In Baseball, Failure Should Always Be an Option
Last week, a computer called the balls and strikes in a minor league baseball game. A friend and fellow fan shared the news on his feed and cheered, “Bring on the robot umps!” I was horrified.
Duolingo Made My Kid Cry
Like all parents, I think my kids are brilliant. So I was excited when my elder daughter and her friends got into Duolingo, and surprised when it all went wrong.
How Monopoly Went Corporate
If you’re a game history weirdo nerd buff, you know about Monopoly: created as social criticism, became a folk game, stolen by Charles Darrow, etc. Old top hat, really, but Mary Pilon’s recent book The Monopolists is a good read that brings this history to life.
Why Tavern Brawl Isn’t (Just) About the Loot
The most interesting thing about Hearthstone’s new Tavern Brawl feature is the loot. It’s the dog that barks quietly once per week, and that tells us a story about engagement and player motivation.
Sense8 and the Future of VR
I recently watched Sense8 and have been trying absorb it. This Netflix original about blending consciousness was exciting, gorgeous, frustrating, and messy. It may also point to the future of entertainment.
Minecraft and the Single Girl
It should come as no surprise that my daughters love Minecraft. With over 60 million copies sold, it’s hard to find a kid who doesn’t. But I was a little surprised to see how just one “little” thing could make them love it even more.
Capitals and the Word Game Trap
There’s a trap to look out for when you design a word game: it can’t be about the words. That sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? But avoiding that trap has been key to the success of word games from the classic Scrabble to the recent iOS release Capitals from Nimblebit.