Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Mobile Success To Cultivating Video Game Culture

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including the key elements of mobile hits, tips for evaluating design, and the current state of video game intellectualism.] 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 recently updated official posting guidelines. Here are the top blogs for the week: This Week's Standout Expert Blogs - What Makes A Mobile Blockbuster? Designs In Top iPhone Apps (Brice Morrison) The iTunes App Store recently passed its 10 billionth download, and Brice Morrison commemorates the occasion by looking at some of the most popular iOS titles to determine what makes them so popular. - "The Play's The Thing..." When Gaming's Like Acting... (Pascal Langdale) Using the 1961 film The Hustler as inspiration, actor Pascal Langdale explains why games can offer experiences unlike any other medium, as they allow players to directly take part in dramatic scenes without knowing the script or their role as an "actor." - Design As Questions, Development As Answers (Clinton Keith) Drawing comparisons between developing the Boeing 777 to developing games, Clinton Keith encourages teams to evaluate their design decisions throughout the course of development to identify problems that could hinder a game's production. - Rewards, Doing Chores And Social Games (Michael Fergusson) Michael Fergusson explores the concept of gamification by discussing mobile applications that reward users for performing mundane activities to make previously dreaded chores seem more exciting. - The Threat To Gaming's Oral Tradition (Christopher Totten) Christopher Totten examines the current state of intellectual games discussion, noting a few factors that segment gaming audiences and prevent the formation of a unified culture around the medium.