Lightmap - Conversations with video game creators

This week we talk game mods and what happens when copyright owners decide that that are not on board with the changes players make to their games. What happens when the corporate world interferes with the artistic creation of mod creators. Forum RaceDepartment had over 30 pages of mods removed at the request of Formula One's rights holders, a move that is technically within their rights but leaving many fans annoyed. Can there be an equilibrium between user generated content and commercial ownership?

We also reached across the country to speak to Queensland based developer Megan Summers and spoke about the “Short Form” arcade platformer her team is developing, Damsel. We talked about making games in Queensland, how you pay for indie game development and standing out from the rest of the crowd. You can find more information about Damsel on the Screwtape Studios site http://www.screwtape.net/

No one likes doing the same thing over and over again, so why do we seem to put up with it in some of our favourite games? Are we asked to spend just a bit too much time and effort unlocking all the characters and content in the games we play? Would you pay a little extra money to unlock all the content of a game immediately? Turns out the Pixel Sift crew just might.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

It's our extended LIVE episode from Perth's Oz Comic Con!

First up we spoke all about the differences between linear and non-linear story telling, and the constructed narrative. We explore how creating fixed narrative can be a stylistic choice, or could be due to limitations in hardware.

We also look at how a recent well articulate argument on the Overwatch beta forums was able to change a victory animation for character Tracer. We explore feedback from fans, how they can influence development, and how sometimes the squeaky wheels aren't always representative of the player base.

Finally we talk all about moves to limit the communication in multiplayer games such as Hearthstone, to avoid the players from using their games to attack each other. Like all freedoms, it's a trade off and we look at whether or not that trade off is worth it.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

If you want to play a game from a previous gen, there are many options available for gamers. One these options is emulation, this week we dive into emulation culture and why the technology is so popular for introducing new audiences to old games, and for playing old games in new ways. Though sometimes the games aren't all that old...

We also caught up with the one of the creators of Blockpocalypse, Dan Clayton from Dime Studios. He told us all about the process of building on the foundation of a Global Game Jam project and how his game can unite and divide friendships at the very beginning of the world’s fiery end. You can find the original version of the game (called Ablockalypse) on the Global Game Jam 2015 site, and the game is planned for early access later this year.

Lastly we tackle game piracy and take a look at some of the innovative methods developers use to protect their IP from being stolen. As time has gone by it seems the Digital Right management has become the staple in protecting games from piracy however many developers have come up with other creative ways to stop people from taking their games. Gianni, Mitch and Scott run through of their favourites.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Digital delivery is becoming the preferred option for more people, but even though we pay real money for these products, are they really ours? Can we pass these games or digital goods to another person? We explore this topic off the back of a Twitch Partner losing their account in a division of assets after a divorce. There may be more questions than answers however. 

Gianni also had the opportunity to speak to Perth based developer Matt Comi of Big Bucket. Matt filled us in on two of his games “The Incident” and “Space Age” as well as how the development process differed between the two titles. Matt also gave us some insight on how the indie dev scene has changed over time as well as how to make an in depth game for a mobile device.

We also address the news that Microsoft has announced that cross-platform multiplayer connectivity will be possible between their Xbox Live network and any other network that chooses to join them. How will this change the online game-play? Will the impact of keyboard and mouse interfaces tip the playing field in competitive multiplayer? What is Microsoft’s motivation behind the sudden progressive attitude?

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF OUR WORLD'S FASTEST PIZZA COMPETITION: WILL, BLAIR, CORRINA, BEVAN & ARTHUR.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

This week on the show, we're joined in the studio by Fremantle game developer Oscar Brittain. He's made the new World's Fastest Pizza, a top down pizza delivery game chock full with aussie references. We talked all about making the game, and releasing it out onto the web. You can pick up World's Fastest Pizza on Steam and Itch.io when it releases on March 15th 2016.

We're also giving away a couple of copies of World's Fastest Pizza to listeners, so jump on over to http://www.pixelsift.com.au/pizza to enter the draw!

Microsoft has been making a few waves in the game development world with their planned Universal Windows Platform, a new way to make and distribute apps and games, which has already been used for Rise of the Tomb Raider, and the upcoming Quantum Break. Tim Sweeney CEO of Epic Games has come out swinging with a scathing critique of this new platform that limits choice for gamers and developers, echoing what Gabe Newell of Valve said about Windows 8. We look at what this new development means and whether or not you should be worried.

Finally on the show, we explore some of the game launches that didn't exactly go to plan. I spent a fair bit of time waiting for a laptop in Tom Clancy's The Division, and that didn't ratchet up the fun factor. There have been plenty of other launches that had issues and we look at why this might be and what gamers should expect.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Reviews are a big part of the games industry, love them or loathe them. We don’t review here at Pixel Sift, but there a good review can make a game and a bad one can break it. In some excellent reporting Phil Iwaniuk from PCgamesN discovered that the site Fiverr is being used to solicit cash for positive user reviews. We look at how reviews from both the professionals and players have an impact on the games we play.

With the HTC Vive preorder opening up this week we spoke to a couple of local devs about the potentials of the technology and where they thing the future lies. Robert Bruce from Immersia VR and Chris Parkin of Offpeak Games (who we spoke to in episode 14) gave us their two cents and and broke down some of the challenges and potentials of the technology that is currently the talk of the town.

Finally we looked back into the annals of time and pulled into the present day some games inspired by the games we loved growing up. We look at spiritual successors such who take the core idea of a game and rebuild it for a new (or possibly the same) audience. There are plenty of great examples out there and we look at why these games get made and who they get made for.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Today on the show we look at the double standard of annually released games. Why is it that gamers are so quick to criticize franchise A, when franchise B is given a free pass?  With some of the major franchises moving away from yearly release cycle are we seeing a shift in the way games are sold, and does gamer expectation play a big part?

Gianni also had the chance to talk to Sofie Mather and Louis Roots both of SK Games and Kate Raynes-Goldie of FTI who run the brand new LEVEL ONE co-working space n the Perth CBD. They have a chat about what LEVEL ONE is all about and how their organisation is helping WA developers move from hobby to full-time game development. We also chat about the state of funding in WA for aspiring game devs and fighting the brain drain. LEVEL ONE is officially launching March 3rd 2016, with free tours throughout the day and a launch party in the evening. You can RSVP to the launch party here

Finally we look at how we're taught how to play games, that's right we're talking about how in game instruction works in modern games versus the 50 page manuals of old. What makes a good tutorial or intro, and what are some things that should be avoided when teaching people to navigate their game world.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

First up on Pixel Sift this week, we have a look at some of the recent data gathered by Quantic Foundry on how gamers attitudes toward games change as they get older, with the ESA reporting that the average gamer is now 35. It would seem that the motivations of gamers change as they progress down life's long road. Where do you think your gaming career will be in thirty years time?

Scott sat down with Fabian Malabello, the Director of The Otherworld Agency about song writing and sound the power of sound design in games. He also was kind enough to give us some links to resources that can help aspiring video game song writers and sound designers get into the industry. If you are starting out you can head to Game Audio 101 for some great starting advice. Once you've been therejump on over to the FMOD user group or WWISE user group both on Facebook where people with experience using these programs can help you out. Finally make sure you grab yourself a copy of Unity 5 and Audio Toolkit. 

Finally we polish off our twentieth episode with a chat about some of the games that could have been made better but we love them all the same, we discuss the likes of Duke Nukem, the original South Park and QWOP just to name a few. Did any of ours make your list? Do you think some games missed out?

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

This week on the show we look at the obsessive nature of collecting games. Do you have a giant steam library? Do you scour the online stores for old cartridges and consoles. We talk about what it is that makes us collect, and sometimes never play. You can check out the value of your steam library, and how little of it you've actually played on Steam Gauge. 

I spent many hours playing split-screen Halo on the original Xbox, and there was always the accusation of "screening" between me and my brothers when someone got a particularly good kill. As part of the Global Game Jam in 2014 Melbourne developers Samurai Punk created their game Screencheat where you need to look at other players screens to win. Mitch and Gianni spoke to Nick McDonnell about bringing their game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, lessons learnt and gamer entitlement. Screencheat is available on Playstation 4 and Xbox One on the 1st of March 2016.

Finally this week we explore whether a game can be "awards bait" or designed to win awards or accolades. Reddit user spunk_monk posed this question this week after playing the anticipated Firewatch. Can we explore games and critical acclaim without drawing on other forms of media? Is there value in a "Game of the Year" award if every man and his dog gives out one?

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

36,000 people, 93 countries and nearly 6800 games. It's the Global Game Jam, a 48 hour challenge that pits game developers against the relentless march of time. This year game devs were tasked with making a full game based on the theme of "Ritual." Let's Make Games, hosted two events in Perth on the weekend and we dropped in to the ECU site to follow the progress and journey of the jammers taking up the challenge, in a special two part story this week.

You can find all the games that were created this weekend at Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University below, featuring videos and download links so you can play at home. Amazing work that was very impressively created in just 48 hours. The games will also be featured at Playup Perth on the 26th of February 2016 where you can play the games with the developers. Tickets are $10 or $7 for FTI Members, and this is an 18+ event.

ECU: http://globalgamejam.org/2016/jam-sites/lets-make-games-ggj-perth-ecu-north/games

Murdoch: http://globalgamejam.org/2016/jam-sites/lets-make-games-ggj-perth-murdoch-south/games

We also looked at when games fail. Developers of the game Ant Simulator went online this week to share their grievances about the failure of the development process. We look at when games flop and what happens in the aftermath of some high profile implosions.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store