It is with great pleasure that International Hobo announces the imminent publication of Beyond Game Design: Nine Steps Toward Creating Better Videogames, with Charles River Media (an imprint of Course Technology). The new multi-author book features chapters by Richard Bartle, Chris Bateman, Noah Falstein, Michelle Hinn, Katherine Isbister, Nicole Lazzaro, Sheri Graner Ray and Joseph Saulter, and is edited by International Hobo’s Chris Bateman.

Beyond Game Design is a master class in videogame design, marketing and theory, and essential reading for anyone working (or hoping to work) in the games industry. The book deals with the entire spectrum of issues relating to how and why players enjoy the games they choose, the different ways of modelling play, and the many distinctions in the audience that make the creation of videogames such a challenging and rewarding experience.

The book has two key themes: understanding the psychology of play and including a wider audience, both of which combine towards the goal of teaching how to make superior games for everyone to play. The first part of the book shows how understanding the psychology of videogames can help make better games, covering Bartle Types, the Four Fun Keys and Roger Caillois’ patterns of play, as well as looking at social play. Combining psychological research and observation with helpful and pragmatic advice, the reader is taken on a journey that shows them how to understand players, and how this knowledge can guide game design.

The second part of the book shows the many different players who are often not considered when making games, and the practical ways to include these often untapped audiences. Issues of cultural diversity, accessibility and gender are all covered by the leading experts on these subjects. By including these wider audiences into the market for videogames, we can learn how to truly make games for everyone.

An essential read for any game designer, marketer, producer or anyone interested in what makes videogames such a vital medium, the book will be available from 16 March 2009, and can be pre-ordered from Amazon, Charles River Media, and all good book stores.

The hugely popular reference book Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames has sold out once again, and is being reprinted for a third time. The book was edited by International Hobo's Chris Bateman, and features chapters by three of the company's agents (Ernest Adams, Chris Bateman & Richard Boon) as well as several of the company's external pool.

Wendy Despain, another International Hobo agent, and member of the executive panel of the IGDA's Game Writers Special Interest Group which connects the authors of the book remarked: "This is the first book that really focuses on the fundamentals of game writing, and is indispensable for any game writer trying to improve their craft."

You can learn more about the book from the original press release.

Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames is available from Amazon and all good bookstores.

International Hobo Ltd is pleased to announce it's new study into patterns in the game playing audience. Following the success of the company's seminal DGD1 model, the subject of the acclaimed book 21st Century Game Design, we are now conducting a new survey in more detail than the original, from which we will develop a new DGD2 model of the gaming audience.

To take part in the survey, click here, or upon the Survey link in the site menu. As an added incentive, you could win the game of your choice (terms and conditions apply) just for taking part!

We encourage everyone to pass the relevant link onto anyone who might be interested. Thanks for your support!

An exclusive new brand for Nintendo Wii and PC arcade games

Košice, Slovak Republic (July 3rd, 2007) – 3D People, an independent game development and publishing company, is proud to present Arcade Moon – its exclusive new brand for arcade titles. Arcade Moon will deliver high quality titles for the Wii and PC platforms with a focus on the casual audience and easy-to-learn gameplay.

The first title developed by Arcade Moon is Attack on Pearl Harbor, the highly anticipated World War II air combat arcade game, recently released around the globe. The four-mission demo of Attack on Pearl Harbor has already received more than 100,000 downloads within just two weeks of release, and this figure is based on just one of the several sites featuring the demo.

Further titles from Arcade Moon will be announced shortly.

For more information please contact press@3dpeople.de

About 3D People

3D People is an independent game development company headquartered in Košice, Slovak Republic. 3D People is licensed developer for Nintendo Wii and titles developed by 3D People are released through all territories. 3D People‘s titles include Kult: Heretic Kingdoms, Air Conflicts and Attack on Pearl Harbor. Multiple titles are currently under development by 3D People’s internal and external development teams.

3D People has been a client of International Hobo Ltd since 2004

International Hobo is proud to announce the addition of a new member of their game design and dialogue scripting "family". Quantum Content, owned and operated by veteran of TV and Alternative Reality Gaming, Wendy Despain, is the fourth company to join the maverick consortium, which has continued to grow from strength to strength since its formation in 1999. The other three organisations are the core company, International Hobo Ltd (UK), Ernest Adams' Designer's Notebook, and Sanjit Daniel's Fantasy Labs developer, based in Mumbai, India, who developed the inventive platform-puzzle game Play with Fire.

"We have been working with Wendy for some time," comments International Hobo founder and Managing Director Chris Bateman, "and it is a great pleasure to bring her under the brand umbrella, so to speak. We like to see our framework as a unique opportunity for talented individuals working in the creative medium of games to gain the strengths and advantages of a larger organisation while maintaining a high degree of autonomy."

Wendy had this to say about becoming a member of International Hobo: "I'm excited to be joining such a respected group of game developers. I've admired their work, and I'm glad I can bring some additional writing and design skills to the table. I look forward to pushing the boundaries of interactive entertainment with this experienced and distinguished group in the future".

Quantum Content supplies scriptwriting, producing and consulting services to major media companies in the US. It was established in 2003 and has contributed to interactive projects for television, books and videogames.

At their VIP Luncheon at this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) honoured International Hobo's founder, Managing Director & Creative Overlord with their prestigious MVP Award, "for outstanding and immeasurable contributions to the IGDA and the betterment of the game development community."

Chris arrived late to the luncheon, and had no idea he was to receive the award. He had just finished hurriedly eating his first course when IGDA Program Director Jason Della Rocca made the announcement, much to Chris' shock. Jason explained that the award was in recognition for Chris' work establishing and running the IGDA's North West UK Chapter, and the Game Writers' Special Interest Group, for which he has served on the Executive Panel for five years.

"It must have been a slow year," Chris quipped upon taking the podium, displaying a quintessentially British sense of self-deprecating humour. He also noted how ironic that he would be called to speak at the point in the show when he was both hung over and badly jet lagged and thus reduced to "an intellectual imbecile". However, he praised the contributions of the other members of the Game Writers' SIG and noted: "If Newton is famous for the phrase 'standing on the shoulders of giants', I like to think that I have been carried along by a crowd of enthusiastic and talented midgets."

He accepted the award on behalf of the whole of the Game Writers' SIG.

The popular non-fiction book Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames has been reprinted for a second time, just six months after its initial publication.

Chris Bateman, editor of the book, and member of the executive panel of the IGDA's Game Writing Special Interest Group which connects the authors, says he is pleased with the response to the book: "It's been a phenomenal success - it's clear that there was a need for a book of this kind, and the other eleven authors and I are thrilled to have had the opportunity to contribute to the game development community in this way."

You can learn more about the book from the original press release.

Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames is available from Amazon and all good bookstores.

Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames has received a glowing review on Slashdot.

You can learn more about the book from the original press release.

Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames is available from Amazon and all good bookstores.

Ready to burn things to the ground? You can now download the demo of Play with Fire from Manifesto Games here! The demo can be turned into the full game by purchasing an unlock code, available from the same link.

The game, designed by International Hobo Ltd and developed by Fantasy Labs, is an inventive platform puzzle game developed on an indie budget specifically as an exclusive release for Manifesto Games. The new publisher seeks to revolutionise independent game development by providing new opportunities to the indie games community with an eye to encouraging the innovation and creativity that should be the wellspring nourishing the videogames industry.

Further information can be found in the original press release.

Charles River Media reports that Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames is being reprinted. This popular reader on the topic of game writing was written by the IGDA's Game Writers Special Interest Group, and edited by International Hobo's Managing Director Chris Bateman.

You can learn more about the book from the original press release.

Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames is available from Amazon and all good bookstores.