Why Crypto Videogames Won’t Work

Over the past few years, crypto games like Cryptokitties and Axie Infinity have launched, climbed a steep hype cycle, then collapsed. It’s not that the founders and executives behind these companies are dumb (though that’s certainly possible); rather, they set themselves to an impossible task. First, cryptocurrency needs to be the way a game monetizes; … Continue reading Why Crypto Videogames Won’t Work

“The Barriers are Self-Imposed”

Jeff Atwood recently wrote a great piece about the classic book, “Masters of Doom,” about the origins of id Software, the creators of the first-person shooter: http://bit.ly/15YdAIe I still remember the first time I saw Castle Wolfenstein 3D.  I was a junior at Stanford, and for the first and only time in my life (thank … Continue reading “The Barriers are Self-Imposed”

To understand gamification, watch a 10-year-old

My son Jason, like many 10-year-old boys, loves video games. He can happily spend hours playing his favorite games, working diligently to reach that next level. Not every parent is a fan of letting their kids play video games, but I think it’s great. His passion has driven Jason to become a better researcher (he … Continue reading To understand gamification, watch a 10-year-old

Be All That You Can Be…Pick Up An Xbox

The craptastic 80s movie “The Last Starfighter” featured one of the most brilliant plot hooks of all time: An alien armada threatens the galaxy, and to recruit pilots to meet the threat, aliens plant a “Starfighter” video game in Earthly arcades to identify the best flyboys. Seriously, how can a movie that combines videogames AND … Continue reading Be All That You Can Be…Pick Up An Xbox