RageQuit Scale

Working toward a computer game RageQuit Scale:

1. Main Menu->Exit
2. Alt+F4
3. Ctrl-alt-del->Task Manager->Kill Process Tree
4. Ctrl-alt-del->Task Manager->Shutdown Windows
5. Throw mouse/keyboard/controller across the room, stomp off.
6. Rip power cord from the back of the computer.
7. Throw computer out of window.
8. Stomp to circuit breaker, cut power to house.
9. Scramble up pole outside house, manually cut power cables to neighborhood.
10. ?

Documentation

Claire says that teachers are the worst people to give lectures to, because they're impatient, inattentive, and don't listen. Similarly, game designers are the worst people to write documentation for - they don't read docs. And when they do, they skim and walk away with wrong impressions, yet have complete confidence that they understand the overarching points.

I'm fully guilty of this myself...

The player experience

Trying to keep the direct player experience at the forefront of my mind often feels like falling asleep while driving. It's so easy to get lulled into a meta-design space where the systems and abstractions take precedence. And that's not to say that the systemic design isn't important, but it tends to suck up all the oxygen in the room because it's familiar, safe, and above all, clean. Comparatively, the player experience is dirty, filthy business, all wrapped up in interface and challenge and learning and boredom.

So I end up with a lot of marks on my arm from pinching myself. Stay awake, man!

"Study Reveals Women Choose Video Games Instead of Sleep"

We in the game industry talk a lot about wanting to expand the player base -- in the end, we want everyone playing games the way everyone goes to see movies or everyone watches TV. It doesn't always look like we're making progress, but this (admittedly small-scale) poll gives me hope.

Link over at Businesswire.

Ouch

7 in 10 games lose money (i.e. fail to make back their development costs). That's pretty good, actually; I thought it was 9 in 10. In the linked article, Chris Deering talks about how the industry might be able to make up for some of that lost cash.