Zen Of Design

The design and business of gaming from the perspective of an experienced developer

Category: Personal (Page 8 of 9)

Matrix Slips

December 14, 2004 /

… either that, or they decided to take my advice. Hey, Monolith, as long as you’re going to ship in spring anyway, may I offer some advice? Find out when TV goes into reruns, and ship then. I’m serious. I can’t even tell you how much more time I’ve spent gaming now that House is the only show on TV still doing new episodes because no one wants to go against A Charlie Brown Christmas. Exactly what you need if you’re trying to build a core community for your MMO.

There’s something compelling about a man so brilliant that he can be an unabashed jerk to everyone, including his patients. It and Lost are the only two new shows worth spit this year. Note to self: ABC is replaying the first two episodes, which I missed, of Lost on Wednesday. Maybe if I watch those, I’ll FINALLY understand what the hell is going on.

The Delicious Collapse of the Yankees

October 20, 2004 /

I watch baseball once a year. It starts about midway through the divisional series, and continues through the ALCS. Then, whether or not I watch the World Series depends on who is in it. As a former Ohioan, I still harbor a deep love for the Cincinnati Reds, and since the only way I see them is opening the paper to watch them slide southwards in the standings, I just don’t pay attention until the year’s almost over.

I hate the Yankees for a simple reason: they broke baseball. As the lead designer of a massively multiplayer game, nothing ticks me off more than a guy who exploits – except a guy who doesn’t stop. Baseball needs a patch. Last year, I didn’t watch a single inning of the World Series. Even if the Yanks ended up going down, it’s so tiring to watch the evil empire claim the crown year after year.

Last night, of course, we were reminded of why its worth hating the Yankees. A-Rod swatting the ball out of Arroyo’s hands with a girlish jab, prompting the everclassy Yankee’s fans to debris on the field until the riot police came out will be emblazoned in my memory for all time.

In the last four years, it’s been even more intolerable. I had a Yankees fan living with me. Every time the Yankees would stumble, he’d remind me, “We have 26 world series victories.” What can wipe that away?

I think that the most humiliating collapse in baseball history will do.

Pettery

June 8, 2004 /

Looking for that special gift to really creep out your loved one? I bring you Pettery.

Our ‘Hairloom Pottery’ is art made just for you, and designed using the hair or fur that you send us. These pieces will last ‘fur-ever’ and are appropriate for almost anyone: a Christmast gift for a child with a beloved puppy, a breeder wishing to keep a small memorial of each foal before it moves on to its new home, the owner of an older cat that deserves a permanent place in the household, even though his days are passing – the ideas and occasions are infinite!

I discovered these entrepreneurs going to my local Wells Fargo last Friday, when they were having a ’small business fair’ or some other event celebrating the local plucky business. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this is an Austin enterprise, but all the same, some businesses should STAY small.  Unfortunately, the web site lacks some of the great visuals from their brochure, which includes cats and dogs sniffing at vases made from their own hair, each wearing a look of confusion and bewilderment. Maybe if I can find a scanner…

IGN MMO Roundtable

February 3, 2003 /

In my copious spare time, I’ve been taking part in the IGN roundtables for MMP developers. The first round can be found here and the followup is here. The next round will focus on PvP, an interesting topic, considering my new employer. As for the past round, I got odd compliments on my assertion that ‘MMPs aren’t fun’. I thought that perhaps I should be lynched.

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