Worldview

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Trust: the Economics of Ebooks

IMG_7670 In this season of buying, selling, celebrating, advertising…I’d like to take a moment to talk about ebooks. The market of ebooks actually reveals some profound facets of our philosophy, and points to the worldview that underlies our actions.

From the prices of ebooks (for which I’ll direct you to Jordan Smith) to DRM (which I’ll explain in detail), how authors and readers interact matters – both to how readers view writers and their works, and to how writers are compensated for the toil and tears they put into creating their book.

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“The Road to Dar Rodon” by Nat Russo

Too Short a Story for a Big World

"The Road to Dar Rodon" by Nat Russo — Kimia Wood Step into a fantasy world of mystic powers. Although the characters didn’t speak to me very well, the dirt under their feet, the towns on the horizon, and the “mythology” above their heads made me feel like Mr. Russo could just sign up a developer and Neverwinter Nights might have competition.
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Surprise, Don’t Tell: Half-life vs. Halo

It’s Not What’s Said, But What’s Not Said

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Image credit: es.Valve.wiki.com

There are different ways of “telling” someone something, and there are different ways of “showing” someone something. Don’t think that just because video games are largely visual experiences – rather than text – doesn’t mean they’re not “telling” (or, violently shoving information on the audience). Continue reading →

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Hint, Don’t Tell: Half-life 2

How It’s Done

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Photo credit: PC.gamespy.com

“Show, don’t tell.” We’ve all heard it. But applying it is something else, especially when there are different ways of showing and different ways of telling. I’d like to focus on one example of some first-rate “experience-giving” vs. “info-dumping”: Half-life 2. Continue reading →