November on WAMTNG
November 30, 2022
Here's your monthly WAM round up for November:
Sci-fi fan? TNG fan? Please sign up for the WAMTNG newsletter at https://wamtng.substack.com
Sabbatical
November 01, 2022
Dear friends of the Game,
It is almost time for my Autumnal Social Media Break, but this year I have no plans to come back in December. The philosophical landscape hangs in the balance... I need to know if we are going to rescue our ideals of democracy, free speech, and open scientific discourse, or if those that seek this are to be forced underground into an ethical resistance to the New Empire that has seized control of the planet in a quite remarkable coup. I find it is too difficult to write philosophy without knowing if I should be preserving the ideals I have lived for all my life, or whether I need to be adapting to these 'new dark ages' by forming new trust networks outside and beyond the reach of imperial censorship. By early 2023, I expect this will become quite clear.
So I am taking a longer than usual sabbatical from my philosophical essays this Winter, although WAMTNG will keep boldly going where we've all been before... just slightly differently. I still would love to hear from you, so please feel free to comment on anything here at Only a Game - we have seventeen years of essays to talk about. I am still open for blog letters, as usual, I just probably won't be writing replies any time soon. And if you liked anything I wrote this year, I'd love to hear from you. It's always good to know when I am 'hitting the spot', and philosophy is a lonely enough vocation as it is, even without being a renegade philosopher such as myself.
I leave you with the hope of a human solidarity that truly delights in the unbounded diversity of human existence.
With unlimited love,
Chris.
Only a Game will return in the Gregorian New Year.
October on WAMTNG
November 01, 2022
Here's your round up of the October WAMs:
Sci-fi fan? TNG fan? Please sign up for the WAMTNG newsletter at https://wamtng.substack.com
Origins of Ghost Master, Part One
October 26, 2022
Over on ihobo.com today, the first of three special pieces to celebrate 20 years of Ghost Master. I'm working through all the haunters and exposing the obvious - and not so obvious - influences on their concepts and designs.
Check out Origins of Ghost Master, Part One!
Beyond Victory (Game Days 2022)
October 19, 2022
International Hobo founder and chief consultant Chris Bateman is returning to the Game Days conference, with a keynote entitled "Beyond Victory" at 11 am on Saturday 5th November. The event takes place in the beautiful city of Košice in the Slovak Republic, and attracts game developers from all over Europe. Chris talk is described as follows:
Everybody likes to win, but not everybody is willing to endure frustration to get there. Discover ten different psychological motives that players seek - and learn how to satisfy them all.
Building on International Hobo's acclaimed '10 Player Motives' model, Chris' talk is a perfect introduction to thinking about how and why players engage with games - and what game developers can do in order to exceed the expectations of their players.
Tickets start at €20, and are available from the Game Days website.