Monthly Archives: January 2007

Articles of Interest

Posted on January 5, 2007 by | 1 comment

  • Via Slashdot, word that the Milgram experiment was recreated in a virtual environment. I always thought that the video footage from Milgram’s original experiment was incredibly powerful stuff that every high school student should be required to watch. (PS. Best — if most twisted — Slashdot story comment I’ve read in a long time: “So when does this come out for the Wii?”)
  • Also via Slashdot, a research team at Intel built a game that works entirely within Google Earth.
  • One year ago, I would never have guessed that HDTVs would soon be in 33M US homes.
  • Ian Bogost writes about the Burger King Xbox 360 games, noting that there’s more to these games than the brand loyalty they might generate. Quote: “Burger King used these games as a lure to draw Xbox owners into their stores… the same strategy fast food companies use in their kid’s meals every week… In the world of marketing, this strategy is called promotion.”
  • In case you’re curious, Next Gen has posted a thorough list of Games of 2007 on Xbox 360.
  • A web portal, designed with the Wii’s opera browser in mind, offering free flash games. I’m so curious to see how Nintendo responds to initiatives like this (assuming it responds at all.)

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Interview with Trip Hawkins (Digital Chocolate)

Posted on January 3, 2007 by | 8 comments

I thought I’d start off 2007 with something fun. That said, check out my recent interview with Trip Hawkins, the Chairman and CEO of Digital Chocolate. Prior to founding Digital Chocolate, Trip also just happened to found Electronic Arts and 3DO. Interest piqued? Let’s get on to the Q&A.  đź™‚

You’re best-known for your central role in the founding of Electronic Arts. Would you mind sharing a few little-known stories about the birth of EA? How did decisions made in the early days set the stage for what EA would become?

I came up with the idea for EA when I was a teenager and saw my first computer in 1971. I had already started designing simulation games but they were complicated to play. The instant I saw that computer I realized I could put the complicated stuff inside the computer and create “real life in a box.” I then laid the groundwork by studying computer science and other relevant topics in college. It was during a summer computer programming job in 1975 that I thought it out and decided to start my computer game company in 1982. I really did plan it that far in advance. Again, I continued from 1975 to shape my experience to support EA’s eventual birth, including getting an MBA to learn more about business and going to work for Apple to help build the market for computers in the home so that I could then sell games to play on them.

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