The New Killer Platform for MMOGs is… FaceBook?

Since my last post was pretty theoretical, I thought I’d bring this back to earth a bit.
The MMOG market continues to be very hot, and possibly all but impervious even to our current economic chaos.  I continue to see MMOGs in development for ever broader demographics and more obscure (or focused) niches.  Despite the difficult [...]

Did Maslow get it wrong? (and why this matters for games)

You may be familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (more on this below the cut).  Maslow’s theory has heavily influenced the architecture of our AI technology, which is why I’m attuned to discussions of it or instances that support or undercut it.  Recently I ran across a theory in education known as “CBUPO,” an ungainly [...]

The Uncanny Valley (yeah you should know this already)

From James Portnow’s blog, a terrific Zero-Punctuation-style video on the Uncanny Valley.  You probably know what that is, but it’s worth watching the video and passing this on to others who don’t.  And if you don’t know what that is and how it applies to games and AI, you really should watch it.

Games for Learning?

People like games.  People also like learning — mostly.  And of course adults like it especially when their kids learn.  Many valiant attempts have been made to use games to teach kids or adults, but with few real, intentional successes.  This is largely an unknown art, and one where when learning does occur, it seems [...]

VWs and MMOGs: The Great Divide?

What’s the difference between a virtal world (VW) and a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG)?
No, the answer isn’t “lipstick.”
VWs and MMOGs are like estranged siblings.  They share a common background and future, but right now at least, they don’t talk too much.  I think a lot of this is artificial or the result of odd [...]

The Future of AI: Social AI

I’ve been talking a lot about “social AI” recently as a way to differentiate what we have been developing from “typical” or traditional AI.
The easy way to say this is “we don’t do pathfinding.”  Which isn’t entirely true (we have a simple but effective pathfinding mechanism), but it shows where our focus is(n’t).  Agents need [...]

Introductions All Around

A new blog!  How unusual!  How exciting!
Okay, what’s this all about?
In this blog I’ll be writing about artificial intelligence, game design, virtual worlds, massively multiplayer online games, social games, and a variety of usually related subjects.  I welcome topical, respectful discussion.
My background: I run Online Alchemy, a small company in Austin, Texas, specializing in online [...]