Yes, I’m still alive and tinkering, despite not having posted anything here for six months. There will be many more posts in 2022. But as per tradition, here’s the “state of the Scratch” address that goes over what was accomplished (however little it might have been) in the past year.
After over 5 years of development, longing, and self-loathing, my 3rd indie game “True King (prototype) – Heir To The Resurrection” has released on May 3, 2021. It’s not complete, but released.
I’ve also re-released “Drew and the Floating Labyrinth” and “Unfinished – An Artist’s Lament” on Itch.io, now hosting all 3 projects. I’ve also just finished updating the websites for the 3 games, plus this main blog site, to convey the new links and information. On Itch, the game pages are collectively getting over 100 views on each of the two first days so far… even if it doesn’t correlate to sales, and even if the release of “True King” is false, it feels good to see this. I feel like “I’m back in the game,” if only temporarily.
The past couple of weeks also saw the conclusion of multiple long-term projects in my real full-time job. Later this week, I’ll get the 2nd vaccine, and will join a community that slowly comes together again. In a few months, I plan to upgrade my 8-years-old development PC, and begin work on new projects and ideas. And I’m cautiously hopeful that the Canada border will reopen any month now, as I slowly make future plans for this time next year.
“True King” still has work to do. I’ll do my best for a couple months longer. Or I might not. But for now, I rest. A rest I’ve long looked forward to, entering into a season of many restorations for my soul, hopefully recharging me for new ambitions by the Fall. Those ambitions will have to wait… for now, I rest…
About a year ago, I posted about an attempt to run a gaming event in Michigan. It was canceled at the last minute, but it’s trying again this year as “GLGX” (Great Lakes Game Expo) on February 18 – 21, 2021. And it’s online only, so it won’t be canceled! Nothing stops the Internet!
GLGX Event Logo. Post it everywhere!
The title of this blog post might be the most click-bait-y one I’ve ever written.
My friends know I’m old-fashioned, and don’t like where trends in general have gone in my industry. I don’t like “software-as-a-service,” where a user has to pay a monthly subscription regardless to how frequently the thing was used that month, forcing updates when the user least wants it, and creating a never-ending job of growing complexity to the developer. I don’t like my things being put in the “cloud” to access anywhere, where anyone could access it anywhere, and where there isn’t a tangible, single place where it’s stored and secure.
But I admit “cloud-gaming” is most certainly the future, and that it has benefits. I think it’ll take over, not because of those benefits, but because of the way games are today.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve come to appreciate the value of story in games from a different perspective.
I’m not writing this blog post to argue what aspect of a game is more important. Of course, gameplay is what makes a game a game, even though many game experiences don’t have gameplay at all, and even though the measurement of “fun” is still debated among critics. My games focus on visual design first, for that’s the first thing most people see in screenshots and video, and if a game doesn’t look good or unique, then really, what’s the point of making it for pubic release against a sea of millions of other games? Music is the most elemental way to create emotional ties and memories, and can make a game more accessible when designed the right way. And story gives the player context, and gives them reason to press forward, to play for just a few minutes longer.
But these are common observations from a player’s perspective. What about from a developer’s perspective?
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