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Developer Blogs
![Hey, I'm not dead yet!](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Hey, I'm not dead yet! Working on my new project. Just got a copy of Ernest's book, if that'll give you any clue to the type of thing I'm putting together. I'll let you know more as it becomes available.
Good deal alert: If you're planning to do games in Java, check out my eBay auction. Two of these…
Good deal alert: If you're planning to do games in Java, check out my eBay auction. Two of these…
![Ricochet Robot](http://www.thecodezone.com/diary/images/ricochet.jpg)
Gotta report on my latest obsession. . .
Ricochet Robot!
It's a puzzle game of sorts, and it's an addictive monster. The object is to try to move a chosen color of robot into his home space by bouncing him off the walls and other robots. There's a web-version here that I play regularly, but it doesn'…
Ricochet Robot!
It's a puzzle game of sorts, and it's an addictive monster. The object is to try to move a chosen color of robot into his home space by bouncing him off the walls and other robots. There's a web-version here that I play regularly, but it doesn'…
![Activision Sold?](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Fatbabies is reporting that Activision has been sold to a Chinese company.
Ya know, I don't think I'm ever gonna see that $41 that they owe me :)
Ya know, I don't think I'm ever gonna see that $41 that they owe me :)
![Stock your office with eBay](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Time for another piece of sage office wisdom for all you one-person dotcoms out there. . .
eBay is a terrific place to stock your office
When we were setting up Shelly's office, we were faced with the problem of getting equipment for an engineering office, and some of that stuff is pretty expensive. …
eBay is a terrific place to stock your office
When we were setting up Shelly's office, we were faced with the problem of getting equipment for an engineering office, and some of that stuff is pretty expensive. …
![More San Jose goodness](http://www.thecodezone.com/diary/images/hal.jpg)
Oh, just a quickie today. On the last day of the GDC, I was a bit tired and needed a break, so I took on The Tech Museum in San Jose, which is just a block away from the convention center. It's a worthwhile trip if you find yourself in San Jose, especially if you've got kids.
Anyway, they had a disp…
Anyway, they had a disp…
![Very quick update to keep](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Very quick update to keep this from being stale. Did a quick trip to vegas for a family wedding. It was a living, breathing nightmare. Let it never be spoken of again. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for San Jose and the GDC. I'm sure you'll be seeing updates of my stuff on www.gamedev.net. Hope you e…
![Got a couple of answers](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Got a couple of answers for the "all your base are belong to us" thing. Thanks!
I'm preparing myself for the GDC thing. I'm doing the expo coverage, even though not many folks in the poll were interested in it. I promise to add lots of scantily-clad booth-bims, so the kids out there can engulge the…
I'm preparing myself for the GDC thing. I'm doing the expo coverage, even though not many folks in the poll were interested in it. I promise to add lots of scantily-clad booth-bims, so the kids out there can engulge the…
![If you haven't read Brad](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
If you haven't read Brad Wardell's comments, read 'em. He's wise beyond his years. The computer game industry is currently a colossal mess, and things are probably gonna get worse before they get better. It's enough to make you want to become a civil engineer.
One point, though, about his article. W…
One point, though, about his article. W…
![Yeesh, March is coming in](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Yeesh, March is coming in like a soaking-wet lion here in Texas.
Just finished an article for gamedev on PocketPC development. I didn't go crazy with technical stuff (heck, my wife understood it) in the hopes that everyone will get something out of it. It's here. Enjoy!
Just finished an article for gamedev on PocketPC development. I didn't go crazy with technical stuff (heck, my wife understood it) in the hopes that everyone will get something out of it. It's here. Enjoy!
![I finally completed my third](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I finally completed my third and final class in AutoCAD. It's rather fun, but from a software engineering viewpoint I don't envy the Autodesk folks one bit. AutoCAD is such a mind-numbing patchwork of old and new that I don't know how they update the thing. For example, there are three different wa…
![Think Tank and Activision hatred](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I don't know who sent the International I-Hate-Think-Tank Society an email, but whoever you are, you must've said something interesting. He's now insisting that I wrote your email. Good work!
I got a call from Activision a few days ago. They're trying to put together a 300 game pack, and since most…
I got a call from Activision a few days ago. They're trying to put together a 300 game pack, and since most…
![Think Tank hatred!](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I got another fun email from the chairman of the huge movement that's dedicated to running me out of the business for putting all of those cheats into Think Tank. He now seems upset that I didn't print his earlier emails --apparently they are much more grammatically robust and coherent than his lat…
![Cybiko](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I just got an email from Cybiko. On the 12th and 13th of February, they're expanding the number of stupid-bucks I get for folks buying stuff using my secret code, and they're raising the referral discount to 20% for those two days.
I'll make you a deal.
If you go and order a Cybiko here on the 12th o…
I'll make you a deal.
If you go and order a Cybiko here on the 12th o…
![Stuff on eBay](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Still cleaning out the closets. Here's some stuff you might be interested in.
Visual Basic 5.0
SoftC Database Library
VTune 4.0
Eight issues of a British game magazine
A cute little Windows CE handheld gizmo
Two issues of The Cursor and three issues of CGDA Report
Design and Evolution of C++ by Stroustrup…
Visual Basic 5.0
SoftC Database Library
VTune 4.0
Eight issues of a British game magazine
A cute little Windows CE handheld gizmo
Two issues of The Cursor and three issues of CGDA Report
Design and Evolution of C++ by Stroustrup…
![Very quick update to keep](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Well,it's officially the end of an era. I just sent a letter to the Activision legal department, exercising my right to cancel the contract for 24 Games for Windows 95 after five years. I killed the contract for a few reasons, the biggest of which is to stop the sub-sub-licensed games that are sell…
![How to be a game producer!](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I'm going to reveal some industry secrets here. Don't spread this around, but here are the official instructions on. . .
How to be a game producer!
1. Get a terrifically kEwL idea for a game. Make sure it's gigantic in scope and would require millions of dollars for a big studio to implement it. Shor…
How to be a game producer!
1. Get a terrifically kEwL idea for a game. Make sure it's gigantic in scope and would require millions of dollars for a big studio to implement it. Shor…
![Think Tank Hatred](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I don't know if you remember, but a few months ago I got several funny emails from a bored kid who claimed that there was an active group afoot dedicated to running me out of the business because of the dozens of cheats that I allegedly built into Think Tank. Needless to say, he had some comments a…
![Still more eBay goodness](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Just a quickie here. I did another pass through my collection, and I'm dropping some stuff off on eBay at bargain prices. The whole list is here, but here are the highlights that might be of interest to game programmers. . .
Artificial Intelligence by Patrick Henry Winston
LISPCraft
Mix Database Too…
Artificial Intelligence by Patrick Henry Winston
LISPCraft
Mix Database Too…
![Announcement](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Awright, listen up, because I've got an announcement. Many of you have figured it out already, so I'm gonna make it official.
I'm getting out of the game-development business as a full-time vocation.
Don't worry, it's not like I'm broke and I'm slinking away from the business. As you've probably noti…
I'm getting out of the game-development business as a full-time vocation.
Don't worry, it's not like I'm broke and I'm slinking away from the business. As you've probably noti…
![Things that Suck](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I'm in a bad mood today, so here's a list of
Things That Suck
Things That Suck
- The CueCat. It's a solution to a problem nobody had. They will go bankrupt. Period.
- Computer add-ons that allow you to add smells to games. Bad idea. 100% doomed.
- Game-pads and handheld games that vibrate. It doesn't add a damn thing to th…
![Cybiko cuteness](http://www.thecodezone.com/diary/images/cybiko/cybiko1.jpg)
Just thought I'd post a screenshot of Cybiko Bulldozer in action. Since the screenshot was so tiny, I made a little graphical Cybiko around it so you could see the shot in-context.
Once again, kudos to TANSTAFFL, the man who's fast becoming the finest Cybiko-hacker in the industry, for coming up wit…
Once again, kudos to TANSTAFFL, the man who's fast becoming the finest Cybiko-hacker in the industry, for coming up wit…
![Happy new year](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
A belated happy new year and such to all.
TANSTAAFL got Bulldozer working on the Cybiko. He's a genius. Probably give you a screen-grab if I ever figure out how to do one. Windows CE has a nice screen-grabbing utility that lets you take snapshots remotely, but I don't think Cybiko's got one.
Anyway, …
TANSTAAFL got Bulldozer working on the Cybiko. He's a genius. Probably give you a screen-grab if I ever figure out how to do one. Windows CE has a nice screen-grabbing utility that lets you take snapshots remotely, but I don't think Cybiko's got one.
Anyway, …
![Season's Greetings](http://www.thecodezone.com/diary/images/johnnshelly2000.jpg)
Hope everyone has a happy holiday and such. For those who didn't get a Christmas card from us, here's the picture and text:
Season's Greetings!
Things are going very well for the Texas Hattans this year. We are healthy and happy in our first year of both living and working out of our home.
For the fi…
Season's Greetings!
Things are going very well for the Texas Hattans this year. We are healthy and happy in our first year of both living and working out of our home.
For the fi…
![Infocom](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Some guys at MIT wrote a terrific long-format article on Infocom (PDF here). It's a very well-done chronicle of the rise and fall of a successful company, with some good commentary on how Infocom made its money and the critical mistakes it made that killed 'em.
There are plenty of lessons to be lear…
There are plenty of lessons to be lear…
![*sigh* RealMyst](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
I saw something disappointing on the web this morning. It's a review of RealMyst, and I was saddened to see what the reviewer had to say about it. He started out by unfavorably comparing Myst to 7th Guest. Why did he consider Myst to lag behind? Because 7th Guest had nice animated transitions from …
![Visual Studio CE Download](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Just a quick note. Visual Studio for Windows CE is now available for download here:
http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/developer/BeginnerDev/tools.asp
It includes Visual C++ and Visual Basic for Windows CE. Don't know what emulators it comes with. You can download most of 'em elsewhere on the site.
Of co…
http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/developer/BeginnerDev/tools.asp
It includes Visual C++ and Visual Basic for Windows CE. Don't know what emulators it comes with. You can download most of 'em elsewhere on the site.
Of co…
![Vacations and closure](https://uploads.gamedev.net/profile/photo-15.png)
Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been on vacation for about the past ten days. Went down to Orlando to visit Disney, Epcot, and the like. Also headed down to Fort Lauderdale and the keys. Had a really good time but, but like all good vacations, I got no rest at all.
Activision still owes me $4…
Activision still owes me $4…
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