Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Strategic Thinking To Endgame Content

[In highlights from Gamasutra's Expert Blogs, industry notables write about diverse topics, including the MMO endgame content, the rarity of strategic thinking among players, and more.] 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 Strategic Thinking Is Becoming Rare Among Game Players (Lewis Pulsipher) 30-40 years ago many game players preferred games of strategy. Lewis Pulsipher says lately he's found that strategic thinking amongst gamers is in short supply, and many prefer a less cerebral form of entertainment that is more like playing cards than playing chess. Developer, Developer, Developers... ! (Ted Woolsey) In a blog post coinciding with the announcement of the 'XBLA Prize' for the Independent Games Festival, Microsoft's head of first-party publishing for Xbox Live Arcade Ted Woolsey talks about the multi-year deal and what it means for the firm. The Contradiction Of Design In MMO Endgame Content (Josh Bycer) Endgame design in MMOs is one of those areas that has not seen too much growth over the years. Here Josh Bycer looks at the mechanics of MMO design, and points out that there are several issues that could be culprit. The Thief's Ring (Radek Koncewicz) Radek Koncewicz offers a few quick reasons as to why the tepid-sounding "Thief's Ring" is one of the most useful items in Demon's Souls.