Cafe Booleans: A Game Dev Podcast

Join SA video game developers John Oestmann, Susie Emery and Jackson Michael as they hang out at Cafe Booleans and chat about culturally innovative games they’ve discovered and the development stories behind them ☕🎮

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For our final episode of the year, Alex and Kosta have sent in a heartfelt reflection on the history of Booleans, and now pass on the torch to John, Susie and Jacko.

We also use this episode to launch our new format, focusing on innovative and culturally interesting games as a springboard for conversation, rather than the current news cycle.

[Content Warning: One of the games discussed, Yume Nikki, contains some elements which reference death and suicide. Please see the timestamps below if you would like to skip our discussion around this game]

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Timestamps

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[01:13] Special Message from Alex and Kosta

[13:11] Yume Nikki - 2004 Surreal RPG Maker Proto-Walking-Sim developed by Kikiyama

[40:04] Community Messages

[44:04] Outer Wilds - 2019 Time-Loop Space Adventure developed by Mobius Digital

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Game Information Adapted From

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yume_Nikki

https://www.pcgamer.com/the-horrifying-legacy-of-yume-nikki-the-homebrew-game-that-became-a-phenomenon/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Wilds

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-making-of-outer-wilds/ 

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Community Messages

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GameMaker is now free for non-commercial projects: https://gamemaker.io/en/blog/gamemaker-free-platforms

SAGE Game Exhibition happening on 16/17 February 2024:

https://www.sagameexhibition.com/ 

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Other Mentions

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Toby Fox interviews Kikiyama (English Translation): https://chartcarr.neocities.org/secretbase_4 

Hokkikomori (syndrome): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4912003/ 

Welcome to the NHK (anime): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_the_N.H.K. 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (novel): https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58784475 

Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (game): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Majora%27s_Mask 

Twelve Minutes (Netflix game): https://help.netflix.com/en/node/126637

Geocaching (activity): https://www.geocaching.com/play 

The Infinite Game (book): https://simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game/ 

Slow TV (tv show genre): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_television 

Cafe Booleans is back! ☕🎮

Alex Ferrabetta and John Oestmann are joined by Jacko to re-open the Cafe doors. Old friends join in spirit 👻

We discuss Sega's steps towards AI-powered User Generated Content tools, and the current state of Video-Game-to-Film Adaptations.

We also had planned to play through the Slam Jam 3 entries, however due to technical issues and the realization it really isn't that fun to listen to without visuals, we decided to give all entries a shout-out instead!

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Links from this episode:

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Slam Jam 3 Entries: https://itch.io/jam/slam-jam-3/entries

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-is-teaming-up-with-sony-to-create-a-live-action-the-legend-of-zelda-movie/1100-6518986/

GTA Company Take-Two Will Be "Very Selective, And Very Careful" With Film Adaptations:

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-company-take-two-will-be-very-selective-and-very-careful-with-film-adaptations/1100-6519049/

Wikipedia list of Video Game Film Adaptations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_based_on_video_games

SIFTR - Aussie Games Published List: https://www.sifter.com.au/add-my-game-to-sifters-australian-made-games-list

Global Game Jam site applications now open: https://globalgamejam.org/

UniSA Research into how AI / Automation is affecting Workflows/Feelings/Products in Video Game Audio:

Email [email protected]

Dive into Episode 3 of "The Business of Indie Game Development" series for a fresh take on indie gaming.

🏰 We start with an exploration of King Arthur as the ultimate fanfiction, illuminating the power of shared storytelling.

📜 A quick history lesson on copyright and intellectual property paves the way for a deep dive into the world of mods and fan games.

🌳 Did you know that many game ideas often evolve from pre-existing ones, like ARMA and Fortnite?

🚫 The restrictions surrounding public domain works and the challenges of placing your own creations within this scope.

🕹️ We highlight examples of public domain games and free cultural works, shedding light on the potential of this approach.

🤝 Finally, we discuss the societal benefits of shared creativity. Could this approach be a viable alternative as we move into the future of indie gaming?

Hosts:

John Oestmann - @john_oestmann

Alex Ferrabetta - @amferrabetta

Kosta Canatselis - @kostacana

Join us in this second episode of The Business of Indie Game Development series:

🎯 The importance of marketing your indie game and how it's a mindset, not just a task

📈 We discuss the marketing funnel and its importance in understanding your audience's journey

💡 Explore how to build a strong marketing mindset, and why promoting your game early is vital

👥 Learn the benefits of community building, and how it can help hype your game, improve it through feedback, and establish a sense of legitimacy

🔎 Understand how to identify your game's target audience and why it's crucial for your game's success

📚 Discuss strategies for reaching out to influencers and streamers to boost your game's visibility

Join us as we demystify the world of indie game marketing, providing actionable insights to help you succeed in the business of game development.

Hosts:

Alex Ferrabetta @amferrabetta 

Susie Emery @susannahkemery 

John Oestmann @john_oestmann 

Kosta Canatselis @kostacana

Join us on the Adelaide Game Developer Discord: https://bit.ly/AGDdiscord

Listen in, and let's level up our indie game marketing together 🚀🎮

Join us for the first episode of The Business of Indie Game Development series, where we delve into:

🎯 Navigating legal structures for indie game devs

💼 Understanding budgeting, finance, and payment structure in the gaming industry

🤝 Assembling a solid team and tip on working with contractors

🔐 Protecting your intellectual property and dealing with challenges

🎮 Sharing our and other game developers' experiences, tools, and insights in game development business

Legal Structures, Budgeting & Finance - crucial elements for indie game developers to succeed in the gaming world. We'll help you understand the basics and set a strong foundation for your game development journey.

Stay tuned and level up your indie dev business skills 🧡

Alex Ferrabetta - @amferrabetta

Check out:

Adelaide Game Developer Discord: https://bit.ly/AGDdiscord

In this last episode for 2022 we chat with Hannah Crosby, multi-disciplinary Artist currently a Senior 3D Artist at Gameloft Brisbane, about:

❇️ How 'The Sims' kicked off Hannah's journey as a professional artist

🎬 Working in games and film for 16 years

🧊 Designing in 3D while being limited by technology of a given time

🤔 Process and working with technical artists at Gameloft

😍 Designing environments that capture certain feelings

🏞️ Bringing The Oregon Trail environments to life

🔍 GCAP panel discussing metaphors in visual media

👩‍🎨 Advice for aspiring artists

GUEST LINKS:

Hannah Crosby: Website | LinkedIn

Hosts: @amferrabetta | @kcanatselis

Follow us on Twitter @LiveBooleans

Email us at [email protected]

⭐ Want to help support Live Booleans? Review us on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen!

Join us at the cafe this week as we deep dive and chat about Incentives vs Rules in video games, more specifically:

🤔 How do incentives affect player behaviour?

💻 How technologies can shape culture and behaviour generally

🎉 Examples of games influencing player behavior and culture

💡Players discovering novel ways to play games

🌎 Games can reflect and comment on real-world incentives

🚶‍♂️Incentives in a game like Pokemon Go

💻 Technology choices can shape the culture of a game

SUPPORT ARTICLES:

‼️Find the Play and Pause survey study being done at UniSA here‼️

- The Power of Incentives - How Games Help Us Examine our World - Extra Credits

- Technology is Not Values Neutral: Ending the Reign of Nihilistic Design

- 'Ruined by Design' book by Mike Monteiro

Adelaide Game Developer Discord: https://bit.ly/AGDdiscord

LIVE BOOLEANS LINKS

Hosts: Alex Ferrabetta @amferrabetta | Susie Emery @susannahkemery | John Oestmann @john_oestmann | Kosta Canatselis @kostacana

Follow us on Twitter @LiveBooleans

Email us at [email protected]

⭐ Want to help support Live Booleans? Review us on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen!

Join us at the cafe this week as we deep dive and chat about Minimal and subtractive in video games video games, more specifically:

🤔 What is minimalist design and philosophy?

👩‍🎨 Designing by subtraction

✅ 7 Minimalist Games that Every Developer Should Take Inspiration From

👹 How minimal game design can help avoid feature creep

👾 Working with the PICO-8 and TIC-80

🧩 Does simple game design make gaming more accessible?

♟️One-page Tabletop RPGs - the ultimate minimalist game?

SUPPORT ARTICLES:

- Ico, and Design by Subtraction

- Pico-8

- TIC-80 (Open Source Pico-8)

- 7 Minimalist Games that Every Developer Should Take Inspiration From

Adelaide Game Developer Discord: https://bit.ly/AGDdiscord

LIVE BOOLEANS LINKS

Hosts: Alex Ferrabetta @amferrabetta | Susie Emery @susannahkemery | John Oestmann @john_oestmann | Kosta Canatselis @kostacana

Follow us on Twitter @LiveBooleans

Email us at [email protected]

⭐ Want to help support Live Booleans? Review us on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen!

We chat with Reuben Moorhouse, the Founder and Director of Noble Steed Games, an Australian Game Studio & Consultancy, about:

🏜️ Reubens start as a game developer and working in Silicon Valley

🤝 The key to working as a consultancy studio with a range of clients, guiding their projects

🌎 Culture and the role it plays at both Noble Steed Games, and in teams

🗓️ Running standups productively and effectively

🤔 What is production? and how do you manage production in an Indie Team?

👏 Best practices for tracking tasks and keeping a team on track

GUEST LINKS:

Reuben Moorhouse: Website | LinkedIn | Noble Steed Games

Hosts: @amferrabetta | @kcanatselis

Follow us on Twitter @LiveBooleans

Email us at [email protected]

⭐ Want to help support Live Booleans? Review us on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen!

We chat with Simon Scales, the Owner and Director of CDW Studios (Concept Design Workshop) school of visual effects and entertainment design about:

👶 Simon's start as an Illustrator and journey to founding CDW

🎂 CDW's 10 year anniversary

🚀 Launching two new CDW campuses in Victoria and NSW in 2023

📺 Creating original animated content and future roadmap with CDW Animation

🎨 Advice for artists on how to maximise their portfolios

🤖 AI art tools like DALLE and what impact it'll have on art and artists

🍦Being artistic is as good as eating ice cream?

GUEST LINKS:

Simon Scales: Twitter | CDW Studios | CDW Animation

Hosts: @amferrabetta | @kcanatselis

Follow us on Twitter @LiveBooleans

Email us at [email protected]

⭐ Want to help support Live Booleans? Review us on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen!