Death of MMO = Cyberbullying

            As promised, I’ve become passionate about controlling today’s youth against cyber bulling in MMO’s. Unfortunate, I’ve become a target, and a few players for Final Fantasy XIV: Realm Reborn game, and I’ve dealt with GM’s and PlayStation network about the case. Having viable proof, and being demeaned, as a player was hurtful, un-presented and unwelcoming, it happened, it’s the past but it does make my mind wander if it was a younger girl dealing with these guys?  For that reason, I’ve stopped playing for approximately 3 weeks, and even transferred servers, but unfortunately kind of lost the spark of playing the game. For numerous of games being developed and launched, there has to be a better way to control this, or put a end of loosing players in MMO’s, which means indie companies coming to a close. More bullying in online games (http://nobullying.com/more-on-bullying-in-online-games/), it happens, but controlling it should have started with me, by not trying to make it better. 

            If this was real life, we just simply nod at them, or acknowledge it was nice playing after a foosball game, etc. In a gaming community, it’s just easy to curse out the stranger and stalk them to making their gameplay less enjoyable. I believe for this is lack of ambition, or self-esteem, why? All of these were through messages, and not verbal contact, I once confronted verbally and they just kept spatting out nonsense, it just shows how many players will hide behind the keyboard (http://nobullying.com/more-on-bullying-in-online-games/). 

-A.H. 

How do I re-emerge back into the entertainment industry?

A noble effort in the taking, it’s not all about the connections, it’s about sharing your gratitude towards of getting to make those valuable connection, by simply making a splash online. It’s even recommended, by people who don’t tell anyone how to actually making in the entertainment industry (http://www.xojane.com/entertainment/secrets-of-how-to-make-it-in-the-entertainment-industry), scout out an agent that takes little percentage of involvement. Which is quite out of left field, never really thought of that, so this means its time to start branching out and finding local indie games designers who need more for there portfolio, so we can actually do our own research on available agents. 

From there, making a “splash” into winning for notable work will debut for millions of people using the Internet everyday. Another smart move into getting back is having people talk about “you” (http://www.ssninsider.com/10-myths-about-making-it-in-the-entertainment-industry/), whether it’s good or bad, people are talking and there will be recommendations on the way. The biggest part, is not giving up, keep knocking on those doors tell one opens. For instance, I recently had a interview for a game intern position, I’ve never been so nervous in my life, roughly because it was for want I want to do for the rest of my live, game design/development, and I probably didn’t get the job, I won’t know for a few days but I was blanking out in game terminology words and my game itself, ouch! 

-A.H.

Video Games for Kids: Angels vs Devils

 A nice little article I stumbled upon, to hopefully debunk the whole fiasco on kids playing (http://www.healthline.com/health-news/video-games-saints-or-psychopaths-082814) video games will turn into monsters road raging, or turning into killers on the streets.  Many people assume Grand Theft Auto is the key to triggering malevolent occurrences, such as an incident that happened on December 14, 2012. Adam Lanza shot and killed twenty-six people at Sandy Hook Elementary School, including twenty children, before his fate of suicide came to his existence. Reason for his blame regarding video games, for 2012, an astounding 90% of kids play video games, and 58% of them are Americans, of course studies varies in race, sex and gender as well. Scientists did do studies, varying in aggression, and younger teens playing M rated games. This does inflict depression, which I think it’s absolute nonsense; it’s called proper parenting. There is a reason for the ESRB ratings tag parents, STOP buying those games for the clan! If you believe or want to keep targeting video games, there are plus sides to all of this. Promoting prosaically behaviors, de-stress environment, teamwork, though provoking, and the effect of children’s minds is very small. 

“A study found that compared to teens that did not play video games, video game players reported more family closeness, higher involvement in activities, greater attachment to school, and positive mental health.” (http://www.rootsofaction.com/video-games-for-kids-more-good-than-bad-for-development/). Youth development is everything, for a concerning parent, but following rules to help mold a young child’s mind during gameplay, verses resulting to everyday book work. For example, knowing your child’s taste and if there is a violent game, assist in role-play, showcase the upside of being a hero or heroin trying to solve puzzles through rapid gunfire, etc. Of course, review of the video games, talk about it, and if you grow concerned about how much game time or aggression is coming through a child, that’s a red flag! I don’t know how many topics I hear about, see, visual about kids playing video games, as a level designer of course we understand what’s being created. 

-Amanda Herzberg 

 

 

The Future of Gaming Technology

            A never-ending spectacle of technology advancement (http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/future-of-gaming/), it just keeps on evolving faster then we can handle, rather sooner then later becomes obsolete in a matter of months! For instance, a huge leap from 2D games to the first 3D game, Monster Maze (1981), to Wolfenstein 3D (1992), to realism quality shooter Battlefield 2 (2011). The problem these days is the game itself. For instance, Kingdom Hearts 3 had to be re-thought out for it’s game mechanics and visual output because of not matching to the next generation consoles. Basically, I will be reuniting with Sora, Donald and Goofy when I turn years old, an amusing punch to my stomach.  

            Sounds like virtual reality games are going to have a comeback, and hopefully wont are as clunky back in the day when first introduced in the 90’s. Game development is finding it’s way to players, such as Skyrium, or making free-playing games for everyone, because game developing programs can easily be free to purchase, or for low cost. I do believe gaming sensors (http://www.polygon.com/2014/5/23/5740344/sensory-neuro-motion-gaming) is a change maker, look at the smart PS4 controller, operating a touchpad as a mouse as it glides at the touch of a finger. Games are dreams, visualized through our sight, and our minds to control aspects in a video game through sensors, the limits are raising.

-Amanda Herzberg 

Investors searching for a silver lining

Finding investors is not a hard bargain, but getting them to believe in the company and the team is a whole different ball game. It doesn’t matter how good it is, it still isn’t enough to attract investors, an article found on Entrepreneur magazine by Tim Berry. In order for an investor to seal the deal, PvE Studios will have to already have a track record of games released, a competitive advantage of not only focusing on video games, but a trajectory evidence of successful short film scripts sold. At the elevated side to investors, there are significant amount of I thousand venture capitalists employed by a few hundred venture capital firms. Or, gaining friends and family to invest into the company, and a bigger factor is utilizing social media campaign to gain followers/fans for the company. Somewhere in the middle, there are tens of thousands of private investors called "angels.” and quite plausible to tap into as a start-up company squaring away a business plans.

Venture Investors seek:

1) A management team with a proven track record dictating they have experience within the field, which may prove dire, and may hold off until a few games/media have been released and successful.

2) A defensible product with a competitive advantage.

3) Reasonable valuation of how much percentage of ownership the company is offering for an exchange.

4) A clear statement of investment offerings.

Angel Investors seek:

1) A more difficult prediction rate, similar expectations to venture investors, but may offer less investment into the company unless they see a significant amount already raised by the company.

2) Often invest in retail and technology

It’s is mentionable not to include friends and family, due to the fact if the business doesn’t develop quickly, or first looses money, relationships may come to an end.

-A.H

Importance of a Business Plan in the Game Industry

Eventual goal for this class was to prepare a rough idea and establish a business plan as future entrepreneurs. Ideally, going into this class, I was unaware of expectations the industry standard has in looking for a business plans with start-up companies. Generally, the biggest market to this day is the mobile gaming market, it’s all about designing games that exploit on the innovative addictive type of gaming, to keep users coming back and keep purchasing downloadable content. Knowing Parallel Vendetta Entertainment is steering towards RPG, Arcade and analog games, with influential emotional short story scripts to be sold, and creating a targetable audience in the business plan will set the indie game studio towards success. Becoming self aware of the current market, and in demand indie games are highly reputable and requested from multiple game publishers. However, generally coming out of the Master’s Program, generally want to avoid any more cost debt loans to form the company, thus business plans will help prepare angel investors to partner with us and capitalize in Parallel Vendetta Entertainment.

Business Plans have to tap into the current market, with video games “40 percent of gamers today are women, and 68 percent of homes in America moreover own a console or PC used for interactive entertainment, according to the Entertainment Software Association's 2010 Essential Facts report. Additionally, the report notes, 42 percent of heads of households say they play games on wireless devices such as cell phones or PDAs, up from 20 percent in 2002. (Inc.com).” Not only having business plan foreplays the market, and creating the next big game for another console, knows the financial status/statement of the starter company. Havening foreseen numbers, and embarking crunching numbers on start-up costs and predictions will lay out the risk factors for the employees and investors of the company.

"Perhaps better than any other industry, the gaming industry is really good at getting a product out there for consumers to use, get feedback on and see what they think"(Story, Inc.com). Business plan feedback, and financial statement provides a better chance to gain a marketing partner and have larger brands at Parallel Vendetta’s Entertainment disposal for raising the start-ups costs.

Doubis, L. (2013, January 14). How to Write a Business Plan for a Mobile Gaming Company. Retrieved August 2, 2015  From http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/07/how-to-write-a-business-plan-for-a-mobile-gaming-company.html

-A.H.

“Experts Views on the Value of Business Plans”

To become a leading game director of Parallel Vendetta Entertainment, there are a few key components which all lead to researching successful CEO’s, investors, and capital ventures.

Shervin Pishevar

Shervin Pishevar is a sequential tycoon, a chief venture capitalist, and angel investor who invest into technology. That is no all; Shervin is also a co-founder and managing director of Sherpa Ventures as of 2013, located in San Francisco-based venture capital firm. Shervin set goal is to create new companies, such as Tumblr, Uber technologies and partner with major vast companies to invest in them. His connection to the game industry is he has invested in a company titled Machine Zone, which grew to be one of the top players and large successful Mobil game companies in the world. Shervin was/is formerly connected to 50 company start-ups worldwide, and currently investing 8 million dollars to make transonic music travel a reality. "Surround yourself with value creators so that you can continue to be open with your heart and mind in an environment based on grace, merit and generosity."  A full throttle angel investor, and determine to create the experience, is a collector’s experience and being surround by doing his research on becoming a leading CEO decade after decade. 

Greg Richardson

Another prime investor for Mobil gaming, Greg Richardson is a 20 year game industry veteran and from CEO and general manager of Electronic Arts (EA), senior vice president of Edios in charge of product development, and investor in Elevation ventures which lead to Bioware/Pandemic. Greg aims to create desirable and game enthusiastic cross-platform games for the free-to-play environment, and someone with valuable key insight to what games have the potential to make it in the industry. Decades later, Greg has dropped over $18 million into Rumble Games, engaging the digital world around us, that looks into the gamers are the leading quality of delivering great games, power to the player. Respectfully, Rumble compromises industry veterans, everything fro Zynga games, Activision, Bioware, blizzard, Playdom, EA games, Lucas arts and Rock you.

Critical & Key components investors look for, and what they considered worth their time…

1) Angel investors are always on the hunt for superstars, and investors into the team itself then just the idea, if a developing team is passionate, smart and innovative if will be hard to resist for an angel investor to look away.

2) A completed business plan, everything detailed and fleshed out with proof of LLC, the company is established and seeking funds or has had successful viral funding campaigns backings. If a developer, or proposed company has no business plan, the angel investor will assume the company will fail.

3) Having a start-up costs of a company, and is no longer lower then half a million or surpasses the five million start-up costs.

4) Integrity, value and grit of the company, knowing the angel investor can trust the clients/team and have the pure backbone of determination, won’t fail.

5) Following integrity, understands the risk of failure/success, and knowing to be realistic it may take a little time to build a profound start-up between the investors and clients.

Following up with the business plan, is seeking out practical upcoming investors or financial firm practices. Assembling the team, so everyone can take part in mastering the business plan for angel/capital and venture investors.

Hendricks, D. (2014, August 5). 5 Things Angel Investors Should Look for in Startups. Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://www.inc.com/drew-hendricks/5-things-angel-investors-should-look-for-in-a-startup.html

Pishevar, S. (2010, May 31). Shervin blog. Retrieved July 12, 2015. http://www.shervin.com/apps/blog/

Richardson, G. (2014, August 6). Greg talks about these topics. Retrieved July 12, 2015. http://qvconf.com/profile/greg-richardson

-A.H.