Today, boring work turned into exciting discussions on games.
The sociology of games and the gamer mentality was a hot discussion. Who knows, this might be the chance for some positive reinforcement for all of that hard gaming work I have been doing.

:-P

I have attached my notes below. . . for all that is worth.

Byron Reeves
Stanford University

 Science of Fun
Experiments about social responses to games and implication for designing work

Empirical psychologist about how they respond to interactive communication methods.
Sensitive to nonverbal responses.

Workflow, accounting and other computer-assisted mediation of tasks are just as liable to receive play characteristics as games.

Technology does not equate to games lo-fi (D&D)

Games are changing the workforce. Most companies have a committee to explore game technology in technological areas.

New book: Edward Castronova Synthetic Worlds
Tom Malone: The future of work

100 million Americans played video games last week.
10% of Korea is playing Lineage

Average age of game players is 26-29

13 things good games have (and enterprise software could copy)
1. Self representations
2. Representations
3. Narrative
4. Feedback
5. Ranks and levels
6. Marketplace
7. Communication
8. Teams
9. Time pressure
10. Rules
11. Tasks
12. Assets
13. Worlds

Games and work:
·        Beyond games and learning
·        Embedding work in games

It is true, i talked about it before when I was complaining about one of the PSP updates, but waiting is the best game ever!!!

I had my game company interview, and now I am just waiting on them to tell me what is what.

So yesterday I went home from work (because I was sick) and played FFII for a few hours while my wife slept. That was great. Problem: I died and hadn't saved. . . yeah, not so fun.

But I did get to go to a focus group for an upcoming Star Wars game. That was fun! Sounds cool. Sounds next-gen. Hopefully it will deliver on their promises.

It rained a bit last week.

One of my coworkers and I were walking between buildings to go to lunch and we were discussing how wonderful the just-after-it-rains smell is. She is originally from Taiwan, but finds the odors of post-rain ozone more pleasant in Palo Alto.

On the subject of wet, another of those zany xbox360 commercials has premiered:
http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/FBB86DEB-7BE7-49CF-AF2E-27406FFF562D/0/vidxboxcommercial001Hi.asx

I find this one more compelling than the jump rope commercial. I don't know why. I guess there is something inherently violent, and yet playful in having a waterballoon fight. I suppose that is exactly how playing games on the 360 is intended to be. . .except not as moistening.

No, no it has nothing to do with Diablo III.

This entry is just another confession that I still play Diablo II. . .from time to time.

It's like cake. . . or maybe not.

Last night was Tira Misu, today was carrot. Last night I was longing for non-alcoholic, non-coffee-laden foods, wheras today had a glut of sumptuous morsels to draw from.

It reminds me of being in the Sony GAP, versus the Gamespot forums. Nothing is really exciting about Sony's GAP. Sure the illusion of elitism is present for the Sony club, but the clear contribution at Gamespot is available.

Where will I continue to blog about cake and games? Right here, baby. Especially during my helium stick exercises:
http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/HeliumStick.html

I am sleepy.

I just had dinner.

Accounting is boring. Class is stressful.

Now for more.

Zzzzzzzzzzz

Remember when a two-player game meant you and your buddy used to fight the forces of evil together?

Remember games like Contra, Altered Beast, Ikari Warriors, and Life Force?

What happened to make Halo the best co-op experience of the current generation? It seems that somewhere out in the nethers of the 90s either people or developers (not that they are mutually exclusive) forgot to have fun together, without being in opposition to one another.

I understand competition, but must that be the only multiplayer option? Even in the 'Craft games by our friends at Blizzard included a you-and-your-friends-versus-the-computer options. Why is that no longer possible?

I guess I'll just go back to fraggin' my friends with my friends.

So it turned out that my coworkers all got together to throw my wife and I a baby shower!!!

It was fun. One of my German coworkers made a couple of kuchen, and they all pitched in for 12 weeks of diaper service!! VERY cool. My wife is still excited over the prospects of having someone else wash diapers for the first four months we have the baby.

So, the work day is slowing to a stop, and she and I need to go.

Happy trails!

So, I told one of my coworkers that I am looking for work. . . other work. She wasn't surprised. Little do others know. . . or maybe they do.

All I know is it is game night tonight! Send your wife to women's night, cuz the guys are getting together for some Xbox! This will be a much-needed break from work, school, and the general malaise of life.

Hopefully we'll play some Halo, or Halo 2. . . who knows? All I know is I have another interview next week. Booyah!