Dev Links: Dual Screen
Today’s Developer Links span two continents, bringing you articles about the Chicago game industry, the Eurogamer Expo, updates on the doings of a Canadian game company and an Italian programmer, a classic game editor by a Swedish developer, and a new game creation tool on Kickstarter by the UK-based Game Creators.
Indie Tools: Knytt Stories (IndieGames)
“I am pretty sure that everyone reading this blog is aware of Knytt Stories, the seminal indie classic by Nifflas and one of the best exploration platformers ever. Chances are most indie gamers have already played the thing too, but, as Anna Anthropy eloquently showcased in her book, the most important Knytt Stories bit might just be its level editor. It’s simple, powerful and a perfect tool to get you into level design and, up to a point, game design.”
Prison Architect Dev Outs Microsoft’s Costly Approach To Indie Developers (VG24/7)
“Prison Architect developer Introversion Software has spoken out against Microsoft’s costly Xbox Live Arcade certification process, and has suggested that big change is needed for the publisher to compete with Steam.”
What We’re Up To… (Hemisphere Games)
“On one hand, we’re excited to be working on games besides Osmos, picking up some prototypes we had worked on between the cracks over the last 1.5 years, as well as hitting some new ideas we’ve been discussing. But at the same time we feel like there is some “undone” work on Osmos we plan on hitting over the next few months. Here’s our list, broken down by platform:…”
Defender’s Quest: Valley of the Forgotten Review (Zeboyd Games)
“Defender’s Quest originally came out on January 19th. An enhanced version of the game with better graphics & new features was released on August 30th at a few places (mostly the developers own site) and today, the game is finally coming out for widespread release at a number of major storefronts, including Steam. Just a warning – I’m friends with one of the developers of the game, have been playing various beta versions of the game from before it was released, and am even mentioned in the Special Thanks section. To say I’m biased is an understatement. With that said…”
FPS Creator Reloaded (Independent Gaming)
“Chances are pretty good you have heard of FPS Creator, the easy-to-use tool made byThe Game Creators to make FPS games, but you might not have heard about its new Kickstarter campaign. You see, they have started a project called FPS Creator Reloaded, which isn’t really a new product so much as a massive update to the original engine. It runs until Dec. 1st so think of donating as a early Christmas gift for these dudes. And yourself. I mean, check out the page for some of the features and donate!”
Heileen 3 Status Update (Computer Games)
“I think is time for an overdue update on Heileen 3 status. First I said would be ready last Summer, then this Fall… well, tecnically could still be out this Fall, since Winter begins the 21st December 2012, and I really hope to have finished the game by then! You might wonder why such delay… well first of all, even if is not a RPG, Heileen 3 is probably one of the most important titles of my visual novel/dating sim category. So I am trying to make it more polished than previous titles.”
Careers In Games: Funding And How To Get It (GamesIndustry International)
“In the third GI Fair, shot during the Eurogamer Expo, we discuss the alternative routes to getting video game projects funded and the best way to pitch projects to potential supporters. Introduced by GamesIndustry International‘s Matt Martin, the panel features John Vaskis from IndieGoGo, PLA Studio’s Tom Page, Tom Zeissen of The Wellcome Trust and Games Invest’s Jamie Sefton. The panel discuss the value of a well-defined pitch, where to look for funding outside of the most obvious routes, how complete a project needs to be before pitching, being realistic about the amount of funding you ask for and the rise of crowd-funding.”
Openness Key To Chicago Games Industry (Develop)
“The big names in the games industry may have left Chicago, but that hasn’t stopped independent developers from establishing their own thriving local industry. In a blog on NBC Chicago local IGDA chairman Jay Margalus outlined his thoughts on the growth of an independent games industry in the windy city.”
