"Star Fox Zero has a bizarre control scheme, seemingly made to justify the Wii U gamepad. In this deep dive critique, I look at what Nintendo and Platinum were trying to pull off and see where they succeeded - and where they failed."
A nice, chunky long one - only possible because of you guys. Thanks so much! All reward-y stuff coming this weekend.
2016-05-23 18:54:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello!
So Star Fox Zero's controls are weird. And reading interviews with Miyamoto, other members of Nintendo, and Platinum, just leaves me more confused.
In this deep dive critique I try and figure out what they were going for, where they succeeded, and where they failed.
Lemme know what you think!
2016-05-22 18:50:31 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello! Me again.
Thanks for your awesome questions this weekend. I answered them all in the video above - covering everything from Telltale to Monolith, Zelda to Broken Sword, gaming as treatment for depression and my writing process.
Couple notes: 1) sorry, but you may see some advertisements on this video. I got one of those automated copyright claims from a firm called Shogakukan for using 36 seconds of a Pokemon trailer and now they can make money off the whole thi...
2016-05-17 06:14:39 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey! Sorry to do another post on this topic and clog up your inbox once more, but I wanted to make sure everyone who offered feedback on the last post saw that I am listening!
So for starters, thanks for your comments. In hindsight I should have just come to you guys first.
While I've had some negative feedback, I'm going to keep the new ones. I personally like them, they really fit the remit of standing out at a small size, and views have already gone up so I think they're worki...
2016-05-16 13:02:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Thumbnails are important. And mine have been a bit crap.
They're okay at 1080p but no one ever seems them at the full size. They get shrunk down to tiny little icons on the YouTube homepage and recommended videos lists and Twitter and elsewhere.
And at that size they're dark, unreadable, and don't stick out.
So I took some time this weekend to redo the lot of them. Bold colours, big pictures, fewer words. I want them to stick out and yell HEY LISTEN! YOU SH...
2016-05-15 18:43:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey! I enjoyed answering your questions yesterday, so I'd like to do more! I've already got a few in the comments from the last post, which I'll save, and so drop more down below and I'll answer them all in one go.
Games, game design, my background, how I make videos, other stuff, my favourite dinosaur (spoiler: stegosaurus), etc. Ask away.
Mark
2016-05-13 07:23:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey. So I got a weird email from Patreon. "We asked your patrons which question they’d like you to answer most," they said. Which is a bit weird. Thanks, Patreon, I guess?
But hey, I'm not doing anything right now so I might as well answer these questions. Let's see...
38% - What’s something you really care about?
Okay, that's a bit vague. Well in terms of video games, I care about innovation. I'm always on the look out for games that are doing something ...
2016-05-12 20:19:56 +0000 UTC View Post
Ah, the video game controller. That bulky chunk of plastic - bristling with buttons and sticks and bumpers - allows us to interface with alien worlds, fantasy landscapes, and post-apocalyptic wastelands. But is the design of the traditional console controller limiting the sorts of experiences designers can offer?
Hello!
Phew, this one was a bit of a doozy. It's probably got more games than any other episode, loads of custom graphics, the script took forever to get right, etc.
It's all about how console games can be constrained by controllers - but how clever devs shun conventions to make rad stuff, and about how other types of controllers are opening up new possibilities for play.
Would love any feedback on the episode!
P.S. if the embed is being weird, please cl...
2016-05-09 05:38:25 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello! This month I've been immersed in Hyper Light Drifter, been pulling my hair out over Stephen's Sausage Roll, and more.
Hope you enjoy this bonus vid!
2016-05-01 08:44:16 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey everyone, as promised I've broken the reading list out into its own thing so both this and the newsletter can stretch their legs.
Each month I'm going to give you loads of recommendations of things to read and watch, including lots of takes on that month's big topic (this time: difficulty and Dark Souls), and advice for game designers from professional developers.
Death and Dying in Lothric
This month, it seemed like every critic around had to have...
2016-04-30 08:00:13 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello! I'm a bit early, but I wanted to stagger these updates a bit so I don't destroy your inbox at the end of every month. I'm also going to split the reading list off into its own post, on its own day, so this stops being so long.
Anyway, I hit loads of milestones this month - 400 patrons, $1,000 in pledges, 50,000 YouTube subscribers. It's nutso - thank you for all the support. Here's what I've been up to this month…
Post Script
It's the question that comes up every time FromSoftware releases a new action RPG - should Dark Souls come with an easy mode? To answer this question (sort of), we must first figure out why these games are so hard, and whether there are better ways to provide difficulty settings than a choice at the start of the game.
An innocuous question about adding an easy mode into Dark Souls lets us dive deep into how designers conjure up specific experiences, and how players can choose to set their own level of challenge.
2016-04-24 09:32:07 +0000 UTC View PostPatreon is awesome.
As traditional media continues to implode with advertorials, click bait headlines, and budget cuts, a whole new band of critics and creators are thriving on the generosity of their viewers.
Thanks to fan funding we can speak freely, tackle more interesting topics, and spend way, way, way too long polishing a video because screw deadlines, right?
I have been especially fortunate - receiving over 400 Patreons and $1000 per video (sort of, it's weird) ...
2016-04-22 06:48:58 +0000 UTC View Post
I've attended GDC twice as a member of the press, and I loved it both times. Great conversations, amazing people, and you see John Romero buying a coffee in Starbucks and you're just like "huh, it's John Romero".
But if you can't make it out to San Francisco for whatever reason, you're not left out: the GDC Vault offers a treasure trove of information on everything from design to AI to business to narrative - and a lot of it is available for free.
All of the talks from 2016 went ...
2016-04-13 19:27:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Woah, that's a ridiculous number. Thank you so much, and hi to all newcomers!
I'm working on some cool stuff exclusively for you guys - it will be ready soon.
2016-04-13 13:14:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Spelunky will always keep you guessing, by making a fresh set of 16 levels every time you play. In this episode we look at how creator Derek Yu strikes a balance between random and authored levels to make stages that always feel fun and fair - and why it's important that this game never gives you the same level twice.
Hey everyone!
I was so fascinated by Derek Yu's explanation of how a Spelunky level is generated (from his new book) that I just had to make a video that shows the process. Plus, think about why it was actually important to have randomly made stages.
Lemme know what you think!
Mark
2016-04-11 07:40:46 +0000 UTC View Post
HELLO! Here's your bonus video about cool games you might've missed from March.
What did you think of these games? And what cool stuff did you play this month? Please feel free to drop a comment below
I played quite a bit more Hitman after recording this video and I think I get it now. Still super curious to hear what you think about this weird mix of stealth game, highly systemic sandbox, highly scripted puzzler, and Mr Benn (deep pull for my British fans right there) 2016-03-31 07:25:54 +0000 UTC View Post
Hello! What a fabulous month it has been. I played some cool games, made some fun videos, popped to San Francisco for a bit, and made some big changes in my life.
So, keep this on the down low, but from May I will no longer be the editor of Pocket Gamer. I'll still do a few days a week there, but just writing guides and stuff. This change will give me more time and energy to devote to Game Maker's Toolkit.
If you're reading this: you did this. So thank you!
Games jour...
2016-03-31 07:15:19 +0000 UTC View Post
Cover-based shooter Vanquish comes from PlatinumGames - a developer best known for beat 'em ups like Bayonetta and MadWorld. In this video I look at how Vanquish borrowed the best elements of Platinum's brawlers to make a shooter with an extraordinary amount of depth and opportunity for mastery.
Hello super special Patreon people. You're the best. Yes, you. You're the best.
This episode is about a game I really love - Vanquish - and about how it borrowed the best bits of PlatinumGames's brawlers (like Bayonetta and MadWorld) to craft a shooter with an extraordinary amount of depth and opportunity for mastery
By the way, if you have any issue with how your name is shown in the credits at the end lemme know and I'll fix for next time.
Thanks so much fo...
2016-03-27 09:55:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Don't know about you guys around the world, but here in the UK we're having a four day weekend. And I know exactly what I'm doing...
Thanks to everyone who said hi at GDC. Was a fun show - wish I got to see more talks (was stuck in meetings most of the time) but, hey, that's what the vault is for.
Hello to all the newcomers, I've been blown away by your support these last few weeks. Some good announcements to come because of that.
Speak soon
Mark 2016-03-24 19:50:10 +0000 UTC View Post
For Jonathan Blow, a puzzle is never just a puzzle - it's a communication from the designer to the player about the game's universe. In this episode, I share the philosophy and design process of the brains behind Braid and The Witness.
Hello super special Patreons! Here is your exclusive preview of tomorrow's episode.
I wanted to make a video about designing puzzle games in general but Jonathan Blow has such a unique and interesting take on this - and his games feel quite different to other puzzlers - that I decided to focus on him entirely.
I'm sure I'll come back to awesome games like Portal and The Talos Principle in future.
Now, I need your help coming up with a title. I've got a few i...
2016-03-08 09:09:17 +0000 UTC View PostHello! Mark here. I wanted to update you lovely people on a few things.
Patreon is a weird nightmare of stress and anxiety but that's okay because it's fantastic and you're all lovely.
Creators don't really talk about this. Or maybe they do but I haven't been looking in the right place. Or maybe it's just me. But I wanted to let you know that having hundreds of people support you and give you money to make a thing is, to be blunt, super freaking weird.
Don't g...
2016-03-03 19:13:21 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey hey hey, here's your bonus video about cool indie games from February.
What did you think of these games? (Try and be considerate of spoilers re: Firewatch!) And what cool stuff did you play this month? Please feel free to drop a comment below
Thanks for making all this possible!
2016-02-29 09:48:40 +0000 UTC View Post
Hey everyone! Thanks for your support this month. Here's what I've been up to, and what's coming up over the horizon.
Post Script
Sadly, I was only able to produce one episode in February because of a nasty illness. Feeling good now and it's great to be back researching, editing, and playing. Anyway, here's how it came together.
This episode went th...
2016-02-28 12:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Games have been messing with morality for ages - but are karma systems and binary choices the best we can do? Inspired by Darkest Dungeon's neat twist on video game villainy, lets look at some indie games that make morality a central component of their design.
Thanks for your support in February - I was knocked out for a lot of it due to a nasty illness so this will be the only episode this month (naturally, that means you'll only pay for one!).
Patreon rewards will com...
2016-02-23 14:08:05 +0000 UTC View Post