.... and it's got absolutely nothing to do with his PSP videogame (or so he would have us believe).

It's been almost six months since Jaffe's last entry on his game design blog which chronicles the development of his uber top secret PSP project, currently titled "HL", but we knew somewhere deep inside that he would be back. To be sure we don't know if Jaffe plans on continuously updating his page from here on out, especially since his latest post doesn't even touch on the subject of his nearly half year absence, but any news is good news right? So, er... what is the news? Jaffe likes Saturn, and no, not the Sega machine... though he might like that as well, I really don't know:

"My brother brought his telescope over to my new house the other night. So there we were, tracking the sky, looking for stars, looking at the moon, searching for planets. And eventually, I came across Saturn. It's a big sky so it took awhile. But eventually, I found it. At first, I was just looking at this fuzzy white blob. I thought it may have been another star. But as I adjusted the focus, the rings came into view. I was looking at Saturn. In real time. I had never seen Saturn- or any other planet- thru a telescope before.

Yes, I had seen countless pictures and movies of planets on television that were taken from other telescopes. But to look up into the sky and actually see a planet for yourself, to see the atmosphere on Jupiter, to see the rings of Saturn, to actually see and KNOW that those things are really out there...well, that- for me- was powerful.

It actually took my breath away. Not hyperbole, folks. My mind actually- quite unconsciously- sent signals to my body that made me gasp."

If you're scratching your head wondering what this has to do with videogames, and why you should care, don't bother looking for hidden meanings and layers beneath the surface, maybe Jaffe's just telling us all to step outside and get some fresh air. There's a whole world of fun and excitement out there that doesn't rely on battery power, the fidelity of which isn't determined by how many polygons and textures you can render on screen or what console you pledge allegiance to. Have yourself a little cookout, or a picnic, or take your dog for a work, love the world you're in :)