Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From GDC Talks To Treating Employees Right

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including GDC talks on supporting the industry and rants about how studios treat their developers.] 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 - We Love Games (Brenda Brathwaite) Game designer Brenda Brathwaite presents the full text of her talk at GDC 2011, where she urges developers to work together and bring the industry to its full potential. - The New ESRB Rating Algorithm (Kent Norman) Kent Norman examines the ESRB's new automated rating system, noting the flaws and potential benefits of this new procedure. - The Sims - Part 1: How Playing With Dolls Can Create Amazing Stories (Christopher Aaby) Christopher Aaby looks at the popular Sims franchise, noting how the games allow players to craft their own emotionally gripping stories. - Audio And Graphics: Role Switch (Alexander Brandon) While most games often emphasize visuals as their primary means of presenting art, Alexander Brandon considers the concept of a game that features low-quality graphics yet high-quality sound. - "We Make Games!" Isn't Good Enough (Andrew Grapsas) As more and more developers leave studios to go independent or pursue other goals, Andrew Grapsas urges companies to do more to retain these employees, and treat them like investments rather than commodities.