Marvel.

After a long haitus....Here I am. Still in Korea. Still working in games. But I have been thinking about Marvel.

I remember when comic book movies used to be so badly handled not just from the content point of view but in how they were marketed, how they were made, franchise management, and well just in how they were conceived. I believe that started to change when Marvel brought everything in house....essentially took back control of their IP and decided to do things their way instead of leaving it to the vagaries of Hollywood's labyrinthe and soul sucking studios.

So why can't they do that with their games? Like comic book movies long ago...licensed games have that same stink about them. You essentially know they will suck. Or be okay at best. THe way big game publishers work may not reach the ridiculous lows of the film industry ( and the film industry handles some things bettter) but with ever increasing developmental budgets and ever increasing stakes and revenue...we are going to get very close soon.

In all honesty, the way Marvel Online was handled by Microsoft was a travesty. Hell even if they wouldn't do it they still should have gotten some return on the advance milestone payments by either placing it with another publisher or selling the rights to Cryptic themselves. The most recent Spiderman games have been underwhelming. Don't get me started ont eh Fantastic Four properties. The Wolverine game...etc.

This is what Marvel should do: bring it inhouse. It worked with films. I always believe that the more you outsource your IP...the less value you will get for it.

So. Bring it in back home to the House of Ideas. That would probably pressure DC to do the same thing (even though they already have their own interactive division over at Warner. Ironic. they have it and don't tie it in closer). So then I could talk about comic book games or comic book movie games and not have to be so afraid.

IP is important. It's essential to manage it carfully and what better way to manage it then to actually utilize your IP yourself?

The iconic Future

To me we are living in the David Bowie, William Gibson, Ridley Scott future. A blend of all of it.

I'm Afraid Of Americans. A good soundtrack for the world right now?

All that density, anxiety, mundaness of the amazingly cybernetic, continual state of rebuilding, and multicultural that only has meaning in the now, would have been surreal in the past.

I am working in online massively multiplayer games for god's sake. How do I not think about the millions of people who have extended the meaning of their existence into this realm?

I worked in the online social media space. How can I not think of how the world really hasn't changed but the ease of information bleed makes it seem like the world is more complicated that it was? WHen really its the same mechanics, the same factors under a more revealing UI?

Excuse the mental masturbation.

Companies with inherent Brand image problems

KIA is a company that from the start has problems with its brand in the US and Europe. No not just for its image of cheapness to the extent that the joke is that you can cheapen any car with just the god awfully designed badge. No not just for the fact that the designs aren't doing homage but exuding such wannabe vibes.

Its for this simple fact that KIA is an acronym for something else in the US and Europe:

Killed In Action.

Not exactly the association you want with a car.

One of the reasons I feel like leaving...

...is the continuing elemental lack of respect for law or justice in this nation. From the street where drivers (particularly taxi and bus driver) regularly endanger everyone by casually violating multiple laws meant to keep ALL OF US safe. To the regular level of embezzlement and stock insider trading that most white collar workers perpetrate. To the ignoring of safety precautions in the construction and renovation of facilities. Its just rampant in this country

There are times when laws need to be fought in the name of justice.

Bending the laws so that Hanwha, Hyundai and Samsung tycoons can avoid prison is not one of them.

This is such a slap in the face to any notion of good corporate management...this moral hazard like the same phenomenon in investment will only encourage more corporate leaders to be...incompetent. To be irresponsible. To be completely and utterly disrespectful of the needs of any others save their own.

There is so much more dirt that even I or people in my life have encountered in connection with these people that does not make it to the prosecutor's table.

Rape. theft. molestation. embezzlement. murder. To start with the capital crimes.

How can bribing public officials not be considered a jailable offense in this case but so-called tax evasion is in the Lonestar case?

Does anyone see where I am going with this? Justice in Korea is more arbitrary than most.

WHat I am saying is it is not simply because someone is wealthy that this happens. What I am saying is that when that wealth becomes a determining factor in your punishment and not just your judgement in the eyes of the law; you have essentially undermined what exactly justice is. No value to the economy; no amount of jobs you provide should have any bearing on the punishment you recieve when found guilty.

Justice should be delivered based on your actions alone.

If I ever find myself in the position of power, influence, and wealth? I am going to do everything possible to take others in similar positions to task. I will fund those who pursue justice against those who seem too powerful for the law to deal with. Even at risk to all that I have built. THis is just too disgusting for me to stomach.

So where are all the damn protestors who were protesting about US beef based on faulty news reports? THis is real. THis is concrete. THis is more damagin than any possible amount of beef would be. WHERE ARE THE DAMN MASS GATHERINGS AT SAMSUNG HEADQUARTERS???

I am tired of having had to swallow my anger and just accept it as the way it is. I am tired of how arbitrary justice both as a principle and a concept are here in Korea. WHen its foreigners its an unbearable evil. When its your own damn people undermining and mocking any sense of responsibility and accountability, any sense of law?

We just look the other way. We slide it under the carpet. We look everywhere else except at the shit.

Because obviously American beef is more dangerous than a corporation bribing and buying your government making sure that decisions and laws made have only the money's best interests at heart.

On a related note: look forward to the Dark Knight. and Dreaming of hard principled vigilante that this country obviously needs. More Frank Miller than Adam West.

Crossroads

So. Here we are again. I can feel it.

Those moments in your life that will determine your next 5 to 10 years.

I can feel that some direction will be set in the next couple of months which will decide my next decade.

Happenned in 98. I can feel it happenning again.

Some people have 15 year periods or 4 year periods...my life seems to run in cycles of 10.

A nice deci-luminal range.

I'll get back to less esoteric and more illuminating rants soon.

WIPI needs to die.

The Iphone clones present and upcoming from LG and Samsung are severely underwhelming. UI on these sad sad puppies are just as clunky as ever

But it is getting idiotic here in Korea. Our culture's propensity to try to average things out in every aspect of the society has led to this deficiency in innovation.

Copy Copy the leader...but don't dare take the risk of standing out...

New Zealand and the "tall poppy syndrome"....

So....they need to not have safe harbor anywhere in the world...so that they are forced to really really execute and design for the customers instead of for production efficiency.

WIPI is a middleware standard enacted by the Korean governmetn which essentially works as a trade barrier. Its enactment in 2003 drove Nokia phones out of the Korean market after domestic companies became fearful of Sony Ericcson, RIM, and other companies joining the fray.

Meanwhile LG and Samsung face no such obstacles anywhere else in the world.

It's amazing how selective the Korean media and popular sentiment is. Complain about unfair or "subpar" products...but ignore or remain silent on the unfair and unequitable trade practices being practiced by domestic companies.

Remain silent how this lack of competition allows price gouging on an immense scale.

Get rid of WIPI. It does nothing for the consumer, nothing positive for the market, keeps things closed.

Cool Diversion from a fellow Seoul based Games involved blogger

Go here http://phantomleap.com. There needs to be more output from Seoul because I am going to be horrified if your only viewpoint on the industry here is:

1) Field of Dreams...wheee they have it so perfect there for gamers! ( any mainstream coverage )
2) It is a place of Grind and lack of innovation ( that's ME own trademarked cranky view)

3) Aren'tyou starving and have nuclear weapons there? (people I so want to...uh defenestrate)