Technology

Go Farther: DateSims?

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Datesims have a rather creepy reputation in the US.  The ones we see from Japan often contain questionable content.  By questionable of course I mean soul-searing horror that would make Cthulu call for his mommy and curl up in a blanket.  Yes I know there are Datesims that don't have objectionable content, you just don't hear about them that much.

Except I'm thinking Datesims may have more of a future.  I'm not talking that people will begin playing them instead of Modern Warfare 2.  But I'm thinking that the time may be right for more of them in  . . . well places that aren't Japan.  Oh, and datesims that aren't of a prurient nature.

Before you get scared, let me explain my logic.

  • Datesims are casual games.  Casual gaming has obviously been on the increase.
  • Their relatively simple nature would let them take advantage of the increased use of Downloadable content – reducing the cost, reducing the investment.
  • Let's be honest, the standard Datesim is not overly complex as a piece of technology.
  • Romance is always a big genre, and companies doing romance novels (Hey, Harlequin, want ANOTHER initiative?) could jump on the bandwagon.
  • Their multimedia nature may tie-in well to people's interests.

So the reason I think Datesims have a future could be summed up as, I think they're viable because you can deliver them fast and cheap, they'd have good appeal, and you have audiences that would be interested in them.  If anything, I see the marketing being a bit troublesome – you'd probably have to call them "interactive romance novels" or something.

I don't see them as being big business (though I see the "interactive novel" idea having more of a future), but I think they may be a viable product for some companies, and a valuable addition to publishers of romance novels and products.  After all, if you got a modern anime-style artist to do a Datesim/romance with hunky vampires, and it cost $10 with the purchase of a novel, and maybe had unlockable desktops and themes – yeah, I think it'd sell.

– Steven Savage

Operating System Battles: Not what we think?

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I recently moved to a Macintosh for my major home computer.  It does everything I need it to do, comes with my preferred web development language and server I can use for development, and lacks a lot of the problems I got tired of with Windows.  Simply, after evaluating everything, I realized I wasn't going to count on Windows 7 to fix issues, and liked the consumer-electronic focus of the Mac.

Of course, I also use a Windows Netbook from Asus that, as readers know, I quite adore.  Its small, fast, and efficient, and was very cheap.  Since I don't use it for excessive amounts of activity (mostly travel and writing), I keep it set up for limited use, with plenty of security, to avoid problems with Windows.

Then there's my cell phone, and I'm looking at Android . . .

The point of all this?  I think the idea that people are "dedicated" to one Operating System of any one kind is ridiculous, and is probably going away.  OK Hopefully IS going away.

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The Technology Timeshift and Careers

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We all know technology has changed how the world works, careers, go, and so on and so forth.  However I think one thing technology has done to careers – especially fannish and geeky ones – is that it's created an odd timeshifting effect.

Technology has the obvious effect of making a lot of things faster and easier to do and distribute to people.  The upside of course is obvious – the downside is that EVERYONE is able to do and distribute more things faster.  Everything is faster but the competition is the same – if not moreso.

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