Dell fights back against those lame Windows and Intel stickers (you know – the ones they used to pay to sport!). I say kudos! More room for the bean, pipe or pudding decals that come with the new We Love Katamari soundtrack! Which may inspire even sillier KD-themed avatars!
—-
Update: More KD/SL action
Bought it on a whim today at Whole Foods (mostly because the small bottle will fit nicely in my carry-on)…. and you know, it’s actually pretty tasty!
Awesome sound design on the web page… but I do not get the Metro tie-in, at all.
Eurogamer: You mentioned there that you were looking at other types of animals… Why did you pick puppies in the end?
Hideki Konno: We narrowed down the candidates into dogs and cats – after all, they are the two main types of companion animals loved by people all around the world. Why dogs instead of cats? Well, one of the things we really wanted to do was to let players teach tricks by utilising their own voices.
Cats are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning tricks, and also we wanted to have animals with much more fun-loving natures – we wanted the animals to be able to take part in contests, such as agility competitions, and we wanted people to be able to take their pets for a walk. So we decided that dogs were more preferable than cats when it came to realising those elements.
Eurogamer chats with Hideki Konno about the design of Nintendogs.
As many of you know, I’ve been busy this last couple of months looking for my first real, full-time game development job. And as you also know, finding the right first job is hard!
Not only is it difficult to get to the right people at the right time – it’s difficult to know how to talk about yourself, what you can bring to a given organizatgion, and above all – what you’re worth! While I’ve been blessed with great contacts and savy HR assistance – I did need to look around for help from time to time. And before I forget – I wanted to pass on a couple of links.
The first is a pretty helpful guide for brainstorming, organizing and writing up resumes. After a life of CV’s (which are really just a long list of stuff you’ve accomplished), writing a focused resume for games was quite difficult. Between this guide and tips from friends – I was able to complete two clean, informative resumes (one for management roles, the other for game design). While it sucks to sit down and write down all your universal selling points (you feel like taking a shower afterwards!) it’s definitely worth it.
Once things are humming along, and you’re starting to talk to people about salary – it can be a real pain to bug friends or colleagues about what they are paid. In some cases, people will feel really awkward discussing *your* potential pay. Looking around, I found a clever site which utilizes collaborative filtering to determine common payscale data. It gave me a good ballpark figure for several positions (which I later confirmed independently with actual humans). Even if you just fill out the basic (starred) info and generate the free report – it’s pretty good. And in turn – you’re helping them out!
Honestly – after several interviews and trips I’ve really learned quite a bit about myself, HR for games, and the obstacles facing our industry w/r/t placing interdisciplinary talents. Once everything is squared away, I’ll actually write up a post-mortem with some how-to tips for graduating students (undergrad and graduate). Cause really – most pain is learning, and especially valuable if you can help others learn to avoid it!!
For now – I’ve got just one day in SF before I fly off to GDC Europe. Need to find a good first prize for the mashup panel. Quite the challenge, indeed!
“Oh – you’re gonna make me your *beep*?”
John Romero discussed on NPR, as part of their “flop series”.
Got 10 million clams burning a hole in your pocket? How about helping make San Francisco a wireless broadband haven.
Huh?
Ok – so at first blush that seems kind of silly, considering the population/industry focus in the bay area. However, the article actually highlights several issues w/r/t broadband adoption rates in the US (even if the SF case is still kind of weak). Worth a read, if you’re making (or considering making) downloadable games for a living!
One of the things I loved most about Chicago was its strange, left-over neighborhoods and establishments. I spent half of my time there on the far south side, and then moved to the far north side; at these extremes, I sought maximum neon nostalgia. Hot dog and ice-cream stands, bowlilng alleys and mini-golf courses, diners and dive bars. These places were what made Chicago my home.
I left Hyde Park sometime after the fall of the Tikki (fruity drinks and spicy wings – till 4 am!) and before the rise of Borders – but just as I began planning to move away from Edgewater, the waves of gentrification were lapping at my doorstep. Even on this last visit, many of the older awnings and signs in Uptown (the area just south of my neighborhood, along Broadway) were gone. Fine, respectable shops and bars replaced with gyms and condos.
Now – it looks like the Lakeview is also departed. Nightwatch – you will be missed!
I’m not sure what saddens me more: moving away from the city after 14 great years – or the knowledge that when I return, so many of my favorite places will be gone.
In case you hadn’t heard – we’ve been working on some changes over at the IGDA. In addition to the new SIGs and tighter focus of each effort – we’re spiffing up our community features and creating more of a space for dialog on the SIG pages.
I’ll be contributing to the Women In Game Development blog from time to time – and cross-posting here. Please bookmark – and feel free to comment!
In line with my MSR talk (and echoing just about every interview I’ve had these last few months)….
“It’s so not programming,” Ms. Burge said. “If I had to sit down and code all day, I never would have continued. This is not traditional computer science.”
For students like Ms. Burge, expanding their expertise beyond computer programming is crucial to future job security as advances in the Internet and low-cost computers make it easier to shift some technology jobs to nations with well-educated engineers and lower wages, like India and China.
“If you have only technical knowledge, you are vulnerable,” said Thomas W. Malone, a professor at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the author of “The Future of Work” (Harvard Business School Press, 2004). “But if you can combine business or scientific knowledge with technical savvy, there are a lot of opportunities. And it’s a lot harder to move that kind of work offshore.”
From this NYT article on interdisciplinary technical studies. Note the preponderance of women! Woot!
From the USA TODAY that I got in my hotel room this morning:
Even the stars are working themselves up for new lawsuits and legislation. I guess we’re all in the same boat, huh?
Here’s one approach that attempts to put control in the hands of parents. If implemented and adopted in a systematic manner – could this be a step in the right direction?
I mean – Yay!
Crankyuser (formerly of Monolith) has taken a new job at Flying Lab in Seattle – working on their flashy pirate MMORPG. Doesn’t it look purdy? I’m especially fond of their redheaded mascot – but I’m probably biased.
:)
Remember a while back we talked about my dad’s new role as the head of his neighborhood homeowners association? Looks like he’s taking some progressive steps to improve the area’s greenery – in a green way!
Organic Landscape Management
SPCSA is implementing an “organic landscape management plan” this fall, with the goals of improved plant health and appearances, long-term cost control and reduced chemical introduction into soils and groundwater systems. Our partner in this progressive effort is “Organic By Design”, an experienced local landscape management specialist, who also assumes responsibility for our annual mowing contract.
The Challenge
Few Sabal residents realize that the association fights annual “battles” with declining turf, tree and plant diseases and damage from seasonal pests. Our planted areas are also stressed by heat, cold, and alternating wet and dry cycles. Nearly $20,000 a year has been spent fertilizing and combating weeds, crab grass, leaf fungus and chinch bugs, for example…often with limited effectiveness. These problems may not be highly visible when driving through the neighborhood, but walkers and joggers often notice brown spots, declining bushes and weed infestations in several areas.
The Answer
The new plan is designed to balance soil chemistry, strengthen plant materials and use a natural approach to creating a disease- and pest-resistant landscape base. The full benefits and lowest costs are expected in about 3 years. This will help SPCSA deal with the declining availability and increasing costs of the chemical-based pest control and fertilizer products we have been using. So what’s in the new system? Applications include organic fertilizers & minerals and derivatives of corn meal and tea, for instance, in both granular and spray forms. We have been studying the organic system for over a year, including a “pilot” application on residential property in our neighborhood. The results have been impressive, and without the “Caution – Weed/Pest Control” warnings required for families and pets after chemical treatments.
Go Dad! Go Dad!
Calling all KOL fans – the second annual con is coming up! Here’s your chance to LARP in the stick figure universe full of booze, meat and… puns!
Feeling a little more charitable? Check out this cancer benefit mousathon being held in the Second Life universe!
Last month, I gave a talk at Microsoft Research about repositioning Computer Science within university education – which I’ve posted in the slides folder.
The talk presents a post-mortem of my career as a student, focusing on my experiences with art and computer science coursework. In reporting on these experiences, I hoped to show how traditional CS curriculums might be extended with with applied, interdisciplinary work to to attract (and retain) a broader, more diverse group of students.
It was a hard talk to write. It’s difficult to distinguish between CS as it is currently taught and CS as a toolset or core literacy. But I think it’s worthwhile, and that a few strategic changes could have a strong impact on how programming and procedural literacy is viewed by undergraduates – and the population in general.
If you are doing something interesting with a CS-informed curriculum, or have had a CS education that resembled mine – please feel free to write and share. I’m looking for ways to broaden and refine the message here, and every little bit of data helps!
(Or…is that not true?)
Also: how sad is it that these are not in a tornado just yet? I suppose it isn’t hard to guess why. I mean – I’m curious… but $129?? However, the marketing copy is really starting to work its magic on me. Jouko – out to save the world from stinky laptop ergonomics – and “hot leg”! Godspeed!
Finally: MS has patented the best high-dea about heads-up displays, ever. Maybe they can make the phantom car sound like Kit?
As part of his continued mentoring and general evangelism of all things interesting, Kim sent me a copy of Inside the Tornado. I’ve been reading it during this trip (I’m in Chicago for 2 days), and thinking a lot about how products that do “cross the chasm” can make a real run for it (as opposed to becoming just another might-have-been, has-been, or fad).
I’m not sure exactly where they are headed, but Crocs are certainly going there fast. I first heard about them on a plane – a woman behind me was talking them up to a guy who’d noticed them on her feet (hers were bright red). Soft, round, breathable foam – they are the ultimate traveling shoe. Plenty of room for your foot to expand when warm – but supportive when you’re walking, and light as air.
I looked for a pair at Palo Alto Bicycles about a month ago – but they were out of my size, despite carrying considerable stock for a specialty bike store. Today – I stopped in at Uncle Dan’s in Evanston (for a new travel tote) – and there they were. Two walls of Crocs!!
A woman behind me also bought a pair. “Yeah – we can’t keep them around!” said the manager, ringing up her charge. “We’ve been selling them for a while – but suddenly, everyone wants them.” Later in the day, my host Seth saw an advertisement for them in the local free weekly. “Hey – aren’t those the shoes you got?”
“It all started in July 2002 when three Boulder, Colorado based founders decided to market an unusual shoe developed and manufactured by Foam Creations, Inc.
Originally intended as a boating/outdoor shoe because of its slip-resistant, non-marking sole, Crocs introduced it’s first model, the Beach™, in November 2002 at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show. From there, popularity mushroomed. Sales poured in. By 2003 Crocs had become a bona-fide phenomenon, universally accepted as an all purpose shoe for comfort and fashion.”
From 2003-2004 Crocs focused on accommodating our remarkable growth while maintaining control. We expanded our product line, added warehouses and shipping programs for speedy assembly and delivery, hired a senior management team and acquired Foam Creations. Today, Crocs are available all over the world and on the internet as we continue to significantly expand all aspects of our business.
Despite our rapid success, we still stand behind to the core values of Crocs Footwear. We are committed to making a lightweight, comfortable, slip-resistant, fashionable and functional shoe that can be produced quickly and at an affordable price to our customers. We thank you for your support and look forward to providing you with exciting new Crocs designs in the years to come.
Textbook! Originally produced in small batches for a single market – they have expanded across the “chasm” to new “bowling pins” (note that easy sterilization is a selling point – going for the medical market!) and on to fashionable, sensible people – everywhere. Can you imagine how chaotic the last two years have been for those early founders??
But it looks like they’ve learned to ride the tornado – which means ship, ship, and ship! Then… acquire the tech, outsource production, and diversify the offering! Made in Mexico, these shoes now come in a variety of funky colors and styles (thongs on the way) – for just $25 a pop.
So – here’s one more breeze to add the the whirlwhind. Bright, comfy, and unisex – they’re the best thing in sport/smart footwear since Chacos. Check them out!
A while back, Tiny and I were over at Mark’s place, hanging out. We decided to roll up some stuff with the Prince. Even tho everything was in Japanese, she was totally clear on the concept… and super excited to see her katamari grow. And now, whenever I show her a new game, she says: “I wanna make a star!”
So does Microsoft!
MSR is looking to sponsor 10 female students to attend the Serious Games Summit in DC this fall. Interested candidates are asked to complete an informal application, describing themselves and their interests/work/ research. Details here!
Know a girl working on education-related research with a games touch? Pass it on! Studying CS and thinking about how to apply your degree to similar problems? Let ‘em know! Just curious and willing to dream up good applications? Whatever!
Roll your own! It’s your chance to shine!!!
So since I started posting about Second Life – several other folks have mentioned that they, too, have ventured into SL to see what it’s like. Uniformly, across the board – they don’t really understand it. When faced with the freedom to say, do, build and sell pretty much whatever they like – they feel overwhelmed. Or bored!
Somehow, the clear, constructed boundaries of game worlds are just easier to interface with – not to mention parody. Structure provides inspiration, interaction, “glitching” and appropriation. We learn to leave a mark.
And with all the time we spend figuring that out – who has time for the metaverse? Why bother when we can all walk through books, shooting stuff? It’s really beyond belief how far we have come… and how far we have to go.
If we want to get there, at all, that is.
I have been in a ton of meetings these past few weeks, and as a result, totally distracted from writing. But if I’d been writing much lately it would all come down to this: communicating clearly and effectively is hard.
While I prefer in-person chats to digital or phone… processing all the associated, low-level data is a crapload of work! Facial expressions, tone of voice, foveal focus, gesture and posture… so much to track! Then – monitoring your own info when you send it back across a room… ugh! After all this time with people, talking about hard problems – I’m starting to long for a float.
Seeking the digital equivalent, I spent my evening creating a Second Life character and playing around in one of the world’s vast sandboxes. Here I am with my best effort (stylish, isn’t it?) – observing some of the area’s modelling delights…
To be honest – just getting this far was pretty exhausting. Even if you sped up the character creation and improved the UI, I’m not sure I’d end my first 4 hours in world wanting to dedicate my spare time to it. It’s easy to see the appeal of creating content – but hard to imagine ever having the time to create much more than a few hats. I have too many already!
As I puzzle over my headgear, Doug plays WoW. His character runs along a (well-architected, but fairly determined) path, through a lush (but relatively static) world filled with consistent, artist-generated content (that took several years and millions of dollars to construct). It’s the exact opposite of SL – and yet…. Watching him move from task to task, “gathering donuts” as we say… he’s pretty relaxed.
I turn back to my polygons, and feel tired.
Which one of us really took a break from the grind?
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