Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Anti-War Agendas To PR Tours

In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including how games should present war, the problems with Microsoft’s Kinect, and suggestions for conducting a PR tour. 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 official posting guidelines. Here are the top blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Expert Blogs - Do We Have A Moral Obligation To Make War Games With An Anti-War Agenda? (Nick Halme) We see warfare portrayed in games constantly, yet we often see it through a filter of Hollywood showmanship and adrenalin-pumping thrills. Nick Halme argues that in order for games to mature as a medium, warfare has to be about more than entertainment; at times, games must acknowledge the horrors that accompany such conflict. - Mindie – Bridging The Gap Between Mainstream And Indie (Alistair Doulin) The dichotomy between mainstream and independent development suggests that there is no room for developers to find success in anything but big-budget or small, indie titles. Alistair Doulin, however, suggests that a healthy middle ground exists between these two disparate methods of development. - DisKinection: How Microsoft Has Lost Focus (Tadhg Kelly) Tadhg Kelly examines Microsoft’s Kinect and explains why he feels its unproven functionality, Wii-inspired software lineup, and its aim at a casual audience will only hurt the product in the long run, and why Microsoft should return their focus toward traditional hardcore players. - Games: Seeing The Strategic Possibilities (Lewis Pulsipher) Lewis Pulsipher examines strategy in games, and how less attentive players can miss the choices or strategies available to them, asserting the need for players to fully assess what they play rather than only experiencing games in a shallow, inattentive manner. - Haunted Temple Studios’ First PR Tour: Lessons Learned (Borut Pfeifer) Haunted Temple Studios, currently developing the downloadable title Skulls of the Shogun, recently went on its first PR tour. The team’s Borut Pfiefer discusses the lessons they learned and offers several tips to help developers when showing their games to the press.