WolfSpeak

Gratuitous Marketing Plug

It's been HOW long since I posted a blog here? And THIS is what I update with? I guess I am a marketing whore.

The Lego Indiana Jones demo is EXCLUSIVELY at www.gamesforwindows.com. Go there an download it. Here's the full release below. And yes, I really did just do that.

Be the first to discover “LEGO^® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures” with an exclusive demo on GamesForWindows.com

You don’t have to wait any longer to get a taste of all the adventure Indiana Jones™ has to offer. An exclusive downloadable Windows PC demo of upcoming Games for Windows branded title, “LEGO^® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures” is now available only on GamesForWindows.com.

For the next two weeks, gamers, movie buffs and adventurers can visit GamesForWindows.com and download the exclusive playable demo of the latest addition to the fantastic LEGO^® gaming franchise. With over 60 playable characters, dozens of memorable Indiana Jones™ scenes, and all of the charm that LEGO^® brings to gaming, “LEGO^® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures” is sure to be a hit with everyone.

Additionally, since “LEGO^® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures” will sport the Games for Windows brand, gamers are assured of a quality experience. Games for Windows titles offer easier installation, widescreen compatibility, and support for Windows Vista’s Parental Controls and the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows.

“LEGO^® Indiana Jones™: The Original Adventures” is rated “E 10+” for audiences 10 and up, and will hit store shelves on June 3, 2008.

I Won!

I honestly can't believe it.

I cranked out another astounding 4,683 words tonight on my novel, Hearthold, and officially puts me 536 words over the goal of 50,000 words for National Novel Writing Month. I did it. I won NaNoWriMo. And I have the pretty certificate and the icon to prove it. See?

It's actually kind of bizarre to have "won" NaNoWriMo. I honestly started out with good intentions, but never really seriously thought that I would accomplish the goal. I'd never written this much before, and while I've always talked about how someday I wanted to write a novel, I never really sat down to do it.

The novel isn't finished. In fact, my main concern now is that now that I actually accomplished the main goal I set out to do, which was write 50,000 words, I now no longer have the drive and overwhelming reason to sit down and write for two or three hours every night. But I have also been sending chapters to my mother after I finish them. While I honestly don't think the book is very complete or even very good, she seems to be thoroughly enjoying it, and I suspect that if I don't finish it soon, she'll be very angry at me. And I learned long ago that one should not anger one's mother.

I guess the next question is "what next?" Well, first off I do want to finish the novel. I think it will probably only take another couple of chapters, maybe another 10,000 words or so, depending on what direction I take things. That's one of the really interesting things about how this novel came together – I had no idea what was going to happen until I started writing it. There was only one time that I actually deleted a couple of paragraphs because I had a couple of characters go into a situation that I said, "No, that's not right and I don't want to do that," and so took them down a completely different path. But for the most part, I just made it up as I went along, and I'm actually rather pleased at how some things are going to get tied up, and how I'm leveraging some things I mentioned earlier in the novel at the end of it. But in any case, I need to finish it (so my Mom won't kill me) and then I'm not too sure. I'll let it sit for a couple of months, probably, and then I think I'll go back and do some editing. I don't seriously think it's of publishable quality, but I'd hate to write something only to never have anyone read it. Maybe I'll post it online, or give it to some friends to see what they think. We'll see.

In the short term, however, I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm going to actually spend some time with my wife after the kids go to bed rather than disappear and disconnect the first chance I get. Then I'm going to crack that shrink-wrap on Mass Effect, and get reacquainted with my Xbox 360 and Windows PC. It's been too long since I've had some good ol' Gaming Goodness™.

Home Stretch

I just passed 45,000 words, and I can hear the roar of near-victory. That certificate will be mine!

Breaking 40,000!

I'm writing so much in the evenings now in the last great big push to 50,000 words that I barely have the energy to update the blog. So I'll make it short.

3,640 words this evening. Current count at just over 41,800. Almost there!

Proliferation

Just finished the second of two really good days. Yesterday I cranked out 3,500 words, and got another 4,435 words down tonight. At just over 38,000 words, I'm feeling pretty good about crossing that 50,000-word finish line in the next week. As long as I can get another few good nights in, that is.

Cranking Away

I'm liking this whole holiday weekend thing. And I think I'm somewhat getting into the flow of really cranking out the story. Stuff is happening, and it's always more fun to write things when things are actually HAPPENING. In any case, I'm up over 30K now with another 4,364 words tonight.

By the way, I don't know that I've mentioned why I'm bothering to update this site every time I update my wordcount. I'm trying to track this progress for posterity, and I'm using this blog as a record of what I've accomplished when. So that I can look back on it next year, and either say "Okay, this is why I didn't make the word-count" or, ideally, say "this is what I did last year and it succeeded – I'll do that again". At least, that's the thought.

Short Week, Big Numbers

I'm getting somewhat caught up – while I haven't written anything over the last couple of days, I cranked out another 4,381 words tonight. I hope to get more done tomorrow, too, as work is really winding down. If there's ever been a week to catch up and surpass where I need to be, it's this week! Another couple of days like today, and I'll make the 50,000 words easy.

And thank you to everyone who wrote, called, and commented on my post about the panel I did. I appreciate the concern, support, and encouragement regarding my performance. So far the only news pickup has been a CNET News article on how "defensive" we were. I sort of which I'd been able to chat more with the author, or at least gotten asked the question "Why don't game developers focus on casual yet compelling games for those of us without an itchy trigger finger?" I would have been more than happy to talk about the huge install base at MSN Games and similar game services, the booming business PopCap games and similar game developers are doing with casual, pick-up-and-play games that don't require an itchy trigger finger, and how the casual gaming business is growing rapidly and has been for several years.

Maybe next time. :)

Back in the Saddle

I've not been writing for the past two days, mostly because I needed a break from the daily wordcount and because I was traveling. But I got back in the saddle tonight (even though all I really want to do is play Crysis) and put down another 2,852 words. That gets me over 20,000 words, which is a pretty exciting milestone. NOW I'm going to go play a bit of Crysis before I crash for the night.

NVIDIA Panel Is Over

I'm at the airport, waiting to wing my way home from the NVIDIA event. The panel didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Here's how things started off:

N'Gai: "I want our panelists to introduce themselves, and tell me one item of proof that the gaming market on Windows is still thriving, aside from World of Warcraft".

Me: "My name is Michael Wolf, and I work at Microsoft on the Games for Windows team"

Audience: *silence*

Me: "Great, thanks! Go Games for Windows"

Audience: Smattering of polite clapping and some laughter

Me: "And to answer N'Gai's question – I take exception to excluding World of Warcraft! That's a great example!"

Audience: *boos!* (Yes, I said *boos*! The first thing I said, and I got BOOED by the audience).

Me, completely flustered, embarrassed, and panicky: "Umm, well, hey, if you want numbers, I have numbers! How about 200 million gamers, about 65 million of them hardcore like you! Or 88 million copies of Windows Vista sold, 10 million to gamers! You want numbers, I have numbers!" (more babbling follows).

Sigh

Not exactly how I wanted my first panel appearance to go. I was vindicated, however, at the end, when I somewhat made up for my start with the hardcore audience when N'Gai asked us to say one final thing, which was to share one thing about the future of Windows gaming that gamers could look forward to in the next 12 months. I said, "Windows Vista… will work BETTER!" The crowd erupted in cheers.

I think I could get used to doing panels, and it was clear that several of the guys up there were old pros at this sort of things. Something to aspire to, I guess. Regardless, the event was pretty cool. I posted a quick blurb about it on the Gamerscore Blog, along with some pictures.

 

Cold ‘n Shaky

No word count update yesterday, and possibly not today. I'm currently in Alameda, California, and about a half-hour away from participating on a panel at the NVIDIA GeForce LAN 4 party. The panel is with a bunch of experts in the gaming industry, including folks from NVIDIA, Games for Windows magazine, PC Gamer, and the host is N'Gai Croal from Newsweek.

I'm actually pretty nervous about it. I've been put in the role of spokesperson more and more lately, and while I'm getting used to it, sitting on a stage with other "experts" in the field with a large audience of hardcore gamers and media is not something I've ever done before. Usually I'm in the audience watching my spokesperson do all the work.

I'm sure it'll be fine and I keep telling myself to just think of it as a casual conversation like we might have if we were to meet at a part at E3 or something. I just hope I don't say anything I shouldn't, or say anything stupid. There's nothing more mortifying than looking like a dolt in front of your peers in a public setting.

I'll be posting pictures and a little blurb about the event on www.gamerscoreblog.com later today, probably while I wait for my flight later tonight. Wish me luck!