The image you see above is one of the maps we might be able to play on in Twisted Metal. It gives us a brief look at one of the things game developers go through when trying to create a game. Twisted Metal director David Jaffe posted this picture on his blog along with a few details on how level creation works for Eat Sleep Play.

Subtle changes have also been made to Zeke. One of the things I didn’t like about Zeke’s character was his style. He seemed like an unholy mixture of an urban sleazebag and an Elvis impersonator. We’ll see if his persona has been tuned up at E3 2010. For now let’s look at how the design of Zeke has changed from inFamous to inFamous 2.

Inafune doesn’t think being from the West automatically makes a game more interesting. Capcom’s goal is to integrate developers from different cultural backgrounds to make the best game possible. There are still individuals inside Capcom who resist branching out and embracing a western approach to game design. Inafune has to be on the front lines to convince them that cooperation with the West is an extremely important component for the future of game design.

In the Los Angeles Times, writer Alex Pham reports that the San Fernando Library encourages youth to play video games and even invites them to be as loud as they like.

“It lets teens be more comfortable with the library and become familiar with librarians,” San Fernando librarian Lydia Harlan told Pham. “And it’s what kids are into these days.”

In the article, Pham reports that more libraries are turning to video games to connect with technologically savvy youth who might be losing interest in books and stories. In New York, the New York Public Library has even added a collection of books, films, music and maps about video games.

Click through for the full article and a list of recommended books…

Clive Thompson had an excellent editorial yesterday on the Wired blog about horror videogames delivering better thrills than recent horror films. His argument touched on the fact that games are inherently subjective (ie. you are the one in danger, as opposed to vicariously watching a character on a screen be in danger) along with Hollywood’s recent propensity for gore over suspense (Saw, Hostel, etc. aren’t very big on subtlety).

It’s a great read but Thompson only touches briefly on one of the most crucial elements of creating a successful horror experience in either a game or a film – sound design. Sound is everything when it comes to…