The Game Developer Tarot

Matthew Le Merle : Two of Clubs (Wands)

2009-02-16T21:17:00.001-08:00

Short Bio of Matthew Le Merle: Matthew is one of a few odd people in this deck, being a venture capitalist more than a game developer. You can find his information on linkedin here.

The Card: Wands are the suit of change. Once again, the Two is a card of balance. Thus the Two of Wands indicates either positive change when opposing forces are balanced in compromise, or negative change as the opposing forces create a smoking ruin where your life just was.

Interpretation: Mr. Le Merle, being a venture capitalist, would have been more suited to a Diamonds card, but his presence works here as an agent of change. Often in the game industry, when Venture Capital is involved, balancing the investor’s needs against the needs of the game becomes all-too-critical. A Venture Capitalist can provide needed change to create a positive outcome to your startup, or ruin you if the relationship becomes strained.

Shelby Hubick: Two of Hearts (Cups)

2009-02-10T21:32:00.001-08:00

Short Bio: Shelby is a Vancouver-based software engineer whose games have spanned from EA’s "Need For Speed" series to Relic Software’s “Company of Heroes.” You can find his MobyGames page here.

The Card: The Two of Cups signifies balance, as always, but cups always deal with matters of the heart. The Shelby card shows the balance in a healthy relationship. Reversed, the opposite is true, with opposing forces tearing the individual apart.

Interpretation: The game industry is famous for being an opposing force against external relationships with family and friends. Crunch can often lead to these difficulties, keeping the employee away from his loved ones for lengthy periods of time, while a dedicated family man may find himself first on the chopping block if he isn't staying at work until 3:00am with his coworkers.

Chris Hecker: Two of Diamonds (Pentacles)

2009-02-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Short Bio of Chris Hecker: Chris Hecker is a well-known programmer whose last title was EA’s “Spore”. For more info, check out Wikipedia.

The Two of Pentacles: Signifies an individual who is successful at juggling opposing duties, but is trapped by their own competence.

Interpretation: Hecker is indeed a victim of his own reputation, being one of the most well-known and celebrated programmers in the game industry. If you draw this card, it will indicate that you are trapped in a balancing point between two opposing forces, and are being successful at it. If reversed, the card will indicate that you will be crushed by those forces, leaving you limping along like one and a half Gamecubes duct-taped together.

Interesting note: Chris Hecker is the only celebrity to appear twice in the GDC Deck, serving also as the King of Clubs.

The Basics

2009-01-30T15:23:00.000-08:00

So, for some fun, I'll be taking the cards given to Speakers at the Game Developer's Conference in 2008 and exploring their divinatory meanings. In doing this, I am not trying to insult anyone, neither the fine people on the cards nor the people who assembled them.

I will explore each card in one post, which means 54 posts of incredible, wacky entertainment for you, my humble reader.

On with the show!