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Side Quest: J-Game
JGame: An exercise in game balance Download Game Source (Unity 4.2) Frustrated with the slow pace of browser games, I decided to see if I could re-create one such game faster than I could play it I really like the idea behind browser MMO OGame by GameForge. In it, you create a space empire, collecting resources, building up colonies and launching mighty fleets to raid other players and relieve them of their stuff. I first came across the game a couple of years ago, but gave up after a few days: Like most such games, it is incredibly slow paced, with ever-increasing wait periods and timers between actions. While this…
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A Year of OUYA
Exactly one year ago, I got my hands on a shiny clear plastic OUYA devkit. Through making a game for the new console, I learned a lot about game development and the wider games industry. In the Beginning… In fact, my OUYA journey started in November of 2012. I’d gone indie straight off the back of a computer science degree a couple of years before, but the game I’d been working on in that time was a master class in how not to design a game. (Hopelessly large scope and flawed core mechanic). I’d backed OUYA on kickstarter at the developer tier, quite late in the campaign, and in doing…
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Most Indie Friendly
Debate around which platform is most “indie friendly” is corrosive. All have pros and cons As next generation consoles compete head to head with each other, a new battleground has opened up over which platform is the most “indie friendly”. I’ve noticed this ramp up recently as indie devs write heated blogs and angst-filled tweets fly around in all directions. This kind of debate is corrosive and unhealthy in the long term for both platform holders and especially indie game devs for a number of reasons: – Things may change. You may need to work with different partners in future for whatever reason. Publicly, and very visibly accusing one particular…
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Devkits for All
Dedicated devkit devices are overkill, and their cost puts off many developers in a world where competing platform holders strive to attract content creators I previously blogged about how even if you don’t play the games, owning a retail console or device for your target platform can have many benefits. Now, consider a devkit and retail kit come as a single package, at a price that ordinary consumers can afford. That represent really good value for money for developers looking to see which console they want to target. Add in free software development tools such as Unity3d and it’s even better! Devkits are usually more than just a retail box,…
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Sony Developer Open Day
Previous to my attending the Indie Collective day a few weeks back, I applied for the Microsoft and Nintendo developer programs. However, I didn’t apply to the Sony Developer program, because I was given the distinct impression that it was essentially pointless to apply cold, and that it was better to get yourself known first, put your face out there in the community of developers and build up “credibility” So to further that, I headed down on Monday to the Sony Developer Open Day at Sony’s London HQ. I spent most of the time furiously taking notes, and in the spirit of indie openness, here is my take on the…
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Interlude: Pitch Jam
This weekend I participated in pitch jam, which brought together professional writers with those wanting to break into the world of games press and journalism. Of course, when I first saw “games writing,” I thought it was all about writing the storyline for games (another area where I’ve dabbled in the past), but as it transpired, pitch jam was actually about helping those going into the world of freelance journalism. The idea being that often, they’ve written a great article or piece about gaming or the games industry, but struggle to pitch the article to website and magazine editors, who will actually publish it and pay them for their work…
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The Revolution is Dead
The revolution is dead OUYA was born out of the frustrations of gamers at the end of a console cycle that had grown particularly stale. Now the arrival of a new generation of consoles is imminent, and Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are collectively pushing to diversify their game portfolios by courting the quirky and colourful indie gaming scene. The original reason for OUYA’s existence has largely evaporated. It has no future as a rebel console, indie champion or alternative to PS4/Xbox One. Instead But it does have a future as a console for kids and party gaming. Bar the novelty-feature motion controller, the OUYA has all the ingredients that made…
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Console Wars: The Battle for Indies
The big three console manufacturers have all been making lots of noise recently, espousing their indie credentials and how they are now open to all comers. Having just successfully released my first game on the OUYA, I was keen to find out how genuine a contender for title of “most indie friendly” they each were. Both in competing with OUYA, and as possible targets for my own game heading cross-platform. So last Friday, I headed down to London, to the headquarters of UKIE, for the “Indie Collective” event, where each console maker set out their respective stalls and pitched their platform to the 100 or so assembled indie devs. (I…
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Indie vs Retail
Can indie developers breath new life into flagging video game retailers? I decided to try and find out It should be obvious to all that bricks and mortar stores selling video games must adapt or die in the face of digital distribution. To make those physical spaces justify the overheads they generate, there need to be reasons for people to come into the store and spend their money in person, rather than simply going online and having their purchases delivered to their front door or downloaded straight to their gaming device of choice. One possible avenue is to get indie game developers into the stores to demo their games. This…
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Rebranding Always Online
Games that require always on internet provide immense benefit to both game developers and customers, but the case for their use is not being made The recent controversial tweeting by one Microsoft executive about the prospect of an always online console was not what lost him is job, but rather the attitude it displayed. It is one reflecting a deeper frustration amongst those in the game industry with consumer resistance to games and platforms that require a constant internet connection. There are of course a multitude of excellent reasons why game developers would want or require an internet connection for single player games, or those that do not use the…