In Real Life

Why I Talked About Chickens To A Room Full Of Game Developers

A couple of weeks ago, I attended GDC Online in Austin. I was covering the event, but I was also there as a speaker, giving a microtalk as part of a six-critic panel on great game storytelling. Joining me were N’Gai Croal (Hit Detection), Leigh Alexander (Gamasutra), John Davidson (CBS Interactive/Gamespot), and Ben Fritz (the L.A. Times). The talk was organised and led by Chris Dahlen, who is editor-in-chief at Kill Screen Magazine.


October 20, 2011
News

The Best Quotes Of GDC Online

Last week, I attended the Game Developers’ Conference Online in Austin. I was there to give a talk about game storytelling, but I stayed for the entire event, and caught a good number of talks, workshops and keynotes.


October 13, 2011
In Real Life

Game Developers’ Choice Online Awards Honor Rift, Minecraft, And Everquest

Tonight at the second annual Game Developers’ Choice Online Awards in Austin, the GDC honored the best in online gaming. Three Rings Design’s won Best Online Game Design with their charming MMO Spiral Knights. KingsIsle Entertainment’s Wizard 101 won the Audience Award, and Minecraft won both of the categories in which it was nominated, Best Community Management and Best Live Game.


October 12, 2011
In Real Life

Neal Stephenson Plays Halo 3 On Legendary To Avoid Getting Fat

Science fiction author Neal Stephenson plays Halo on its hardest difficulty setting, Legendary, while using an elliptical exercise machine, the writer of Snow Crash told an audience in Austin today.


October 11, 2011
In Real Life

We Will Have Neural-Implant Gaming In 20 Years (and Parents Will Hate It), Says Prediction-Happy Atari Founder

When do we get the Seinfeld of video games? Why won’t there be any major new gaming consoles? And just when will get video game technology implanted in our brains? At GDC Online in Austin, Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell predicted and expounded upon many things.


In Real Life

How Atari Sent Steve Jobs On A Spiritual Quest To India

At his talk at GDC Online in Austin, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell talked about a wide variety of things, among which was Apple founder Steve Jobs, who he hired back in 1974. (For a complete story, see this great article at Gamasutra. “I gave Steve Jobs his first job,” Bushnell said, “That’s an interesting resume line.”