December 2011
1 post
“Super Mariokart 7 on the 3DS is a reminder that there is only one Nintendo, and...”
– The Nintendo recipe: Make the game accessible but the gameplay deep.
November 2011
3 posts
6 tags
6 tags
User Testing: Building rapport with kids
I helped run another play testing session at zinc Roe last week; so much fun! The more I do these though, the more I realize that the secret to getting great data boils down to two things:
Building a rapport with the kids
Being hyper attentive to what they’re doing.
I’m gonna focus this post on the first bit.
From their perspective, they’re here to play games - rad....
October 2011
3 posts
tumblrbot asked: ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?
2 tags
http://thiscouldbefact.com →
Scouring the annals of Wikipedia, this is what our recorded history looked like!
Wikipedia is written and maintained by us, the people, and often we get things wrong or just like to be jerks; and when we do, for that brief moment in time, it’s regarded by many as fact. These moments, sometimes only last a few seconds and when they do, it’s beautiful.
This site is for fun, and...
August 2011
1 post
July 2011
2 posts
2 tags
3 tags
For programmers who freelance →
June 2011
3 posts
WatchA lesson on being happy, and awesome.
“When man first tried to come up with machines that flew, he looked around and...”
– Dr. Billy Cohn Source: Heart With No Beat Offers Hope of New Lease on Life
Finishing games, or any projects for that matter →
Great article from @mossmouth, on finishing projects.
I start and stop so many projects, usually convincing myself part-way through that it lacks the legs. As @mossmouth suggests though, finishing is a skill and not just a step in the process. I couldn’t agree more.
May 2011
4 posts
A brief moment of Internet fail
So former basketball player, Robert Traylor, died last night. Wanting to find out the cause of death, I naturally looked on wikipedia, which read:
On Wednesday, May 11, 2011 Traylor was found dead at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. The cause of death was apparently a mild malfunction while masturbating. He was found dead with a broken penis.
A minute later, it was replaced with...
April 2011
2 posts
Media's ageing audience →
Younger generations expect free, while the greying population is willing to pay. Who should the media and producers of digital goods target?
1 tag
March 2011
8 posts
Has Apple devalued games?
The average price of an iPhone game is just over $1.50.
If you were building out a AAA title, you’d have to move a LOT of units at that price, to recoup your costs. The common solution is to make smaller, cheaper, games, with shorter gameplay experiences. Of course, this is what we see a lot in the app marketplace, and as casual gamers these are the experiences that we’ve come to...
2 tags
3 tags
TED 2011: Junk Food Algorithms and the World They... →
2 tags
February 2011
1 post
3 tags
WatchMakerBot Thing-O-Matic 3D printer. I want one.
January 2011
3 posts
1 tag
“Anything that’s not growing is dead, so we better be changing.”
– Lauryn Hill
2 tags
WatchNas, on the era of mix tapes and what it meant to hip hop culture.
Note: There is a lame commercial at the beginning.
December 2010
3 posts
3 tags
Why Piracy is Good
The Internet has essentially made everything free and in doing so has overhauled existing business models. Let’s be real, chasing each and every pirate for money just isn’t realistic anymore.
Companies understand the difficulty in monetizing goods that we can already get for free, and instead appeal to our desire for convenience and quality. I myself am all for supporting artists,...
2 tags
“Person 1:
“I’m sure I’m not the only one in this room who...”
– At a party. The topic, why people lock their cellphones.
November 2010
7 posts
2 tags
“In Lima, a man is pulled over for speeding. As the cop approaches the window...”
– Jay the magician
2 tags
Trip to Bogota, Colombia
For a number of years, Colombia has been synonymous with cocaine, kidnappings and Guerrilla warfare. Even in Bogota today, there are security guards and K-9s in front of most buildings checking for potential terrorists in the wake of recent bombings. Taxi’s have their license plate number plastered on all sides of the car (including the roof), from what I hear, in an effort to more...
2 tags
2 tags
“I can only tell you that life will happen to you by accidents, unexpected...”
– excerpt from Rosemary Sullivan’s speech at my M.Sc convocation
2 tags
Your meal is free if you don't get a receipt. ...
The principle (for ex. Burger King) employs an agent (the cashier) who has an incentive to do a lot of things that are not necessarily in the best interest of the firm (i.e. steal). Burger King can either spend a lot of time and money monitoring its employees for theft, or it can provide an incentive for you to do it for them. That little sign by the cash register is an ingenious management...
October 2010
4 posts
2 tags
The lost art of direction giving
I’m not sure if I am alone on this, but somewhere between the birth of GPS devices and smart phones going gangbusters, we as a society have given up on giving directions. We used to be able to mark a path for someone, rich with highway exits, number of stop signs and landmarks. Now we are given an exact address and we, the simple ape, does a look up and we’re given turn by turn...
3 tags
projeqt.com →
A really neat way of showcasing work. Strong visuals can convey a really powerful story
See: TBWA - The Zimbabawean: The Trillion Dollar Campaign
2 tags
“Wealthy Americans are willing to spend more money to protect the environment as...”
– Excerpt from Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan
3 tags
“I love how YouTube has become not only a spot for countless hours of...”
– Me
September 2010
1 post
2 tags
August 2010
1 post
1 tag
P != NP Proof? →
Probably the biggest news in Computer Science history.
A result of P==NP would have been more exciting, as it would imply an insane leap in the progression of science. On the other hand, it would probably mean the fall of the Internet, war and eventually Armageddon.
I guess the world will just continue on as normal, I’ll be happy with that.
July 2010
1 post
June 2010
1 post
2 tags
Nicholas Carr: The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires... →
Really interesting article on how the Internet is giving us all A.D.D
April 2010
1 post
2 tags
Read and React
I just played through Heavy Rain, great game barring one major plot hole :). Aside from the amazing characters and sense of empathy one develops for them (among other things). I was most impressed with their simple “read and react” mechanic - big icons flash on the screen (analog gestures, button presses and such) and you have to follow them in a timely manner. It worked especially...