Genese Davis's Blog, page 19
February 6, 2013
Top 7 Video Game Myths Debunked
1) “Video Games Are a Waste of Time”
➢ Playing video games is a valuable and productive way to spend your time. Not only do video games train your brain to make quick and accurate decisions, they also improve cognitive ability and eyesight. In addition, Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) solve real-world problems at a planetary scale, Massive Multi-player Online games (MMOs) offer healthy social networks, and Real Time Strategy games (RTS) teach technical engineering skills, and asset management tools. Playing video games is absolutely not a waste of time.
2) “Video Games Make You Apathetic”
➢ Video games encourage ingenuity, confidence, empathy and team building. And video games create caring, interested, and concerned social and studious behavior. Thousands of games incorporate multi-player mode that enhances the mentality to care about your team’s well being. Additionally, these games offer rich storylines with a legacy of lore and culture where historians write entire fantasy worlds for players to study and discuss. Video games do not make players apathetic.
3) “Video Games Are Just For Men”
➢ People have the misconception stuck in their head that video games only appeal to men, and are primarily played by men. The facts: Statistics taken from the ESA (Entertainment Software Association, http://www.theesa.com/facts/index.asp) show that 47% of video game players are women. There is a video game out there for everyone whether the game incorporates social interaction, sports, puzzles, or travel; men and women can find worthy entertainment in games. To discover the gamer in you, and what games you might enjoy, visit: www.TheGamerInYou.com
4) “Video Games Are Juvenile”
➢ Parents buy video games for their kids—that’s no surprise. However, the general public would be surprised to know that the average gamer is not a kid. The average video game player is 33 years old. Clearly, it’s not just young adults playing video games. Casual or hardcore, there are games created and designed for every age and every type of player.
5) “Video Game Players Are Lazy”
➢ Video game players are passionate and very hard working. The misconception that gamers are lazy couldn’t be further from the truth. Video games demand constant brain activity. Players are flooded with puzzles and challenges that are designed to closely simulate aspects of real life, and the player must garner organization and management tools to progress. Games require players to engineer worlds and solve puzzles while maintaining strategies to protect their holdings. Gaming is one of the most intense mental sports out there—like chess! Video game players are not lazy at all; they are incredibly hard working and passionate.
6) “Video Game Players Are Anti-Social”
➢ Video games are substantially more social, more beneficial and more interactive than let’s say… watching TV. In multi-player video games, the player has to constantly communicate with his or her team. It is extremely social and interactive. Single player video games also have a huge social component as well. Not only are you interacting with a synthetic form of communication (more so than TV) but also the amount of conversations regarding single player games happen all over the world on thousands of online forums, through phone conversations, at parties, and between family and friends at home or over coffee. Video games give a way for people to be even more social and creative.
7) “Video Games Are Addictive”
➢ Wine, TV, drugs, movies, adopting pets, shopping, caffeine, sugar… if a person over indulges in anything they could potentially become addicted. Does that mean that no one should ever bite into a morsel of chocolate again or pour a glass of chardonnay? Of course not. We hear all the time that a glass of wine with dinner is healthy, but too many glasses will garner addictive behavior. The point is: the same idea applies to video games. Playing an hour of video games a day before or after work improves cognitive ability and is a very healthy activity. Video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them. Video game players develop skills in multi-tasking, driving, reading, and navigation, plus gamers find improvement in their eyesight and decision-making skills. Playing video games in a work/life balance is beneficial and can enhance your lifestyle.
Over to you! What are your thoughts on video games?
As a thought leader in video game culture and its social development, Genese Davis aims to bridge the gap between families and friends of gamers who wonder about the allure behind their loved ones’ fascination with video games. She lives in Irvine, California, where she advocates for her other passion: animal rescue. For more information, visit her websites: www.GeneseDavis.com | www.TheGamerInYou.com
February 4, 2013
Video Game Pioneer Reviews The Holder’s Dominion
The Holder’s Dominion
Richard A. Bartle
The Holder’s Dominion
“Davis creates both an everyday world and a world of adventure, then she laces them together and pulls tightly. If anyone implemented Edannair, I’d certainly want to play it!”
— Richard A. Bartle, PhD, Professor of Game Design, University of Essex
A pioneer of the massively multiplayer online game industry, a British writer, professor, and game researcher, Richard A. Bartle has been an influence in the video game industry for over three decades. He is known for being the co-creater of MUD1 (the first MUD) and the author of the seminal Designing Virtual Worlds. Bartle produced groundbreaking research on player personality types in massively-multiplayer online games, and in Bartle’s analysis, players can be divided into four types. This idea has been adapted into a popular online test generally referred to as the Bartle Test. To learn more visit his website: http://mud.co.uk/richard/
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Dr. Bartle. I am very glad you enjoyed the book!
To learn more about The Holder’s Dominion or the author, visit:
http://www.GeneseDavis.com | www.TheHoldersDominion.com | http://www.TheGamerInYou.com
January 30, 2013
Artist Spotlight: Cody Vaughan
The art of filmmaking is wondrous. From all over the world, individuals pour their energy and soul into the creation of film. They share with us their art and vision for storytelling. It is my pleasure to be able to spotlight one of these artists, Cody Vaughan. Located in the sunny state of California, Cody brings to life the carefully crafted words of a screenplay. Through his innate talent and incredible ability to embody a character, it is exciting to spotlight Cody’s artistic talent as an actor.
Cody Vaughan
This week I got to sit down with Cody to talk about the art of acting, what inspires him to invoke character from the page, and his future projects. Here’s a peek inside our conversation:
1. What do you love most about acting?
Cody Vaughan: The thing that I love the most about acting is that I get to become somebody completely different from myself. It is exciting to bring someone to life onscreen that can impact the audience and hopefully inspire people in a positive way.
2. In the past two years, what have been your most memorable or favorite acting roles?
Cody Vaughan: In the past two years, one of my most memorable acting roles was on an online web series entitled “BlackBox TV”. It was a two-day shoot in which I was cast as a seemingly innocent character who had a much darker side. The shoot itself was exhausting due to filming literally all night, but it was a thrill to play a character that I had typically not played prior to this. You can check out the episode at this link:
3. How would you describe your ideal role?
Cody Vaughan: This is a difficult question because I am striving to have a broad range, playing many different types of characters. My preference is something dramatic, and I love characters that are very conflicted internally. These types of characters are fascinating to me due to their complex nature.
4. If you could change two things in the acting world, what would they be?
Cody Vaughan: If I could change two things in the acting world, I would first change the fast paced and workaholic nature of the industry. I think a lot of times, movies are rushed and it compromises the end product. And there are crazy hours which I feel leads to a lot of burnout for cast and crew. I think you would obtain better results if things slowed down and gave people more time to breathe. Granted, that is not always possible due to the nature of film, but I think that could be improved.
Second, I would change the aversion to risk-taking on younger actors. What I mean by that is that it is often more difficult for a young actor to get a break in the industry because no one wants to take a risk on an unknown or less experienced actor. There is a ton of unrecognized talent out there.
5. How do you prepare for a role?
Cody Vaughan: I like to prepare for a role by coming up with a back story for the character so there is more depth. Also, one thing I have done is watch other movies or tv shows that have characters which fit the style of my character. Honestly, I try not to over think it but just get a feel for who the character is and then just play and let the character come out organically.
6. What’s been your most challenging role to date?
Cody Vaughan: I would say my most challenging role would probably be for a web series I recently worked on called “La Verdad: Beginnings”. The challenging thing about this role is that the character is very emotionally walled off, which requires a performance full of subtleties instead of obvious emotion. I had to work on keeping myself more reserved, but still have the emotion and conflict going on internally. Check out the episode at this link:
7. What are you working on right now?
Cody Vaughan: I am currently acting in and producing the web series I mentioned above, “La Verdad: Beginnings”. You can check out the Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/enterlaverdad
I also have a few different projects going on behind the scenes, which I can’t talk about yet, but I’m excited about them!
8. How can people follow you and keep up with all that you’re doing?
Cody Vaughan: There are different ways people can follow me!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/codyvaughanactor
IMDB page:
Twitter: @codyvaughan25
Supporting artists is a huge passion of mine. Make sure you check out Cody Vaughan’s work. He is dedicated, loyal, and unconditionally selfless. And even beyond the high caliber of his professionalism, Cody is courteous, kind and refreshingly positive. He is someone you can’t help but smile around. Filmmakers are fortunate to work with such passion and talent. Thanks for your time, Cody!
January 25, 2013
Genese Davis in Publishers Weekly
Hi all, I’m Eric, the producer for Genese Davis. I’m really excited to be guest blogging today because I have fantastic news that merits truly special congratulations. This week it’s my pleasure to announce that Genese Davis was published in Publishers Weekly!
Publishers Weekly has carried the tagline, “The International News Magazine of Book Publishing and Bookselling” and is one of the most renowned and impactful magazines today. Published continuously since 1872, Publishers Weekly is the most influential magazine covering the publishing world.
And on January 21st, 2013, Publishers Weekly published a full-length article by Genese Davis! The article titled, “Overcoming the YA Obsession: A debut author sticks to her new adult guns” features Davis’s new adult novel, THE HOLDER’S DOMINION. In the article Davis pinpoints how “Beyond our high school days are powerful new adult stories that begin and blossom in our late teens and early 20s.”
To read more you can purchase the January 21st issue, “Is Work Killing You?” for $8.00 on the Publishers Weekly site (click here). You can also subscribe to their e-magazine on most major devices.
The entire Genese Davis Books’ team is ecstatic and we are really looking forward to March 1st, 2013, when THE HOLDER’S DOMINION debuts.
Congratulations Genese Davis on your novel and getting featured in Publishers Weekly!
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
January 22, 2013
Book Trailer Launches Limited Time Offer!
We’re excited to announce a very special offer. If you pre-order now directly through Beaver’s Pond Press, you are eligible to receive The Holder’s Dominion two weeks prior to its official release!
THE HOLDER’S DOMINION, a debut novel by Genese Davis. Pre-orders are now available. Click here.
In e-book and paperback everywhere March 1st, 2013!
Critical Acclaim
“You fall at once into Kaylie’s world. . . . It will keep you turning the pages.”
—Christie Golden, New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi—Ascension
“The Holder’s Dominion is a heartfelt, fast-paced thrill ride that will appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike.”
—Micky Neilson, New York Times-bestselling author
“My secret hope is that [Davis's] strong heroine’s experiences in such a rich gaming
world inspires more women to be gamers. . . .”
—Billy Cain, vice-chairman, International Game Developers Association — Austin
“Gaming has never looked more intriguing . . . or inviting.”
—Kristian Nairn, actor
“Davis creates both an everyday world and a world of adventure, then she laces them together
and pulls tightly.”
—Richard A. Bartle, PhD, Professor of Game Design, University of Essex
THE HOLDER’S DOMINION TRAILER CREDITS
CAST
Kaylie Ames:
Jessica Shaffer
Caitlin Glass (Voice Over)
The Holder:
Scott Blake
Anthony Bowling (Voice Over)
Aerum:
Rick Reischman
CREW
Directors
Brian Horn
Eric Kieron Davis
Producer
Eric Kieron Davis
Executive Producer
Genese Davis
Writer
Genese Davis
Camera
Justin Talbott
Sound Design
Nate Maas
Brian Horn
Music
Omar Fadel
Editor
Brian Horn
Visual Effects Artists
Fabio Barretta Zungrone
Justin Talbott
Color Correction
Geordie Swainbank
Hair/Makeup
Dayna Soliday
Special Thanks
Ray Sharp
Kara Edwards
Angela Blake
Four Day Weekend
FUNimation
January 21, 2013
Layers of Thought Top Picks – 2013
Thank you, Layers of Thought!
January 20, 2013
THE HOLDER’S DOMINION—A Headline Hitter!
“Transforming the representation of the video game industry worldwide, The Holder’s Dominion is THE ONLY new gamer fiction of its kind on the market today. Following a newcomer to the world of online role-playing games, this book sidesteps stereotypes and reveals a tight-knit community facing a very real threat. Davis brings her own online experiences and insider knowledge to a story that engages dedicated players and non-gamers alike in Kaylie’s quest to protect the ones she loves from a power-hungry manipulator. Along the way she realizes that the problems she hoped to forget are right there in her escapist fantasy—but so are the solutions.
The Holder’s Dominion is a speculative thriller with a fantasy twist revolutionizing the perception of video games with its breakthrough themes and its true-to-life characters.”
January 16, 2013
Origins of the DOMINION
You are invited to a special sneak peek revealing why The Holder’s Dominion came to be.
The Holder’s Dominion
Like Kaylie, the protagonist in The Holder’s Dominion, I was introduced to video games at the University of Texas—Austin. I met gamers who were not only highly intelligent, freethinking, brilliant college students who were acing their engineering, medical, and criminal justice exams, but I also met career driven professionals who were living healthy and successful lives—all while gaming. I was fascinated by the artwork and in-depth storylines that brought millions of people together to collaborate in these made-up worlds. As I experienced more serious gaming while playing with competitive guilds, I gained a passion for the tight-knit communities as well as a vast admiration for the creation of these vivid realms.
I wanted to write a story that could capture how impactful a Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) can be, and to create a basis for family and friends of gamers to understand them and their world. I imagine we all have relatives who wonder, “Are video games a waste of time?” “Why does my spouse play video games into the night?” A parent might ask, “Why does my child want to play a video game instead of go outside and play?” The Holder’s Dominion reveals online gaming in an easy-to-follow and riveting setting that marries pre-video-game generations to today’s video game enthusiasts. And it is also a message of hope and support for anyone going through grief or who have been separated from their family.
Video game developers and enthusiasts research, study, imagine, and bring to life their creative ingenuity through games. Video game communities care about the evolution of art, the experience of interactive entertainment, and how this artwork will reach the world. This led me to write for gamers and non-gamers alike about the unpredictable and influential ways that video games benefit (not ruin) and enhance (not waste) our lives. True to this inspiring experience, The Holders Dominion is about to arrive. As a first person thriller releasing on March 1st, 2013, this book demonstrates the unifying experiences that are MMORPGs.
My hope is that this fast-paced, thrill ride will bridge the gap between families and friends of gamers who wonder why their loved ones play video games.
For more information on The Holder’s Dominion and upcoming events, connect with me at GeneseDavis.com, and on Facebook, and Twitter!
Until then: Game On, and Lark Your Life.
Over to you! Who in your life plays video games? Ever wonder why they play?
January 12, 2013
Artist Spotlight: Daylicious Hair
It is a privilege to spotlight the wonderful hair artist, Dayna Soliday! When I say “hair artist” I also mean hair stylist, but I want to emphasize that styling hair is a work of art, too.
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Dayna on several shoots and I can attest to her warm, welcoming demeanor, and her vibrant talent as a stylist. Here are images from a recent photo shoot highlighting her work:
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
Dayna will be launching her hair page called Daylicious Hair (what a cute name!) in the near future. In the meantime, you can still view all her amazing work by visiting “Hair by Dayna”.
If you are in the Southern California area and need a cut, color, trim, up-do—you name it—Dayna can do it! You can find her at:
Images Salon
2515 East Coast Highway
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
(949) 675-5531
Dayna really stands out in the hair industry. She is warm, energetic, charming, witty, and on top of all that, she is extremely talented. Thank you, Dayna. You help us look and feel brighter, inside and out!
January 11, 2013
2013 Independent Games Festival
Congratulations to all the 2013 IGF nominees!
March 25-29th will be an exciting week as San Francisco hosts the Independent Games Festival. The IGF will award independent games and highlight the innovative achievements of their developers ranging in size from individuals building PC titles to studio teams creating console downloadable titles. The Independent Games Festival was established by UBM Tech’s Game Network to encourage the rise of independent game development and to recognize the best independent game titles. Finalists and winners since its 1999 debut have included landmark games such as World of Goo, Super Meat Boy, Portal predecessor Narbacular Drop, and Minecraft.
The full list of finalists for the 2013 Independent Games Festival is as follows:
Excellence In Visual Art
Incredipede (Northway Games and Thomas Shahan)
Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer)
Guacamelee! (Drinkbox Studios)
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (Asteroid Base)
Year Walk (Simogo)
Honorable mentions: Fly’n (Ankama Play); Eleven (Christoffer Hedborg, Datahowler); The Bridge (Ty Taylor and Mario Castaneda); Thomas Was Alone (Mike Bithell, David Housden and Danny Wallace); Hundreds (Semi Secret feat. aeiowu)
Excellence In Narrative
Thirty Flights of Loving (Blendo Games)
Cart Life (Richard Hofmeier)
Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer)
Dys4ia (Auntie Pixelante)
Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)
Honorable mentions: Goblet Grotto (thecatamites, j chastain, NEW VADERS); Analogue: A Hate Story (Christine Love); Papo & Yo (Minority Media); The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe); 7 Grand Steps (Mousechief)
Technical Excellence
StarForge (CodeHatch)
Perspective (DigiPen Widdershins)
Little Inferno (Tomorrow Corporation)
Intrusion 2 (Aleksey Abramenko)
LiquidSketch (Tobias Neukom)
Honorable mentions: Mobiloid (Monty Melby); Skulls Of The Shogun (17-BIT); Foldit(University of Washington); 140 (Jeppe Carlsen); Gateways (Smudged Cat Games)
Excellence In Design
Samurai Gunn (Beau Blyth)
FTL: Faster Than Light (Subset Games)
Starseed Pilgrim (Droqen & Ryan Roth)
Super Hexagon (Terry Cavanagh)
Super Space ______ (David Scamehorn & Alexander Baard/DigiPen)
Honorable mentions: Spaceteam (Henry Smith); Helix (Michael Brough); Little Inferno(Tomorrow Corporation); Rymdkapsel (Martin Jonasson, Grapefrukt Games); Hotline Miami(Dennaton Games)
Excellence In Audio
Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer)
Bad Hotel (Lucky Frame)
140 (Jeppe Carlsen)
Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games)
Pixeljunk 4AM (Q-Games)
Honorable mentions: Thomas Was Alone (Mike Bithell, David Housden and Danny Wallace); Little Inferno (Tomorrow Corporation); Gone Home (The Fullbright Company);Fract OSC (Phosfiend Systems); Dust: An Elysian Tale (Humble Hearts)
Nuovo Award
[Designed 'to honor abstract... and unconventional game development'.]
Cart Life (Richard Hofmeier)
Spaceteam (Henry Smith)
Dys4ia (Auntie Pixelante)
Bientot l’ete (Tale of Tales)
7 Grand Steps (Mousechief)
MirrorMoon (SantaRagione + BloodyMonkey)
VESPER.5 (Michael Brough)
Little Inferno (Tomorrow Corporation)
Honorable mentions: Renga (wallFour); Starseed Pilgrim (Droqen & Ryan Roth); Frog Fractions (Twinbeard); Thirty Flights of Loving (Blendo Games); The Stanley Parable(Galactic Cafe)
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games)
FTL: Faster Than Light (Subset Games)
Cart Life (Richard Hofmeier)
Little Inferno (Tomorrow Corporation)
Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer)
Honorable mentions: Gone Home (The Fullbright Company); Thirty Flights of Loving(Blendo Games); The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe); Super Hexagon (Terry Cavanagh);Starseed Pilgrim (Droqen & Ryan Roth)
Pixeljunk 4AM has my vote!
What games have yours?
