GameMakersToolkit
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Reading List (October 2019)
🕑 Added 2019-10-31 08:22:53 +0000 UTCHello!
It’s time for everyone’s favourite Patreon reward: the reading list! This is 30-odd videos and articles that I think you’ll dig.
This month we’re looking at fake explosions, fake cameras, fake Fortnite players, and some real stuff too. Promise.
Cheers for your support!
Top Pick
[Watch | CC | 21 mins] What Games Are Like For Someone Who Doesn't Play Games - Razbuten subjects his partner to Dark Souls, Portal, Shovel Knight and more - all in the name of science!
Now Playing
[Read | 9 mins] The State Of Overwatch In 2019 - Kotaku takes a look at Blizzard’s moreish online shooter to see how it’s shaping up three years after launch
[Watch | CC | 10 mins] The Only Zelda Game Without A Hero - The Link’s Awakening remake provides a perfect opportunity for Razbuten to dig into the game’s story.
[Read | 7 mins] Four Months Later, Auto Chess' Successors Are Rewriting the Genre - New game genres are always fascinating - will they succeed or snuff out like the latest fad? Here’s USGamer on the state of Auto Chess.
[Watch | 9 mins] Why Adding Bots to Fortnite is a Great Idea - Tommy Thompson from AI & Games is the perfect person to talk about Fortnite’s new non-human players.
[Read | 15 mins] Blast from the Past: Behind the Rise of the Throwback Shooter - From Dusk to Ion Fury: why we’re obsessed with shooters that look like they should have WADs, or be made in Build.
[Watch | CC | 13 mins] Attempting to Make Sense of Ghost Recon Breakpoint - Hamish has a surprising experience with Breakpoint: its shoddy tech does more to engross you in the world than its actual game design.
[Read | 15 mins] How Disco Elysium's opening sets the stage for existential revolt - This game is bizarre. Can’t wait to play more.
How to Make a Game
[Read | 9 mins] Why Online Game Launches Are Often A Mess - Anthem, Fallout 76, Ghost Recon. Online games are more often a disaster than a success on day one. Kotaku explains why.
[Watch | CC | 6 mins] So You Wanna Be A Game Designer? - Stanislav Costiuc is a bonafide game designer (working at Ubisoft), so his new series on the mindset of being a designer should be well worth watching.
[Read | 15 mins] Indie game makers open up about the money they actually make - Spoiler: it’s either a lot or not very much at all.
[Watch | 4 mins] The Naturally Viral Indie Games - Games like Untitled Goose Game do all the advertising for you, says this YouTube vid.
[Read | 12 mins] Jam Sesh: How a Popular Online Contest Sparks Design Innovation - Hey! Here’s a pice on the GMTK Game Jam, complete with interview quotes from me and noted jammers.
[Watch | CC | 23 mins] Good Design, Bad Design Vol. 7 - This series looks at scraps of UX design that either do or don’t work. This time, Monster Hunter World is the main focus.
[Watch | 9 mins] The spooky CARD GAME Begins! - Blackthorn Prod is making cards based on YouTubers for Halloween - and there’s one for little ol’ me!
[Read | 14 mins] Game Design Deep Dive: Telling Lies - Making a mechanic out of scrubbing video - Here, Sam Barlow explains his intentions for the slow scrubbing mechanic in Telling Lies. Can’t say it worked for me, but great to hear his design process.
Yesterday’s Fun
[Read | 5 mins] Cult of P.T.-nality - PT (the demo for the cancelled Silent Hills) has a huge following. This article looks at attempts to archive, sell, and remake the game.
[Watch | 47 mins] The Rise and Fall of Max Payne - This video goes into the behind-the-scenes making of Max Payne, from Remedy’s demo scene routes to Rockstar’s franchise takeover.
[Watch | 18 mins] The Great Staging of Luigi's Mansion - A lovely video for a great GameCube game, and perfect for Halloween.
[Watch | 19 mins] Jak X(cellent) - Hot off his hour-long retrospective on the Jak trilogy, The Gaming Brit takes a handbrake turn into the game’s racing game spin-off.
Art and Ambience
[Watch | CC | 14 mins] The Key to Metroid Prime's Atmosphere - Dan Root’s done explaining why the 2D Metroid games spook you out. Now here’s how Prime frightens you in 3D.
[Watch | CC | 12 mins] Turning Pop Music into a Video Game - Game Score Fanfare is the perfect channel to take on Simogo’s bonkers new game, Sayonara Wild Hearts.
[Watch | 7 mins] The Perfect Horror Protagonist - Extra Credits looks into writing a hero for your horror game, focusing on Silent Hill 2’s protagonist.
[Watch | CC | 10 mins] X7 and The Importance of Principles - More Dan Root, this time looking at how Mega Man X7 fluffed it.
[Watch | CC | 11 mins] Video game explosions are actually a lie - The artistic tricks that are employed to make your booms look bigger and boomier than they really are.
[Watch | 17 mins] Banjo and Kazooie - Know Your Moves - I enjoy this series, which looks at how gaming characters get their iconic animations turned into Smash moves.
[Watch | CC | 14 mins] What happened to Zelda's LOST song? - The Link’s Awakening devs weren’t quite sure how to tackle the music for this remake. Thomas Game Docs uncovers one bizarre take on the idea.
Game Over
[Watch | CC | 6 mins] This Video Is Sponsored By ███ VPN - Inundated with VPN Sponsorships on YouTube? Tom Scott tells you what those ad reads won’t.
[Watch | 37 mins] I Took My Parents to See AVENGERS: ENDGAME - This was really endearing. Patrick’s dad is such a dad it’s unbelievable.
[Watch | 7 mins] The Real Fake Cameras Of Toy Story 4 - Nerdwriter never disappoints.
Comments
Cam
Boy I wish this list was published with checkboxes I could come back to and quickly see which ones I've viewed...so much good content here it takes a month to get through!
DoorCurtain
I'm not sure how I feel about Extra Creditz being linked here. Unless I'm wrong, James Portnow is still a big part of the series, and he's been outed as an abuser for a while. This is coming from someone who used to watch the show religiously, only stopping when Soraya outed James during a #MeToo movement a while back.
Luis Guillermo Jimenez Gomez
Thanks for this. If I may, the latest Super Bunnyhop video comparing real-life Athens to Athens in Assassin's Creed is a must-watch. https://youtu.be/B6SEID9IG0A
Willhart
Nice to see Q.T. game mentioned.
Game Maker's Toolkit
Should hopefully be fixed now! Sorry for the faff
Mark, the link " Four Months Later, Auto Chess' Successors Are Rewriting the Genre" is missing the ":" after the "https", making it redirect to https.com, weirdly.
Game Maker's Toolkit
Sorry about the broken links, Patreon is messing me about. Trying to fix now!
Dan Root
Some great stuff for game devs here, Mark! Thanks again for your effort in this list!
