Go Farther

Product Idea: Casual Roguelikes

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So, casual games.  Let's all admit it, a lot of us probably play them to one extent or another, even if we don't want to admit it.  They're everywhere, they sell, they get attention.  Between the acceptance, the niche they feel, and the money they make, they're here to stay.

Of course, as I write this, some casual games seem all alike.  There's jewel-matching and other puzzles, some simple sims, and a handful of other genres.  So I'd like to look at a genre that is sometimes associated with hardcore games that would be perfect for incarnation in the casual genre.

Roguelikes.

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Product Idea: Caffinated Ramen!

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(I've wanted to return to our Go Farther columns, back to the idea of Idea Tithing I've mentioned earlier.  If we're going to talk geeky and fannish careers and jobs, we might as well give folks new ideas!)

Geeks have their traditional foods, of course, the meals and drinks of the convention, the game session, the anime jam, and the programming session.  If you've been to any of these events, you can quickly recall what people were eating and drinking, and perhaps a few jokes about the geek diet that people have made.

So let me propose something I think would go over well in geek, and especially otaku communities.

Someone needs to make Caffeinated Ramen.

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Game Tie Ins And Media Synergy

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After our recent article on Harlequin getting into gaming (making me feel good about my own predictions ) I began thinking that my own theories had been a bit too limited.

Harlequin's game was a hidden object mystery game – not a DateSim, which I speculated would more fit the audience.  This made me realize I'd not given enough thought to other gaming/media tie ins.  So I'd like to speculate what else could work – and encourage you progeeks out there to think just what kinds of games and what kinds of media could work.

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