Since I am a Game Design student, and this my last blog post, I might just as well write something related to video games. Specifically, I am writing about four video gaming billionaires and their contrasting fortunes as of now. The four gentlemen are: (former) Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, GungHo Online Entertainment Inc shareholder Taizo Son, (former) Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi and Valve Corporation co-founder Gabe Newell.
Of the four, Mark Pincus is no longer a billionaire. He sort of deserve his fate because of the predatory practices of his company, Zynga. Zynga is an unimaginative and uncreative company that copied a lot of its published games from smaller companies. Even its most popular game, Farmville, was "inspired" by another less well known game. Currently, Zynga is not really in a good state. The following links may help in illustrating why.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2013/07/01/the-fall-of-mark-pincus-from-billionaire-to-zyngas-former-ceo/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/08/08/a-photo-retrospective-of-the-games-developers-claim-zynga-has-cloned/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/09/12/zynga-presses-luck-with-pokemon-inspired-montopia/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/06/04/zynga-reaps-what-theyve-digitally-sowed/
In contrast with Pincus, Taizo Son only became a billionaire recently due to the shares he held in GungHo Online Entertainment Inc. The most popular from the company is the mobile game with the highest revenue generated (yes, higher than Candy Crush Saga), Puzzles and Dragons. Puzzles and Dragons is relatively unknown worldwide, but is incredibly popular in Japan. The following articles will explain what made this match-3 game stand out from the rest.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-08/billionaire-taizo-son-emerges-with-puzzle-dragons-app.html
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AndrewVestal/20130721/196689/Puzzle__Dragons__Monetization_How_Great_Game_Design_Drives_GungHos_Global_Hit.php
http://gamasutra.com/blogs/MichailKatkoff/20130225/187247/How_Puzzle__Dragons_Does_It.php
Hiroshi Yamauchi retired from his position as Nintendo president in 2002, but still held many shares in the company (hence his wealth). Once the second richest person in Japan, he is now out of the top ten richest. This has a lot to do with the performance of the company Nintendo. The latest generation of console, the Wii U, has really weak sales compared to the previous console, the Wii. With the launch of the PS4 and the Xbox One on the horizon, the Wii U may just end up being a failure. Read the following links to find out more.
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/04/former_nintendo_president_hiroshi_yamauchi_slumps_to_13th_in_japans_rich_list
http://kotaku.com/the-wii-u-sales-are-really-really-bad-973133897
http://www.forbes.com/sites/terokuittinen/2013/08/05/nintendo-loses-grip-on-home-console-market/
http://beta.fool.com/keithnoonan/2013/08/14/why-nintendos-wii-u-failed/42871/
Finally, Gabe Newell is a newly minted billionaire in 2012. His company, Valve Corporation, has other major plans in the pipeline to follow up with the success of their Steam digital distribution system. Valve Corporation's continued innovation, in contrast with Nintendo after the success of their Wii console, may just make the company more relevant in the gaming industry than the trio of Nintendo, Sony and, Microsoft in the future. The following (rather lengthy) writings will shed light on why this is the case.
http://www.gamekicker.com/gaming-news/its-official-gabe-newells-a-billionaire
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/12/10/why-valves-steam-box-pc-console-will-be-a-game-changer/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/01/15/why-steambox-and-shield-may-cause-the-death-of-consoles-as-we-know-them/2/
http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/6/3958162/valve-steam-box-cake
Coursework marks aside, it is highly recommended that the above articles are read. Seriously, they are very interesting and informative, even if you are not a video game fan. That's the last thing I have to say in this short-lived blog. Thanks for the 800+ page views.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Business Corruption
Since my life is really ordinary and boring, unlike my frequently cosplaying classmates, I have no choice but to write about topics unrelated to creativity. Today, I will write about another soft skill competency program I attended (I have accumulated 95 points thus far). Perhaps I should have studied in the Faculty of Business and Finance instead of the Faculty of Creative Industries. ( Programmes organised by the DSSC that I have attended so far includes: Business Corruption, Offences & Prevention, The Effective Leader, Intercultural Business Etiquette, Innovative Marketing Tools from Blue Ocean Strategy, and Advanced Negotiation Skills).
Anyway, corruption is an illegal act that is unethical and often involves monetary exchange. The longer definition in relation to an employee of a company is this: the employee seeks or receives any benefit other than lawful salary and allowances from any other person in order to refrain from doing anything in the course of their duties. Corruption occurs through several forms, including bribery, conflicts of interest, illegal gratuities, and even extortion.
Examples of corruption include: a lack of impartiality in performance of duties, unlawful coercion, failure to declare any conflicts of interest, taking improper advantage of one's position, and unauthorised disclosure of official information. Obviously, corruption is a plague not just in business, but also in society as a whole. Corruption undermines democracy, erodes the quality of life of citizens, and poses a serious threat to sustained and stable economic progress.
There has been quite a few treaties to combat corruption. Some of the more prominent ones are the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption, and the South East Asia Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. Outlines of the UN Convention Against Corruption covers the following: effective and coordinated anti-corruption policies, setting up of anti-corruption bodies, competitive public procurement, and ensuring the existence of an independent judiciary.
On a more micro level, steps can be taken when one suspects that corruption is practiced in the company. It is important that one do not confront the suspect directly. Rather, discretion should be practiced and evidence collected. The evidence may be documents, recordings of conversations, emails, and more. These evidences are important since if one accuses somebody else of corruption without any proof, it is considered as libel and the accuser may get sued in return, even if the accused is indeed corrupt. After gathering evidence, one should report the case to a higher authority in the company or an anti-corruption body.
There are some steps a company may take to integrate ethics and proper business conduct into their employees' mindsets. These steps are as follows:
1. Setting up an ethics code within the company.
2. Putting in place a formal program to implement the code.
3. Enforce the ethics code strictly and without bias.
4. Employees should undergo a training session in building good ethics.
That's all from me this week.
Anyway, corruption is an illegal act that is unethical and often involves monetary exchange. The longer definition in relation to an employee of a company is this: the employee seeks or receives any benefit other than lawful salary and allowances from any other person in order to refrain from doing anything in the course of their duties. Corruption occurs through several forms, including bribery, conflicts of interest, illegal gratuities, and even extortion.
Examples of corruption include: a lack of impartiality in performance of duties, unlawful coercion, failure to declare any conflicts of interest, taking improper advantage of one's position, and unauthorised disclosure of official information. Obviously, corruption is a plague not just in business, but also in society as a whole. Corruption undermines democracy, erodes the quality of life of citizens, and poses a serious threat to sustained and stable economic progress.
There has been quite a few treaties to combat corruption. Some of the more prominent ones are the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption, and the South East Asia Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. Outlines of the UN Convention Against Corruption covers the following: effective and coordinated anti-corruption policies, setting up of anti-corruption bodies, competitive public procurement, and ensuring the existence of an independent judiciary.
On a more micro level, steps can be taken when one suspects that corruption is practiced in the company. It is important that one do not confront the suspect directly. Rather, discretion should be practiced and evidence collected. The evidence may be documents, recordings of conversations, emails, and more. These evidences are important since if one accuses somebody else of corruption without any proof, it is considered as libel and the accuser may get sued in return, even if the accused is indeed corrupt. After gathering evidence, one should report the case to a higher authority in the company or an anti-corruption body.
There are some steps a company may take to integrate ethics and proper business conduct into their employees' mindsets. These steps are as follows:
1. Setting up an ethics code within the company.
2. Putting in place a formal program to implement the code.
3. Enforce the ethics code strictly and without bias.
4. Employees should undergo a training session in building good ethics.
That's all from me this week.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Business Leadership Skills
This blog post is not really fully related to the subject of Creative Thinking and Idea Generation, but still, I would like to share some information about leadership skills. I learned these from the soft skills programme I attended today. The speaker was Mr. Dev Kumr Sankey, who was also the speaker for the Thinking-out-of-the-Box programme.
Anyway, here are 10 key business leadership skills essential to success as a good leader.
1. Lead by Example
A leader cannot be somebody that's never around and do not work together with the team. It is very important that a good leader lead by example. The leader needs to lend a helping hand to the team, provide his expertise to help the team on certain matters, and to make sure that the work he is doing is clearly understood by the team. Through leading by example, the leader can also impart his knowledge onto his team members.
2. Have passion
Passion is a very important drive that can motivate people to give it their all. A leader must have passion for the work he is doing, as it is vital that he shows enthusiasm for the project. If even the leader is not excited about the work, how will the team members be able to have passion for their job? A leader should fully believe what he is doing, and through his passion, inspire his team members.
3. Be organised
Disorganisation leads to more disorganisation. It is very crucial that a leader is fully aware of the status of his team's project or task. A leader who is very messy will be leading a team that is similarly messy. An organised leader who keeps everything in their place will be able to raise the productivity of his team members, and thus the productivity of the entire team.
4. Delegate
A good leader is not somebody who does all the work by himself. In any case, it is not possible that a leader can complete every task by himself without the help of his team. A great leader can delegate tasks to members of his team effectively and successfully. The leader can identify the strengths and weaknesses of his team and distribute the tasks accordingly.
5. Take responsibility
Even though a leader has delegated the tasks to his team members, the leader must also take ownership and responsibility for the project at all times. A great team leader must make his team feel that he has their backs during both the good and the bad times. If something goes wrong with the project, the leader must be prepared to step up and account for the mistakes of his team as a whole.
6. Communicate effectively
A good leader must certainly be a good communicator. This is to ensure that nobody is confused about what exactly their roles in the team are. Communication is also about affirming the contributions and work of the team members. A good leader will tell his team that they are doing a great job if the team is doing well. Leaders should also provide constructive criticism, and also speak in a precise and concise manner.
7. Be brave
A good leader is also a brave person who do not shy away from the problems that will crop up regularly in the team. The good leader will also not hesitate to talk to members of the team who are showing a lack of effort in their works. He will not simply ignore the problems. A good leader can also identify opportunities and go after them bravely for the good of the team.
8. Be a great listener
A leader is not just somebody who talks, but also one who listens to his team. Answering the questions posed by the team members and understanding the issues facing them can go a long way in establishing the leader as a good communicator. Another advantage of listening is that the leader can respond better to matters regarding the job at hand as he understands the needs of the team.
9. Knowing the team
While a good leader do not have to be best friends with his team members, he should know more about their personal lives as the lives of team members outside work matters. This is because the personal lives of the team members can affect the level of contributions made by them to the team. Knowing the team also helps greatly in forming connections and bonds between the leader and members of the team.
10. Be a follower
A great leader is also a follower. A leader who does not follow but only leads is a dictator. A great leader is open to the fact that he does not know everything in this world. So, a good leader will follow his team on subjects that he is not an expert on and listen to the opinions of his team. Being a leader-follower basically means finding value in the team and getting inspired by them.
Anyway, here are 10 key business leadership skills essential to success as a good leader.
1. Lead by Example
A leader cannot be somebody that's never around and do not work together with the team. It is very important that a good leader lead by example. The leader needs to lend a helping hand to the team, provide his expertise to help the team on certain matters, and to make sure that the work he is doing is clearly understood by the team. Through leading by example, the leader can also impart his knowledge onto his team members.
2. Have passion
Passion is a very important drive that can motivate people to give it their all. A leader must have passion for the work he is doing, as it is vital that he shows enthusiasm for the project. If even the leader is not excited about the work, how will the team members be able to have passion for their job? A leader should fully believe what he is doing, and through his passion, inspire his team members.
3. Be organised
Disorganisation leads to more disorganisation. It is very crucial that a leader is fully aware of the status of his team's project or task. A leader who is very messy will be leading a team that is similarly messy. An organised leader who keeps everything in their place will be able to raise the productivity of his team members, and thus the productivity of the entire team.
4. Delegate
A good leader is not somebody who does all the work by himself. In any case, it is not possible that a leader can complete every task by himself without the help of his team. A great leader can delegate tasks to members of his team effectively and successfully. The leader can identify the strengths and weaknesses of his team and distribute the tasks accordingly.
5. Take responsibility
Even though a leader has delegated the tasks to his team members, the leader must also take ownership and responsibility for the project at all times. A great team leader must make his team feel that he has their backs during both the good and the bad times. If something goes wrong with the project, the leader must be prepared to step up and account for the mistakes of his team as a whole.
6. Communicate effectively
A good leader must certainly be a good communicator. This is to ensure that nobody is confused about what exactly their roles in the team are. Communication is also about affirming the contributions and work of the team members. A good leader will tell his team that they are doing a great job if the team is doing well. Leaders should also provide constructive criticism, and also speak in a precise and concise manner.
7. Be brave
A good leader is also a brave person who do not shy away from the problems that will crop up regularly in the team. The good leader will also not hesitate to talk to members of the team who are showing a lack of effort in their works. He will not simply ignore the problems. A good leader can also identify opportunities and go after them bravely for the good of the team.
8. Be a great listener
A leader is not just somebody who talks, but also one who listens to his team. Answering the questions posed by the team members and understanding the issues facing them can go a long way in establishing the leader as a good communicator. Another advantage of listening is that the leader can respond better to matters regarding the job at hand as he understands the needs of the team.
9. Knowing the team
While a good leader do not have to be best friends with his team members, he should know more about their personal lives as the lives of team members outside work matters. This is because the personal lives of the team members can affect the level of contributions made by them to the team. Knowing the team also helps greatly in forming connections and bonds between the leader and members of the team.
10. Be a follower
A great leader is also a follower. A leader who does not follow but only leads is a dictator. A great leader is open to the fact that he does not know everything in this world. So, a good leader will follow his team on subjects that he is not an expert on and listen to the opinions of his team. Being a leader-follower basically means finding value in the team and getting inspired by them.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Creative person: Leornardo da Vinci
Yet again, I will show how another creative person, Leornardo da Vinci generates all his creative ideas. He is one of the greatest geniuses of all time.
1. Making Connections
It was da Vinci's belief that everything connects. Through his observations, he discovered that making connections between different things, no matter how different they may seem at first, was probably the best creative thinking skill. You could emulate his thinking process by trying to see how different things could be combined to produce something completely different and new.
2. Developing Multiple Intelligences
Da Vinci believed that it was important for a creative thinker to obtain as many knowledge as possible from different fields. Therefore, he was always fascinated with all branches of learning and knowledge. He did not chose to specialise in one particular subject as he believed that they were all inter-related. By following the theory that discoveries made in one area of study will affect one's understanding of another area of study, da Vinci managed to become a fully rounded person with great thinking skills. He was a scientist, engineer, philosopher, artist, composer and many more. He proved that of you developed multiple intelligences instead of developing only one specific intelligence, you will be more creative and knowledgeable in your thinking processes.
3. Ambidexterity and Mirror Writing
Da Vinci was ambidextrous, meaning he could write and paint with both hands at the same time. It was one of the techniques he used to stimulate his intelligence. You could try to stimulate your mind by writing with your non-dominant hand. Da Vinci also made many of his notes by writing letters backwards form right to left. This technique was known as mirror writing and it also helped in heightening his creative thinking capabilities.
4. Looking for Recognisable Patterns
Da Vinci frequently looked for recognisable patterns or images in the ashes of his fireplace. By trying to look for images in something totally different, he was stimulating his imagination. You could try the same by looking for pictures or patterns in clouds, shadows or tree barks. You could try seeing animals or faces in the clouds, shadows or tree barks.
5. Notebooking
Just like Thomas Edison, da Vinci recorded his every thoughts and ideas in a notebook. By doing this, he was basically affirming to his mind that the ideas were valuable and that he should develop those ideas further.Writing down ideas in your notebook also help in freeing your mind to expand on the ideas, since the origins of the ideas were objectified.
6. Drawing as a Thinking Aid
Da Vinci used his abilities as an amazing artist to aid him in his creative thinking. He did little illustrations in his notebooks that portrayed something he was observing. You could try this method too to boost your creative thinking powers. It is easy to learn to draw sufficiently well to be able to illustrate your ideas.
7. The Da Vinci Code of Four Principles
i) Study the science of art
ii) Study the art of science
iii) Develop all your senses especially the sense of sight
iv) Study all the above in the light of the idea that everything connects in some way to everything else
1. Making Connections
It was da Vinci's belief that everything connects. Through his observations, he discovered that making connections between different things, no matter how different they may seem at first, was probably the best creative thinking skill. You could emulate his thinking process by trying to see how different things could be combined to produce something completely different and new.
2. Developing Multiple Intelligences
Da Vinci believed that it was important for a creative thinker to obtain as many knowledge as possible from different fields. Therefore, he was always fascinated with all branches of learning and knowledge. He did not chose to specialise in one particular subject as he believed that they were all inter-related. By following the theory that discoveries made in one area of study will affect one's understanding of another area of study, da Vinci managed to become a fully rounded person with great thinking skills. He was a scientist, engineer, philosopher, artist, composer and many more. He proved that of you developed multiple intelligences instead of developing only one specific intelligence, you will be more creative and knowledgeable in your thinking processes.
3. Ambidexterity and Mirror Writing
Da Vinci was ambidextrous, meaning he could write and paint with both hands at the same time. It was one of the techniques he used to stimulate his intelligence. You could try to stimulate your mind by writing with your non-dominant hand. Da Vinci also made many of his notes by writing letters backwards form right to left. This technique was known as mirror writing and it also helped in heightening his creative thinking capabilities.
4. Looking for Recognisable Patterns
Da Vinci frequently looked for recognisable patterns or images in the ashes of his fireplace. By trying to look for images in something totally different, he was stimulating his imagination. You could try the same by looking for pictures or patterns in clouds, shadows or tree barks. You could try seeing animals or faces in the clouds, shadows or tree barks.
5. Notebooking
Just like Thomas Edison, da Vinci recorded his every thoughts and ideas in a notebook. By doing this, he was basically affirming to his mind that the ideas were valuable and that he should develop those ideas further.Writing down ideas in your notebook also help in freeing your mind to expand on the ideas, since the origins of the ideas were objectified.
6. Drawing as a Thinking Aid
Da Vinci used his abilities as an amazing artist to aid him in his creative thinking. He did little illustrations in his notebooks that portrayed something he was observing. You could try this method too to boost your creative thinking powers. It is easy to learn to draw sufficiently well to be able to illustrate your ideas.
7. The Da Vinci Code of Four Principles
i) Study the science of art
ii) Study the art of science
iii) Develop all your senses especially the sense of sight
iv) Study all the above in the light of the idea that everything connects in some way to everything else
Friday, August 2, 2013
Creative person: Albert Einstein
Here, I would like to share how another creative person generates his ideas. That person is Albert Einstein. (Again, these are what I learned from the very first Soft Skills programme I attended: Thinking Out-of-the-box.)
1. Possibility Thinking
Basically, this means that you should give yourself permission to think creatively. To give yourself permission to think creatively, you must give yourself the opportunity to do so. This means that you should always set aside some time every day to deliberately think innovative. You must be willing to sacrifice some of your time and believe that it is possible for you to benefit from solely thinking creatively during that time.
2. Einstein Time
For Albert Einstein, the subject of Quantum Physics demanded more of his time than any other subjects. Thus, you too should budget your time devoted to thinking creatively based on how demanding the particularly subject is. The amount of time spent thinking on a particular area of interest also depends on your own needs and situation. The point is, it is important to allocate time wisely to maximise the results.
3. Going Beyond the Known
You must always be prepared to explore what is creatively possible by going way beyond the boundaries of what you know. Einstein himself often asked questions and looked at things in ways that are very unique and different from others. He developed a technique to help him think differently, known as the thought experiment.
4. Thought Experiment
A thought experiment is an experiment that you do in your head alone. It is an experiment that you either do not or cannot carry out in reality. The main purpose of the thought experiment is to help you understand some aspect of the universe that you lived in. For example, Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity when he imagined how it would be like to ride on a beam of light. This was not something he could do in real life, but by using thought experiment, his creative thinking was stimulated to allow him to understand how light and time functioned.
5. Thinking in Pictures
Einstein himself once said that he thought in a stream of pictures. Visuals are more effective than words in the field of creative thinking. You should always try to think in pictures by setting up a thought experiment in your head and seeing how it goes. The technique of visualisation can be enhanced simply by practice and is a technique well worth learning. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
6. Hard and Soft Thinking
When thinking creatively, you could try Einstein's method of using hard thinking, followed by soft thinking. Hard thinking happens when you set aside time to fully explore a problem. During the period of hard thinking, you would be working hard to cover everything you knew and conduct thought experiments in order to solve the problem at hand. However, you should follow up hard thinking with soft thinking. Soft thinking involves consciously setting aside the problem, and redirecting you attention to something else that you enjoy instead. Einstein found that when he was doing something he enjoyed, his unconscious mind would continue thinking about the problem at hand and come up with a surprising insight or solution at a time when he least expected it. You should try your best to use the power of your unconscious mind.
1. Possibility Thinking
Basically, this means that you should give yourself permission to think creatively. To give yourself permission to think creatively, you must give yourself the opportunity to do so. This means that you should always set aside some time every day to deliberately think innovative. You must be willing to sacrifice some of your time and believe that it is possible for you to benefit from solely thinking creatively during that time.
2. Einstein Time
For Albert Einstein, the subject of Quantum Physics demanded more of his time than any other subjects. Thus, you too should budget your time devoted to thinking creatively based on how demanding the particularly subject is. The amount of time spent thinking on a particular area of interest also depends on your own needs and situation. The point is, it is important to allocate time wisely to maximise the results.
3. Going Beyond the Known
You must always be prepared to explore what is creatively possible by going way beyond the boundaries of what you know. Einstein himself often asked questions and looked at things in ways that are very unique and different from others. He developed a technique to help him think differently, known as the thought experiment.
4. Thought Experiment
A thought experiment is an experiment that you do in your head alone. It is an experiment that you either do not or cannot carry out in reality. The main purpose of the thought experiment is to help you understand some aspect of the universe that you lived in. For example, Einstein developed the Theory of Relativity when he imagined how it would be like to ride on a beam of light. This was not something he could do in real life, but by using thought experiment, his creative thinking was stimulated to allow him to understand how light and time functioned.
5. Thinking in Pictures
Einstein himself once said that he thought in a stream of pictures. Visuals are more effective than words in the field of creative thinking. You should always try to think in pictures by setting up a thought experiment in your head and seeing how it goes. The technique of visualisation can be enhanced simply by practice and is a technique well worth learning. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
6. Hard and Soft Thinking
When thinking creatively, you could try Einstein's method of using hard thinking, followed by soft thinking. Hard thinking happens when you set aside time to fully explore a problem. During the period of hard thinking, you would be working hard to cover everything you knew and conduct thought experiments in order to solve the problem at hand. However, you should follow up hard thinking with soft thinking. Soft thinking involves consciously setting aside the problem, and redirecting you attention to something else that you enjoy instead. Einstein found that when he was doing something he enjoyed, his unconscious mind would continue thinking about the problem at hand and come up with a surprising insight or solution at a time when he least expected it. You should try your best to use the power of your unconscious mind.
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