Philomath Games

So. Steve (the greenbottle fly, if you remember him) continues to persist. I think he's even gotten most of the coffee off of his body.

Brief update, mostly for a couple of links. WoW friends will appreciate this, courtesy wired_blogs: "From MMO to CEO", a rather belated article covering the transfer of leadership skills learned in online game guilds to the workplace. When I presented "Warrior Queens of the Cyberworld" at Immersive Worlds last year, one of the questions from the audience had to do with precisely this -- whether workplaces are beginning to recognize the immense leadership skills necessary in managing massive online guilds. It looks like they are. Future resumes will list typing WPM, educational training -- and how many wipes it took your team to take down Onyxia.

My last contribution to Inside Job at the Escapist went in last night. I think it's a good one. It's been a very interesting ride. Perhaps more thoughts on this on Friday, if I'm not dead (I think I may be picking up jsridler's cold).

Between Settlers, other writing commitments, work, and visa-related real life garbage, I managed to get into a serious crunch for about the past month, a side effect of which was aggravating the mild RSI in my left neck/shoulder. Saw a massage therapist for it on Tuesday, and am in for apparently multiple more such sessions, but after a couple of days of soreness I'm finally feeling a bit looser. I hadn't even realized how much mobility I'd lost in my neck. The therapist asked if I had trouble driving, with turning my head, and I said no, I didn't think so -- but my neck now turns significantly easier and farther than it did on Tuesday. Yikes. I think I am too young for this shit still.

cristalia has posted eloquently on writing business and why stories like Michael Cisco's should be shared. Obviously, I tend to agree. This was actually the main reason I came over here to post in a timely manner, in case I'm reaching anyone who hasn't already read Cisco's account with Prime Books. I, too, have heard a similar experience with some of the folk there, and have been trepidatious as a result.

It's a complex thing. There is so much fear, in writing and in the games industry, of taking action that may threaten one's career. The thing is, and this applies equally to both, when you really get down to it, there are enough GOOD people working in both businesses that it is never worthwhile to hide or sabotage yourself in order to avoid offending a lousy employer. It is the Sanders thing in a new iteration, though certainly less clear cut. But the principle remains the same. Anyone telling you to shut up just for the sake of shutting up probably has a less-than-noble motive for doing so. Keeping lousy treatment (or, in yhlee's case, truly egregious coffin-nailing wackjobbery) silent because speaking up Just Isn't Done is a great way to perpetuate said lousy treatment. Kudos to Cisco for taking the uncomfortable step and sharing his experience, here's hoping that the full truth comes out. And for those who truly wonder whether speaking up can jeopardize a career, I can tell you that all it does is cut you off from people you really shouldn't be working for in the first place. I actually find it a rather excellent sorting mechanism.

We are all worth more than this.

Settlers is done. Not yet submitted, but done. The excitement begins.

I have been largely underground and thus was remiss in not mentioning a couple of things, though those of you that read the other Homeless Moon journals already saw this.



The folk at The Homeless Moon and I -- that would be jsridler, scott_h_andrews, boonofdoom, and the_slow_train -- decided last year to put together a chapbook of our work. Most of them are being much more clever in their descriptions of this undertaking, but it's 2:30am and I want to go to sleep. So I'll just say that some of the initial proposal for the chapbook was to show what we could do to the big ol' world, but mainly we just wanted to put together some stories and appear in the same publication, something that, barring blackmail or other unsavory tactics, was not likely to happen fast enough for our chum-like impatience.

John Klima very kindly blogged about the chapbook on the newly-revealed Tor.com -- looks like a snazzy site indeed, breaking many a mold for previous expectations of online speculative fiction fare.

Anyway, re the belatedly mentioned chapbook, I'm honored to be sharing page-space with these stories, and you can, as the site page says, download an electronic copy of the chapbook for free if you weren't lucky enough to snatch a copy at ReaderCon.

Speaking of which, I was not there. I neglected to mention that here, and in particular I owe an apology to elenuial, whom I conned into applying for Odyssey and should just now be recovering from the shell-shock of the six week experience. I'd intended to go to ReaderCon and harass various folk -- lesser_celery, cristalia, time_shark... I shouldn't have started to name names, there are many more. But. 2am. Visa issues and Canadian Immigrations put the abrupt kibosh on this plan, causing jsridler and I to forfeit our already-paid-for Pricelined hotel, and more irritatingly to miss the con and the opportunity to see rarely-seen folk and hang out with the HM guys for a few days. We are also not at TNEO due to the chaos of preparing to move out west. Next year, however, all of this will be corrected. I understand ReaderCon was pretty cool, as always, and congratulations to those who pulled Rhyslings or one of the new shiny Shirley Jackson awards.

More updates when I have had sleep. A parrot update is long overdue, with photos of Smeagol's semi-new cage. Vasya is in her annual summer super-molt, but recently began voluntarily taking baths, almost, and has polished up her beak. I wonder who she's trying to impress.

A particular greenbottle fly has been buzzing around here for the past three days, being generally annoying and doing its fly thing, bouncing off monitors, chasing food, etc. About an hour ago I heard a persistent buzzing; it had kamikazed itself into my coffee cup from this morning and was in the process of noisily drowning. A-ha, I thought; nature at work. The stupid irritating buzzing will be no more.

Then in about two seconds I sighed and realized I was not in fact going to let it come to a messy end in stale coffee and non-dairy creamer. So, without much help from the fly itself, I fished it out on a second attempt with the end of my pen.

It has been fastidiously drying its wings, perched on a copy of Julian Dibbell's Play Money, for the last hour. I have named it Steve.

I have an Escapist feature up this week, "Someone Stole My Magic Sword", with many thanks to Dave Weinstein and, of course, to Michelle, for coming forward and sharing her story. There was a lot to compress here -- my interviews with Michelle alone totaled over 5,000 words -- but hopefully we got the meat of the story across. I know I say it for just about every one of these things, but this one was difficult, due to its importance. It's getting some interesting feedback on the forums, all naturally flowing into much of what we're dealing with with Settlers of the New Virtual Worlds, so it's cool to see these conclusions being drawn 'live' in the interactive space. But Michelle's story itself is worth reading -- I'll be including an expanded version of it inside Settlers itself. After awhile you get to thinking you've seen it all when it comes to the behavior of big game companies, but I was astonished at some of the things she went through with Square Enix.

It's also been interesting to watch the Escapist's effect on pagerank. Prior to the article going up, I googled "someone stole my magic sword", and of course all of the news-feeds from Dave's interview popped up -- many from high profile sites like Slashdot and the Washington Post. I thought, crap -- it was the perfect title for the article, but I assumed it would be buried beneath the bigger sites.

Not so. It's only been up for two days and it's shot to the top of the page-rank, likely due to the number of times the Escapist syndicates across various blog feeds, and how many hits it racks up on individual articles and every time someone accesses its forum thread. I checked out "Slave to the Beat", and sure enough, it's there on the first page, despite being a relatively common phrase. Conclusion: the Escapist owns at the pagerank game.

So, I am sitting here in my silk kimono robe (don't get too excited, I'm also wearing a t-shirt and jeans) and my slippers and I'm feeling very writerly. It's a nice feeling considering that over the past few days I've been going through one of those crises of conscience about what constitutes "important" writing (thanks, Time book). But now I have to go buy groceries. It's a glamorous existence.

Sometimes, though, there is praise. The writing life is enough of a persistent beatdown that I am always shocked when this happens.

First, Kieron Gillen enjoyed "Slave to the Beat", which went up a week ago and I kind of forgot to tell you folks about (oops):

Erin Hoffman writes about Audition Online for the Escapist. I’ve played a little of this MMO rhythm action game, and went away a tad depressed, but Erin goes completely native in an entertaining fashion. I’m probably alone in my wish for an actual game-of-the-film Audition though, in a kirri-kirri-kirri kind of way.

Kieron recently made yet another top-game-journalists list; he's certainly one of the better guys working in the field, so anything from him feels like high praise while I trudge along as a sort of confused non-game-journalist.

And Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Reviews issue #27 of Lone Star Stories at TheFix, including "Whatever Shall Grow There, Dear":

Annamarie’s viewpoint is expertly developed. The way she catches fragments of conversation and meaning from her parent’s arguments but is completely sensitive to the underlying emotional reality of which those arguments are symptomatic rings true. There are numerous images that are beautiful without being ornate, touching and innocent without being sentimental (“Pale late afternoon sunlight filtered through the gauzy white curtains in the living room and made the oiled oak floors glow burnt orange.”) They place us in Annamarie’s world and convey a sense of ethical sensitivity, an almost ennobling naivete, by acting as metaphors for her thoughts and emotions.

The storytelling technique is deceptively simple, and the characters all fully realized. Hoffman centers the tale around Annamarie’s coming-of-age, to great effect, and delivers a knockout ending that bears the bountiful fruits of transformation.

As mentioned when I announced the sale, it's a special story and a difficult one for me, so it's extremely gratifying to see someone "get" it, reviewer or otherwise. I would say there's even a difference between "praise" and when someone "gets" your writing -- they extrapolate meaning from the original work that was there in your heart but not obviously stated on the page, painting a picture that resonates with the emotional framework of the story's origin. It's a feeling of kinship, and it's at the core of why I send this stuff out, to test for those precious connections between experiences and minds. Otherwise it could all just stay in the trunk; it's dangerous, after all, to dissect a part of yourself and spin it into something that you invite people to poke with sticks. But I'm glad this one got out.

Alvaro's review is worth note because he actually covered the poetry in the issue, too -- something that I wish more reviewers would do on The Fix and in spec-fic reviews in general. The poetry in that issue was terrific and well deserving of contemplation and highlight.

Okay, groceries now.

Of the publishing variety. "Whatever Shall Grow There, Dear" is now live in the current issue of Lone Star Stories, along with other excellent fiction and poetry that you should imbibe immediately. Take a look at sovay's "Firework-Makers", and the poems of papersky and seajules. Everyone seems to be on LJ these days. ;)

While you're at it, head over to Schezerezade's Bequest, the online edition of Cabinet des Fees, and check out sovay's lovely "Bonny Fisher Boy". And before you conclude that I am stalking sovay, I say this as segue to the update that SB has recently accepted my poem "The Fall of Fairy Castle" for their September issue.

When you're done doing that, you should hie yourself out and purchase a copy of the first issue of Tales of Moreauvia, containing as it does jsridler's very excellent "Engine of Desolation", as well as a story by the habitually skillful and entertaining Rita Oakes. Can't lose.

Last but certainly not least, feast your eyes upon the snazzy page that is Beneath Ceaseless Skies, which will be debuting this Fall under the steady hand of Scott H. Andrews.

Being that I've been in Albany and New York City in the last week, I was in range of the Kindle's Whispernet, and boy did I use it. The Kindle can in fact be used to surf the web and check email, but what got me in trouble was the ease with which I could download free book samples. I've also downloaded books from Project Gutenberg and piped them onto the Kindle; I have not yet attempted boonofdoom's clever notion of reading slush on it, but plan to soon. It has already caused me to purchase three books I would not have otherwise, and sampled over a dozen I likely would not have picked up anytime soon. I suppose I should be lucky I was only temporarily exposed to Whispernet. In preliminary conclusion, the Kindle is not quite the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, but it is clearly Australopithecus to that line, and I remain both impressed and frightened.

I can't really begin to tell you how ill-advised an idea this is.

<< Date: May 31, 2008 5:55 PM

Subject: Do You Have an Idea for the Next Big Video Game? REALITY TV SHOW

Do You Have an Idea for the Next Big Video Game?
Lamont Pete Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions, the producers of "American Bandstand" and "Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Christmas Eve" are casting "America's Next Best Game Designer." They are looking for aspiring game designers with big ideas to compete to be crowned America's Best Game Designer. We are interested in all types of games from people with huge personalities! Seeking all types of people from quirky to cool and nerdy to sexy, we're looking for you! Submit the following form PLUS your pix!

1. Name
2. Location
3. Age
4. MySpace or personal URL

Answer the following questions (50 words or less)
1. Why do you think you would you be good for the show
2. What's your favorite video game and why?
3. If you could design any type of game what would it be?

To submit, email realitytvcastingnp@yahoo.com. Incomplete and blind submissions will be deleted. >>

I suppose there's no way it can't be good publicity for an aspiring game designer in a field where it can be difficult to achieve positive name recognition, but I do wonder who they're going to get involved with this.

My gut reaction is that it preys upon the pre-existing adverse predilections of game dev students to think that their ideas are what are so precious and irreplaceable, that a game designer just farts ideas into the atmosphere and of course they translate into award-winning games. The same problems exist in games this way as they do in writing; I have yet to speak to a group of students and not get asked "why aren't the development studios that I'm pitching my Deathless Game Idea To not responding" and corollary "zomg how do I pitch a game idea to a dev studio and make sure they WON'T STEAL IT?!".

I don't watch MTV, so I likely won't know if or when this actually materializes, and I suppose these shows can't take in someone who isn't ready and willing to be taken in on the idea that you can become a superstar game designer by firing off ideas into a reality show -- the same might be said of American Idol, with the exception that mass market publicity is likely to help you in a music career but isn't going to be worth much to most game dev companies. I'd imagine they're giving away a job at a big studio to the winner of this contest, or possibly even a budget and a team (which would be more catastrophic for the winner) -- objectives that could probably be more cleanly and honestly achieved just by learning the craft and getting a real job.

I would say that the standard for talent-based reality shows applies: you don't audition for American Idol because you want to be a great musician (first, last, end of story), and so you don't apply for America's Next Best Game Designer if you want to be a game designer.

If you want to be a game designer, you make games.

End slightly sleep deprived rant. I am back in Kingston and hopefully not traveling for a little while (I've been in Seattle, Albany, Kingston, Ottawa, Buffalo, and New York City in the past month -- average velocity is too high). I am again behind on email and everything -- catching up soon!

I am back from Ion, which was certainly the most interesting and enriching conference I've been to this year. Highly recommended. I missed the keynote that made Erik unhappy, happily (I frankly tend to avoid keynotes these days), and met a solid handful of uniquely fascinating people I hope to one day recruit into my efforts for world domination. Peter & Cynthia did an absolutely fantastic job with the conference and I hope to make it out there again next year. There's a lot of talk in the games industry on revitalizing that "classic GDC" feeling in conferences -- GDC itself got way too large a long time ago, Austin GDC is alleged to be the "new GDC" -- but for me, falling deeper and deeper in to the niche of online games, Ion/OGDC feels like the first spark of intense shared-stream heady thought exchange I've had in several years. The first GDC I attended gave me a feeling of "these are my people" so powerful that I exited the PhD program at UC Irvine and went to work for Taldren; I'm happy to say that I found that feeling again at Ion. It's going to be an interesting next few years in this space.

I also slept this weekend, some. Coming out of the murk of the last month slowly, so tales of my adventures with Canadian Customs are forthcoming still. The important thing is that I'm finally settled in up here, and the birds are settled enough for Vasya to be doing her phone call recitations. It's intensely amusing that she actually inserts herself into her phone calls now. She's reciting an old phone call in Roman's voice she heard years ago, but she puts in variations, including muffled discussions involving 'Vasya' and 'Smeagol', and then ends the whole recitation with the "ok, bye *click*" of a phone being set back in its handset. Parrots keep you focused on what's important.

Marketing for a kids' game is difficult. Marketing for a kids' game that also pushes a whole mess of technology boundaries is phenomenally difficult. But despite all of the discussion on the various technological challenges associated with the GoPets DS game, seeing this review on Amazon has been the most satisfying yet:

A Kid's Review
This is a very fun game to play. You start out by getting interviewed to adopt a dog or cat (later on you can get a horse). You decide what color you want it to be, the design (spots, stripes), and its name. You can dress your pet and clean it (by putting it in the tub and using the stylus to make bubbles by rubbing). There are mini games in a different part of the island, and you need to unlock one, I haven't yet. On wifi you can meet other peoples pets and make friends and chat. It is perfectly safe because you use pictures for words and only certain words have pictures for them. It gets a tiny bit boring when you just keep playing the same mini games, but you get a lot of motivation to get the biggest house and the most friends.
I would say "get the game!" but also, you might want to save your allowance so you can get 2 games in case you aren't the type for this game.

I love it. (And that s/he gave us four stars.)

I may be writing a few articles for Gamasutra on the development of the game and the difficulties inherent in developing for this particular demographic -- and then watching the game get pummeled by game reviewers who already have enough of a hard time defending their masculinity -- but y'know what, a review like that is enough for me.

In other game type news, Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing (also here on Amazon but without the snazzy cover image), with many illustrious contributors and my chapter on writing game pitches, should be out next month.

Actual post forthcoming, but for right now -- I love this thing:

http://www.norefuge.net/vgng/vgng.html

Some recent favorites...

"Brain-Damaged Chess 2K"
"Everybody Loves the Internet Annihilation"
"Silent STD - The Movie"
"Ultra Crowbar of Magic"
"Enraged Fantasy Simulator"
"Deadly Stapler - The Next Generation"
"Communist Ostrich Scam"

Why has no one shown me this before? I demand you all go out and make games using it.

Since it's official, just posting a note here that I'll be teaching a game workshop at this year's Context, a very cool convention in Columbus, OH.

Via the workshop website:

Erin Hoffman: Interactive Narrative and Game Design
(Sunday, September 28th, 11am-2pm)
This workshop explores the fundamentals of video game design through the use of interactive fiction, exploring the places where interactivity and storytelling overlap. No technology or game training is necessary, though a laptop computer is highly recommended. Attendees will be provided with advance reading and will create a small interactive fiction game using the Inform7 Engine.

Erin Hoffman has been working in video games since 1999 on an assortment of genres from massively multiplayer online games to Nintendo DS titles for young audiences to action-RPGs for PC, XBox, and PlayStation2. $20.

I am excited. I've been scattershot working on a design document for an Inform7 game for next year's IFC, and this will be a good opportunity to actually execute on it to have something to show during the workshop as a process example.

thehollowbox and I are also in Gary Braunbeck's masterclass workshop (uberwoot). You should all come and hang out with us! It's a very nice con, excellent staff and programming with a pleasantly small and very friendly population. I had a great time last year and hope to make this a habitual trip along with ReaderCon. Giant cons are not my thing, but these small, well-run ones with great guests are a lot of fun.

In other appearance-type news... I will of course be at GDC next month (Feb 17-24), then in San Diego for the weekend, then back to NY on the 24th for brennye's arrival on the 25th (yay!!). I will be at IMGDC in Minneapolis giving a roundtable on BetterEULA in the end of March, very shortly thereafter in NYC to be on a panel at the Virtual Law Conference April 3-4, likely moving within a few days after getting home from that, and then things should quiet down until skkyechan's wedding in September, closely followed by Context. Said quieting down is of course contingent on thehollowbox and me not moving out to Long Beach during that time, which is possible (and likely even more complicated if we wait until after Context -- hmm).

Whew.