I Was There...

Creativity is intelligence having fun. (Photo credit: symphony of love)

Being creative is an ability we all have. How that “creativity” presents itself, how it may be expressed or shown varies. For some it is a passing thought, to others it develops. Books, movies, paintings, drawings are the outlets used to share what develops.

It's winter here, stepping out my back door there are several inches of snow. It's breezy and very cold. I noticed one lone dried leaf slowly travel along the bottom of my chain link fence. The night sky, the cold and the contrast of the dried leaf against the snow was the beginning of a story or an ominous scene from a movie. My imagination placed me in a different time and place.

I love those moments because for a brief instant all of my senses are in a story. I am sure this is how it all begins. When they find themselves immersed in a moment that floods their senses, they begin to write, draw, create. I can create my own world, even if it's a passing thought but I love to visit others who have truly developed theirs.

I love the books/movies/art. For me its a view from the outside, a spectator enjoying what is getting presented. Gaming entertainment allows me to participate, to move through and interact with the world that has been created. What a dismal life would it be without an imagination or the chance to be creative.

Doing my part..

I was perusing, as that's what I do, and came across this article. Nielsen has researched and found that gaming accounts for 10% of all US internet time.

Now at first, 10% didn't sound like news, more like a passing thought or observation. It was the 407 million hours per month that sounded news worthy. I wonder how much of that is me, I'll have to check into that. I would much rather interact with my entertainment instead of digesting whatever it may be spewing out, TV comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, I like my share of Movies but very soon I get bored and want to play with my food. In other words I want to be more involved, decision making, hand an eye coordination, which I find waning these days.

Creative expression on a daily basis, your own Journal of the mundane is far more beneficial than 407 million hours of the Tube.

*I saunter off singing Frank Zappa's "I am the slime from your video"
in reference to: Nielsen: Gaming Accounts For 10% Of US Internet Time | Edge Magazine (view on Google Sidewiki)

Pan and Games?

Move over George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, here comes Mr G. According to a an interview at MTV's Multiplayer Blog. The writer, director and producer of Pan's Labyrinth is heading into the gaming world. Guillermo del Toro who is probably most noted for directing the “Hell Boy” franchise, is going to share his movie/writing/directing talent with the gaming industry.

  MTV's Multiplayer blog

"One of the things we're announcing in the next few weeks is a big deal with a big company. We're going to do games that are going to be technically and narratively very interesting. It's not a development deal. We're going to do it. We're doing them. And we're going to announce it soon enough." ...Guillermo del Toro

I will be interested to see who this “big company” is and what “technically and narratively very interesting” plays like. I like this Celebrity/Hollywood trend and the more attention given to the gaming industry means more excitement to come, and Gamers continue to move into mainstream society. Okay, it's not like gamers are second rate citizens or anything but gamer acceptance has changed over the years.


Over the last 6 years or so we have seen more of Hollywood courting the video game industry. Names like Peter Jackson, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, John Woo “Face Off”, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg(though Lucas and Spielberg have been active longer), and lastly Paul WS Anderson “Mortal Kombat” and the first “Resident Evil” have expanded their creative experiences. Whether its because of new opportunities or a recession (Alex Wiltshire article, good read), its really hard to speculate.

When I first heard of a celebrity playing my fav MMO it made me feel less “geeky”, of course these days it's cool to be a “geek”. Back in the day, the idea of a superstar playing video games gave me my much needed retort. “Curt Schilling plays Everquest” was my enervated mythical. These days gaming is not only a major industry but an honorable pass time along with every other form of entertainment or recreation. The collaboration announcement of Curt Schilling; former MLB pitcher, RA Salvatore; Best selling American author and Todd McFarlane; Artist and writer best known for his Spawn comic book character, was exciting, of course the rest is yet to be told.

Game designer, movie director, extraordinary talents stepping into a new medium weaving that voodoo they do so well. This creates the “that was a great movie” conversation right with “That’s an awesome game.” It kinda of brings the whole thing together, sort of like a home coming.

Games made into movies or movies made into games are not as appealing to me, as a Game industry talent making a movie or Hollywood talent making a game, but more on that another time. Right now....C'mon Brad McQuaid, makes us a movie.