Nice Games Club

The clubhouse A/C broke, and it got so hot during the recording of this episode that your nice hosts started to get a little delirious.But before they completely melted down, Mark talked about how Enemy AI can be a great tool for both level design and narrative design, Stephen collaborated on a discussion about co-op games, and Martha shared her excitement about the recently held Summer Games Done Quick speedrunning event.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread at r/gamedev!Stephen is on Twitter @leonyx03Some highlights from Mark's VR night!highlight 1highlight 2highlight 3 Enemy AI 0:03:00 Mark LaCroixGame DesignDesign Club - Super Mario Bros: Level 1-1 - How Super Mario Mastered Level Desi… - Extra Credits, YouTubeNobody dies on the first goomba - Sephzilla, Destructoid2007 AiGameDev.com Awards: Technical Innovation in Game AIEnemy design and enemy AI for melee combat systems - Bart Vos

In a previous episode, we mentioned that Mark's game, Metro Nexus, recently underwent a usability study, so for this episode, we brought in the Games User Researcher who conducted it, Hannah Murphy!Hannah talks about her work, explains the value of UX research for indie developers, and discusses the study she did for Metro Nexus.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev! Games User Research and Analytics UI / UXMetro Nexus User ResearchMetro Nexus Usability Report - Hannah MurphyMetro Nexus gameplay trailer video.Metro Nexus tutorial screen gif - TwitterLinkst for User ResearchIGDA Games User Research Special Interest GroupUX & QA Testing: What's the Difference? - Lindsay Lauters Miller, Game DeveloperMIT’s Game Lab’s list of recommended courses includes a few which are focused o…How to break into Games User Research - Steve BromleyList of UX degrees offered by universitiesBest Colleges with Hum

Martha brags about her computer, Mark finds yet another excuse to talk about Star Trek, and Stephen is still holding out hope for a Smash Bros. announcement.Discuss this week’s episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Glitch Community Events CalendarWe talked about Mark’s VR Night as if it happened already, but after we recorde…Ice Cold Games Building a PC 0:05:08 Martha MegarryHardwareProject Scorpio Xbox Development Kit - Xbox, YouTubeOne Xbox One X Box - Jess Brohard , TwitterHTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality system requirements - Cale Hunt, VR HeadsMartha picks her PC parts on PCPartPicker!The Big Form Factor Guide – ATX - 10stripeUgly gaming PCs are our own fault - Vlad Savov, The VergeProject Scorpio rocks high-end vapor chamber cooler - Derek Strickland, TweakTownIf you’re in the Twin Cities, Techdump is a great resource for recycled PC com…Want help? Check out r/bui

Mwa ha ha! For our first villainous episode, your evil hosts discuss what their deal is, do a deep dive into Quantic Foundry's Gamer Motivation Profile, and rail against Mario Kart battle mode. Enjoy! Or don't! We don't care! We're evil!Discuss this evil episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev! An Evil Introduction 0:01:44 Dale LaCroixIRLPlay every game from this year's Train Jam - Charlie Hall, PolygonWash my HandsBlind Shootout Dylan was a guest on Nice Games Club for two episodes from GDC. GDC 2017 Special (Part 1)GDC 2017 Special (Part 2)http://www.phpbbhq.com/developmentofphp.phpRen'Py, a visual novel engineInk, a scripting/markup language for visual novelsChoiceScript, a programming language for choose-your-own-adventure games Adia has been a guest on Nice Games Club

In this episode, you nice hosts discuss some current events and engage in some future prognostications. Plus: more puns than reasonable.Apologies for the slightly odd audio quality on this one. The band playing at the bar downstairs was a bit louder and started a bit earlier than we expected. Much sound modeling. So noise reduction.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread on r/gamedev! Future Projects 0:04:31 Stephen McGregorIRLA Way Out blew us away at E3, but can the devs keep pace with their own ambitio… - Charlie Hall, Polygon Our episode about Serial Game Design, featuring Lane Davis. "I am a Juice Journeyman!"BloodRayne: Betrayal Review - Colin Moriaty, IGNStar Fox Guard: The Kotaku Review - Stephen Totilo, KotakuFinishing A Game - Derek Yu, Make Games tumblr

Nic VanMeerten is a Games User Researcher and one of the co-founders of Glitch. He talks to your nice hosts about how meeting with researchers working on League of Legends at Riot Games jump-started his career in Games User Research, the different research methods used in GUR, the benefits of qualitative versus quantitative approaches, working with Unity Analytics, and more!Discuss this week’s episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev! Games User Research and Analytics UI / UXLeague Of Legends' Neverending War On Toxic Behavior - Dillion Skiffington, KotakuHow League Of Legends Enables Toxicity - Yannick LeJacq, KotakuUnderstanding User Research - Maurice Tan, Game DeveloperGames User Research: What’s Different? -  Jakob Nielsen , Nielsen Norman GroupHannah Murphy - Games User Researcher BlogZodiappHow To Tame Your Analytics - Sasa Stublic, Game DeveloperWhat is R?

In our second-longest ever, Mark explains the difference between an API and an SDK (and why it's important to know), Martha got her phone mugged and lost all her mobile game saves, and Stephen leads a discussion about designing for difficulty in your games (but mainly as an excuse to talk about fighting games again).All this, plus your nice hosts celebrate 30 episodes, and Mark doesn't edit out something Martha asks him to, but only because Martha was the one who edited this episode. Runtimes, SDKs, and APIs 0:02:31 Mark LaCroixToolsPopular RuntimesJava Virtual Machine - WikipediaAIR Runtime - WikipediaDalvik runtime - WikipediaAndroid Runtime (ART) - WikipediaCommon Language Runtime (.NET) - WikipediaArticles“A Primer For Unity Developers: What The Heck Is Mono?” - - Logan Booker, Lifehacker AU“What is the Difference Between an API and an SDK? - Kristopher Sandoval, Nordic APIs BlogStarling 2  -

A roundtable episode in disguise! Game designer/developer and friend of the show, Lane Davis, enters the clubhouse to guest host an episode where the topics are all his!Lane brings some friendly debate (and shockingly accurate calendar math) to the show, in his continuing quest to make Nice Games Club just a little bit less nice. Yet he somehow manages to say some of the nicest things anyone has ever said on the program. Lane has previously been a guest at the Nice Games Club, when he hosted a COOP TALK Co-op Recap: Transmedia Serial Game Design 0:03:05 Lane DavisGame DesignEdmund McMillen's ‘Basement Collection’ Shows Off his Early Work - ComplexUnderstanding Design Space - Damion Schubert, Zen of DesignTrying to Make Idea-Rich Games -  Jonathan BlowToo many ideas and projects. How do I choose one and stick with it? - RedditAlex Carlson Game DesignerOne

In this roundtable episode, your nice hosts settle back into the clubhouse, still exhausted a few days after the excitement of GlitchCon 2017.Martha conducts a debrief on the weekend's festivities, Stephen gives his presentation on game design (for both new and experienced gamedevs), and Mark leads a discussion on multitasking in game development workflows. GlitchCon 2017 Debrief 0:02:26 We talked about PROTOTYPING in Episode 19 "Pick up all the things." At Glitchcon Martha gave a talk about GIT, get her PRESENTATION SLIDES In the notes in her topic VERSION CONTROL "The Stevechievement."Mark's greatest invention the $6 playtester seatThe Soap FactoryIndie Momhood - Bekah Saltsman, Game DeveloperHeather Kelley on TwitterAtmocopter

This week's roundtable episode features a (mostly) silent co-host: Ikaros the official Glitch HQ office doge! While not distracted by adorableness, Martha gives a primer on Git and version control best practices, Stephen leads a discussion on art direction, and Mark tries to understand PC gamers.Feedback FormGLITCHCON Celebrates A Weekend Of Gaming - Troy Strand, Tech {dot} MN Version Control 0:03:58 Martha MegarryProductionToolsGitMartha's Git workshop presentation slides - Martha MegarryA Short History of Git - gitSourceTreeGItKrakenMerging Unity scenes, prefabs and assets with git - David Douglas, Deadly FingersGit for Unity Developers - Alistair Doulin , Game DeveloperGitHubBitbucketHerokuPushing to multiple git repos - Alex ArmstrongCode School: Learn Git - Paolo Perrotta, Code School Art Direction 0:33

This week's interview episode features Dev Jana, one half of the team behind Newt One, a non-violent music-infused 3D platformer.We talk with Dev about how Newt One transformed (through continuous iteration) from a "Mario 64" clone into a game where "there are no bad guys" and nothing you do can hurt anything.We also discuss the purpose and use of violence in video games, including the games we're all working on. When can violence be utilized effectively though mechanics and story? And when is it simply an lazy way to build tension and create challenge for the player? Violence in Games Game DesignHappiness: The Science of Subjective Well-Being - Edward Diener, NOBAThis Is What It’s Like To Play Dishonored 2 In Low Chaos, Non-Violent Fashion - Jonathan Leak, Game RevolutionFirewatch: games without violence can be just as good or even better! - Florian Uhlemann, MediumSonic Frees the Forest Animals - Dorkly, YouTubeA

For our first ever LIVE episode, we took the main stage at GlitchCon 2017 along with our guests Rebekah and Adam Saltsman, co-founders of Finji, publisher of "Night in the Woods" and developer of "Overland" and "Canabalt," to talk about talking about games!Plus your nice hosts and their guests each recount moments where they "leveled up" as game developers. LIVE from GlitchCon 2017 EventsIRL[0:01:45] Talking about your game to different audiences[0:32:35] Moments where you “leveled up” as a gamedev[0:45:56] OutroAt the end of this episode, Stephen was able to guilt a whole room full of people to fill out our feedback form, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Hearing from you helps make our show better, so get on it!Rebekah SaltsmanGuestRebekah Saltsman is a game designer and co-founder of Fingi External link On Twitter @BexSaltsman Finji is on Twitter @finjicoFinji has

This week's roundtable provides practical knowledge on three of today's most important life topics: Starting a business, being a good competitor, and playing Nintendo. Taxes and Business 0:01:51 Mark LaCroixIRLIndie Developer tax issues: Is game development your hobby or your business - Zachary Strebeck, Game DeveloperHow LLC Members Are Taxed - NOLOStarting a Business - MN Department of Employment and Economic DevelopmentInc FileLegal ZoomDo You Need a Physical Address For Your Business? - Belle Wong, Legal Zoom Nintendo Switch 0:23:49 Martha MegarryGamingHardwareArms launches on June 16, new character Min Min revealed - Brian, Nintendo EverythingNintendo Reveals A new ARMS Character, And It's An Odd One - Robert Sephazon, Nintendo LifeJackbox Party Pack 3Human Resource MachineN

In this interview episode, we talk to Glitch's "Official Zookeeper" Alex Chang, who is the producer of this year's Glitch Connect digital games festival, coming up May 5-7th, 2017. He talks with us about what it's like to put on a show, and gives some great advice on how to put on your own.We recorded this episode before the sessions for GlitchCon were announced. Check out the full listing here!The final stop on the GlitchCon brewery tour is on April 19th at Modest Brewing Co. in Minneapolis. Putting on a GlitchCon! EventsAlex ChangGuestProducer of the 2017 Glitch Connect Digital Games Festival and Video game programmer.

This week's roundtable episode has it all: Confusion, technobabble, randomness... and shoot, a whole lot more besides!We're still looking for feedback from our listeners! Be nice and visit our feedback form. It will only take a minute and it will help make the show better! Getting Out of a Rut 0:02:54 Stephen McGregorIRLTim Schafer on ProductivityStephen's motivation week Bots! Bots! Bots! 0:19:44 Mark LaCroixGame DesignTech the TechTraceryTracery for UnityKate ComptonMark Gritter on TwitterPlay This Clever Adventure Game Entirely On Twitter - Jason Schreier, KotakuMeetup Bot Makers - MinneapolisQuick, Draw!Cheap Bots, Done Quick Procedural Generation 0:35:40 Mar

On this Co-Op Recap episode, we welcome musician and 3D artist Sara Ferret along with game designer Ajuawak Kapashesit to talk about March's Glitch Co-Op Talk topic, Problematic Games. Problematic Games Gaming"7 Ridiculously Sexualized Moments in the Metal Gear Solid Games" - Dorkly, YouTube"Assassin’s Creed and the straight-white-male default"  - Duane de Four, How ManlySara FerretGuestAjuawak KapashesitGuest

In this super-sized episode, your nice hosts get into the gritty details of game design with a trio of terrific topics. Martha lays out the concept for her next game, Stephen complains about Smash Bros. (!), and Mark takes a lot of notes. Plus, maybe the best topic transitions to ever come out of the clubhouse!We're still looking for feedback from our listeners! Be nice and visit our feedback form. It will only take a minute of your time and it will help us make the show better.Nice Games Club Feedback Form Prototyping 0:05:18 Stephen McGregorGame DesignDon't skip the Game Design Workshop at GDC 2017 - GDCMark's Sonic the Hedgehog solitaire card gameHolographic Mark Mk I Point and Clicks 0:26:28 Martha MegarryGame DesignPuzzle Dependency Graph Primer - Joshua Winberg, Game Develop

In this interview episode, we talk with Lord President of the Game Design Club at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Rachel Peterson Reese Valentine, to talk about how to go about getting an education in games. Your nice hosts also recount their own gamedev educational origin stories, and the episode closes out with a quick run though of all the advice! Games Education ArtIRLBecause Learning Matters (129) - Extra Credits, YouTubeMinneapolis Colledge of Art and DesignPong Clone Tutorial Rachel's quick-draw artQuick-draw portrait of MarkQuick-draw portrait of StephenWhite-board self-portraitEducational LinksOne Game a MonthOn Game Schools - How to Find a Good School - Extra Credits, YouTubeGame Center - NYUUniversity of Wisconsin -StoutGame Design Workshop - bookGDC VaultUnite Conference - UnityGame Maker's Toolkit - YouTubeReese ValentineGuestCo-founder of Amelore co-op, a worker-owned game studio. Former Pr

A day late but worth the wait! In this high signal-to-noise roundtable episode, each member of the club picks a topic that they are particularly passionate about:Stephen shares his wisdom and guidance about playtesting your work early and often, Martha helps you get your act together in a practical discussion about project management, and Mark tries to explain the obligation he feels as an artist, but picks a weird hill to die on as he wrongly insists that Portal 2 isn't really about anything.We're trying to make the show even better and we need your input! Be nice and visit our feedback form to tell us what you think!Ice Cold Games@zacharyjohnsonNIce Games Club Feedback Form Demoing and Playtesting 0:03:27 Stephen McGregorProduction Project Management 0:33:26 Martha MegarryProductionT