gewgaw

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!

Jeff’s posted an article on the profit margins for indies across platforms.

Awesome Sauce!!

From a post that Butcher recommended in response to my comment that last week’s Economist was depressing as hell.

I want to direct the attention of those in the US finance industry to a white paper written by Themis Trading, called “Toxic Equity Trading Order Flow on Wall Street.” Basically, they outline why volume and volatility have jumped so much since 2007; and it’s not due to the credit crisis. They estimate that 70% of the volume in today’s markets is from high-frequency program trading. They outline how large brokers and funds can buy and sell a stock for the same price and still make 0.5 cents. Do that a million times a day and the money adds up. Or maybe do it 8 billion times. It requires powerful computers, complicity of the exchanges (because the exchanges get paid a lot), and highly proximate computer connections. Literally, the need for speed is so important that to play this game you have to have your servers physically at the exchange. Across the river in New Jersey is too slow. Forget Texas or California. This is a game played out in microseconds.

The retail world doesn’t get to play. This is a game only for big boys who can afford to pay for the “arms” needed to fight this war. But the rest of us pay for the game, as that half cent is like a tax on transactions, not to mention the increased daily volatility, which skews pricing. Think it doesn’t affect you? That “tax” is paid by mutual funds, your pension fund, and every large institution.

Frankly, this is outrageous. The more I read the madder I got. And it is going to get worse as computers get faster and software more intelligent. We need rules to level the playing field. Themis suggests one simple one: just make it a rule that all bids have to be good for at least one second. That would cure a lot of problems. One lousy second! In a world of microseconds, that is an eternity.

Goldman Sachs went after an employee who stole some of their latest and greatest software this last week. The US assistant attorney general said in the courtroom that the software had the potential to manipulate the market. Imagine that. I am shocked. There is gambling going on in the back room? Gee, commissioner, I had no idea.

All this “algo” (algorithmic) trading also gives a very false impression of volume. If you are a fund and see 10 million shares a day traded, you might feel comfortable that you could hold one million shares and exit your trade easily. But if 80% of the volume is false “algo” trading, that volume isn’t really there. You may have a position that will be a problem if you want to exit, and not know it.

“High-frequency trading strategies have become a stealth tax on retail and institutional investors. While stock prices will probably go where they would have gone anyway, toxic trading takes money from real investors and gives it to the high frequency trader who has the best computer. The exchanges, ECNs and high frequency traders are slowly bleeding investors, causing their transaction costs to rise, and the investors don’t even know it.” (Themis Trading)

We’ve had a lot of discussions about the economy, market and traders/banks at Casa de Roja (as I’m sure many of you have in your own homes). It’s increasingly distressing. We’re trying to save in ernest – but where do you put the money you’re saving? Under the mattress? Maybe I’ll ask the vanners who keep parking at the end of our street where they’re stashing cash. For all I know, it’s safer there…

Interesting article on teen media habits includes comments on how kids interface with music, games and film as well as news, television and social media like Twitter.

No teenager Robson knew reads a newspaper regularly since most “cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text while they could watch the news summarised on the internet or on TV”. The only newspapers that are read are the cheaper tabloids and freesheets.

His peers are also put off by intrusive advertising so they prefer listening to advert-free music on websites such as Last.fm to traditional radio. Teens see adverts on websites – pop ups, banner ads – as “extremely annoying and pointless,” Robson said. However, “most teenagers enjoy and support viral marketing, as often it creates humorous and interesting content”.

He stressed that his peers were “very reluctant” to pay for music and most had never bought a CD, with a large majority downloading songs illegally from filesharing sites.

Money and time are instead devoted to cinema, concerts and video game consoles. Downloading films off the internet is not popular as the films are usually bad quality and have to be watched on a small computer screen and there is a risk of viruses, Robson said.

What’s interesting is that aside from the comments about Twitter & music, I’d have to say my buying habits are similar. And even those first two categories lag in comparison to other peers, generally.

Maybe I’m devolving?

:)

Mind bending experience this morning at the Venice Whole Foods – right here on Lincoln and Rose:

I walk into the store and choose a delicious chocolate croissant from the selection at the bakery shelf – and then take my purchase over to the coffee bar, where I attempt to order an Americano. “If I could get it in this (offering my new Not a Paper Cup mug)… that would be great!”

“Sorry,” sighs the beleaguered, sad woman behind the counter. “We can’t serve coffee in personal mugs anymore – it’s a health hazard. I can make your drink in the paper cup, and you can pour it into that cup…. if you want.”

Me: dazed!

“Ok – so let me get this straight,” I say. “In order to purchase a cup of coffee from Whole Foods – I MUST USE A DISPOSABLE PAPER CUP?”

“We don’t make the rules. Sorry.”

I’m not sure if this is just a California thing (you have to sign release forms for just about everything here) or if this is in fact a Whole-chain policy. And I’m too busy to take the time to call them and ask. But I was really, honestly shocked. Laughed out loud in surprise!!

I suppose they could be worried about spreading disease when cups owned by people touch the coffee-making aparatus… But seriously? Really??? Can’t they use an in-between container (see small metal shot pots lined up along the bottom of the mega-spresso machine at your favorite coffee shop) and save a few trees in the process?

I passed on the coffee and walked around the corner to Groundworks – where the energetic and friendy (also kinda hot!) cashier gave me a compliment on my arty coffee container. “Slick! I really like this! Is it porcelain??” Win!!

No more WF coffee for me!

DP’s latest venture could be the solution to piracy and resale that the industry is looking for! Comments in the thread re: performance seem short-sighted. However – it is interesting to think about the implications for “flash developers” as Dave points out in the demo. What would one-click access to AAA games (many man-years invested in the content/scope) do to people’s perceptions of the standard PopCap or iPhone fare?

More importantly – how can smaller, more agile devs take advantage of the opportunity, when streaming finally hits big? If we can create new experiences that also harness the amazing look & feel (and SOUND!) of giga-team games… we might just get to have our cake and eat it too!

:)

Some how the phrase “easier to manage” fails to fill me with glee. Maybe… “simple & fun” would have generated a warmer feeling?

:)

Once again, Jones is bending and reshaping the mold of minds with his preso on The New Negroponte Switch. Included is new excitement from Shulze/Webb re: mapping and visualization. Now, everywhere I look I’m seeing adventure! New perspectives, new ways of seeing – new messages for a new time.

It’s funny how things work out. Images from HOME burned into my brain yesterday, and today it turns out I’ll be seeing it premiere here next week, thanks to Hollywood Hill. It’s easy to get sad when thinking about how much work we have to do to fix the bugs we’ve introduced in the last few generations – but at least we know now that the bugs exist. Maybe it’s the producer in me talking – but I feel hopeful, and inspired! Creativity at the office, brainstorming with the Impact Lab, IndieCade planning, new pets, happy garden, loving friends & family – there is just so much to be connecting to and grateful for.

Thank you, universe. I am working to give back as hard as I can!!

Opened my copy of the official BBBP today – to find a MySims insert in the front:

Funny!

It’s official – I’ve got a new job! As of June 1, I will be working at ThatGameCompany – purveyors of fine interactive, digital experiences the likes of Flow and Flower:

On the one hand – this is a superexciting development. But on the other – it is a sunset of sorts. The conclusion to a series of discussions, inquiries and internal musings… evidenced by the post below, which I wrote in November of 2008 but never posted.

Today started at 8 am with a Spielberg meeting – and ended at 11 after a 4 hour focus test. From morning till night, every hour of today was about making sure things went smoothly, getting things out of the way for my team, and generally staying focused on the important discussion at hand. Exhausted at the end of this day, I took a long bath, curled up with the HBR – and ended up daydreaming about the future.

I have gathered a lot of experience in my short time as a professional developer. And because of my cross-disciplinary nature, I am atypical. Happy in a brainstorm creating new IP or hashing out a budget, I’m also quick to jump at a chance to play something new, offer tuning advice, or build a level. I love designing user experiences, but have discovered that I enjoy growing people & teams. And just getting things done, of course. If it’s a challenge, and the cause is good – I’m in.

This makes career planning a bit difficult. If I were soully focused on climbing the ladder – I’d hop from short project to short project, asking for title bumps and raises. It’s a common strategy for managers and (it seems) fairly successful within larger companies. But because I care more about ideals (good game, good team, player/creativity focus) than ends – I often have a hard time articulating exactly where I want to be in the next 3 years – let alone 5.

Lately, it seems like I’m facing a crossroads. I can continue to hone my skills in production and creative direction…. or begin looking beyond single teams, dealing with larger group and even, possibly, company cultures. I can keep contributing to a single, large organization – or branch out to touch a variety of businesses, in a more advisory role. Stay in product or branch out to process. Ship or consult.

This dissatisfies me. My ideal job is a lot like the one I have now: I teach part time, I work on a small, creative and iconoclastic team, and travel to consult on games when needed for higher-level, blue-sky thinking. If I could find a bit more time to sleep and exercise – I’d be very happy. Especially if I recieved recognition for all facets of my contribution.

But it seems that the further “up” you go, the harder it is to maintain a cross-contributor role. Maybe it’s about scheduling – but I also think it’s about being in the right culture. So I’m thinking a lot about where I am, and where I might like to go.

Reading this HBR article on recruitment, I was struck by this “Talent Compact” – a framework of key strategies for attracting and keeping high-functioning, cross-contributors like myself:

• Brand: Known for excellence; Leading global company; Inspirational leadership
• Opportunity: Challenging work; Accellerated career track; Continual training/development; Competative pay
• Culture: Authenticity; Meritocracy; Connection; Talent-centricity
• Purpose: Guiding mission; Global citizenship; Committed to the region

A closer look at our interviews gave us new insights into how these four factors work in concert. We found that they could be united under two guiding principles: promises made (the combination of brand, opportunity, and purpose) and promises kept (most significantly, employees’ day-to-day experiences within an organization’s culture). All four factors play a role in all aspects of the talent management process, but each influences recruitment and retention in different ways. (See the exhibit “A Framework for Attracting and Retaining Talent.”) Promises made and kept affect any quest for talent, but the intensity of competition in the fast-growing BRIC and other economies makes strong differentiation urgent. Most companies continue to believe that a big salary and a name brand will suffice to meet their needs, but a local company that creates genuine opportunities and exhibits desirable cultural conditions will often win out over a Western multinational that offers higher pay.

This article was focused mostly on growing talent in emerging markets: thus the reference to a commitment to the region, and global citizenship. While reading – I asked myself what the ideal organization would be committed to for me. What is key to retaining my passion for games, for user-focused design, and overall – great entertainment that breaks the boundaries of what has come before it?

It’s got to be a commitment to the customer. A drive to create games for people – not just games that we know they will buy – but games that will inspire and delight them in new ways. I’m fine with selling product – and understand that good business drives our opportunity to create games at all. But underneath it, I yearn for dedication to creating what’s next, new and fresh. Taking that risk – because it’s the best way to new business.

Will my next job be in line with this goal? Can this promise be made – let alone kept? Especially now – when times are tight, and playing it safe seems like a good idea: where can a passionate contributor like myself set her sights?

I remember the night I wrote this post – I was tired and uncertain of what I was really “trying to say”. Read once – it sounded a bit like the whambulance to me. Read the following day, it sounded more like an open call for job proposals. And in a week’s time… honestly, I was too busy to really bother figuring out what it meant. File for later, under “something will happen”…

Well – it’s clear now what happened, in hindsight. We made a kick-ass game and with the help of some extremely dedicated individuals shipped it on time. Everyone, from the most seasoned execs to the newest of newbs brought something unique and special to the game – and then, we were done. Looking up from my computer, I knew it was time to move on.

Can the Talent Compact be made in our industry? I’m not sure – but there is surely only one way to find out. Wish me luck as I step off the cruiseliner that is EA and onto the schooner that is TGC. Open waters ahead may mean hard work – but it is certainly an adventure worth looking forward to!!

Boom Blox Bash Party ships today in North America! Our very first reviews are rolling in and looking good! It’s the moment you hold your breath for. What a feeling when it all comes together (or in this case – blasts apart!)!

It’s especially great to think of folks toying around with Create Mode and submitting playable levels to the new online community. Regular readers will know that this has always been my favorite feature… and that I’m *superpsyched* to see new levels popping up on the game’s official YouTube channel, some of our fan channels, and Facebook page.

Damn, it’s a great time to be a gamer!! From Bonsai Barber and MadWorld to Deadly Creatures and Boing! Docomodake… there are a bunch of crazy new ideas out there! As each console settles into it’s own online niche, strange fruit can (hopefully) flourish. Heck – Even the King of All Cosmos has a new lease on life, after a little plastic surgery! Rainbows! Sheep! Everyone hustle!!!

Here’s to innovation and experimentation in all its forms! More small, strange and crazy games! GO GO GO!!

Back at last!

This year’s GDC was packed full of fantastic events and no sooner had I returned home than work spun right back up! Add taxes and warm weather – and suddenly it’s been over 2 weeks without a single moment to post.

To start my GDC week in review, I wanted to post the slides to my GDC Microtalk – which I gave alongside a host of talented speakers on Thursday at the ungodly hour of 9am!! Thanks to all you dedicated conference goers who after a night of partying turned up to see Richard and the lot of us do our rapid-fire takes on the concept of “play”.

My talk was focused very concretely on looking at Play as it happens in Sony HOME. I’ve taken the liberty of adding notes to the preso post-facto… which describe the gist of my talk (I don’t speak from notes – too prone to improv!).

:)

Keys takeaway from this talk is that I used “the 4 C’s” (Creativity, Collection, Competition and Community) to brainstorm different activities that could be layered over the existing architecture of HOME to create a fun, expressive and reactive space that people wanted to return to over an over.

I’ve had several requests for these slides – please download and share them with anyone who you think might be working in a similar area! I want to see these sorts of games popping up all over the place, ya hear? No excuses! Get out there and build us some fun!!!

- – -

Update: Brandon has posted a nice article covering the talk, as well!

Great Umair Haque post on how to grow now that we’re sure we’ll continue to shrink for a while. Thanks @pahlkadot!!:

Here are the four pillars of smart growth – for economies, communities, and corporations:

1. Outcomes, not income. Dumb growth is about incomes – are we richer today than we were yesterday? Smart growth is about people, and how much better or worse off they are – not merely how much junk an economy can churn out. Smart growth measures people’s outcomes – not just their incomes. Are people healthier, fitter, smarter, happier? Economics that measure financial numbers, we’ve learned the hard way, often fail to be meaningful, except to the quants among us. It is tangible human outcomes that are the arbiters of authentic value creation.

2. Connections, not transactions. Dumb growth looks at what’s flowing through the pipes of the global economy: the volume of trade. Smart growth looks at how pipes are formed, and why some pipes matter more than others: the quality of connections. It doesn’t just look at transactions at the global, regional, or national level — how much world trade has grown, for example — but looks at how local and global relationships power invention and innovation. Without Silicon Valley’s relationships powering the development of personal computing and the internet, for example, the volume of trade between Taiwan, Japan, and China, would be a fraction of what it is. Smart growth seeks to amplify connection and community — because the goal isn’t just to trade, but to co-create and collaborate.

3. People, not product. The next time you hear an old dude talking about “product”, let him know the 20th century ended a decade ago. Smart growth isn’t driven by pushing product, but by the skill, dedication, and creativity of people. What’s the difference? Everything. Globalization driven by McJobs deskilling the world, versus globalization driven by entrepreneurship, venture economies, and radical innovation. People not product means a renewed focus on labour mobility, human capital investment, labour market standards, and labour market efficiency. Smart growth isn’t powered by capital dully seeking the lowest-cost labour — but by giving labour the power to seek the capital with they can create, invent, and innovate the most.

4. Creativity, not productivity. Uh-oh: Creativity is an economic four-letter word. Why? Because it’s hard to measure, manage, and model. So economists focus on productivity instead — and the result is dumb growth. Smart growth focuses on economic creativity – because creativity is what let us know that competition is creating new value, instead of just shifting old value around. What is economic creativity? How many new industries, markets, categories, and segments an economy can consistently create. Think China’s gonna save the world? Think again: it’s economically productive, but it’s far from economically creative. Smart growth is creative — not merely productive.

Amen!

Another week of famers’ market goodness, in support of my 2009 resolution: to eat whole, local, organic food as often as possible. While I may not reach 100% this year – progress so far has been good. In addition to local butter, cheese, eggs, citrus and veggies – I have been able to purchase olive oil, mushrooms, and meat!

Why all the interest in food? I got a copy of Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for Christmas – and the book has essentially prompted a sea-change in the way I prepare and eat food. Because I live in California (where just about everything grows at least once a year), there’s no reason to ignore local, fresh, seasonal produce in favor of mealy, gas-guzzling, mass-produced items. And yet, despite a few years in SF and having Lulu as an inspiration – I still managed to do very little with what was right in front of me. No more!

Benifits to eating locally (deliciousness is a big one!) include renewed awareness of the seasons, connection to the people who actually grow what I eat… and time. It sounds crazy – but even tho it takes a little work to get started, shopping regularly at the morning weekend markets has created a real sense of continuity and order to cooking habits – making it much easier to plan and execute good meals. Instead of stumbling around a huge grocery store filled with myriad ingredients shipped in from all over the earth, I buy what looks good on a Saturday morning… and learn how to make it fabulous!

In the last few weeks I’ve experimented with quite a few new foods – things I have eaten but never felt comfortable enough (or curious enough) to prepare. Now it’s easy to imagine what they taste like – and how they go together on a plate. Each weekend, I get better and better at planning and purchasing for a week’s dishes in the space of 20 or 30 minutes. And it’s cheaper than shopping at say… Whole Foods. Amazing!

One place where I’ve been expanding my skills and interests is chicken. I have always been a bit adverse to chicken meat – it feels super creepy when cold and raw… especially the slippery, fatty skin. But now that I’m experimenting with local heritage varieties… I’ve found that they are firmer, fresher – and generally less slimy than what I was traditionally used to in store-bought, machine-farmed breeds.

Once I got over my fear of butchering a whole chicken, the next step was to expand beyond the basic recipes I grew up with as a kid. And – to make something with what was freshly available. This next dish was the direct result of a quick dinner party need and an abundance of fresh thyme and Meyer Lemons (originally intended for a lemon tart). You can make it in an hour and change.

Quick Lemon Garlic Chicken

• 1 whole organic chicken cut into parts
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup melted butter (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°. Butter a 2 quart baking dish. Wash and prepare the chicken – removing excess fat while retaining as much skin as possible. Place the breast-meat into the dish on the bottom, then cover with the wings and legs – skin side up.

Combine the lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour over chicken and set aside. If you’re not watching fats, melt the butter and drizzle over the top of the chicken, and bake for 45 minutes. If you opt out on the butter, baste the chicken halfway through cook time with the pan juices.

When cooked through, set the dish under the broiler for 2 minutes to crisp the skin to a nice brown. Serve immediately!

The result? Tender, lemony chicken with a nice garlic undertone. This dish is delicious with butter-browned brussle sprouts and fresh warm bread (great for sopping up sauce)…. but really, you can serve with just about any starch and seasonal veggies. Think it is too complex for your weekday work style? Invite two or three friends over and make it on a weekend. Pair with a light, local Weisse or Viognier for extra smiles. Enjoy!!

Kudos to Matt & crew – really awesome work over at Doppler in 2008.

Best of luck and (thanks to your info) hoping to reduce my footprint even more in 2009!

WOOT! BRAID is officially released on XBLA so go on ahead and buy it already!!

CONGRATULATIONS to Jon, Dave & everyone who supported Braid over the last few years!!!

The most recent Nintendo Channel update introduces a data publishing feature. Now, you can type in the name of a game and see the stats they have downloaded for playtimes – as well as some user rating info.

For example: You can see how Mario Galaxy rates in terms of casual perception/appeal within different age and gender segments. You can also look up raw play times (first party games really dwarf those of most third party offerings) and see what players like in addition to the title at hand. It’s fascinating!!

Seriously – it’s worth checking out! Depending on how you slice it (ie: this is a voluntary service, it doesn’t touch all Wii owners, etc), it’s certainly the first time I’ve observed just how deep the cross-appeal of Nintendo titles is. EG: The favorites list for Mario Kart = Super Smash Bros, Mario Party 8, Mario Strikers Charged, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Hoops 3-on-3.

Wow – that’s a lot of Mario!! In light of recent posts, I’m once again curious to see what this means for folks like me – who want to reach people out there on the Wii!

A funny (and sadly resonant) piece in the SF weekly on the serious space-eating problems caused by the battle between Rock Band and it’s former incarnation/now rival (the name “Guitar Hero” was purchased by Activision), among other peripheral-enabled games.

At the moment I have 3 game guitar controllers, a game drum kit, a digital drum kit (”real drums”), and standard Fender bass in my living room… and taiko drums (abandoned for the new DS game which is so fun!) and DDR dance pads stuffed in the closet.

I’m considering it a personal mission to encourage the next wave of small, unobtrusive and integrated controllers. Get on it, folks!!

BB is featured in this week’s Onion AV club!! Check it out!

An interesting article on the ethics of exclusive reviews and other practices within the game reviewer community – which links to the stuff I mentioned over at MTV as well.

Speaking of how much Rock Band roxx… check out this article on how sales of songs are taking off in the 360 game!

Motley Crue: 47k downloads on RB360 – 10K on Itunes and Amazon!!