Gamasutra Member Blogs: From Game Ownership To Indie 'Bands'

Author: by Staff

In highlights from Gamasutra's Member Blogs, our bloggers write about diverse topics, including playtesting, symbolism in Myst, indie studios as "bands," and whether or not we really own what we buy. Member Blogs can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while invitation-only Expert Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- are written by selected development professionals. Our favorite blog post of the week will earn its author a lifetime subscription to Gamasutra's sister publication, Game Developer magazine. (All magazine recipients outside of the United States or Canada will receive lifetime electronic subscriptions.) We hope that our blog sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information, check out the official posting guidelines. Here are the top member blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Member Blogs - Do We Own What We Own? (Isaiah Taylor) In the age of server-side gaming and digital distribution, Isaiah Taylor asks if we really own the games that we buy. He warns, "prepare yourself for the day you turn on your console and for whatever reason you purchased the device for refuses to do that on thing." For his effort, Isaiah will receive a lifetime subscription to Gamasutra sister publication Game Developer magazine. - Video and Playtesting ( JorgeRodriguez) Jorge Rodriguez talks playtesting of his game, DigiTanks, offering his answers to some important playtesting questions. "The goal of playtesting is to see how people will play your game once it’s on their computers and the developer isn’t there to coddle them anymore," he writes. - When I Soar To Worlds Unknown: Symbolism and imagery in Myst (Xander Markham) Xander Markham takes "A retrospective look at Cyan's Myst … and its use of symbolism and imagery as a driving force for player exploration and immersion." - Game Design-Related Books To Check Out (Anjin Anhut) This aptly-named blog post is about game design-related books for you to check out. - Step 1: Start A Band (Raymond Ortgiesen) An indie game company is more like a band than a studio. Raymond Ortgiesen thinks indies could make an even bigger impact if they created a "scene" that's more in the vein of bands.