The Guardian
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Bartle to old guard: "We've already won"
In a wonderful, feel-good-story-of-the-year type of article, Richard Bartle, the father of online gaming, has written a laudable rant in the Guardian, essentially informing the old school haters that they're officially obsolete. You know the ones -- every reporter making a quick buck off of the party line that videogames are dangerous to our psyches; every politician riding the easy ticket of attacking our hobby in the name of protecting the children; every concerned parental activist group calling for the heads of the developers who worked on our chosen pastime -- Bartle has given them notice. In his delightfully-worded article, Bartle reminds us all that these witch hunts are generational: previously, it was television; before that, the enemy was rock 'n' roll, comic books, even the novel. People fear what they don't understand, and aggression is what they employ to mask that fear. Every previous generation seeks to destroy the entertainment of the new generation, and for our age, it's the videogame that's under fire. Bartle understands this and quite calmly uses this knowledge to signal an end to the previous generation's influence. Yet he doesn't just condemn, he also offers a way out.
WoW Insider is taking over the world
Reader Andy wrote in this morning to tell us about what he read while having his morning cup of joe. From the The Guardian's article on The world's 50 most powerful blogs: "46. WoW Insider"Ummm... really? Cool!While I consider us to be a major source of news, information, and QQness about World of Warcraft related things, I never really thought that we'd ever be included on a list like this. It's kind of nice. So who did we beat? And who beat us?
Stephen Fry on the iPhone and digital life
Some of my posts written here on TUAW are specifically meant for you fans to enjoy, and are about things I can't say I care that much about. Some posts here are great for everyone to enjoy, both you and me alike. And some posts, dear readers, are just for me, and anyone who shares my weird collection of fanaticism. This post is of the third variety, so if you have no idea who Stephen Fry is, feel free to move on.But those of you with a taste for great British comedy will know exactly who Mr. Fry is and why it's so exciting that he's now writing a weekly column about technology for the Guardian. They brag that he bought the second Mac ever sold in England (Douglas Adams, as you might know if you have the same tastes I do, bought the first), but what can't you brag about Stephen Fry-- he's hilarious, insightful, and one of those guys who's pretty much done everything and been entertaining the whole time. His new column won't be all about Apple, but, as he says, Apple can't be ignored in any discussion about computers: "Apple gets plenty of small things wrong, but one big thing it gets right: when you use a device every day, you cannot help, as a human being, but have an emotional relationship with it."And for more Stephen Fry on Apple, reader Jack also points us to this long blog entry, in which Fry reviews a bunch of smart phones, including the iPhone. Sounds like he has the same problems with it as everyone else does, but in true Stephen Fry style, they're discussed more wittily and entertainingly than anywhere else. Looking forward to reading that column every week.Thanks, Jack!
Google is watching you
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Google_is_watching_you_even_when_you_play_with_yourself'; Google has invented a system for monitoring the habits of online gamers. The technology is intended to track gaming habits in order to make in-game advertising more relevant to users. It's targeted at all online platforms, including Wii.Apparently our playing habits can reveal all sorts of information about us. The way we behave in a game can be used to draw up a profile of our psychological characteristics, and this data can then be used to sell us stuff.The system was patented in the US and Europe last month, although Google say they have no plans to roll it out in the near future. Privacy campaigners have deep concerns about the system, pointing out that while Google's ideas may be relatively benign, the information may not stay in their hands. The US federal government has already taken Google to court in order to gain access to their data.So what do your gaming habits say about you? Does your in-game behaviour reflect your real life personality? Any dirty little secrets hiding on your memory cards? They might not be secrets for much longer.[Via Wiiha!]
Seen@Develop: BBC Tech Editor Darren Waters and Guardian GamesBlogger Greg Howson
On the second day of Develop, Jen and I got into a conversation with Darren Waters (right), the new Technology Editor over at BBC Interactive. In the middle of the conversation I mentioned The Guardian, and then the dude on the left piped up and said "I work for them". Turns out it was Greg Howson, a writer for The Guardian who blogs at The Guardian's GamesBlog. We spent most of the time talking about blogging: how the BBC wants to do it, how The Guardian is very brave to already be doing it and how we don't know anything else.Read - Greg's write-up of DevelopRead - Darren's interview with Bungie legend Marty O'Donnell (quaint picture)
