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    The Recipe for a Great Sequel
    Ray
    • Jan 7, 2019
    • 5 min

    The Recipe for a Great Sequel

    Think of some of your favorite sequels out there – Uncharted 2 or Portal 2 or Diablo 3. How do they make you feel? Sometimes it can be...
    0 comments
    Breaking into Game Design
    Ray
    • Jul 20, 2018
    • 8 min

    Breaking into Game Design

    A few times each year, a friend of a friend will ask for advice about becoming a game designer...
    0 comments
    I'll Know I've Made it as a Game Designer When...
    Ray
    • Feb 5, 2018
    • 5 min

    I'll Know I've Made it as a Game Designer When...

    I’ll know I’ve made it as a game designer when: … growing up, I design games that aren’t much fun, but I have a great time doing it...
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    Structured Daydreaming
    Ray
    • Aug 18, 2017
    • 2 min

    Structured Daydreaming

    Designers should make time to daydream. As the cultivators and ushers of good ideas, it's our job to make sure we're finding the best ones.
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    The Holy Trinity of Feedback
    Ray
    • Apr 26, 2017
    • 5 min

    The Holy Trinity of Feedback

    There are 3 types of feedback to consider when designing a satisfying interaction: visual, aural, and verbal. These are the Holy Trinity...
    0 comments
    Launching Merge Dragons: My Indie Project
    Ray
    • Oct 4, 2016
    • 2 min

    Launching Merge Dragons: My Indie Project

    Nearly 3 years ago (as of late 2016), I left Maxis, and I left The Sims. A piece of my heart remained behind...
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    Look How Far We've Come
    Ray
    • Aug 5, 2016
    • 1 min

    Look How Far We've Come

    A comparison of the back of a video game box from 1987 to 30 years later.
    0 comments
    5 Tips for Writing Great Design Docs
    Ray
    • Sep 1, 2015
    • 6 min

    5 Tips for Writing Great Design Docs

    The first problem any designer must overcome is getting their team to want to read a design. The second problem is...
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    Designing Character Traits in The Sims 3
    Ray
    • May 5, 2013
    • 10 min

    Designing Character Traits in The Sims 3

    In The Sims 3, we made many additions and improvements to the lovable and quirky beings we call Sims. By far, my favorite of those...
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    The Video Game Explosion
    Ray
    • Dec 10, 2012
    • 2 min

    The Video Game Explosion

    Today, I read an article that made my brain shatter. If I’d been driving and reading the article at the same time, I’d probably have...
    0 comments
    
SimCity Social & 8 Truths of Facebook Game Design
    Ray
    • Jul 24, 2012
    • 12 min

    SimCity Social & 8 Truths of Facebook Game Design

    Before I worked on social games, I just didn’t “get” them. I didn’t want to bug my friends when I needed things. I didn’t want to play on...
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    Where Diablo 3 is Missing Out
    Ray
    • Jun 9, 2012
    • 5 min

    Where Diablo 3 is Missing Out

    Diablo is a game about collecting loot. It always has been, and always will be. It’s a glorified slot machine with...
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    The Holy Grail of Game Design
    Ray
    • Apr 21, 2012
    • 4 min

    The Holy Grail of Game Design

    The market is saturated with game mechanics, and it's only getting more saturated over time. Games aren't un-inventing themselves...
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    Team-Wide Content Creation on The Sims 3
    Ray
    • Mar 26, 2012
    • 3 min

    Team-Wide Content Creation on The Sims 3

    One of the quandaries we had on The Sims 3 was a goal of making a deeper and more interesting game than The Sims 2, with more content to...
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    Zelda: An Inspiration from my Youth
    Ray
    • Feb 3, 2012
    • 2 min

    Zelda: An Inspiration from my Youth

    I spent countless days wandering the lands. I held a candle to every bush. I assaulted every rock face with bombs. I pushed every...
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