The Business Side of Video (Space) Games EXCLUSIVELY ON IDLE THUMBS

[SecretAsianMan]

I think I also recently read that Fullbright's lead programmer left for Oculus.

 

Are you thinking of Supergiant because that did happen.  Chris Jurney joined them a few days ago.

[Twig]

The programmer (or a programmer? was there more than one?) for Gone Home recently started his own company. I forget the name!

[Merus]

If you wanted to start a company that said it was the opposite of Fullbright right in the title, then Dim Bulb would be a pretty good name to pick.

[Twig]

I like how I responded to Jon's post without reading Rodi's.

 

i'll just see myself out

[Bjorn]

If you wanted to start a company that said it was the opposite of Fullbright right in the title, then Dim Bulb would be a pretty good name to pick.

 

 

Fullbright to Dim Bulb almost seems like a joke, not an actual move someone would make. 

[JonCole]

Are you thinking of Supergiant because that did happen.  Chris Jurney joined them a few days ago.

 

Yes I am.

[Bjorn]

This makes me throw up in my mouth a little. 

 

While GameStop already secures exclusive content for some major releases, this means the retailer may involve itself earlier in the development process than usual. As Sebastian clarified to GamesBeat, the retailer would be "getting involved at the time of game development where there could be some content exclusive to [the retailer] included in the game."

[Justin Leego]

Well hardware manufacturers already do it...

[SecretAsianMan]

This makes me throw up in my mouth a little. 

 

Only a little?  You have a stronger stomach than I

 

[Bjorn]

Interesting news, to make up for barfy news earlier.

 

This interview with Lorne Lanning is pretty incredible.  Honestly, as much as I love Oddworld, Lanning himself has sometimes given me a weird vibe over the years.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but something a lot different than what you ever hear out of other game devs.  I think that outsider perspective is really being showcased here, and all for the good.  He's hinted at some of the bad business stuff that went on before, but this is as detailed as he's ever been talking about it.

[SuperBiasedMan]

Interesting news, to make up for barfy news earlier.

 

This interview with Lorne Lanning is pretty incredible.  Honestly, as much as I love Oddworld, Lanning himself has sometimes given me a weird vibe over the years.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but something a lot different than what you ever hear out of other game devs.  I think that outsider perspective is really being showcased here, and all for the good.  He's hinted at some of the bad business stuff that went on before, but this is as detailed as he's ever been talking about it.

 

Now I regret not picking up Stranger's Wrath in the Steam Sale.

[Henroid]

Microsoft is giving X360 owners $75 in XBL credit if they "upgrade" (buy) an XB1. I don't think the XB1 is in any sort of bad position sales wise. I know a month or two ago it dropped by 50%, but they're still doing alright for the long term I'd think. This leans on desperation, especially after the promise of not having to own a Kinect with an XB1 anymore.

[SecretAsianMan]

I find this very depressing

 

Annual revenue from Kim Kardashian: Hollywood may reach $200 million, estimates Douglas Creutz, an analyst with Cowen & Co. in New York

[Dewar]

Hmm, that $75 credit is tempting, but I just don't see myself playing too many console games these days.

[JonCole]

Microsoft is giving X360 owners $75 in XBL credit if they "upgrade" (buy) an XB1. I don't think the XB1 is in any sort of bad position sales wise. I know a month or two ago it dropped by 50%, but they're still doing alright for the long term I'd think. This leans on desperation, especially after the promise of not having to own a Kinect with an XB1 anymore.

 

Target is also going to be offering a $50 gift card with the purchase of an XB1 next week, I think. I imagine it must not be doing very well for a retailer to put that kind of incentive out there to move units.

 

I'm not playing a ton of console games either, but I mostly bought a PS4 because my PC is slowly becoming inadequate for running games at peak performance so I'm shifting back to console as it generally has a standard level of quality. Watch Dogs ran like total shit on my PC, I'd rather avoid that kind of poor performance on demanding games by going console when it may be in question.

[Dewar]

Yeah, most of my friends are on PC at the moment, that's what keeps me there.

[syntheticgerbil]

Interesting news, to make up for barfy news earlier.

 

This interview with Lorne Lanning is pretty incredible.  Honestly, as much as I love Oddworld, Lanning himself has sometimes given me a weird vibe over the years.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but something a lot different than what you ever hear out of other game devs.  I think that outsider perspective is really being showcased here, and all for the good.  He's hinted at some of the bad business stuff that went on before, but this is as detailed as he's ever been talking about it.

I think part of what makes Lanning unsettling to me is he tends to come off as a snake oil salesman but he's done nothing of the sort. I mean he's promised things that never happened but not in a seedy manner even though it feels seedy. I don't know what I'm saying but I'm saying I know exactly the feeling you have.

 

Also part of it is his close relationship with Jason Manley and Massive Black in the past, the former who is the biggest creepy asshole and the latter being the creepy asshole's dubious outsourcing company whose business practices I don't always agree with.

[Bjorn]

I think part of what makes Lanning unsettling to me is he tends to come off as a snake oil salesman but he's done nothing of the sort.

 

Yeah, you nailed it!  That's exactly the vibe.  And I feel like I'm being completely unfair when I feel that way, because nothing in his career or life I know of justifies how I react to some of his interviews.  The opposite, in fact. 

[Architecture]

Microsoft is giving X360 owners $75 in XBL credit if they "upgrade" (buy) an XB1. I don't think the XB1 is in any sort of bad position sales wise. I know a month or two ago it dropped by 50%, but they're still doing alright for the long term I'd think. This leans on desperation, especially after the promise of not having to own a Kinect with an XB1 anymore.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they offer you $100 if you brought in your last-gen console right around launch? I know that Best Buy, at the very least, was offering $100 in credit for a working 360 or PS3. I took that deal since my twice red-ringed Xbox was just sitting around gathering dust and financed half of my CPU with the spoils.

[Bjorn]

The creator of Flashback is making a new game, Subject 13 (announced awhile back), and the requisite Kickstarter for it just launched.  The highest tier is for $10K, and they (might?) will make you the protagonist.  It's really vague. 

 

According to your support, you may even be able to star as the game’s protagonist and replace Franklin Fargo. It’s a great chance to get into the game and amaze your friends.

 

But the $10K pledge level can be bought 4 times and says:

 

 Last but not least, you will have the chance to star in the game as the HERO!

 

My kneejerk reaction was that it's kinda gross to sell your protagonist's identity to the highest bidder, but on reflection, it would totally work for some games.  And it's not clear at all if it will just be an option and the original hero will also be available or what.  It's certainly an interesting take on the standard "be in the game as a very minor NPC or background art" option that is offered on a lot of games. 

[tegan]

I would assume that they just send you a unique copy with the character replaced with you.

[Bjorn]

Yeah, that would make sense too, but it just didn't read that way to me.  More like you'd be in the general release copy. 

[Dewar]

Maybe there will be multiple models to choose from and you'll get to be one of them?

[Justin Leego]

Timed exclusive DLC

[Spenny]

Yogscast is going to get revenue from developers in return for showing said developer's game on their channel. TotalBiscuit highlights many of the problems with their model of doing this.