david edery
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Epic Games Publishing picks up indie studios Eyes Out and Spry Fox
From Nine Inch Nails to Cozy Grove, these are two very different creative forces.
The Economist on games and profit
Newsmagazine The Economist ran an article titled "Playing for profit" about using video game technology to increase productivity in the workplace. The article -- which was a sort of book report on "Changing the Game: How Video Games Are Transforming the Future of Business" by David Edery and Ethan Mollick -- looked to trends such as game mods and web-based-games-as-marketing-tools for inspiration, but special emphasis was placed on MMOs, including World of Warcaft and EVE Online. Believe it or not, the WoW feature that was heralded by the writer was the soul-crushing grind! Or rather, the grind was compared to the sorts of tasks that your average office worker has to sit through each day. WoW provides a context -- the leveling system and other rewards -- that (supposedly) makes the grind worth the trouble. Companies should emulate that, the article says.EVE, on the other hand, was used to demonstrate what not to do. That's pretty ironic, since The Economist's editorial stance is all about economic and societal openness! Regardless, the author pointed to the famous incident in which a CCP employee provided inside help to a corporation at war, using it as an example of the dangers of game-playing in a business environment.
Edery to developers: Make XBLA trials more fun
David Edery, Portfolio Planner for the Xbox Live Arcade, has a message for developers and publishers of XBLA games. Don't leave game trials to the last moment and make them good. It's a simple message, but is something a select few developers have yet to fully accept.Edery wrote a rather lengthy article that tackles the issue of craptacular XBLA trials and how to increase conversion rates. He goes on to list and discuss numerous tips and ideas for developers to take into account when creating an XBLA trial, but we think it's quite simple. Don't take trials for granted, put effort into making them show the game's features and give us enough of a taste that'll leave us wanting more. Nothing irks us more then playing a horrible XBLA trial only to find out months down the road that the game is actually good. Because in this business, a trial game has to earn a full game purchase and our Microsoft points.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
David Edery talks XBLA and its future
Longtime X3F reader, LunarDuality has posted an interview (also posted at XBLArcade) with David Edery, Worldwide Games Portfolio Planner for Xbox Live Arcade. The interview (part one in a series) focuses on the recent string of Live Arcade titles and the future of XBLA. Readers will recall that Live Arcade only recently began to deliver on the promise of a new game every week. Edery notes that this trend is likely to continue, with the double releases occurring "more often than not." He admits that it's possible we might see the occasional week with no release, though that possibility is "very remote." Edery also takes time to answer questions about Microsoft's portfolio strategy, the possibility of Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Vol. 2, casual vs. hardcore, and many other topics. Hit the "read" link to check it out.
What it takes to get a game on XBLA
Gamasutra sat down with David Edery, Portfolio Planner for Xbox Live Arcade. The interview focuses on Live Arcade and what makes a good title for XBLA. Edery says that the major factors to consider for a Live Arcade title are ease of playability, Live integration, and innovative gameplay. Considering the recent spate of retro titles, we'll allow you to make what you will of that last sentence. When asked about underrepresented genres on Xbox Live Arcade, Edery notes that he'd like to see more board games, more cooperative games not centered on combat (like this one?), and more experimental titles. Most importantly, Edery notes that Microsoft does pay attention to user feedback, and knows that the Live Arcade audience wants more original titles. Regarding this, Edery says only, "we've heard the message loud and clear that XBLA customers want more original games, and let me tell you -- those games are coming." Let's hope so.The interview is a good read for anyone interested in the inner workings of Xbox Live Arcade, and it even contains a few tips for would be developers. Hit the "read" link to check it out.[Via 1UP]
