Lisa Albers

Russell revisited: Tacoma's global high-roller moves to Seattle

In March 2008, Crosscut published a story in which I pointed to Tacoma-based Russell Investment's probable move to Seattle. As it turns out, Russell is moving to Seattle, as reported in the Seattle Times today, despite valiant efforts on the part of Tacoma leadership to keep the cash cow in town. It's a win for Seattle but will be a huge blow to the City of Destiny, and perhaps suggests a regional shortsightedness, as columnist Jon Talton argues.

via crosscut.com

Crosscut publisher David Brewster asked me if I was surprised about Russell's move, even so. I said no, that I'd been waiting for it all year. Looking ahead at the kind of company Russell wants to be and the companies with which it will do business and compete, Seattle makes more sense as a world headquarters. This is not what I wish had happened, only an objective assessment. I honestly wish Russell had stayed in Tacoma. The burg doesn't deserve the reputation and second-class status it often gets. Seattleites beat up on it too much, and Tacomans worry overly much what Seattle thinks of it. This kind of defection only makes the situation worse, unfortunately.

Wrongful death suit filed over Ballard bike accident

Kevin Black was killed last February in a collision with a van. Today his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the Ford E250 van. The civil suit was filed against the female driver from Gig Harbor and her employer seeking damages on behalf of Black’s family, including his two daughters. 

via www.myballard.com

Kevin Black's death occurred in my neighborhood, on a bike path I regularly use. The wrongful death suit is indeed news from My Ballard Blog, as up until now I'd thought it was an unfortunate accident. It's a very tragic thing. Traffic on this street has increased since I moved in four years ago, and it's only getting worse. This driver apparently did a U-turn right into the bike path, which seems highly negligent.

Creating a game company from scratch

It's hard to say what's more fun — the new "Scribblenauts" game for the Nintendo DS, or the Cinderella story of 5th Cell, the Bellevue studio that created the game.

via seattletimes.nwsource.com

If you're interested in the burgeoning game industry in Seattle, you've got to read this piece in today's Seattle Times. What a story! I haven't played it yet, but I've heard great things about Scribblenauts. It would be fun to work for 5th Cell. I've been in touch, but....

It's also interesting to note the role that social media played in bringing 5th Cell founders together.

Freelance Experience Résumé

Documentary Media (2008-present)

corporate and institutional histories and special project publisher

Writing the book-length history of 100-year-old heavy marine, civil, and industrial construction firm General Construction Co.

FA Insight (Jan 2009-present)

consultants to the financial services industry

Writing/editing Web content (including corporate tagline), marketing materials, and research report.

Seattle Public Schools (Aug 2009-present)

K-12 school district

Copyediting disaster preparedness manual.

Cat Daddy Games / Take 2 Interactive (July-August 2009)

game software developer

Wrote two player manuals, a voice-over script, in-game text, and box package copy for two circus-themed video games for the Nintendo Wii and DS.

Nintendo steps out in style

At last week's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E³), Nintendo announced its game lineup for 2009 release, including the one I've been working on as a writer/editor for the past six months: Style Savvy^TM.

Courtesy of Nintendo.

Here's the promo movie. The announcement was an exciting, anxious moment for all of us on the team, like how I imagine it must feel for a parent watching his child debut in a school play. Admittedly, E³ is maybe not the best audience for a fashion game targeted toward young girls, dominated as the conference naturally is by hard-core gamers. I was encouraged by Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata's keynote speech, which made a strong case for audience expansion beyond traditional gamers (young males, mostly) to include, well, everyone else.

It's worth noting that 20 percent of people who buy a Wii never owned a game console before buying this one. Included in that 20 percent, just as an aside, are my sister and her husband, and my brother and his wife. I can name a dozen or so other people I know who've bought either a Wii or a DS in the past two years who aren't traditional gamers. I bet you can, too.

Style Savvy is for the DS, so I've been playing that little handheld console like mad the past six months, as part of the localization work. I'll be buying a DSi soon, and not just so I can admire the fruits of my own labors. I want to know what happens with this mythical box that is supposed to kill whoever opens it. I've been looking over the shoulder of one of my coworkers as she plays Hotel Dusk, and I want my own copy. And then there's a game developed in collaboration with a fiction writer.