Dev Links: Alone in the Desert

What do Apple’s app store policies, the design of game spaces, and the problem of violence and other questionable material in games have in common?

What do Apple’s app store policies, the design of game spaces, and the problem of violence and other questionable material in games have in common? Not much, really, except that they’re all subjects discussed in today’s Developer Links.

Taking Back Control: How Kickstarter Is Revolutionizing Development(GamesIndustry)
“Chris Taylor, the designer behind the Total Annihilation RTS and founder of Gas Powered Games (where he created Dungeon Siege) is ready to enter the new era of PC gaming. That’s the Kickstarter era, as Taylor and Gas Powered Games begin their latest game project on Kickstarterrather than through a traditional publishing model. The new game, Wildman, combines the action RPG genre with RTS elements from a designer who’s created famous examples of both genres.”

Corrypt and Asciivania(Auntie Pixelante)
“so what do these two have in common? they’re both meticulously crafted little puzzle boxes, the two i’ve most enjoyed in recent memory. in both i found puzzles that felt like they yielded to several possible solutions, yet ultimately fit into an overlying order.”

Why I Won’t Be Playing Many of the Biggest Games of 2013(Zeboyd Games)
“Before 2012, I pretty much played whatever I felt like. Sure, I’d try to stay clear from the really bad stuff like GTA & God of War but that’s about it. That changed in 2012 with two particular games.”

The Metrics of Space: Molecule Design(Gamasutra)
“Game spaces provide a context for the game’s rules and systems, and a space for the game agents to perform mechanics. When we go about designing game spaces, sometimes thinking in pure spatial terms clouds what a designer needs to achieve with a certain game space.”

Our BroMii Is No More(Broken Rules)
“Our beloved BroMii wasn’t human enough to function as an official developer’s Mii, so we had to make a tough decision and let him go. We are sad to announce that he’s departed the MiiVerse. We are very sorry about our loss and will miss him greatly.”

Thoughts About App Store ‘Curation’(The Witness)
“Last week, Jeff Grubb from VentureBeat emailed me a question for an article he was writing, prompted by Apple’s rejection of. Sometimes questions like this are good excuses for me to figure out what I really think.”

BattleBlock Theater Beta(The Behemoth Development Blog)
“Hear ye, Hear ye!   We call volunteers for our BattleBlock Theater Closed Beta Test!  We have 10,000 fresh backstage passes and we’re not afraid to give them out!! Do you want one?  Can you smell it?  Does this delight you?  Are you not entertained?”

New Year, New Animations!(Big Robot)
“It’s already been a busy month at Big Robot, as you can see. We’ve also had a tricky holiday period, with the phone company keeping Jim without internet for a numbing 37 days! Anyway, we’re back to regular updates, and below we’ve posted a new video showcasing some of the new animations for the Hunter character.”