Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Wii U to the cloning conundrum

In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including what defines a game clone, why the Wii U might not matter to the next generation, and more. In our weekly Best of Expert Blogs column, we showcase notable pieces of writing from members of the game development community who maintain Expert Blogs on Gamasutra. Member Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while the invitation-only Expert Blogs are written by development professionals with a wealth of experience to share. We hope that both sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information about the blogs, check out the latest official posting guidelines. Here are the top blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Expert Blogs Archetypical spaces, part 3: The maze (Martin Nerurkar) Martin Nerukar presents the third installment in his series looking into different archetypical spaces, this time looking at the maze, what it means for stories, presentation, and mechanics. The cloning conundrum (Josh Bycer) Josh Bycer studies the issue of cloning with major examples from this year, attempting to define some base rules as to when one game is a clone of another. Inquisitor: The sins of old-school design (Eric Schwarz) We love being nostalgic about old-school games, but what happens when someone releases a game 12+ years after its prime? Eric Schwarz examines Cinemax's Inquisitor to find out. A completely anecdotal account of why the Wii U might not matter to the next generation (Steve Fulton) Considering the Wii U's future, Steve Fulton points out, "I have three kids, aged 6, 9, and 14. They have been brought up with video games on all platforms, yet they rarely play traditional disc-based console games." Some thoughts on collaboration in the final mix (Rob Bridgett) The creative process starts and ends with professional, respectful collaboration. Rob Bridgett believes the final mix on a AAA video game production should certainly be no exception.