This post over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun points out the trick StarCraft 2 pulls on players with the way it handles their decisions. I noticed it also, and thought it was interesting. But it isn’t hard to figure out this is what’s going on while you’re playing, especially if you compare your experience with that of a friend who made a different choice. And to me it sort of feels like it cheapens the story.
Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality
Just finished reading Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony deMello, and I found it incredibly enjoyable. It’s written in such a way that reading it feels like attending a seminar by a master speaker. Full of analogies and little stories which are fun and funny, I would recommend it to anyone interested in waking up from their illusions. This was my first time reading it, but I’m sure it won’t be my last.
15 years later, the Virtual Boy is back
But this time no one is laughing. Hardcore game developers/publishers who aren’t the usual suspects for Nintendo handhelds are falling all over themselves to make games for it, if the list of games lined up for it so far is any indicator. It’s a disruptive masterpiece, and has had Nintendo getting all the attention at E3 this year, even before the show floor opened.
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Game Toolbox 0.2.1 Released
This fixes the suboptimal example plan in the 0.2.0 release. The issue was not with the planner but with how the problem was set up. Get it here.
Game Toolbox 0.2.0 Released
Over the weekend I released Game Toolbox 0.2.0. You can get it here.
Reality TV Show Idea: What Not to Watch
On “What Not to Watch,” each week a new, regular person who was volunteered by a friend or relative is made fun of for the TV shows and movies they have scheduled to record on their DVR and own on DVD. Then the hosts throw out their DVD collections and their recording schedules, to be replaced with what the hosts consider to be better viewing. The new selection usually includes “What Not to Watch.” But not “What Not to Wear.”
Spam Comments
A lot of spam comments get blocked here. I can see them, and it’s kind of amusing how many lately attempt to use flattery to get approved. Things like “your writing is great” on a page with just a list of games I’m playing and have played. Not very believable in many cases, but I think it would be funny if someone specifically let these comments through on their blog, but edited out the spam homepage links and email addresses they come with.
Assassin’s Creed 2
This post contains spoilers.
Achievements
While reading this Malstrom blog post this morning, I realized something interesting: Achievements/Trophies/whatever can reduce the desire to keep a game, increasing motivation to resell it. Sure, they can create some sales from people playing the gamer score metagame (who will just turn around and resell it once they’ve got the points), but consider a game you like.
Obligatory iPad Opinion/Speculation/Analysis
Almost everyone seems to have an opinion about the recently-announced Apple iPad.1 If you don’t, I may surmise that you either a) live under a rock, or have been distanced from the internet and tangential media and people enough that you have not yet heard about it, or b) you do not have any opinions at all. Or, potentially c) you just don’t have an opinion about it. But c) seems rather unlikely, because it’s been a very polarizing announcement. People seem to either love it or hate it.
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- I don’t mind the name. People made fun of the name of the Wii for a while, but that didn’t hurt it. ↩
Appvent Calendar Games: Thoughts (Part 2)
Here are my thoughts on the rest of the games I got through the Appvent Calendar promotion. Thoughts on the first few are here. Continue reading ‘Appvent Calendar Games: Thoughts (Part 2)’ »
Vision of the Future
I found this blog, subscribed, and read this article a couple days ago. It’s really interesting stuff about how business really works. If you’ve been reading Malstrom’s Articles about Blue Ocean Strategy and Disruption, this should interest you.
