I recently read an interesting article, “Mapping Memory: Web Designer as Information Cartographer” on a prominent website aimed at web designers. The author makes a case for turning the metaphor of web designer as architect around, proposing that a web designer actually maps existing space more than he creates new spaces out of nothing.

Common sense tells us that an architect begins with an abstraction—a blueprint—and creates from that abstraction a concrete structure existing in physical space. The cartographer, on the other hand, starts with concrete structures existing in physical space and creates from that an abstraction: a map.

[...]

What we often forget is that the blueprints from which we construct a site are themselves maps of processes and flows that already exist, from verbal dialogues to the exchange of money for goods and services.

As far as I’m concerned, the question of map-maker versus space-creator is even more interesting to ask about game design and story writing than web design. So: Does a game designer rope off an area and produce a gazetteer to the stuff that was there already, or does he build an edifice from nothing and stock it with the contents of his imagination?

// Click and all these mysteries shall be revealed…

We’ve got a pair of copies of Things We Think About Games that came to us from the printer in slightly less than perfect cosmetic condition.

If you’d like one of them for $10.00 plus shipping and handling (which is $5 to the US, $7 to Canada, or $12 to the rest of the world), send me an e-mail (jeff@ this website’s domain) with your shipping address and PayPal account e-mail address (if different from the address you’re e-mailing from) and I’ll send you a PayPal request for payment if you’re one of the first two people I hear from.

Today, a GenCon follow-up piece from guest contributor Jesse Scoble. Read more of Jesse on his website, at www.jscoble.com.

Last month I was lucky enough to attend GenCon, and I caught one of the “Pencils to Pixels” panels (apologies for all alliteration), given by Dave Williams (of Red5 Studios, formerly a designer at AEG), Ed Stark (of Red5 Studios, formerly of Wizards of the Coast), and Jack Emmert (of Cryptic Studios, developer of Champions Online and Star Trek Online, formerly of City of Heroes).

The discussion was on the transition of game designers from pen&paper RPGs to video games. Specifically MMOs in this case, but I think many of their comments are applicable to all sorts of digital game development. Although I’m nowhere near the designer that these guys are, I’ve worked in pen&paper games for more than 6 years now, and have about 3 years working for various computer game companies under my belt. So I figured I would try to riff on some of their ideas and add my own thoughts to the similarities, differences, and trends across the two fields.

// Click to read the ideas and riffs…

I know it’s nostalgia because it aches a little. It’s something about the time of year. This is when, longer ago now than it seems, I’d sink into the thick of the school year. The air mellowed out, it got dark sooner, and summery shirts gave way to sweaters and scarves. We went indoors sooner, and we played games after school.

Nostalgia is about the pain of going home, and that’s what this is. It’s the strain in the arm of reaching back through the bars for something we can see but can’t reach. Tonight, for me, it’s about trying to recapture the days of play from back when. Summer was the time for messing around, but this was the season of games.

// Read more of this post

As a public service announcement to an astute readership that is no doubt already aware, Ken Hite’s long-running and highly recommended Out of the Box column is back from hiatus, now sponsored by and hosted at Indie Press Revolution, a fine organization now doubly beloved as the fine purveyor of both Ken’s fine column and our fine book.