SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 Update

No Problems…  So Far

Fortunately, there have been no business changes due to the current worldwide pandemic, not because SophSoft, Incorporated and Digital Gamecraft are essential producers, but primarily because the company has always been set up to work in this fashion.  I only work from home, and when there were more of us, everybody worked from home (or, at least, remotely).  Our active projects for outside clients always have been delivered digitally, so nothing changes there either.

In truth, in the midst of all sorts of upheaval, my personal situation is actually quite stable, for several reasons:

  1. As noted above, I work from a home office, so (in theory) development work and company business do not change at all.  The only two analog functions that were regularly performed out of the office were banking and picking up the mail.
  2. My world was turned upside down and my life completely torn apart a little over a year ago.  Compared to suddenly losing my wife, this current situation is a mere aggravation, but very minor when put into perspective.
  3. Due to the above, I had already been adjusting to life (and work) alone here, so the solitude and loneliness were already something I was managing.  Of course, I do have two cats (plus a new stray on the porch), so that helps.
  4. Perhaps to the surprise of some, I am very much an introvert and, for the most part, prefer to be at home.  My default stance is to not leave or go anywhere, so I no longer need to make an effort to be social (for a while).
  5. I am quite healthy, and still relatively young, so I am not in a high risk group for hospitalization from COVID-19; nevertheless, I am taking as many precautions as practical.  Also, I got my “affairs in order” a while back, so I am not scared of being unprepared should I suddenly get sick or even die.

At this time, I have no known exposure and no symptoms; in fact, my body temperature has been running low ever since I started daily checks a couple of weeks ago.  I went to the grocery store today for the first time in more than a week (and only the third time since the pandemic was declared) and should be stocked for two more weeks.  Aside from that, I get fresh air and go walking outside, completely alone (and irregularly, it must be said) and otherwise have not gone anywhere (nor had take-out or delivered food) at all in the two weeks since Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed her “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order for the State of Michigan.

What annoys me right now (beyond those ignoring the recommendations and endangering us all, which registers fury with me) is the number of people who seem to be complaining about getting to stay home.  Because I was already close to self-quarantine before we had even heard of this coronavirus, I did not gain any significant quantity of extra time, and I never have enough time to do the things (at home) that I want to accomplish.  Now, some people have gained lots of excess time and talk about being bored.  Bored?  What is that?  Seriously…  I do not think that I have been bored at home in 30 years!

That said, productivity during this crisis has not been what I would have liked, although it has been getting better, with progress being made on all fronts.  I think that I may be dwelling too much on pandemic concerns, and that could be taking away some of my focus, all of which prompted me to write down my thoughts here.

It is my full and honest intention to make this the last COVID-19 related post for a while, and instead get back to product development and posting about other topics, all while maintaining the maximum practical physical separation from other people.

Digital Gamecraft 2020

It has been just more than a year since SophSoft, Incorporated lost its second founding partner (of three) and I lost my wife of 31 years.  In a week, the company will be celebrating its 38th anniversary, and it will continue to develop game software.

During 2019, I took time to reflect on what was really important and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and I decided that the plans that Sherry, Rick, and I had devised (and undertaken) as business partners were honest and true representations of what we wanted to achieve.  Therefore, I will continue those pursuits, not just out of a sense of loyalty, but because they are why we got into this venture in the first place.

Digital Gamecraft will continue to develop and publish game titles in a variety of genres, and this will be our primary focus.  While some of these games may be a little different to what they would have been with my partners to help guide the development, the games will nevertheless embody the spirits of Sherry and Rick to the best of my capabilities.

SophSoft will also continue to do consulting work; however, due to sheer limitations of time, our regular client roster is effectively full.  Please feel free to contact us if you are in desperate straits or need our help with a fully-funded project that is right down our alley, but realize that we may not be able to fit you into the schedule.  (If you have just an idea, a shoestring budget, or a need for fleet management software, go somewhere else.)

We also have a couple of adjunct projects that I expect to see the full light of day within 2020; announcements will be made here as and when appropriate.

In an industry where companies come and go with a disturbing regularity, remember that we have had the same address for 30 years:

Post Office Box 4936
East Lansing, MI  48826-4936

We have had the same business phone number for 25 years:

(517) 337-3905

Our web site has also been in steady operation since 1995 (though this blog is just a baby at a mere 15 years old).  Plus, having been originally founded in 1982…

We are the oldest independent video game company in the world.

I truly appreciate your support as we continue to move forward.

Sincerely,
Gregg Seelhoff

RIP: Sherry Seelhoff (1964-2019)

Sherry Seelhoff

At the start of the year, my wife died unexpectedly at the age of 54.  We had been married for more than 31 years and have two wonderful sons.  Sherry was a founding member of SophSoft, Incorporated, and her passing has had a profound impact on me personally and will have a lasting effect on the company, including this blog.

Sherry was a dedicated and loving wife and mother, who gave herself fully to her family and friends. Her kindness and generosity touched everyone she met, leading to recognition for her service with volunteer organizations. She was loving and loved, and her memory will be carried by all she knew.

Sherry passed away quietly and unexpectedly in her sleep as the new year began. She is survived by her husband of 31 years, Gregg Seelhoff, sons James Seelhoff (Meredith Baumann) and William Seelhoff-Ely (Sandy Seelhoff-Ely), sister Melissa Short, mother-in-law Margot Hellerman (Lance Hellerman), sister-in-law Lori Seelhoff, niece Heather Joswik, half-sisters-in-law Angelina Hellerman and Andrea Hellerman (Jim Arnold), half-brother-in-law Samuel Hellerman, two half-nieces, one half-nephew, and innumerable friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Theresa Short, her father Wyman Richard Short, and her father-in-law, Gerald Norman Seelhoff.

Sherry lived her life with empathy and passion, and had an infectious spirit. She enjoyed hiking, camping, canoeing, dancing, reading, hosting game nights, playing trivia, watching movies, and listening to music. She loved laughing with friends and family. She would want to be remembered by those she loved continuing to participate in her favorite activities and striving for the ideals and compassionate causes in which she believed.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Sherry’s name to Sierra Club, ACLU of Michigan, and/or Planned Parenthood.

“… our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it. And we can make it very wonderful indeed.” ― Richard Dawkins

“Don’t think of it as dying. Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush.” ― Terry Pratchett

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” ― Dr. Seuss


PSA: Pretty Good MahJongg and macOS Sierra

Public Service Announcement

Pretty Good MahJongg Mac EditionIf you are currently using Pretty Good MahJongg Mac Edition, whether purchased from the Mac App Store or downloaded directly from Goodsol Development, we recommend waiting for the next update before upgrading to macOS Sierra (10.12).

Do Not Upgrade (yet)

Apple is scheduled to release macOS Sierra, the next version (10.12) of their operating system (formerly: Mac OS X) today [September 20, 2016].  As of the final beta version, there is a change (as yet unidentified) that breaks Pretty Good MahJongg Mac Edition.  We are actively working on a solution, and we will publish an update as soon as a fix is available, but in the meantime, we suggest keeping El Capitan (Mac OS X 10.11).

Thank you.

Developer for Hire

You have a game idea.  Let us create it for you.

SophSoft is available for game development now!This week marks 20 years (!) since we first took our company full-time.  In that time, we have developed more than 25 products for a variety of clients.  We have published games for Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS, and we have extensive experience.

Now, we are available immediately for new development contracts.  We have a significant opening in our schedule, which we need to fill soon.  This is your chance to have a world-class game developer working (or consulting) on your project.  If you want to explore this opportunity, please contact me directly at seelhoff@sophsoft.com.

For more information on SophSoft, Incorporated, please visit the web site, and you can also download our brochure [PDF, 2 pages] to find out how we can help you.

All clients get to deal directly with me, and if you are interested in my 25+ years in the game industry, please feel free to look at my résumé [PDF, 4 pages].

Act quickly!  Do not miss this opportunity.  It may not last long!

RIP: Rick Tumanis (1956-2011)

Our good friend and Art Director has passed away.

Rick Tumanis (1956-2011)Last Friday, Richard A. “Rick” Tumanis, my long-time business partner and longer term friend, died unexpectedly in his sleep.  Rick served as Art Director for SophSoft, Incorporated and Digital Gamecraft, of which he was a founding member.

Raised in Battle Creek, Michigan, Rick received a degree in English from the University of Michigan, followed by a law degree from Cooley Law School, but he chose to pursue a career in video game artwork, as well as his personal love of making music.  Rick began in the video game industry in 1987 when he joined Quest Software and provided artwork for the classic title, Legacy of the Ancients (Electronic Arts); he followed that up by creating all of the artwork for its quasi-sequel, Legend of Blacksilver (Epyx).

In 1995, Rick joined up with (then) Sophisticated Software Systems, contributing to games such as Mission Critical (Legend Entertainment), ZPC (Zombie), Vegas Fever (Encore), Card Crazy 2 (Encore), Slot City 2 (Encore), and MVP Backgammon Professional (MVP Software).  He was lead artist on Bicycle Card Collection (Microsoft), included in Microsoft Plus! Game Pack: Cards & Puzzles.  This led to a collaboration with Goodsol Development, for which he provided almost all artwork for more than 10 years, on games including Pretty Good Solitaire, Most Popular Solitaire, Action Solitaire, FreeCell Plus, and Pretty Good MahJongg.

At the time of his death, Rick was working on a couple of upcoming iOS games and completing work on his most recent solo album, Earfull.

Services were held 1:30pm, Thursday, August 4, at Farley-Estes & Dowdle in Battle Creek, with visitation an hour prior.  Click here for Rick’s obituary page.  [edited 08/08/2011]

Rest In Peace, Rick.  It is a shame that you did not see all of our big plans come to fruition.  You will be greatly missed.

U.S. Supreme Court supports video game freedom of speech

Video game restrictions ruled unconstitutional.

In a decision affirming two lower court rulings, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states do not have the right to restrict or prohibit video games sales based on violent content.  Video games are now a legally recognized form of free speech.  The case in question is known as Brown [originally Schwartzenegger] (Governor of California) v. Entertainment Merchants Association, or just Brown V. EMA, docket # 08-1448.

The case was originally argued on November 2, 2010, and although a ruling was expected by June, it was something of a surprise that it took this long to publish. The Court calendar indicated that today was the last regularly scheduled day for making a ruling, and apparently the end of June deadline for decisions, though not inviolate, it taken fairly seriously.  (It would, however, have been amusing if a video game decision had slipped.)

The wait was worth it, as the decision was clear and unequivocal.  It rules, explicitly, that “Video games qualify for First Amendment protection.”  Further, it rules that the proposed law in California (and, by extension, any similar law) does not “satisfy strict scrutiny”, so the original (correct) decision was upheld and the law has been completely struck down.

Read the full decision here (PDF, 485K) [includes 2 page summary]

Additional commentary to follow.

New Goodsol Solitaire Forum

Newsbrief: A new web forum is launched.

This week, Goodsol Development launched its new/improved Goodsol Solitaire Forum, now available at http://www.goodsol.net/forum (same old address).

After a short transition period, domain name propagation time, and the requisite teething issues, this forum is (again) the primary source for discussion and support of the following titles (of ours):

My profile name is Seelhoff; I hope to see you there.

Angry Words

Rovio files trademark infringement lawsuit against Roxio.

Today, Rovio Mobile Ltd., the Finnish publisher of “the phenomenally successful Angry Birds franchise” (according to its own web site) announced a trademark lawsuit against Roxio (Sonic Solutions), publishers of the “industry leading consumer [CD/DVD burning software]”  Roxio Creator.

According to a company spokesman, the move is intended to eliminate confusion between the two similarly named products, and now that Rovio has secured $42 Million in financing based on a fluke success of a significantly derivative title, unlikely to be repeatable to investor expectations, the funding will be used primarily to find other “business opportunities” rather than continue actual game development.

After the untold effort and expense of assuring that Rovio and Angry Birds were mentioned in every single GDC [2011 Game Developers Conference] session this year, some attendees were still referring to us as ‘Roxio’, and that has to stop,” says Peter Vesterbacka, a US-based executive for Rovio Mobile.

Although Rovio Mobile has discussed its IPO plans, it is not yet a publicly traded company; nevertheless, Angry Birds dropped three positions in the App Store on news of the lawsuit.

This lawsuit could set a new trademark precedent, as Roxio was producing software under that name several years before Rovio even existed; however, the plaintiff is attempting to officially establish the acknowledged “we’re just bigger” exception to trademark law, which makes the timing of this filing essential.

Meanwhile, the media battle continues outside the courtroom.  Roxio’s parent company Sonic Solutions was itself acquired by Rovi Corporation.  In retaliation, Rovio announced an Angry Birds collaboration with Rio; Rio is an animated movie to be released April 15, with an appropriate tagline: “this turkey can’t fly“.  Industry sources indicate that Roxio’s next move to solidify its trademark claims will be a foray into the pharmaceutical industry and associated commercial use of “Rx“.

Network Explosion

Wired router spontaneously bursts into flames.

Well, that is not entirely true.  There was, in fact, not even any smoke, but one of our wired routers got extremely hot and failed in a worse way.  Instead of a spectacular failure, one that would be immediately identifiable, this router simply began dropping packets randomly, but only on certain paths and for certain protocols.  A complete reboot of the entire network (all servers and equipment) had no effect on the problem.

The way the issue manifest was by almost completely cutting off my office machines from the internet.  I was not able to fetch my email or read web pages from my systems except (annoyingly) every once in a great while when the properly routed packets aligned correctly.  However, I have a rudimentary diagnostic script (pings from a batch file) that I use to identify the source of a failure, and it registered 100% success; I was able to ping to any reasonable internet address and get a proper response.  Likewise, I was able to connect directly to the servers without any difficulty; it was only when trying to use them normally (via the internet) that I got no response.

Finding the source of failure became a bit more difficult because of the particularly aberrant behavior of this router.  The servers that reside behind that router were able to access the internet without any signs of a problem.  Complicating the matter even more was my own failure to confirm the network topography and, instead, incorrectly assuming that the wireless router (which clients had no trouble, either) went through the same router.  Since my office seemed to be the only area affected, the obvious suspect was the local switch, or else the cable (or port) connecting it to the rest of the network.  I had, in fact, already sent out for replacements when I was able to determine (with about 80% certainty) that it was actually this odd failure of the router on the main network.

Replacement router serves its purpose, barely.

As usual, the router failure came at a very inopportune time, right in the middle of a big development push.  Instead of any network reconfiguration, I made the call to simply replace like for (almost) like.  In theory, I could just drop in the new router, configure it the same as the old router, and carry on.  The problem was that the old hardware was Linksys, of pre-Cisco vintage, and the available replacement was D-Link.  Most of the settings translated fairly directly, but differences in era and manufacturer meant that it took a little extra time to find everything and figure it all out.

The biggest issue, however, is that the new router has an apparent design problem not inherent in the old Linksys.  The replacement hardware cannot properly handle loopback connections.  The link explains this in detail, but the gist of a loopback connection error is that a router sends internal packets out to the internet even if they are destined for an address the router handles.  In other words, I can reach my servers behind the router using a private address, but if I try to use the public address (say, ‘sophsoft.com’), it sends my packets to Neverneverland.

Fortunately, the problem only impacts machines behind the same router as the servers, which in practical terms means that it only affects me and my development systems.  I reconfigured a few settings here to work around the limitation in the hardware, and everything seems to be working fine.  The weird thing is that the rest of the world could reach the servers fine, but it is hard to accept that when the closest systems to them (both physically and in network terms) could not.  I was able to test from other systems and from external services.  In particular, I found SuperTool from MxToolbox particularly helpful.

In the midst of this, I also dealt with a stupidity problem with Linux, but that tale will have to wait for another day…