geeks

Geeks: Connection and Division

by

The weird thing about us progeeks? We are busy redefining how the world works, and were not exactly representative of the population.

Think about us. We play video games, read e-books, use social media, surf the web, indulge in assorted fictional exercises, and so on. We're geek–hip, cutting–edge, wired, and on top of the techno-cultural curve.  We often live in megaregions and cities that are where it's all going down, from inventing new tools to Greentech to running the culture engines.

We are defining the world of the future. People love the stuff we work on, from mobile tech, to games, to movies, to websites. When you think about it, it fills you with geek pride.

Read more

Fans, Geeks, And Obligatory Support

by

As I was reading different reactions to the Scott Pilgrim film, I saw the usual exhaustion in comments at io9 (http://io9.com/5600262/scott-pilgrim-is-an-epic-for-the-nintendo-generation).  Some people were annoyed, but there was also a sense by some that they were almost obligated to support a geeky film, even one that is a near geek-singularity.

That made me think about the recent idea that Geeks are pulling Hollywood's strings (http://www.popmatters.com/pm/article/129492-the-geeks-are-pulling-hollywoods-strings-right-now-and-thats-not-a-g/) – something I don't agree with, but I feel the author of this article has twigged on that something is up in the media.  There's some fusion of what is fannish/nerdy/geeky and Hollywood and major media companies that seems a bit . . . off.

Me, I think these two articles are related.  Why?  Because they they hit on the fact that there's this "current of support" for a lot of recent media ventures – a support that seems to be in some ways, obligatory.  I feel this sense of Obligatory Support is real, and is a factor that will affect us culturally and professionally.

Have you ever joked you're obligated to buy a game (I have – Final Fantasy XIII).  Have you ever watched a series because it was from a genre you supported?  Did you go to a Harry Potter release party . . . because?

You're starting to see where I'm going.

Read more

News of the Day 7/25/2009

by

Career:
What to do if you have no references or work experience – A good set of suggestions, excellent for fans who excell at DOING things.

Economics/Freakonomics/Geekonimics:
Job losses are higher than expected – Very interesting, from the WSJ. This definitely points to potential persistent unemployment post-recovery.

China's government leveraging its soverign wealth fund to encourage Chinese businesses to expand and acquire overseas – Or more simply, they get cash and support branching out – and you can that may include your country. Didn't see this coming, but I expect that this means the Chinese government thinks its safe to do this and wants to cut any losses or potential losses from other areas affected by the global downturn. Upshot is this could be an economic game changer and put more power in China's hands.

Why companies must get back to venture capital and R&D – Essentially large companies now rely on parterships with startups and smaller companies to innovate. And they're not. A good read to make you think – and wonder where that Chinese money may flow . . .

Multimedia:
Microsoft taps big names in anime for Halo video collection – Sort of what was done with the Animatrix. Good multimedia synergy there (and I imagine that the studios want the money). There's some good story potential with Halo anyway, so I sense a potential success, and further encouraging multimedia synergy. Thought for your career – what companies could benefit from more synergy, and what can you do to encourage it (and get a job or contract . . .).

Publishing:
Amazon will be target of a class-action suit over the book deletion – The argument seems to involve property rights and set expectations. The firm in question specializes in such suits. As usual, watch this space – this can also persist the incident in people's minds and give competitors an advantage, as well as settle (or open) some legal issues. The ethical issues already seem pretty apparent.

Writing:
Geeky things you don't know about romance writers.

Video Games:
Game Developer's free 2009 game career guide available – So, go for it. Warning – lots of ads.

Analysis of video game market – Looking flat overall this year, with some nasty bumps – and some of the big boys may take hits. I disagree casual gamers may pull back significantly as their overall investment is likely less as it is – and much casual gaming is lower priced.

– Steven Savage