Rubik’s Cube revisited

When researching my recent post calling for a new puzzle game format, I took a fresh look at dozens of famous games from Tetris to Zuma — but I think the Rubik’s Cube may still be the king of all puzzles.

One minute I was examining Rubik’s Cube from the casual game developer’s point of view, and the next I was carried back to my school days, when this remarkable puzzle was launched and more than 100 million copies sold in just two years.

Back then, I was a teenage student in Britain, not running a company in Australia. I had only been on this planet a decade and a half and had so much to learn. Yet somehow I managed to get my personal best time for the Rubik’s Cube under 25 seconds.

The secret to the success of Rubik’s Cube is that it was the ultimate challenge. It seemed almost impossible, but it wasn’t. People talked about the millions of permutations — the endless variety of patterns that could be formed on the six sides simultaneously. But one of the secrets to solving the Rubik’s Cube is to focus on the fact that it’s built from just 27 pieces. Sometimes it’s the simplest concept that creates the most complex and challenging casual games, but that sort of magic is very hard to recreate.

I certainly couldn’t beat 25 seconds at the moment, but I’m tempted to dust off my old Rubik’s Cube and start practicing again. There’s a whole community that never forgot the Rubik’s Cube, and I feel like it’s time for a revival.

The Little Gamer

It’s started…

I’ve always enjoyed playing little games. I grew up playing computer games of all shapes and sizes, and lost many a day at the arcade. I always gravitated towards the little games, the quick to learn, hard to master, 5 minutes of fun that the industry is now calling ‘casual games’. For a long time I was a little embarassed to admit that I enjoyed little games more than hardcore games. I’d be playing Tetris while others were playing Doom.

I’ve been in the business of casual games for about 7 years now and in the last couple of years it’s become recognised as an industry. Although we both came from a commercial background, Tom and I started 3RD sense in 2001, as much because we liked playing little games as a way of making money. An ever-growing belief that casual games are just plain great content has held us (and many others) in good stead. And this emerging industry is becoming more credible by the moment, with articles in C|Net, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN and the Beeb.

Of course, the credibility is great for companies like us, but best of all it’s great for the people who play these games. You no longer need to be embarassed about your little habit. It is increasingly the norm for people to entertain themselves by playing a little game. It’s the perfect way to switch off for fifteen minutes. And the result is an explosion in the variety and quality of casual games that are available to players.Â

I’m in the business so I might be biased, but my prediction for the medium (or even quite short) term future is that casual gaming will overtake its elder sibling, the hardcore gaming industry.

For any of us involved in casual games, the last couple of years has been a rollercoaster and the ride over the next few years is going to be even more exciting. So stay tuned to keep track of my version of the little games revolution as it evolves.

The Little Gamer

No need to panic…we’re here now!

Like anyone who discovered free love in the 80s, big hair in the 90s or email in the 21st century, we feel like we’re arriving to the world of blogging just a little bit late. Really, we should have started a few years ago, taking our cue from Duncan Gough, part of the 3RD sense crew.

http://suttree.com

It shouldn’t be an issue though, because this new environment is forgiving of just about everything. Have something to say, and you’ll be heard. Show you’re capable of listening, and you’ll be respected. Do neither, and you’ll tank — whether you started blogging in 2006, or 1996. But show that you can improve, and you’ll get credit for that too. So bring it on!

While preparing for this moment, Colin (www.thelittlegamer.com) and I spent more and more time reading blogs that address advergaming (which I’ll pull to pieces) and casual gaming (which’ll be his bag). It’s no great surprise that we think there is some good stuff and some bad stuff to be read in both these areas. On the whole, we think we can be heard as long as we stay true to ourselves, listen with our brains and remember to have fun. None of this is rocket science — you’ve just got to keep these basic principles in mind.

So, that’s how we got to this point. Thank you for visiting, and don’t be shy about telling us where we can do better.