Career

End Time For The Games Console

by

The Consumerist makes the case that it’s going to be over.

Their basic arguments are that it’s:

  • Cost Effective
  • Disc-less
  • Pirate-averse.

I’d also add that:

  • People are interested in multifunction devices.
  • Gaming has spread into multiple venues, “diluting” the idea of a dedicated game console.
  • Game consoles are rushing to be semi-PCs anyway except for the Wii U.

Now let’s talk careers here – what does this mean for game developers?

How many people are ready for this shift, if real?

How many will suddenly have useless skillsets?

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

 

Wildstar, Game Design, and Independence

by

spellslinger_logo_mb_large

So you may have recalled I was looking forward to Wildstar Online. If you haven’t been paying attention to the MMO scene, it’s an SF MMO with fantasy elements and a deliberately cartoony style that’s been in development awhile. Also it has erudite space zombies (the Mordesh), a race of whose males are micro-bishounen Wolverines (The Aurin), and psychotic super-scientific squirrel-aliens (the Chua), so it’s not exactly your typical space romp.

(I predict around about Guardians of the Galaxy, a lot of Chua with names like “RokkitRaccoon” and “JamesRocketRaccoon” will pop up. Just warning you now.)

So I’d been looking forward to it enough I bought it pre-release and played the beta. And, yes I was a Spellslinger, but rolled Scientist not Settler because this is me. If you’re playing the game and/or know me, you get it.

So essentially I’ve decided to play awhile now that it’s out. I don’t have a long-term relationship thing with any MMO I tried, so I figure it’ll be something I play for a few months during my normal “game time” until I get tired of it. I only have so many hours in the week to play and I bound it carefully.

But it’s why I chose to play that is interesting- and is the subject of this column as I think it shines some light on the world of game development that’ll be useful to professional geeks.

As you may know I’ve been on an indie kick, which seems to be defined by “Playing FTL and other stuff.” Wildstar intrigued me enough that I decided to give it a go, however, because it felt well-crafted. There was just a sense of precision, of almost artisanl creation.

Then I realized it. This big, sprwawling, AAA MMO had parts that felt like an indie game.

Read more

Competitive Gaming Is Definitely A Thing

by

We hear about Competitive gaming, but seriously, it’s a big thing.  You don’t get mentioned in the Consumerist for being a flash in the pan – unless that’s the subject.

I hate to say it, because it seems cheesy, but if this thing keeps growing you may have to look into it for career options.  if only to sate your own curiosity.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.