Seth Gorden

Rob: I wasn’t aware that even standard array types in C# were bounds checked
Rob:
double[] x = new double[32];
x[3] = 6;
Rob: x[3] now incurs function call + 2 asserts, thusly 2 branches
Rob: where as in C++, it’s an addition and possibly a multiplication if the complier doesn’t optimize it out (which it will in this case)
Seth: so you can’t code it wrong… it’s like bumper bowling
Rob: this is causing a good deal of the slowdown in this thing we’re supposed to be optimizing -_-;;
Seth: Honestly…. nobody goes Bumper Bowling and says “We do it because it’s highly sophisticated.”
Rob: hahaha
Rob: I like that
Seth: Seriously… you do it because it you don’t want to learn Bowling. You just wanna chuck a big heavy thing at some pins without the pain of direct and public failure.
Rob: lol

Okay, so it’s rant time. Everybody gets a turn. It’s the internet. Bear in mind that this is a rant, and therefore has narrow focus, for the sake of making a point and expressing thought. Ok. Ready. Go.

I want to go on an adventure. Who want to come? Everybody? I hope so. Now who is going to lead us? This is a question that needs answering. I’m going to discuss and pick on Square-Enix again, primarily because (more…)

Fanboys are everywhere. And some of them are finding interesting ways to bring their fan-tasies to life in their work. Final. Fantasies. As you can see, in the latest Squeenix massively multiplayer masterpiece, Charlize Theron is an Elf.

I just read a great little blog post. It comes from ManagerTools.com, which appears to be a collection of ideas and tools that encourage the improvement of management and business. By name it sounds dry, but there are some gems scattered in there.

Here is an article about Power.

I would put a quote or an excerpt from this post, but it’s so short and the message so succinct that it defies quotation. It’s great reminder of what it means to be powerful, and why that’s relevant, no matter where you are or what job you have. Give it a read.
And thanks to Aaron Melcher for the link to the website.

Who’s Influencing Who?

I’ve recently had a thought about the relationship of Game Design & Player Expectations. There have been complaints all over the internet that games are too easy, with “Burn the Rope” type objectives, too much focus on achievements or graphics, or any of several other common concerns among players attentive to the game industry.

I believe this has generated the idea among gamer-critics that designers are creating a whole new set of expectations among players, giving rise to a generation of fast-paced, short games that do not necessarily appeal to the tastes of hardcore gamers, or long-time casual gamers, or those with nostalgia for the good ole’ days. But I’ve had some thoughts recently, which lead me to believe that players themselves (even the hard core ones) are shaping the game designs we see coming out, perhaps more than we think. The subject of my pondering is centered around the Final Fastasy series, as it has been all over the news recently, with much controversy.

(more…)