Context: Every mobile gaming company has their own system for describing different types of mobile games. In other words, a mobile gaming taxonomy or classification system. Unfortunately, no industry standard exists. Further, I've been very unhappy with the current taxonomies developed by the various research firms out there. As a good friend of mine stated recently to … [Read more...] about An Open-source Mobile Gaming Taxonomy
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“Key Risks” Based Mobile Game Pre-production
Context: Mobile game pre-production teams often focus on the wrong activities. An early focus on playables in software or building a game's core loop may be useful but not the best approach. Any team with limited resources should prioritize what's most critical to maximizing the success of a game. Unfortunately, the most common approach I encounter shortcuts or … [Read more...] about “Key Risks” Based Mobile Game Pre-production
Destructive Executives and the “Giant Spider” Problem
Introduction Steve Jobs was famous for creating some of the most successful products ever built. He made significant, positive impacts on the the product teams and with product decisions. However, with many executives we find the opposite phenomenon happening where high level executives make poor decisions that negatively impact products teams and product decisions. Steve Jobs … [Read more...] about Destructive Executives and the “Giant Spider” Problem
The World’s Greatest: Why Activision Needs to Acquire Glu and Ember Entertainment
Context: Huge pent-up demand exists for Blizzard IP based mobile games (e.g., Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo). We see strong market evidence of this demand in the countless number and success of infringing mobile games that operate without formal licensing with Activision Blizzard. Especially for fantasy gamers, the ultimate IP in mobile gaming is from Blizzard's … [Read more...] about The World’s Greatest: Why Activision Needs to Acquire Glu and Ember Entertainment
The “Strange Attractor” in Video Game Design
Context Before gameplay, mechanics, monetization, or any other key design consideration, a new video game design needs to consider the most important aspect of all: a good concept. Feature film screenwriter Terry Rossio (credits include Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin, and many others) developed the notion of a "Strange Attractor" to help other screenwriters … [Read more...] about The “Strange Attractor” in Video Game Design
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