"Personality Counts," says Lefsetz. "Passion is everything."

Lefsetz tossed out another letter at 1:18AM CST.

It's one of the best he's written in the last year.

Here it is:

1. Are you willing to work?

Plan on giving up television.  Nights out with your friends.  Marriage.  Children.  Making it is about sacrifice.  Talent is at best fifty percent, desire is the rest.


2. Can you interact with other people?

Sure, history is laden with abusive rock stars.  But they weren't abusive at the beginning.  Hell, Bob Geldof abused programmers at a big radio convention and it halted the Boomtown Rats' career in America permanently.  I'm not saying you've got to kiss butt.  It's just that you've got to appear rational.  And you've got to be thankful.  Which brings us to:


3. Show gratitude.

Thank the guy doing radio promotion, or maintaining your Website.  Thank the guy who opens the door.  People love to help, you've just got to pay them in attention.  Sure, if you're abused, go off on them.  But if someone's going out of their way to treat you nicely, to do a favor for you, let them know you're appreciative.  Labels have more than one act.  And most successful managers do too.  If you're an ungrateful sonofabitch, they'll focus their efforts on someone else.


4. Be willing to listen to advice.

You don't need to take it, but certainly be willing to let the other person talk.  Sure, the label might want to mold you improperly, scrub off all your rough edges, but the people working there have also been doing it for a long time and know stuff you don't.  Like what media outlets will promote.  Who will take a chance on new music.


5. Be nice to your fans.

New paradigm acts don't concentrate on radio or print.  They go directly to their fans.  A fan will do anything for you, he'll not only put you up for the night, he'll let you sleep with his sister.  But you've got to talk to him, you've got to sign an autograph, you've got to remember the effort.  Nothing thrills a fan more than having a famous person remember them.  Not only do they tell the story to everybody they meet, they say how great you and your music are.  This is good will you cannot buy, but it can be earned.


6. Overnight success is elusive.

Don't moan when you don't have instant success.  As a matter of fact, those who triumph quickly tend to fade just as fast.  If for no other reason than potential fans go on instant backlash.  You have to earn the trust of the hardest core of fans.  But once you've got it, they'll never let go.  Don't we all have favorite acts that no one has ever heard of?  Aren't we still imploring people to listen to their records, even decades later?  Sure, if you become monstrous, some hipsters will leave you.  Then again, many will want to tell the tale of how they were there in the BEGINNING!


7. Fame is mindbending.

As Chris Blackwell puts it, "you go from a bum to a hero in a second, and you've got to be savvy enough to guide yourself through the maze."

Beware of having your prayers answered.  Yesterday nobody knew you, today people you don't know are writing terrible things about you all over the Net.  It takes time to adjust to fame.  Which is why it's best if it comes slowly.  So you can learn the ropes and cope.


8. Money isn't everything.

Morris Levy might have ripped off Tommy James, but would Tommy James have been a hit on another label?  Doubtful.  Mr. James was Roulette's only star at the time.  Morris killed, maybe literally, for Tommy's success.  In other words, just because you've read Don Passman's book and are an expert on the business, don't think you don't have to give up a bit to get not only a little, but a lot.  There are very few job openings for rock star.  Chances are you're going to have to experience a few raw deals in order to make it.  If you sustain, you can turn the tables and dictate on your terms as time goes on.


9. Be Reasonable

If you don't know of a band which negotiated themselves right out of a deal by being too demanding, you don't know any lawyers.  No one needs your record to hit.  You've got to earn your opportunity, you've got to build trust and maintain relationships.


10. Trust is key.

Involve yourself with people you trust, whose words you believe.  Not only is it hard to extricate yourself from a bad deal, hell, Billy Joel paid Artie Ripp for years after making it, words are cheap and just because someone says they're going to do something for you, that doesn't mean they will.


11. Passion is everything.

In your music.  In your team.  In your fans.

People can't manufacture passion.  And human beings can sense hype and fake interest and belief a mile away.  Hell, just go online and experience the trolls hyping acts so they can earn some b.s. reward from a band or a marketing company.  We know when someone is testifying for real.  In other words, even though your music might be great, you're gonna be a nonstarter unless you can SELL your music.  By that I mean going on stage and convincing people you're great through your performance, and convincing those you come in contact with in the business that you'll forgo everything to make it.  You'll sleep five to a room.  You'll dumpster dive.  You'll get ripped off, be underpaid.  That's the story of rock and roll.  Instant stardom is a facade.  Either the act has been working for years or is two-dimensional cardboard, the product of a svengali, and will fade as soon as their song leaves the radio.


It's not only about the music.

In order to make it, you need a team.  No one can do it alone.

And labels and managers and agents invest in people, not only music.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_24/b4182092762328.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories

Much of the aforementioned may be applied elsewhere... 

I only have two Associate's degrees and three and a half years of industry work behind me, but I'm filled with passion. I'm hungry for more work in the videogame industry, and just as hungry to learn. I've been underpaid, as Bob mentioned, and I've forgone "everything to make it" over and over. I've avoided all forms of ass-kissing, and instead strove for more genuine sensibilities. I'd be higher on the money chain had I puckered my lips once or twice, but I refuse.

Honesty, more often than not, forges a deeper bond of friendship than one based upon telling each other sugar-coated truths, half-truths, and lies. Those are all necessary tools, but they must be used sparingly. 

Oh, it's easy to lie to potential friends and/or consumers. It's also easy to create a community under a passionless facade. But it's all lofty. It's all fake. Onlookers may not outright see many of these situations, but the genuine people are evident, as is the stronger bond a fanbase, group of friends, surrounding community, whatever.

Trent Reznor.

Long-term value.

Genuine honesty. We're all fucking human, so let's start acting like it.

(E3's coming up. Expect a lot of robots posing as fleshy meatbags to descend upon L.A. If you see a real human, give him or her credit, a hug, a pat on the back, or even some kind words. What they do isn't easy, professionally and morally, and unexpected deserved praise goes a long, long way.)

Must Read: Revival Horror: New Ideas in Fear-Making

I find too few horror games each year, and the genre's one of my favorites. Silent Hill 2? Loved it. Fatal Frame? That too. And on and on...

Oh and Dead Space. I remember thinking "hey, this is a strong contender for my personal game of the year" after playing it. Smart guy, I was, back in 2008. Well, maybe, maybe not. At least I'm consistent. Dead Space still holds up as a premier horror title on consoles. Different than something like....The Path, and that's good. Lotta flavors make the mind strong, or something. Right?

Anyway, here's a quote from the Gamaustra article mentioned in the title:

"To have touched a player on the terms of their most intimate insecurities and fears, rather than forcing them into the whirligig of an auteur's invented phantoms, is one of the most delicate and rewarding achievements in game design."

I think I might print this out and put it somewhere noticeable in my home. And then do the same at work, conferences, and bathroom stalls. I'm all about imparting possible revelatory information while you're pooing. It's what I do, baby. (please sense the sarcasm)

"... you’re nowhere if you can’t share and understand the same passions as your community." A Super Street Fighter IV interview with Seth Killian from Capcom.

"I'm not really sure what my title is," admitted Seth Killian. His eyes formed a warm, proud, and confident smile. Eight PlayStation 3s, each loaded with a Hakan-ready version of Super Street Fighter IV, guarded two ends of a bar in downtown San Francisco. The first conference-filled day of the Game Developers Conference ended just a few hours prior, and it showed on the faces of developers and journalists. Except Seth's.

"I do...a lot of things," he further explained, careful not to portray uncharacteristic cockiness. The former Street Fighter pro and co-founder (along with three others) of the world's biggest fighting game tournament performs his job with assured nonchalance. He knows the community, and he knows the titles, and won't inundate fans and press with bullshit taglines and marketing jargon like so many others. He's an asset to Capcom, and is continually writing the book for the increasingly popular industry position of community manager.

As part of yet another interview for Red Flag Media, Seth answered a few Super Street Fighter IV-related questions via email. If I remembered additional details of our conversation when we spoke in San Francisco I'd type them here, but unfortunately the immediate thought of controlling Zangief and Hakan destroyed my short and long-term memory. I only remember questions regarding his former position as community manager due to my strong desire for something similar. My apologies.

History's taught us we'll see another version of Street Fighter IV somewhere down the line. I adore the series, and will probably buy each and every version on their respective release nights/mornings, but I'm afraid if Capcom chooses this distribution route they'll unintentionally segment the market - potentially driving fighting games into a niche audience once again. Am I being too paranoid?

That could be an issue although a lot of games release more often than SF and keep their audience (or grow it).  I personally felt it was the increasing complexity of SF games that limited the audience.  More than the release schedules, SF games got quite a bit harder with every new installment.  By the time we had released a bunch of games, there were only a few people left who were able to master all the tricks necessary to be able to play them.  We’re actively working on that now, to try and create all the depth of previous SF games without adding unnecessary complexity so new players can still pick up the new games.

Has there been any internal discussion regarding developing Street Fighter as a fighting game platform similar to what Riot's doing with League of Legends?

It’s an interesting idea, but no thoughts along those lines at the moment. 

When balancing the game, is it a conscious decision to leave a character with extraordinarily difficult matchups due to him or her already having one or two extraordinarily easy ones? For example, does the Seth v. Zangief match exist in SFIV because Abel v. Zangief is there?

That’s probably the worst match in all of SFIV.  It certainly wasn’t the plan to try and screw Zangief (he’s actually much stronger overall in SFIV than in most of the games where he makes an appearance), but it’s a natural product of their particular character strengths—even before Seth, Zangief vs Dhalsim has been a notorious mismatch for years based just on their attributes.  Seth vs Zangief is a similar issue: they’re at opposite ends of the design spectrum—the slowest, hardest-hitting, most “single-minded” character, versus the one with the most options and mobility, but who can’t take a hit.   Having distinct, fun character types means some of them will be naturally advantaged/disadvantaged versus others, which is what makes SF unique and interesting.  So while there’s no problem with that, we have been working to and avoid severe disadvantages like that in Super SFIV.

As a (former?) community manager, what advice would you give to job-seekers looking to occupy a similar position?

My own path is probably too weird to serve as a model, but you should focus on what you love while you continue your education.  You need to combine fan-dom with education and critical thinking to be effective inside a larger company, but you’re nowhere if you can’t share and understand the same passions as your community. 

Predict the future: Will we "pad warriors" ever take home an EVO title in Street Fighter?

 I’d say the stick players still have the edge, but based on some previous strong top-8 contenders and a new wave of excellent “pad warriors” I think we’re going to see it someday. 

Also, what does the future hold for competitive gaming, and how will both you and Street Fighter be involved?

 I can’t predict the future but I feel really energized by all the Street Fighter action I see around over the world.  When I was starting to play competitively there was—maybe—one decent-sized tournament a year.  Today there are literally thousands of great tournaments all around the world, with great local events nearby every weekend.  A lot of them are also streaming out all the action online, so even if you can’t go, you can still watch and learn. Support your local scene and push each other forward—I’ll do my best on the Capcom side to keep great fighters coming and to throw the best SF parties of all time.  

A videogame post-apocalyptic space analogy.

Is to...

As...

Is to...

And...

The latter acknowledges similarities. They were intentional. But does the former?

"Ubisoft has matured the Tom Clancy brand" according to Splinter Cell: Conviction Devs

 

Speaking to me as part of an interview for a Red Flag Media publication, members of the Splinter Cell: Conviction development team said "Ubisoft has matured the Tom Clancy brand," claimed the company's current DRM system is vital to business, and explained how the series is now less reliant on trial-and-error gameplay. Do you agree with Steven Masters, lead game designer, and Patrick Redding, game director for co-op? Or do you disagree? Lemme know you beautiful chickadees. 

How vital is the Tom Clancy name to the Splinter Cell series? 

The Tom Clancy brand gave us the platform to redefine the action stealth genre when we created Splinter Cell in 2002. Splinter Cell let the audience incarnate Sam Fisher, an elite secret agent.  Ubisoft has matured the Tom Clancy brand, creating Splinter Cell, EndWar and HAWX.  Altogether, the Tom Clancy titles have sold over 58 million units worldwide. 

In 2008, Ubisoft acquired all rights to the Tom Clancy name for videogames and derivative products.  We continue to work on a series of successful novels which complement our existing Tom Clancy brands and later this year we’ll see a novel for Splinter Cell Conviction and also HAWX. As Ubisoft’s aspirations grow, so will aspirations for the Tom Clancy brand and movie epics based on our properties are the next logical step. 

How are both the single-player and co-op game modes less reliant on trial-and-error stealth gameplay? The stealth genre isn't the same as it was years ago.  

Splinter Cell has a long history and is a great brand because it has always revolved around some core pillars that have a really wide appeal. It’s a series filled with tension, tactics, outwitting your enemies and really delivering on the feeling of being a predator. Of course, what it means to be a stealth game has changed over time, as has Splinter Cell itself. We used to have things like 3 alarms and the mission would be failed, the light and noise meter, and detailed radars and maps. We looked at all of these elements and what they brought to the game, and worked to execute those concepts in a new, faster, more action oriented experience.   

For example, we’ve always had a concept of a last known position, a means of playing cat-and-mouse with the enemies; however, it was a difficult concept to play with since there was a lot of guesswork involved. Now we expose it to you, and it becomes a really powerful tool that you can exploit. Another example is our vision of Light & Shadow; where previously you had to manage a small meter, splitting your attention between the world and this meter, we wanted to make it easy for everyone to understand and powerful for you to exploit. In all, I think we’ve managed to create the same core Splinter Cell experience, but faster, clearer, more personal and with the option to play either in a stealthy or more dynamic way.  

There's nothing like getting disconnected from the internet while playing a single-player stealth game and then having the game automatically pause and possibly close. Will this have the same PC DRM as Assassin's Creed II? And is this DRM vital? 

Yes, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction will include the same DRM as all Ubisoft PC titles.  We consider that protecting our PC games is vital to our business and will allow us to continue investing in the development of creative and innovative games on the PC platform.

With the introduction of new protagonists in the co-op mode, is there any chance of the Splinter Cell series branching into multiple character-driven titles? 

Maybe…  but it is too early to even think about having further adventures with Archer and Kestrel, right now we’re focusing solely on delivering the best game possible.    

How is the upgrade system related to the narrative? 

The upgrade system is not related so much to the narrative, than it is to the gameplay. Since Sam is not working for Third Echelon anymore, he no longer has access to their gadgets. However, he’s got some good underground contacts from his old days as an agent, and those will grant him access to an array of tools – including some old time favourites like Sonar Goggles, and a lot of new ones. When the game will be released, you will have the possibility to use up to 17 weapons ranging from: pistols, machine pistols, sub-machine guns, shotguns and assault rifles. Many upgrades including lasers, red dot sights and silencers to name a few are also available for you to transform your favourite weapon into a killing machine!

Why a greater focus on co-op this time around? Has the industry changed? Have consumers changed?  

Co-op gameplay represents the new centre of gravity for what mass market gamers want. The days of the solitary gamer working through a twelve hour solo campaign are, certainly not over, but maybe marginalized a bit. Why? The newer generation of players still wants a strong sense of narrative in their games and they still want well-crafted moments with high production values. It’s just that they just want to share these things with their friends. The Internet generation has grown up thinking of technology and interactive entertainment as things that help mediate their social connections, rather than keeping them isolated. They won’t accept having to make a choice between deep single-player experiences, or ultra-hardcore competitive multiplayer. They want it all. 

If you're going to try, go all the way.

Bukowski tickles my inspirational...whatever. Expect the ol' drunkard's ideas to meet with my thoughts on videogames and videogame writing very soon. Until then, keep this in mind:

"If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is."
— Charles Bukowski

The power of compliments and saying "thank you." Confessions of a hardworking videogame devotee.

Disclaimer: I originally finished writing this on Friday, 22 January 2010 at 5:01 AM, but left it unpublished for reasons that escape me.

I'm not an ass any more than you. I'm simply guilty of conveying only one small piece of my personality through social media. For that, I apologize. I intensely care for the videogame industry, and seeing it drunkenly stagger towards seedy avenues of self-destruction pains me. Instinctively, and without knowing it, I formed an online presence around the idea that if we demand change we just might get it.

This is obviously very personal for me. I once believed this young medium possessed the beautiful potential to positively inspire and shape humanity in ways more profound than all other media combined, and I still do (kind of), but the naive simplicity of a path without obstructions is far, far gone. Reality, that uncaring bitch, refuses to rescind her constant bombardment of sequels, juvenile subject matter, and creativity-neutering decisions from a certain CEO whose name sounds like Kobby Botick.

But, naturally, the antithesis exists; freedom fighters who, brick by brick, are shaping the industry's path into one on which we'll all want to travel.

This is about them.

And this is from the heart.

I was having a bad morning, yesterday. Well, maybe not bad. That word's probably best suited for those whose cars spontaneously sputter and die on a crowded interstate only five minutes away from the driver's place of employment and 20 minutes past the scheduled clock-in time. Or the temp, two weeks left at her position and one week away from drawing unemployment once again, who's about to play ringmaster to Another Company Presentation when she realizes her USB drive containing the entire show is sitting on the kitchen countertop at home - the exact spot she placed it before cooking breakfast for her three kids and helping them get ready for school.

But I digress. Nothing abnormal happened yesterday morning. I got up, ate breakfast (the bark-like Kashi cereal, in case you're wondering), and walked 1.7 miles in a not-very-balmy 20 degree environment to teach keyboarding/typing. The temperature didn't bother me, nor did the distance of my travel, and in no way did I feel annoyed having to teach at 9:00AM. I adore my role as an educator, regardless of class content or size. (Note: I'm a professional. Separating my personal state from my teaching abilities is what I do. So please, don't suggest otherwise.)

The morning turned depressing immediately after I woke up. The night before, new developments combined with old to break through my normally impenetrable psyche, and I felt crushingly underappreciated and undervalued. I'd rather not reveal the specifics, but I'm more than comfortable divulging the old. Some of you have heard all this before. Maybe even two or three times.

A certain developer and publisher I was employed by didn't care about me or my well being. I worked hundreds of hours month after month as a tester, and then later as a technical requirements group member, canceled plans with family and friends, and refused to make new ones in fear of having to work. It was maddening and monotonous work, but it felt good finally working in the videogame industry. But management, at any level, never thanked us. And they never said any of us were doing a good job.

It didn't take long for the atmosphere to turn sour. People started slacking off to greater and greater degrees, but still I remained vigilant. I grew up in a small town in Northwest Minnesota, just being here working on videogames was something I never thought could happen. I worked my ass off on every title I tested. I did well, too, especially when I was entrusted with being the sole person looking over a few PlayStation 2 titles. Very rarely did those games return from being submitted to Sony, and when they did, contained few bugs. But still, my managers never said "job well done" or anything of the sort. In fact, they heavily criticized me for reading game news on my computer sometimes during loading screens. Hypocrites...

During the last few weeks of my employment at this...place, I received extensive training in additional technical requirements areas, and was led to believe I'd receive a salary offer after my seasonal work ended. No one called.

Worse yet, at various points during my time at this facility, the out-of-touch salaried  producers and game designers asked me to come up with dozens of possible titles and pitch them. On one occasion I had only one day to do this. On another, I was given two hours to come up with 12. Each time I was told some were good and some were bad. "Sure," I thought, "you live and you learn." The criticism didn't bother me, and I wasn't bothered when they said none of my ideas would turn into games.

To this day the company develops sequels on multiple platforms for my favorite pitch. And I still haven't heard a single word from a member of the company. I'm not even mentioned in the credits.

But I've moved on. I'm living another dream of mine.

I'm a teacher now. Well "adjunct faculty member," to be more precise. And I get to teach a class on the videogame industry, among others.

Here's something you might not realize if you've only spent time in a classroom as a student: teaching's a rewarding timesink. I care very deeply for my students, and I always want to provide them with the best education within my means. Sometimes I get so carried away my actions may appropriately be classified as self-destructive.

Losing sleep to planning class aside, I've done some pretty strange things in my pursuit of catering to the students, most of which involving time and money. On many occasions, I've minimized my food purchases and delayed paying bills just to buy a particular game and use it in class or during the weekly videogame-themed get togethers I host (appropriately called Game Night). With money low, and parking meters requiring quarters, I've hauled multiple systems and dozens of games on foot down the 1.7 mile stretch from my residence to the school. Sometimes we only play one game on one system, and I'm fine with that. But I prefer to bring more just in case one student arrives and wants to play something different. My pack mule-ish efforts are even more rewarding when I can open someone's eyes to the wonders of videogames.

Most of the student body will never know about any of this. They'll never know how I walked the distance with sub-zero temperatures biting at my face while I carry what feels like hundreds of pounds of technology. And, like I said earlier, I'm fine with that. They don't need to know. Playing with them each week's rewarding enough.

I could go on and on about how I've written for various companies who, when they actually decide to pay you, feed you peanuts for T-bone steak work. And I could comment on the various friends, family, and friends of friends who've called my living room "home" for extended periods of time while they "work things out," and how I rarely receive any kind of compensation for my harboring. But I won't, mainly because this is what I do. If I work hard, stay passionate, and treat people with love and respect good things will happen, right?

Sometimes, though, I have a moment of weakness. And I guess it sometimes lingers, too. But true to the previously mentioned way of life, a hand appeared and lifted me up.

I've respected former videogame industry journalist, and now Irrational Games employee, Shawn Elliott for years. In many ways, he's the intelligent prankster consumed with information intake that I aspire to be, but...you know...in my own way. I'm me, of course.

Anyway, yesterday I linked him an article I wrote months ago regarding (mostly) videogame-themed Twitter accounts. He saw it, linked to it on his Twitter, and said "Thank you." Instantly after seeing this my day started to get better.

I know how silly it seems. Believe me. But it was exactly what I needed, and I'm thankful for it. A simple "thank you" from anyone would've helped, but it held deeper significance coming from someone I respect and didn't expect to hear from.

Very late that same day, James Mielke of Q Entertainment, another person I've looked up to with great respect these last five+ years, did the same. By then, the words "thank you" lost none of their significance.

Earlier that day, I linked a music playlist on my Twitter thinking maybe one or two people would listen. Turns out, my good friend, and Street Fighter enthusiast pro, Mike Ross took a peek. A little bit later he had this to say: "Carl E. Seashore once said "as is the intelligence of a man, so is his music". You clearly are on genius level kyle :)."

I was flabbergasted and thankful; very very thankful. Much respect, Mike.

Please forgive me if I sound whiney. I don't mean to. I'm not looking for sympathy. I just wanted to put this shocking turn of events on (virtual?) paper and highlight the kindness of friends and strangers. They genuinely uplifted my spirits through some very simple means that are far too rare these days.

Oh, and I also wanted to say that I'm working on shaping my online presence to better reflect my inherent playfulness. I wish you could see me as my girlfriend Nikki sees me, as a real-life Roger Rabbit.

Udyr is not overpowered.

He's not. Players just need to learn how to defeat LoL's take on the Shaman/jack of all trades.

Here's an excerpt from an excellent guide on how to beat my favorite character:

"How to stop an Udyr from ganking/getting away: Use a slow or a stun.
But Udyr has a cleanse!: Have more than a single unit of cc on your team. Or use it more than once, as all CC's have a lower cooldown than cleanse. 

How to counter Udyr in a team fight: Use a slow or a stun, just like any other carry. Udyr can only do damage if he gets into melee range.


In short, pretend Udyr is like Yi, both have an effective heal, both can do high damage and rush fairly quickly at you. The key defining difference is that Udyr has a 1 second stun every 5 seconds and Yi has higher dps without a stun."

Thanks, TiredDaemon, for putting into words what I'm constantly talking about...outloud...and to myself (sometimes).

Read the rest here.

From Mod to Retail: Tripwire Interactive Builds Videogame Business on Old Blueprint (You Can Too)

 People often ask me “how do I get into the videogame industry?” Having entered only three years ago, I try to formulate a response concocted from two parts quotes I’ve read and heard, mixed with one part my own story and experiences. I feel it’s a winning combination – chewy, spicy, and textured enough to reveal new flavors upon repeated tastings. If you possess the necessary cooking skills (any kind of industry experience), give the recipe a try. But keep in mind, the better you know your audience the better the dish.

Budding audio engineers, mixers, masters, noise makers, and sound mavens comprise most of mine. I know these guys and gals, and not only from inhabiting their school as a teacher. I once wore their shoes. As a student here at the Institute of Production and Recording, I wanted nothing more than to make Ben Burtt’s contribution to film audio seem tiny and inconsequential compared to my involvement in videogames.

As an outsider looking in, I obsessively approached the profession of “game audio dude” from every possible angle. I applied a critical ear to every game I played, listened and watched every interview and podcast involving an industry professional, and joined any and every relevant community. I contacted people too, asking for career advice, tips, and more contacts. And then I graduated, became an employee at Activision, and subsequently discovered people would pay me to write about videogames, another lifelong dream. I may pursue the audio career path once again in the future, but right now the student body can benefit from the information I acquired.

To my young game audio kin, I often recommend joining the modding community – groups of game designers, young and old, who take existing title assets and code and add, change, or dismantle content to suit their artistic vision. Modifications may be small – a reskinned weapon or minor gameplay adjustments, and sometimes they’re much larger – former “world’s most popular online action game,” Counter-Strike,” began as a mod in 1999.

Immeasurable experience and contacts may be gained from participating in a mod’s development, regardless of the product’s ultimate quality. All that and a self-inflicted pat on the back may be all you receive for your first project, depending on distribution, popularity, and the originality of the content. Oh well.

Copyright’s a nasty, pervasive little bugger who’ll prevent the sale of mods utilizing any number of the original title’s assets. If monetary return sounds more delectable, seek employment in the development of total conversion mods, where all assets used are original and lawsuit-free. Ideally, you want to take this route. The potential’s incalculable.

In fact, the financial success of one total conversion mod, Red Orchestra: Combined Arms, warranted the opening of an entirely new development house.

After winning the “Make Something Unreal” competition, and the $50,000 prize money, the Red Orchestra developers founded Tripwire Interactive and decided to take the “franchise forward as a retail game.” According to the company site, the subsequent release “achieved both critical and commercial success garnering several awards including “Multiplayer Game of the Year” and “FPS of the Year” for 2006.

Most recently, Tripwire developed and released Killing Floor, a cooperative first-person shooter built on a “survive as long as you can” gametype and infused with qualities most often found in role-playing games, such as class-based play, leveling, and an in-game store with purchasable guns, grenades, ammo, and body armor.

Pre-sales catapulted Killing Floor to...

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Haemimont Games Teases Competitive and Cooperative Multiplayer For Next Tropico

Tropico 3 on the PC released with no multiplayer features, and when the 360 version ships next February, it probably won't include any either.Oh well. Multiplayer's not a necessity. But what about the next entry in the series?

As part of a yet-to-be-published interview I conducted, Nikola Ikonomov of Haemimont Games teased the possibility of both cooperative and competitive multiplayer in the "next Tropico game."

Check out the question and response below:

ME: A rep from Haemimont once said "Tropico was not a competitive game, so a multiplayer mode would've been out of place in Tropico 3." What about a cooperative mode? Was that considered at any point in development?

NIKOLA: Of course we've considered lots of different ideas for a multiplayer mode, but we also knew right from the start that Tropico 3 is primarily a single player experience. Still, a cooperative mode is something very exciting and who knows, maybe for the next Tropico-game we'll consider including a mode where you'll be able to compete against human opponents.

If there's a coop mode in the next title it better also include a "lounge mode" where player dictators can mingle, relax, smoke big fat cuban cigars, and satisfy any number of vices. It's only right, right?