Joe Hutsko

In a story about downloading video games that I wrote for the New York Times in March, I cited sales numbers provided by the NPD Group, a firm that tracks consumer purchases like video games.

Wednesday morning I contacted David Riley, a director at NPD, to get his latest thoughts on the bigger picture of full-size video game downloads.

Here’s our Q&A:

J.H.: When I wrote my story, Warhawks for the PlayStation 3 was the only full-size next-gen title available for purchase and download directly to the console, bypassing the retail disc entirely. Do you see that as a one-time experiment for the time being?

D.R.: There are still a few bugs in the system, so to speak, but if you look at Xbox Originals available now on Xbox Live for download (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/xboxoriginals/?WT.svl=nav) you can see the basic capability is already here.

J.H.: Right, even though they aren’t next-gen games they, like Warhawks, demonstrate that you can download a full game to the hard disk. Which brings up the issue of storage.

D.R.: Of course. Hard drive space isn’t unlimited. I believe the most hard drive capacity currently available on the high end ranges from 80 GB to 120 GB. Once you take into account the amount of content many gamers may already have on their systems’ hard drives (videos, music, SD and HD movies, games), even 120 GB doesn’t seem like it would be enough to satiate their appetites for downloadable premium titles.

J.H.: On my Xbox 360 I can re-download purchased games or add-ons that I may have deleted to free up space. Won’t that do?

D.R.: Yeah, I do realize that you can delete and re-download whenever you want but there’s a psychological barrier to overcome when you’re talking about purchasing titles at a premium price. Many consumers prefer to have the physical product over the digital one. However, I remember when many were saying digital music would never replace physical CDs and look where we are today, so there’s no doubt in my mind that gaming consumers will also adopt the digital format once it’s been perfected.

J.H.: So you do see full-size game downloads happening?

D.R.: Not so fast. Looking beyond the technological issues, there are several barriers to overcome before we start seeing a multitude of next-gen titles being offered via download on current-generation video game consoles. I don’t want to delve too deeply into this, but the pricing structure for new high-end titles would play a big role in the psyche of the consumer. There’s an obvious difference between a 99-cent song on iTunes and a $40 or higher video game title that would be available for downloading.

J.H.: We’re back to that psychological barrier, which from your POV is so strong it sounds like you’re saying full-size title downloads have a snowball’s chance in hell …?

D.R.: Who knows, but I’d be cautious. Of course, I’m 40 years old, so I’m old school.

J.H.: I’ve got you beat by four years and I’m fine with saying goodbye to the disc. But something I can do with a disc and not a download is trade it in after I’ve finished the game or get bored with it. I’d be cool with deleting a purchased download and giving up the rights to download it again in exchange for a partial credit to apply to a new download. Half would be great, though I’d even be fine with a quarter of the value. Think that’d fly?

D.R: Used games are directly related to physical product in retail. It’s a cash cow now, but I see no way it could survive at its current level with mass adoption of downloadable digital content.

J.H.: Which, for video games anyway, isn’t likely to happen overnight.

D.R.: On the business end, it’s a real juggling act that would require a lot of business communications prowess on the part of publishers and manufacturers alike, especially when it comes to relationships with their channel partners. All parties would need to find common ground in order for this to work in everyone’s favor.

J.H.: And we all know how long finding common ground can take in this business. Speaking of which, thanks for taking the time to have this conversation.

I welcome your thoughts and comments on the present state and future possibilities of downloading video games.

Like a virtual zoo of sorts, it’s been a place where visitors have petted, poked and occasionally pissed on what I’ve had to say — all of which I’ve enjoyed immensely.

Personal technology is exactly that — personal — and that’s how I write about it. Blogging here has been one of the most satisfying stints in my two decades of writing.

I’m pleased to introduce next week’s guest columnist, Denise Caruso, a fellow technology writer and a friend I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for as long as I’ve been in this business.

I heartily welcome the opportunity to return to these pages in the future (if not as Machinist, then as a contributor); and in the meantime, you can always find me at my Web site, JOEyGADGET.com.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an appointment with the sun and sand and sea.

So long, and thanks for all of the comments!

Playing games that bear McGee’s dark design touch — most notably Quake, Doom and the sequels that followed each — can have similarly mind-altering effects, capable of scaring the bejesus out of players to the point of making them jump out of their seats.

Not so with his new series, which McGee says is less about horror and more about humor, as he explains in the following Q & A.

JH: American McGee, welcome. Your new serial, Grimm, serves up twisted takes on beloved fairy tales like “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The best tales are of course the scary ones. How young were you when you discovered fairy tales, and which scared you the most?

AM: I started reading fairy tales and dark children’s stories at a really early age. What I really loved were stories where the beauty of nature and man’s place within it is was balanced precariously over pits of darkness filled with gnashing teeth –- always hidden from the protagonist but made obvious to the reader. “Red Riding Hood” always held special appeal for me –- I ultimately sided with the Wolf, wanting Red to pay for her trespasses and naivety. But I don’t know if “scared” is the right word, for what I, or other children, feel when immersed in these stories. There’s a sophisticated understanding of “darkness” these tales help to reinforce -– and children are happy to go along on that dark ride.

JH: You rooted for the Wolf and I rooted for the shark in “Jaws.” Just as scary are games you worked on like Quake and Doom II, which caused me to literally jump out of my seat more than once. Yet Grimm is aimed at a younger audience. How do you strike a balance between giving a good scare and going too far?

AM: The tone and nature of Grimm is about as far removed from Doom or Quake as you can get. Grimm is, at its heart, a dark comedy, not so much about horror, but about finding humor in the darker reality of the human condition. Grimm’s point is that we’re fooling ourselves when we candy-coat reality, sweep bad things under the rug and think we can convince children there are no bogymen. Kids are smarter than that, and Grimm’s just helping to remind us what the kids already know –- or used to know before Disney got hold of them.

JH: Is that why you created “light” and “dark” versions for each story?

AM: The “light” version is supposed to reflect the toothless, meaningless versions of tales children are subjected to these days. Fairy tales have become so PC that they’re no longer able to serve their original purpose of warning and teaching. The dark versions are meant to illuminate, as Grimm would say, “the way the world really is.”

JH: What’s the coolest thing you’re into right now — game, automobile, gadget, even non-tech-related — anything at all.

AM: Being in China is pretty cool each and every day. Always something new to learn, some obstacle to overcome and something humbling about the whole experience. Aside from that, lately I’ve really gotten into electric scooters -– I’m helping my girlfriend start a boutique electric scooter shop here in Shanghai, which appeals to the gear head in me, but also helps me to feel like we’re doing something to help people live more sustainable lives.

JH: What’s next for American McGee?

AM: China is the place for me, at least for the next five to 10 years. My hope is that we’ll continue to build a great studio and work on more innovative game products. Already we’re laying plans for more Western game content as well as China-specific offerings. It’s a great time to be exploring new game concepts and a good time to be in China.

China is lucky to have you, and so are we gamers. Thanks for taking time to chat, Mr. McGee.

I owned Aliph’s original Jawbone (before losing it to an incident with the washer-dryer), and it did an excellent job of canceling background noise like wind and traffic. So I was enthused when the company sent me the new Jawbone 2 ($130) — sexily smaller, lighter and armed with a more comfortable leather-wrapped ear loop.

That’s the good news. And that’s all of it. The rest is bad: The much-ballyhooed NoiseAssassin technology that worked so well on the original is, in my real-life test, brain-dead on the sequel. Fiddling to adjust the headset to ensure the sensor maintained contact with my cheek made no difference, and half the time I inadvertently hung up by accidentally pressing the headset’s single-piece outer shell that covers two buttons underneath.

My test included mildly windy walks on the boardwalk and bike rides in light traffic, and in all cases friends on the other end said the sound quality was atrocious.

As I wrap it up as a guest blogger, I’d like to ask a favor: Recommendations for the best Bluetooth headset that’s loud, clear and cancels background noise so callers can hear me without constantly asking, “What did you say?”

What do you say?

I got reacquainted with one of the gifts’ designers, Susan Kare, by way of Facebook to catch up on what she’s been up to since designing the original Mac’s icons, her work on Microsoft Windows and those pesky sheep that get thrown around on Facebook — which, I am happy to report, are not Susan’s fault. (Phew! This moray eel I planned to throw at her goes back into the kitchen sink.)

JH: Susan Kare, hello. You created all of the original Mac’s icons and UI elements (like the pouring paint can, bomb, and control panel) and the infamous dog/cow in the Cairo font that’s alleged to say “Moof!” (I have the T-shirt). What came after the original Mac while at Apple?

SK: I worked in the Macintosh software group almost all the time I was at Apple, but became a creative director in Creative Services for a few months before I left for NeXT.

JH: At NeXT you shifted focus.

SK: Yes. I was the 10th employee and was encouraged to become the creative director. I was able to hire my all-time design hero, Paul Rand, to create the NeXT logo and worked with him on other printed materials. It was a great chance to collaborate as the brand was created from scratch. I learned so much about design by working with Paul Rand at NeXT — still think “WWPRD” and refer to his books when I need guidance.

JH: If memory serves, you then had a stint with Microsoft, to design the icons and other UI elements for Windows 3.0. What was that like as far as a shift in culture?

SK: I had launched my UI design practice when I worked for Microsoft. Although I love working in monochrome, it was a great chance to work in color (16 different ones!) and I had very thoughtful colleagues there. I remember thinking that at Apple, interface decisions were often engineering-driven, and at Microsoft, many were driven by product marketing. I just focused on the work: making better title bars and buttons that were three-dimensional, how to make a subtle wallpaper tapestry by dithering those somewhat garish VGA colors, etc.

JH: Pardon the pun, but what came next?

SK: After I left NeXT, I launched Susan Kare Design and have maintained the practice continuously since then. We do all kinds of digital design projects for a great variety of clients, e.g., Microsoft, IBM, Autodesk, Digital Chocolate, Joost, and Swatch. Everything from icon systems to phone games to logos and site graphics. I still love working on small screens with limited real estate — trying to get some big idea into a 15 by 15 pixel grid. I also developed a series of icon products (magnets, luggage tags, Post-it notes, etc.) for the Museum of Modern Art stores in NYC.

JH: Which leads to a very public sandbox where you spend a lot of time: Facebook. How long have you been designing Facebook gifts?

SK: Facebook gifts are integrated into the Facebook UI — not an app a user needs to add. I’ve designed hundreds and hundreds of Facebook gifts since they were introduced for Valentine’s Day in 2007. It’s one of my favorite projects — trying to stock a virtual gift shop with enticing merchandise, traditional gifts like roses and candy but also disco balls, handcuffs, polar bears, beers, and hot tubs.

JH: How do you decide what becomes a gift?

SK: Facebook has suggestions, and I also provide ideas. There are often limited edition gifts for holidays, like wax lips and other Halloween items, and eggnog in December. You can see all the gifts in the store, even the limited editions that have sold out.

JH: What’s the most popular Facebook gift ever?

SK: Lipstick kiss mark — love and happiness! Flowers and animals are popular, along with birthday cakes.

JH: What’s next, artistically speaking?

SK: Well, wherever I go, I’m always looking around, thinking about what might make a good gift! I design the always-evolving UI graphics for Chumby, which makes a cool WiFi device. I also designed the Chumby identity and packaging (and supersoft T-shirts), and I’m looking forward to expanding Chumby’s group of collectible rubber charms. I recently illustrated a book — always enjoy new and different design projects.

JH: It was a pleasure catching up, Susan. Watch your Facebook in box for a gift from me –- of your own design, of course.

This brings up the point that smart phones are really just miniature computers and just as vulnerable to digital dangers like viruses and spyware.

After reading the release my first thought was: “It’s about time.” Especially now that iPhone and iTouch can (legally) run hundreds of downloadable applications.

Sure, Apple vets the apps for nastiness before making them available, but everyone knows super-sneaky stuff can slip below the radar and go undetected. At even greater risk are users of jail-broken iPhones and iPod touches who download and run uninspected apps from scores of sources. Reality check: I jail-broke my iPhone before 2.0 and had no problems with apps I downloaded and ran, but nevertheless I believe it’s only a matter of when and not if before a malicious virus or malware attack takes a bite out of the iPhone’s (and Apple’s) clean and shiny image.

Antivirus programs for smart phones are nothing new. My old Nokia 6682 came bundled with a mobile version of F-Secure’s protection program, and both Symantec and McAfee offer mobile protection products for a number of devices as well.

Unfortunately, Intego’s big news proved too good to be true. Unlike the antivirus programs for other smart phones that actually run on the devices themselves, Intego’s antivirus protection program for iPhone and iPod touch does not. That’s because there is no antivirus program. Not for the iPhone or iPod touch. Instead, the desktop version of VirusBarrier X5 running on a Mac merely offers a check-box option to scan an attached iPhone or iPod touch as a mass-storage volume the same way it scans an internal or external hard drive.

So only after you’ve downloaded and possibly run a malicious app can Intego possibly come to the rescue. Too little, too late.

In other words, Intego (or another software maker), you need to “go native” if you really want to help.

How about you? Has your smart phone or hand-held ever been bitten by a nasty bug? Experts and industry watchers acknowledge the threat is real, yet I can’t recall the last time a cellphone virus made big news. Can you? Comments welcome.