Benjamin Zackheim's Blogs

Qualifier: I'm sure this discussion has been going on in AOL for years, but, being enmeshed in our Games world, I've never heard it. So pardon me if I tread old ground. I know there have been products (AimSpaces) and features (AIM's "Enter a status message here...") that have spoken to the issue, but I feel like they're steps in a direction instead of an enthusiastic sprint to the finish. So I'm using controlshift to throw in my 2 cents (1 cent adjusted for inflation).

I think Digsby is a little window into what is coming, and, ironically, what AOL has been well-positioned to do for a long time. The app's astounding out-of-the-gate popularity is a flare we should heed, especially with Bebo in our immediate future.

What is Digsby and why should we care?

Sitting at a desk near Libe Goad, EIC of Gamedaily, is hell these days. She's not only played GTA4, she's played it several times. I get to hear the boasts, the snideness and, yes, even the cat calls as I wait until 4/29. Like the common man I am.

I've been a big fan of the GTA series ever since I got to demo #3 in front of a couple dozen IBM executives. They wanted to know what kids were playing these days. Let's just say they weren't pleased. But I left the meeting convinced that GTA3 was not only a game, but a statement. The repulsive violence turned off a lot of people in the room (I think I might have gone a little too far with the baseball bat). But Taxi Driver disgusted a generation, and it's now considered one of the most influential films ever made.

Just like Taxi Driver, the GTA series is not all about the excessive gore, or the sex. That's a component of the game (the one they use to sell copies). The series also allows you to make decisions in a wide open world, with an engaging story all around you. You can do good things if you want to, and they have benefits. You can do bad things if you want to, and they have benefits. While you're limited by the story's linearity you still have an illusion of anything-goes. That's one of the toughest tasks for game developers to pull off.

Love it or hate it, in the final analysis GTA will be seen as a cornerstone of modern gaming, and (with boffo sales) a window into who we are.

In my time at AOL I've observed some curious dynamics and come to some itchy conclusions that I want to get off my chest (in the hopes it sparks a conversation in the comments or in the halls of 770!) It's a big topic around these parts, as we head into a game launch that could shake the Games channel to the core -- in a good way...

Valo keeps me coming back with a hypnotic audio/visual gameplay mechanic that makes it part game, part nifty science project. I'd be remiss to not point it out to people who enjoy experiencing the unusual (especially when it works). It's also the kind of game we at Games.com would be remiss to ignore.

On one hand, I'm a strong proponent of taking a refreshing nap during the work day. On the other hand, I'm not nuts about waking up to the sight of my boss standing over me. So what's a fried brain to do at 2pm? Sure, the seventh cup of coffee is an option, but not a good one.

I'm the product lead on casual games for AOL. That's a good clue where I'm going with this. Five minutes with a fun game can give you just the spark you need to make it to 5pm (usually 7pm in these parts). For this reason alone, I love being in games. We take the business of distracting you from stress very seriously! Nothing makes me swoon faster than seeing our audience congratulate someone for a new high score in community chat.

In the interest of keeping you awake this Tuesday here are two thrilling, uh, "long-term productivity-enhancers". Check them out during your next lull between meetings, and blame me if you get caught...