Why downloadables aren't more accessible than physical media
Recently, friend and colleague David Edery wrote a nice feature on Gamasutra about how to make trial versions of downloadable software sell more games. He has some good points, including observations about how a trial shouldn’t just be the beginning of the game nor should it give away enough that a purchase is unnecessary. But there’s something missing from Edery’s… read more
Titles from Fall 2007 just added
Each fall, students in my LCC 2700 – Introduction to Computational Media make Atari VCS games. The students work in teams of three to create them. This term we had a large enrollment and thus a number of games — 29 new ones, to be exact. There are some superb games, so I encourage you to check them out. I’ve… read more
Introduction to a symposium I organized at Georgia Tech
This past Monday the School of Literature Communication and Culture and the Wesley Center for New Media at Georgia Tech hosted a symposium I organized called Dwelling Machines. Here’s the description, too small to read in the event poster above. This symposium asks whether and how technology might alter the way we perceive dwelling. Of particular interest are the aspects… read more
A glossy, wall mountable version of the first videogame easter egg
Nick and I are putting the final touches on our Atari VCS book. Part of that process includes creating figures for the book. Nick had the great suggestion of creating black and white illustrations instead of screen shots, akin to the kind you used to find in technical books and game guides of the early 1980s. The process is somewhat… read more
Or, why Arby's Cheesecake Poppers are seriously nasty
Being a fan of the limp, slightly wet roast beef sandwich, today I luncheoned at Arby’s. In addition to the more savory offerings, they had a new dessert option (new to me, at least): Arby’s Cheesecake Poppers. Behold: These are little deep-fried cheesecake bits served with a sweet raspberry sauce. Sounds pretty good in theory. Not good for you, of… read more
Canvases of crust
Every holiday when pies are baked and consumed, I try to make a new pie vent. Pie vents help steam escape from baking pies to avoid boiling over. Some even use ceramic pie birds for this purpose. I prefer the carving method. Here are this year’s vents, featuring the Transformers’ Autobot and Decepticon emblems. Below that is a Hello Kitty… read more
Selections from my Christmas morning booty
It’s Christmas morning, and I wonder how many other lucky souls can boast booty like mine. Below you’ll find a part of my under-tree take: a large, talking Leonidas action figure as depicted in the film 300 stands in front of a genuine red Swingline stapler, wrapped not in paper but in Jell-O, The Office-style. This must be what one… read more
On representations of holiday cheer in videogames. From my "Persuasive Games column" at Gamasutra
It’s the time of year to find Christmas all around you, no matter where you go. Lights on neighborhood shrubbery. Red bows on downtown streetlamps. Christmas music on the FM dial. Pine-scented candles on the mantle. Gingerbread lattes at Starbucks. Red and green-wrapped versions of the consumer goods you buy the rest of the year in brown and puce. In… read more
The charming perversity of using Web 2.0 to satirize Web 2.0
I’m only blogging it because, you know, the song told me to.
Reflections on relaxation in games. From my "Persuasive Games" column at Gamasutra
There is an aphorism you sometimes hear when people compare video games to other media. Video games, they say, are a “lean forward” medium, while others are “lean back” media. Leaning forward is associated with control, activity, and engagement. Leaning forward requires continuous attention, thought, and movement, even if it’s just the movement of fingers on analog sticks and digital… read more