PackRat has just launched a subscription option for players called PackRat XL. I had a feeling this was going to happen sooner than later. Judging from the forums, it appears to have been well received dispite the backlash of the original ticket launch. This move rounds out a solid revenue model short of advertising, but [...]
The guys at Alamofire just released a HUGE update to PackRat, entitled Ratzilla. Lot’s of new changes that I have yet to go through.
But the REALLY big news is that they’ve now implemented a revenue stream via a dual currency system. You can now buy tickets, which can in turn be used to buy items [...]
I came to the realization today that designing a game is a lot like *playing* a game. It often feels like the solution already exists, and it is simply my job is to uncover it. An infant game design is like a giant disassembled puzzle of disparate parts. The parts have to put together in [...]
I’ve been giving some thought to how my game designs would perform on various platforms, and how the typical usage model of a platform affects gameplay and potential engagement.
For example, playing a game on a home desktop computer affords very little inherent interruption of gameplay. You’re in a comfortable and stationary position; it’s easy to [...]
I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of designing casual/social games but during the course of learning I’ve discovered a number of key differences between web application design (my forte) and game design. My plan is to pass this information along as a series of posts I’ll call “Learning Game Design” (I know, not [...]
Brenda Brathwaite (whose blog should be a staple in any game designer’s feed reader) and Ian Schreiber (who’s blog I have not read, and who’s feed I can’t seem to subscribe to) have just finished a new book entitled Challenges For Game Designers. I just pre-ordered a copy and I’m excited to check it out. [...]
You may have noticed that I haven’t been writing in the last month or so. I wanted to give you a little insight as to why. As I’ve written about in the past, I’ve been watching the social gaming wave very closely. I’m a huge fan of MMO’s, and with the rise of this new [...]
I’ve been amassing a rather large collection of game design related blogs. I thought I share a few of my daily reads. Some are directly related to game design, others indirectly. If you’re in the web space and you’re not following what is happening in the social/casual/mmo gaming space, you’re missing out. Here are a [...]