Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

#179Anarchitects!Nice Games Jam2020.06.16Two architects of wildly different philosophies share an office space and compete to influence the design of their client's latest project. It's an excellent sitcom premise, but it's also the subject of our latest Nice Games Jam!Photo Credit: Ian Samkov on PexelsNewsItch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality ends with a stunning $8.1m raise… - Wesley Yin-Poole, EurogamerFor a major Star Trek fan like Mark, this episode is a rather special, if unusual, milestone. When Star Trek: The Next Generation's episode count surpassed the original Star Trek in its 80th episode, it paid homage by including a subtle reference to the 79th (and final) episode of that series. As Star Trek: The Next Generation itself ran for 178 episodes, it felt fitting to make reference to that bit of TV trivia in this episode, our 179th.MURAL - Online CollaborationList of architectural styles - WikipediaBlack Lives MatterBlack Game Developers directoryThe #drawingwhileblack directory - Abelle HayfordJustice for Breonna Taylor - gofundmePrompt"Make a 2D fighter with no combat."Game typeDesign documentPlayer count2Rules

#182"I will not threaten you with a noogie."Roundtable2020.07.10Guest host Charles McGregor starts the episode by getting REVENGE. The group talks a bit about the state of the growing "serious games" industry and what it's like to work alongside family members. Also, Stephen does a good transition, and... no one mentions Star Trek?!In his intro speech, Charles references episode #37:"Ugly and hard to use."The last days of Mixer - Mikhail Klimentov, The Washington PostTwitch Reckons with Sexual Assault as it Begins Permanently Suspending Streamers - Jacob Kastrenakes, The VergeTwitch bans popular streamer Dr Disrespect - Michael McWhertor, PolygonTwitch temporarily bans President Trump - Jacob Kastrenakes, The VergeSerious Play Conference 20200:16:00Ellen Burns-JohnsonEventsSerious Play Conference Home PageSerious Play Conference ScheduleNew Metaari Forecast for Worldwide 2020-2025 Game-Based Learning Market Shows N… - Serious Play WireStop & Think: Teaching Players About Media Manipulation in Headliner - GDC, YouTubeMDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research (PDF) - Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, Robert Zubek, Northwestern UniversityMDA Framework  - Wikipedia5 Reasons Why Game-Based Learning Should Matter to Organizations - Karl Kapp, Allen InteractionsGamification vs Games-Based Learning: What’s the Difference? - Halden Ingwersen, Capterra BlogWorking with Family0:42:09Stephen McGregorIRLMark mentioned the Nice Games Jam episode that started Reravel (#157):Reravel: A Backwards Storytelling GameEllen and Eric took blacksmithing at the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center

#155Agile DevelopmentInterview2019.11.05This week's episode was edited by our social media manager (and Mark's wife) Dale LaCroix. Big thanks to her for stepping in while Mark was busy being crushed under the weight of prepping Widget Satchel for release later this month!With Mark still away, Ellen returns to in the clubhouse for another episode! This week, she invited her husband, strategy consultant / Agile coach / Scrum Master Eric Johnson, to discuss Agile Development and iterative workflows.Agile DevelopmentProductionWhy people still believe in the Waterfall model - Tarmo ToikkanenAn Agile Approach to Launching the Nordstrom Sunglass Application - Nicoli Sinclair, Temple University

#175"Kapow?"Roundtable2020.05.19Your nice hosts talk big picture and get deep into the weeds this week. Mark runs Flash at 60fps on the Switch, Ellen makes a Star Trek reference, and Stephen wants more games that aren't fun.Hey you! If you're porting a project, whether it's just to a new Unity build target, or to a whole new codebase, we want to hear about it! contact@noblerobot.com or @NiceGamesClub.GDC’s summer event will be digital only - Megan Farokhmanesh, The VergeNeat things that Star Trek Online did with Star Trek lore - Eliot Lefebvre, Massively OverpoweredFun in Games0:11:09Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignAssassin’s Creed Valhalla Is Bringing Back The Instakill Hidden Blade, In A Sig… - Stephen Totilo, KotakuAssassin’s Creed Odyssey Developers Say Breaking Series Traditions Made For A B… - Stephen Totilo, Kotaku15 things you can do to make Breath of the Wild feel new again - Patricia Hernandez, PolygonRaph Koster's Theory of Fun, ten years on - Leigh Alexander, Game DeveloperSolaris (1972) - trailerPorting Your Game0:44:11Mark LaCroixHardwareProgrammingYour Indie Game on Console: A Practical Guide to Porting - Thomas O'Connor, GDCOUYA works with Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers - Rik Henderson, Pocket-lintMicrosoft Windows Astoria bridge for Android is dead - Jan Vermeulen, MyBroadbandHaxe (programming langauge) - WikipediaPost-Mortem on Transitioning from Flash to Haxe - Doug Pearson, GameDaily ConnectC-- (programming language) - WikipediaIntroduction to OpenFL - HaxeFlixel documentationEpic Games' Unreal Engine Heads To Flash - Kris Graft, Game DeveloperAdobe Flash Player Export in Unity 4.0 - Ralph Hauwert, UnitySunsetting Flash - David Helgason, UnityDevelopment of Duke Nukem Forever - Wikipedia

This wasn't a normal year, so in addition to your nice hosts' annual tradition of celebrating the year's "Nicest," and looking forward to the games and the gamedev in the coming year, we do another pandemic check-in, and reflect on the how the show has been one of the stabilizing forces in our lives. PLUS: We reveal this year's hiatus project!0:20:56Local Releases (2020)HyperDotElemetalsWidget Satchel (in Japan)Color Jumper (on Switch)Death Drives a BusAstral Gunners (in Early Access)Flailure0:32:46Nicest (2020)Ellen:Ellen played 2019's Baba Is You on Switch this year.Ellen played 2019's Borderlands 3 at the beginning on the pandemic.Ellen is staring down the HUGE pile of games from 2020's Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality.Mark:One of Mark's Nicest was "new consoles," which we talked about in:"Not like Beauty and the Beast."Paper Mario: The Origami King is a laugh-out-loud funny RPG on the SwitchAndrew WebsterPolygonStephen:Civilization VI didn't come out in 2020, but with all the new content, it sometimes feels like it!Nioh 20:48:39Most Anticipated (for 2021) Ellen:EndlingThe MediumBoyfriend Dungeon Mark:Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartAway: The Survival SeriesStephen:Baldur’s Gate 3Deathloop1:01:29Gamedev Resolutions (for 2021)1:12:17What We're Working On (in 2021)

Everybody's favorite nice host emeritus, Martha Megarry, returns once again to the program to talk with Stephen about 4X games, Ellen delivers a book report, and Mark is disadvantaged as a player.0:05:084X GamesWhat Makes a 4X Game"Micah ""Marlowe"" Dutro"ExplorminateWelcome to CivAnon2KYouTubeThe Best Scenarios in Civilization 6Sam WoodrickGameRant'Civilization' and Strategy Games' Progress DelusionGabriel SoaresViceColonialism is Fun? Sid Meier’s Civilization and the Gamification of ImperialismNick PullenImperial & Global Forum0:40:44Actionable Gamification by Yu-kai ChouYu-kai Chou: Gamification & Behavioral DesignOur evil counterparts went deep on Gamer Motivation Profiles in thier first takeover of the show:Evil Games Club! Bartle’s Player Types for Gamification"Janaki Mythily Kumar, Mario Herger, and Rikke Friis Dam "Interaction Design FoundationThe 4 Keys to FunNicole LazzaroXEODesignDid eBay Just Prove That Paid Search Ads Don’t Work?Ray FismanHarvard Business Review

We have some familiar guests this week! The Korth family (Andy, Beth, and Gabe) join us in the clubhouse to talk about the ways they play games together. Are there games that adults and four-year-olds alike can play together and enjoy? Sure! We talk about flexibility, rules, consent, "PBP," and what gamedevs should think about if they want to "toot around in the kid zone." Also, have you heard of a game called Minecraft? Families in GamesGamingThe first time the Korths were on the show was Episode #2!Steam GreenlightThe second time the Korths were on the show was about a hundred episodes ago.Code Comment: "Verdant Skies"And the most recent appearance from the Korths was Episode #132.Narrative Design HermitCraft (Minecraft streamer)RobloxSpelunxInto the BreachRobotronEarly Childhood Family Education (ECFE) for Minnesota

Ellen recently gave an engaging and informative presentation at igdatc's monthly Gamedev Meeting! Plus: audience participation, bad passwords, and (if you stick around) a second dog!Also, please enjoy Mark transposing the letters "G" and "D" in "IGDA" each time he says it. He will never learn.International Game Developers Association, Twin CitiesWatch other past igdatc meetings on YouTubeTips for Designing Games for Learningigdatc's Gamedev Meeting for November 2020, cued up to the start of Ellen's presentation.

Holly extends her stay for another week to help your nice hosts interview Tiffany Otto, freshly sprung from government-mandated quarantine to bring her "slimy" wisdom and experience into the clubhouse.Tiffany, the Director of Partnerships for IndieCade, is over-indexed in business, but she wants to raise the index for everyone. If preparing pitch decks, scheduling business meetings, and networking with your peers seems daunting, you won't want to miss this one. Just be sure to stick around for Ellen to swoop in at the end to button it all up.Business SpeakEventsIRLMarketingWhat It’s Like to Be Quarantined on an Island Over Coronavirus Fears - Isabella Kwai, The New York TimesIndieCade's "Playing TogethAR Showcase"Mark talked about his expereince going to IndieCade in the very first episode of the show:"We in this."Seven Touches – A Basic Marketing Principle in Action - LisaMarie Dias, CompuKolHere's how to reduce friction in sales - George Brontén, MembrainUnderstanding Indie Publishers - Callum Underwood, YouTubeHow to Pitch to Raw FuryChunking (psychology) - WikipediaHomeTeam GameDevFrom Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side - Alison King, College Teaching

Holly Harrison is back in the clubhouse as Guest Host for a wide-ranging discussion on new consoles, fail states, and worldbuilding. Stephen gives a weird example, Mark makes a funny noise, and Holly invites us to Join Lobby. Plus, we only mention Star Trek once!Join Lobby - Video Game Culture Feed - Holly Harrison, TwitterBugsnax is Dale's current game of choiceUbisoft’s toxic culture problems allegedly span more than a decade of abuse - Megan Farokhmanesh, The Verge"My dad gives his initial impressions on the PlayStation 5" - Josh Du, TwitterWhy Cheaper Next-Gen Gaming is Key to Growing the Games Industry - Alysia Judge, IGN Mark found a way to hide his PS5 on a bookshelf.Stephen and Charles mentioned they have a "secret Target" for console releasesGDC 2017 Special (Part 2)Target reopens E. Lake Street store heavily damaged in riots - Dee DePass, Star Tribune32:28Fail StatesShadow Complex (2009)Wikipedia57:08Worldbuilding"Queer identity in Watch Dogs: Legion should be more than flavor text"Carolyn PetitPolygon