tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42486477872873828302011-07-28T20:41:17.555-07:00A man becomes preeminent, he's expected to have enthusiasms.Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-37295461528524045142010-04-22T15:25:00.000-07:002010-04-22T15:26:41.498-07:00

Is all grows up. Check it out at seanvanaman.com

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-18808465058851736212010-02-24T14:42:00.000-08:002010-02-24T23:34:18.118-08:00

I've emerged from my cave clutching a few quality pages printed by The Guardian entitled "Ten rules for writing fiction". It's actually more like 300 rules from 40 authors, some of which shouldn't be rules because they're being wrought in stone by someone who sounds just a teensy bit too self important for my tastes. In fact, when I mistook the image above the article (a spaghetti of

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-11920772929189932462010-01-20T22:35:00.000-08:002010-01-21T10:52:15.477-08:00

The funny thing about this column is that by the end of it will have contributed directly to the personal plight that I'm about to illustrate. Its like I want to prove that jumping into a lake -- from the cliff near old man Riley's house, not the Ox-bow bridge -- will lead to your certain demise by tossing our friend John the Slut in first and watching his frail legs shatter on the deceptively

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-21834192682088110452010-01-10T02:10:00.000-08:002010-01-13T15:59:52.332-08:00

I have to imagine that my fellow designers at Telltale often think I'm a total ass. Or a confusing mix of pretentious and dim. It's hard to say. In our latest team meeting, we were discussing hypothetical future projects, and as we tossed a certain premise around, there was traction for the sorts of things you would do in a video game if it were set in this specific place. As we continued to

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-68914311586457918092009-11-30T10:17:00.000-08:002009-12-22T11:51:32.465-08:00

I haven't decided if this is going to be about games yet.It's relatively simple to tie anything back around to the state of the industry, storytelling, or environmental exposition in Bioshock. I just don't know if I'm going to swing it this time. If that's your bag, read on, because maybe I'll parlay my thoughts into a tangible talking point ar-ee interactivity. But, if the idea of having to wade

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-76169777838891962512009-11-16T09:52:00.001-08:002009-12-22T11:55:43.463-08:00

This is really just a post about what this post could've been and probably would've been had I broken my own rule and also not been lazy. I've been playing Modern Warfare 2. I'm about five minutes from the end of the campaign and have been feverishly churning through the multiplayer with a semi-consistent crew of folks. These are gamers who, like me, have that weird competitive gene that makes

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-63272261430698187282009-11-07T13:21:00.000-08:002009-11-08T21:50:53.648-08:00

While strolling through the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Chris Remo, of the late Idling Thumbs recently pointed out that the reference made in the title of this post is actually a widespread Simpson's misquote like "play it again Sam," or "Luke, I am your father;" two culturally pervasive quotations that were, in fact, never said. Mr. Remo was right.Regardless, I think the line plays

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-80930559593092562752009-10-22T10:48:00.001-07:002009-10-22T10:49:09.559-07:00

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-8093337671794475372009-08-16T11:22:00.000-07:002009-08-17T15:42:48.558-07:00

I've been playing Shadow Complex the past couple of days and I feel like I'm 13 years old. I'm a sucker for Metroidvania 2D exploraction and portmanteau words so I can't recommend it highly enough, if that sort of things is your bag.And you fight giant robots. So it's got that going for it.I'd really like to bring the Telltalian way of storytelling to one of these one day. What's cool is that

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-21638597193497658872009-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:002009-08-04T10:00:19.994-07:00

You catch my eye, seize my tongueSynthetic wonderThe crumble induces thirst

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-3393496815850156272009-08-01T16:30:00.000-07:002009-08-01T17:09:31.183-07:00

Last week, Gamasutra published this article where I, astride my high horse, talk a bit about the idea of authorship in the video game industry. I think Chris Remo did a good job of of parsing out the salient points from my meandering jag on the industry. Although, shortly after the interview was over -- an interview that drifted in and out of us just bullshitting and me actually answering

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-35253128413641899952009-07-08T12:57:00.000-07:002009-07-08T18:52:40.713-07:00

Twelve months ago our President was white, Michael Jackson was...probably astride a carousel pony somewhere, and I was working at Disney on a concept for a Jonas Brothers game, Furthermore, I thought the odds of any of that being any different in the year 2009 were about as good as as the release of a new Monkey Island game. Well fuck ME.A few months after I started at Telltale, Dave Grossman

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-26738613946153101502009-07-07T11:26:00.000-07:002009-07-07T11:30:14.147-07:00

Doing this thang.

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-89600074230308684592009-03-13T14:31:00.001-07:002009-03-13T19:58:30.638-07:00

Wallace and Gromit is awesome!Get on it!Exclusive Trailer featuring almost a full three seconds of my episode: Muzzled!Drops next week!

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-49878274276123954922009-03-12T09:45:00.000-07:002009-03-13T12:18:51.566-07:00

First order of business -- I received my first hit from Russia, a friend from Moscow. I feel bad because the first thing this person had to read was about my dog dying. They didn't even get to any of the good swearing. Anyway, I'm excited about this new reader. Добро пожаловать, товарищ! (Welcome, comrade!) Now, to today's order of business.I like to fish. I grew up fishing the rivers and

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-5224278940415328172009-03-03T21:35:00.000-08:002009-12-22T11:54:47.441-08:00

In the young life of this small web-log, I've made a habit of attempting to entertain. If you're stopping in for a taste of the same'old same'old, may I direct you over to the latest Nace Rant for a clever yarn about a man and his love affair with a five dollar bill. This enthusiasm, tonight, while hopefully not devoid of humor, is a brief jetty off of the predictably windy river of b.s. you've

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-78438336349734987142009-01-28T22:09:00.000-08:002009-01-28T22:14:42.654-08:00

I needed to do this a week ago! Just popping my head in for a moment while I take a brief respite from writing the script for an upcoming episode of Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures If you're checking the Enthusiasms with ANY regularity, I apologize, but this thing is sort of dominating my life. Things I promise once the script is locked and my hours go back to normal:::A post concerning the

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-44559411203264680582009-01-06T09:51:00.000-08:002009-01-06T13:44:42.213-08:00

As 2008 has come to a close, we're all still reeling from the extravagant gift giving, emotionally imbecilic family reunions and shameful New Years Eve dalliances fueled by a potent blend of cheap champagne and prozac. But better than all of that, the Vanny Awards are upon us! Each year, the Vannys recognize various achievements in the arts of gaming, romance, electronics, story telling,

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-1777145468461765072008-12-22T21:44:00.000-08:002009-10-10T03:25:03.480-07:00

Whenever I come across a friend or something I really love on the internet, I tend to put it over there on the right under Friends of Vanaman or Endorsed by Vanaman, as you may have well already noticed. I don't remember the exact series of mental events that lead me to finding Floyd Norman's website tonight, but I did. I was at home, slowly working on my episode of Wallace and Gromit (I'm

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-44813701084216012022008-12-19T09:53:00.000-08:002008-12-22T22:47:27.346-08:00

Because finding new blog topics can be painstaking, I'm going to create a few recurring segments that I can fall back on when the old brain is tired. Mistresses is going to be one of them -- it's a quick rundown of what I'm playing, have just played or plan to play, and a few blurbs on the experience. I feel like games are a lot like mistresses: they seduce you, suck you in and hold you tight,

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-65090854811716628992008-12-12T09:53:00.000-08:002008-12-17T20:47:11.128-08:00

It's being widly reported now that EA is going to be scooping up and publishing Brütal Legend for the folks over at Double Fine. (And by now, as I edit this, the Spike VGA's have aired, with a trailer of the new game and an appearance by Tim Schafer) There's been a lot of buzz around Tim Schafer's next grand opus, so it was really only a matter of time before it found a deal. I'm genuinely

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-58313666923045293962008-12-08T11:00:00.000-08:002008-12-11T18:23:34.515-08:00

I have a good chunk of friends, mostly those I abandoned back in Los Angeles, who are artists. You can see a few of them over there on the right. That's the core group, la familia, if you will. Some of the most talented people I know, much more so than yours truly. I, luckily, am employed in what seems to be a seemingly "recession proof" industry. I'm resisting the urge to dive, head first,

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-82085959081474508652008-12-03T15:42:00.001-08:002008-12-04T13:48:58.899-08:00

Just in time to have lost my entire readership, I'm back in the blog game. I didn't die, Vanaman's Enthusiasms certainly didn't die, and I'm ready to get back to posting with regularity. As I learn an s-ton about designing adventure games, I plan on sharing quite a bit of that, so if you're into that sort of thing, I hope you'll stick around. If you're into stories about grown men being

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-24677094851205119272008-09-29T22:47:00.000-07:002008-09-29T23:10:11.615-07:00

A quick status update: I've moved to my new apartment in San Francisco and have logged one week of work at Telltale Games, a fine northern California proprietor of interactive video gaming entertainment. More on being an adventure game designer at a later date.The thing about moving is that it really sucks. It's fantastic to be in a new neighborhood, with restaurants and bars and *gasp* public

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-78680952598113860942008-09-19T01:03:00.000-07:002008-09-19T01:10:20.636-07:00

Look, I'm in the process of moving my entire life (and my entire girlfriend's life) to San Francisco so I can report to work at Telltale bright and early Monday morning.I promise to post 2-3 times a week from then on out.I'm really only apologizing to my Mom here.See you all on the Nort' side. In the mean time, this makes me happy.PS!!! Pre-order Sam & Max for you Wii because you think I'm

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-73546110452028085112008-09-10T11:17:00.000-07:002008-09-11T00:17:48.995-07:00

Let me be clear: I am both a sucker and a nerd.I was going to say that this post is "off topic" but I suppose I shouldn't because Fantasy Football is in fact one of my various enthusiasms. (!!! I just realized that Enthusiasms, in the title of this entire SITE has been misspelled for a goddamn MONTH. That means that my so called "friends" who say they are reading this site are either as big of

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-86605671923895753202008-09-03T11:09:00.001-07:002008-12-04T13:46:57.773-08:00

Stop me if you've heard this one.You're a die-hard fan of a lesser known piece of work: a short story, a book, a song, a biography a comic book, a graphic novel, a video game... whatever. Semi-trusted Hollywood production company acquires the rights to said piece of work and despite everything you know about the film world, your insides start to gurgle with excitement. You wait and wait and

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-48880395093646565262008-08-25T11:54:00.001-07:002008-12-04T13:45:31.567-08:00

Today I accepted an offer to become a Designer at Telltale Games in North Bay San Francisco.I am a very excited guy.Now that I'm leaving, I'll go ahead and divulge that for the past four years I've worked at Disney Interactive Studios in Burbank, CA. It's going to be a crazy move, but I think they time had long come for me to find the next thing and I took my time finding the perfect fit, and

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-9089584092279826152008-08-19T16:05:00.000-07:002008-08-19T16:53:04.356-07:00

Credit is a really funny thing. I'd like to say I pride myself on being one of those people who goes through life doing his absolute best, in both my personal and professional endeavors, knowing that the satisfaction of a hard day's work and the happiness of others is all of the recognition I need of my worth. And most of the time, I can. I'd love to say "to hell with the credit," but deep down

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-5728538391337601862008-08-14T16:38:00.000-07:002008-08-18T11:15:31.794-07:00

The third post. This is really a turning point in the life of a blog. From here on out I could be deemed a serious contributor to the community discourse of games, entertainment, life, et al. or I could cash that opportunity in for a digital web log life of fart jokes, cheap shots and nsfw links.I GUESS I'll take the high road.So I'll go ahead and link this article over at Versus CluClu Land, a

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-56935198591073874512008-08-11T14:06:00.000-07:002008-08-12T18:09:57.452-07:00

I think anybody who has any creative pursuit, from vocation to hobby, has a tendency to get insecure. This insecurity can manifest itself in many forms. Fear. Anger. Self deprecation. Straight up lies. Horse.I'm not terribly picky about which beast my insecurity can become. Whatever shape it takes, I generally keep it buried inside and live by the credo: if you're not scared as shit about

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4248647787287382830.post-69681274973211073582008-08-07T17:47:00.001-07:002008-08-12T18:11:01.723-07:00

Much has already been said about Geometry Wars 2, Bizarre Creation's follow-up to Geometry Wars; a game that highlighted man's epic struggle versus rogue polygons as he takes to the stars. None of which has been said by me of course. This is my first post.It's done well in the metacwitic, the demigods over at Penny-Arcade have blessed it with their rods for blessing and people, and, all in all,

Seanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11719176943991463047noreply@blogger.com0