GMTK Insider (October 2018) (Patreon)

Hello! Here’s what I’ve been up to since we last spoke.

Videos in review

Does Spidey's Web-Swinging 'Make You Feel Like Spider-Man'? 

So this one is interesting, and I wasn’t really expecting the comments that I got!

The majority of the (negative) comments basically boiled down to: “sure, the web swinging is pretty simple, but I never wanted complexity. I just wanted an easy way to get around the city, so I could quickly get to the main event: fighting criminals.”

And this caught me by surprise! Because to me, fighting criminals is the most boring thing a game can be about - there are trillions of titles that already do that. But swinging around a city, attached by spiderweb grappling hooks? Boy, that’s a good concept for a game! And it felt obvious that this is what the game should be about. 

But I guess many disagree. And because I didn’t really consider this viewpoint fully, I wasn’t able to address and argue some salient points. Like comparing Spider-Man web swinging to walking or driving in another open world game. Or having multiple levels of depth for players who do and don’t care about exploring this side of the mechanics. Or Peter Parker being 7 years in as Spider-Man, and thus should find swinging easy.

And I may have also committed the biggest crime of games reviewing: reviewing what I wanted the game to be, not what the game actually was. Though, this isn’t exactly a review by typical definitions. 

So it’s not like I don’t stand by my point, I just could have made it better and been ready to counteract some more obvious arguments if I could have anticipated what gamers would be thinking about this title.

And this comes from, I believe, my changing perspective on games. Certain things that “typical gamers” (if they exist) really like - 100 hour games, detailed stories, violent combat - don’t work for me anymore. I like short and to-the-point games, I find most stories in games pale in comparison to other mediums, and I’ve shot and stabbed enough virtual people for seven virtual lifetimes.

I’m okay with this! Plenty of people will have a similar relationship to games as me, and I’m not going to change my opinion to match some “typical gamer” outlook. But I need to do better to make sure people know where I’m coming from, and make sure I always consider other viewpoints - if only to meet their arguments in the video itself, instead of the comments section.

Making Games Better for Players with Motor Disabilities

This series has had a fantastic reception. I’ve had so many studios - indie and otherwise - say that they are sharing these videos around their employees, and want to use the lessons in future games. That includes places like id Software, who messed up their colourblind option in Doom 2016. Here’s hoping Doom Eternal does better.

There’s not much to say about this one. I’m glad I got to mention the Adaptive Controller, and it’s interesting that a number of games I’ve used as examples like Spider-Man and Shadow of the Tomb Raider and God of War, are such recent releases. We really are seeing accessibility become a bigger thing in games, and thats superb.

Oh, and I also got lots of help on this video from a number of gamers with motor disabilities, and disability advocates. Couldn’t do it without them.

How Mega Man 11's Levels Do More With Less

Finally, it’s Mega Man 11. 

I enjoyed the game and its level design, though, so was keen to make this video. And decided to try out some new editing techniques I’ve been toying with to make it look a bit more flashy. Hopefully it doesn’t distract, and actually helps you visualise where different things occur throughout the level.

The main thing I’ll remember about this video is how it took about 10 hours to render out the final video. Holy moly Premiere didn’t like those effects very much. Luckily, the viewers did. Got a great response to this one!

Sneak Peek

What’s coming next for GMTK? Well, let me split this into sections.

The rest of 2018

I’m taking a break at the end of this month, to play Red Dead 2 and recharge my batteries. Then I’m planning on making a couple videos in November: the final episode of Designing for Disability, on cognitive disabilities. And a wrap-up piece about why people should bother with accessibility.

I want to tackle some common myths, talk about cost and console cert, talk about balancing accessibility with intended experience, and make the case for spending time and money on these options. 

Then, every December I have a couple videos I like to make. A top 5 list of some kind, wrapping up cool games from that year. And a final video, where I break down the most innovative game of the year. I’ve got some plans for 2018, but nothing concrete yet for that final video. I definitely have some more titles to try.

Coming 2019

So, I’ve got lots of plans for 2019! 

Boss Keys will be back, with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. I’ve finished playing the game, and now need to go back through with an analytical eye and a map! This game is quite different to Metroid, so it should provide some really good lessons.

Beyond that, I will be tackling a number of other Metroidvanias: definitely Metroid Prime 1 and 2, potentially some of the handheld Castlevania games, and definitely at least two indie Metroidvanias. Then, I will wrap them up in a GMTK episode and leave Boss Keys behind for good!

Well, not for good. I look forward to bringing the series out of retirement when new Zelda, Metroid, and other such games come out. But I want to move onto other series! 

Such as: a series on multiplayer balance! I’d love to do a series of videos about the basics of balancing games. Tackle everything from “what is balance, anyway?” to symmetry vs asymmetry, counter play (aka every gamer is rock, paper, scissors), information, luck, the meta, and so on.

One thing I’d like to do with this series is hook up with someone much more knowledgeable than me. I’ve really appreciated having some people on designing for disability who have been able to read through my scripts and provide feedback, fix inaccuracies, and note missed opportunities. If you’ve got some experience in multiplayer balancing and would have time to read a few scripts in 2019, do let me know. We can talk appropriate recompense, too.

Another series I want to do is one that looks at really influential games. Games like Elite, Diablo, Half Life, Grand Theft Auto 3, Wizardry, and so on. What did these games do? What games did they influence? And where did they take influence, themselves?

These games are sometimes too old and janky to go back to ourselves, but they’re massively important - so let me do the hard work, and tell you why they have such a place in gaming history. 

Other that that, I will also have lots of normal episodes next year.

One video I definitely need to make is about games that have gone away from the “Little Dotted Line” I talked about back in 2015. In the intervening years we’ve had games like BOTW, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and now Red Dead 2 that have brought back player-driven navigation. So I definitely need to revisit that topic! 

Beyond Videos

I don’t just do videos! I like doing new things, and working with other people on projects.

So I month I went to London to talk to the BBC about open world design, for a show about Red Dead Redemption 2. You'll need to be in the UK to watch it, I imagine. 

Also, Polygon asked me to write about the death animations in the new Tomb Raider trilogy. I find them really gross and don’t think they fit the games at all. It was really cool to get tweets from people who actually worked on the games, who agreed with my article! 

I’ve also been asked by a big website to do a piece on accessibility. That should go live in November.

It’s not lost on me that I - a person with no real disabilities - have found opportunities and employment by writing about accessibility in games. For this reason, to coincide with this article’s release and the launch of the final episode of designing for disability, I will be donating to the major gaming charities. Watch this space! 

I’ve got more talks planned for the coming months. Two huge game studios in the US have invited me out, so I’m talking to them at the moment. I’m also talking at AdventureX next month, I’m potentially doing a talk on accessibility in games in London, and might be back at YouTube to talk about Patreon again, with a fresh group of creators.

Also I’m getting my haircut on the 15th of November. Sorry, was just looking at my calendar to refresh my memory of what I’m up to in the coming weeks. 

Thanks for watching and reading. I’m off for a break. See you soon!