East Side Indie: Love from a Summit Filled with Indies
Full Indie is a big part of our local game dev community. Every month (some are missed due to random circumstances) those in the industry, and those trying to be a part of it, gather to do what we do best; network.
On location at the Vancouver Convention Centre, this year’s Full Indie Summit played host to some amazing speakers. Some from Vancouver, others not. Those in the seats — watching with breathless attention, and stares of admiration — were privy to an evening of abundant information. It was a largely successful event, minus a blue-screen during a live VR test. The talks were varied. Every one of them with something to take away. My favourite being Matt Thornson’s panel about design decisions he made during the development of now internationally popular TOWERFALL.
The morning started off with an internet favourite. Vancouver’s own SeriouslyClara! The fearless leader behind the Twitch Vancouver group that meets up every month, and consists of the regions biggest streaming faces.
Clara discussed the evermore prevalent relationship that developers should have with the world of Online streaming. It was an immaculate presentation and her delivery sunk home all the information she had to offer. Twitch, YouTube Gaming, and Azubu are probably the largest avenues for word-of-mouth in 2015. And it’s only growing with time.
During the development of a game, it is supremely important that should a small team desire to become popular online, they must consider the affects their choices will make on developers. Making them a part of your mindset, will allow those doors to be easily opened when you (the developer) goes into early-access, or launch prep. DO IT. Twitch loves Indies.
After Clara was Justin Smith (of Captain Games fame), the most unique of the day’s speakers. Smith spoke of his experiences developing Desert Golfing, a minimalistic mobile golf game that places ease on the player all while removing any form of UI, or menus.
His satirical recounting of his experiences working alone, had the crowd roaring. Driving home his point that if you’re true to yourself, and the goals you set for your project, not even minor success or harsh critique can make you feel bad. You did what you wanted, and you did it your way.
Smith was hilarious, and just what the doctor ordered that early in the morning.
After a short break, where the mingling was intense, Christopher Floyd (from IndieMegaBooth) enlightened the room about the most frequently received emails they get from indie devs. It’s an important stance to hear. Want to know why you’re email is getting ignored? Want the skinny on the questions you were about to write in that correspondence? Asking Floyd is a good start.
He tells everyone that he reads hundreds of “broken” emails. So many of them are amazing. But Indie MegaBooth is only so large. So before attempting to get into the spotlight, all over the world, you need a few things.
- A finished game (or showable portion)
- A launch plan
- Marketing tools
- A minimum of $5,000 for the booth
Once you’ve built those pinnacle things up, it is then that approaching Indie MegaBooth with a request is a plausible step.
Following Floyd, the immensely intelligent Aaron Isaksen blessed us with some knowledge on his theory developed at the NYU Game Innovation Lab; Designing Better Games Using Artificial Intelligence, Automated Play Testing, and Computational Creativity. Yup. What he said.
In his presentation, Isaksen took us on a journey through a game designed purely by a computer program. With pre-designated (human written) “criteria” the computer scientists were able to give the computer enough capabilities to attempt the “most satisfactory” path of challenge, and even grades their “feeling” when complete. While this idea is probably a lot further out than others, it’s an interesting way to conceive things on your own. The design space is still a domain where RNG reigns supreme.
However, his second point, was a hit. You’ve heard of speedrunners — gamers that try to beat games/levels faster than anyone else in the world — right? Well, Isaksen thinks the technology some of them use can be adapted to help you design better. Computers are used in tracking the actions of speedrunners (the best players), the data is then translated, hazards/obstacles computed, then the AI can peacefully complete a game/level without ever dying. Going one step further, Isaksen put the game inputs into the computers wheel-house, then let it free. The goal? To learn how to survive. Over the course of hundreds of attempts, the computer was able to accurately map out every mistake it made, which inputs it used right or wrong, and even judgements in timing.
This could easily be used to play-test games without the need of actual play testers. Better yet, the data is understandable. Rather than having to dissect someone’s opinion, the data is there, plainly, and forever. Think about it. I sure will. It may deserve it’s own piece all together.
The fine folks from Red Hook Games (known for their still early-access Darkest Dungeon) eased the “eventual computer overlord” tension by opening their talk with a hilarious video where a famous twitch streamer “loses his shit” playing their game, smashing his keyboard into a million tiny pieces live for the world wide web to witness. *mature language warning*
The point was, people love Darkest Dungeon. And RedHook hasn’t even really started forcing the game into everyone’s mind/hand. The game (again, still in pre-release) is garnering so many fans just based on quality, and concept. Fans like Ezekiel_iii, who care a lot about their experiences within the game. One of their biggest points of attention was their “fuck up”.
Like I said, the game has a ton of buzz prior to release. And the team wanted to launch and update that amplified the high-points, while adding to the structure of the gameplay. However, that didn’t go over so well with their die-hard players. Expressing their trials through the launch of this gigantic game with a team of only half-a-dozen, the duo (Tyler Sigman, and Chris Bourassa) wanted to drive home that doing what you feel is right, sometimes trumps the ideas your players may have about the direction the game needs to go. That you, as a creator, have the final say. Take your criticism and work it into your energy.
Then, Zach Barth from Valve showed us how easy it was to make a game using Valve software, and the HTC VIVE set-up — which is Valve’s answer to the question how do we get VR in people’s homes — with a live demo of both software, and hardware.
The showing went well, besides a crash or two, a blue-screen, and some lag. It wasn’t the most ideal environment light-wise, so most of that is excusable.
More information about the HTC VIVE can be found HERE.
Superstar Ty Taylor followed up the Vive VR talk with his presentation on procedurally generated puzzles! The beautiful brilliant Taylor sparked the room, as everyone locked-in and didn’t want to miss a word. Because, let’s face it, the man knows puzzles.
Taylor shows us a simple method to his madness (and what a great madness it is), where he takes an older puzzle game, and makes puzzles at random. Taylor shows how he can create the most optimal puzzle, turn it into an algorythme, and — taking a page from Aaron Isaksen — let the computer come up with the puzzles in mass.
Thousands upon thousands of puzzles are made, and Taylor only keeps a few. He only keeps a couple per hundred designed, he claims.
The way to puzzle greatness? Well, with the help of slides, Taylor shows the pinnacle of design. There is a point where you can’t add more tasks to complete, without lowering the amount of moves to accomplish the goal. That, is the sweet-spot.
With brilliant planning, the biggest draw for local fans of indie, Tommy Refenes (of Super Meat Boy fame) starts the afternoon’s talks. Long after the success of his little meaty platformer Refenes wants to share the best practices about working alongside your friends, learned both the hard way, and the easy way.
Handshake deals? The dumbest thing you can do. Even if you’re madly in love with your friends, even if you’re poor as sin, find the money to get a lawyer to put their eyes on a deal, and get your friends to sign it.
What should be on said deal? Roles, time-frames, compensation, names, shares, goals, and dispersal of things to come. Smartly, Refenes didn’t go into detail about why/how he learned this major lesson. And instead just preached the relationship between you, your pals, and legal documentation.
VR isn’t going away. There, I said it. VR is where we’re headed. It’s the destination we have yet to arrive at. For those of you who assumed that virtual reality as an experience was going to be loud for a brief moment before fading into the background, a la OUYA, you’d be sorely mistaken. It is a device — once it has been fairly priced, and well made, which is drawing nearer — that will be in all homes.
Whether you’re into VR for a gaming experience, for an adventure/travel experience, or for a really brilliantly personal media consuming machine, there is a reason (or three) that you can’t pass up on at-home VR.
The best this to come out of Kimberly Voll’s talk about designing for VR is the truth that the tech has advanced beyond the expectations of designers. In the beginning, there was serious hesitance due to the motion sickness suffered by the user. Now, there is such ideal tech that if your players are getting sick, it’s on the designer.
Voll, and her team at Radial Games are making the Fantastic Contraption in VR and believe that they (as the designers) have the palpable ability to connect the player with their virtual world. The more slight proof of life elements within their digital land, the less detached the player feels. The less sick they will get.
Jeff Vogel is a genius. And that is honest, by the most common definitions of the word. A man I’d love to spend hours conversing with about both the creation of large-scale stories, and the business of independent video game development.
If you see him on the street, offer to buy him a drink. Then just listen.
In his time on stage, Vogel voiced a bunch of things worth keeping in mind, and a ton more worth printing in giant poster-form and hanging in your office, home, and around your city. *see image below for just a few examples* But the one that spoke to the audience the most, was cost of your product.
Ask what your product is worth. If you’re serving something to a large audience, sell it for a little less and bank on the number of sales. If you’re carving out a smaller niche market, ask for more, counting on the steady sales from that market.
Say no to Humble. For at least 2 years. Bundles, and Humble (being the biggest bundle procuring platform) are a great way to reignite the fire. But only when your name is no longer on the tongue of the players.
Nobody knows anything. That’s for sure. There’s no secret answer. Got with your gut.
Closing out the day of amazing speakers, and heroes of the industry, was Matt Thorson. The mastermind behind the darling couch-based multiplayer game Towerfall. Now, one of the most successful indie games in the last five years.
Thorson discussed some of the design choices he made during the development of Towerfall. Choosing not to sexualize any character, even the females. Writing in a non-binary character. Focusing on your friends, and declining the implementation of any online game-play. And on top of all that, the tweaks made when the game began building a very serious competitive scene.
“You know that girl at the party, sitting on the couch, being socially timid? The one that is shy, sits there, and watches all the people enjoy playing the game on the television without participating? At some point, someone gets up, goes to get a drink, and hands her the controller. I’m designing for THAT GIRL. I want THAT GIRL to feel comfortable playing my game.”
And succeed he did. Towerfall is a game that speaks to the love that built it. Most things you play, you can’t feel that. This is tangible. Evident. Thorson is changing the way we as developers should think, act, and execute.
After all said and done, the Vancouver Convention Centre is a beautiful venue. One that houses a lot of great content annually. One that I hope we can see hold more Full Indie Summits in the future, and help the experience of the summit expand beyond a single day.
The Full Indie Summit is a must attend for fans of games, people working in the industry, and those searching for opportunities within. Or maybe you’re one of the brave souls looking for a bit more advice on how to set off on your own ship. In that case, it’s an ABSOLUTE MUST. No other time in a calendar year does this many power-house names from the Indie Dev community gather, drink, and spread gospel (spoiler: not actual religious gospel). You will not rub elbows (or is it shoulders) with the brilliance you do, anywhere else, at any time.
The number of attendees is near perfect. Not too many, as you and your sights may get lost. Not too few, as the vat of knowledge within those four walls was mind-blowing.
Speaking of drinking; No one knows how to drink like Indie Devs. Prepare your liver, prepare your stomach, and bring a truck-load of business cards. This event draws the who’s-who of people you want in your address book.
EAST SIDE GAMES is a proudly independent and profitable game studio with a collaborative, creative, and fun culture. Our games fund all our new projects, and everyone who works here has a direct impact on the day-to-day business.
WYATT FOSSETT is an Author who resides in Vancouver, Canada, known for high-octain cocktails of real life expression, fanciful works of fiction, and a history in Video Game Journalism. Wyatt is also a Community Champion at ESG.
