Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Company Game Jams To Industry Maturity

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including the benefits of company game jams and why the industry needs a sense of playfulness.] In our weekly Best of Expert Blogs column, we showcase notable pieces of writing from members of the game development community who maintain Expert Blogs on Gamasutra. Member Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while the invitation-only Expert Blogs are written by development professionals with a wealth of experience to share. We hope that both sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information about the blogs, check out the latest official posting guidelines. Here are the top blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Expert Blogs - New Is The New New (Andrew Grapsas) Andrew Grapsas celebrates the benefits that come from game jams, especially when a company organizes its own event to improve morale and boost creativity. - No Developer Is An Island (Robert Boyd) Reflecting on his experiences as an indie developer, Robert Boyd notes the importance of generating a network of contacts and welcoming help from others. - The Sims - Part 2: Intimidating Freedom, And How To Avoid It (Christopher Aaby) In part two of a series focusing on The Sims, Christopher Aaby examines how the popular series traps players in its addictive web. - Gamazon: Ugly. You Can't Has It (Arinn Dembo) In a response to developer Eddie Cameron's recent opinion piece, Arinn Dembo explains why 'beauty' is such an elusive concept in games as well as other visual media. - The Computer Games Industry Should Never Grow Up (Jon Thorsteinsson) While the industry undoubtedly needs to maintain respect among professionals, investors, and the like, Jon Thorsteinsson insists that the game industry should aim to maintain a sense of playfulness to create entertaining, and sometimes helpful products.