Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Conventions To Non-Regenerating Health

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including using conventions as a reality check for your game, non-regenerating health, PSP Minis vs. WiiWare, 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 -Using Conventions As A Reality Check (Alexander Bruce) Australian experimental game developer Alexander Bruce (Antichamber) explains why showing your game at conferences can be worth more than just the cost of entry. -Escaping the Clutches of the App Store (Alexander Brandon) Is the end of the application ecosystem near? Alexander Brandon doesn't think so, but he says HTML5 will gain traction among businesses and consumers, as developers gain greater freedom to build games across many platforms, free from the constraints of the app store. -In Defense Of Non-Regenerating Health (Megan Fox) Regenerating health is en-vogue lately, but is it really a good design practice? LEGO Play Well Studios's senior graphics programmer Megan Fox contends that the answer is a solid... sometimes -- but not terribly often. -Icon's PSP Minis Adventure (Richard Hill-Whittall) Icon Games' Richard Hill-Whittall shares his company's experiences working with PSP Minis, contrasting the studio's pleasant time developing for that platform against "the pain of WiiWare".