thuyen0
Game Developer
An intriguing addition of God game developer mechanics to the olde MMORPG.
Designing game narrative | Hitbox Team
This is a really well-considered and approachable look at creating good narrative in games, looking at some of the problems that occur when games forget to be games and think they're movies:
When a cutscene happens, you ignore the whole dimension of interactivity, the thing that makes games unique from film, and put straight up film on the screen. Games with cutscenes are the silent films of games. At least silent films are excused by their technical limitations – no comparable excuse exists for games. The worst part is that the most important plot points tend to happen during cutscenes, while keeping you at a safe distance from actually participating.
DEATH TO THE CUT-SCENE! Ahem.
'You Can Sleep Here All Night': Video Games and Labor | Jacobin
A revealing and rather shaming indictment of video game developer industry working practices in the US. Is crunch culture trading unfairly on the passion of young developer? Almost certainly.
The author recalls his own experiences as a QA tester at Funcom, working with staff who had been let go by nearby developer Red Storm:
Red Storm at the time employed the bulk of their QAs as temps. Lured in by promises of working their way up the ladder, scores of college kids and young workers would come in, ready to make it in the new Hollywood of the video game developer industry. The pay was minimum wage. The hours were long, with one of my immediate supervisors casually stating that he regularly worked at least 60 hours a week during his time there. Being temps, there were no benefits.
This would go on for the duration of a project, usually the final four months or so. When the temps weren't needed anymore, it was common for groups of them to be rounded up, summarily let go without notice, and told that a call would be forthcoming if their services were needed again.
Game Developer
An intriguing addition of God game developer mechanics to the olde MMORPG.
Designing game narrative | Hitbox Team
This is a really well-considered and approachable look at creating good narrative in games, looking at some of the problems that occur when games forget to be games and think they're movies:
When a cutscene happens, you ignore the whole dimension of interactivity, the thing that makes games unique from film, and put straight up film on the screen. Games with cutscenes are the silent films of games. At least silent films are excused by their technical limitations – no comparable excuse exists for games. The worst part is that the most important plot points tend to happen during cutscenes, while keeping you at a safe distance from actually participating.
DEATH TO THE CUT-SCENE! Ahem.
'You Can Sleep Here All Night': Video Games and Labor | Jacobin
A revealing and rather shaming indictment of video game developer industry working practices in the US. Is crunch culture trading unfairly on the passion of young developer? Almost certainly.
The author recalls his own experiences as a QA tester at Funcom, working with staff who had been let go by nearby developer Red Storm:
Red Storm at the time employed the bulk of their QAs as temps. Lured in by promises of working their way up the ladder, scores of college kids and young workers would come in, ready to make it in the new Hollywood of the video game developer industry. The pay was minimum wage. The hours were long, with one of my immediate supervisors casually stating that he regularly worked at least 60 hours a week during his time there. Being temps, there were no benefits.
This would go on for the duration of a project, usually the final four months or so. When the temps weren't needed anymore, it was common for groups of them to be rounded up, summarily let go without notice, and told that a call would be forthcoming if their services were needed again.