Since the Law of Game Design opened I’ve used the same theme. I like it; it’s functional, easy to navigate, and has a nice picture at the top.

Recently, however, I’ve been thinking about changing things up a bit. I’d like, in particular, to keep posts about the goal of this blog and the limitations of this approach visible.

Most of the themes that allow for that dispense with the tag cloud and category list, although some of them make it accessible through a collapsible menu. Would losing those be a concern for you? Are they useful tools?

More generally, would you like to see a redesign? If so, to add (or remove) what functionality?

I suppose it had to happen sometime . . . .

My trusty laptop met its maker not too long ago, and now my desktop is having trouble as well. I had hoped to have the desktop back up and running quickly, but it seems that the problem is going to take some time to diagnose. Current possibilities include the motherboard, the RAM, and the operating system . . . in other words, it could be just about anything. 😉

Unfortunately, that’s left me typing this update on a mobile touch screen. This just isn’t the tool for writing an essay, so I’m going to ask for your forbearance while I look further into the problem. I’ll be back on Friday, one way or the other.

Wish me luck!

One thing I’ve found challenging at times is the balance between writing and designing. Normally, the two work in concert; knowing I have a post due pushes me to keep the design work going so that I’ll have something to talk about. From time to time, though, they do conflict; either a lengthy, complex post eats into design time, or the demands of design work prevent me from writing much.

I’m in the latter position right now, having spent the time I set aside for writing this post on a project I’m very excited about. I apologize for the brevity of this update, but I assure you: this game is worth it. 🙂

I’ve got a big announcement today. Starting in the fall I’ll begin a game design MFA at NYU!

Needless to say, I’m very excited. When I was a junior in college, my girlfriend asked me if I wouldn’t rather be studying something related to games rather than what I was doing. I responded that, unfortunately, a career in games wasn’t really accessible to any but a lucky few. Times have changed, and when that same woman—now my wife—renewed her suggestion, I decided the time was right to make the leap.

As you might imagine, there’s a lot involved in the transition between careers. Furthermore, I don’t know yet what my schedule is going to be like come the fall. It might therefore become necessary to change the update schedule. If so, you’ll see that here.

Thanks for joining me on my journey through game design up to this point. Here’s to the next leg of our trip!

Designers are often told that they should have a Twitter presence; they’re less often told why it will be useful and what they can expect to get out of it. That’s not a very compelling way to make an argument, so I thought it would be useful to be more specific about what Twitter has to offer. It turns out to be a pretty valuable tool–albeit one with some important limitations.

Below are some concrete advantages I’ve derived from Twitter. I don’t use it as actively as others, and based on my experience I would say that anyone can get these benefits with very little investment.

1. Tips and advice. There are great designers on Twitter who post about what they’ve learned, either directly or as links to articles. Reading their messages is a bit like sitting in on a conversation between masters of a craft; just listening can be informative.

2. Updates from organizations & people (that send out updates on Twitter). The Unpub group advertises local playtesting opportunities on Twitter. Cardboard Edison points out quality articles. Some designers use Twitter to announce when their latest games go to press.

3. Advertising. I’ve gotten some readers who found my posts on Twitter. (Welcome!) Posting there is a quick, free way to reach a broader audience when you feel you’ve created something—a game, an article, a podcast episode, a forum post, etc.—of general interest.

Of course, like any tool Twitter has its limits. These are the ones I’ve encountered or become aware of; I’m sure others have found more.

1. Difficult to build substantial relationships. You’ll note that “get to know people and make new connections” doesn’t appear on the list above. I haven’t found Twitter especially useful for that purpose, although that might be a function of my relatively limited use of the platform. As a general matter I would say that Twitter is more useful for finding people you want to build a connection with than it is for actually creating that connection.

2. Not everyone updates on Twitter. It’s still necessary to check many websites individually. Twitter can be a useful aggregator, but it’s not a one-stop shop.

3. The fuzzy boundary between chatting and marketing. In a field where successful designers become to some extent brands unto themselves, the line between personal statements and official ones can be very thin. It’s vital to think about how a tweet might be interpreted by readers, and how those interpretations might reflect back on your work.

4. Hostility and harassment. Although these are, thankfully, not part of everyone’s Twitter experience, they do occur. I wouldn’t blame anyone who looks at recent events and decides that they’d rather not expose themselves to an anonymous public in such an unmoderated way.

Despite the platform’s weaknesses, I think it’s worth having a Twitter account. Even a dummy one under a pseudonym is enough to follow along, which allows one to get benefits (1) and (2). The key is to find a way to interact with the platform that ensures one gets the advantages without running afoul of its pitfalls.

I’d fallen grievously behind on responding to comments over the past few weeks, so my work on the site today was devoted to remedying that situation. My apologies for the long delay!

I also added two new links, to Dave Sirlin‘s and Keith Burgun‘s websites. Both have a more theoretical bent than most, and are invaluable resources for people looking for that kind of information.

One of the things I keep in mind as I write posts is what’s been useful to readers in the past. Macro-perspective theory posts, for example, tend to generate a fair amount of interest, so I try to make them a regular feature on the site.

It struck me that while taking note of trends is valuable, it would also be perfectly good to just ask what people want to see. 😉 So: is there a topic you’d like to discuss? A conversation you’d like to have, or a form of media you’d like me to produce? Maybe a game idea to riff off of? The one request I’d make is that we avoid reviews; there are lots of high-quality sources for those already.

Let me know in the comments, on Twitter, or by email–and don’t feel like you can’t get in touch past a certain deadline. I’m always open to suggestions!

“I write when I’m inspired,” a quote I’ve seen attributed to several different authors goes, “and I see to it that I’m inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.” I try to approach game design with that mindset: it’s a creative endeavor, but it still benefits from being carried out with discipline and efficiency. To make the most of my design time, then, I’m turning a corner of one room in my home into a design office.

Right now most of my game design is done wherever happens to have the space I need. That works so far as it goes, but it’s not very efficient. Tools are in boxes that live in different places, and those places don’t necessarily have anything to do with where the projects are being carried out. It’s messy, inconvenient, and sometimes leads to lost time or materials.

In addition, the catch-as-catch-can approach to work space makes focused, efficient work more difficult. As a lawyer I never check websites for fun on the office computer; that computer’s for business, and using it only for business helps avoid distractions. Maintaining that delineation in my game design work is much more difficult at the moment, since I might very well be working at the kitchen table or in a comfy armchair.

The new space is intended to resolve both of those problems. It gathers everything I use in game design–computer, prototyping materials, legal pads for notes, etc.–into one place, with enough table area to be able to use it all. In addition, the space can be dedicated to work, with all the mental benefits that result.

Talking about this sort of project can be the enemy of doing it, so I’m going to keep today’s post brief. I’ll be back on Monday–hopefully with a more efficient workflow. 🙂