Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Auto Saving To Diablo 3 Auctions

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including how to fix the "impossible (auto save) scenario, the psychological considerations of Diablo 3's real money auctions, 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 Fixing the 'Impossible (Auto Save) Scenario' (Matt Christian) Independent developer and engineer Matt Christian argues that every designer should address the loophole problems in their design when it comes to game difficulty and the players worst enemy... auto save. How To Get Hired By An Indie Developer (Robert Boyd) Zeboyd Games's Robert Boyd (Cthulhu Saves the World, Breath of Death VII) offers advice on what indie developers are looking for in a new recruit, and warns would-be applicants about what small studios do not want. The Psychological Considerations Of Diablo 3's Real Money Auctions (Taekwan Kim) Following Blizzard Entertainment's announcement that Diablo 3 will feature real money auctions, Taekwan Kim asks, "What does this mean for, or say about, the player experience in loot-centric games?" Read, Listen, Learn: How To Keep Your Customers From Hitting Cancel (Robert Levitan) Pando Networks CEO Robert Levitan describes the vagaries of establishing installs in free-to-play gaming, from download speeds to the download client, and how the experience differs from country to country.