AGC07: Interview with Raph Koster

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AGC07: Interview with Raph Koster



Raph Koster, President of Areae, Inc., author, speaker and game designer, allowed us to interview him at this year's Austin Game Developer's Conference.  He was joined by Areae's Community Manager, Tami Baribeau.  A productive and insightful interview, despite not being able to tell us exactly what his company is currently working on.

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[Yegolev]

Crosslink, or whatever the kids call it.  After a long discussion with a drunk United Kingdomer in Austin, I believe this actually qualifies as Web 2.0, so enjoy.

[taolurker]

Yegolev, that link is incredibly brokened.

f13: Alright, finishing up, how soon can we expect to hear about what you're actually doing?

Raph: Probably before this transcription's done

So, We are going to hear about it? or were we already supposed to be hearing about it?

Nice interview all around, although Tami really didn't say a whole lot.

[Raph]

I was counting on the usual two month transcription time. :)

I believe I can upgrade from Real Soon Now(tm) to Damn Soon.

[Yoru]

Man, I tried to break up some of those segments so it wouldn't be all WALL O' TEXT, but there's still large blocks remaining. Oh well. 

Still, whee, interviews are fun. Thanks again, Raph-man. :-D

[bignatz]

"Raph: Actually, I'm not very good at games. I lost, if you recall. I lost badly, twice!"

Aww, come on! UO wasn't so bad!

[bhodi]

It was still a great read. If I were a producer, I'd be throwing wads and wads of cash at Raph.

[Raph]

"Raph: Actually, I'm not very good at games. I lost, if you recall. I lost badly, twice!"

Aww, come on! UO wasn't so bad!

Ha ha.

The game in question was actually "For Sale." Fun little card game, I recommend it.

[Grublet]

If I were a producer, I'd be throwing wads and wads of cash at Raph.

It's a good thing you're not a producer.

[SnakeCharmer]

Great interview, guys

[Krakrok]

f13: One day somebody's going to have a tool where anybody can pop out a Shockwave game and --

I'm actually working on something like that. Cockblocked by Indian outsourcers. :(

[sinij]

I like some of Raphs ideas but a lot of things he entirely off the mark. Last year it was micro transactions, this year its panic over ADDORPGS.

[sinij]

If I were a producer, I'd be throwing wads and wads of cash at Raph.

It's a good thing you're not a producer.

I would be throwing wads of cash at Raph but have someone else make calls. His ideas are ether fantastic or outright horrible, usually nothing in-between. As such you need proxy that would filter all bad stuff. As much as Raph is talking about fun he does not seem to apply 'Is This Fun' test to any of them.

[Cuppycake]

Nice interview all around, although Tami really didn't say a whole lot.

It's not easy to get a word in when the conversation is about something Raph is passionate about! ;) 

[Yegolev]

Link works for me...?

Tami did try to get in there, honestly.

[taolurker]

Link works for me...?

Reply #1 on: September 15, 2007, 12:18:56 AM Yegolev

Crosslink, or whatever the kids call it.  After a long discussion with a drunk United Kingdomer in Austin, I believe this actually qualifies as Web 2.0, so enjoy.
 
« Last Edit: September 15, 2007, 12:39:43 AM by Rasix » 

Reply #2 on: September 15, 2007, 12:31:16 AM taolurker

Yah.. It works now    Although I wasn't aware that I was supposed to notify people that it was fixed.

It's not easy to get a word in when the conversation is about something Raph is passionate about! ;) 

Well, this I can totally understand, and with the length of most of his paragraphs I'd also assume he was talking very fast too. I also see why Raph was expecting a delay in transcription, but honestly don't every be afraid to just jump in. 


You're a community person, so I hope you don't do that too often, especially lurking forums (like this one).  :-D

[Sky]

Something game designers don't, videogame designers especially don't do often enough is sit down, shut up and watch people play their game.

There was a cool bit about Halo 3 development in Wired (shock!), and they went into some of the tools and techs they use for playtesting. There is one studio that gets playtesting.

If the gaming community ever realizes there is an entire 'nother part of this country (we call it the old country, the northeast, eh) and somehow there is a convention up here in the civilized regions, I want to interview Raph. It would probably piss off gamers and developers everywhere as we talk about half-capoing and alternate tunings.

[Yegolev]

It would probably piss off gamers and developers everywhere as we talk about half-capoing and alternate tunings.

I'd likely post it anyway.

[Jamiko]

They are announcing tomorrow:

www.metaplace.com

[schild]

That'll Mesh well with Generic Box.

[Yoru]

Jesus, they picked dark green text over lime green background in tinyfont, just so no one would make the connection? Irritating.

[taolurker]

Very interesting beginning to Raph's little enterprise here. They updated the main page of the Areae site too.

That Metasite page isn't also lacking it's image, but also seems to want me to allow Java and/or ActiveX.

Maybe it's this?:

<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-2618855-1";
urchinTracker();
</script>

I don't know if was worth allowing, especially with that image. LOL  j/k

I guess I'm paranoid too though, but it also was something I allowed for some other sites, that I'm now rethinking. This must be that Web2.0 thing in action. I like how seamless it is to give away my rights by allowing it, and also make me a statistic at the same time .

I would like to sit with Raph and have that discussion just like Sky, but I know that I'd never get a face to face. Hell, if I introduced myself he'd yell "Security". There aren't enough visits to the NYC area, and not ones that don't cost lots of money for a escort from the building.

:-D

Thing is I like Raph, and know we'd get along if I did get the chance, plus have tons to talke about. Heck we even both made sandwiches for Subway.

[schild]

Hey guys. Here's a fun conversation. WHO WILL FAIL?

http://www.techcrunch20.com/2007/index.php

Man. We should do this every year. Like a tech deadpool.

Edit: I'll start a thread. This looks fun.

[Krakrok]

Word Mark      METAPLACE
Goods and Services    IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: Downloadable games via the internet and wireless devices; Interactive video games of virtual reality comprised of computer hardware and software

The Areae trademark says the same.

[Yoru]

Call in the Internet Detective heavy hitters. We need to know all we can so we can make wild assumptions prior to the inevitable press release tomorrow.

[HaemishM]

Very interesting beginning to Raph's little enterprise here. They updated the main page of the Areae site too.

That Metasite page isn't also lacking it's image, but also seems to want me to allow Java and/or ActiveX.

Maybe it's this?:

<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_uacct = "UA-2618855-1";
urchinTracker();
</script>

I don't know if was worth allowing, especially with that image. LOL  j/k

Don't be a donk. That's Google Analytics code. If your browser is giving you shit for visiting a site with Google Analytics code, you are too fucking paranoid and should get directly the fuck off my Internet.

Google Analytics is a bean counter's wet dream, tracking site traffic and analyzing the shit out of it. It's like WebTrends on major horse pill steroids.

[taolurker]

Don't be a donk. That's Google Analytics code. If your browser is giving you shit for visiting a site with Google Analytics code, you are too fucking paranoid and should get directly the fuck off my Internet.

Google Analytics is a bean counter's wet dream, tracking site traffic and analyzing the shit out of it. It's like WebTrends on major horse pill steroids.

I will not get off your internet, because I'm not actually on your internet. All you see is residue I leave all over the place, my connection and yours are totally seperate entities connected only by the data we leave all on a file someplace.

I have that type of stuff selected so that I am prompted (Java, ActiveX, others), so, seeing I hadn't ever allowed the "new" site before, it burped. I know it was/is inoccuous, and only Google's statistics catcher, but it also is me allowing Google to collect info about sites I vist. I'm not scared of Raph seeing (or stealing) my cookies, but I am more afraid of tossing them (all across the intraweb).

I block ads and pop-ups too, which I'm sure you do too. The prompting is just a preference, and an extra click so I know when somethings happening that I may or may not want. It's paranoid, but it's also extra secure.

[schild]

I have that type of stuff selected so that I am prompted (Java, ActiveX, others), so, seeing I hadn't ever allowed the "new" site before, it burped. I know it was/is inoccuous, and only Google's statistics catcher, but it also is me allowing Google to collect info about sites I vist. I'm not scared of Raph seeing (or stealing) my cookies, but I am more afraid of tossing them (all across the intraweb).

I block ads and pop-ups too, which I'm sure you do too. The prompting is just a preference, and an extra click so I know when somethings happening that I may or may not want. It's paranoid, but it's also extra secure.

People like you fuck up my statistics and revenue.

You're a terrible fucking paranoid tin-foil hat breed of geek.

[taolurker]

People like you fuck up my statistics and revenue.

You're a terrible fucking paranoid tin-foil hat breed of geek.

What is this you speak of?

I will never surrender my tinfoil hat.

Plus, I also allow them for sites I visit frequently. I'm clicking on your banner ad I just forced it to show me now, just for you Schild.

[schild]

You don't have to click.

[SnakeCharmer]

Call in the Internet Detective heavy hitters. We need to know all we can so we can make wild assumptions prior to the inevitable press release tomorrow.

I'm not Arthur Parker, but here you go...

Somewhat interesting:  http://metaplace.com/

Joomla?  Content Management.  User created content a la Facebook, Myspace, Habbo Hotel, Zwinky, and Lord knows what else?

I'm thinking something for the 10-16 age group.  Virtual worlds they create, can log in to each others 'worlds', possibly even chat support via cellphone with internet access.  Basically, a 3D Web 2.0 version of Myspace, Facebook, and SL all rolled into one that can run on a pocket calculator.

[schild]

Joomla is most likely a placeholder.

[Krakrok]

I will not get off your internet, because I'm not actually on your internet. All you see is residue I leave all over the place, my connection and yours are totally seperate entities connected only by the data we leave all on a file someplace.

Wrong. Your packets are clogging my tubes!

Oh, and Google Analytics saves it's cookie as the site you're accessing; not from Google.

[taolurker]

See it's not the saving of cookies that is the issue here, it's that Google is actually analyzing my cookies, and also is giving the "stats" they acquire back to the site using Google Analytics. I added a (hidden) link to Google's privacy policy in my original mention of it, because of the portion that's relevant about what I agreed regarding my "aggregated non-personal information" (the link was embedded in the punctuation after I "became a statistic").

This basic explanation of Google Analytics direct from their FAQ tells it better than I do:

Google Analytics uses a first-party cookie and JavaScript code to collect information about visitors and to track your advertising campaign data. Google Analytics anonymously tracks how visitors interact with a website, including where they came from, what they did on a site, and whether they completed any of the site's conversion goals. Analytics also keeps track of your e-commerce data, and combines this with campaign and conversion information to provide insight into the performance of your advertising campaigns.

[Sairon]

See it's not the saving of cookies that is the issue here, it's that Google is actually analyzing my cookies, and also is giving the "stats" they acquire back to the site using Google Analytics. I added a (hidden) link to Google's privacy policy in my original mention of it, because of the portion that's relevant about what I agreed regarding my "aggregated non-personal information" (the link was embedded in the punctuation after I "became a statistic").

This basic explanation of Google Analytics direct from their FAQ tells it better than I do:

Google Analytics uses a first-party cookie and JavaScript code to collect information about visitors and to track your advertising campaign data. Google Analytics anonymously tracks how visitors interact with a website, including where they came from, what they did on a site, and whether they completed any of the site's conversion goals. Analytics also keeps track of your e-commerce data, and combines this with campaign and conversion information to provide insight into the performance of your advertising campaigns.

What are you afraid of?