Wired Teens

CNN has a nice little article on how wired teens are. The article points out (based on a Pew research study) that teen girls are the active Internet users... largely because of IM. It also highlights that kids know what technology is good for and what it is not... Something for us to think about as we continue to reach digital kids.

Online RPG Platforms

For people looking to play pen-and-paper RPG's with remote friends, there are two cross-platform solutions that allow collaborative online gaming.

OpenRPG is a free, open-source Python-based solution, and WebRPG is a Java-based solution that used to be subscription-based, but is now apparently free also.

Games you can't see

AudioGames is a web site that collects references to computer games for the blind and visually impaired. It includes resources for people looking to develop their own audio-based games.

By way of example, an good article over at Gamasutra on Accessibility in Games was linked off the front page.

The Ransom Method for financing games

NPR's On the Media interviewed two guys who made a dice game called Meatbot Massacre and used what they call the Ransom Method to finance it. Might be a good model for casual game development.

They made $600 on the game, but I imagine there is an economy of scale there - the more games they release using the Ransom method that get a good response, the higher they can set their goal for future games (as their reputation increases).

More info is available at the Meatbot Massacre web site.