Gamasutra expert blogs: From mobile predictions to JRPG heroines

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including four bold predictions for mobile gaming in 2012, JRPG warrior heroines, 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 Game Descriptions, Rules, And Mechanics: What Are The Differences And Similarities? (Lewis Pulsipher) A video game design student was told to describe mechanics for a game, and his instructor told him he’d written rules instead. The rules for a tabletop game detail the mechanics of the game, so what is the difference between rules and mechanics? What Will Play Out In 2012? Four Bold Predictions For Mobile Gaming Analysis (Jamie Hall) 2011 was a huge year for the mobile gaming industry, and 2012 promises to bring even even more growth and bigger revenues. Jamie hall offers predictions on changes in mobile games, the people who play them, HTML5, Android, and brands this year. The Top 20 Best JRPG Warrior Heroines! (Robert Boyd) Robert Boyd (Breath of Death VII, Cthulhu Saves the World) argues that the JRPG genre may actually be one of the most progressive genres when it comes to female roles. Sinning: A Saints Row The Third Analysis (Josh Bycer) Is there such a thing as an open world game that is too open world? If so, then Josh Bycer present to you exhibit A, Volition's Saints Row: The Third.