Considering A Master's Or PhD In Digital Media?

The Digital Media program at Georgia Tech is now accepting applications at the Master's and Ph.D. levels. 

The Digital Media graduate program at Georgia Tech is a multidisciplinary program that engages students in making with meaning in digital media through their own discipline, skills, and expertise. Students here from the humanities, engineering, technology, and the arts backgrounds all engage in collaborative, practice-based work where they learn and apply design methods and critical theory in studio courses that are focused on having a voice--or giving a voice to others--through digital media.  

They offer both a two year intensive Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Digital Media, working with leading researchers that touch on topics such as civic media, game design, smart cities, interactive installation, augmented & virtual reality, computational creativity, and STEAM-based education.

They host multiple online events to inform those interested in the program. More information and RSVP is available through our website: http://dm.lmc.gatech.edu/.  The upcoming application deadlines for Fall 2019 are Dec. 10^th, 2018, for the Ph.D. program and Jan. 8^th, 2019 for the Master's program. 

Students interested in visiting the campus can do so during our open house event on January 18, 2019.  RSVP here.

If you have any further questions about the program and admission process, please contact me or the Associate Director Michael Terrell directly at dgs@lmc.gatech.edu.

The Galaxy, May, 1877 by Various

Even With PS5, Sony Still Planning PS4's Big Exclusives For Current-Gen - IGN Games

Even With PS5, Sony Still Planning PS4's Big Exclusives for Current-Gen

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Reveals New Clan - IGN Games

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Reveals New Clan

SaltCon 2019 Post Convention Recovery

SaltCon 2019 finished up Sunday, March 3rd. It is my "home" gaming convention. It's not because I've attended it the longest. It's not the closest. It's not the first convention I attended either. It's the convention I enjoy going to the most because of the people and experiences. I have the 2020 dates already entered on my calendar for next year.

Across the country people attend their local gaming convention for the same reasons I go to SaltCon. I'm not going to say my convention is better than your convention because I haven't been to all the conventions I would like to. I have a family, day job, and writing commitments, so my convention attendance is limited to the restraints of my schedule. What I will say is I hope your local convention has the same feel and gives you the same satisfaction.

SaltCon started on Thursday and continued into Sunday evening. Over 1900 people were present, sharing the experience of playing games. The people are a big part of the positive experience for me. There are always people willing to share their experience with a game and teach it to new players, and there are always players looking to learn new games.

The number of games available to play were well into the thousands. The game library on its own has that many, but many people bring favorites to share and find new friends with. I don't know how many games I played. It included all sorts of tabletop games from traditional board games to role-playing games (RPGs), older games to new games, and others still in development. There are some great games out there. I have notes on what I played and will be writing reviews. I also attended the convention with another writer/reviewer and look forward to seeing their articles.

I moderated a couple of panels this year. The first one was an introduction to RPGs. Taking a poll of the audience, we found some had never played while most had played only once or twice. We had a great and insightful discussion about what RPGs are about, character creation, and running a game. RPGs are growing again in ways I find exciting (more on that later).

The second panel was about running a Kickstarter campaign for funding a game development project. Another great conversation took place. SaltCon has the Ion awards every year and there is a developers' guild in Utah, so this panel was well attended. Because I was also on a panel at LTUE on crowdfunding, another article is forthcoming about what came from the two.

One corner of the game library

The number of RPGs is increasing. When I first attending SaltCon in 2012 there might have been one RPG being run. It may have been hidden in the corner in the backrooms of the lower halls, behind the kitchen. This year RPG tables were packed. Every game had people signed up and on Saturday and Sunday every scheduled game had waiting lists. I even saw some pickup games taking place that weren't part of the official schedule. This year the number of games was even greater than before. And the variety was broader.

A few years back Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder were about the only games available. There were a few others. Two years ago, the choices began broadening as games like Savage Worlds, Seven Seas, and Star Wars were present. It continued through last year. This year the number of different games played in the RPG room (and beyond) was fun. Games like BESM(1^st edition), Kids and Bikes, Cthulhu, and Beach Patrol were some of them. I also was able to sit in on some playtesting/preview of two RPGs—Ariumfrom Adept Icarus at adepticarus.com (announcement) and Stone Age from Woerner's Wunderwerks (partnered with Gallant Knight Games—site). I recommend you keep an eye out for them. I can say that Ariumis a world building RPG and Stone Ageis roleplaying a member of a tribe in the Neolithic era. Both games get players working together to create the setting and keeps them involved in the scenarios. Both were a lot of fun.

Check out SaltCon, or your local tabletop gaming convention. Every person I've taken with me to one has looked forward to getting back to the shared tables. They are a great place to make new friends and meet up with those you already know. You can play old favorites and new games. You probably will have the chance of playtesting games and giving feedback to developers. You might even get the spark to finally take that game idea of yours and put it together.

If I'm there, please feel comfortable to step up and say hello. I'm always interested in meeting new people.

You can find out more about SaltCon at the website (website) or on Facebook (link) (they take more and better pictures).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Facebookand Twitter(@GuildMstrGmng).

Monthly Progress Report For My Twitch Channel FuzzyJCats, September 25 Through October 24

FuzzyJCats Twitch Channel

During this period of time, I was burned out, but in denial, and pushed through streaming. After hearing about my friend's illness, I took time off to be with him and his family, and having this time off, it led me to rethink streaming.

During my first week off from streaming, I was so burned out that I made peace with quitting streaming entirely, and I was okay with it! However, after taking more time off, I forgot how much I loved streaming.

I remember when I first started streaming, I loved it so much to the point where I was counting down the hours to stream, but I didn't stream extra than my schedule because I didn't want to overdo it. I tend to get very obsessed with things, overdoing it until I burn out completely. So I actually held back from doing extra streaming during the first couple of months to avoid my tendency to crash and burn!

I also noticed that during the time I wasn't streaming, I wasn't exercising because I wasn't doing anything that mentally challenging. When I was streaming, I really forced myself to exercise.

Putting all of this together, I realize that I love streaming. I also find it healthy both physically and mentally to continue, as long as I don't take streaming seriously. In other words, don't worry about the viewer numbers!

Also, I started out too hard and too fast by streaming 4 days a week for 4 hours a stream. It makes more sense when you start a project that you've never done before, to take it one step at a time, slowly mastering each step until you take the next step.

So, it makes sense for me to scale back until I can easily do 1 hour per stream without strain, then add 30 minutes slowly. Perhaps streaming 1 day/week to start out with and increasing slowly. I think max 3 days/week.

Don't be upset if viewer numbers drop drastically as I'm no longer going to do the ridiculous networking.

Work on:

• Return back to streaming slowly to avoid burn-out
• One day a week to start, for 1 hour until that's really easy, then adding another day for 1 hour up to max 3 days/week
• Stream longer than 1 hour if I really want to
• Move schedule to mornings, better time for me

The How of Happiness Review

Why You Have To Live In Your Mother's Basement (Monday Musings 69)

Best book on Peronal Finance

During my Twitch streaming (channel link), I discussed plans to write a synopsis of Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi's All Your Worth, which really can help improve your financial health, as my streamed video-blogging series focuses on health in general.

In this politically divisive time, regardless of what you think of Sen. Warren, please don't be too concerned that she co-wrote the book (with her daughter) and keep an open mind even if you don't like her politics, as the advice here has helped lead to my own financial stability, even in tough times.

You can go to the library and check it out, if you want to read the best book on personal finance for the average person without giving the authors further funds. I read quite a few personal finance books and this is the best I've found, where it shows how to take concrete steps and learn what you need to do now to improve your financial situation.

Warren and Tyagi write very clearly and interestingly; I found it a page turner. Indeed, it's riveting to find out that you can take charge of your finances and live well!

I'll have to re-read the book first before I summarize in detail, so thank you for your patience.

In the meantime, upon doing some preliminary number-crunching, I'd say this book can work if you make $10/hour at 20K (though I will have to do more research and work the math so I may have to revise these estimates), if and only if you can somehow manage to live with your parents or friends to obtain "cheap" rent.

The average American income is around $25,000, according to the Census Bureau. The numbers could be as high 47K on average, though billionaires can be skewing the curve.

After taxes, let's say your income goes to $20,000 for easier math.

Ideally, the place you live should cost 1/3 of your net income, per All Your Worth. Indeed, research has shown that people tend not to fall into debt as readily if their rent/mortgage is 1/3 or less. Americans have a tendency to "buy more house" than they can afford to "keep up with the Joneses".

At any rate, 1/3 of 20K is $6666. Divided by 12 months, the rent should only come to $555.50, or let's say $500. In Philadelphia, you can get a "cheap" apartment for $800, so let's say $1000.  We're left with $20K minus $12K or a mere $8000.

In NYC, rent would be at least $3000/month (this is a "cheap" apartment) at $24K/year which is above the entire income.

Those who live in NYC, and you're making $25K, you can see why you can't live on your own, and you must live with your parents or friend(s) or other roomies. Hopefully that leaves you with a rent of "merely" $500/month.

As for those who live in more "reasonable" cities, we are down to $8K with the rent being on average $1000/month. Food is $400/month, if you pinch the pennies, coming out to $4800. We're now down to $4200 (8K - 4.8K dollars).

That leaves $350/month (4.8K/12). Utilities run $200/month at best so we're now at $150/month. Gas costs, say, $20/week (I live in New Jersey, so can buy relatively cheap gas for the Eastern Seaboard), so $80/month down to $70/month.

For internet/phone bill, that cone out to over $70/month, so no streaming for you!

With at best $70/month left over, what if, among the potential emergencies, your car breaks down, which you might need to get to work. Then you're wiped out completely and in crippling credit card debt (if you can charge auto repairs on your credit card). With the compounding 20% annual interest, you may have to declare bankruptcy or go homeless.

I know I'm being dire here, but I think this is the reality for a lot of Americans.

In other words, to be more financially sound, you'll have to live with your parents or friends or otherwise share living space.

The intent of this post is to argue against the snide dismissal of the phrase, "he probably lives in his mother's basement", and recognize the realities of life today in the US. 

A lot of hard-working people shouldn't be ashamed when they have to move back in with their parents given the rising living costs, to prevent crippling debt, bankruptcy and/or  homelessness.

What do you think? Should we make fun of those who have to live with their parents, or understand that with the realities of drastically rising cost of living with stagnating wages, that we should be more understanding and have more compassion?

The How of Happiness Review