#380. How we spent the summer and answers to your questions with Alex, Lerika and Misha (the first issue of the season)

In this episode, Mikhail Kuzmin welcomes the listeners back after a long summer break. This is the 380th episode of the podcast 'How Games Are Made'.

Today's episode is the longest one we've ever had in the history of our podcast. Despite its length, it is filled with interesting and remarkable news.

Unity's Changes in Monetization Unity has made changes to its monetization policy, shifting from a monthly subscription model to charging per install. The new pricing includes a limit of 200,000 installs for $200,000. This change has caused confusion among developers regarding how it will affect their games and revenue.

'Free-to-Play' Games and Subscription Services 'Free-to-play' games that have demos or are not converted into final versions will no longer be counted as installations for Unity's pricing. Additionally, the communication from Unity about these changes has been unclear regarding how they will impact free trial products and subscription services.

The idea originated from a company that sells advertising and focuses on the mobile market. They saw potential in monetizing games through ads. Unity, being a cheaper alternative to other software, played a significant role in this decision.

Installing second or third world setups is not only time-consuming but also challenging. Companies often face difficulties in responding to numerous concerns raised by customers on social media platforms like Twitter. Moreover, the verification process for these installations adds another layer of complexity as companies have a proprietary technology that they keep secret from others.

Changes in Agreements and Loss of Trust The video discusses how a person noticed changes in agreements made by others, which led to a loss of trust. The sudden lack of transparency on GitHub and retroactive language modifications raised concerns about the reliability of the developers' work. This breach of trust can have significant consequences for business relationships.

'No Alternative' Approach and Unforeseen Consequences In this chapter, it is highlighted that when faced with negative feedback regarding their actions, some individuals insist there was no alternative solution. However, this approach may lead to people resigning or leaving due to disagreements with such policies. It demonstrates how strong emotions can impact decision-making within businesses.

The video discusses the use of analogies in real life and their benefits. It explores why people use analogies, what can be achieved through them, and how they are currently being used. The speaker mentions an example of buying a magazine subscription that increases in price over time as a possible analogy but admits it is difficult to find direct parallels between real-life situations.

What Developers Should Do Developers in the NFT business should focus on building their own platforms and staying informed about alternative options. Solo developers have the flexibility to experiment and switch technologies if needed. It's important to consider factors like project size, team expansion, and platform compatibility when choosing a game engine.

The Role of Publishers 'Publishers play a crucial role in supporting developers by providing resources for decision-making and potentially helping with funding. Unity is commonly used among developers due to its market availability, but smaller teams may opt for other engines depending on their specific needs.' The video also mentions that it's essential for both publishers and developers to work together transparently without hiding financial information or engaging in unethical practices.

Collecting Statistics To collect statistics, people need to think twice before using threads as an engine. There are conditions for emerging markets that affect the collection process. Users may install their own mediation and advertising engines, which cannot be ignored. The statistics are gathered by analyzing user behavior through various platforms.

Avoiding Issues with Mobile Applications "Paranoid" users often set up firewalls on their mobile phones, blocking connections from applications. However, most mobile application users have become accustomed to this and do not block these connections frequently. Advertisements and statistical services can still access data from these applications without issues.

In America, medical insurance is necessary to access healthcare. Visiting a clinic or hospital often results in expensive bills that are covered by insurance. However, the process of proving what procedures were done can be complicated and may lead to toxic relationships between developers of the platform and patients. The cost difference between Europe and America for certain treatments can be significant.

We carefully consider the possibility of bringing a game to Unity and anticipate potential issues. We also explore projects that can be translated from Unity to other engines. As an editor, we will evaluate the game when it is brought to us on Unity and decide whether or not to sign it based on its merits.

Is it possible to file a collective lawsuit? Yes, there is an association of developers in America that can assist in organizing collective lawsuits against companies or organizations. This happens quite often, as recently Apple was sued collectively. In such cases, several clients are gathered by lawyers to form a strong case.

There have been changes in the abuse of game installations. Funny discussions on Twitter about pouring installs from India for competitors and their minutes. Also, someone watched an Indian game similar to Dark Souls but didn't like it. Influencers can organize hate campaigns against small indie developers by flooding negative reviews on platforms like Steam or Metacritic.

The Unity Unite conference takes place in November every year. It is a platform where developers discuss the reasons behind their work and what they specifically aim to achieve. The conference also provides valuable advice for developers, with additional insights on upcoming features and collaborations with other conferences.

In this chapter, we discuss the transition from Unity to Unreal Engine. We invite developers who have experience with this transition to share their insights and stories. The main focus is on the challenges and considerations involved in porting projects, such as different architectures and potential benefits of using blueprints.

Our podcast is returning with regular episodes every Thursday at the same time. For many listeners in Europe, please note that there may be a time change soon. The upcoming topics are planned until the end of October.

In November, the DevGAMM conference will take place in Lisbon. This year, it will be held at a resort just 20 minutes away from the city. The conference promises to be incredible with an amazing lineup of speakers, including renowned game developers and industry experts.

Please come to us, there are still available seats. Regarding your recent trip, you recently flew from Amsterdam and I don't remember how much it cost. But there are a lot of low-cost options that arrive here, plus we have a good train system.

The Web Summit is happening before the DevGAMM conference. There are various hostels and Airbnb options available around us. This is great because people who wanted to come can now attend both events with just one trip. It's really cool that we have the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by attending both conferences.

We have introduced VIP tickets for developers, priced at $150. Along with the regular sessions, there will be additional VIP activities such as dinners and a golf tournament. The event will take place in a luxurious hotel with themed tables for networking and discussions.

By using the promo code 'traditsionno', you can get a 15% discount on business and session tickets. Make sure to enter the code during checkout.

This chapter introduces a luxurious five-star golf hotel located on the coastline. The hotel offers comfortable and classy accommodations, with rooms priced at an average of €450 per night. It is not just a golf resort but also hosts numerous conferences, accommodating up to 3,000 people. The video mentions special discounted rates for participants who book through their website.

There is uncertainty about Galenkin attending DevGAMM due to issues with travel arrangements. Despite his interest in golf, he has been unable to confirm his trip. If Galenkin does attend, there may be special events organized by Leru and Aril.

The Excitement of Gaming We discuss our love for gaming and the anticipation of new releases. We share our experiences playing games like Zelda and how they captivate us. However, some games can become repetitive or frustrating, leading to disappointment.

"Dark" - A Disappointing Experience "Dark" was a highly anticipated game that turned out to be disappointing due to its lack of innovation and boring gameplay. Despite high hopes, it failed to live up to expectations.

Challenges in Game Development Game developers face challenges in creating balanced characters with unique abilities while maintaining player interest. Balancing these aspects is difficult but crucial for successful gameplay experience.

Exploring the Game The speaker discusses their experience playing a game and how they had control over pre-orders, product announcements, and health stands. They mention that the approach to this new IP was different but effective in terms of managing money. The stress-test during beta revealed some weaknesses in gameplay.

'Starfield' Beta Impressions 'Starfield' is described as a multiplayer cooperative shooter with various modes, maps, and heroes to try out. The speaker expresses their comfort with periodically returning to play it rather than constantly investing time into it like other big projects.

Anticipation for 'Starfield' The speaker shares their excitement about 'Starfield', being drawn by its space setting and previous games from the studio. They discuss how immersive experiences are created through unique moments within the game world. Despite initial reservations due to high expectations, they plan on purchasing it eventually.

Revolutionary Experience at Gamescom A mod was installed that revolutionized the gaming experience. The team had a remarkable time exploring games and taking memorable photos. However, there were some technical difficulties with microphones and merchandise.

'Games' in Two Different Zones 'Games' consisted of two zones: one for fans and one for business meetings. The decisions made at Gamescom will have an impact on future events like The Game Awards. There is concern about conflicting dates between PAX Boston and GDC San Francisco next year.

Productivity Boost at Gamescom Attending both GDC San Francisco and Gamescom proved to be highly productive with numerous meetings scheduled throughout the event. Preparation is key to finding relevant connections, utilizing meeting systems, such as Meet to Match, LinkedIn, Facebook groups.

The Importance of Stands at Gamescom Stend tinyBuild na Gamescom Rotko raz vstrechaesh tam kakuyu-to vistavku Aleks u nas bil stend khot i malenkii no v indi zoni no bil n ti uzhe nemnozhko zaiknulsya zachem mi eto sdelali yeshchyo raz davai da davai eto mi seryozno obsudim dlya Kakie or na geme yest dlya indi razrabotchikov i chego eto stoit i Stoit li voobshche etim zanimatsya Nu to yest vot Open - eto tipa ofitsialnoe otkritie Games kotoroe Khot kotorii smotrit vsya industriya i po suti Nu ves igrovoi mir Ugu e chtobi tuda popast tebe nuzhno imet mesto fizicheskoe na geimskom tebe nuzhno i v biznes zone i v konsumed stend A yesli u tebya etogo stenda netu to tebya ne mogut dazhe nu rassmotret na podachu na vse promo aktivnosti To yest eto kakoi-to po suti takoi reket Yesli tak podumat A No chto mi sdelali mi snyali budku

"Indie Arena" and the Challenges Faced Dlya galochki gde mi krutili treileri pokazivali paru bildov A i V osnovnom bilo dlya togo chtobi popast Opening Night Life, s treilerom s of Rock 2 tam mi sdelali Revil geimpleya i eto bil samii silnii marketingovii bid dlya etoi igri vot do do ot togo momenta bez stenda tam netu smisla takzhe Nu prosto mesto gde mi mogli vstrechi brat a tak A ti po Chto po chyom mozhesh skazat ili poryadok ili Ili ti opyat ne znaesh po chyom vi ne znaete Pochyom oteli v i dobratsya do Puerto Riko

On the first day of the exhibition, it is recommended to attend as there are fewer crowds. However, you need proof of employment or affiliation with a company to purchase a ticket. It's advisable to take photos of your business card as evidence if required. The exhibition offers a three-day pass which allows multiple visits and exploration of various activities happening during that time.

The Ukrainian stand at the event was a separate booth in the business zone. Many familiar faces from old times were there, including some bearded ones. The Ukrainian networking event organized by Lena Lobova was a success, with an auction raising $15,000 for Ukraine.

Despite it being summer, tinyBuild has been releasing a crazy amount of games. Recently, they released 'Buk', 'CL', and 'Access'. They also released the highly anticipated game called 'Black Skyland' after its exclusivity period on another platform.

The Journey of Punch Club Punch Club and Future are two games that our company started working on a year and a half ago. Initially, we had different departments with producers, community managers, directors, etc., but it became slow-paced. So we decided to form small groups of 5-7 people who now lead multiple projects including Punch Club and Future. These two games were meticulously planned from announcement to release.

'Punch Club' Marketing Strategy 'Punch Club' gained popularity through unique marketing tactics such as Twitch Plays SP (Twitch users playing the game) where viewers could only progress if they won in the chat-based gameplay. This unconventional approach worked wonders for us as it created hype around the game before its release. The sequel 'Future' faced challenges in traditional marketing due to its visual nature; hence, we focused on providing early demos for players which resulted in positive feedback and increased interest.

The speaker talks about their experience signing with I Am Future and how it has helped them add value to their projects. They mention that they don't remember the exact moment of signing but emphasize the importance of bringing value at any stage, especially if there are positive data from demos or betas. The speaker also mentions that they look for games where players can spend a significant amount of time.

I'm listening to Lyosha from fzm, he says everything is going well. In general, we are happy with our summer vacation. It's our second year of mandatory vacations for everyone in the industry. Many colleagues prepared in advance and planned their vacations around it. But I can't go anywhere during this time because my daughter is still studying in school and you can't take a child out of school in the Netherlands.

Impact of the Pandemic on the Gaming Industry The pandemic has caused a recession in the gaming industry, with companies losing revenue and studios struggling to receive funding. The low interest rates have led to increased borrowing but also panic among investors. However, people staying at home during lockdowns have recognized the potential for growth in the gaming market.

Capital Inflow and its Effects on Expectations 'Euphoria' from COVID-19 led to a surge of capital inflow into the gaming industry, raising expectations for both salaries and investments. Companies raised funds through IPOs or stock market trading while individuals saw opportunities for profit. However, this influx created financial instability as some companies accumulated debt.

Recently, bankrupt developers have been sending letters to various recipients. These letters express their desperate need for financial support or else they will disappear forever. Some developers claim that deals fell through at the last moment, leading them to bankruptcy. Others announce their bankruptcy after releasing popular games like 'Games' and 'Stime'. The current economic situation is not favorable for investments in game development studios, as there may be further budget cuts and risks involved.

Indie studios are currently facing difficulties in the industry. The reality is that they struggle to secure funding for their projects, especially if it's their first game. They may resort to outsourcing or finding publishers/investors for financial support. This affects developers as external financing becomes harder to obtain.

People have more realistic salary expectations now. If we look into the future, when will this situation start to change? We need to consider factors like the end of recession and its impact on consumer pressure and financial markets. Once these conditions are met, there is a possibility for things to change by the end of next year.

Rami Ismail's talk discusses the challenges of surviving as an indie developer. He emphasizes that it is difficult to predict how the industry will change and recommends finding a publisher who can provide financial stability. By securing funding upfront, developers can weather tough times and make money from their current projects transparently. Rami also mentions that in the past, budgets were often manipulated in Eastern Europe, but now transparency is key.

We received questions about the conference. Some people wanted to know how many months ago it was, while others were curious about our activities and schedule. We also mentioned that we value feedback from viewers and encouraged them to leave comments on YouTube.

Skipping Questions Some listeners asked if it's possible to skip some questions. We have already discussed a few of them during the episode, so we might not answer all of them again. Thank you.

"Yuniti" Questions "Yuniti" has received many questions from our audience. There were too many to answer all of them in this episode.

Nikita is currently in Germany and facing the challenge of job cuts. Many companies are not hiring due to competition, especially from Russian immigrants. However, there is optimism that investments will increase and new job opportunities will arise by winter.

The Power of Sandboxes in the Gaming Industry tinyBuild only publishes sandbox games because there is a direct correlation between long-term hits and games that people spend a lot of time playing. They want to focus on releasing high-quality sandbox games and making money from them. There are developers who live off passive income from these types of games, so it's worth competing with other popular but shorter games.

"Systemic" Approach to Game Design "Systemic" game design focuses on creating more complex gameplay experiences where players can spend a significant amount of time exploring different systems within the game. By adding interconnected systems, such as leveling up or introducing new mechanics, developers can exponentially increase the content and impact of their game. This approach is particularly effective for RPGs or roguelike genres.

There is a language barrier between Pitchite and tinyBuild. Many people submit their projects in Russian, but the person responsible for reviewing them only speaks English. The company has grown from 15 to around 120 employees, with most communication being conducted in English.

To avoid problems, it is better to choose the path of least resistance when pitching games at the end of the month. We also advertise Pitchit Tigers every month on our channel, where we provide advice on what to do with game pitches. The next episode will be released at the end of this month.

In order to escape from the building, we need to release Lera. The security guards will come and save me if I press the red button on the door, which will open it and activate a siren.

Welcome to our podcast! In this episode, we discuss various interesting topics. If you have something exciting to share, please visit our website cc.com and submit your ideas. We also have a summit coming up soon, so make sure to write about your favorite themes briefly. I will respond within a certain timeframe. Thank you for listening!