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XFunc_Portfolio > Idea
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 In this department you'll see some of
my work in writing,
appearances and panels, and other means I've acted to convey ideas and
insights.
By "ideas" I am talking about the creative insight and understanding that comes with
research, practice, focused thinking and plain old living and
observing.
Most of my work here is focused toward the field of interactive games;
since I've been engrossed by it for years, have done a lot of
serious work in it, and it happens to be such a lively art these days, just now being
discovered by the mainstream.
 Below is an archive of
older writings and presentations. Note that most require the
Adobe Acrobat Reader (get it
here free).
[You can see my most recent writings on my
home page>>>] |
Having returned from the recent Serious Games Summit 2005 I
find an observation buried inside me, something nagging to be let
out. [more>>>] |
I developed the game design course curriculum at the
Art Institute of Toronto in late 2004/early 2005, and stayed
there teaching for a few months until BreakAway Games snatched me
up. It was a fun experience, trying to help students channel their
wild dreams into the realities of game development. Some aspired
(typical for novice game designers) to build monster games that do
everything; but then found that often their best ideas were based
on whimsical flights of fancy tucked away in the closets of their
minds. It was good to have them engage the what-if, and try to
break out of the box of what everybody tells them a game has to
be. |
That term "game" is such a double-edged sword
(as I have written elsewhere). On the one hand implying fun and
lightness, on the other a term elemental in nature - it best describes what it describes.
The first, dedicated Serious Games Summit - which I attended in
Washington last week - would have been misnamed if it were the
"Simulation Summit" or something similar. Nevertheless, there is a
newfound openness to the idea - floating around the halls of the
Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington DC - that fun leads to faster "knowledge
transference" (a jargon term if ever I heard one); and that what
has been learned in the entertainment world can lead to more
effective (and less expensive) learning in real world fields
of education, military, medicine, et cetera. [More>>>] |
That Counter-Strike is a phenomenon
in the digital gaming realm is an understatement. Built and
released as a “mod” by some fan gamers in 2000, free to download
for anyone who owned Half-Life (the computer game, by
Valve, that it is a modification of), it has gone on to dominate
the online action gaming scene around the world. “CS” is
responsible for millions of Internet-minutes logged each month, is
played in LAN centres worldwide, and is even now played
professionally.
However, there are indications today that
Counter-Strike has reached a standstill. Gamers seem to be
moving on to other titles. It may be that Counter-Strike, once the
undisputed king of online action games, has reached its zenith and
is now on its way out.
What was it that made it so popular? Is it
dying out now, and if so, why? And what, if anything, can be done
to re-energize this amazingly dynamic and fun computer game?
[more
>>>
- requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader]
|
The way games get made today is at a
crossroads. The pundits of two competing perspectives on game
development and gaming itself – technological versus functional –
are now pulling the “vehicle” of games down unparallel paths...
[more
>>>
- revised 11 July 2004 - requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader]
|
The other day a Canadian soldier was killed in a suicide attack
in Afghanistan. In a radio interview on the CBC, the Canadian
co-commander of ISAF in Kabul – Major-General Andrew Leslie – let
his emotional involvement in the situation be known... [more
>>> -
requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader]
|
Recently, MTV
approached me, wanting to see my documentary
SERVICES,
to find out about Counter-Strike, and just why so many of
their former viewers are giving up TV to play this game – and a
whole slew of action games like it. It’s getting hard to ignore a
game that is basically captivating an entire generation of youth –
ones who, 20 years ago, would be heavily into what was then
“alternative” rock. However, in their internal musings over how to
tap into the energy of action games like Counter-Strike they have
run into a problem: It’s too damn violent!... [more
>>>
- Updated 16 DEC 2003 - requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader] |
 October
2003 - Screening & Presentation at International Academy of Design
& Technology
Held a screening on 30 October (2003) of
SERVICES: The
Counter-Strike Documentary for students of the videogame
program at the International Academy of Design & Technology.
Afterwards held some discussions with the students, particularly
around lessons-learned from the explosive growth of the
Counter-Strike gaming community. It's always fun talking, musing,
discussing about Counter-Strike - plumbing the depths that lie
under that great game. |
 September
2003 - The Globe & Mail Online: WWII & Gaming
Jason MacIsaac wrote an article recently for Globe Technology
online, questioning why WWII is such a popular topic among gamers
(in light of all the immensely successful games on that topic).
He interviewed me for the article - and gave me the final word.
Cool! Read it
here... |
 August
2003 - FRESH: The Culture of Gaming
Subtitled "Creativity & commercialization in video games", this
was a panel attended by XFuncer Tim Carter and others at
Harbourfront in August 2003. Here's the original copy from the
announcement...
In 2002, the videogame industry grossed more money than
Hollywood. Forget getting your name on a pair of Nikes -- athletes
and hip hop artists now compete for videogame endorsements.
Academics have been obsessed with the economics of online gaming
ever since EverQuest players started auctioning off virtual spells
and armour on eBay for real dollars. The question is, how is this
affecting the innovation of the video game format? This panel will
look at the issues surrounding creativity in video games as the
industry moves towards Hollywood-style economics, with bigger
budgets, longer development cycles and product and tie-ins. Andrew
Mactavish (McMaster University), Mark Moyes (Shift.com), Tim
Carter (game designer & filmmaker), and Tony Walsh (expert gamer)
will explore indie game development, new forms of interactive
storytelling, professional gaming, developments in online gaming
culture and the pros and cons of mainstreaming with respect to
innovation. |
XFuncer Tim Carter's presentation was one of three chosen among
the many there to be featured in the Toronto Star report on
Digifest 2003,
published about a week. Now this was really cool! You can read the
full story here... |
 March
2003 - Digifest Report
As some of you may know, I was a presenter at Digifest
2003 last month. I screened
SERVICES, then did a presentation about Counter-Strike as an
Electronic City (which it is when you consider the 20,000 plus
servers out there, many running 24-7, year round).
Here is
another bit of writing on my presentation - this time by a
magazine writer... |
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