Jeff STARGAZY SheenNov 7, 2024

https://pca.st/episode/2afb3213-88c0-4363-ad7c-5c499d5e9809

Xalavier Nelson discusses Sustainable Development.

TLDR:

- Above all, survive by shipping
- Ship by making all production decisions in terms of a set project budget (i.e. nil sum game)
- Aggressively scope the project to reduce risk by minimising unknowns from the start

Sustainable Game Development with Xalavier Nelson Jr. - The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

A series of in-depth conversations between video game makers on the business and craft of interactive entertainment, exploring the core tenants of D.I.C.E. (Design. Innovate. Communicate. Entertain.)

Pocket Casts
Show threadJeff STARGAZY SheenNov 7, 2024
- Design a game that suitably fulfills a player fantasy using linear narrative and MVP systems that don't require iteration
- Give yourself as many bailout points in the production plan that would still result in a commercial product
Show threadJeff STARGAZY Sheen
- N.B. this conservative, pragmatic approach may improve developer sustainability, but publishers prefer to sign developers who are willing to risk everything on a moon shot (they don't care about the continued operation of creators, only the opportunity of the product to be an outlier hit)
Nov 7, 2024 at 9:53pmWeb
Show threadJeff STARGAZY SheenNov 7, 2024
- Ship small budget games frequently, so that individual experiences can be sold at a modest price, but your audience can spend far more in aggregate by playing your deep catalogue (which also has algorithmic store discovery benefits)