Ray Mazza's Website

Think of some of your favorite sequels out there – Uncharted 2 or Portal 2 or Diablo 3. How do they make you feel? Sometimes it can be...

A few times each year, a friend of a friend will ask for advice about becoming a game designer...

I’ll know I’ve made it as a game designer when: … growing up, I design games that aren’t much fun, but I have a great time doing it...

Designers should make time to daydream. As the cultivators and ushers of good ideas, it's our job to make sure we're finding the best ones.

There are 3 types of feedback to consider when designing a satisfying interaction: visual, aural, and verbal. These are the Holy Trinity...

Nearly 3 years ago (as of late 2016), I left Maxis, and I left The Sims. A piece of my heart remained behind...

A comparison of the back of a video game box from 1987 to 30 years later.

The first problem any designer must overcome is getting their team to want to read a design. The second problem is...

In The Sims 3, we made many additions and improvements to the lovable and quirky beings we call Sims. By far, my favorite of those...

Today, I read an article that made my brain shatter. If I’d been driving and reading the article at the same time, I’d probably have...

Before I worked on social games, I just didn’t “get” them. I didn’t want to bug my friends when I needed things. I didn’t want to play on...

Diablo is a game about collecting loot. It always has been, and always will be. It’s a glorified slot machine with...

The market is saturated with game mechanics, and it's only getting more saturated over time. Games aren't un-inventing themselves...

One of the quandaries we had on The Sims 3 was a goal of making a deeper and more interesting game than The Sims 2, with more content to...

I spent countless days wandering the lands. I held a candle to every bush. I assaulted every rock face with bombs. I pushed every...