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The “Game Master” Videogames Archive!

 
     
 

Few archives exist of the developments within the video games industry.

That’s why this collection of many of the online stories that Paul “The Game Master” Hyman has written about gaming these past few years makes for a fascinating look at an industry that has exploded into one of America’s favorite pastimes.

Indexed by topic, date, and publication, this archive -- which will be updated regularly -- is being made available by OpenMoves/Games! to anyone interested in recent trends and happenings throughout the publisher and developer communities. We welcome your comments and feedback!



Advergames

Consumers brands making their presence known in video games (5/7/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Necessary Evil: Advergaming Aspirations (11/2/2004/Gamasutra.com)
Ad metrics seen as boost to 'advergaming'
(1/8/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Get Started

Whether you want to reach publishers, developers, or gamers, we’re there to serve your needs!

Read the FAQ! 
 
The Game Master

Every e-newsletter is created and managed by OpenMoves/Games! editor-in-chief Paul “The Game Master” Hyman who has lived and breathed the videogames industry these last 15 years.

Paul's writings and edits have appeared in all of the top gaming Web sites and publications, such as The Hollywood Reporter,
Gamuasutra.com, Game Developer, and GamePower.com.

Learn more
about Paul!

Sponsors go ape over advergames (11/16/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Product placement in games sizzles
(11/30/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Advertisers await game measurement (1/25/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Technology seeks to measure game ad ROI (2/24/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Cadillac guns Xbox 360's ad engine (6/21/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Burger King has it their way with advergame sales (2/7/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Nielsen turns to TV viewers to report on video games (7/18/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
NBC Uni's move into vid game ads augurs trend (11/11/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Casual Games

 
 

'Casual' video games are serious business (6/17/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Casual game developers wary of new windows (1/10/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
In casual games, imitation is no flattery (3/7/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Standby for episodic casual gaming (5/9/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Casual games: Too much of a good thing? (8/22/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Patterson pursues video game murders most casual (1/28/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
Casual games look to ad-supported 'TV model' (3/19/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
Where's The Cash For Flash? (2/9/2009/Gamasutra.com)
Repeat Business: It’s The Name of the Game (3/24/2009/Casual Connect Magazine)
Social Gaming Draws Developers In (8/13/2009/Gamasutra.com)
Generating Cash For Premium Flash (9/1/2009/Gamasutra.com)
E-Marketing Best Practices: Tips for Improving Your E-mail Marketing (Summer/2009/Casual Connect Magazine)
Open For Business: Tips for Boosting Your E-newsletter Open Rates (Fall/2009/Casual Connect Magazine)Top

 
 

Classic Games

 
 

Squeezing revenue from older games (7/2/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Games biz finds new sales life in old titles (7/24/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game over? Not if preservationists have their way (10/8/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Everything old is old again (9/28/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Convergence: Licenses, Sequel-itis & Blockbusters

 
 

Video game makers sold on sequels (2/14/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Mojo working the vid game trailer business (4/24/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game publishers too reliant on licenses? (5/28/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Blockbuster mentality creates hurdles for fledgling developers (8/13/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Shooting for Hollywood-caliber production values (8/27/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
No letup to video game sequel-and-license-itis (10/29/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Hooray for Hollywood's dusty classics (2/25/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Movie and game schedules a tricky balancing act (6/24/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Small screen to game screen: Part I (10/1/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Small screen to game screen: Part II (10/7/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
'License-itis' picking up steam (7/20/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
'Eragon' games spread the novel's fantasy brand (9/7/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Woo's latest action: Turning film into game (7/24/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
It's Bourne again ... but this time as a video game (8/7/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
'BioShock' marketers take page from pics (9/5/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Counting on year-end blockbusters (9/12/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Media companies explore brave new virtual worlds (10/10/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Sequels heat up winter game season (10/21/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Black magic for 'Beowulf' game (10/23/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Ultimate in convergence: casting actors for video games (10/30/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
'Hitman': The fine art of picking games for movies (11/7/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Differing perspectives on licensing IPs (11/28/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
WBIE on developer shopping spree (12/12/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Universal's 'Wanted' going mobile (12/20/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Parents seek 'first games' with more than just licenses (1/07/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
Post-'Pirates,' 'Persia' pops for Bruckheimer (1/16/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
Disney's new game chief faced high hurdles at Atari (2/20/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
'Iron Man,' 'Hulk,' 'Alien' games power Sega's reinvention (2/27/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
'Sin City' video game goes straight to the source (3/05/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
Games built with Hollywood in mind (4/02/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
TV Networks Dabble In Original Game Development (2/09/2010/Gamasutra.com) Top

 
 

Demographics

 
 

Game conference to focus on untapped female audience (6/4/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Cable, online programming targets video gamers (8/6/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
New games play to widening demographic (5/17/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Boomers are gamers, too! (6/19/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Developer Start-Ups

 
 

Blizzard's days of uncertainty drain off talent (2/7/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Startups experiment with online distribution (10/22/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game start-ups confident despite turbulent times (3/15/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
IGF keeps indie spirit alive in game industry (4/5/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
A place for indie developers (6/28/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Digital Distribution

 
 

Video game developer experiments with digital distribution (5/1/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Digital distribution: Keep the money and run? (6/10/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
With episodic gaming, everything old is new again (6/13/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Editorials/Opinions

 
 

PC games rule: But will consoles rock the PC gaming market? (5/1/2003/ComputerUser)
Fun & games: At CPL tournaments, gamers are all business (6/1/2003/ComputerUser)
Open source gets in the game: Mods could keep PCs on the cutting edge (7/1/2003/ComputerUser)
Play, but don’t get MAME’d: Software piracy issues dog gamers, too (8/1/2003/ComputerUser)
War! What is it good for? Propaganda in the form of game-playing, for one thing (9/1/2003/ComputerUser)
The Wi-Fi revolution goes to college -- and McDonald’s, and Starbucks … (10/1/2003/ComputerUser)
With music downloads grabbing the headlines, what about game piracy? (11/1/2003/ComputerUser)
Don't be like the Game Master ... back up that hard drive (12/1/2003/ComputerUser)
Half-Life 2: mortally wounded? (1/1/2004/ComputerUser)
Experts agree -- a few minutes of Minesweeper can be good for you (2/1/2004/ComputerUser)
May I see some ID, please? What’s worse, R-rated movies or M-rated games? (3/1/2004/ComputerUser)
Where have all the gamers gone? Many games are too complex for casual users (4/1/2004/ComputerUser)
Familiarity breeds contempt (5/1/2004/ComputerUser)Top

 
 

Game Production

 
 

Waiting game: 'Halo 2' among top MIA titles (1/29/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Video game companies encourage 'modders' (4/9/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Hot properties: 'musical real estate' on games (7/17/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
'Middleware' puts focus on content, not code (7/30/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game developers, governments in love/hate relationships (11/9/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
See you on the B-side? (11/19/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
And the best video game awards show is ... (11/26/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
With video games, the play's not always the thing (12/30/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Celebrity tones are golden in video games (1/28/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Developers gird for next-gen systems (2/4/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game developers mull 'Hollywood model' (2/12/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Unionize Now? (3/22/2005/Gamasutra.com)
Thrill to the lush strings of ... "Hitman: Blood Money"? (5/6/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Efficient workflows could mean more bang for fewer bucks (5/20/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
LucasArts: Where's the Force when you need it? (7/15/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Video game workers still on the fence regarding unionization (8/9/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game developers: Talk to my agent (8/19/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Offshoring: The good & bad news (9/22/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Video games' write stuff (1/19/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Atari riding turbulence in industry transition (7/12/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
New tech stretches game writing tasks (8/30/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Brainstorming at a video game 'think tank' (12/7/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Video game art is increasingly 'to go' (3/28/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game developers expect credit where credit is due (12/5/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
And the award for best video game writing is ... (1/4/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
Quality Of Life? Does Anyone Still Give A Damn? (5/13/2008/Gamasutra.com)
Not Everyone Feels The Crunch (7/2/2008/Gamasutra.com)
An Examination Of Outsourcing: The Developer Angle (8/7/2008/Gamasutra.com)
An Examination of Outsourcing -- Part 2: The Contractor Angle (9/4/2008/Gamasutra.com)
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due (10/2/2008/Gamasutra.com)
Controversy In The Classroom: Whose IP Is It Anyway? (11/13/2008/Gamasutra.com)
Game Developer Layoffs: The Real Story (1/12/2009/Gamasutra.com)
How To Create A 'Must Have' Wii Game (3/6/2009/Gamasutra.com)
Choosing The Game Engine That Can (4/13/2009/Gamasutra.com)
The Business Of The Japan Niche (7/7/2009/Gamasutra.com)
Analysis: Is Procrastination Publishers’ New Marketing Strategy? (11/10/2009/Gamasutra.com)
Netbook Apps Demand Dedicated Development Techniques (11/11/2009/ACM News [Assn. for Computing Machinery])
Third-Party Publishers React To Deflating Wii Bubble (1/8/2010/Gamasutra.com)Top

 
 

MMOGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Games)

 
 

MMO makers hope persistence pays off (3/31/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
For sale: Virtual dragon-killing sword (4/29/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
MMOG publishers conjure up new business models (12/14/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Massive activity in massive multiplayer games (7/27/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Getting past that old MMOG grind (5/23/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Cartoon Network preps 'Casual MMO' (4/16/2008/The Hollywood Reporter)
MMOG Business Models: Cancel That Subscription! (6/5/2008/Gamasutra.com)
What Are The Rewards Of 'Free-To-Play' MMOs? (6/9/2009/Gamasutra.com)Top

 
 

Mobile Games

 
 

Developers urge promotion of mobile gaming (6/25/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Mobile games give consoles a run for their money (12/20/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Mobile gaming gets big (2/8/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Industry in search of (another) standard (3/29/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Obstacles slowing mobile game growth (3/22/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

New Products, Services, & Technologies

 
 

Microsoft's Advisor puts newbies in the game (2/24/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Software hard to line up for PSP's launch (3/5/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Format fences could fall with new technology (3/19/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Patriot game: Hunting down the Al Qaeda online (3/27/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Analysts prepare to play the waiting game at E3 (4/5/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Doin' that E3 two-step (3/16/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
What's next? New game consoles previewed (7/23/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Console makers tout new features, but content is still king (7/29/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
E3: Deals ... or no deals? (4/26/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
In retrospect, Wii topped E3 (5/24/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
GDC will be a really big shew (10/5/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Here come the next-gen video games (10/19/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
With free-to-play, the price is right (10/27/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Video games that watch back (11/22/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Microsoft has gamers playing for points (1/3/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Console makers promote 'connected gaming' (4/18/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Q&As: Up Close & Personal

 
 

Richard Leibowitz & Sean O’Keefe of Union Entertainment (5/17/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Scott Miller: Turning firms into good games -- mission impossible? (7/13/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Chris Crawford: Games need social skills (9/3/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Hal Halpin: Buying a mature-rated video game? Got ID? (12/3/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Henry Jenkins: Video games promote violence? Hogwash! (1/15/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Michael Pachter: Next-gen consoles launch with a whimper not a bang (3/4/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Lorne Lanning: It's 'game over' for Oddworld's creator Lanning (4/15/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Jason Rubin: E3 debriefing -- Game developers are mad as hell (5/27/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
John Funge: AI: the smart way to go (8/26/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Seamus Blackley: Game makers should call the shots (9/15/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
David Perry of Shiny Entertainment (1/11/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Paul Maglione: New Vivendi games unit goes mobile (3/1/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Scott Miller of 3-D Realms Entertainment (5/10/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Trip Hawkins: Mobile friendly to 'social games' (6/29/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Mark Jacobs: EA's New MMOG-meister (8/9/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Jason Kapalka: Casual game biz serious about growth (9/20/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Dennis McCauley: Where video games and politics mix (11/15/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Rob Pardo: Maestro of 'Warcraft' on 'directing' players (12/14/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Scott Novis: Wii ambitions at Buena Vista Games (12/20/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Mike Wilson of Gamecock Media Group (2/14/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Richard "Lord British" Garriott of NCsoft (2/21/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Erik Goossens: Picking casual gaming's top model (4/25/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Andrew Stein: Goin' mobile -- PopCap pushes casual game biz (6/6/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Andy Nulman: Does anyone really like mobile games? (8/15/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
Mika Salmi: I want my MTV video games (9/26/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Quality Control & Anti-Piracy

 
 

Warner Bros. looks to reviewers to help ensure game quality (5/21/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game piracy outlook bleak for near-term (9/2/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
PC Game Piracy: Why Bother With DRM? (5/11/2009/Gamasutra.com)
iPhone Piracy: The Inside Story (11/18/2009/Gamasutra.com)Top

 
 

Ratings

 
 

ESRB defends game-rating systems (2/27/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Video game rating board don't get no respect (4/8/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Video games grow up (11/3/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
Rated And Willing: Where Game Rating Boards Differ (12/15/2005/Gamasutra.com)
Games industry battles new legislation (4/19/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Game ratings a global concern (1/24/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)
ESRB shows 'tough love' to game developer (8/1/2007/The Hollywood Reporter)Top

 
 

Rentals & Pre-Owned Games

 
 

Games rental companies do battle (3/12/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Used games a boon and bane for industry (2/15/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
As Recession Deepens, Used Games Get More Painful (12/8/2008/Gamasutra.com)
Frontier's Braben: Used Games Market Affecting Game Quality (12/8/2008/Gamasutra.com)Top

 
 

Reviews+Previews

 
 

Diner Dash by PlayFirst (1/18/2006/GameZebo.com)
Feelers by Alawar Entertainment (3/8/2006/GameZebo.com)
Chuzzle by PopCap Games (3/30/2006/GameZebo.com)
Penguins! by Wild Tangent (5/8/2006/GameZebo.com)
Bejeweled 2 Deluxe by PopCap Games (7/25/2006/GameZebo.com)
Chameleon Gems by Dekovir Entertainment (8/22/2006/GameZebo.com)
Kenny’s Adventure by DivoGames Ltd. (9/21/2006/GameZebo.com)
Aztec Ball by RealArcade (10/27/2006/GameZebo.com)Top

 
 

Serious Games

 
 

Washington to developers: We want you! (9/10/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
DARWARS uses the force of videogaming (10/19/2004/The Hollywood Reporter)
Army has next-gen in its battle plans (7/5/2005/The Hollywood Reporter)
A healthy approach to game development (8/18/2006/The Hollywood Reporter)
Competitions Aim to Create Interest in Cybersecurity (8/24/2009/ACM News [Assn. for Computing Machinery])
Examining Video Games For Glitches Opens World Of Computing To Students (2/01/2010/ACM News [Assn. for Computing Machinery])

 
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