Showing results by narrator "Matt HIcks" in All Categories

The Secret Science of Games is an accessible and entertaining guide to the hidden role of science in making games more fun. User experience (UX) research is a vital part of the story of how video games have become a cultural juggernaut, but game developers generally don’t speak publicly about how data shapes game design and game development.

I was just a normal guy making his way in the big city—until I found myself transported to another world to train at the Alpha Warlock Academy. Not only do they want me among their ranks, but they want me to train among the most powerful of warlocks at the Academy. I've got a lot on my plate: cramming spells, training for combat, and trying not to get myself killed during my initial challenges. Fortunately, I've also got plenty of friends to help me out, including my hobgoblin neighbor and the smooth-talking genie across the hall.

Will is in the process of ranking up to silver. Alongside him, his elf companion Caiyeri has managed to sneak into the tournament via a Champion’s Pass. They won’t be uncontested. Silver-rank elves are joining en masse, and they want him dead. That kaiju he just got rid of? Well, he’s going to have to deal with it now.

Verdan has found more questions than answers in the time since awaking, but the world waits for no one, and new threats are drawing close. With growing suspicion of the Sorcerer Sects, Verdan must give the people of Hobson’s Point the tools to protect themselves. Failure means death and the fall of the final independent city.

I changed the face of the world, creating a paradise for superhumans. All it took was throwing a fight and spending 40 years in jail. That was a small price to pay as an immortal. But now that I’m out on parole I fully intend on enjoying the world I created.

The Academy of Marked is perhaps the most dangerous place that Elian could be right now. It’s also the one place he wants to be. Elian is full-marked, and one of the marks he bears is that of a Summoner. A Summoner mark is a death sentence in the valley. But he risked his life to get back to the Valley of Auld—risked his life to make it to the Peaks, and gain entry to the Academy of Marked.

Four hundred years ago, in the time before the Godfall, the demon hordes were unleashed upon the world of Elaria. Now, the world has shrunk to one small valley, the Valley of Auld, humanity’s last bastion. All those within its walls are protected. Elian is markless—someone who cannot activate skills—and he is one of the poorest markless there is. A miner, forced to leave the city and toil in the nearby salt mines. On their way to and from the mines, the miners are kept secure in a locked wagon. The wagon is not locked to keep them from escaping. It’s locked to keep the demons from getting in.

Adam was sure the security escort would fall into the category of the most boring mission ever. But he enjoyed getting to know the beautiful and intelligent professor’s assistant. But he caught Valerie in a meeting that ended their relationship before it began. When Valerie travels to Columbia, she discovers the man she vowed to forget was the only one who could help her. Wanting to keep her safe as well as seek her forgiveness, Adam rushes to Columbia, and with the help of his fellow LSI Keepers, finds where she is in hiding. They travel together to get back to California.

Surly, rude, selfish, and inconveniently attractive. Meet Milo Papatonis, the king of all jerks. I’m not normally one to judge, but I’ve been down this particular road before and I can unequivocally say he’s earned his title. It’s not enough that Milo crushed my dreams when we were kids, but now I’m somehow being forced to dwell under the same roof with his ill-mannered ass. If he thinks his sexy shower noises and ovary-imploding smile can tempt me into forgetting, he’s nuts.

Do you feel like you’ve lost control of your life? You have big dreams but you never seem to be able to just stick to the plan? Taking responsibility for your life and being on your own, without a boss or a coach to give you specific instruction, can easily feel overwhelming. It’s easy to feel distracted and lose sight of your objectives when it feels like you have all the time in the world. Here’s the big secret: Motivation is not enough! It’s never too late to cast away blame and procrastination and take full ownership of the unstoppable power of personal choice.

Do you feel you’re not living the life you want? You have big goals and ambitions but you’re unable to achieve them? Are you trapped in an endless cycle of motivation and resignation that exhausts and drains you? You know that deep inside you have huge potential and that you can give a lot to this world, but you just don’t seem to express it in a consistent way. You might think that intense self-discipline and cutting out all bad habits is an overwhelming task. But real success often lies in the day-to-day ability to overcome the smallest of tasks, the most regular of setbacks.

For many of us, teaching is not a job, it’s a calling. And if you’re listening this, I’m quite confident that you feel the same way. We entered this profession because we give a damn and we want to make a difference. We become ourselves when we step in our classroom. We know how incredibly rewarding affecting hundreds or thousands of young lives can be. And how big of a responsibility that is. One we don’t want to fail.

When Darius’ newly founded colony on Umbria Prime is attacked, he fights off the raiders and finds clues that humanity’s old foes–the Iglax–are to blame. Once again, he’s got to return to the galaxy at large to upgrade his ships, advance his skills, and spread humanity further among the stars.

Two weeks ago, I was writing press releases in a cubicle. Now I’m hunting giant crustaceans to feed a tribe of beautiful women. I awoke on a strange shore, far from Earth, with a new power raging in my muscles. In this primitive world, helpless women look to me for protection against goblin slavers and wild beasts.

With the birth of my two baby boys, it’s clear the curse that destroyed the male population has faded away. But the witch Brunhilda threatens to unleash a new curse, even deadlier than the last. However, an uprising of radical witches threatens Brunhilda’s rule. Their cunning leader, Fang, has summoned dark powers that will kill Brunhilda—releasing her curse when she dies—and ignite an apocalyptic “Final Revolution”.

Teaching is a passion before being a job. It’s chaotic, sometimes stressful, but when you have that fire inside of you, you know how incredibly rewarding having an impact on thousands of young lives can be. And how big of a responsibility that is. One you don’t want to fail. However, no matter how passionate or dedicated you are, if your classroom gets out of control, learning will be negatively impacted.

Dolby had earned his down time, eager for the solitude. Then he met her. One innocent night with a beautiful woman as they sheltered from the storm, Dolby wanted a chance to know her more. But with the morning light, she was gone.

Go on the adventure of a lifetime with this boxed set from Dan Raxor and Tyler Bowman. When the galaxy is in peril, these heroes will do everything it takes to save the day. Full of vivid imagery, cunning and vicious opponents, deadly aliens, and gorgeous babes, this collection aims to immerse the listener in a sci-fi journey that won’t soon be forgotten.

Lucid dreaming and astral projection are two centuries-old techniques that allow you to live incredible experiences out of the physical plane and your physical body. With this bundle, you’ll quickly become an able practitioner, even if you’re a total beginner or never succeeded before.

What if you died, only to wake up in a new body, in a world where magic is real and battles are fought like in a video game? That's what happens to James Thompson, who finds himself reincarnated as Talon Nightstrider, a young man with a destiny to become a powerful member of the Blackfang Guild. But Talon is not just any member; he is connected to the System, an advanced interface that displays his stats and powers, and allows him to level up like in an RPG.