Thatgamecompany is an American independent video game development studio co-founded in 2006 by University of Southern California students Jenova Chen (pictured) and Kellee Santiago. A contracted development studio for Sony Computer Entertainment prior to securing independent funding, it has released three critically acclaimed games for the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network service. The first, released in 2007, was a remake of Chen's award-winning Flash title Flow, with enhanced visuals, sound, and gameplay. The second and third PlayStation 3 games, Flower and Journey, were released in 2009 and 2012 respectively. The company focuses on creating video games that provoke emotional responses from players. When designing a game, Thatgamecompany employees start by mapping out what they want the player to feel, rather than by establishing game mechanics. They have stated that, while they are not opposed to making action-oriented games, they believe that enough such titles are released by the established video game industry. The company does not plan to produce large, blockbuster titles, due to a belief that the pressure for high sales would stifle innovation.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thatgamecompany

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1257:

Kraków in Poland received city rights based on the Magdeburg law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w

1883:

The Orient Express (pictured), a train line that became synonymous with intrigue and luxury travel, began operations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient_Express

1968:

Palestinian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan fatally shot U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy inside the kitchen pantry of The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles – an event that has spawned a variety of conspiracy theories. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Robert_F._Kennedy

1981:

The Centers for Disease Control recorded a cluster of Pneumocystis pneumonia cases among homosexual men in Los Angeles, the first reported cases of AIDS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV/AIDS

2001:

Tropical Storm Allison made landfall in southeast Texas, causing $5.5 billion in damage to make it the costliest tropical storm in US history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Allison

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

vulgarian: A vulgar individual, especially one who emphasizes or is oblivious to their vulgar qualities. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vulgarian

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Bullies — political bullies, economic bullies, and religious bullies — cannot be appeased; they have to be opposed with courage, clarity, and conviction. This is never easy. These true believers don't fight fair. Robert's Rules of Order is not one of their holy texts.   --Bill Moyers https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bill_Moyers