TOP FREE GAME TOOLS JULY 2016 GAME FROM GAME EXPO TO GAME JOB Indie intro to VR Brought to you by GRADUATE #2 PROGRAM JULY 2016 CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 4 EDITOR’S NOTE IT'S ALL ABOUT TASTE! 96 FREE TOOLS FREE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS 2016 53 GAME SCHOOL DIRECTORY 104 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT There are tons of options out there in terms INDIE DREAMIN' of viable game schools, and this list is just the starting point to get you acquainted with the schools near you (or far from you, if that’s what STUDENT POSTMORTEM you prefer!). 32 BEGLITCHED 72 VIRTUALLY DESIGNED NYU Game Center students Alec Thomson and Jennu Jiao Hsia discuss their IGF Award- VR has quickly moved from buzzword, to proto- winning match three game about insecurity type, to viable business. This guide will help you within computers, and within ourselves. get started in VR development, avoiding some common pitfalls. FEATURES 78 SOUNDS GOOD TO ME! 8 BREAKING IN THE EASY(ISH) WAY! Advice for making audio (with or without) How attending expos can land you a job. an audio specialist. 18 ZERO TO HERO Hey! You want to learn low poly modeling but 84 A SELLER’S MARKET don’t know where to start? Look no further! Marketing fundamentals for your first game. With this guide, we hope to provide a good introduction to not only the software, but 90 INTRO TO GAME ENGINES also the concepts and theory at play. A brief discussion of some of the newest and most popular DO YOU NEED A PUBLISHER? 34 game engines. In the old days, a publisher was the only way to get your game to market. In the current climate of self publishing, do you really need to work with one? This primer may help you decide! 004 e EDITOR’S NOTE_ Brandon Sheffield IT'S ALL ABOUT TASTE! YOUR INTRO TO THE CAREER GUIDE I FRIENDS! WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF THE ANNUAL CAREER GUIDE! HThe aim of this publication is to help increase your game dev know-how, whether it’s through our primer on 3D modeling, helping you sort out whether you need a publisher, or advice on how to land a job by attending an expo. I'd like to use these early game for Genesis, because nothing more. You've got to have pages to expand on two she heard you liked that movie a multipronged approach to things, if you'll indulge me. and she knows you've got the marketing, and many publishers The first is when to say no to a console. It was in this sort of simply don't have the expertise publisher, because I feel like environment that traditional to do it. almost nobody talks about that. publishers thrived. They paid Another useful type of Secondly, I want to talk to you money for a game, and they publisher is one with a built-in about taste and critique. It's knew they could sell it because audience. Say you've got a JRPG. important, but a lot of games are they knew where the people Atlus, Square Enix, or XSEED made without it. were. might be the publisher for you. Now, more games are Simply by putting their name Publishers coming out than ever. You can't on your game, you're likely to I am, at any given time, pitching guarantee Grandma knows sell more, because they've got a game or two to publishers. how to gift you a Steam code, a fan base looking for the type As an indie game dev myself, and she certainly doesn't know of game you're making. In this with a studio called Necrosoft which particular game you want, case, it doesn't matter as much Games (www.necrosoftgames. because it's not plastered all whether or not they do any com), we're always looking for over the inside of a Toys “R” Us. aggressive marketing, because that next source of funding, or a Some publishers combat their fans are already looking for fancy way to market ourselves, this problem with innovative that kind of game from them. or some other such thing that a marketing. Companies like But then you've got the publisher traditionally provides. TinyBuild and Devolver use other sort of publisher. The But when it comes down to streamers, YouTubers, and one I mentioned before, who it, not all publishers are actually social media to hype games gives you a bit of money, takes useful beyond the money they before they launch. This actually a recoup and a revenue share, provide. And if they're not useful works. and doesn't promote your game beyond the money they provide, But most other publishers in any way that's going to help how much do you really need still use static press releases, a it sell. This is, unfortunately, them? few game trailers, and an expo most publishers out there today. Selling a game is more booth as their big marketing These tend to stay in business difficult than ever. There's no drive. This just doesn't work with their bigger marquee titles captive audience like there may anymore. Friends of mine have and use indies as “try it and have been in the Sega Genesis brought their games to over a see” sorts of investments that days. If that was the console dozen expos, from PAX to E3, they hope will hit—but will leave you had—well, your grandma and it didn't affect their sales. them to flop if they don't. was buying you the new Batman Why? Because that's all they did, Marketing needs to be a game developer magazine 004 e 005 EDITOR’S NOTE_ Brandon Sheffield continuous push, even after 1) Have you heard of them? If so, launch. If a publisher can't or see what their fan base likes. If won't do that, it’s not really going you can identify that and it lines to help you do anything other than up with what you're making, pay for exactly how much your maybe it’s a good match. game costs to make. And let's be clear, that is not enough money. 2) Read articles written by The sales from that game have to their staff, about marketing, pay you at least until you can get publishing, and so forth. Are they another deal, or ideally it makes trying new things? The fact that you enough to fund your next game they're writing articles about yourself. marketing is already a good If the only publishers who are sign. But study what they're interested in your game are this doing. If it seems interesting sort, you're might be better off (read up on TinyBuild's Punch releasing your game on your own. Club initiative for a good At least you get all the profits example), they're probably pretty you earn and can live or die by good. your own skill. We've come to the conclusion that we can market 3) Do they have a good rep? Ask our own game better than most your developer pals whether publishers. Not nearly as well as they're good to work with. This is the good ones, but… there just pretty important. aren't that many good ones, so if none of those wind up being interested, might as well skip that whole thing. So how the heck do you identify the good ones? Here's a quick primer. illustration by Juan Ramirez illustration 006 e EDITOR’S NOTE_ Brandon Sheffield real artists are self-deprecating, image that resonates with you. but that is wrong-headed. You can What was it about that time that think you're pretty much alright, as was meaningful, and elicited that long as you're never complacent. excited response? Hot Topic goths being down on Really, our image is just an themselves don't necessarily make isometric school scene. It's not good artists. But nondestructive related particularly to any of those self-analyzers often do. other games. But when you've Other than that, go with your So really, it's about analyzing invested time and energy into gut! And be sure to read Adam why you like the things you like. playing something like Persona Saltsman's guide to publishers for Let's say you're in your late 20s. II or Mega Man Battle Network, more about this. You like Symphony of the Night it sticks with you, and you start because you grew up in the 1990s, looking for more things like it. This Good taste and your older sibling passed it is worth analyzing. There are so many bland and down to you. It feels like it was the So here are some exercises to flavorless games in the world! best game ever and nobody ever help cultivate your self-criticism. Let's not make too many more made anything else like it, but They may seem stupid, but they'll of them. This is a weird and really it was your best game ever, get you thinking. controversial subject, but I believe because of where you were in that that in order to make something time, what happened to you, what 1) Write three sentences about why good, you have to have taste. your life was like, and how this you like your top ten songs or “Good” taste, “bad” taste, it doesn't game slotted into it. You have to albums. What was going on in matter; you've got to like certain analyze that, not just accept the your life when you heard them? things—and know why you like idea that “games were better back Why did they resonate with you? them—in order to make something then.” Do they resonate the same way that other people are going to like I showed a bunch of folks now? or dislike.