BusinessWeek


Man, it felt great seeing two stories about games in BusinessWeek.


One was about Bungie and their transition from a basement developer to an anarchistic cell inside Microsoft's headquarters.
www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2004/sb20041223_1735_sb038.htm

The other was an interview with Alex Seropian, ex-Bungie founder, and his new venture Wideload Games, where they are trying on the much debated production model from Hollywood for size for games development. As far as I am concerned, the whole games industry is carefully looking on with bated breath.
www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2004/sb20041223_7036_sb038.htm?c=bwfrontierdec28&n=link1&t=email


Why is this important?


Back in 1998, I saw an article in the financial section of major Danish business newspaper with a strong buy recommendation for the games industry as a whole. They claimed that this was the future form of entertainment (surprise!), and the growth market for massive profits within the next 5 years. We haven't quite realized that potential yet, even though we like to believe in that "bigger than Hollywood" urban legend. A good hard look at the games industry, and we are nowhere near a true mass market hit yet.


So seeing our industry mentioned again in a medium like BusinessWeek was a nice pat on the back; We are on the right track, and others than us, believe we will get there soon...

I have a new credo. Or rather a new goal, the kind of goal that shapes more than your efforts. But first a little body building lore:


Back in the day when Arnold Schwarzenegger not yet had become the greatest body builder of all time, he had a serious problem with his progression. His calves were lagging behind the rest of his body in development. Imagine a huge guy on tiny little stick legs, sort of like Mr. Incredible. Good for Pixar, bad for the future Mr. Olympia, movie star and Governor of the bear state.


What to do? Arnold, always the one to be proactive about negotiating the obstacles in front of him, resolutely cut off the lower part of all his gym pants. Thus exposing his weak body part to everybody for them to ridicule and criticize. Why would you do such a thing? Well, the results motivated Arnold to train them like crazy, and soon enough they were not lagging in development. End of story. Problem solved!


So the way I am going to apply that little anecdote to my life, is by making a bold statement and making it as publicly as possible, so I will have no chance other than to make it happen. Or face a life time of ridicule.

I am going to be the WORLD'S BEST TEXTURE ARTIST IN 2010!

This I have put in every signature on every forum I am in, as signature on my business cards and emails and where ever else I could imagine, to make sure the statement is literally being shouted from the roofs. Scary stuff. But so far, the ridicule has been a bit on the puny side, which is okay. But just doing so has focused my every endeavour immensely. And progress follows in the wake of that focus.


So just bring on 2010, I will be ready!

Debut entry


Everybody does it. Blogging. Apparently it is one of the most searched after words on Google. I only realised the meaning of the word just the other day, but hey Google, you can't argue with that.


And the thought is appealing, that somebody would actually care about your petty everyday thoughts and ramblings; watching your every keystroke for another morsel of infinite wisdom or entertainment. So I am gonna do it too. Can't be left behind in blogging arms race. So this is very much the unveiling of my latest piece of not-yet-so-important work: My personal blog!


I suppose I am today the artist, all alone at the unveiling of his latest greatest, yet the whole world didn't care to show. And what better way to kick this baby off, than by insulting everybody? PHILLISTINES!!!