Serious Editorial
Struggling to Define "Gimmick" in a 3DS World
I examine the gamer's need to be the first to label a gimmick as a gimmick, and what that truly means in the games industry. I also write about initially writing off the DS, only to come around to it and be excited, but be disappointed with all of the un-used potential, and how all of that factors into what I think may become of the 3DS.
When Will Gamers Wake Up to the Wii?
This article was sort of a message to the hardcore gamers of the world that the Wii has plenty of exclusive, quality games for them to play.
The Generation Video Game Series
Fellow gamer dad, Andrew Hiscock, and I took to writing a weekly column entitled, Generation Video Game. It examined gaming with a child, gaming's effect on the culture our children are growing up in, and how all of this will be in the future. This series was planned out and pitched to Bitmob prior to posting, and Dan Hsu and Demian Linn agreed to promote it straight to the front page every week. For the most part I published the ones that I wrote, but I also contributed to #1 and #8, which were published under Andrew's name.
Leaving More to the Imagination
I make a case for games leaving more of their story to the imagination, and compare it to some of my favorite music.
The Demise of Split-Screen Multiplayer
A frustrating experience at my friend's house lead me to pontificate the future of split-screen multiplayer.
Healthy Tips for Fitness Games
After catalouging my experiences with EA Sports Active on Bitmob, I decided to write up some wishes I had for the next line of fitness games that had just been announced at E3.
Casual Games Defining New Genres
This was the story I pitched to John Davison, but due to him being out of town at the time he didn't get it until after I had published it on Bitmob. He asked for the link later though, and seemed to enjoy the article, which lead to the interview I conducted with him.
The Discussions
Backlog Brigade: Eternal Darkness and Designing a Timeless Game
This was the first result of a series I have since reimagined that aimed to help me play through my "pile of shame". I only managed to get one of the people who played Eternal Darkness with me to actually sit down and discuss it, but I think it turned out pretty well.
An Exercise in Futility: A Shadow of the Colossus Debate
Shadow of the Colossus being one of my favorite games of all time, I was shocked to meet someone who absolutely despised it. So I told him we had to talk it over, which meant we mostly circled each other for awhile before I threw in the towel.
The Interviews
Canabalt Creator on Simple Games, Big Publishers, and Escaping the City (or Not)
The creator of the flash/iphone hit, Canabalt, was nice enough to answer some questions for me about my then current gaming obsession. I originally concieved of this interview as shorter than my normal size interviews, and then I asked follow-ups because he gave shorter answers and I had more questions.
Always a Rebel: A Nick Suttner Interview
This was the interview that taught me how many hoops you have to jump through to land some interviews. Since Nick now works for Sony, their PR had to approve every little detail in each step of the interview. Luckily, Nick is one of the nicest guys around and was willing to go through all of the steps it took.
An Interview with John Davison: The Parent's Gateway to Gaming
I pitched an Op-Ed piece to John Davison back during his What They Play days, and while I didn't get it published, he did agree to an interview.
A Twitterview with The Brothers Minotti
A Twitterview with Andrew Hiscock
The Bitmob Twitterview was invented by another avid Bitmob writer, but I helped him out by conducting a couple of them. Doing them over Twitter definitely limits the length, but they were fun to do.
The Humorous/Experimental
Nintendo Announces the DSi Gigantic
I thought it'd be fun to write a mock press release after Nintendo announced the DSi XL, announcing an even bigger DSi. It went over pretty well with people, and was fun to write. It was meant more as a joke than any sort of commentary on the DSi XL. I actually really want one of those.
Ornithology-Mob: Putting Scribblenauts to the Bird Test
I really wanted to write about Scribblenauts, but everything that could be said about it had already been said a thousand times. So I decided to put my brother's degree in Environmental Science to good use and have him help me try to outsmart the game. Curious if the birds in the game's database match up to the descriptions of someone who's lived in the woods counting birds... twice? Well, here you go.
The Dreamcast's Death Through the Character's Eyes
This was a goofy fanfiction that I wrote when community member -- now Community Manager -- Andrew Hiscock, was holding a Dreamcast fanfiction contest to win his Dreamcast. It was good enough to win me the Dreamcast, but it may be an embarrasment to me now.
