tell you that I'm eating chocolate right now. Perhaps this would be an accurate thing to say, but it's foregoing all of the interesting details. I'm eating Takashi Murakami's "Chocolate Crunch", and somehow, it's among the best chocolate I've tasted before. I can't explain why. It's just an unexpected goodness. Takashi Murakami is the Japanese artist famous for blurring the lines between high-art and commercialism, and I'm coming to understand that philosophy even more. It is mass produced. Is it art? Well, yeah. It's in a tin decorated with the colorful and playful characters of Kaikai Kiki, with a Roppongi Hills theme. If I'm not mistaken, Roppongi Hills district is probably close to something of a Japanese Beverley Hills. Maybe. It's a place in Japan for the trendy, rich, and famous. As far as I can discover, the tins of chocolate were made to be sold there... And regardless of if it's mass produced, I don't think I'll come across another tin of this chocolate soon. Tasting it is one of those limited time deals. So I'm savoring the moment I eat some because I only have 10 chocolates / chances to enjoy some, or share with someone else. There's art on the outside of the tin, but the experience of what is inside intrigues me just the same. Look for James Montagna's Chocolate Crunch sometime in 2015 or so, okay? 2008 represented many incredible Adventures, which I'll never forget. 2009 is Art. Happy New Year! :) -- James M. October 23rd, 2008 - XInvert Z surprise announcement! Okay, I'll talk, I'll talk! I have once again made an entry for Kokoromi.org and their yearly GAMMA event; this time GAMMA 3D. The concept used was originally for XInvert 2, but As the name suggests, the theme of GAMMA 3D is games that use stereoscopy for gameplay. So, you'll need those awesome red/bue 3D glasses of distant times to really enjoy this. They shouldn't be too hard to obtain, though. I've poured myself into this game, so I hope you'll all look forward to learning more and enjoying it when the time comes. I know it's a little experimental in some regards, but trying weird stuff keeps things fresh and amusing. -- James M. October 10th, 2008 - More Adventures? Hey, I'm still alive! Lots of stuff has happened, but I don't even know if I can even cover it all. My apologies to those who follow my page, an error (my fault) caused new blog posts to appear only for a little while, and then they went away. Well, I know I'm forgetting stuff that I wanted to write about, but I'll just go ahead and start typing away. I won a contest! Nintendo held a contest for the new Wii game, Wario Land: Shake It!, to see who could score the fastest time in one of the stages of the game. Check out a humorous video concerning the whole deal here, if you'd like. So, I won a new Nintendo Wii (now I've got one for my desk at work), a silver Nintendo DS, a copy of Wario Land and Kirby Superstar Ultra (passed these along, since I owned them both), an all expenses-paid trip to New York, and a thousand dollar shopping spree at Nintendo World in NY! (Plus some other stuff that I'm forgetting.) I'm really thrilled -- what better way to finish off a year of adventures than a trip like that? Oh, I'm working hard on something productive, too... I'll give more details next time. I promise! -- James M. P.S.: E for All completely blew this year. I want old E3 back. July 4th, 2008 - Many Projects Hi friends! Just a quick post today. For those of you keeping score... Let's confirm: I'm working on "XInvert 2", "Alphabot Order", and now "Snowball Blitz". Not to mention the games at hand for my work. -- James M. March 28th, 2008 - Snowball Blitz begins! Super Smash Bros. Brawl is here! Don't worry, I'm still working on my games... mostly. As the year kicked off, it's been living up to expectation of great adventures! From Sakurai to San Fransisco, these past months have already surpassed what I could have imagined. But now, in leiu of more great adventures, I'm settled down and taking my work very seriously. So with this, I'm pleased to announce my involvement in a project known as "Snowball Blitz". I'm not ready to divulge much about it just yet, but please stay tuned. It's a great independent endeavor, and a crew of great talented people are coming together to make it happen. -- James M. December 24th, 2007 - When one door closes... Although it's not always used it as such, I suppose this would be considered a personal life blog as opposed to merely a blog concerning my work. That being said, I guess it's worth mentioning that the relationship I've been in for the past four years has come to an end. Breaking off happens to the best of us, and it really shakes up your world when it happens. I'm getting by the best that I can with trying to keep motivated. I'll be fine. This will be my last post of 2007. I've never really told anyone this but, I have this strange habit of giving the upcoming year a predicted theme by New Year's Day, and then somehow living up to it. 2006 was the year of "Awesome". That, it truly was. 2007 was the year of "Establishment". Truer words were never spoken. So, in a dream, I've decided that 2008 will be the year of... "Adventure". Huh? Um... W-where did that come from!? Have a truly Happy Holiday my friends... and here's to a new year of fascinating adventures! -- James M. November 29th, 2007 - DODGE CLUB Premieres! Don't have a lot of time so this will have to be a quick post with lots of 'splaining -- I made an entry for Kokoromi.org and their event, gamma256. It's a game called DODGE CLUB, and it's kind of special. No time to explain it all, but the game made it's world premiere last night in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. How do I explain this? DODGE CLUB, was projected onto the wall of a Montreal club during a dance party for people to play while listening to awesome unworldly techno music and getting tipsy and socializing with friends and competing for high scores!! *BREATH* And that, is the best way that I can explain what gamma256 likely was, and what DODGE CLUB represented. If you'd like to learn more, please go to the DODGE CLUB Page. I'm excited! -- James M. October 13th, 2007 - What's Alphabot Order? James here -- I've been crazy busy as of late. October is usually a very busy month for me, actually. But that's okay, I've got a quick moment to make an update and keep the world informed of my latest adventures. I've shifted focus onto a project known as Alphabot Order for the time being. I'm not ready to reveal much about it yet, but I can share that it is a single player game that will exercise your typing accuracy in the most amusing way possible. I've started my next semester of school, and work at WayForward is going just fine. Something I'm pleased about is the fact that Contra 4 and Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck!, two retail games I've contributed to, are now completed! Next week is the event known as E for All, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In my heart, it's kind of a replacement for what E3 once represented. However, the best news is Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be playable at E for All. I'm anticipating this game more than anything else I have ever anticipated. Look for a blog post in the months following the upcoming E for All Expo... See you after the event! -- James M. April 28th, 2007 - Keeping Busy It's been a while, but since activity has picked up around here, I feel obligated to make an update. Furthermore, I have exciting personal news! Not too long ago, I was hired at a local video game developer. That means I finally got my foot in the door for the game industry. The company is WayForward Technologies, most notably the creators of "Shantae" and "Sigma Star Saga". This was the result of an internship through College of the Canyons, for which I am super thankful. So, as I now have a job working to help design some sweet video games, combined with the fact that I'm still in SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and will be pursuing work on various TV shows and etc., I'll be a very busy guy. I'm not sure what this means for my own personal video game designs, but please be assured that I will try my best to continue designing my own games in my free time. Make that a sincere promise. With that, I want to finish this post with a surprise. I would like to formally announce the development on a sequal to XInvert has now begun! Check back soon for more details! ... and to my game players, thanks for your support. Each and every one of you! -- James M. February 24th, 2007 - Sour Buddies is here! What a greatly significant day! Not only is today my 20th Birthday (woohoo!), today is also the official release date of my ongoing game project, Sour Buddies! Head on over to my games section via the main page to download it and give it a try! Over a year and a half of blood, sweat, and tears went into the making of this particular piece of entertainment, so I hope it'll provide you with an enjoyable time. This feeling of accomplishment is really magnificent; I have once again created something for people to enjoy, and my friends say I've outdone myself. Is it really my best game yet? Well, it's not really for me to say, so I'll let my players be the judge of that. Until next time... I've got a Birthday to celebrate! -- James M. February 13th, 2007 - Back in Action I know, my web-site disappeared off the face of the Earth. Well, I've returned! The chap that offered me a life-time of free hosting must have apparently revoked his offer without warning. I couldn't get in touch with him either. So, from the end of November to now, my web-site has been gone. I'm so sorry. But anyway, I'll try to get back on track as soon as possible. I've reached my goal of finishing Sour Buddies, so it should be available to download very soon, following a brief testing phase. Keep checking back now that I'm actually here again! See ya soon! -- James M. November 9th, 2006 - Anticipating Nintendo Wii This is more of a personal blog entry, rather than one about my games or art… and, I've just got to say, I'm so hyped up! 10 more days until the release of the Nintendo Wii! I can't believe this is it; we're finally moving on to the next generation of video game consoles. For the next six or seven years, this game console will be my spotlight for home gaming. Perhaps it'll do really well and will be the star of the entire game industry. So, this day in the pipeline, November 19th, is quite the significant day. Uh oh… I just had a thought. Let's hope I can still be productive once I've got the Wii. ;) -- James M. November 7th, 2006 - Going smoothly... Hey pizanos! It's been a while, but, not to worry… this blog is nowhere near forgotten! As of late, college classes are taking up almost all of my time. My dedication at the moment is almost completely put towards school, other things come after school work is taken care of. That having been said, the exciting game projects are not being ignored. Work on these is coming along on schedule and as planned, so you'll just have to hang in there until it's done and ready. I appreciate the patience, and I hope you'll enjoy the upcoming title of mine, "Sour Buddies" (name is no longer tentative!), along with what is to follow. It will be ready before the year's end, or soon after! -- James M. August 3rd, 2006 - So long, dear friend... The E3 Expo's Tradeshow, as we know it, is no more. What an awful way to start the month. I was pretty upset about this news for a while, but now I'm coming to terms with it. At least I can say I attended the last FIVE years of it, and they were all wonderful. Unfortunately, I realize that E3 was changing; it became very crowded, there were more lines, less swag, and it was harder to endure waiting for... Okay, so that last one is something I never truly minded. Oh well. C'est la vie. I'd like to sincerely thank my dad's friend Gary Barth for years of hooking me up with passes; hopefully I can repay him somehow, at some point. The rest of this post is coming from someone who is still in denial about the E3 Expo announcement. I registered for my college classes already, and it looks like my schedule is gonna start filling up quite a bit. I'm pushing myself to get the important stuff done while I still can. In the meantime, working at EB Games has its ups and downs. Well, mostly downs. Okay, so it's pretty much all downs. But that's just fine, because as long as I work here, I'm getting my Nintendo Wii for sure. And that will make it completely worth it. Anyway, it's time for this "indie game designer" to get it together, and live up to the title. Get it together... get it together... get it together... -- James M. June 24th, 2006 - School is Out As of the beginning of this month, I'm out of school for the summer. Throughout June, I've been kicking back quite a bit, but this will end fairly soon. I want to take advantage of this summer to be productive like never before. In fact, my goal is to complete Sour Buddies before I have to return to school! ... Okay, not very realistic, but I wonder what will happen. In other news, I've got a part-time job working at EB Games in the Valencia Towncenter. It's great that I've got a job and all, but for some reason, it's also depressing. I guess this is because I just can't wait to do something more. As in more exciting, more important, and more meaningful. I can't see myself working here very long, but I don't have much of a choice for the time being. At least I'm selling games; something I'm passionate about. I guess it's not so bad after all. But regardless, I can't wait until something greater comes along. Today, I'm visiting my girlfriend, Jennifer. I'm at her house waiting for her to arrive home from work, and then we've got a date together. I think I'll just try to clear my head of worries tonight, and have a good time! -- James M. May 18th, 2006 - E3 was AWESOME! Just like that, E3 has passed! I had an incredible time, and an experience I'll never forget. Getting my hands on Nintendo's new console, the Wii, was just the icing on the cake. On the second day of E3, I got to meet Masahiro Sakurai! If you don't already know, he is the creator of Kirby, and also the creator of Meteos and Super Smash Bros. Getting to meet Masahiro Sakurai was truly an honor. I told him that I cried when seeing the trailer for his newly revealed game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, because I was so happy! He thanked me, and judging by his reaction, I felt like I had made his day. It made me glad that I was able to let him know how strongly his fans feel about the work he does. I got to meet him again the day after as well! I brought my Meteos game for him to sign, which he did happily, and got a few pictures. I also gave him a small gift, which he gladly accepted. That experience was really the height of my E3 journey, but there is so much more to say, I don't even know where to begin. Super Mario Galaxy was awesome, Wario Ware: Smooth Moves was great, and just about everything else concerning the Wii was exceedingly fun. I'll post a bit more about it if I get the opportunity. -- James M. May 4th, 2006 - Tour of WayForward Wow, I had a really cool experience today! Sheila Sofian, my totally awesome instructor for animation and storyboarding classes, organized a tour of Wayforward Technologies (Shantae, Sigma Star Saga) for the Animation Club. The tour was this morning, and as groggy as I was from waking up so early, I won't forget my visit. (Okay, it was noon. Shh.) The atmosphere of the entire studio was very much like my own bed room. It was exciting to simply be in that professional game company environment as well. The best part is... while I was there, I had the opportunity to meet lots of welcoming and pleasant people, all of whom had some great insight to share! Today's wonderful visit really spurs me to work even harder on my projects (whether they are personal projects, or for school) and expand my "portfolio". I didn't think it was possible, but I'm now dedicated to my work more than ever. -- James M. May 2nd, 2006 - DigiStar is down I can't believe it! E3 is almost here! As anyone can likely tell, I'm looking forward to this event very much. Can't wait to try out Wii, Nintendo's newest game console. I'd like to mention that DigiStar Software is currently down, and I'm working hard to get it functional again. For the time being, I will be hosting the download for XInvert + at an alternate location -- click the "Games" cloud for more details. Check back soon for more updates, and a working DigiStar Software site. Sorry for any inconvenience! -- James M. April 16th, 2006 - Back on track? Spring Break is just too short. I took advantage of the time away from school to relax, rather than being productive, but there just wasn't enough time. I still feel exhausted! My work won't suffer, though. I'll get back on track this week. Anyway, I'd like to mention that the E3 Expo is only twenty-something days away. Like every year, I will be attending with my friends. I am always very inspired after going to E3, so who knows what will happen this year? Here's hoping for good times; and I'll keep my site viewers updated on how everything goes for me this year. -- James M. April 11th, 2006 - For my visitors... Hey gang! My birthday came and went awfully quick. It doesn't feel very different, being a year older. However, I do feel more of a push to accomplish my short term goals. Lately, I've been working hard on completing my personal projects, and organizing my life for optimum efficiency. I'm excited to be getting lots of traffic on my home page lately, but I must confess... it really is quite bare. I have much more cool material to add and if you're interested, you can look forward to seeing it right here in the coming weeks. Also, I love hearing from those who appreciate my work! Whether it be my games or my music, I love to hear about what you have to say. Send me some feedback by clicking my contact page, and e-mailing me. I even promise to respond! -- James M. February 10th, 2006 - Sour Buddies development starts! The DigiStar Software site (in it's modern incarnation) was started up approximately a year ago, and since it's conception, only one game has been available on it. The fact of the matter is, I'm a perfectionist in my work. I might as well share with everyone, right now, I'm working on a game known as Sour Buddies. It's a concept that has danced around in my head for many months, and it's production is now in full swing -- much of my free time really does go towards the development of this particular title. However, Sour Buddies theoretically could have seen the light of day ages ago; the basic game engine has been complete since last April. It's not like I want to keep everyone waiting or anything like that, but I have a serious problem with releasing a substandard final production to the public. I knew Sour Buddies could be improved in vast ways. For example, I imagined a multiplayer battle mode in my head, but figured it wasn't possible due to time constraints. Wait a minute... time constraints? Who sets the rules here? With this, I realized that I needed to approach this with my gut instinct. The only deadline was that which I had set for myself. Would it be a sin to delay the game for the sake of quality? Hell, if Miyamoto can do it with Zelda: Twilight Princess, I suppose it couldn't hurt for little indie me either. So, I made a decision. You're all just going to have to wait for my next game a little longer. By the way, Sour Buddies multiplayer is a blast. -- James M. February 9th, 2006 - Where am I? Please accept my apologies for the informal commencement of my blog! I'm glad you're here reading about my life -- hopefully a lot of interesting events will occur that keep this page worth reading. I'd like to mention that a lot of my art work is still not uploaded at this point in time, so the content my seem somewhat paltry. As I create more worthwhile art work, that too will be added. Thus, I expect these pages to shortly become inhabited by many of my creations. Hope you all enjoy, and thanks for visiting! -- James M. February 6th, 2006 - Mission: Do-able Tomorrow is the day that I finally begin my second semester of college. For me, this means I need to get in gear. I promised myself that I would get this web-site completely up and functional before starting the new year at school. Failure is not an option! In fact, if you are reading this right now, that likely means operation "get-the-friggin-site-up" was a huge success. Go me! -- James M. |
