12 TheRecord MARCH 18, 2005

Couldn’t Script it Better Herself A Brief Guide to Gamer Slang 4X game where players must execute the four Xs: SOA Student Writes Her Way into the Video Gaming Industry explore, expand, exploit and exterminate. AI artificial intelligence Boomstick shotgun or other weapon capable of inflicting significant damage. Boss the main villain in a game; a mini-boss is a less powerful enemy. Brick a powerful player who often protects a weak- er player; an online “big brother.” Cheat feature built into the game that allows a play- er to gain power or abilities or unlock special game features. Cheats aren’t usually described in the game manual. CMP cover me, partner. Easter egg hidden game features included by devel- opers that usually don’t help players in gameplay but 2003 NAMCO, Ltd. are sometimes amusing. The combination of intriguing narratives with Frag to kill another player or blast something to advancements in technology has helped boost bits. the sales of games like Age of Empires (at left) Gameplay the rush experienced when playing a Ensemble Studios and Katamari Damacy (above). game; also, the ability of a game to inspire such feel- ings. By Sheri M. Whitley wrote in an essay recently for IGDA, Estaris. “She was one of the first “Technology and creative [elements] women game developers to create Gamer person for whom games is a primary leisure- here’s a noob in the 4X pipeline, are equal and inseparable aspects of female characters who were the hero time activity. and she just found an Easter egg. development. Remove the technology, of the game without being overly sex- GJP good job, partner. Grats. and the game becomes a novel. Remove ual,” Estaris says. Another mentor for T Grats congratulations. The sentences above may not sound the creativity, and the game becomes a Estaris is Bernard Yee,adjunct associate like English, but they do actually make spreadsheet.The sum of their collabora- professor of computer science at High pinger player with a slow Internet connec- sense—if you speak gamer slang.To the tion requires pure synergy.” Columbia and the instructor for “Video tion, which can negatively affect reaction time during increasing number of people around That synergy is what Estaris works Game Design and Technology.” gameplay. the world who are fluent in gamer toward. She fell in love with video “Yee’s class is great,”she says.“A lot Monster NPC that exists for the sole purpose of slang, the sentences tell them that a games as a kid, playing Atari system of people shy away from it because being killed by PCs. newcomer to the video game industry favorites. Her fascination with those they think it requires coding, but you Newbie just found a bonus feature and offer arcade-style games quickly piqued an don’t necessarily need coding knowl- new player who is learning the game; often congratulations. interest in writing. First-generation edge for the class. It’s more about abbreviated as “noob.” The newcomer, or noob (short for video games had one objective: studying the aesthetics of the game. Patch software update, usually available for free “newbie”), is Jennifer Estaris, a second- Destroy or kill as many bad guys as What makes it fun? What makes a story download. year student in the Writing Division at possible. After a while, destroying—or compelling?” PC player character controlled by a live player; NPC the Graduate School of the Arts. Estaris fragging, as the industry slang goes— As any gamer will tell you, programs (nonplayer character) is controlled by the computer. is one of 25 students recently awarded becomes monotonous. But add a clever without a great story line don’t have Pwn an International Game Developer’s narrative, and suddenly the player is gameplay—the rush a gamer gets to obliterate your opoonents. Conference Student Scholarship. enveloped in the mythology of the while playing. Estaris’ favorite games, RTS real-time strategy game where all players, game, embarking on a knight’s quest to Awarded by the International Game such as Final Fantasy (versions 7 and including computer-controlled AIs, perform actions Developers Association (IGDA), the recover a sacred relic or becoming a 10), and her current game flavor of the continually and simultaneously. Examples of RTS scholarship pairs each winner with a diplomat trying to identify spies from month, Katamari Damacy, which games are StarCraft and Age of Empires. mentor toward the goal of developing enemy countries. means “clumping soul” in Japanese, all Sims future industry innovators. Who better than a writer to help simulation games; players build a city or other have that element. “The gaming industry is very diffi- fashion the game story lines—especial- major construction project. Estaris made as much of an impres- cult to break into,”says Estaris. But she ly when the writer brings a different Sneaker game where players solve a problem using sion on Yee as he did on her.After the is already well on her way toward that perspective to the fore? guile, cunning and intelligence. goal. The original versions of many of end of her class with him, he took her Taunt to intimidate opponents with textual insults Estaris works part-time at a game today’s popular video games, such as on as a teaching assistant and later as or via sound files. development company and uses her Age of Empires: Rise of Rome, had all- an employee at his video game devel- writing skills to develop the story lines male characters. “Designers create opment company. Walkthrough document describing how to beat a that help turn many games into fan games that appeal to them,” Estaris Although she isn’t yet sure whether game in detail; a hint doc is less explicit. she’ll pursue video game development favorites. The seemingly odd pairing of points out.“All-male developers of the WTGP way to go, partner. creative writing and video games fills an past wrote games with no women.” as a full-time career, Estaris is sure that important void in the evolution of the Roberta Williams was an exception she’ll continue to write narratives, industry. As journalist Matthew Sakey to that rule and an inspiration to even if just for the gameplay.

Kidney Research continued from page 1 Banners Away: Celebrating Women’s History Month

anners have gone up purchased banners, which will The two groups inde- along Broadway and be on display for two months. pendently showed that Ngal Amsterdam this month to The long history of women’s is a sensitive marker of renal Bcommemorate Women’s struggle for full inclusion in failure, and after extensive History Month. The theme of this American society is interwoven studies with mice, the two year’s celebration, sponsored by with the history of Columbia, a independently found that the mayor’s office, is particularly story told engagingly by Barnard Ngal was protective. meaningful to Columbia.“NY Loves Professor of History Rosalind “Given the fact that Ngal Women: Your City, Your Success,” Rosenberg in her new book, expression is conserved in seeks to recognize the contribu- Changing the Subject: How the mice, rats and human kid- tions of New York City women as a Women of Columbia Shaped neys after damage, we are key component of the success and the Way We Think About Sex and hopeful that the protein will vibrancy of the city. Politics. Richly documenting the be protective in humans,” Jeanette C. Takamura, dean of accomplishments and the profes- said Barasch. the School of Social Work, along sional barriers that challenged a Ngal will be ready for ini- with Lisa Anderson, dean of the long list of distinguished tial human trials after one School of International and Public Columbia women—including further confirmation in Affairs (SIPA), and Jean E. Howard, Margaret Mead, Zora Neale mouse models. vice provost for Diversity Hurston, Kate Millett and Ruth The study is the result of Initiatives, asked colleagues Bader Ginsburg—Rosenberg a collaboration between whether they would be interested shows the importance of their CUMC’s Departments of in participating in the banner pro- work to the political and social Medicine (Mori, Cheryl gram. The response was over- history of modern America. Kunis and Barasch), whelming. Through the recent creation Anesthesiology (H. Thomas Imprinted with the logos of of the Office of the Vice Provost Lee) and Pathology (Vivette Columbia’s various schools, the for Diversity Initiatives, the D’Agati), as well as banners mark the University’s cele- University has reaffirmed its researchers at Cincinnati bration of Women’s History Month, commitment to promoting diver- Children’s Hospital (Jaya as well as its commitment to hon- sity at Columbia. Among other Mishra, Devarajan) and oring the enormous achievements priorities, it is vigorously pursu-

Kyoto University (Masashi of women at Columbia. Eileen Barroso ing the recruitment, retention Mukoyama). This year marks the 25th and promotion of outstanding For more information, go anniversary of Women’s History which initiated the banners proj- part of an effort to underscore the women scholars and administra- to: www.cumc.columbia.edu. Month and also the 30th anniver- ect. The commission invited New educational opportunities the city tors so that the rich history of sary of the New York City York City institutions of higher offers to women. More than 16 women at Columbia will have an Commission on Women’s Issues, learning to purchase banners as schools and offices at Columbia equally distinguished future.