At first, games were just games. Good games, bad games; big games, little games. Then came the rise of the AAA game. Suddenly a game either was or was not AAA. Inevitably, other classifications followed. In this article, we try to dig into what those are and what they mean. Along the way, we also propose some clearer and more concrete definitions for those terms than currently exist.
I have been doing design and development tests for over a decade now (I even did some art tests early in my career) and I have come to the conclusion that most tests are bad. The idea of testing people isn’t bad, in fact, it’s imperative in the games industry.
One of the weaknesses of the game industry is that we are fairly slow to adopt new processes. A great framework that has come out in the last few years is GIST. It allows teams to eliminate the use of road-maps and stay Agile in their planning as well as their implementation.
A Technical Designer is a facilitator, helping to move concepts from ideation to implementation. They serve as a practical bridge between disciplines (design and engineering), and as a professional “unblocker” for the design team.
Do you want access to talks and conversations by the games industry’s most interesting and informed personalities, but you don’t want to buy an expensive ticket for an overcrowded convention? Podcasts to the rescue! Within the 18 podcasts on this list, you can find hundreds of hours of discussion about every aspect of the games…
Crunch is an ugly monster that eats time, money, and energy; then spits out buggy games and unhappy employees! In light of our CEO Martin’s upcoming panel at PG Connect, I thought now would be a good time to take a look at one of his previous talks. For the opening of the social platform…
Job boards are one of the quickest and most straightforward ways to apply for jobs. Luckily, the games industry has a whole bunch. The advantage of industry-specific job boards is that they are much more targeted than general listing sites like Indeed or Monster, meaning you don’t have to wade through a ton of FinTech…
The relationship between game development and marketing can be a contentious one. Many times when a game gets a negative reaction from fans on release, the reason is as much about how the game was marketed than anything else. Making sure that the public’s expectations are aligned with reality is essential to the success of…
YouTube has emerged as one of the best ways for game developers to share how their games are made. And more importantly, how you can make them too. This list is not about the design of your game, rather how to develop your game. That is to say, the below channels are less likely to…
Any die-hard Trekkies out there should be familiar with the Scotty Principle, even if you haven’t heard it referred to as that. You may not, however, know how it can apply to game development. Read on and you can find out. But first, for the uninitiated… What is the Scotty Principle? The Scotty Principle (also…
Podcasts are my personal favorite way to learn new things and absorb information. Much to my girlfriend’s chagrin, I have them playing all the time. Including whenever I do chores around the house like washing the dishes or hanging the laundry. I find the long-form conversations podcasting encourages are the perfect venue to explore the…
At Tiny Hydra, we believe that Crunch should be avoided at all costs. With proper planning and vigilance, it can be in many cases. However, we recognize that disasters happen and even the best of intentions can’t always protect a game from last-minute upsets. Game engine updates break your code, global pandemics torpedo your best-laid…