Comments on: Game Design Bloggery (She said, then he said, then I said…)

By: Babs

Babs — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:30:42 +0000

Humans have such a need to theorize, and creative types are prone to needing an audience. Most of the blogs I’ve read say strange things like, “this is how you need to design a game (written by someone who isn’t actively designing anything)”, and “this is how you design a game properly (by someone whose last title is mired in mediocrity).” They’re about as useful as the fan blogs where an entire game is dissected to its atomic core and rebuilt with visions of sugar plums dancing in the bloggers’ heads.

Of course, I’m from the music industry and it’s not like THAT profession has the same minefield of self-professed (and possessed!) in-the-know bloggers. Newp.

Heh.

By: Jait

Jait — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:14:00 +0000

Nice to see you blogging again. I should check the page more often for updates. =) Hope all is well in Hartsmantown.

By: Why a design blog? « Dancing Elephants

Why a design blog? « Dancing Elephants — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:05:45 +0000

[…] set out to do, make a splash to help build her personal brand within the game industry. Wolfshead, Scott Hartsman, Lum the Mad and others took the bait and it makes for an interesting […]

By: Mike Darga

Mike Darga — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:19:53 +0000

I think the purpose of my blog is very different than any of the examples you gave.

Generally any good designer has ideas which they jot down or discuss with friends, or thoughts that they need to kick around for awhile and see what comes of them. My blog has existed in public form for half a year or so, but it’s existed for almost a decade in notebooks and on scraps of paper or txt files.

The only reason to start posting thoughts online is because other people can see them there, but there are multiple reasons why you’d want people to see your thoughts. Here are mine:

* Clarity. Even when my blog had no readers, knowing that the posts were public was a good incentive to think things through and really spell them out in a clear way, rather than jotting down notes as I had been for so long.

* Accountability. Stating goals in a public space helps cement them, and admitting mistakes in a public space helps lock in those lessons.

* Resumes aren’t actually informative at all. I’d want any potential employers to take a look over my blog and make sure my philosophy and design style actually meshes with that of their company. In a way I want my blog to stop me from getting jobs.

* Then there’s the publicity thing. I do want my blog to help me get jobs. If someone reads my blog and realizes that they have a similar outlook as I do, and decides to offer me a place on their team, that’s swell.

I definitely think my blog will help my career, but honestly I think it will help for the first three reasons rather than the latter two. What writing the blog has done to my brain is definitely more valuable than whatever may come of people reading it.

HOLY CRAP HERE COMES THE PLUG WHAT A HYPOCRITE

mikedarga.blogspot.com

By: Upside Down Cake: Contrived Controversy in the MMO Blogosphere | Wolfshead Online

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 06:10:03 +0000

[…] we’re all playing the game now I’ll take her bait and take a stab at answering the […]

By: Almeric

Almeric — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:03:05 +0000

Not that I’m speaking of myself (lord knows I don’t write enough, though at least I can say I’ve updated more recently than Winter! *neener*), but what about Design Bloggers who AREN’T professionals? Do they ever blip onto the radar of pros like yourself, and do they ever offer insight that’s useful given their lack of practical experience?

By: Winwin

Winwin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:54:00 +0000

And tale = take. My iPhone mocks me once again.

By: Winwin

Winwin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:53:31 +0000

Classic example to tale as you will…

Horizons.

All. I’m. Sayin’.