Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Virtual Goods To The Purpose Of Games

In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including the implementation of virtual goods, a message to developers in Dundee, and the purpose of games. 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 - Game Design, Virtual Goods And Social Games (Michael Fergusson) Examining virtual goods from a sociological perspective, Michael Fergusson discusses what motivates players to buy social goods, and how games can incentivize players to purchase these items. - Where Shank's Boss Battles Went Wrong (Nick Halme) Nick Halme discusses the boss encounters in Klei Entertainment's Shank, and examines where the game took missteps in its execution, offering his advice on the necessities of good boss design. - Dundee Dispatch (Jamey Stevenson) Jamey Stevenson offers his condolences to the former employees of the struggling development studios in Dundee, and offers an optimistic outlook on the situation, confident the region will recover from its economic struggles. - Randomness In Games... Why? (Eric Lagel) Games oftem make use of randomness in various ways, and Eric Lagel discusses its various forms,noting which can be beneficial to gameplay and which often detract from it. - The Purpose Of A Game (Gabriel Lievano ) We all enjoy playing games, but not all of us realize why; Gabriel Lievano explores the purpose of a game, discussing the game's intention, as well as a user's motivation for playing it in games in the first place.