Wow, It's been a while...

I realize now that I have neglected this blog for quite some time. It's not like I haven't been busy, or anything like that, but for now, that's beside the point. I just finished Cory Doctorow's latest novel, Little Brother. It's a stunning look into the future, that's captivatingly written. It's a short read (the PDF is 155 pages long), and a quick one at that, because once the story gets rolling, the action doesn't stop. That's not to say it's not good, (it's one of the best books I've read lately) it's just short.

One of the things that jumps out at me about all of Doctorow's books is that they're available for FREE on the internets, and they're all distributed under a Creative Commons license. Having read the book, crowdsourcing, RFID, and other security tech really make me nervous now. Not like über-paranoid nervous, but oh-my-heck-what-does-the-future-hold nervous.

This, in fact, is precisely why everyone with a quarter of a technologically-savvy brain should read Little Brother. Anyone with any say in how this new technological wonder of a world is going to be developed needs to read this book. Hell, everyone and their brother (or sister) needs to read this book. It's that important. There's a quote from Neil Gaiman, claiming that Little Brother is a successor to Orwell's 1984. I thought it was just hype. After reading the book, I have come to remember that Mr. Gaiman is a very wise man when it comes to books.

So, a choice, my dear reader, lies before you. The red pill, or the blue pill. The choice is yours.

Greenhouse (beta), a Great Way to (Potentially) Start a Game

I realize that at this point, I'm just jumping on the bandwagon, but I figure it's worth it to bring up the latest offering from the guys behind Penny Arcade, an online content deployment system known simply as Greenhouse. Designed for the upcoming Penny Arcade game, Greenhouse (as noted by its creators) will hopefully offer indie developers a cost-effective and easy way to deploy their games.

My hopes for Greenhouse are high. Hopefully, an easy, community-supported way to roll out your content will provide us with more great games that don't have to descend from the jaws of the Industry Giants, like the raved about Sins of a Solar Empire. If there is a better, easier way for budding designers to get their Bright Ideas out to the gaming masses, the result can only be better growth in the art form we know as video gaming.

Unfortunately, with the massive possibilities that come with Greenhouse, there are also massive expectations. It's almost certain that some expectations will not be met, and there will be some resentment. If Greenhouse was to fall flat on its face, it will be another unfortunate, but serious disappointment in a line of unfortunate but serious disappointments for the gaming community at large.

Here's to hoping that Greenhouse grows into its expectations, and that it can become a successful, useful, and most of all, awesome development system.