My only nephew is something of a math prodigy, and the fact that he wants to be a game designer when he grows up (and has even been to game dev camp) fills me with the creeping horror that only someone who’s been chronicling the game industry for years can know. The industry is awesome, and it is also a meat grinder that chews amazing people up and spits them right back out. He deserves a better future than that. Everybody does. Such is the subject of a lengthy piece on Gamasutra this week. Author Simon Parkin interviews multiple developers about their experience making games – and their obvious relief when they finally escape. They’re not just talking crunch; they’re discussing relatively low pay, contract positions, nepotism, instability, post-launch exhaustion, sexism, and actual corruption driving people away. “Long-term careers in the video game industry are uncommon and are, counterintuitively, becoming rarer as the years progress,” Parkin … [Read more...] about How the best devs are ‘fleeing in droves’ to escape the abusive games industry
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Belgium orders Overwatch, CSGO, and FIFA 18 to remove lockboxes or face criminal penalties
Back in 2017, at the height of mainstream outrage over lockbox shenanigans, Belgium became one of the very first countries to take the problem seriously (instead of just passing the buck). The Belgian committee assigned to investigate concluded in November that “the mixing of money and addiction is gambling” and pledged to ban them. Now, the country has effectively done just that. Its Gaming Commission spent several months investigating multiple games, ultimately finding that Overwatch, FIFA 18, and Counter Strike: Global Offensive are operating in violation of its laws specifically because of their lockbox mechanics. “To speak of a game of chance, the Gaming Commission uses four parameters. If there is a game element, a bet can lead to profit or loss and chance has a role in the game. In the case of FIFA 18, Overwatch and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, the Gaming Commission decides that the system of loot boxes forms a game of chance that is subject to Belgian … [Read more...] about Belgium orders Overwatch, CSGO, and FIFA 18 to remove lockboxes or face criminal penalties
Blizzard Jumps on the Social Justice and Identity Politics Bandwagon
The Blizzard Entertainment we once knew and loved has vanished into the mists of time. Blizzard was once a shining city on a hill that stood out as a beacon of gamer-centric righteousness in the sleazy wasteland of the video game sausage factory. Blizzard’s extraordinary game development philosophy defied conventional wisdom. Blizzard did things their way. They didn’t care what anyone thought and their fans loved them for it. Today, the maverick Irvine-based gaming studio once known for its unwavering commitment to quality has been transformed by ambitious leadership that wants to turn Blizzard into the next Disney. But, there is a price to pay. To gain membership into this exclusive club you must be willing to sell your soul and conform to the obligatory leftist worldview that is held by most California-based entertainment and tech companies. For the last few years, the new Blizzard — Blizzard 2.0 — has proceeded to implement their part of the Faustian bargain. … [Read more...] about Blizzard Jumps on the Social Justice and Identity Politics Bandwagon
7 Places To Find The Best Premium WordPress Plugins In 2017
If you use WordPress, you have to use plugins. It doesn’t matter what type of website you are building; you need to use a few plugins to get the additional features you need. There are both free and premium plugins. You can get started with the free plugins, but if you want to unlock the advanced and more powerful features, get regular updates and support, you have to go for the premium ones. But where can you get premium plugins that ensure all these perks? Which marketplaces or plugin developers are the most reliable? If you have any of these questions on your mind, you have come to the right place. In this post, I am going to introduce you to the best places to find WordPress plugins. Let’s get started and find out which places offer the best premium WordPress plugins. 1. CodeCanyon CodeCanyon is the largest and most popular marketplace for premium WordPress plugins. At the time of writing this post, there were 5,288 plugins available. You can use the search … [Read more...] about 7 Places To Find The Best Premium WordPress Plugins In 2017
15+ Sites to Find the Best Premium WordPress Themes In 2017
22 WordPress is the World’s best CMS for Blogging. It is used by 25% of all websites in the World. Initially, it was used only for blogging. But with the passage of time it became the number one web publishing platform. From a personal blog to an eCommerce site, you can create any site with WordPress. So what makes it so GOOD? WordPress is an open source tool, and thousands of developers work for it. It has thousands of themes and hundreds of theme providers’ clubs. Every day we get new themes with latest trend and updates of old themes. Some of the themes are free, and the rest of them are premium. When it comes to getting updates, supports and compatibility with the latest technology, then Premium WordPress Themes should be number one choice. There are hundreds of WordPress theme companies that provide well-designed themes yet it’s difficult to choose one. In this post, I will be sharing 15 best WordPress Premium Theme Providers which are reliable and affordable. … [Read more...] about 15+ Sites to Find the Best Premium WordPress Themes In 2017