Career – Page 61 – Steven Savage

Make It So: A Skunkworks For Films

September 25, 2013 by Steven Savage

Last “Make It So” we had a roundup of how the MuseHack gang would try and change how theaters would run and how movies worked: a return to serials, more events, theaters as destinations, and heavy social engagement. It would mean less theaters in some cases, but more connected ones less dependent on tentpoles.

However there’s a flipside to this that Serdar and I had been discussing that’s our next make it so. We’re still trying to save the movie industry here at MuseHack, but in this case we’re focusing on the way films are made. Which, as you may guess, kind of sucks.

Link Roundup 9/24/2013

September 24, 2013 by Steven Savage

I need to name this don’t I?

So what’s up?

Valve is in the news for the SteamOS, but did you know they practice a low-hierarchy organization? As a manager, I’m curious to learn more . . .
Got an e-book? Apparently $1.99 is just about the worst price you can give it. There’s a lot of psychology to this business – as a lot of us here can tell you.
You may want to try out writing since it looks like a lot of jobs can be automated in the future, like about half of the ones we think of as safe. Big takeaway here is that a lot of those service jobs that popped up after the recession – can now just be removed. If we have an onslaught of automation, a lot of people will be doubly and triply hosed.
That may sound like science fiction. Perhaps that’s why folks should be reading more of it, like investors.

– Steven “$2.99 and up” Savage

Link Roundup 9/19/2013 – Video Game Edition

September 19, 2013 by Steven Savage

Lots of gaming Links!

The power of failure in creating The Last Of Us. An interesting and inspirational look at the game, its themes, and how it came about over a long period. Worth reading for gaming and media pros.

Speaking of failure, here’s an insightful look at sexist problems in video games beyond the use of sleazy sex appeal. There’s actually some rather interesting issues of infantilization I hadn’t thought of. Also shame and wonder that more and more we here at MuseHack to to Cracked for insight. Food for thought for game developers and culture commentators.

The Tokyo Gameshow is in decline, and there’s a huge chasm in titles and representation that is part of a larger game industry change. Maybe Cracked has some thoughts.

Amazon is working on it’s game console and his going to go full ecosystem – they’re courting developers and moving forward. What intrigues me (beyond the level of awareness) is that they’re really more competing with the X-Box. Might need to watch out for them, developers . .

Speaking of alternate consoles, Ouya is changing it’s rules on free games and development. I’ll say . . . they didn’t do as well as I expected. And I had low expectations.

Small, obscure title Grand Theft Auto V manages to net $800 million dollars. Remember, game, not movie, and people will spend more time with this game. Of course games-as-causing-violence is back in the news at about the same time – and the fact that torture is part of the game is not going over well.

– Steven Savage