My 6 year old son has ADHD. If you have ADHD, what do you wish your parents or adults would have known as you were growing up with it? I love my boy so much and I want to help support him however we can. What things helped you growing up with it?
Holy moly I just woke up and saw this blew up. I'm reading through all of these through tears, thank you for the responses. Being six, it's harder for him to express how he feels having it, and this helps me to get a perspective from people who can explain it. ❤️
Nobody outside the dev team (who made the game) will ever truly know the emotional cost of developing their game. This includes other game devs.
Anyone who says "it's easy" or "why didn't they just" has no understanding of what it takes to get multiple humans to make something.
WildStar was released 8 years ago. One of the best things I've been a part of. SO MANY talented people I call friends gave that game bones, flesh, and most importantly, a heart. I learned lots developing that game, shaped me as a dev. To any Cupcakes who played it, thank you.
I've moved 9 times in 13 years working in the video game industry. Working remote, for me, has been one of the best things to happen to the game industry. (I was once against full remote and have since shifted my thoughts seeing games work out remote.)
Deck Nine had a layoff today. Leadership took paycuts to keep the number down as much as possible. This is the strongest team D9 has ever been and it absolutely sucks that the industry is in the state that it is presently.
In the past few weeks I can't tell you how many people have reached out telling me how much they miss WildStar, and a smaller amount asking me to bring it back. I uh, can't.
I will say though, I would work with that dev team and IP again in a heartbeat.
Noticed
#theexpanse
is trending. Can't wait for y'all to see what
@CaraGeeeee
@DeckNineGames
and
@telltalegames
have been up to with our game. It's a ton of fun working in the Expanse universe with a story centered around Drummer. Something to look forward to, sasa ke?
I'm going to rant for a minute on the MMO development experience and how so many people in development and the community go through the same experiences repeatedly, and how we are all still here, witnessing time as a flat circle.
It never ceases to amaze me how bad disconnected leadership in an executive role can not only plunge team morale six feet underground, but after they leave the company, other execs will hire them because they associate the success OF THE TEAM with the success of the clown exec.
Friends in TV will ask "Why does it take so long to make games? We make a season in less than a year." Because, Travis, we don't need to make James Spader from nothing to concept art, 3d, rigging, animation, vfx, sfx, lighting, then make it fun to move ONE character for 12 hours.
You ever notice that most of the goty games are made by teams who have been together for YEARS and improve on their existing tech/formula?
Yet layoffs at large companies disrupt or stop teams from getting to learn from their mistakes and build on their foundations.
I'm onsite at
@DeckNineGames
this week as the team is motion capturing our actors for The Expanse game. We're keeping the set safe with anti-Covid protocols & capturing some great performances. Also if I've learned anything, it's that
@CaraGeeeee
is the polar opposite of Drummer.
Seeing the response to our game announcement has been amazing. The team worked so hard on this because we wanted to make a solid first impression, AND we are huge fans of the show/books. The response internally was similar when we were confirmed to work in this universe. :)
Is there going to be a Tweet Health Bar now? How the eff do I know when I'm close to running out? Also will there be Rested Tweet XP if I don't log in for a few days?
I saw a video the other day talking about how MMO players ruin experiences by following guides to skip content & hit max level as quickly as possible. It's an interesting take, and to throw out a hot-take of my own, we devs need to make content not worthy of skipping as well.
@NicolasVerge
Ok this is slightly cheating, but I'm a video game dev who made a board game with a single mom with a demigod baby protagonist. If and when I get the time, she'd be my video game's protagonist. :)
Is anyone else in the "this game is too big and requires so much of me that I won't even start it because I don't have time for that, even though it's obviously great" phase of gaming?
@bendreyfuss
@RexChapman
Goddam. You usually only the see the part of a president they want you to see. As a parent hearing this makes me respect him more. Being helpless to improve the life of a suffering child (whether he's grown on not) is brutal. Weird seeing actual empathy from a politician.
I may write more about my thoughts and memories on Carbine and WildStar later, but I'm saddened to hear this news. I hope all those affected find work quickly.
Guys, check out the God Killer concept by
@KoryLynnHubbell
and the 3D model by
@bounchfx
for our Board Game "Brutality."
We'll be launching the website soon...
Next Tuesday, get your first look at the gameplay of THE EXPANSE: A
@telltalegames
Series during
@gamescom
Opening Night Live.
Streaming live at 8p CEST/7p BST/2p ET/11a PT at
God damn this Blizzard stuff just doesn't seem to end. How you gonna make co-leads but not treat them equally? This was an easy test to pass to show you actually mean what you say.
CEOs who don't know video games that well: NFTs are going to be great for game economies!
Game designers who work in game economies and play the shit out of video games: NFTs in games are a bad idea and won't work.
One of City of Heroes' most popular private severs, Homecoming, has just been given an official licence by NCSoft to continue development in a historic move for the MMO, which was shut down in 2012.
I've worked on 3 MMOs and I've seen the shit players do to the game you've crafted... It's clear that the people who set up the Wall Street systems have never experienced the thrill ride that is trolls and shit posters running wild on your auction house.
Right now, there is another Minecraft, Among Us, or Fortnite-level-of-success-game that is in development or playable. It would be turned down by most or all major publishers. However after it's success, those publishers will fund games that play almost exactly like it.
On this day ten years ago, I was recording VO for WildStar. The Lopp, some random Exiles, and an Elden Scientist who doomed the entire planet they constructed. Fun stuff.
Just got an alert, four years ago was my last day at Blizzard. It's crazy how much has changed in that time. The last thing I worked on with the team was getting the Sword of Sargeras impaled into Silithus.
If you say "stay in your lane" about people in games voicing their political opinion, but feel it's ok to voice your perspective on how to make games when you aren't a dev, I'm confused. How about everyone can have an opinion, because that's how it works.
I said I’d write something about WildStar shutting down and I haven’t yet, but throw me some questions and I’ll try and answer ‘em for a WildStar shutting down AMA. It was some of the most fun I’ve had and the most stressed I’ve ever been in the games industry.
*breathes in deep and pours a glass of scotch at 6 am*
It's time for another rant. This one is gonna be messy. It's got a history lesson, it's nuanced, long winded, and is a cautionary tale about being the face of a game and interacting with the community.
Let's talk hardcore.
The Grave Keeper is another playable character in the
#boardgame
"Brutality" I'm working on with some friends.
@KoryLynnHubbell
did the 2D concept. Check out that 3D printed figure prototype!
I really cannot put into words how much all the love for the WildStar OST has meant to me. For years I have had the privilege of interacting with fans of the game and the music, and it continues to inspire me. I will organize my thoughts more later, but for now - THANK YOU!!
I was watching the Expanse gameplay reveal on Twitch and in the chat someone said in all caps "THE WILDSTAR GUY?"
On the rare occasions I get recognized at gaming events, this is commonly how people start conversations.
Being a Community Manager is a HARD job. You keep the community informed on a product they are passionate about by working with the dev team, but also you relay the feeling of the community back to the dev team. For WoW fans, you have no idea how good you have it with
@devolore
Legion came out 5 years ago today.
I really enjoyed working with that team.
I was Senior Producer on raids, dungeons, mobile companion app, trade skills, 7.1 patch producer, 7.3.5 patch producer, and I paper designed Oso the Betrayer in Brawler's Guild with Paul Kubit.
It has downsides. I have to be MUCH more proactive as a lead, check in on people more to ensure they are doing well, and ensure they know what's happening with the team. However I think I may be at a point for the first time in over a decade where my family can stay in one place?
When you've been working on an unannounced project for a while (based on a show as big as The Expanse) and people finally know about it, it feels like everyone knows your secret identity. Exciting stuff. :)
Disney as a game publisher isn't messing around.
Insomniac Wolverine & Spiderman
KOTOR Remastered
Respawn Jedi Fallen Order
It's a complete 180 from when I was there 14 years ago. It's amazing what acquiring Marvel & Star Wars, mixed with leadership who knows the market can do.
I've been in the games industry for 15 years this month. I've worked at 8 different companies. Moved 8 times. Been to 7 different countries for work. Worked as a designer, producer, vo actor, writer, creative/game director. I'm exhausted, stressed, thrilled, and extremely lucky.
It's easier for me to have a seemingly normal conversation on Twitter than a person of color, anyone female, or LBGTQ+.
I've been harassed for being a game dev, but those folks can be harassed for breathing. That's shit, and we need to be better about recognizing the problem.
I've worked on violent video games. Never been in a real life fight. I've also never voted to go to war with a country which resulted in hundreds of thousands civilians dead, at the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars... But I'm the "little creep" I guess?
@Volstatsz
I've said this in a few threads, but I feel like schools are not set up for kids with ADHD, and lots don't know how to work with kids who can't sit still and focus on the task everyone else can. This gives me so much anxiety for his future in education.
Working with
@SAghdashloo
can now be checked off the bucket list. I can't say much about this without spoiling it, but this is a day that will change the course of Avasarala's life.
Chrisjen Avasarala navigates threats to Earth, political opponents seeking to take her down and family drama, all on a day that will change her life forever.
Bonus episode Archangel launches Fall 2023 for
#TheExpanse
: A Telltale Series.
Pre-order now:
Looks like
#TheExpanse
is trending.
@DeckNineGames
is working on The Expanse: A
@telltalegames
Series. This Tuesday we are doing a gameplay reveal at Opening Night Live for Gamescom. If you missed our announcement trailer, check it out here:
Surround yourself with talented people.
Help out people above and below your experience level.
Don't be an asshole.
If you've been an asshole, be better.
Learn.
Be humble and admit when you were wrong.
Repeat.
Everyone you work with will remember everything mentioned above.
A common question in the interview process is "Why are you leaving your current job?"
The answer we have been getting lately:
"RTO. I don't want to be forced to move back to California on the salary I make."
Happy I can work at a place that offers remote. Also, we're hiring.
The world doesn't need "Top 10 worst games this year" lists. We can stop. I know it gets clicks but kicking those dev teams in the ribs one last time isn't worth it. As someone who has worked on a shit game before, (Major League Eating: The Game) we felt like crap making it too.
Working in game dev requires you to have the ego to put something in front of other people, & the humility to know you'll make mistakes & fix them. In order to get better, you should also admit when you've changed your thinking after those mistakes. It's harder than it sounds.
The medieval combat brawler
#boardgame
Brutality is now live on Kickstarter! Bury opponents alive as the Grave Keeper, rule with crushing subjugation as the Demon King, iron-maiden-smash foes with the Torturer, or summon ghost knights as the Conjurer.