2012.
Photos on the front page of CNN. Underwater footage used for a new show on Discovery Channel. My first paperback cover for an international novel. Contributions to the DOT and marine non profit groups. Four whale sharks.
My blog post turned into a play in New York.
China. Korea.
Built 8List with a fantastic team.
Married my wife and today, as we close the year, we welcome a new bundle of joy in our arms.
What a year. *slow clap*
(Lord, when you give, you really know how to spoil us)
It was really great catching up with Erick Garayblas (@egarayblas) last week over coffee. We talked about the success of Streetfood Tycoon and how his life as a mobile game developer has evolved with the rise of the Apple App Store. We talked about a ton of things so here’s a more organized version of the interview.
** Ed’s note: Not mentioned in the written interview is how Erick was able to have his ‘kwek-kweks’ in many baskets. He noted how he’s shifted from an ad-driven business model (free to play but ad supported) which earned him a ton of money a month into in-app purchases which, although earns less, is more stable as the latter relies on Google’s Adsense platform which can be subject to a lot of technicalities.
1. How did Streetfood Tycoon come to be? What’s your thought process in designing a game?
Streetfood Tycoon came from my penchant for playing simulation and business-related games. I’m a huge fan of Lemonade Tycoon and Sim Tower. I “borrowed” a few mechanics from these two games and presented them in my own unique way w/in the game. I normally don’t follow a “thought process”, I just browse through my list of ideas (which come from dreams, reading books/comics, playing “other” games and talking to friends), try to mix them up, create a prototype and see how it goes from there. A lot of prototypes get shelved while the good ones become full blown games.
Samsung’s Smart Window marries the utility of a window and their Internet-capable Smart TV. I had been chatting with some folks from Samsung Philippines and they hinted about something really exciting for 2012, apart from more apps and video streaming to support their line of Smart TV’s. Looks like this is an upgrade. Touch screen too (though I don’t know how they’re going to solve smudging). The best piece of news is that this isn’t a prototype and it will ship this year. The Smart Window is one-way which means that the people behind won’t be able to see what you’re watching.
Do you want it? I sure as hell would. Because it brings us closer to the concept of a truly digital home without having to look geeky.