GMTK Newsletter (January 2017)

Hey team. Thanks so much for your support in January.

Post script

So, this was my first month doing Game Maker's Toolkit full time. It was fun and weird and it completely flew by and I think I worked harder than I have any other month of my life! 

For the first time in ages, I managed to release three videos. There was one on The Last Guardian's skill at telling stories through the unique language of games. Another on the refreshing FPS design of Doom and Titanfall 2. And a new instalment of Boss Keys, focusing on Twilight Princess.

As ever, I look back on these videos with a dizzying mix of pride and regret. I'm very pleased with them all, and they've had a fantastic reception in terms of comments, likes, and media coverage - but at the same time I find myself sorely disappointed in certain aspects, and anxious to improve in the future.

I know this is (mostly) just part of doing creative work and putting your work out in front of other people. But I always want to talk about it - working through this is as much a part of GMTK as writing scripts and editing footage. And I think it's important for people to be open and honest about this aspect - hopefully so other creative people know that it's not just them.

Anyway. I guess all I can do is look to the great poet and philosopher, Sonic Adventure 2, and listen to its words: Live and Learn. Hanging on the edge of tomorrow. Whoa, whoa, OH YEAH!!!!! [Guitar solo].

Sneak Peek.

Let's have a quick chat about plans for February. Though, I don't want to spoil stuff for those who like the surprise of seeing a new Game Maker's Toolkit land in their subscription box! So let me be tactical...

Let's just say that my current plan for Video 1 is to look at how this game explores character through level design. And Video 2 will get us ready for a big release in March, by looking back to the enchanting world of this game .

I will hopefully do a Boss Keys episode on both Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, too. But it depends how long those games take to beat. I'm about a third of the way through Phantom Hourglass currently. 

Oh, and we're doing Game Club next month, for anyone who wants to take part! Poll coming tomorrow.

Mark's Month

I hope you dug this month's Patreon-exclusive content. You got a questions and answers video, a thing about "How I write a script", a huge 2016 audit, a reading list, and $3 Patrons got a Playlist video. 

If you DON'T care about this stuff, please note that Patreon offers lots of options for emails, on a creator-by-creator basis. And there's a Patreon app, if you prefer mobile notifications.

I finished Persona 4 this month. I really enjoyed this game, and I definitely got that post-game depression of having to leave a lovely world and great characters behind. Goodbye Inaba!

Some bits I really appreciated:

• All the friendship / social link stuff directly impacts the RPG battles, which keeps story and gameplay nicely intertwined. You won't do very well at this game if you don't make friends.
• Having weeks of casual downtime and weeks of high-stakes drama (when someone is thrown into the TV) fixes a problem that a lot of open world games face where you put important, high-stakes events on pause so you can do some silly side-quests. (See: Fallout 3 / 4). Persona 4 gives you the best of both worlds.
• Deciding where to spend time in the game means giving up time in other aspects - which makes the stuff you DO choose to do feel more meaningful. A broad example is that by choosing a girlfriend, you miss out on the dialogue with the other girls. Unless you hook up with everyone. In which case, you're awful. 

I've also been playing Resident Evil 7. I wouldn't normally play this: I don't like horror games and I've skipped stuff like Outlast, SOMA, and most of Alien Isolation. But hey, it's Resident Evil! What am I gonna do? 

It is terrifying. And, I'm making it way, way, worse by playing with PlayStation VR. But, you know, if you play horror games to get spooked then you might as well go all in, you know? And boy does it crank up the fear. Playing in VR is dark, claustrophobic, and oppressively tense. I'm inching through pitch-black rooms, and wincing as I open every door and turn every corridor. This game is going to take years off my life.

I love the return to classic Resident Evil level design, as you might expect! I don't love the return to Resi 3-style immortal, stalking enemies. Not from a design perspective, I should stress, but from a "I'm going to have a heart attack" perspective. That shit gives me nightmares.

I ditched a few games this month. I decided that I wasn't having much fun with Watch_Dogs 2. It's nice enough but the hacking elements are so simple that it really doesn't allow for much freedom or self expression. They're just a little icing on top of a pretty bog standard stealth game. Complete with open world filler, a tone that never clicked with me, and some boring missions. 

I also started Battlefield 1 and Gears of War 4 but after binging on Doom and Titanfall 2 for the video, I just couldn't go back to that clunky, clungy, stop-and-pop stuff.

I also did some consultancy work this month and I attended a Game Jam. It was a fun and interesting experience - but mostly just for seeing old friends! I didn't do much on the game (a tiny game with 4, sometimes 5 designers is not a recipe for a coherent vision! Also, I was lazy) but you can play it here if you want. It's an escape the room game made in Twine. 

And I think that's it! Once again, let me give you my sincere thanks for letting me do this as a job. I never want to take you guys and girls for granted and I hope you know that I work tirelessly to meet your expectations every day! 

Here's to February!