DGD: What does Red Jade have that you feel gives them potential as a company?
Mical: We've got excellent technology, leading edge stuff that will take entertainment and personal productivity to new heights. We've got brilliant people working at all levels of the company to see this dream become a reality. Together we will produce the only system out there with this kind of power and potential!

"When I think of the blips and boops that comprised high-end games back then, and compare them to what we have now, my head spins at the magnitude of change."

DGD: What specifically will be your responsiblities at Red Jade?
Mical: I'm watching over our system software development, including the operating system that controls our device and the the system's entertainment and personal utility software. The definition of the user interface is part of my job too. I am in charge of the our Internet technology, which we will use for connecting people together, giving users access to the wide world of information available online, and for distributing some of the content for our system too! Also, I'm responsible for the quality assurance and product release of the various system components we're creating. It's a big, satisfying job I've been given. I hope I can shine!

DGD: What projects or ideas do you hope to bring with you to Red Jade?
Mical: I hope to apply my experience and expertise to make the system be the best imaginable, at both the system and game levels. Also, user interface issues have been of great importance to me. I am keen on the convergence of devices that provide entertainment with personal productivity, so I will push Red Jade to perfect this integration. I dream of systems that are vastly expandable too, so I plan on helping the company create a wide range of peripheral products for our system. There are online games and completely offline games in the marketplace, but there are many games which feature both modes of play.

DGD: From a development standpoint, where is the proper balance in making a game that appeals to both single player and multiplayer audiences? Should games even attempt to appeal to both?
Mical: Some of my favorite games allow me to enjoy both single player and multiplayer modes, but surely there are some games that are completely unsuitable for more than one player. Multiplayer Solitaire, for instance, would be a silly game indeed, unless of course it has a chat component to it where players can communicate either by typing or talking while they play. Chat is a feature that ties together many user experiences, and I believe this will become even more important in the future, especially when you don't have to type to chat. I think that very few games need to be single-player. Almost every single-player game I can imagine would have been much more enjoyable if I also could have played it with other people. Think about it.

DGD: How has the video game industry changed during your career so far? (how for the better, how for the worse, etc.)
Mical: Ha! The games today are vastly more sophisticated than they were three years ago! I've been in the industry for, what, seventeen years now? When I think of the blips and boops that comprised high-end games back then, and compare them to what we have now, my head spins at the magnitude of change. But are the games any better? On the whole, not really. They are more slick and gorgeous, but very few turn the increased horsepower into a more engaging, more enjoyable experience. They're just prettier. I still play old games on old systems as much as I play the new stuff (except when a brand new game comes out of course).

TALK ABOUT THIS STORY NOW ON THE DIGITAL GAME DEVELOPER

DGD: Where you you think the video game industry is headed in the future?
Mical: Who can guess? The only thing I can say for sure is that new games will always try to incorporate the latest innovations in technology. Wireless systems will allow multiplayer games to erupt anywhere people gather. Microphones and fast compression systems will allow games to include voice chat. Cameras will put our own images into the games. Subcutaneous implants will allow us to live in our games, while our bodies wither from inactivity. I can hardly wait!

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