Carla Fisher
The Tech That Binds
Kids Got GameGiven what I do, some people are surprised that my husband and I have generally avoided any screen time for my 14-month-old daughter so far, with the exception of Skyping with family and a handful of app experiences. But she is quickly approaching the age where I can no longer pretend that technology doesn’t exist.
What We’re Playing
Kids Got GameSometimes you just need a break. Whether it’s on the subway, waiting for a conference call to begin or the takeout you ordered for dinner to arrive, we all have those times when having a game to play at the tip of your fingers (or the touch of your iPhone) can come in handy. Luckily for us, we’re game designers, so playing these games isn’t a waste of time, it’s an excuse for a blog post!
Parents vs In-App Purchases
Kids Got GameIn-app purchases are all over the place, including children’s apps featuring well known brands. It’s often referred to as the freemium model of game design – get the base app for free (or dirt cheap) then buy expansion packs and add-ons for cost within the app.
A Game for Books about Games
Kids Got GameI’m an avid reader, especially of young adult novels. And as a game designer, I enjoy seeing what gaming elements were created for the books. It’s a common need – create extensions of a brand in other media. We often see it in the form of television shows and companion websites.
GDC Knowledge Nuggets
Kids Got GameSo I just presented at Game Developers Conference. GDC is nutty. At any given time, there are about 14 people that I want to be talking to as well as another 82 sessions that I’d like to be attending. Granted, I’m slightly prone to exaggeration, but suffice to say, there’s a lot of interesting stuff at all times. So here’s my clip show blog post – great summaries of the awesome talks at GDC from the good people at Escapist Magazine and Gamasutra!
Blatant Self Promotion (and Other Helpful Information)
Kids Got GameConference season is upon us. You’ve already heard about some of our Kidscreen adventures. Now we’re about to embark on the March edition of the speaking circuit, including Game Developers Conference and SxSW. So, in this post are three important things:
STEM Education + Games = Epic Win, Part 2
Kids Got GameIn Part 1 of this discussion, I shared my thoughts on STEM education as fostering a mindset of curiosity and discovery, not just a body of facts. In the first post, I talked about how games can foster cooperation and teamwork and how that ties to working as part of a scientific community. Here are some other games I like for the idea of STEM education.
STEM Education + Games = Epic Win, Part 1
Kids Got GameSTEM has been a smokin’ hot curriculum topic and shows no signs of slowing down. The scientific process is about curiosity and discovery, not just a process of hypothesis and testing. STEM education also makes for amazing and flexible games, and is about inspiring in children the desire to find out on their own, not always to be taught. In Part 1 of my two-part discussion, here are some games that make my STEM education list and why.
Do I need to know how to program to do game design?
Kids Got GameI’m frequently asked whether it’s important to learn how to program in order to make games or work in the games field. In general, my answer is yes, learn to program. But programming is not for everyone, and not every project is the right moment to learn.
Dear Santa…
Kids Got GameMy mom recently asked for my gift wish list and she really balks at buying me more than a game or two, even after all these years and all my explanations of how games can be good. But if I were to hand off my real wish list, something like this would happen…
The definitive kids ent resource.Photos
Kidscreen Summit 2010 -