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The Journals of Doc Surge is the personal blog of Chris Billows. This blog’s purpose is to explore ideas and concepts through the discipline of writing as an exercise to further personal understanding.

Check out more about me, some of my thoughts on Games and Hockey.

Jun 16

Destination Model for Strategic Management

June 16, 2018 by Chris Billows in Business Beller 0 comments tags: Business Development, Summarizing a Business Organization
When I was taking my business certificate, I created a mental model about the steps of creating a viable business venture. I called it the Destination Model of Strategic Management. Using the analogy of getting somewhere, I envisioned a road, driver, passenger, and vehicle with each part representing a strategic consideration. I created this model years ago and just recently stumbled onto it. I am posting it for posterity sake. I think it has some utility.  
Jun 03

The History of Game Development

June 03, 2018 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Games Analysis, Video Game History
Based on my categorization exercise in my last post, I’ve gleaned what I consider to be a synopsis of Game Development history. It starts off appropriately as a fun and experimental exercise on the University campuses. 1961 HobbyDev GameDev that is for fun and experimentation, not intended for commercial purpose Prime example: In 1961 we see the release of Space War! by Steve Russell, in collaboration with Martin Graetz and Wayne Wiitanen. In a separate realm, where software development was serious business (as early software developers worked for Defence Contractors) we see how Ralph Baer and his Sander’s Associates carved out a niche within his larger company to explore GameDev as a commercial venture. 1967 ProDev GameDev is sold as a commercial product, with fun being its market need Prime example: Begun in 1967 up to its release in 1972, the Magnavox Odyssey was the first commercial Video Game Console. Ralph Baer, Bill Harrison and Bill Rusch spent those years creating the first games for the Brown Box, the Odyssey prototype. What these two ecosystems share is that they are both closed systems. The HobbyDev was restricted to only people who could attend University while ProDev was limited to the […]
Jun 02

GameDev Ecology

June 02, 2018 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Game Philosophy, Games Analysis
I have been operating a part-time GameDev sideline since 2004. I started working with a local GameDev to bring to the internet a game inspired by Atari’s arcade game Warlords. Like most projects, it never came to be. Now I have been working on acquiring and designing/developing a series of online game IPs. You can see more through my business links. Because I enjoy the mental exercise of categorizing entities, I got thinking about how GameDev has its own ecology that is more nuanced than seeing just AAA and Indie Devs. I tweeted about it and got some responses that got me thinking more. Here is my summarized thoughts:   ProDevs are those typically professionally trained programmers, artists, designers who work for a company. They are either Employees or Contractors. They belong to large companies that spends millions of dollars and take years to release. Then comes the IndieDevs, made up of three distinct groups: In-Market (released one or more games and is seeking continued profitability), Pre-Market (either working on their IP or trying to find their market); and Never-Market (these people take on a game product that they can’t realize and it never materializes). The difference between a Pre-Market […]
May 05

Playstates Theory Definition – Version 1.0 (Apr/18)

May 05, 2018 by Chris Billows in Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Games Analysis, Playstates
I’ve updated and enhanced my Playstates Definition below. My plan is to continue to develop this theory and eventually establish a website dedicated to demonstrating how the theory works.   Playstates is a theory that explains how different types of play coexist, combine together, and are recursive. The different types of play are each defined by a singular core trait that acts as a both a distinguishing and complementing characteristic. At present there are five different kinds or states of play.   Toygrounds Role-Plays Puzzles Games Sports   Each of the five Playstates can be defined as “The Play of …” which represents the core characteristic. These are as follows: Toygrounds – The Play of Exploration. Toys – objects that are played with freely and with transient rules Playgrounds – spaces that are played with freely and with transient rules   Role-Plays – The Play of Behavior. Conventional – behavior that comes naturally Subtle – behavior that contains hidden meaning Subversive – behavior that challenges conventions Fresh – a mix of characteristics that acts in harmony Campy – exaggeration of characteristics for effect Mirroring – mimicking behaviors of others   Puzzles – The Play of Matching. Symbols – letters or […]
Nov 11

Video Games to Track, Watch, and Play

November 11, 2017 by Chris Billows in Hobby Heedings, Playstates Theory 0 comments tags: Emergence, Games Analysis
I have an interest in the overall-scope of Video Games; but limited time to play all of the things that are of interest. I think I have come up with a solution, to help define in my own mind what are the games I need to restrain myself to. Video Games have at times been called Possibility Spaces; I think its a very great name since it is about exploring new places, tools, and concepts. Since there is not enough hours in our lives to play every possibility, I have come to accept that others can do the exploring is just as good. Twitch is a good example of the fun of witnessing games. Lots of narrative based games like RPGs and FPSs we see the game’s setting telling a story about the world. Following the narrative-linear format, these games are like books and movies. When you finish the game, you finish the story. The story is not going to advance unless you play. History waits for the player. It these kinds of games where we are acting as the page turner. Successfully overcoming obstacles advances the story. Witnessing these, spoilers and all, means that I don’t need to play […]
Nov 04

Buried by Video Game Abundance

November 04, 2017 by Chris Billows in Hobby Heedings 0 comments tags: Games Analysis
Like most enthusiasts who have a hobby, I tend to over do things with my enthusiasm. I over-collect Music and Video Games. I’ve developed (link to my itunes) a system on how to organize my music and enjoy it. My iTunes practice is a form of O.C.D. trapping. The level of detail I go to is pretty absurd, but I find it scratches an itch. Its almost like a ‘controlled burn’. Allowing it to run rampant in this one contained area of my life, but learning to let things go in other areas. Anyways, enough self psychoanalysis! The biggest difference between Music and Video Games is that Music is so much easier to ‘consume’. A typical song is about 3 minutes and the amount of brain power required to appreciate a song is about 1/100th of what an intense, intricate game requires. So I’ve come to the conclusion that Video Games will remain something that I will enjoy with much less frequency than Music. I simply do not have the time to play Video Games, while I can play Music when even at work. There are websites (The Backloggery) that help encourage people to play their backlog of games. I’ve […]
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