Holiday Greeting Cards from the Industry

While just a year into formally being in the games industry, I have reached an unlooked-for measure of success: I'm getting video game holiday cards.

I got a bunch, and I particularly enjoy the company-themed offerings.

Below are a few of my current favorites. Of course, these are the outsides of the cards; I'm not going to share the insides, because those are besmirching personal.

Cards and lightweight opining below.

Sony:
("Understated. Tastefully branded. Tastes good with cheese.")

Nintendo:
("It's Nintendo! It's Animal Crossing! It's cute!")

BottleRocket Entertainment:
("Kicks ####ing ###.")

My Card for 2008:
("Edgy because it's Christmas, and gutsy in hoping 'game-theme' will win out over 'Santa-hating'.")

No, I didn't make my holiday cards (this year), but I really dig this card with art from Charlie Podrebarac. And, yes, Sony and Nintendo are not getting this particular card. They get different cards. Obviously.

Though I think they like cookies.

Gamebryo 2.6 Preview?

I've got a new podcast up at my Emergent Game Technologies Product Management podcast / blog site.

This is a "preview" podcast for Gamebryo 2.6, even though 2.6 released last month, and I'm just now getting around to posting the audio for the interview with Dan Amerson, technical director for Gamebryo.

So, in an odd way, I've created a time-traveling blog / podcast, and you get to come along for the surreal ride. Unfortunately, there are not yet any dinosaurs. Not yet.

Or something.

This is what happens when I live head-under-water with video game middleware. But wicked good things are happening on this front. Wicked. Good.

Xbox 360 deals

I'm sure these have been picked up elsewhere, but I ran into a few game-related deals while holiday shopping today.

First was a refurbished Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller and 20GB Hard Drive at Circuit City (their Chapter 11 is good for gamers).

Then, over at Toys R Us, several Xbox 360 games are on the clearance cheap(ish), including The Orange Box ($14.98); Halo 3 Legendary for Xbox 360 ($39.98); BioShock ($14.98); and Frontlines: Fuel of War ($14.98).

That's it for now. PS3 and Wii fanboys, keep your Emails to yourself; I was looking for 360 gifts, so that's why this list is slanted that way.