Saying No to Meta Thirst Traps with Ray Marek of Unparalleled Comics – GameDev Breakdown ToddMitchell, August 16, 2024September 14, 2024 Unparalleled Comics Editor-in-Chief returns to the podcast to talk promoting on social media, stepping between the game industry and your kids, and Denny’s at 2 AM. Ray Marek is a writer, reviewer, and serial blogger in addition to being a friend from work waaaay back in the Toys ‘R’ Us golden age. We’ve worked together on comics, blogs, other podcasts, and raiding local restaurants. Ray is perpetually focused on success for himself and others in the comics industry whereas I feel like we ought to embrace destiny and open a Tex-Mex eatery. Segments How do you watch, play, and listen? TV and film creators are increasingly agitated about playback speed. This reminded me of game developer backlash when Nintendo enabled Bluetooth audio devices on the Switch. Creators on both sides made the argument that they carefully design an experience, and no one should be allowed to modify that experience whether consumers would prefer to or not. They would really hate to see me in my office on a rare night I get to relax, playing a muted video game on one monitor and watching Vice documentaries at 1.5x speed on the other. Social media: blessing and curse Fresh out from under a conservative trollpile after I suggested Trump’s audio wasn’t great–okay, fine, I was mean about it–we discussed our latest efforts at promoting our work in social media’s constantly shifting landscape. We agreed all the Threads previews on Instagram have been…awkward. Are players aware of game industry layoffs? I have this theory that game studios and publishers are getting away with record-breaking layoffs every year because, somehow, players really don’t know anything about it. I tested this theory with Ray and he confirmed it wasn’t on his radar. He’s not alone. Gamer parenting problems You wouldn’t know it from our self-deprecating banter, but Ray and I both pride ourselves on intentional and involved parenting. That’s why it’s surprising that we’ve both had recent issues where we had to go to bat for our kids against game industry companies with shitty policies. Are players knowledgeable about indie game studios? If you ask almost anyone who plays video games about indie studios, the players will be quick to voice their support, but how much to players actually know about the indie scene? We discussed indie studios, noteworthy games we’ve been playing, and the notorious Dave the Diver controversy. Follow Ray Thanks to Ray Marek for another fun visit. Check out Unparalleled Comics and The Horror Syndicate on Facebook to follow his work. Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Culture Game Development Gaming Humor Podcasts GameDevgamingIndieDevParentingPodcast
Culture Legendary Game Designer David Fox September 16, 2019July 11, 2024 LucasArts Employee #3 himself, David Fox joins to talk about his fantastic career contributing to some of the most iconic graphic adventure games of our time, chasing the technology to create location-based interactive experiences, and his philosophy on positive change through design. Topics include VR, interpersonal issues in the modern… Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Read More
Culture Are NDAs Ever Really Enforced? December 9, 2019July 11, 2024 We all hear about the importance of non-disclosure agreements, particularly in the game industry. Should we take them seriously? Is anyone ever truly held accountable for breaking one? We explore the topic on this episode of GameDev Breakdown. Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Read More
Game Development Organization and Productivity May 16, 2018July 11, 2024 Since the start of the new year I’ve focused on coordinating content for our listeners that would improve their craft in a more direct and measurable way. We’ve hit on some popular topics since that time. Thinking like an entrepreneur, promoting your indie game, and accessibility all seemed to resonate… Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Read More