A while back I discovered the MDA framework for game design, which, like a Will Wright presentation, struck a chord. As a recap, it’s a conceptual framework that breaks games down into mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics as a much needed formal vocabulary for game design. In the context of games, the components of MDA are […]
I’m still due for my post on general models to follow up my post on mental models. It’s mostly written, but I haven’t had any time to put into that kind of thought recently.
However, to keep things moving in the ongoing side discussion on this blog about models, and to foreshadow the eventual tie-in with […]
Today I just got back from staying in San Francisco for the Game Developers Conference all last week. As usual, there were some great talks and great people, especially with the new Indie Game Summit. Of course now I’m distracted with game ideas, but also continuing to pick apart this incredible love for games I […]
In 2002 I wrote an article just to get into the Game Developers Conference that was published in a little online newsletter called Digital Times. Today I got a request from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India to reprint that article in an “Executive Reference Book” tentatively titled Online Gaming Industry. The ICFAI […]
Here’s an interesting snippet I found today from a 4 color rebellion interview with the maintainer of a Japanese gaming site called Nintendo iNSIDE.
What do you think the difference is between Japanese and western games?
I don’t know completely, but the image in my head is that Japanese games are handmade whereas Western games seem to […]
I just got a chance to read the interview with Derek Yu over at 4 color rebellion. I recently helped Derek launch version 2 of TIGSource, an awesome indie game review site. I had been somewhat of a fan of Derek since he made Eternal Daughter. To me, he’s like a young indie version of […]
I recently wrote what seemed like to most people to be mostly about democracy and republics. After reading it, Adam Smith said something along the lines of "If you find yourself trying to decide between two extremes, maybe you’re looking on the wrong axis." Yes, I know that sounds like something an engineer would say. […]
Stupid!
Since actors started complaining last week, developers have pointed out that they have the same problem. Welcome to the game industry, you Hollywood millionaires! It’s easy for them to strike because it’s not their primary income. What happens if they strike? Well, considering the publishers’ view on the importance of Hollywood actors in games […]
From Gamasutra:
Michael Wilson, a former executive for the now-defunct Ion Storm, has sued publishing company Random House over statements made in the non-fiction book Masters of Doom, which Random House published in 2003. The book, written by David Kushner, alleges that Wilson took out a secret loan from company finances to buy a new BMW; […]
I just recorded a little demo of AjaxWar, a game Adam Smith and I were working on. The goal was to do a real-time multiplayer RTS using only DHTML. Then, of course, the goal turned into making a great game, but the limitations of DHTML were pretty frustrating… and we were pushing it as it […]