Obviously this month's topic isn't attracting nearly as much attention as the previous ones. It looks like next time I'll go back to using one specific effect as the topic. The Glide Underground updated their Developer Desktop feature. This is a place where they post a screenshot or two of a few developer's desktops. Programming Towards a Design Aesthetic .
Visual aesthetic is the first aspect of a game that a consumer can evaluate.
However, looking good is not enough. Tomorrow's games will need to look different to be attractive. The creators of Outcast share their experiences and try to analyze the impact of technology upon design. This session explores the need to create a technology designed to match the vision prescribed and how to create content designed to match the technology. Several interesting topics are covered including LOD issues, bump mapping, special effects, shadows, and plenty more.