Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From PSAs To Multiplayer Organisms

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 Time, Perspective, Value, Creativity. James Hofmann Working on an indie game with a small team and working on an indie game with no team are very different scenarios. James Hofmann has been doing the latter for six months, with at least another two to go, and he shares a number of his observations and lessons. Opinion: Create a Real PSA Against Online Hate Speech Reid Kimball Responding to this week's flare-up around Infinity Ward's "Fight Against Grenade Spam" promotional video for Modern Warfare 2, Reid Kimball calls on developers to craft spots that discourage, rather than implicitly encourage, hurtful speech online. Narrative Design And The Impending Tragedy of Getting What You Ask For Anthony Hart-Jones "Narrative designer" is a relatively new individual on the team, even in the still-shifting world of defined game development roles. Anthony Hart-Jones explains how he inadvertently became one. The Conundrum of the Multiplayer Mindshare Nick Halme Releasing a multiplayer-only game is one of the most dangerous moves a developer, particularly a small developer can make. The multiplayer game sphere is dominated by an extremely small group of top games -- some genres can claim only one or two major titles. Nick Halme delves into the "single-celled organism" of multiplayer gaming. Leaked Videos and a Cry for Help Benjamin Quintero Hey, marketers: Can we stop having all the games spoiled, please? I mean, seriously.