Gamasutra Member Blogs: From game designers to apps on Steam

In highlights from Gamasutra's Member Blogs, our bloggers write about diverse topics, such as why someone should want to be a game designer, how Valve's decision to sell apps on Steam can help indies, and more. Member Blogs can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while invitation-only Expert Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- are written by selected development professionals. We hope that our blog sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information, check out the official posting guidelines. This Week's Standout Member Blogs Apps on Steam and indie game creation (Svein-Gunnar Johansen) Svein-Gunnar Johansen believe that Valve's decision to sell productivity apps on Steam presents an unexpected opportunity for creating buzz about indie games. Mass Effect: Meaning through design (Basil Allen) How does game design outside the realm of story or dialogue communicate meaning to the player? Basil Allen provides an analysis of the information within Mass Effect 2's design and comparisons to Mass Effect 1. Why should anyone be a game designer? (Jay Bedeau) Why should anyone be a game designer? Games haven't always had a good rep in the press. So you may have found yourself asking, "Why be a game designer?" You already love the artform - so what other reasons are there? Jay Bedeau offers three reasons. Immersion: Getting into the game (Sebastian Alvarado) Neuroscientist at the Douglas Institute and McGill University, Ian Mahar, discusses how immersion works in the mind of a gamer.