Challenges for Game Designers by Brenda Braithwaite and Ian Schreiber

     Challenges for Game Designers gives a brief description of game design components in each chapter and challenges the reader to use said components in non-digital exercises. These non-digital exercises take the form of essays, paper prototypes, and group activities.
     Brenda Brathwaite and Ian Schreiber do a great job of getting the reader's feet wet in real life game design scenarios, however I would not recommend this book as someone's first introduction to the world of game design. Design components are not expanded upon in great detail, and often times the author cites a url or lists another book for the reader to explore in order to find more information on the topic being discussed. Challenges for Game Designers is best read after, or in conjunction with, another source that goes into further detail on game design components (like Jesse Schell's Art of Game Design).
     With that said, Challenges for Game Designers is a game changer (pun intended). It is not Brenda and Ian's explanation of design theory that makes this book so valuable, but the way they encourage the reader to practice thinking through game design challenges. I recommend this book for anyone who has a basic understanding of game design and is ready to start practicing the art.

**Side note: There is one chapter on the subject of video games as art. I have encountered this topic several times so far in my studies, and it seems as if this is the civil rights movement for the video game industry. The authors of Challenges for Game Designers are very passionate about this subject and provide some strong arguments for why video games should be viewed as art. I will have to explore this topic further.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow

     

     Much of my recent study has involved the history of Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). While the ETC is famous for being a top notch program for those looking to enter the entertainment industry, it is also famous for another reason: Randy Pausch. Randy co-founded the ETC and passed away shortly after of pancreatic cancer. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world have been transformed by Randy and his famous “Last Lecture.” I watched Randy’s speech for the first time as an undergrad at WVU. At the time, I remember thinking, “Wow, what a great speaker. What a shame he passed away,” and then I carried on with my life. I did not really think about his words or the impact they had on the world.
     After having a good grasp of the ETC and why it is such an amazing place, I decided to watch the Last Lecture again. I was much more emotionally involved this second time around. When Randy pulled his wife on stage to have a crowd of 400+ people sing her happy birthday, I was truly touched. I also possess a better understanding of the ETC characteristic Randy discussed: the Building Virtual Worlds (BVW) class, Randy’s co-chair at the ETC, Don Marinelli, and Randy’s successor to teach BVW, Jesse Schell. It was special to know more about these topics. It makes me appreciate how awesome it must have been to be in the room with Randy during his Last Lecture.

     The book form of The Last Lecture written by Randy Pausch and Jeff Zaslow not only reiterates the points that Randy touched on in his lecture, but expands upon these points and details the events leading up to Randy’s speech. Randy’s book is a short read filled with many golden nuggets. His book could be read as a daily devotional; in fact, I recommend reading it in that way.

     There is one part in the book that had my eyes watering. It is revealed when Randy brings his wife, Jai, on stage, she whispers in his ear “please don’t die” while they hug. Randy then fights back tears and hurries to finish the rest of his speech. That is one of the saddest things I have ever read and touches upon one of the messages in Don Marinelli’s book, love. The love and strength Jai showed during the end of Randy’s days while supporting him and their three kids was amazing. Randy’s love for his family to make sure that every detail was taken care of before he passed away was beautiful. He even made a point of selling their home and buying one closer to Jai’s family so they could have a support system after he was gone. 

     The last Lecture is an emotional read. Take your time with it and soak up the good advice.If you haven't already, listen to Randy's talk here.

The Comet and The Tornado by Don Marinelli

     Don Marinelli discusses his account of forming Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center in The Comet and The Tornado. He also calls upon his time spent with the late Randy Pausch. Don (the right-brained tornado) sheds light on the struggles and triumphs of working with Randy (the left-brained comet) in their creation of CMU's dream fulfillment factory.

    The Comet and The Tornado is a short-read that could be accomplished in a couple of hours. Short but meaningful. For me, Don Marinelli's book did three things:

1. Gave examples of the importance of story telling, something I am currently studying. One realization that Don has is that Randy's life resembled that of the monomythic hero, in which transformation is required for the hero to become legendary.
2. Painted a well-rounded picture of Don Marinelli, someone who I hope to meet someday.
3. Reminded me of the most important thing in life, love. It really is that simple. You never know how much time you have left. Life is too short not to love what you're doing and who you're with.

     Don's final four chapters discussing the end of Randy's life and the legacy he left behind had me in tears (in a coffee shop in downtown Pittsburgh no less). Randy's courage in the face of death, his care for his family, and the love Randy showed others exemplified how life should be lived. Thank you Don and thank you Randy for reminding me and millions of others about the important things in life. The Comet and The Tornado has been a worthwhile read; one that I shall not forget.

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell

This is an excellent read for all things game design. The Art of Game Design carries the knowledge of a text book, but reads like an adventure novel. My initial reaction: I am very happy to have read this Ragged Manifesto.

Lost

   

 What is the show Lost about? I have spent 121 hours of my life trying to answer that question and still haven't figured it out. Oh, before I go any further, if you plan on watching the show and haven't yet, stop reading now. There will be spoilers. With that said, as far as I can tell, the plot of Lost contained the struggles of good vs evil, science vs religion, the meaning of life, and how you can get a bunch of people killed by not knowing which man you are trying to win over *cough *cough, KATE! Seriously though, she is easily the most annoying character. But I digress.

    The writers of Lost have a unique ability to take the smallest plot advancement and stretch it the entire length of an hour long episode. Even when the plot advances, the viewer is usually left with more questions than answers. I don't think answers started coming until season five of the six season show. At the end you are given the satisfaction of knowing that everyone is dead, but again that just turns into more questions. How long have they been dead? Did the island even exist or was it some kind of purgatory? Why didn't Ben Linus go with everyone else into the afterlife? Where was Michael? Does the tardiness of Ben and Michael mean they were going to a different afterlife then the rest of the characters (i.e. hell)? How can I feel sadness, confusion, anger, and hunger at the same time (oh yeah, it's because I skipped a meal while marathon watching the last 3 episodes in hopes of finally getting some answers).

     If someone were to ask me, "should I watch Lost?" I would probably give them the same answer I would to someone who wants to try a cigarette, "It's addicting, bad for you, and just ends in death. Don't do it." Alright, I'm being a little dramatic here. Lost is certainly an interesting show worthy of study for years to come. I'm just glad I had the freedom to watch the show at my leisure and not have to wait each week for the next episode to air (thank you Netflix). To live in anticipation and confusion for six years would have been agony, especially since the last episode was no more resolute than the first (depending on how you look at it).

     At first I thought the title of the show described the condition of the characters in it, now I realize instead it is the feeling the viewer has throughout the entire run. JJ Abrams, you did well in getting people hooked, like junkies to heroine. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all this free time and feeling of confusion after going cold turkey. 

The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy

     In Clancy's third installment of the Jack Ryan series, a former Russian military hero takes on his final CIA operation. Colonel Mikhail Filitov, also known as "Cardinal," is the CIA's highest placed operative, with 30 years of spy experience inside the Kremlin. The colonel's final operation involves the construction of BRIGHT STAR, a ground based nuclear missile defense system and Russian equivalent to America's STAR WARS system. The Cardinal leaks detailed information of BRIGHT STAR to the Americans, compromising himself in the meantime. With the defense systems marking a new chapter in the Russian and American arms race, the Cardinal's capture is sure to cause a scandal, on the eve of a Russian election that could be the difference between peace and war in the world's future. Enter Jack Ryan to save the day.
     As part of the committee overseeing the latest arms treaty, Jack once again puts himself in an advantageous position to diagnose and confront the dilemma. Jack comes up with a plan to blackmail the evil head of the KGB into releasing the Cardinal into US custody which causes an exciting metaphorical chess match between the desperate KGB chairman and the CIA. The Cardinal's rescue operation encounters various hiccups, as many rushed operations do, but ultimately ends in success. Jack gets the Cardinal out, blackmails the KGB chairman into defecting, and earns another "W" in his CIA career.
     The Cardinal of the Kremlin has been my most anticipated book of the series so far. The Cardinal character had been alluded to in The Hunt for Red October as the source of extremely valuable information. In my mind, I pictured the Cardinal to be some sort of young Russian super agent, instead of an old colonel. I was picturing a Pierce Brosnan James Bond and instead got Sean Connery. Colonel Filitov was a broken old man who was trying to do what was best for his country, even though it was considered treason. I wouldn't say that I was disappointed with who the Cardinal turned out to be, just not ready for it.
     This will most likely be my last review in this style. It is very academic, as if I am writing a forced one page paper for a book report. My future goals include getting into a highly competitive master's program with a creative focus. With my creative writing experience limited, I will use this blog to practice creative writing techniques whilst still reviewing the things I completed. I will be killing two birds with one stone, just like Jack Ryan did when he rescued the Cardinal of the Kremlin.

   

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

I found this review I wrote in college for the Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan. Apparently I wasn't too fond of the book:

 

   The Demon-Haunted World is a very intelligent book that demands respect in its thoroughness and longevity. Carl Sagan identifies today’s misconceptions and systematically picks them apart piece by piece. That being said, I believe The Demon-Haunted World to be repetitive and somewhat insulting in its processes.
     The repetitiveness of Sagan’s book is most likely due to its format and origin. The Demon-Haunted World is a collection of essays, and being so does not feel uniform or smooth in its transitions. When I say that the book does not feel uniform, I mean each chapter doesn’t assume that you’ve read the chapter before it. There is a knowledge build up with most books that you read, but each chapter in The Demon-Haunted World has its own introduction and explanation of concepts which were explained in the previous chapter and the chapter before that. This leads to a sort of irritation and reluctance to keep reading.
     In one of the opening chapters, Sagan points out that one of the top box office movies during the time that he was writing his book was Dumb and Dumber. He also tells the reader that a very popular television show of this time is Beavis and Butthead. Sagan presents both of these pieces of information and alludes to a decline in 21^st century human intelligence. This makes Sagan seem like a bitter old man pointing out the flaws with the whippersnappers of the current generation while he reminisces upon the golden age of his hay day.

     To be specific Sagan states, “The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30-second sound bites (now down to 10-seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.” What Sagan sees as a celebration of ignorance, I see as an escape from multitasking mania. In the go-go-go world that we live in today, where it’s nearly impossible to accomplish everything that we need to without multitasking all of the time, it’s nice to turn your brain off for an hour or two to watch some mindless entertainment.

     The Demon-Haunted World is a fantastic book with valuable processes, quotes, and cautions, however I do not agree with all of Mr. Sagan's views. I would consider it somewhat dangerous to think of everyone of Sagan’s notions as gospel. Sagan says it best himself, “if we can’t think for ourselves, if we’re unwilling to question authority, then we’re just putty in the hands of those in power.”