Now available on Amazon This year marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. As such, here is my little ode to one of my favorite cities in the world. Consecutively, I’ll be trying something new. I consider this current version of the novelette 1.0, which means, it will continue to grow with time, and if all… Read more →
Alain Xalabarde speaks at Taipei Game Developers Forum in 2017. Alain’s “The 7 Mysteries of Luck in Games” talks about the use (and misuse) of luck during game design. Inspired by his experience in casino gaming (where you have no choice but to use luck), Alain brings insights that are relevant to any and every genre. Link to the official site of TGDF. Link to… Read more →
Alain Xalabarde speaks at Gamilearn 2019 in Barcelona. The talk explores the way Grand Strategy games have influenced the educational landscape and how the genre can be utilized by teachers to energize their classrooms. Read more →
Is Harry Potter: Wizards Unite goofy or genius? Niantic’s new game aims to magically replicate Pokemon GO’s success. After the huge success that was “Pokemon GO“, Niantic has made the smart decision of “taking what works and expand on it” with “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite“. The game takes advantage of the studio’s augmented reality know-how and combines it with a… Read more →
The casino gaming industry is changing rapidly, trying to catch up to the needs of new generations and adapt to ever-increasing standards. Alain explores insights from computer games, mobile games and even board games to identify trends that are driving current gamers across the globe, offering tools that may further casino game’s engagement and retention. Link to full talk video.… Read more →
It’s an honor to announce that Serious Play has awarded “13 Minutes Ago” with a Silver Medal, a game that was quite controversial when I released it, but was truly necessary. The Serious Play Conference is a leadership conference for professionals who embrace the idea that games can revolutionize learning. Speakers, who come from all parts of the globe, share… Read more →
This topic can be applied to pretty much any industry, but I particularly find that many novel film makers and game developers run into this dilemma. Should I specialize on one subject? Or should I learn a little of everything? Truth is, it’s not that simple, and that’s why most people often feel confused about which track they should commit… Read more →
After 3 years working in the casino games development industry for one of the most prestigious companies in the world, I leave realizing that I’ve learnt much more than I had thought when I set foot on my very first day. Most of the lessons learnt have improved my outlook on game development as a whole, but some have dug… Read more →
Alain’s book “El Ultimo Roble” was one of 5 finalists at the “VI Premio de Novela Tandaia”. Read more on Tandaia’s website Read more →
Good actors put a lot of effort to adapt themselves to the character they’re playing. Unfortunately sometimes directors forget to adapt the characters to the actors. Characters and actors are like a partnership. If actors are the only ones putting the effort the relationship will suffer. That’s why we need to make sure that there is collaboration from both sides.… Read more →
In Germany it is illegal to use nazi references, including flags, in various ways. One of them is games. Wolfenstein for instance, is a game that looks very different in Germany. However, movies are not put under the same scrutiny. Reason? Movies are considered art. Games are only entertainment. But, is X-Men First Class less entertainment than a video game?… Read more →
