Scribd goes e-doc, Google in the crosshairs in Italy, mathematical meanderings in gaming, and Phil Foglio talks comics! Forward my Career Geeks, into the field of must-know news!
Economics:
Unrest in Greece over economic solutions – With plenty to consider in the post and the comments itself. Dig in here to get an idea of traditions of protest in various countries, economic impact, and other tidbits that'll help you understand things better.
Geek Law:
Google executives found responsible for privacy violations. Its a bit complex, so give it a read. My personal take is that most of this is political, stemming from Italy's media ownership issues (as in the Prime Minister is a big media mogul). However there are also issues of how Google is regarded in Europe.
Comics:
Phil Foglio discusses the how and why of his comic-turned webcomic award-winning series Girl Genius (a crush object on several levels). The Foglios are a remarkable example of artists and artistic careers – and of a couple sticking together through thick and thin – that you can learn from.
Media:
Dave Madden of Wild Tangent has something to say to the New York Times – Learn from Online Games. He spells it out pretty well – a paywall is an immediate turnoff, monetizing by choice has many options, and that choice can actually help establish value. A good read. Also if this is the kind of talent at the top of Wild Tangent you probably want to get them a resume.
Publishing:
Business to business editors on their own in learning digital skills – Which may explain some digital transition issues. Career tip:learning own your own is necessary in any career, even if your employer doesn't pay for it.
Scribd goes for e-distribution, has API for e-distribution applications – Scribd seems to be trying to expand what they do a lot lately – and this makes using their e-pub service more desirable and far-reaching.
Google patents way to turn magazines into individual e-articles – Which of course means a look at converting periodicals, which means that at some point there will be more lawsuits whenever Google converts whatever periodicals it has its eyes on. A bit of both technology and Geek Law here.
Video Games:
The Top Ten most expensive video game budgets ever. Some surprises, some obvious answers, and some insights into game expense as well. A good read for anyone in the industry or who wants to go into it.
Just where does that money go in the price of a game? Find out here. The data comes from OnLive however, so it may be a tad biased, though it does seem to roughly fit with what I understand of related industries.
Hi5 buys Big Six – In an acquisition sure to create many lame number jokes. In reality it's part of Hi5's continued growth and bears watching to see what they do next. I'm very positive on the company's future.
Nintendo says there won't be a Wii replacement anytime soon – I don't buy that myself, and it's only the statement from one person. But this will be noted around the geekosphere.
Someone ports Quake 3 to Android – I include this because it's just plain cool.
Gamestop's CFO resigns – Apparently to takea position at Walmart. Not sure if this is a big deal for the ambitious game store chain, but noted in case it is important in the future.
Writing:
How a freelance author failed – and learned – For all you hopeful writers out there, a good chance to learn from someone else's mistakes.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Will Google face problems being "nibbled to death" internationally?
-Steven Savage