gewgaw

…one giant leap for gamekind:

Kudos for the TR team for championing character over cup size!

It’s all about the color filters and the background music

April 17 and May 30, respectively.

Yay!

Damn, it takes forever to fly from NC to SF. I slept mostly (the whole trip was pretty exhausting) and played Animal Crossing… got myself a new hairdo and planted a bunch of pears.

On the plane from Charlotte to Washington, the guy next to me was playing breakout on a Blackberry. I was basically incredulous… having all those thoughts I mentioned in my “Survivor” post. But talking with him was educational:

“Is that… breakout??”

“Yeah – I just love this game. Such a classic!”

“Do you play often?”

“Not really. I mean – it’s been years since I played any real games – I don’t have any of that XBox 360 stuff. I’m sure my brother would love to play that new stuff but I’m just too busy!”

“When do you play it?”

“Oh, on the plane, mostly.”

“On the bus or train?”

“Oh, I have a car, and my work takes me all around the DC area, so I don’t take the bus or the train. If I was a commuter I would probably play more games. I’d play this one all the time, I guess. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I make games. I’m always curious about what and why people play.”

“Wow – that’s a fun job you got, I bet.”

And there he was, grinning from ear to ear, playing breakout, like he was 10 again. I forget how nostalgic people can be about games. The simple graphics (and relatively low-speed performance) of the game probalby made him feel just superior enough to take it less-than-seriously… but it still made him gripe when he lost.

What a lesson!

—

Home, I called Mark and we went for a nice long walk through the city to buy some books. I wanted to look for some image and narrative references for general brainstorming… and ramp up on C#. Turns out Oreilly has a handy “pocket guide” which I just couldn’t resist getting in addition to the basic programming book. How cool is it to have a little wallet-sized book full of all your favorite C# calls?

Looking over the shelves I didn’t see a single book on Lua. I found some Python stuff, and Perl is still a strong presence – but Lua (and LISP) were on vacation, it seems. What is it with L-shaped programming languages?

:)

Someone recently asked me what the best language or beginning programming book would be for a 10 year old kid. I had no idea. I think in the end I suggested teaching them BASIC on an emulator… or using NetLogo. It made me feel old!

Speaking of NetLogo – I have been meaning to post that the latest update has a KICK-ASS MUSICAL MACHINE in it, which Seth (who helped build it) pointed me to a few months ago. Anyone interested in music and programming should download and experiment with it. Check it out!

—

Overall, I’m glad that I went. Despite all the sadness, I came away with a real sense of peace. Your calls and emails made a big difference here – and I’m thankful for the support. Here’s to a calm and productive week for all of you!

When I visited China in 1997 I knew it would not be long – and here it is. Witness the uber-contemporary art/media voice of an emerging nation, proud and in your face. Or is it? What is it?

It’s certainly not quite as cuddly as all that Sanrio stuff. Intentional? Misrepresentation? It sure makes you think (especially about definitions of “communist” and “capitalist” and “fascist” and even “rich”)….

Who is really winning or losing? Who is this film by and for? Long discussion on metafilter.

Hrm. Maybe we can sell the new Chinese ruling class our Roadshow favorites?

On a not-too-related note: Randy has a new review up in his Edge Awards review series. And as usual, it is hilarious. Made me laugh out loud in my hotel room.

Richard: “So here is where I’m interacting with the system as much as possible at the highest rate of density.”

Randy: “So it’s the highest density of systemic game interactions. It’s not diluted by the fiction or cutscenes or combining herbs. Is that what you were saying?”

Richard: “Well, they’re just going to keep coming and there’s no stopping until I run out of ammo or get killed.”

Randy: “What I said was way smarter.”

Thanks Randy – I needed that!

In the big picture, this review reminds me of a conversation I had at work about users and expectations. Sometimes, you look at a game or genre and think “Wow – what sucky graphics!” or “Man – why do they keep DOING that?” and you imagine all sorts of great improvements that would win you the market or top the competition or whatever.

But a lot of those “improvements” are in your head: a developer’s head. Does the user really perceive the value of the game as you do? Would they care about your advanced solutions to the “problems” you see before you? Rez Evil 4 was too frustrating for this fan (like Richard, I also *loved* Fatal Frame)… but did it suck rocks at retail? Apparently not!

Of course, I would argue that the first step towards better games is a user base who have been educated by the gaming press about what cool possibilities are out there… a gaming press that understands and uses a concrete, critical vocabulary when talking about games. And we see how that goes in this particular conversation…

Regardless, one thing is clear: for people who like the franchise (and horror games in general), the brokenness is part of the charm. Shitty inventory management? Awkward fiction? Bad animations? Difficult camera? Whatever, dude. I’m a-sploding zombie heads. I’m a survivor!

And that sells.

So I met up with my aunt Opal and her daughter Gwen today at 9:30, and made my second visit to the Neuro-ICU. And to our surprise, my grandmother was much more alert and active. She squeezed my hand, opened her eyes to look me over (I’m sure she still wishes I’d go back to being a blond) and even raised her eyebrows in amusement when we suggested an afternoon jog. Then – she conked out completely, probably exhausted from the effort of communicating.

What a relief to see some life in her eyes, though!

Apparently, this is the first time she’s really been able to wake up for more than a few minutes. When I visited her later in the afternoon, she woke up as soon as I began speaking and only drifted off after I said I was going to go and take a nap at the hotel. The nurses were emphatic that my visit had sparked her recovery. Apparently, having family around makes a big difference:

Both specialists quickly point out that one of the most critical elements in a patient’s rehabilitation from stroke is the strength and commitment of their primary support system – usually their family.

“Stroke often threatens our definition of ourselves by forcing us to rely on others to complete everyday activities. Family acceptance is crucial in helping a person understand that just because he or she needs assistance is no reason to feel ashamed or unworthy. If we live long enough, all of us can expect that our skills will diminish. Ultimately it is who we are, not what we can do that is important,” explains Levy.

According to Levy, family members can be particularly helpful when it comes to identifying the best ways to psychologically motivate the patient. Family members may also be particularly adept at interpreting communications and signs when speech impairments are present. “Family members know the patient better than we ever can. We try to involve them as much as possible. Their commitment often makes a world of difference in terms of recovery.”

However, as we discussed the situation over lunch today, it became apparent that my grandmother *didn’t* actually have a stroke. Instead, it looks like the fall prompted the clot which prompted the operation. While the post-op symptoms are very similar, it may be a little less severe than we’d orginially thought.

Sadly, anything of this sort means that the patient is at risk for future clotting and other stroke-inducing conditions. So even if she does recover, the liklihood of returning home is slim. Managed care is probalby the best answer.

And therein lies the rub. My grandma wanted to stay at home, and that’s why we’re in this pickle in the first place. Motivating her to recover *without* the carrot of returning to her 2-acres of dogwood and wild onions is going to be difficult.

—

After my second visit, I took a drive to the one strip of shops at Charlotte’s center in search of a cafe. From the Starbucks’ window, I absorbed the tragedy of our “New South” – a paved grid filled with boring, glossy bank buildings and hotels, and pretty much devoid of people or culture. There’s a small noodle shop that I might try to eat at later, a couple of chain resturants and bars – but mostly it’s fountains, work-week lunch seating and cross-town traffic.

Blech.

How do cities like Charlotte stay alive? Who lives here? Why do they stay? In the absence of answers about my grandmother’s health, my mind races and fills in the gaps.

Time for some more Animal Crossing, I guess.

Travelling today was not fun. Taking off your shoes, managing the arrogant and entitled people on planes and in lines – I wasn’t in the mood at all.

On my first flight, two people got into a huge fight after one accused the other of “messing with” his coat. I thought they were gonna punch each other! Then, at Ohare, a 60 year old woman snapped at me on a pedway for no reason whatsoever. “Go ahead, young lady! Cause I’m NOT MOVING!”

?

You’re on a mechanical sidewalk!

I seem to recall a time when people thought of travel as a best manners occasion. You’d wear nice clothes, stare wide-eyed at interesting strangers and generally cooperate en route. But now it just seems like everyone is stressed, angry and waiting to bellow. Why is that?

In the airport book I have been reading, the theory is that terrorism changed airports. Once gateways to utopia, they’re now miniature fortresses – filled with warning messages, frowning guards and worried passengers. Add the subtle, ever-present strains of class war (between worker-bee white collar travellers and “the unwashed masses”), and you’re in for a real treat.

I guess that’s why something like this is happening. Is it just me, or does this seem like a really bad idea?

—

All snags aside, I arrived on time and managed to get to the hospital for the last visit. Man, my poor grandma was pretty beat up. The tube seems to really bother her – so much that she tries to take it out even when she’s doped up. There are restraints now, and that’s hard to see.

Having a tube in your mouth, you can’t actually close it – so her lips and tongue are dry and cracked. Bruising from the surgery and of course having her head shaved are bad – but the general change in her appearance (slackness on the left side) is even more disturbing.

I hate the idea of being like this, in front of someone else. There are living wills, which can keep people from reviving you – but is there such a thing as a “no tubes and brain surgery” option on those things? How can you tell when a person is going to recover, from when it’s just an endless string of medical rehabs and relapses?

I see my great-aunt tomorrow. Hopefully some company will help.

On Tuesday afternoon, I started a new project. I’d had a feeling that it was going to happen – had hoped that it would happen. And on Tuesday, it finally did. In one day, I went from a nearly-completed product to expectant emptiness. Plain, white paper.

Almost in a daze, I got in my car to head home. I set the cruise control on a slower-than-normal pace and relaxed into my seat. As the city came into view, I felt a sense of elation. What a fucking amazing thing – life, living, and moving forward!

24 hours later, I found out that my grandmother was in the hospital. She fell, hit her head… probabaly a stroke. There was a blood clot on the left side of her brain. They had to operate – and while her recovery has been good so far, it’s impossible to tell how much damage was done. She’ll be in the neuro ICU for a while. Just living, we hope… and moving forward.

Thursday morning was a flurry of activity – phone calls, plane tickets, car rental… re-arranging my calendar and sorting out my final obligations to the old team. Logistics turned out to be a nightmare: Charlotte isn’t a major airport, and National closes at midnight there – so I had to wait a day to coordinate flights, rental car and so on.

Rather than sit at home and worry, I headed into the office. There is already so much to do – so much to talk about. All these things, pumping me full of excitement and creative energy – but in the back of my mind, sadness and doubt. What will happen when the ventilator is removed and she tries to speak? Will the words come, or will they be … missing?

It just doesn’t seem fair.

At least I have my little prince…

• Katamari lyrics translated
• Katamari Idiocy

Everyone knows that the DS is kicking ass in Japan…

…what good news that the Nana-OnSha release for this platform is doing so well!

I hope this game is translated and we get to play it here!

HOC photos of the SRL show I mentioned the other day are up!!

Our preview is up on GameSpot – featuring a lovely pic of the Salon Chair in action!

Those of you who have had dinner with me in the last month will know what this means.

And I’ll be the rest of you smarties can guess….

:)

• The DS hits 3 Million on WFC
• Disney to buy Pixar
• Bethesda to publish two new Star Trek games
• Rumors about Rez on PSP
• Originality gets (wrongfully) reamed in a Majesco blow-by-blow
• Grumpy on Game Design notation
• An interesting (if long) take on mimicry as a design construct
• A perfect example of mimicry’s magic at work

…or censorship?

While I understand that this will limit our ability to show nudity on screen at E3 – I’m not sure that most games (even those that feature traditionally “adult” situations, like the Sims… or even God of War) will suffer for it…

Sure – you’ll see less of the gratuitous marketing crap – but will it really make that much of a difference on the controller side of things? Under what context would in-game nudity be disallowed, I wonder? Liesure Suit Larry didn’t feature much nudity on the floor last year and yet it managed to sink to major lows. Same with the Singles Booth Babe Zoo. Probably the singlemost offensive thing at the show last year – and not that much skin on display.

An interesting issue that probably deserves more thought than it got.

Finger Dance Pad!!!

For those of you who missed it – Katamari Damacy was featured on Fresh Air the other day… YAY!

And for those of you who didn’t know – the PSP version of KD is now available in Japan – which means you can buy it on Ebay ! I just got a copy (THANK YOU MASA!!!) and am really really enjoying it. Even tho I don’t know what they’re saying.

(The bitchin PSP cover certainly didn’t hurt!)

Oh my… that was fun!

I didn’t bring my camera – because I knew Souris would be there snapping away. I wanted to experience the noise, fire and spectacle first hand, not through a lense. Wow!!!

Unlike The Seemen, who do more interpersonal/intearactive sculptures and robot installations, SRL basically kicks your ass, en masse. This particular performance included a hovercraft with insane propane-jet horns – blasting sound and heat and the stink of incinerated fuel into the crowd from less than 3 feet away. Raging against the machine…. with machines, as it were.

The effect of loud sounds on the body is really insane. Couple that with blasts of heat and smoke, and you really start to feel for those living in war-torn areas, where bombs explode daily, and blast rubble permeates the air. The combination of giant robots and crawling soldiers in this particular show really made me angry/upset/scared in a way that few anti-war demonstrations have.

SRL shows are not without their dangers… sometimes people really get hurt. This one passed without incident – tho it did include cannons that spewed rotten fish and stuffed dolls representing the casualties of war. Souris, Doug and several of our other companions were covered with muck by the time the show was over…. and this morning, I found my hair was full of grit. What an experience!

Thanks to Lulu and Matt for the head’s up! As soon as photos go up, I will link them!

I’ve been thinking a lot about innovation lately – trying to get my mind around some new design concepts, while considering the people side of the equation (ie: how do you put the right group together for the right period of time, working on the right concepts). There are a lot of books out there and a lot of theories – but across all of them, a strong theme emerges: embracing the odd.

I get my best ideas in the morning, usually. I’ll be showering, or drying my hair, or staring out the window into Glen Park… and suddenly, a phrase or image will pop into my head. I’ll chew on it over a few days, and then – when I feel it’s somewhat formed, blurt it out at a lunch, or type it into an email.

And that’s when it’s most vulnerable. It’s also the time that people feel most comfortable taking the idea apart, or trying to push it in a different direction. Learning to take these (often overpowering) urges into the realm of the positive is what a good brainstormer does – transforming nacent sparks into interesting concepts.

Can you imagine the conversation that happened when the college-aged inventor of The Slanket first chatted to his partner/parents/friends about his great new idea?

“You know – I’m always getting chilly when I watch TV- but really it’s my arms and chest that suffer the most. You know – your hands get all cold, as you surf channels? Same with laptops! Wouldn’t it be cool if you had a blanket… with sleeves?”

“But man – you can just wear a sweatshirt!”

“Sure… but it… isn’t… as…. cozy??”

While the concept of a “slanket” sounds silly, the problem (chilly arms and neck while sitting around – especially while using various computing and gaming equipment) really does exist. And with gas prices so high, heating yourself without heating every room in your home is a big plus. Sticking with his idea from basic prototypes (thanks Mom!) to finished product was probably difficult – but look how it’s paid off! As of today they only have one color left in stock!

Honestly – I’m considering buying 2 (even tho they are kind of pricey) – one for home, and one for the office. Thanks to the meat-locker-esque atmosphere at EARS, I already have a space heater and spare blanket in my cube – but they don’t quite do the trick. My feet and lap get toasty – but my arms and hands stay chilly! Sure – I will look odd with this thing wrapped all around me in my late-night monitor glow – but I will be warm, and that’s all that matters.

Kudos to you, Sir-Slanket! I hope you guys have fun travelling the world – and don’t let the naysayers get you down!

If you want to impress people the next time you serve wine and cheese – new evidence suggests that you should spend your money on the cheese, as apposed to the wine:

Bernice Madrigal-Galan and Hildegarde Heymann of the University of California, Davis, presented trained wine tasters with cheap and expensive versions of four different varieties of wine. The tasters evaluated the strength of various flavours and aromas in each wine both alone and when preceded by eight different cheeses.

They found that cheese suppressed just about everything, including berry and oak flavours, sourness and astringency. Only butter aroma was enhanced by cheese, and that is probably because cheese itself contains the molecule responsible for a buttery wine aroma, Heymann says. Strong cheeses suppressed flavours more than milder cheeses, but flavours of all wines were suppressed. In other words, there are no magical wine and cheese pairings.

Who knew? Here’s to expensive cheese (mmmmm) and cheap wine!

I’m WAH today – trying to avoid the “itis” that’s been spreading through the cubes. I’ve been reading over a playthrough guide for the game, checking it for errors – which is pretty mind-numbing work. But thanks to the crazy fun n’ games mailing list – I just had a nice little break.

Grooooovy!

Brought to you by Pliex – who made the Beauty Kit -”For Little Girls” video that was oooh so very creepy. Gosh – was that really in 2001??