Biting the Hand

About This Series...

Biting the Hand is a bi-weekly column that seeks to improve the industry by spreading information and pointing out boneheadedness in a humorous and sometimes vitriolic manner. The column has been penned since 1997 by online pioneer Jessica Mulligan, who began her career in 1986 designing online games for GEnie and has since been involved with over fifty online games, including over a dozen massively-multiplayer games.

• What I Did on My Summer Vacation (4/24/2003) – #48: Jessica speaks up about the industry before taking a break from Biting the Hand.
• The April Fools Spring Clean-Up (4/1/2003) – #47: Jessica takes a spring fresh look at the industry.
• Reflections on a Recurring Theme (3/18/2003) – #46: Jessica discovers the value of questioning the veterans of the game industry.
• I See in My Crystal Ball... (3/4/2003) – #45: Jessica scries the Land of Overhype for evidence of online game woes.
• Dave and Ted (2/18/2003) – #44: Jessica throws down the ultimate "Great New Original Game" parody script.
• The New Year Begins To Takes Shape For Me (1/28/2003) – #43: Jessica reflects on "risk taking" discussions and the glow of an upcoming book.
• Taking Risks (1/21/2003) – #42: Jessica laments the static state of PC and console gaming.
• Welcome Back (1/8/2003) – #41: Jessica begins the new year by cleaning up some items from last year.
• Hey, Where Did These Guys Come From? (12/17/2002) – #40: Jessica takes a front-n-center look at the current crop of online games and industry projections.
• Good Grief It's Nearly Gone (12/3/2002) – #39: Jessica looks back at the releases and trends in gaming during 2002.
• Show Me the Path (11/19/2002) – #38: Jessica shows the path of designer driven storylines in persistent worlds.
• Don't Tell Me a Story, Mommy (11/5/2002) – #37: Jessica shares some driving wisdom on storytelling in persistent worlds.
• Online Console-ation Revisited (10/15/2002) – #36: Jessica gives us the then and now on online console gaming.
• Three-Dot Issues (10/1/2002) – #35: Jessica fills us up on Chinese takeout, apples and fries.
• Two Scoops of Gaming Goodness (9/17/2002) – #34: Jessica bites into the past with a little whine on the side.
• Much Water Under the Bridge, Much Beer Over the Dam... (9/3/2002) – #33: Jessica gets verbose on the state of online gaming since 9-11.
• It’s the Other Economy, Stupid! (8/20/2002) – #32: Jessica describes the complexities of gaming economies.
• History Sucks (8/6/2002) – #31: Jessica laments past decisions by internet and online gaming industries.
• Pet Peeves (7/23/2002) – #30: Jessica shares her pet peeves regarding the current gaming industry.
• Here We Go Again... (7/9/2002) – #29: Jessica delves into the hot topic of fraudulent online item trading.
• Playing the Game (6/25/2002) – #28: Jessica gives us a sneak peek at next-generation persistent worlds.
• Happy 5^th Birthday, BTH (6/11/2002) – #27: Jessica celebrates 5 years of Biting the Hand.
• E3 Musings (5/28/2002) – #26: Jessica shares her experiences from this year's E3 convention.
• Do It For The Kids (5/14/2002) – #25: Jessica brings some sanity to the "gaming creates violent kids" issue.
• Cosmic Encounters From the Old Days (4/30/2002) – #24: Jessica returns anew with games of old and things of new.
• Catching Up (4/16/2002) – Jessica shares post-GDC 2002 impressions.
• I 0Wn Y0u, d0Od! Part Deux (4/2/2002) – Jessica continues the debate around ownership in online games.
• Pre-GDC Rants and Scandals (3/19/2002) – Jessica has some rants and scandals to share before racing off to GDC '02.
• Anticipation (3/5/2002) – Jessica looks under the gaming hood while the industry revs up for 2002 developments.
• I 0Wn Y0o, d00d (2/19/2002) – Jessica delves into the notions of item ownership in MMORPGs.
• Newsy Stuff (2/5/2002) – Jessica looks at gaming history, trends and noteworthy news.
• Talkin’ ‘bout My… Generation (1/22/2002) – Jessica gets generational about MMOGs.
• The Passion Play (1/8/2002) – Jessica shares a gamer's passion for want of good game design.
• The Last of the Year (12/18/2001) – Jessica reflects on the past year and its impact on gaming.
• Shifting Sands (12/4/2001) – Jessica ponders what the first true gamer generation might mean to us all.
• Catching Up (11/20/2001) – Jessica collects a bucket full of news and insight up after being away.
• That Darned PvP Stuff Again (10/24/2001) – Jessica dispells the myths about PvP.
• Random Thoughts (10/9/2001) – Jessica illuminates us about Lum the Mad's disappearance.
• Scratch 'n Sniff (9/25/2001) – Jessica sprays some air freshener on the fetid odor of unreality.
• The Case For Art (9/11/2001) – Jessica opens the podium to Raph Koster for debate and industry insight.
• You Said A Mouthful (8/28/2001) – Online gaming has a vocabulary all its own.
• Just Give Me a Game, Please (8/14/2001) – Art vs. Entertainment in online game design.
• Bonk! Bonk! On the Head, Bonk! Bonk! (7/31/2001) – Finding the balance between Developers, Publishers, & Players.
• "Potlatch" Responses: The Other Views (7/17/2001) – Jessica gets a pound of criticism and a ton of debate.
• Odd Bits & Pieces (7/3/2001) – Magazines, Microsoft & the future of the market.
• The Launch Pad is Ready... For Testing (6/19/2001) – The importance of product testing in online games.
• Potlatching Your Way to Riches (6/5/2001) – Conflict of interest in the game industry?
• Mass Hysteria (5/22/2001) – Jessica Mulligan brings her venerable series to Skotos.