Many adults look down at the concept of play. One only need look to a married couple; one in which one spouse plays video games and the other does not to see how “playing” is viewed as an immature pastime. Play, however, has existed throughout the history of society. The reason for play’s lengthy existence is its ability to inculcate societal values and teach the individual proper rights and behaviors that are important to the societal group.
Read MoreEpisode .03 of Fusion Underground is up!
I have to admit things are getting easier. Perhaps they get easier before they get harder. I don’t know. I still don’t know what I’m doing half the time.
Such is the nature of starting a podcast.
Read MoreVideo games as social platforms
People are quickly finding out that being isolated from the rest of the world kinda sucks. Yes we have social media, but traditional forms of social media lack presence. The method of communication in social media is asynchronous—you say something and it could be hours or days before I read what you said. Video games provide a way to reduce feelings of isolation and build community even when separated by half the world.
Read MoreStarting a podcast
A very good friend and I are starting a new podcast! We’ve recorded a couple of episodes to work out various technical hurdles and practice holding a conversation for a listening audience. So far I’m having a blast doing it. This is an opportunity for me to work on something creative, talk about issues I find important, produce something to send out into the world, and spend quality time with one of my best friends.
Read MoreAgile Virtual Teams
A few weeks back I was a speaker at a local conference called Agile Arizona. I gave a talk about virtual teams where I looked at virtual teams through an Agile lens. It was a difficult presentation because I wanted people to come away with new information they could use in their daily jobs. It was also difficult for another reason:
Read MoreWhy I don't like Rise of Skywalker...
Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker is in theaters and the film is quite divisive. You either hate it or you like it. There are some folks who love it, but it appears that the majority of people who enjoyed the film fall into the “like it” category rather than the “love it” category. I could be wrong, it’s just my initial reading of fans. But I digress.
Read MoreCo-op video games
A couple of weeks ago I spoke at a conference about the power of virtual teams. I used several examples I’ve learned from video gamers to make various points about working in virtual teams. To my surprise, the majority of my audience was interested in the relationship between video gamers and virtual teams.
Read MoreSpace Invaders and arcades
I was thinking about the first video game I ever played. Reaching far back into my memory, the one I recall is Space Invaders. Not the stand-up arcade one, but the small handheld version. Yeah, that’s right, there were small handheld video games back then.
Read MoreVideo games and physical violence
There is an increasing amount of rhetoric with regards to linking video games to physical violence. This rhetoric increased because of recent mass shootings here in the States. Is there such a link?
Initial studies into the phenomenon (video games and physical aggressive tendencies) showed a correlation. Some studies showed causation—that is, some studies showed that playing violent video games lead to an increase in aggressive tendencies.
Read MoreWorld of Warcraft: Classic
At the end of this month we get to return to Azeroth as it once was. I’m excited.
Last week I played in the stress test. I created several different characters and ran around for a few hours, doing quests, and remembering what it was like to play WoW for the first time. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the old game. I didn’t just like it, I loved it.
Read MoreThe Secret World Legends: A Mini Review
I originally tried The Secret World (TSW) at launch. I had mixed emotions about the game. The setting intrigued me, but I felt the gameplay was lacking. I think I got to about level 10 before I just couldn't stomach the gameplay anymore and quit playing. However, now Funcom has re-imagined TSW into The Secret World Legends (TSWL). I think the use of "legends" is only to differentiate between the two game mechanics.
Read MoreStar Wars: Rogue One
Like everyone else in America, Europe, and Canada I saw Rogue One. I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but I admit I was skeptical going into the theater. I didn't love the film, but I didn't hate the film either.
Read MoreCaptain America: Civil War
I saw the movie earlier today. I thought it was the best Marvel superhero film to date. The script was very well done and the movie is filled with superheroes doing very superhero-y types of things. As a text it serves to capture the feeling in today's hyper-partisan political climate.
Read MoreNCSoft lays off developers of Wildstar
On Friday, news hit the Internet that NCSoft laid off a bulk of its workforce on the sci-fi/fantasy MMO Wildstar . A few months back the company transitioned the game from a monthly fee to a free-to-play model. If you're a fan of these types of games, a change in the subscription model sends shockwaves through a game's community as a signal of dire things to come.
Read More"Her Story" is fantastic
I saw this game a couple of weeks ago on Steam and decided to try it out. I enjoy games that push the medium into new and interesting territories and this game does exactly that.
Read MoreA game about cancer
Video games are a medium in which anything is possible. While gamers have matured since playing video games in arcades and stuffing quarters into the likes of Space Invaders and Pac-Man, so too have developers matured in their presentation of topics. Developers continuously push games into the realm of art--moving beyond the concept of "game" and redefining my beloved pastime into "interactive digital media".
Read MoreGaming's Past in Jeopardy
There are folks who keep games running long after the games should have died a digital death. Museums, collectors, 'preservists'--call them what you will. Many gamers believe they do a service to the gaming community to keep these texts playable for future generations.
Read MoreGames and Gamification
I've been growing increasingly interested in gamification. The author of the below article doesn't call out gamification directly, but it's heavily implied within the writing.
Perhaps games can teach us something about repetitive actions that can be translated to the work space; thereby creating greater job satisfaction in employees and increasing efficiency for the enterprise.
Read More35 Hours of Dragon Age
I've been playing Dragon Age: Inquisition. On and off mostly as I get side tracked by life, work, and (of course) other games. About the 20 hour mark things really started to click with me and the world.
Read MoreMass Effect
There is really nothing special about Mass Effect's story. The story centers on a human who must overcome the odds and save the galaxy. It's a story gamers have been playing for decades. And of course humanity are teenagers in a universe of mature and technologically advanced races. The same types of races found in fictional worlds like Star Trek or Babylon 5.
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