Hello! Hope you've been enjoying the Patreon content for May. Here's the biggun: the reading list. Enjoy 30-odd handpicked articles and videos that I know you'll enjoy.
Top Pick
[Watch | CC | 26 mins] The Fall of 76 - The release of Fallout 76 is truly a spectacular disaster. From bugs that boot you into someone else’s character, to broken microtransacti...
2019-05-27 12:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostHello there!
This sit he first episode in a new (limited) monthly series, for $5 Patreon backers, about how to edit a video for YouTube, in Adobe Premiere.
In this first episode, we're starting with the absolute basics: how to start your project, how to get audio and video onto your timeline, and how to do basic effects, animations, and transitions.
For the next few months there will be new videos on different techniques, like masks, motion graphics, and nests!
Hope yo...
2019-05-23 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostHello everyone! Wanted you to be the first to know that the GMTK Game Jam for 2019 has a date. It kicks off August 2nd, 2019. Sign up here!
I've made a short video to announce it - and there's a new logo for the jam, to boot. I wanted a logo that represents that making a game is about way more than typing code, so the handwritten "jam" represents creativity and art.
And the red represents Strawberry jam! That's ...
2019-05-21 13:08:11 +0000 UTC View Post
There was good reason to be excited about Rage 2. The game’s made in collaboration between id Software - makers of the bombastic shooter DOOM - and Avalanche Studios - the smart Swedes behind the joyful Just Cause games.
So an open world shooter with the playground destruction of Just Cause and the sizzling shooting of DOOM sounds pretty good, right?
Sadly for us, Rage 2 doesn’t meet either of those goals - with a lifeless map to trawl through, and shooter mechanic...
2019-05-20 14:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostHello! Okay, time for something a bit different.
Making a game is hard. Marketing that game can be even harder. A big part of this is making a really powerful, well-paced, and effective trailer. So I thought... why not make a video about it?
I watched tonnes and tonnes of trailers; read, watch, and listened to everything I could from the best trailer makers around; and analysed lots of trailers to provide the best advice I could.
This was a really interesting / weird v...
2019-05-16 14:51:57 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello!
So, if you didn't know, your Patreon support gives you access to the GMTK Discord, where likeminded individuals chat about game design, game dev, cat memes, and Detective Pikachu spoilers.
We (that's me and the mods) want it to be the best possible place to hang out, so uber mod SlamBamActionMan (I know, I know) has made a survey. It's got a handful of questions about the Discord with the aim of improving the entire experience.
If you've got a few minutes,...
2019-05-13 17:00:38 +0000 UTC View PostWhen I do a video about a big new topic, like balance, systemic design, or cameras, I inevitably end up learning a bunch of stuff that doesn’t make it into the video. When I researched AI, I learned about finite state machines, behaviour trees, blackboards, and more - but didn’t use any of it in the video.
The reason I leave that stuff out is because I feel like my explanation is going to hit a rather pointless middle ground. It’s a bit too techy and complex for the average gamer,...
2019-05-11 10:29:58 +0000 UTC View Post
One of the challenges of following a YouTube creator from Great Britain* is navigating the bizarre cultural quirks that are unique to our tiny, soggy island.
I often get YouTube comments, Tweets, and Discord messages from people who are utterly baffled by some of the words, phrases, and idioms I use on a daily basis. I say things that you’d never hear outside the UK, like “utterly baffled”.
So I thought it was time to clarify some of the terms I personally use, to help you f...
2019-05-10 14:37:51 +0000 UTC View PostChoosing a camera for a 3D game is a huge challenge, because cameras can serve gameplay and aesthetic goals at the same time. What happens when these goals clash?
I'm off to Sweden today for a talk and a quick break. But didn't want to go without giving you a new video! Enjoy!
Mark
2019-05-07 15:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostWarning: this video is a bit of a downer. Turns out I played lots of games in April that I didn't really connect with. So prepare for salt and tune in!
2019-04-29 12:43:17 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey Patreon people! Got a bunch of articles and videos for you. I’ve mostly been watching GDC talks (got some great research for future videos) but found time to read and recommend this lot for you.
Top Pick
[Watch | CC | 4 mins] I Drove My Childhood Favorite Racing Game In Real Life - Tom Scott rents a car in Canada and drives down the roads that inspir...
2019-04-26 19:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
So, I like to stream games every now and again. I get to show off something new, or something I love, or just joke around and show a different side to my personality than the usual stuffy academic Mark you get in the videos.
But one thing that annoys me about streaming is that I can't capture the footage. You can't really stream and record at the same time (Elgato does have a card that can do this but it's hella expensive and only works on PC), and I can't use the livestream recor...
2019-04-26 17:03:39 +0000 UTC View PostAfter making that bumper balancing video, I wanted to make something a little smaller, a bit different, and a lot easier. So here's a video on a weirdo Halo spin-off!
Halo 3: ODST was a bold move for Bungie. A non-linear and open world Halo game, with a melancholic vibe and without Master Chief. In some ways it was wonderfully clever, in other ways it fell on its face. Let’s explore the highs and lows of this forgotten game.
Cheers, and enjoy!
Mark<...
2019-04-24 12:24:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Something I take very seriously at GMTK, is capturing high quality footage of games. I want my videos to be top quality and consistent, and I want to show off games in the best possible light.
But that’s harder than it sounds, and there are lots of considerations to think about.
Modern Day Games
Kirby Star Allies, captured from Nintendo Switch
Hello!
I've been wanting to make a video about balancing multiplayer games for a while. I think this is a really interesting topic, and yet there's not much information out there. Especially on YouTube - there's a few design-y videos, but nothing that explains the nuts-and-bolts of balance.
If you're immersed in the multiplayer scene this might be a bit basic, but I hope it will prove interesting to those who are less experienced. I know that I learned a lot about balance wh...
2019-04-10 13:05:28 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello!
I’m so excited to let you know that yesterday, I asked my best friend to marry me. And she said yes!
I managed to surprise her with both the proposal and a surprise engagement party with her friends. The whole day was a bit of a blur, but it was wonderful.
I couldn’t be happier. I’ve talked on here before about struggles with work / life balance and everything - but, unbelievably, it’s all coming together.
New video should be with...
2019-04-07 08:51:50 +0000 UTC View PostA bunch of games to talk about this month. Let's jump to it!
2019-03-28 13:19:58 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello! I’ve been a busy bee this month. Working hard on a big two part video, did a talk in Manchester, doing a secret project, had a quick holiday, and more!
But I found plenty of time to watch videos and read articles. Here are the 30-odd I liked the most.
Top pick
[Watch] Can I stop Fortnite from stealing my dance move? - The ever brilliant People Make G...
2019-03-27 13:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello early access lovelies!
So, I've been working on a really difficult project lately. I've been wanting to make a primer about multiplayer game balance for a while now, but it's been a really tough subject to tackle!
If balancing a game was easy, there wouldn't be a million Reddit threads about how overpowered your favourite character is! It's a complex, ever-evolving, near impossible problem to solve.
I've been working with lots of smart people who have been helpin...
2019-03-25 15:47:30 +0000 UTC View PostHello! Continuing my analysis of Metroidvania games, here's a big dog: Metroid Prime. And I've got a bone to pick with this game! It's awesome, but I think we can learn as much from its mistakes as its successes.
2019-03-13 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello Patreon peoples. I haven't done a Q&A for a while, so I thought it was high time I opened myself up for a little quzzin'.
Ask me anything you like and I'll answer as many of them as possible. Ask about making videos, about design stuff, about running a business, about what I ate for breakfast this morning (spoiler: Coco Pops).
Not sure if I'll do it as text or a video. Might make sense for me to write the answers out while travelling, or something.
Without further ...
2019-03-13 07:43:37 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey!
So, it's been a while since I promoted the GMTK Discord channel. So let me remind you about it.
Discord, if you don't know, is a chat room app where likeminded people can get together to talk about stuff and share cat pictures.
You can make an account here (it's free!) and then connect your Discord account to your Pat... 2019-03-06 17:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
I recently got super obsessed with Slay the Spire, and I wanted to delve into the thing that made this game so addictive: synergies. The video will be live for everyone tomorrow.
Slay the Spire was actually our Game Club game on Discord. Every month we pick a game, play it, and talk about it. Come join in! Just hook up your Discord account to your Patreon account to get access.
Cheers!
Mark
2019-03-03 11:20:41 +0000 UTC View PostHello you lovely lot. This is Playlist, a super special Patreon exclusive show where I talk about the games I’ve been playing in the past 30-odd days. I’ve got a script this time, so it should be way less rambly than last month’s video!
Anyway. Let’s just jump right in.
Crackdown 3
Okay, so Crackdown 3.
Now the original Crackdown was an abs...
2019-02-28 11:55:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello, you beautiful people!
Oh man, yesterday was lovely. It was the hottest February on record in the UK. And while that's probably a terrifying consequence of the climate change that threatens to destroy our planet and kill us all - it was sure was nice out!!!
So I'm in the mood to sit under a shady tree and read some articles about game design. And also films and seat belts and Dungeons and Dragons. Join me, won't you?
Top Pick
It’s now been two months since I quit Twitter.
I’ve known for a while now that my use of Twitter wasn’t very healthy. Like pretty much everyone, I was addicted to my smartphone and could spend hours glued to Twitter. I wasn’t happy with how much time I was spending (and, for the most part, wasting) on the platform.
But on top of that, I realised that I was no longer enjoying the app. What used to be a fun place to drop jokes and start conversations was now a place of argum...
2019-02-26 20:48:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello!
Today I released one of the most ambitious videos I’ve done in a long time: a chunky 20 minute deep dive into a single Hitman level, complete with loads of graphics, different maps, an interview with the designers, and almost 100% unique footage.
So let me tell you some stuff about how this video was put together.
Set up
Back in November, a PR firm asked me if I wanted a free copy of Hitman 2. I said yes*. And then I suggested that...
2019-02-19 16:30:01 +0000 UTC View PostI had a really good conversation with Jakob and Eskil from IO Interactive about making Hitman 2 levels.
There's lots that didn't make it into the final episode, but Patrons can watch the whole thing. The guys talk about encouraging people to play Hitman in a certain way, about the various challenges of making games, and more.
I'll continue to post full interviews when I do more chats with developers going forward.
2019-02-18 16:16:00 +0000 UTC View PostHey! Here's a sneak peek at the new video, going live next week. I'm going to release the full interview with IO Interactive on Patreon and some behind the scenes stuff on the editing when the episode goes live.
Lemme know what you think!
Mark
2019-02-15 16:06:26 +0000 UTC View PostHey! After a short break, Designing for Disability is finally back - with the final episode of my four-part set. This one's on cognitive disabilities, such as dyslexia, epilepsy, and learning difficulties.
Out for everyone tomorrow!
Mark
2019-02-06 13:51:32 +0000 UTC View Post