I started to write this somewhat wonky piece for this blog, and realized that I had a column due at MMORPG. That happens to me a lot, lately. I got the kernel of the piece – that bit of research – from my friend and former minion Jeremy, who also wrote a blog post about it.
The article ended up being a little different from my intended writeup, because the audience there is more general than the seven of you, who read, presumably, because you care about community stuff.
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If you don’t stalk me on Examiner, I posted the news about Mark, and then I did a followup post to explain some nuances missed by people who read the strangely written announcement boilerplate and emerged confused.
A slightly more nuanced take on the general topic, if not specifics, appeared ten written drafts later at MMORPG.com. Gonna be my final word for awhile. My feelings are… mixed.
As soon as preorders are available for the tell all, I’ll let you know.
But I don’t just navel gaze, no sir. I’m still working on the football game. To that end!
If you are/were a Steelers fan, and if you ever wanted to ask Coach Cowher anything, my Quick Hit friends are doing a podcast with the illustrious coach as a guest. If you want to submit a question, send it to askacoach AT quickhit DOT com. Send your real name and address too – the chosen questions will get the asker’s name read out on the air, and you’ll get a thank you t-shirt. The contact information will go on a spam list over my dead body, so please send your real address.
Finally, if any of my team leads or guild leaders are reading this, and you think your various groups of players would like to take a break from elves and beta test a browser based football game, give me a buzz, please. Each “game” is 20 minutes long, maybe a half hour with the various extra bits.
Thanks!
I meant to throw this link out there earlier, but I was too busy hitting deadlines 
I have a column series at MMORPG.com called the MMO Underbelly, where I try to show the seamy, dirty, behind the scenes stuff of MMO production. The latest one is here, and you can find links to all the older ones under my cartoon picture. I love that picture, by the way. That’s how I wear my hair as a civilian, yes, and go ahead, make fun.
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This is sick fun.
I do not actually have swine flu.
I have some other kind of flu. The kind where you don’t want the details. Really.
Actually, it’s more like past tense, now. I’m upright, writing for some deadlines. I’m just not hungry and will never be hungry again.
Meanwhile, enjoy the game.
Article is here!
Basically… the kids are all right.
There was an article in one of the major dailies on how most people are actually fine, but all the gloom and doom in the papers is (are?) making us pull in our belts. That seems proven out by the people who say they’re fine, but are still cutting out discretionary spending items. I mean, 10% of the people self-described as “fine” are still not going out to dinner.
Thanks for your contributions, guys. I worked some of your themes into the article itself, so as usual, you guys make me sound smarter…
Just read this. Can’t comment, too busy laughing and forwarding to everyone I know.
Okay, one little comment.
Do you know how depressing it is to listen to a bunch of guys in their mid-thirties talking about how they’re pretty sure they’re next on the layoff merry go round, because they simply can’t sleep at the office and still function the next day? You don’t? Go work at a game company.
Enough of you clicked on my Examiner page that they decided I was overpowered for Baltimore. I am now the national MMORPG Examiner thanks to you people, so the link has changed. It’s now http://www.examiner.com/x-5353-MMORPG-Examiner
The elderly beagle you’re helping to support expressed her appreciation by horking up a wad of hair and carpet fuzz in the fireplace this morning. I do not know what this means.
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“But the guy who puts up one of those names thinks he’s the most startlingly original thinker since Einstein. Assuming Einstein was a coprophiliac.”
And with that, I would like to tell you guys where I’m ranting at this time.
One of “my” guild leaders from back in the Camelot days has been a pain in my ass and a thorn in my side for so long now that he’s practically a friend. One day, he pinged me and said, hey, you know what the world needs? A forum that is totally unmoderated.
Put down the bong, was my translated reply.
Fast forward several days, and I was on board to wrangle editorial content, and rant. What can I say – he’s got a plan, and even though it’s not foolproof (the internet is really good at inventing bigger fools), I do believe that his plan *can* work – and if anyone can pull it off, I think he can. Also, while there isn’t going to be traditional moderation, we can and will delete spam and kiddie porn and the like. But the intent is unmoderated, occasionally foulmouthed, always interesting discussion of games and the people who play them.
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Another GamerDNA article on Gamasutra: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22486
What’s funny is that the last one I did that went there, I’d written especially for them, but instead they did a… hasty… rephrasing. This one, I wrote for the GamerDNA audience, and wasn’t trying to draw any real conclusions, just point up some nifty patterns… and here it is under my name. But hey, Gamasutra. So I’m cool.