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Gama posted an in-depth interview with Keita re: the Nottingham park project. It does a great job of capturing his current state of mind.. especially as it relates to his feelings about being a “game” designer.

I liked this part especially:

After the press conference, one of GameCity’s organizers drove Takahashi to the local art store where he filled his basket with crayons, stickers, pens, sheaths of paper and, of course, a coat hanger. Then they took a taxi to this room, and closed the door behind him.

It’s hard to shake the feeling its precisely this sort of largely directionless creativity, free from the constraints of financial targets, demographics and brand-building that has brought Takahashi to this unlikely nook on the other side of his world.

In answer to his deflected question about what I think makes a good playground, I suggest that I’ve always enjoyed a sense of progression, where one object leads to the next, giving the participant a sense of journey, like a playful assault course.

Takahashi doesn’t respond at first, mulling it over, perhaps masking a sneer. “If there’s a pattern embedded in the design of a park, the danger is always that all of the kids just end up doing the same stuff…” he murmurs.

It’s this sort of aimless approach to game design that frustrated some players and critics with regards to his most recent title, Nobi Nobi Boy, a game that’s difficult to articulate within the usual parameters of success and failure. And yet, this dislike of the order and rigid structure of mainstream games seems to imbue every aspect of Takahashi’s approach.

It’s hard to put a project like the park into words.

I spent most of Sunday with Keita at the park site & studio – and I still am not sure how to describe it. After exploring the grounds, reviewing his sketches, drawing, playing with clay and then discussing the whole thing over ramen… I felt like I had a strange, foggy tangle in my mind. So many things to consider! Days later, that sense of … complex hugeness, is still with me.

Over the last few years, what I’ve come to appreciate most about Keita is his enduring patience – and ability to calmly contemplate huge, tangly messes. What makes me anxious and compulsive… he can sit with, quietly. Stuff that’s chaotic and overwhelming washes over him – and is transformed into something better. In no small way, it is this patience that makes our friendship even possible.

Walking back from the studio, we talked about this: the quiet center of his style (slow burn… gradually coming to an idea) the loudness of mine (flashes & sparks… an explosion from compressed inputs). He likes to tease me about my brashness… and I, his silent brooding. But in the end – these are strengths, too.

And for the park… an open-ended, visionary task – a designer like Keita is the perfect fit. Because the inputs are overwhelming, chaotic, fuzzy, strange. And you just have to be one with the space and all of its possibilities – until the idea emerges from within.

I was genuinely touched to read this interview, which gets at the heart of Keita’s gifts – and challenges within the context of our industry and even, this project. It’s nice to see a piece describe his process (and its context) with such tenderness and respect.

Home and recovered (mostly) – to find more goodness from GameCity in my inbox! For starters, Tony has updated his blog and site to include the awesome results of the SpiteYourFace “BrickStock” animation workshop:

Also, Brandon posted a piece on the Elite paper-folding event, and BoingBoing ran a piece on the 15 pixel megamix (flOw? C’mon now, readers!)..,

And Rex posted a super cool pic from our panel – with some great additions!!

Sugoi!!!

Greetings from Nottingham – host of GameCity 09!

This year’s festival has been a fantastic blend of talents – wonderful animators, artists, game designers, hackers and academics from around the world. Even tho we are mid-festival, I wanted to take a break and report on its fantastic events!

This is in no small part due to the blend of talking and performance that permeates the festival. Today, for example, I attended a panel on creating media about/for games which featured a live performance of GameBoy synth, and showcased the festival’s “mega=mix” of pixel-art tribute animations:

These were created for the festival by the same amazing team behind the Oxfam “Face the Music” spot – which takes basic game concepts and blends them with a message about climate change to create something truly remarkable:

But that’s just the beginning! Other performances included live playthroughs of Crysis (!!!), karaoke, the passionate singing of game reviews, and the especially cool paper folding session (plus artful arrangement) that culminated in a session about the glory of Elite.

And – as part of my visit, I conducted a live performance of Flower, which was truly wonderful. Not only was the game projected on lovely gauze screens in a beautiful old building… but as I played, flower petals were dropped from above, floating down into the atrium.

My favorite part of the experience was definitely the sound – which filled the hall, reverberating and mixing with the voices of spectators. That was really spectacular. Post-performance, we had a few questions about our new game (sorry – it’s still under wraps!), requests for more Flower content (maybe, someday!) and many lovely compliments.

Many thanks everyone who worked so hard to create Flower (you guys just ROCK!), the team that helped set up the performance (it worked!!) – and of course, to all who attended (you were fantastic)! It was such a pleasure to play for everyone and I think it’s definitely something we should do more often, with all sorts of games.

Finally – three cheers to the organizers of GameCity! Congratulations on creating a wonderful mix of discussion, debate, performance and play!

Great post on Attract Mode about the impromptu party-game of Tuning which emerged during the post-IndieCade BBQ @ Casa Roja!

Awww – I miss you all so much! Here’s to great adventures and wonderful creations. See you @ GDC!!!

Petri has posted a time-lapse video of his desktop, taken over the course of his last prototype.

Bonus: you can download the game now and play it for yourself!

Mega Bonus: you can play the rest of the “unexperimental shooter” games too! 2D strikes again!

So – it has been a wonderful, fun-filled and lovely June, and we’re now already well into July. 3 chapters of the thesis are reviewed – and the next batch is prepping for departure. And, of course, TGC is fantastic.

I had my 6 week review today – and can hardly believe it as the time just flew by. It has been the most satisfying, engaging and rewarding 6 weeks I’ve spent working as a developer – and I’m not just saying that to be a warm fuzzy! The team is fantastic, the game is awesome, and each day there are new opportunities to contribute something that helps make both great! One can’t ask for more than that, really.

But – there is more – and his name is Oscar!

Oscar came to us via a friend of a friend… who was visiting the house for Juli’s wonderful birthday celebration. We’d been looking for a playmate for Mika for a while, whose constant antics were driving poor Beverly mad. So – when Elicia mentioned that she had 3 kittens to find homes for – we had a feeling it might work out.

Upon arrival – Oscar was shy, as expected. But within a few days he’d left the bedroom and was happily exploring the house. A few more days of sniffing, growling and skittering… and voila! He and Mika were best buds!!

It’s always amazing how the arrival of a new baby changes your perspective – and with kittens it’s no exception. Suddenly our kitty (Mika) was the middle kid… with all that implies. She looks bigger, seems smarter – and most importantly, has developed a kind of big-sister confidence that radiates from her in just about every way. She’s even started to “escape” from the back yard into the front – where she sits under a bush, being all grown up. That is – until she comes back and prances into the house, to find Oscar nuzzling and waiting to wrassle.

Awww!

Elicia and Patrick were super wonderful people for rescuing Oscar – a wild kitty who literally fought to stay free despite the fact that he was surviving (flea-ridden and worm-infested) on dinners of boiled potatoes or grass. Not only did they have him spayed and chipped – they cuddled and loved him enough to start him on the path to pet heaven. What wonderful, wonderful people!

Three cheers for all the wonderful rescuers out there who have spent evenings after work capturing, fixing and finding homes for strays. That is nothing but good karma, thru and thru.

Having just returned from a trip to SF where we spent a day at the awesome new Academy of Sciences museum – I laughed aloud at this particular trooper pic. But really – there are so many brilliant images that it’s best to just watch the slideshow.

So best!!

Super wonderful times this week and weekend – everyone in LA for the show, and then some staying over to attend the annual “Missed My Flight” BBQ & impromptu afterparty at Casa de Roja.

In addition to a fantastic first week at TGC I was able to meet up with tons of fun Indie friends (including some quality time with team Scary Girl), rock out with our lovely Harmonix peeps, hang with Mark, Kim, big Ben – and of course, take some great photos!

Here is my favorite triple so far: from our evening with The Beatles – in which Lulu rocks her inner Joan Jett and Ross… just plain rocks!

Even better than having a whole week of seeing my leading lady and man – they will be back in town next weekend for a spectacular birthday BBQ (both she and Juli are celebrating!) that doubles as a shipping, job change and engagement celebration. I would wish for a copy of The Beatles to round out the event – but I’m pretty sure that it would cause Ross to explode in a puff of unicorns, rainbows and 3-part harmony.

Special shout-out and superthanks to our house guest Crankyuser… who not only helped Lulu clean up the whole place today, post-brunching – but also fixed the kitchen tap and front door – so that next weekend’s soiree will not include the sound of continual slamming. Should have known that our favorite UI designer & Project Natal schemer would have great ideas for improving the Casa’s user expereince. Rock on!!

It’s always the little things that make a day great. A cool breeze, the sound of a bird, something delicious and made with care. When I am busy busy busy, I miss these moments – and I am less happy because of it. Thankfulness = watchfulness, in a way.

When rushed to finish too many tasks, I also brush by visual delights – like the light in Mika’s eye that glints just before she pounces. Moments, movements, feelings – these are what I labor to capture with photographs, when in a more contemplative mindset.

I’ve finally made the time to unearth the digital disc-archives of my photos from 2001-2004… what can now only be referred to as the dark days of the Sony CD-R digicam. I can still fearing the heft of it after my first E3… knowing it would be a bitch to carry around on the floor.

Looking through the years (mostly spent in Chicago but with trips to Austin, SF, LA and Tokyo) – I’m surprised (and yet not-so-surprised) to see patterns in my eye. And… in my routine. Days captured “just at home” or about town tend to be from snowstorms, blackouts… times when there was nothing better to do.

Here’s to keeping an open eye, when my break is done. And to Edgar – the latest addition to Casa de Roja – who inspired some photos today. Thank you, Edgar!

So – as I posted before, my sound director Brad is a super adventurous dude – and recently convinced us to take a paragliding and sea kayaking adventure down in La Jolla which was fantastic!

In the fall, he also offered to teach us all how to SCUBA dive, since he’s becoming certified as a Dive Master. I considered over the winter, and when the weather began to warm up, decided to take the plunge and started classes along with a bunch of folks from work!

Learning to dive was much really an adventure! There is a lot of equipment to learn, operate and master. It’s a little to get started, and you have to purchase some things alongside your rentals… like fins (mine are HOT PINK), a mask and snorkel. And last but not least, the idea of running out of air as you are 40 or 60 feet below the surface of the water is kind of freaky – so you need some time to adjust… and study!

Our first day was focused on education – testing our knowledge of the dive tables (tracks the nitrogen in your blood!), procedures and common problems we might encounter on a dive. Then – a pool day where we become familiar with the equipment as it functions underwater. Biggest learning: My legs are floaty! When I try to achieve “neutral bouyancy”, my legs tend to float up, keeping me from laying flat in the water (like a fish). Who knew?

After our pool day I was pretty confident that I could handle the equipment – all I had to deal with was the cold. The water here on the coast is very chilly – especially down where we were going (kelp forests off of Catalina and Anacapa islands). A heavy wet suit, hood, booties and gloves will get you most of the way to comfortable – but the feeling of cold cold water on your lips and forehead (the parts that are NOT covered by your gear) is pretty striking. Your lips actually turn a little blue!

Diving with a buddy is key – and it’s important to keep eyes on them at all times. We did have a moment where Ben got caught in an updraft and had to surface unexpectedly – just as I was enjoying the view of some starfish on a kelp bed.

It is *not* fun realizing your buddy is suddenly not where you expected! Especially when you’ve heard tales of divers drowning in kelp because they get tangled, freak out and spit out their regulators. Yikes!! Luckily, Ben is super zen – and was bobbing safely at the top when we surfaced. Our training kicked in as it should, and our instructors (Brad and Stuart) were right there to make sure everyone was ok. This is why you study and test before diving – and plan your dives thoroughly.

By far, the second ocean dive day was my favorite! We were mostly done with our training and able to focus on enjoying the beautiful, strange and ever-changing underwater environment. I was esepcially relaxed once I had successfully removed & replaced my mask underwater – which freaks me out a little because it involves breathing through your mouth only when your nose is exposed to the water.

After a nice tour of the kelp, we headed to a small inlet, to dive with young sea lions!

This was probalby one of the coolest experiences I have had with wildlife. They were at once wild and playful, close and far away. Even though they had the grace of dancers in the water, and were within an arms’ length as they came close… they were instantly teleported by their strong fins and tails such that they felt like a vision. Like smoke, running past in the water. Magic!

Luckily, Brad (who took all the underwater photos in this post) was able to capture the sea lions on video – so you can see for yourself just how graceful these funloving, diver-loving creatures can be:

As you can see from the linked videos here, the fearless beauty and playfulness of sea mammals is truly touching. And if you’ve ever kept an aquarium, you know that fish also have a strange, captivating manner as well. This experience totally transformed my perspective on what it means to dive. Not just something you do on vacation in Carribean – it is a whole new universe to explore and enjoy!

Yesterday I got notice that I am official certified for open water dives! This means I can continue to dive here in California – taking classes in bouyancy, night diving, and navigation. I can continue to explore the reefs and kelp off the coast here… and hopefully, go diving when I take my post-ship vacation. Thailand is looking likely…

Big ups to Brad, Ocean Adventures Dive Company here in Venice and our fantastic and fun instructor Stuart Tanner – who did a wonderful job teaching us how zen out, descend, and swim with the fishes. Best Bradventure yet!

Just a reminder that we’re currently accepting submissions for this year’s Experimental Gameplay Sessions at GDC!

Please pass on the call for submissions to friends – or submit a cool experimental game yourself!

Not to make light – but how California is this photo?

Hope none of you are suffering as a result of the fires. Here in Venice I woke up with ash on my car – 2 days running.

:(

Yet another crazy week – this time, possibly nuttier than most. I was glad to see Friday arrive.

I slept all day on Saturday – partly recovering from a terrible, horrible headache that just would not quit. Woke up today to piles of landry, bills, a crazy kitten and too many “projects” to count. Prioritizing my notes, designs, photos and reciepts… I did find time to catalog a few photos and dig out the thesis.

It’s true – I’m actually attempting to graduate! Don’t hold your breath – but say a prayer for me. I need to get this puppy put to bed! Off to eat and then read through the damn thing… chunking it in is the first step.

For your enjoyment in the meantime: Part II of the Spiders of Casa de Rojo series!!

Yes – we’ll de-web before our housewarming. Promise!!!

I took some CRAZY macro photos this weekend – mostly spiders but also flies – and flies that are about to become part of spiders!

Nothing is creepier to me than giant spiders. This one is living behind my friend’s house – in a giant jasmine bush. It’s probably – 3 inches across (it’s body is the size of a quarter).

*shiver*

Every end makes room for a new beginning. As Seth pointed out here – each creature that leaves the earth is in some way welcoming another to join us here. And so…. I have made room in my heart for another kitten – nearly a year since Sabine passed away.

Hello Mika!

Mika was found about a month ago – abandoned by her mother. Starving, lonely – she appeared on my friend Stuart’s back porch – and mewed at his own cats through the window. Malnourshed and infested with fleas – she was taken in by my other friend Jen (who makes it a personal mission to rescue cats – including the strays that make a home here on the EALA campus from time to time).

Of course – Mika began to make regular appearances here at work, as Jen nourished her to health and began looking for a home. After several weeks I could no longer resist the pull of this cuddly, adorable soul. She’s the calmest, sweetest lap cat one could ever ask for and I cannot wait to bring her home at the end of the month. I need all the cuddles I can get.

Thank you for making an appearance in my world, Mika! I will give you a good life.

One thing that is *not* happening to me in LA is a tan.

Last weekend Souris was kind enough to document my status as “human bling” – the term Ben, Neb and I coined for this unique beach-blinding status.

Here I am comparing to Mish – the other bright lady on our trip.

We decided that she’s pink, and I’m peach – but I do believe she’s the blingingist of the pair.

Even inside, I glare. Thank god for SPF 50+.

Souris took two of the most LA photos of us I’ve ever seen last weekend around the corner from our place, on Abbot Kinney:

Once I got over how silly they were – I started getting hungry for some tacos & “Silken Skin” – the juice specialty of our corner favorite. Viva LA!!

Lulu is moving to Berlin for 6 months to manage a project over there, and while I know I should be happy about it – I’m just sad.

She has been a dear, dear friend to me for so long that the thought of being even just an hour away by plane was difficult to swallow when I moved down to LA in the fall. Now – she’ll be in an entirely different city, with new people, so far away. Boo!

While I know that it’s a good move for her in so many ways – I’m selfish and bad – a terrible, horrible friend. I want her close – for hugs, tears, good food, too much booze and worse. I want her near to me for conscience and comfort… and moments like this:

I want to fast forward now, to the time when she returns, all leveled up, with kick ass leather boots and a laundry list of naughty German slang.

Oh, if I had that button, I would press it right now.

Just going through my pictures of Bhutan – and came across this:

It was just gorgeous there!!

It wouldn’t be right to post all my vacation photos without going through the huge backlog of pix I have sitting here on my hard drive.

First up: The Game Developers Conference: San Francisco – February 2008!

Phew!

This year GDC was a blur! My phone bricked, just before the conference. I taught 2 days, then had to jump from the Experiemental Gameplay session early (thanks for picking up my presentation, DC!!!) so I could demo BOOM BLOX after Lou’s talk. After all that excitement, all I wanted to do was eat steak, drink wine, talk with friends, and relax. Luckily all these options were available.

Trip Highlight: Going to see Hannah Montana in 3D with Warren after burgers, beer and baskeball!!

Trip Lowlight: Stupid Phone! Why so sensitive to spilled drinks??

:)

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic conference – especially the workshop attendees (you know who you are). You made this yet another great year for learning about how games work – and how fun people can be! And of course Jane and Ryan for a fantastic post-GDC party. I miss you all so much already! See you at TGS??

The rumors are true – I have just returned from a 2 week vacation in Bhutan!! It was totally, utterly life changing, in more ways than I had expected.

First order of business was laundry – woah, stinky socks!! Also, I lost my phone in transit – had to replace it for the second time in 4 months. A new record? This means that I am numberless once again so txt name + digits for posterity.

It is so nice to be back… but strange. Taking one last day of vacation to get acclimated, did an am hike. THE AIR IS SO THICK HERE!!

:)

Now I am going through the photos. I took maybe 3000 – and there are prolly 500 good ones in the bunch. Setting myself a reasonable goal to have them up by this weekend.

Next weekend – I will be back up in SF to distribute presents and wish Lulu a *sniff* sad goodbye as she ventures forth to Berlin. Damn, I missed her going-away party while I was huddled up in my sleeping bag! What was I thinking??