BoardGameGeek | Gaming Unplugged Since 2000

United States
Coeur d'Alene
ID

Just thought I would throw in my perspective. I thought the talk was very interesting, especially where he seems to touch on the convergence of "designer" focused games alongside the "digitization" of games, allowing for more hobbyist (creative?) driven games.

However, I don't think the "digitization" of board games will be anywhere close to cataclysmic. Certain games are an easy port. Other games will be an impossible port.

I was discussing the possibility of porting The Ares Project with someone the other day. They thought it would be a great port to an iDevice. I disagreed. I think it "could" be a port, but not if you kept the cards. There's just a touch too much going on to port and have it be a crossover. However, I've played Race for the Galaxy on the PC client (Keldon's), and it's not bad. But, I think having played the game in real life helped out.

Posted Fri Oct 28, 2011 8:49 pm
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Scott Alden

(Aldie)

United States
Dallas
Texas

Aldie's Full of Love!

I think Dom did a great job.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:39 am
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Andy Andersen

United States
Newark
Delaware

Interesting. I don't claim to anything about the "Ted" thing, but I have the impression the audience had no clue about board games - at all. Can someone help me here? What a bunch of dim bulbs when it comes to games. I enjoyed the talk though.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:06 am
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A Derk appears from the mists...

(derk)

United States
Portland
Oregon

"Ted" talks aren't given to a particular audience, so they're going to be the general public. I was a bit surprised there was even one gamer in the bunch. Although his opinions are best viewed from a perspective of a game producer whose focus is a bit more mass market oriented.

Dom did a great job!

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:15 am
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Andy Andersen

United States
Newark
Delaware

derk wrote:

"Ted" talks aren't given to a particular audience, so they're going to be the general public. I was a bit surprised there was even one gamer in the bunch. Although his opinions are best viewed from a perspective of a game producer whose focus is a bit more mass market oriented.

Dom did a great job!

I liked the talk. Interesting to see what will happen. Nothing beats looking in the eyes of an opponent when you're playing a game. But with the "young" preferring texting over phone calls, the world is changing - and not for the better. What does the future hold?

Glad to see you back derk.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:20 am
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Joe Pike

(King_Custard)

United States
Indianapolis
Indiana

I think it was a very solid presentation. He doesn't read from a script, he doesn't drone on in monotone, and he speaks in a manner that conveys a passion for the subject matter. Not everyone can say the same.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:25 am
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A Derk appears from the mists...

(derk)

United States
Portland
Oregon

Dom's got a great presence. We could do worse as a representative for designers, of that there is no doubt.

Thanks, Andy.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:32 am
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Andy Andersen

United States
Newark
Delaware

derk wrote:

Dom's got a great presence. We could do worse as a representative for designers, of that there is no doubt.

Thanks, Andy.

You bet.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:35 am
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Joel Eddy

United States
Coeur d'Alene
ID

Welcome to the world of TED Andy!

There are infinite videos about a variety of technological (as well as "futurist-y") subjects on Youtube. 90% of them will blow your mind.

This is first and only one I've seen thus far covering board games. There might be more. There is probably a video on Microsoft Surface somewhere, but that probably isn't a TED video I'm remembering.

Also... let me elaborate a bit on my point regarding a port of The Ares Project. I've been thinking a little more about it tonight. And... I think a port of a game like The Ares Project might actually work if you had 3D models instead of cards. The models could have all the same sort of abilities and stats and the game "flow" could stay the same. But, I think it would probably be easier to visualize the game as collection of three dimensional objects if the game was played on an iDevice. The cards do the trick effectively when playing "in real life", but the constraints of a "screen" would hinder things like "cards", "pawns", and "tokens".

But... then it's just a turn-based video game... =/

Obviously, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm a huge fan of Civilization 5 on the PC.

These things will converge and then break back apart... probably.

I'm rambling now.

Edited Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:54 am
Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:53 am
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Steve Duff

(UnknownParkerBrother)

Canada
Ottawa
Ontario

Drakkenstrike wrote:

Great points and observations about the Industry, all of which are very poignant and real, but this guy is a terrible public speaker and hard to listen too.

Wow, that seems way out there.

Dom did an excellent job. Not hard to listen to at all.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:17 am
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Dan

(droberts441)

United States
Sacramento
California

I thought it was a good presentation.

I don't fit the demographic of someone who will only play board games on a tablet (and never will), but then again, I am at the get off my lawn stage of life

Reminds me of that commercial where the girl is saying her parents are pathetic because they only have a dozen friends on Facebook and don't know real living, and then shows them out riding mountain bikes and her sitting at the computer (sort of like what I am doing right now

)

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:29 am
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Russ Williams

(russ)

Poland
Wrocław
Dolny Śląsk

I wonder how many people really feel that the experience of playing with a tablet PC rivals that of playing with physical board games?

(A real question, not a rhetorical question.)

For me, the tablet PC offers a practical advantage of portability, i.e. having many games in a small physical object, and an additional advantage of being able to play vs AI players and remote human players... but the experience of playing with a physical board game is superior.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:38 am
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Dan

(droberts441)

United States
Sacramento
California

russ wrote:

For me, the tablet PC offers a practical advantage of portability, i.e. having many games in a small physical object, and an additional advantage of being able to play vs AI players and remote human players... but the experience of playing with a physical board game is superior.

Completely agree 100%.

I think of it like watching a Football (American or Association) game/match.

Okay is watching it at home on TV. It is very convenient, cheapest, and the way to watch the most games. You can even watch new graphics, and better replays most of the time.

Second best is watching it on TV with a group of friends while having a party (or pub/sports bar).

But the best way (and best experience) is going to the game itself; tailgating with your friends at the game, and screaming with 60,000+ fans.

Technology won't change that.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:50 am
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Joe Heaney

(jheaney)

United States
Shoreview
MN

Thanks for finding, this Joel.

I really wish he had a 20 minute slot to work with. I feel like he introduced two topics, discussed how they're in a time of change and then drew no conclusions.

Yeah, games are going digital a little bit and also game design is getting better with the euro movement.

But he really failed to even suggest what this means. I would have liked to see some numbers on the success of these iOS and Android board games. Are they selling better than their board counterparts? Whose buying them, is it the gamers who already know and love them or is it people who are new to board gaming? What are digital programmers doing to make the experience of tablet games replicate large, beautiful, table-spanning games. There's obviously more to discuss, but he didn't have enough time I suspect.

Then he moved on to how old games aren't very efficient gaming experiences. A good point to bring up to non-gamers. Introducing the idea that newer games play efficiently to a bunch of non-gamers is sort of a strange thing to do. It almost becomes an attempt at conversion at times. The speech ends basically on him promising that games are better now, but without any example.

I don't know what the goal of this speech was. I'd like to see more literature or speeches from him. It'd be great if they were more focused.

Weighing in on whether or not board games can really truly go digital, I'm in the school of thought that they can't. And I'm a texting, web-surfing, facebooking young man like the rest of my generation. I actually believe that looking at the online gaming experience out there right now and saying that because of where it is now in ten years everyone's gonna be huddled in front of a tv with wires coming out of their eyeballs and having no real human contact is an oversimplification of where that market is going.

Kinect and various other light Co-Op gaming experiences are welcoming players to get up and play together at any skill level with their friends in the same room. This is very much like a party game that technology can make more exciting and accessible to young people.

I don't play video games, but many of my friends do. I see them more and more only bringing home games that have a live multiplayer experience.

What does this have to do with board gaming? I believe that if board games can successfully bring the attention they need from the video games market and redirect it to iOS table games, they can build a solid following. These party games and co-op strategy/action games are creating fans that are just waiting to be introduced to our love of gaming. Then from there I believe the change from iOS to board games is natural.

Young people do want a more natural world with live friends around them but they want to be able to keep the technology that makes life easier. It's the people who play only online all the time that are the exception. An example: A friend recently bought the game Dead Island but stopped playing it because the live multiplayer wasn't there. I showed him "Eaten by Zombies." There was this moment of "WAIT, this is a zombie . . . BOARD GAME? I've been looking for this all my life! This is way easier to hang out with and drink beers to than an Xbox!" The transition was made without the help of any iOS gatway inroductions.

And I do think that's what iOS and Android games will be good for. Gateway level games. Once you get past that in complexity, those screens just aren't big enough unless you can combine them but man that's troublesome.

In essence, I agree with Joel. The pendulum will swing towards digital for a little while. But then it will swing back, and I'm hoping it will take some new gamers with it.

Posted Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:18 pm
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

I thought I might chime in here. I posted this video on my BGG blog (which made it's way to Lorien in a round about fashion, and then back here to the BGG), but the comments are much more interesting from this post. I guess people were less scared about hurting my feelings, which makes for a better conversation.

eekamouse wrote:

However, I don't think the "digitization" of board games will be anywhere close to cataclysmic. Certain games are an easy port. Other games will be an impossible port.

Orangemoose wrote:

Interesting to see what will happen. Nothing beats looking in the eyes of an opponent when you're playing a game. But with the "young" preferring texting over phone calls, the world is changing - and not for the better. What does the future hold?

droberts441 wrote:

I don't fit the demographic of someone who will only play board games on a tablet... Reminds me of that commercial where the girl is saying her parents are pathetic because they only have a dozen friends on Facebook and don't know real living, and then shows them out riding mountain bikes and her sitting at the computer.

I was not as clear as I should have been. I do not think playing against others over the internet will EVER rival playing games face to face. There will ALWAYS be a demand for playing games face to face with friends. My point is about how people will play face to face games in the future.

My thinking is that there will be a cataclysmic transformation only when the experience of playing a board game on tablet-like devices, is similar enough to the experience of playing the physical board game. Some day in the not so distant future, people will play Trivial Pursuit on an iPad instead of the physical cardboard game. This ill probably be when the iPad (or other tablet device) connects to the TV and to everyone's smart phone. We're probably 5 years away from this happening (if I had to guess). So my prediction is that there will be a cataclysmic transformation to the board game industry in about 5 years time.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:44 am
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

jheaney wrote:

I really wish he had a 20 minute slot to work with. I feel like he introduced two topics, discussed how they're in a time of change and then drew no conclusions.

I was given the topic (reinventing board games) and confirmed as a speaker a few days before the event, so it was put together in a hurry. What kind of conclusions are you interested in? I'm not sure what you're looking for.

My personal opinion is that history will look at the 100 years between 2025 and 2125 and think of them as the pinnacle of game design. Just like we think of the 100 years from 400bc to 300bc as a playwright renaissance, or the 100 years from 1450 - 1550 as a painter /sculptor renaissance, or the 100 years from 1700 - 1800 as a music renaissance. I don't know if this is the type of conclusion that you are looking for.

jheaney wrote:

I would have liked to see some numbers on the success of these iOS and Android board games. Are they selling better than their board counterparts? Whose buying them, is it the gamers who already know and love them or is it people who are new to board gaming?

I'd love to know the answers to these questions too!

jheaney wrote:

Then he moved on to how old games aren't very efficient gaming experiences. A good point to bring up to non-gamers. Introducing the idea that newer games play efficiently to a bunch of non-gamers is sort of a strange thing to do. It almost becomes an attempt at conversion at times. The speech ends basically on him promising that games are better now, but without any example.

You caught me! ninja

jheaney wrote:

I don't know what the goal of this speech was.

A friend of mine asked if I would speak at the event, and I'm always up for proselytizing about board games! I'd like to see board games become a more common mainstream form of entertainment. I hate that I have to play board games with my "board game friends". I don't go see movies with my "movie friends" or listen to music with my "music friends". I long for the day when I can play all types of board games with ANY of my friends.

jheaney wrote:

Weighing in on whether or not board games can really truly go digital, I'm in the school of thought that they can't. And I'm a texting, web-surfing, facebooking young man like the rest of my generation. I actually believe that looking at the online gaming experience out there right now and saying that because of where it is now in ten years everyone's gonna be huddled in front of a tv with wires coming out of their eyeballs and having no real human contact is an oversimplification of where that market is going.

Like I said above, this talk was about the face-to-face cardboard game market becoming a face-to-face digital market. It's the same market, only the manner of manufacturing, storing, and distributing the games will be different. It's a superficial difference.

The solitary game market is a different market. Playing a game all by yourself meets different human needs than getting together with friends to play a game.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:25 am
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Andy Andersen

United States
Newark
Delaware

If you're right, it's a better reason to update that wishlist.

I do hope you're wrong - and that somehow more people will want the interaction of personal boardgaming. Time will surely tell. The best thing about this debate is that it is a civil debate.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:46 am
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

Orangemoose wrote:

I do hope you're wrong - and that somehow more people will want the interaction of personal boardgaming. Time will surely tell. The best thing about this debate is that it is a civil debate.

You just made me cry. I don't know how to say it more plainly. I AM talking about the interaction of personal boardgaming. I am NOT talking about playing against people over the internet, or playing against an AI.

I'm talking about people getting together in their living room to play board games. The board games will be delivered digitally, but people will interact face to face, laugh, cheer, banter, and be able to high five each other (if they're into that sort of thing). Instead of picking up a pawn, they will slide the pawn along the tablet. It is ALMOST like the physical game, only it's digital. But people are IN THE SAME ROOM when they play this "digital" game.

Edited Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:55 am
Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:54 am
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Joel Eddy

United States
Coeur d'Alene
ID

Hey Dom,

Sorry to jack your video and post it prematurely. I didn't realize who you were from watching, but I should have guessed that you were on BGG!

I didn't connect the dots in my excitement to share the video. I thought your presentation was perfect for the audience, leaving enough up to the imagination of how things might play out.

A quick comment about getting non-gamers to play "board games". I think gamers sell non-gamers short on what they are able to handle as well as what a non-gamer will enjoy. There are a ton of Gateway Games that are out there, that are PERFECT for sucking people right into the activity. It's not always Catan and Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne. I'm talking out of my rear here, but I think people are relying too much on the old standby games to act as the Gateway Game.

Some examples of overlooked Gateway Games:
Darjeeling
Airlines Europe
Pergamon
Uncle Chestnut's Table Gype
The Speicherstadt
Biblios

And probably a ton of other games. I also think none of those will make a good "digital" game.

There are probably plenty that will though.

Edited Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:13 am
Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:12 am
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Joe Heaney

(jheaney)

United States
Shoreview
MN

domcrap wrote:

A friend of mine asked if I would speak at the event, and I'm always up for proselytizing about board games! I'd like to see board games become a more common mainstream form of entertainment. I hate that I have to play board games with my "board game friends". I don't go see movies with my "movie friends" or listen to music with my "music friends". I long for the day when I can play all types of board games with ANY of my friends.

Agreed! Can't fault you for that. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings, Dom. As I said, I would definitely like to hear more from you and it's only unfortunate you weren't given a larger window for a speech. Hopefully they'll invite you back. As for my criticisms, I'm just one geek weighing in on the subject and I hope there's something there that you can take away from without feeling like I was attacking you on a personal level. Maybe I had my head in the clouds that there would be some lofty revelation that would stop my heart, but your conclusion is there and the conclusion is in the changing industry. I think it's interesting that you put the pinnacle of board game design as beginning 10 years from now. I'll be following your blog hoping to hear more about these subjects!

Joel, I totally agree with your take on the "Gateway Game." Especially because it is an almost patronizing concept. I've had a lot of success just teaching people games that I really like at the time, despite complexity. If I'm really drawn to them and they are reasonable games to teach, people generally pick up on what I love about them. Pretty much like anything you teach to someone.

Edited Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:38 am
Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:32 am
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

eekamouse wrote:

Hey Dom,

Sorry to jack your video and post it prematurely. I didn't realize who you were from watching, but I should have guessed that you were on BGG!

Not at all! I'm glad that people are sharing it.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:35 am
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Russ Williams

(russ)

Poland
Wrocław
Dolny Śląsk

domcrap wrote:

I'd like to see board games become a more common mainstream form of entertainment. I hate that I have to play board games with my "board game friends". I don't go see movies with my "movie friends" or listen to music with my "music friends". I long for the day when I can play all types of board games with ANY of my friends.

That's a thought-provoking comment.

At first glance, I nodded in agreement.

Then I thought "wait a minute, in practice I do go see movies with my "movie friends" and listen to music with my "music friends". And what's more, I have more "board game friends"!

It may be that the number of "movie friends" you have is larger than the number of "board game friends", but I'd bet there are plenty of people you know who don't go see movies and with whom you don't go see movies.

Similarly, only a small proportion of my friends in my life have been people with whom I'd intentionally consciously sit down and listen to music together (or go to a concert together). Most people I've known just think of music as background noise, more or less, secondary to whatever "real" main activity we're doing together.

In reality, I realize that I have more "board game friends" than "movie friends" and "music friends" in the sense that I have more friends with whom I play board games than with whom I go see movies or listen to music!

Yet it also seems true that somehow movies and music are more mainstream. E.g. if you ask people to name a movie actor or director, most people can. If you ask people to name a musician, most people can. That's a sharp contrast to your asking people to name a game designer, and most people can't.

Interesting paradox: your statement about "board game friends" vs "movie friends" and "music friends" sounded utterly plausible to me, yet it's totally at odds with my real life experience!

I guess the paradox's resolution might be a combination of:

* Self-selection: I tend to make friends with people who share my interest in board games.
* Dedication: many board gamers are very enthusiastic about their hobby, whereas most people who see movies and listen to music are into it more casually.

Or something else?

Edited Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:34 am
Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:33 am
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Dave Seidner

(remus)

United States
Willow Grove
Pennsylvania

In another time's forgotten space, your eyes looked through your mother's face. Wildflower seed on the sand and stone, may the four winds blow you safely home.

Movies and music can both be thought of as "escape" entertainment. To watch a film or listen to music requires no real effort. Sure, some films make you think a bit, and make for great discussion afterwards. Some music can be enjoyed on another level with intelligent, focused listening as opposed to casual listening. But in general, people can participate in film watching and music listening with out any required effort.

Our boardgaming hobby differs in that most games require strategic and tactical thought or at the very least interactive participation. This is why games will never be as mainstream as movie-going and music listening.

Our gaming hobby offers a level of satisfaction that is different than the satisfaction gained from watching a film or listening to music. I'm not going to say it's "more satisfaction", but with the level of strategic thought or interaction required to play a game, the experience is more akin to playing the music, or being part of the film crew than to the role of "watcher" or "listener". This is a different level of gratification that is achieved due to a greater level of effort to participate.

The bottom line is it's easy to watch a film or listen to music. It doesn't require much thought, effort or even other people to achieve satisfaction. Getting people together to enjoy a game requires effort. The game itself requires thought and participation. While this is not a huge issue for seasoned or even casual gamers, the average entertainment seeker will follow the path of least resistance, whatever is the easiest way to get their entertainment fix.

Some of the average entertainment seekers can be introduced to the hobby and will join us, but not most of them and certainly not all of them. Most people are comfortable with the zero-effort gratification that comes from TV, Movies and music.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking these forms of entertainment. I used to be an avid film watcher (and still enjoy a good film now and then), I am an avid music listener (I also play guitar and write music from time to time) and I do enjoy a good TV series, but I've come to recognize that the gratification I enjoy from a good game is very different from the satisfaction of listening and watching. Participating is always more gratifying than observing, listening or spectating. Unfortunately, most people are more comfortable observing than participating. In my opinion, that is the reason board gaming will never be as mainstream as music, movies and TV.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 1:46 pm
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Scott Alden

(Aldie)

United States
Dallas
Texas

Aldie's Full of Love!

I can speak from experience - A "moderate" hit in the iTunes store is not enough to sustain a living. You would need several hits... one after the other to be able to consider it a full-time job.

I would think that a mega hit that goes viral would likely be able support a developer and even launch a company with it (see Words with Friends success).... but these are few and far between.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:53 pm
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Andy Andersen

United States
Newark
Delaware

domcrap wrote:

Orangemoose wrote:

I do hope you're wrong - and that somehow more people will want the interaction of personal boardgaming. Time will surely tell. The best thing about this debate is that it is a civil debate.

You just made me cry. I don't know how to say it more plainly. I AM talking about the interaction of personal boardgaming. I am NOT talking about playing against people over the internet, or playing against an AI.

I'm talking about people getting together in their living room to play board games. The board games will be delivered digitally, but people will interact face to face, laugh, cheer, banter, and be able to high five each other (if they're into that sort of thing). Instead of picking up a pawn, they will slide the pawn along the tablet. It is ALMOST like the physical game, only it's digital. But people are IN THE SAME ROOM when they play this "digital" game.

I know what you meant and I should have done a better job with my answer. To me, and I am of an older generation, to sit around a little 7" tablet is the most unappealing way to play a game that I can imagine, the one exception being playing an on-line game. I'm not faulting others for doing so, but it's just not for me.

I'm also the Dad who bans cell phones during game playing sessions with the kids so this is also a measure of my perspective. But anything that helps to keep the hobby alive, I'm all for - even if it is misguided.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:38 pm
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Joel Eddy

United States
Coeur d'Alene
ID

remus wrote:

Our gaming hobby offers a level of satisfaction that is different than the satisfaction gained from watching a film or listening to music. I'm not going to say it's "more satisfaction", but with the level of strategic thought or interaction required to play a game, the experience is more akin to playing the music, or being part of the film crew than to the role of "watcher" or "listener". This is a different level of gratification that is achieved due to a greater level of effort to participate.

The bottom line is it's easy to watch a film or listen to music. It doesn't require much thought, effort or even other people to achieve satisfaction. Getting people together to enjoy a game requires effort. The game itself requires thought and participation. While this is not a huge issue for seasoned or even casual gamers, the average entertainment seeker will follow the path of least resistance, whatever is the easiest way to get their entertainment fix.

Spot on.

Posted Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:07 pm
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

jheaney wrote:

I hope I didn't hurt your feelings, Dom.

I don't think I was offended. I was going to try and give you a conclusion, but I wasn't really sure what you were looking for. I wasn't even offended by Jeremy thinking I'm a terrible public speaker. This was my first talk in front of 100+ people and 3 or 4 cameras, so I was nervous. In fact, I'm eager to get honest feedback so I can learn how to do a better job in the future.

jheaney wrote:

I think it's interesting that you put the pinnacle of board game design as beginning 10 years from now. I'll be following your blog hoping to hear more about these subjects!

That's me talking out of my ass. I have no idea when the pinnacle will start, but I don't think we're there yet. The pinnacle will start as soon as there are enough benefits to attract a huge pool of aspiring entrepreneurs (self-employed game designers). Game playing would have to be more mainstream to get the type of dedication that's needed to rival the works of Mozart, Euripides, Michelangelo, etc. We're not even close right now, but I think that people are more and more looking at games as a legitimate medium for works of art - mostly in the computer game industry, but also from the board game industry, so I think were moving in that direction. And I think technology will continue to increase the tools that game designers have at their disposal to invoke emotion from a group of people interacting together. But who am I kidding? My guess is the pinnacle will start after I'm dead. It just depresses me to say it.

Posted Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:04 am
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A Derk appears from the mists...

(derk)

United States
Portland
Oregon

Dom, I know you well enough to know you were a bit nervous at the beginning (who wouldn't be?), but you settled in nicely. I think for the audience, your topic and conclusions were appropriate. Personally, I feel that the board game industry is at a very crucial point, but too putting too much effort into mobile devices will bankrupt many. You made a major case for the cost effectiveness of virtual versus physical product, citing the many different aspects of printing an actual board game while glossing over the virtual production cycle.

Personally I know almost nothing about what it would take to make a physical game. However I do know what it's like to run an IT project. From what I know, many of the games that people love here on the 'Geek could be financed with as little as $10k. If your developer is even reasonably decent he's gonna earn multiples of that $10k in a year. Plus there's the whole "managing a tech project when you're not a tech person" thing that tends to trouble so many small companies... I dunno. I agree that the portable devices thing will be a very significant factor in the coming years, I'm still trying to figure out how it all unfolds.

Posted Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:49 am
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Ender Wiggins

(EndersGame)

Drakkenstrike wrote:

this guy is a terrible public speaker and hard to listen too.

Objection, your honour! How could you ever say such a thing about Dominic Crapuchettes, of Wits & Wagers fame, captain of the good ship NorthStar, game designer and gentleman?!

And let's not forget this: Game designer Dominic Crapuchettes is hotter than movie star Daryl Hannah!

Well done Dominic, a fascinating presentation that I enjoyed listening to!

Posted Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:55 pm
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Russ Williams

(russ)

Poland
Wrocław
Dolny Śląsk

domcrap wrote:

I wasn't even offended by Jeremy thinking I'm a terrible public speaker. This was my first talk in front of 100+ people and 3 or 4 cameras, so I was nervous. In fact, I'm eager to get honest feedback so I can learn how to do a better job in the future.

But what was "terrible" and "hard to listen" to about your speech? He didn't say!

All I can guess is the occasional "uh, um" type hesitations, but a lot of people (who aren't considered terrible) do that.

Posted Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:18 pm
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

russ wrote:

But what was "terrible" and "hard to listen" to about your speech? He didn't say!

All I can guess is the occasional "uh, um" type hesitations, but a lot of people (who aren't considered terrible) do that.

Yep, that was part of it. He gave me two things that he disliked when I geekmailed him. The other thing that bothered him was my continual use of certain words. He has not yet responded about which words, but I am listening to it again right now, and I assume my use of the word transformation must have annoyed him. Perhaps some other words too...

Posted Mon Oct 31, 2011 8:36 pm
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Brian Preston

(briforge)

United States
Indianapolis
Indiana

domcrap wrote:

russ wrote:

But what was "terrible" and "hard to listen" to about your speech? He didn't say!

All I can guess is the occasional "uh, um" type hesitations, but a lot of people (who aren't considered terrible) do that.

Yep, that was part of it. He gave me two things that he disliked when I geekmailed him. The other thing that bothered him was my continual use of certain words. He has not yet responded about which words, but I am listening to it again right now, and I assume my use of the word transformation must have annoyed him. Perhaps some other words too...

If we're getting nit-picky about the use of certain words, I'd say the use of the word 'cataclysmic' struck me as odd. When I think of cataclysmic, I think of a natural disaster involving tremendous loss of life and destruction, like the recent tsunami in Indonesia.

But overall, great job Dom!

Posted Wed Nov 2, 2011 3:21 pm
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

Yeah, that could be the word that bothered him, or perhaps it was both of those words. Or maybe some other word entirely. I'm not sure.

Thanks for the feedback Brian.

Posted Wed Nov 2, 2011 3:51 pm
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Russ Williams

(russ)

Poland
Wrocław
Dolny Śląsk

It was probably "the".

Posted Wed Nov 2, 2011 4:10 pm
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

I also need to work on not being so bald.

Posted Wed Nov 2, 2011 5:27 pm
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Jay Sachs

(jaysachs)

United States
Williamstown
Massachusetts

domcrap wrote:

russ wrote:

But what was "terrible" and "hard to listen" to about your speech? He didn't say!

All I can guess is the occasional "uh, um" type hesitations, but a lot of people (who aren't considered terrible) do that.

Yep, that was part of it. He gave me two things that he disliked when I geekmailed him. The other thing that bothered him was my continual use of certain words. He has not yet responded about which words, but I am listening to it again right now, and I assume my use of the word transformation must have annoyed him. Perhaps some other words too...

I think you used "compiled" instead of "compounded" a couple of times. At least that's what it sounded like to me.

Posted Mon Nov 7, 2011 5:04 am
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Joe Heaney

(jheaney)

United States
Shoreview
MN

jaysachs wrote:

domcrap wrote:

russ wrote:

But what was "terrible" and "hard to listen" to about your speech? He didn't say!

All I can guess is the occasional "uh, um" type hesitations, but a lot of people (who aren't considered terrible) do that.

Yep, that was part of it. He gave me two things that he disliked when I geekmailed him. The other thing that bothered him was my continual use of certain words. He has not yet responded about which words, but I am listening to it again right now, and I assume my use of the word transformation must have annoyed him. Perhaps some other words too...

I think you used "compiled" instead of "compounded" a couple of times. At least that's what it sounded like to me.

FOR SHAME!

Posted Mon Nov 7, 2011 10:47 pm
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Dominic Crapuchettes

United States
Bethesda
MD

This overtext is brought to you by the abstract strategy game Battle of LITS and the number 20.

jaysachs wrote:

I think you used "compiled" instead of "compounded" a couple of times. At least that's what it sounded like to me.

Good catch! I don't know how the meaning of those two words got mixed up in my mind.

Posted Tue Nov 8, 2011 6:20 pm
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David Short

(dshortdesign)

United States
Tucson
Arizona

Great presentation! Well done Dom!

Posted Wed Nov 9, 2011 9:52 pm
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Todd

(FezAZ)

United States
Phoenix
Arizona

Fez.

Outstanding, thoughtful talk. I love that you did it from memory.

Posted Wed Nov 9, 2011 10:54 pm
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Red Rook

(meskue)

United States
Tucson
Arizona

Something clever...

Great observations about the gaming industry. Nice presentation!

Posted Wed Nov 9, 2011 11:38 pm
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Dominic Crapuchettes