Wii programing tools for indies / Are Goals and Art incompatibles?

Two interesting links to start the week with:

- Winning as a Goal is Incompatible with Art, (via Raph Koster)

- Nintendo to offer original game downloads for Wii - great news for indies! (via Man Bytes Blog)

Spammers keep using my domain, although i´m pretty sure they´re not using my mail server (different IP). Let´s hope it ends soon.

Still hijacked by spammers

Spammers are still using my domain [at} nongames [dot} com to send spam, generating huge amounts of returned email (and even some complaints) sent to my mailbox.

If anyone has any idea of what to do, please help.

What do you do when spammers use your domain?

Opening my nongames(dot)com mailbox (which I never use), I noticed a large amount of returned email messages - which is odd, since I don´t use those mail accounts. It happens that someone (or a large group of spammers) is sending spam using my domain.

I´ve already contacted my host, and they should reply soon, but does anyone know what can be done in cases like this?

Thanks in advance.

Low-risk, fast-paced, instant gratifications

It´s weird how the finished demo has become different from the original idea. The greatest contrast is in the intended rhythm of the game: I had in mind a very slow-paced, zen game. Instead, it is now close to an "instant gratification" game. Not so much of a challenge - it´s very difficult to get a game over screen - but still fast paced.

I´m not sure that´s better or worse than the initial intention, but maybe that´s what a "casual non-game" is supposed to feel like. Almost like gardening for the Popcap generations.

flora gameplay video

You might need to access the page (and not the feeds reader) to watch the video:

2 minutes - more than enough to learn how to play and start creating.

Demo almost complete

Flora's demo is almost complete - too bad it's not an unlockable demo, but something I will have to make into a full game afterwards. Anyway, I have a deadline I cannot skip. At all.

Although it's not as complete or polished as I would like it to be, I must say I'm actually enjoying to playtest the game. Many things could be bettered, but I feel it's somewhat fun to play it (although I know it's not everyone cup of tea). That's something I would not say one or two months away, when I was quite frankly upset about it. That's changed now. Good.

Is it natural for designers have such bipolar feelings about their creations?

Well, back to work.

Open course in games / interactive entertainment at the MIT website

Course Description
This course examines the interplay of art, science, and commerce shaping the production, marketing, distribution, and consumption of contemporary media. It combines perspectives on media industries and systems with an awareness of the creative process, the audience, and trends shaping content. There will be invited discussions with industry experts in various subject areas. Class projects will encourage students to think through the challenges of producing media in an industry context. CMS.610 is for undergraduate credit, whereas CMS.922 is for graduate credit. Though the requirements for graduates are more stringent, the course is intended for both undergraduate and graduate students.

It´s a 15 week course. Judging from the reading list, it´s broad in content - but not superficial.


Get it on their website.

(via Gamereporter.org)

linked and out

This website doesn´t get linked very often, so I´m pleased to say that Brazilian portal no mínimo´s new game section, entitled Jogatina, has placed a link to us. Not only for that, but also because Jogatina is just as good as anything else on no mínimo, I´m placing a link to them on my list as well.

And since we´re talking about Game-related news websites, here is the link to my first contribution to the website Gamereporter.org. No need for me to place a new link to this one, since it´s on my list for some time now.

Super Columbine Massacre RPG excluded from Slamdance

That's such a shame.

(does anyone know which sponsors caused that?)

Update: no sponsors caused that. Read it here.

Play with Fire

I'm pleased to say that Play with Fire, the new title designed by Chris Bateman which also features levels created by Patrick Dugan, is now available for download and purchase.

Get it on Manifesto Games.

Congratulations to the team!

Jesper Juul on open and expressive games

Without a Goal: On Open and Expressive Games is the new article by Jesper Juul, where he discusses games with no goals (and/or games that allow some kind of free play). Not to be missed, this article will be reprinted on the forthcoming book Videogame/Player/Text, edited by In Tanya Krzywinska and Barry Atkins.

Read it now.

Happy new year

My inital plans for 2007 have somewhat suffered a drawback - the casual game demo I´m working on will be, initially at least, just that: a casual game demo. Still, let´s not get pessimitic, but hope 2007 turns out a great year!

Happy 2007, everyone.