Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

Two 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

In this extra big, beefy, and somewhat late episode, your nice hosts talk about recent events and share some personal thoughts on anti-black racism, police violence, and white privilege. Also, Mark is a smart animator, Stephen makes us feel the space and the place, and Ellen doesn’t want to live on the planet Zebes.Special: George Floyd, police violence, protestsOfficial George Floyd Memorial FundWe Love Lake StreetBlack Visions CollectiveBlack Table ArtsReclaim the BlockSince we recorded this episode, Itch launched a massive bundle of over 1500 titles (including Widget Satchel and other Minneapolis-made games), whose proceeds will be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Community Bail Fund.MetaWidget Satchel is out in Japan! Well, technically it's Widget Satchel ~Ferret's Treasure~.Keep an eye on igdatc for upcoming virtual playtesting sessions using Parsec.0:27:00AnimationRealtime Procedurally Animated SpidersYouTubeResearch: How Virtual Reality Can Help Train SurgeonsGideon BlumsteinHarvard Business ReviewThe Animator's Survival Kit (Expanded Edition)Richard E. Williams1:02:00Establishing a Sense of PlaceDoes Russia have McDonald’s? Yes, McD's has been there for 30 years.What Spider-Man PS4 gets right (and wrong) about New York CitySimone de RochefortPolygon

This week on the program, Ellen sings along, Mark sings praise, and Stephen sings the gospel of Stephenism.DONATE!Official George Floyd Memorial FundWe Love Lake StreetBlack Visions CollectiveBlack Table ArtsReclaim the BlockMeta notes:PlayDateWhy the quirky Playdate portable could succeed where Ouya failed - Kyle Orland, Ars Technica"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" To Be More Optimistic And Episodic, Says Co-Cre… - TrekMovie0:24:37LeadershipGaming can make a better worldJane McGonigalTEDTetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown reviewJames SmartThe GuardianSakurai Battled Through Health Issues With An IV Drip During Smash Ultimate Dev…Ryan CraddockNintendo LifeFormer Nintendo chief Reggie Fils-Aimé joins new podcast to raise funds for hom…Gene ParkThe Washington PostGodot Engine was awarded an Epic MegaGrantJuan LinietskyGodotTrain Jam perfectly captures the magic of both traveling and game dev Katherine CrossGame Developer0:59:56PricingMassively Overthinking: Are modern games too cheap?Bree RoyceMassively OverpoweredHere's the reason most new console video games cost $60Michelle Yan and Ben GilbertBusiness InsiderDevelopers Cash In By Selling Their Switch Games For PenniesStephen J. BronnerKotaku

Your nice hosts interview Ryan Sumo, Art Director and CEO of Squeaky Wheel Studio, an independent developer and publisher based in the Philippines. Topics include community building, conferences, becoming a publisher through serendipity, and the benefits of being transparent with your development practices. Plus jokes!Gamedev in the PhilippinesMisc.The Top 50 mobile games of 2006 - Stuart Dredge, Pocket GamerSpacechem - SteamGDAP (Game Developers Association of the Philippines)IGDA Philippines ManilaESGS conference on InstagramBit Summit conference (Japan)Level Up conference (Kuala Lumpur)Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder  - SteamRyan's posts on Gamasutra - Ryan Sumo, Game Developer

Your 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 Overpowered0:11:09Fun in GamesAssassin’s Creed Valhalla Is Bringing Back The Instakill Hidden Blade, In A Sig…Stephen TotiloKotakuAssassin’s Creed Odyssey Developers Say Breaking Series Traditions Made For A B…Stephen TotiloKotaku15 things you can do to make Breath of the Wild feel new againPatricia HernandezPolygonRaph Koster's Theory of Fun, ten years onLeigh AlexanderGame DeveloperSolaris (1972) - trailer0:44:11Porting Your GameYour Indie Game on Console: A Practical Guide to PortingThomas O'ConnorGDCOUYA works with Xbox 360 and PS3 controllersRik HendersonPocket-lintMicrosoft Windows Astoria bridge for Android is deadJan VermeulenMyBroadbandHaxe (programming langauge)WikipediaPost-Mortem on Transitioning from Flash to HaxeDoug PearsonGameDaily ConnectC-- (programming language)WikipediaIntroduction to OpenFLHaxeFlixel documentationEpic Games' Unreal Engine Heads To FlashKris GraftGame DeveloperAdobe Flash Player Export in Unity 4.0Ralph HauwertUnitySunsetting FlashDavid HelgasonUnityDevelopment of Duke Nukem ForeverWikipedia

Mark gets back to Metro Nexus, Stephen explores the strange land where in-game and real-world economics overlap, and Ellen makes sure we have good posture.Metro Nexus is running on the Switch!Global Games PitchIGDATC Widget Satchel Postmortem - igdatc0:11:20EconomiesCurrencies in Star Trek OnlineGamepediaHow Warframe built an ethical free-to-play economyBen KucheraPolygonI Am Not At All Relaxed by Animal CrossingCecilia D’AnastasioWired0:55:15ErgonomicsThe Gamer’s Guide to Ergonomics: Your Posture, Chair, Desk, Fingers and everyth…Matthew Hwu1HPYour posture is killing you: What gamers should know about ergonomicsRoman JakobVentureBeatHerman Miller Embody chairMark's very neat workspace."Kind of messy. Don't show my mom." ~ StephenEllen's workspace. Rustic. Dog.

Mark interviews Sébastien Deguy and Jérémie Noguer, the Vice President and Principal Product Manager of 3D & Immersive at Adobe, about developing Substance, the leading suite of tools for 3D texturing and material creation.In a wide-ranging discussion, your nice guests reveal what it's like joining a big ol’ company like Adobe, how to design a tool for multiple audiences, the difference between "black magic" and "white magic," and how COVID-19 is impacting their teams.They also share a peek into the future of licensing and subscriptions for Substance and Adobe's other 3D tools, and the reason they haven't been able to release a Blender plugin yet.Building SubstanceArtProductionToolsSubstance & 3D News Livestream (GDC 2020 Keynote) - GDC, YouTubeAdobe Announces Substance Designer and Painter Updates - Animation World Network

This week, it's Ellen's first rodeo as your permanent nice host, Stephen looks forward to watching someone else play The Last of Us Part II, and Mark is a bad VR person.Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:14:55Remakes:FFVII RemakePersona 5 RoyalSaints Row: IV - Re-ElectedDoom 64DelaysLast of Us Part IIIron Man VRMarvel’s AvengersHalf-Life: AlyxSwitch Lite (Coral)Bulletin topic (News)Timecode0:31:59EventsConfirming your nice hosts' suspicions, just after this episode was published, GDC announced that GDC Summer will be an online-only event.San Diego Comic-Con 2020 is officially canceled due to coronavirus - Tracy Brown, Los Angeles TimesMedia drama!Press Sneak Out - Jason Schreier, KotakuJason Schreier (and co-hosts) took his podcast to the Maximum Fun network.Two More Editors Depat G/O Media in Ongoing Exodus - Brandon Katz, ObserverVox Media Furloughs 9% of Staff for Three Months, Cuts Salaries and Benefits - Todd Spangler, VarietyValorantWhy Valorant’s anti-cheat system has to launch when your computer starts - Austen Goslin, PolygonRiot places $100,000 bounty on Valorant anti-cheat system bugs - Jordan Gerblick, GamesRadarValorant makes you watch before you play—that’ll change online games forever - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaHardware ShortagesResellers Using Checkout Bots Are Driving the Nintendo Switch Shortage - Joseph Cox, MotherboardNintendo Switch Is Sold Out Everywhere, So This Guy Built One Himself - Matthew Gault, VicePS5Sony Plans Limited PlayStation 5 Output in First Year - Takashi Mochizuki and Yuki Furukawa, BloombergPS5 controller, the DualSense, officially revealed - Connor Sheridan, GamesRadar

Martha has a big announcement, Mark tells the story of Babylon 5, and Stephen owes everyone a hug. Also, Ellen is back in the (distributed) clubhouse with her own big news!Stephen didn’t know what the word "Emeritus" means, so he put it in the notes: "Holding, after retirement, an honorary title corresponding to that held last during active service."In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, NPCs can be seen breaking character after you walk away from them (via Twitter).0:13:13Ending ProjectsDefinition of DoneAgile Alliance"A Work of Art Is Never Finished, Merely Abandoned"Quote InvestigatorAdam Savage On Why Mythbusters EndedB. Co Creative AgencyYouTubeHow Babylon 5 went from space opera to space junkBen GazurThe GuardianTHE INSTITUTE: a 2013 documentary filmThe Perplexing Final Chapter Of San Francisco’s Jejune InstituteRick PaulasThe Awl"How I Met Your Mother" Kids Kept Show's Ending Secret for 9 YearsBrian Anthony HernandezMashableThe reason Rebecca Sugar made Steven Universe Future, and why it’s the actual e…Tasha RobinsonPolygonRock Band Network Shutting Down After Four Years and Over 2,000 SongsEddie MakuchGameSpotProject management triangle (aka: "The Iron Triangle")Wikipedia1:11:55Starting ProjectsMark's "Noble Menu" system for Unity is available on Itch.io.

Ellen Burns-Johnson joins us once again in the virtual club house to discuss Redundancy and Arcades! Ellen teaches us about how we learn, Mark balances the game, Martha only plays the best character, and Stephen has a revelation.Photo Credit: Michelle Bruch, from this Southwest Journal Article about the Donutron0:13:01RedundancyThe Forgetting Curve hypothesis by Hermann EbbinghousWikipediaThe Distributed Practice learning strategyWikipedia0:50:39ArcadesWhy You Can't Call It a "Barcade"Brenna HouckEaterDino Dash Abdel ShahiedYouTubeThe 'Donutron' Arcade at Glam Doll Donuts in Minneapolis