Tuesday, March 21, 2006

March 20 2006

I haven't had time to write any entires lately. The truth is I've been debating whether I should quit this blog. My reasoning being that I'm finding less and less time to keep it up. I'd hate to keep a blog I rarely update; out-dated entries are boring and worth nothing online...
The birth of the Double Jump blog hasn't made it easier either. The studio itself has been taking up a lot of my free time and I often feel like I should focus more of my energy on that. Why would I write an entry on this blog when I can write an entry on DoubleJump that may get me somewhere someday?

A Track
+++ Jack Johnson - Sing-a-longs & Lullabies for the film Curious George +++
~~~ Belle and Sebastian - If She Wants Me, Dress Up In You ~~~

B Track
+++ Mylo - Destroy Rock and Roll +++
+++ GoldFrapp - Supernature +++
~~~ Karminsky Experience Inc. - Departures ~~~

It's GDC (game developers conference) this week in the Bay Area. Maybe I've already gotten use to Washington State, but I'm not finding North Cal that great. Sure, the weather is nicer and more consistent here but it's not necessarily better. Somehow somewhere I think the seasons up Northwest causes its culture to more resemble those in the East. It's nice to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds in Seattle. Another plus up Northwest is that it is a lot more accessible to get around. I can't stand sitting in my car all day. It's an easy way to lose my valuable time.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Why Won't American Publishers Take Risks?

Developer: "Let's make a game with blocky graphics and crazy music where you have to roll up everything you can find in the world using a huge sticky ball! And these balls will be used to recreate all the stars in the universe after your father destroyed them all in a drunken bender!"

Publisher: "What the heck are you talking about? Are you freaking insane? Get the hell out of my office!"

Developer: "Well, they just released the same game in Japan..."

Publisher: "Those Japanese gamers are so crazy! I love it! Let's publish it!"

Why do we have to continuously wait for games like this to be translated and released in the States? Why can't an American publisher try something just a little bit risky, create a few smaller "oddball" titles each year and see what happens?

Friday, March 17, 2006

Top Ten Facts About Gamers

1. The average game player is 30 years old and has been playing games for 9.5 years.
2. Seventy-five percent of American heads of households play computer and video games.
3. Fifty percent of all Americans play video games.
4. Sixty percent of online game players are male. Forty percent of online game players are female.
5. Adult gamers exhibit a high level of interest in current events, with ninety-four percent following news and current events, and seventy-eight percent reporting that they vote in most of the elections for which they are eligible.
6. Fifty-three percent of game players expect to be playing as much or more ten years from now than they do today.
7. The average game buyer is 37 years old. In 2005, ninety-five percent of computer game buyers and eighty-four percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.
8. Adult gamers have been playing an average of 12 years.
9. In 2004, nineteen percent of Americans over the age of 50 played video games, an increase from nine percent in 1999.
10. In 2005, more than 228 million computer and video games were sold, almost two games for every household in America.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Monday, March 06, 2006

Double Jump Studios - Game Development Blog

http://www.doublejumping.com

I've been spending a lot of my energy on my own game studio recently. It's been fun as shit. Everything I'm doing with this right now is exactly why I wanted to be in this industry. The blog was just freshly baked a couple of hours ago; I promise it'll get interesting.

A-Track
~~~ Pinback - Microtonic Wave ~~~

Friday, March 03, 2006