A friend of mine, situated very far outside the realm of gaming presented me with this Ted talk, and asked my opinion.

This was my response:

Thanks for the TEDTalk I always find these videos inspiring and thought-provoking.

Beyond giving my own opinion and sharing my own experiences, theres not much more I can do to validate this video. This may end up being a very long email, but here is a collection of thoughts provoked by this video:

There are (at least) two ways that games are educational. One is academically, where games can be used to flavour information to reach the player for processing. Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, the game mentioned in the video, is an educational game which teaches players about geography. The game tasks the player with pinpointing the location of a criminal mastermind, and the player must move from city to city, learning facts about the country where the perpetrator was last seen; For example, I heard the criminal ask when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. or She talked about visiting Shinto shrines. The player is given a handful of options of new countries to explore, and if they choose Tokyo, they are rewarded with pictures of the country, and they progress one step closer to finding the villain. If they choose the wrong country, theyre presented with facts of the country theyve chosen, but dont get any closer to catching the bad guy. The user gets to play a game, but leaves receives new knowledge of a country regardless of whether they win or lose. And I think this is how most people look at educational gaming – as a way of smuggling factual information to the play through gameplay.

What I appreciate most about gaming is the other way they make people smarter: regardless of whether or not a game is deemed educational, they teach people to think critically, and give players a chance to apply their learning.

The other game mentioned in this video is a game called World of Warcraft. This game is a persistent world (which means events and other people are still playing, even once youve logged off and have stopped playing), where players assume a fantastical identity (such as being an Elf Wizard, or a Dwarven Warrior), and set out on quests with friends and strangers. As players set out on their adventures, they find and earn treasure, some are useful to warriors, others to wizards, some to hunters, and so on. Though they are virtual and have no bearing on the real world, these items that make your character stronger have an in-game value, and can be auctioned for gold pieces (the virtual currency used in the game) to other players.

What is truly remarkable about all this is that it becomes a virtual economy. The more a particular item appears in the auction house, the less value it has in gold pieces. There are even instances of crafty players buying out all the treasure of one type, just to raise its value, so they can sell it for more. Children who are allowed to play this game quickly learn about the concept of supply and demand, and, if savvy enough, even learn how to manipulate this system for their benefit. This is not the overall point of playing a game like WoW, but it is a side effect of playing such a game. It gives people a chance to play a stock market without losing real world money.

Beyond these games, I also find that people who play a wide variety of games experience tutorial more frequently. These tutorials are, at first, basic ways of interacting with the game, like instructions on how to play a game (inputs), and then instructions on how they can improve and master the game (systems).

Where children arent motivated to learn academically, I think a lot of them have less of a problem being taught the rules of a game, because its an activity they want to experience; they are opting in because its perceivably fun. Once they have learned to play the game, they, innately, want to improve. They opt in again to learn so they can optimize their experience in the game. They want to find the efficiencies and loopholes that make them better players. And this can be applied to practically any activity or discipline. Its a natural way that we teach ourselves and improve. It is a platform for learning.

And because gaming is generally perceived to be of little real world consequence, game designers and developers take liberties in what they make. Which means each good game has something new, and therefore requires at least some learning to be appreciated. Contrary to being of little real world consequence though, I believe games, especially video games, are a form of entertainment that shape the way we interact with the things around us. Look up a puzzle game called Portal

The objective of the game is to escape a room of obstacles using portals – a pair of holes that the player can project onto any surface, and then enter/exit to reach places he otherwise would not be able to via regular methods (walking and jumping).

The game is absolute science fiction, but I think it does two things. It forces the player to think critically, having to solve a problem with a specific set of constraints and a set number of tools (the portals, being able to walk and jump, and applying physics such as gravity are eventually considered tools to the game designer/high level player). The other thing this type of game does is let the imagination run wild. Players flex their visualization skills as they imagine a variety of solutions to each challenge.

I almost feel the need to include spme kind of conclusion with such dissertation. Having ready through my own email, Ive realized I have already gone overboard with my feedback… But I suppose it speaks to my passion. I hope my perspectives provoke further thought from you thanks again for the video, I shared it with my office.

——

And then I signed it. I had a lot more to say, but I had already written so much, I felt the need to hold myself back.

So Spring has sprung. You know what that means! Allergies. And Spring cleaning, I guess.

You’ll notice the facelift we’ve given the site. And by facelift, I’m referring the generic and inoffensive default wordpress theme we’ve got going here. We just switched site hosts, and had a bit of trouble retaining a good chunk of the website. I’m going to have to take some time to rebuild things from here.

If anyone is actually reading this, good on you! You’re one step closer to being a better human being! And thanks for the actual interest. It’s going to be a busy month outside of blogging, but I’m hoping to have the old theme back up and running ASAP.

Stay tuned!

[Before I start, I'm going to post the obligatory spoiler alert here. While there are no story spoilers in this article, I will discuss a horror mechanic that is built on player expectations. If you have yet to complete either Dead Space or Dead Space 2, I'd suggest you play through at least one of them, if not both, before reading this article. Thanks .... And Boo.]

I’ve never really been a fan of the horror genre. I mean I’ve never personally enjoyed horror movies or books. Once I read a volume of Goosebumps, the one where the ghost haunts the family and plays their piano, and couldn’t sit on a piano bench for days. Granted, I was ten years old, but for ten, I was still kind of a pussy.

In recent years though, I have grown an appreciation for horror games. There’s a certain feeling of dread that a good horror game manages to invoke in a player that other media have a hard time conveying. Where the viewer of a horror movie can do nothing but scream at the movie, “Oh no, don’t open that door, white girl!!!!”, the gamer experiences that dread first hand, “Fuck, I’m going to have to open this door… And I’m not necessarily a white girl.”

While its true that most, if not all, horror games have monster closet moments (in this case, parts of the game where something abruptly shocks the player), it is the moment that leads up to the jolt that is important. These surprises are most effective when the player least expects them. And that’s what Dead Space does very well. It raises and lowers player expectations with not just the intention of shocking the player, but also breeding a sense of paranoia, which really gives the game its horror atmosphere, even when nothing happens.

Rule #1: Save Stations are Safe Stations

By Design, the Save Station must be a place of little to no conflict. It must be stationed in a place where the player can potentially quit and return to the game world with as little chance of death as possible. As such, it is inherent in all Save Stations that when one is able to save their game, there are no enemies nearby. That’s essentially a rule of game design. What I find brilliant about the designers at Visceral Games is that they did not mess around with this rule, but instead took that inference, and imbued it to another object, in this example – the Bench, using that object to set the player up for a scare.

Bench-marked

In early interactions with the bench, the player might notice that it is accompanied by a store and a save station. It makes a lot sense, actually. The player is obviously at a rest station; a place where they can safely refill their health, restock ammunition, and upgrade their weapons, free from any threat. It’s a gentle reminder that they’re still playing a video game, and if they wanted to put down your controller, now is a time to do so.

In the presence of a save station, the player is relaxed, so now might be a great time to strike, if the game wanted to shock and jolt the player. But that would break the save point rule. So what does the game do? It continues to infer the safety of the save station to the bench: Save Station, Store, Bench. Save Station, Bench, Store. Save Station, Bench.

These items are paired together until they become almost synonymous with one another; to the point that seeing a lone bench is somewhat off-putting. The player will approach the bench with caution. Nothing will happen. It’s far too early to break that trust now. They’re still at unease at this unexpected lone bench. That’s manufactured paranoia at work.

It won’t be until many more interactions with benches, lonely or otherwise, that the game will lash out and scare the player. It won’t be until the designers have calculated at which point the player would have seen enough scare-free benches, and has begun to approach each bench with carefree eagerness, that the game will strike. In the case of the original Dead Space, you would approach the bench, and allocate your power nodes to your weapon or rig as your normally would. Only upon exiting the bench will you turn to find a necromorph facing you, giving a moment’s pause before it begins thrashing wildly at you.

Don’t Hurt Me Again

It’s such a shocking break up. After investing all these chapters of trust in the bench, suddenly you look at the bench as if it’s an enemy. It was an isolated incident, but from that point on, you approach all benches with a sliver of caution, always reminded of the moment you let your guard down.

Does the scare ever happen again? It doesn’t even matter. What matters is that the player is now doubting what they originally thought was a law in the game. And this tactic isn’t isolated to the bench in Dead Space one either. In fact, the game references scare elements used in the first game to create that feeling of dread in the player’s mind while they play the sequel.

And that’s why the Dead Space franchise is so fun. It’s a series of interactive haunted houses, designed to have the player wary of every move. If you haven’t played the first, there are still moments created just for new comers in Dead Space 2; if you did complete the original, then the experience is that much scarier, and richer.

It’s really great to see this kind of design put in, especially in a horror game, where tone and mood are pretty much everything. When it’s player-imposed like this, though, it really shows how interactive and emotional games really can be. And not just in a horror context; these are the kinds of considerations we’ll have to take if we want our games to interact with players, and not just the other way around.

I finally got around to starting and finishing my very first Munny doll over the past week. It was a bit of a rushed job. I bought some 2-compound sculpting clay that air dries and doesnt need to be baked.

I rushed the job somewhat – I didn’t bother using sculpting tools and moulded everything by hand. The result was less than perfect, but with a little sanding, it turned out better than I feared. It has a n obvious homemade quality to it.

I used vinyl approved acrylic paint, but I still had a hard time trying to consistently coat the toy. It turns out I forgot to the wash the Munny in soapy water to clear off the grease leftover from manufacturing.

Up next, I’m going to sculpt and paint an accompanying wrench (I mean, Mann Co. Adjustable Spanner), and Level 1 Sentry. As I get better at sculpting and painting, I think I’ll share my steps as I go.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

CliffyB tweeted this video a few days ago. The HaroldLi retweeted it. Then I retweeted it. Then I decided to post it on this blog. If you watch this and think the techbot is being a dick to the cardboardboxbot, you’re probably the cardboardboxbot.

It’s our first week back to podcasting, so Amrit and I were kind of ironing out the kinks and trying to get the magic back. In this episode, we go a full hour discussing gamey things new and old including: Battlefield 3 impressions, Dead Space 2′s awesomeness, Red Dead Redemption – Undead Nightmare, Amrit’s Stink Feet, and some doe-eyed talk about what an awesome zombie game might be.

[display_podcast]

I was supposed to have uploaded our most recent podcast to the blog for someone’s enjoyment … but I’ve been super busy. We recorded last wednesday, so maybe I’ll post it tomorrow, giving it a week to cool, since it was such a sizzler. I also realized I didn’t state the date on the podcast … so …… I’ve made myself transparent. Damn it. Podcast coming soon.

You don’t have to be a nerd to own an iDevice, but you can certainly unleash your inner nerd with Battleheart, an Action RPG for all iOSs. The game embodies the typical RPG elements: form a party of knights, mages, rogues, bards and more, and conquer a host of villainous creatures. Your party gains experience and levels up individually, unlocking new abilities along with stronger weapons and armor.

The game’s presentation is simple, cutting out flashy corners wherever necessary. Higher level tasks such as hiring new party members, upgrading, equipping, and selling gear, and party management are all done in individual menus. If you’ve ever played an RPG game before, then you’ll instantly understand this part of the game.

Inside combat, the game is very accessible, requiring no complex input aside from touching one of your units, then dragging a line on the level to move them, or over a target to perform a default action. Knights, rogues, and monks will attack their targets, while clerics and bards will heal and buff theirs respectively.

The game starts off quite basic, like most RPGs, classes have only a single attack and some unique ability, but as you level up, you’ll find you’ll have to choose between abilities to equip in battle, considering all the strengths and weaknesses of the combined abilities of each unit going into battle.

The fights are separated across a world map, which are slowly unlocked in procession as the player wins each fight. And because these fights are so distinctly separated, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of the old “just one more fight” mentality.

What I love most about Battleheart is how much this feels like a console or PC RPG, despite it’s simple appearance and control scheme. I find myself weighing the pros and cons of using my bard as a healer instead of a damage booster, and how that will play in conjunction with my monk, who has the option to knock down all opponents nearby, or be able to dodge all attacks for a short period of time. The customization is really up to me, and I love that. I’ve found many games on the iOS over-simplified in order to be accessible to a wide array of iDevice users. Battleheart doesn’t water down it’s gameplay. Instead what it does is show players and developers alike that depth doesn’t have to be sacrificed in the name of accessibility.

Battleheart is available at the App Store for $2.99.

OMG people, megaton announcement here: The next installment in George R. R. Martin’s NYT’s best selling series, A Song of Ice and Fire,’ A Dance With Dragons’ will be hitting store shelves on July 12th 2011!!!

For those of us who have been waiting patiently (and, um, not so patiently, sorry bout those hateful emails George, you know I love ya) it has been a long time coming and this announcement adds another exclamation to the success the series has had in 2011, with the addition of the HBO Series “A Game of Thrones” premiering in April of this year as well.

It has been a long and torturous five year wait since the release of the last installment in the series but it looks like our patience is going to be rewarded with a double helping of medieval plotting, sex, intrigue and magic on the small screen and in our grubby little hands.

See below the different cover art that the book will come out with. I want em all!