GDRS impressions

Jesper the Ludologist has posted his impressions on our GDRS event. Quite accurate ones, I would say!

I'm working on the pleasure types Jesper mentions at the moment, basically introducing subtypes and making some revisions with the help of theories about emotions' cognitive structures...I hope to post a bunch of my chapter drafts, including this one, during June/July.

finished another one!

I finished another game. It's becoming a habit!

Well ok, I know that both BG:DA2 or Prince of Persia are not that long nor difficult, but hey, they both managed in something that too few games today do - they fitted into my personal time slot dedicated for gaming, without being overtly expansive and hardcore difficult. This, and the emphasis on environmental rather than combat challenges, is what makes PoP much more enjoyable for me personally than Ninja Gaiden. Despite the katanas and oriental settings, even!

We also played Reiner Knizia's recent card game Spy over the weekend. Simple game with light strategy. It's rather good, and works quite fine for two players! A week earlier we got Manga Manga, another card game with a theme to die for. It's quite ok too, but its real-time nature does not work as well with only two players... still, card games serve for a refreshing change every once in a while.

ball games

My Atletico Madrid finally won the division one championship in WE7I. Just in time for the announcement of WE8 (due in August), so I might as well start waiting for that.

I've been playing some Katamari Damashii, the Japanese roll-around-and-attach-things-to-a-ball from Capcom. It is so weird. But fun :)

Also, I began Ninja Gaiden. I find it hard, as was expected...and find myself comparing it to the recent Prince of Persia. Both are incredibly polished, but still I prefer the latter. Even though the Ninja theme is certainly my cup of tea, much more so than one with Persian royalty, I find some of the old school stuff (invisible walls, boss fights) in NG a bit tedious. Gaiden does not seem to have any of the environmental puzzles of Sands of Time - everything is geared for combat. But ok, it's early days for me, so I'll give it a some more tries - juts don't expect me to be able to finish this one ;)

Game Design Research Symposium - brief afterthoughts

Last week disappeared somewhere, and this one is a broken one as well...but our GDRS a week back in Copenhagen was basically a success. Sure, there's room for improvement, but generally we had an ideal bunch of about thirty inspired participants. Many good discussions, and I believe the first steps into defining 'design research' and its boundaries, especially in relation to games were taken. A selection of the papers will appear in a Game Studies issue later this year, so stay tuned for that. There is also a book project in the works.

Many ideas and suggestions for a follow-up event emerged, so I guess us organizers are trying to come up with a sequel within a year's time. From my part, thanks to everyone participating, and also to my fellow organizers!

off to Copenhagen

Later today, I'll hop to Copenhagen for our Game Design Research Symposium and Workshop. It should be good with lots of cool colleagues and friends! I'll post a recap next week.