Game paradigms....

I work for a gaming company. Well, sorta multiple gaming companies. What goes into designing and maintaining a game? Here's a taste--interview portion from Slashdot with our CMO. It's why I think people at my company are pretty darn smart. That's not so I can get a gold star on my report card neither!


Slashdot: Yeah, um, so you in your estimation the fact that it's not more like a World of Warcraft, where death is not really a big deal, you guys see that as a definite strength for the game?

Magnus: Absolutely. The reason that people team up in corporations and then corporations team up in alliances is because there is this inherent big threat of dying and losing a lot of money. You can lose months of work in 30 seconds, and this forces people because of human nature, to band together and form relationships. I'm saving somebody's life, saving their three, four, five, six months of work, so you create very strong relationships, where you don't have an opportunity in real life to rescue your friends from death.

Slashdot: Right, hopefully.

Magnus: Yeah, hopefully, but you get to do that on a daily basis. And that's what creates these really strong feelings, the really strong relationships, that are such a big part of this game. And because it's so totally open ended, so totally different from a game like World of Warcraft, which is a really structured game experience. A great game, but it's just different. So when people have done that type of game, it's kind of a natural progression for them to step into something that's heavier and deeper, and more rewarding in the end.

Quote of the month.

The quote of the month is courtesy of VoidTyger, a hero on City of Heroes.

"Willie Nelson is who Chuck Norris would be
if Chuck Norris lead a hard life."


Word.

When two paths collide

Path: The First

I'm searching websites of colleges in the south east for professorial contacts that we can use to cull some raw, young talent for programming positions and internships opening up at my company. My first stop is Georgia Tech. Knowing many graduates through ultimate (Mr. Parham, Suckit Parag, Mati Heartpower, etc...) and how capable and smart (read as: "perfect dork-company material") they were, I was feeling good about my chances.

Then I stumble upon this text in their School of Interactive Computing writeup.

Much of the research within the School of Interactive Computing produces new artifacts that embody new capabilities or methods. Examples include:

• Individuals working with traditional computers
• Groups of people using ubiquitous computing capabilities throughout various environments
• Researchers visualizing scientific data
• Students developing and altering middle school physics simulations
• Automated intelligent surveillance systems monitoring airport tarmacs
• Robots delivering pharmaceuticals to patients in hospitals

OK, so it wasn't bolded and enlarged before. But it needs to be. I mean seriously. Just think for a second about that.

Path: The Second

I was disturbed by my immediate "free associations" as fleeting thoughts invaded my head. First Cheech Marin in scrubs. Then Nurse Ratched shooting lasers out of her eyes. Finally Patch Adams' head coming unhinged in a smoky, sparking flash to reveal various multicolored wires underneath. I was a little disappointed I didn't immediately get Johnny 5 with a stethoscope.

Of course, my immediate response to the shame of my overactive imagination was to find someone else out there like me. Will anyone understand me? Who am I?

It's clear from a quick search through Google Images that indeed, someone somewhere has thought long and hard about the idea of robot doctors.

And so two paths converge in confluence. Sure, one may be born out of the other, but together they form a near-perfect circle. What but the perfection of form and ideal could result in the utterly ridiculous image above?!

In my mind, there are two lessons to take from this. Things are coming in twos today.
Lesson One: No man is an island.
Lesson Two: Chicks dig big metal dudes.