marginalia_2

Marginalia is an eclectic compilation of links tailored for game developers. Links contributed by Clara Fernández-Vara, Amanda Lange and Miguel Sicart. Kickstarter, free audio and how to keep a level head. Plus a gaming controversy from 1985 that was similar to the ludology/narratology debate.

Our Suggestions

Amanda Lange suggests the “How four indie teams got funded with Kickstarter” by Shanti Zachariah (don’t forget to check out the second part). Obviously anecdotal stuff, but this is still interesting for anyone trying to go down the Kickstarter route.

Miguel Sicart suggests “Steven Soderbergh’s State Of Cinema Talk“. Miguel adds, “Soderbergh, who is a cranky young man I am not sure I’d like to meet but has a lot of talent, complains about the cinema industry. I found it resonant not only with the woes that the AAA business is facing, but also with some parts of the indie culture.”

Joel Goodwin suggests “Basic Animation Aesthetics” by David OReilly (h/t Vectorpark; PDF download available from page). OReilly explains his approach to animation aesthetics which is concerned with consistency and coherence.

Amanda Lange suggests “What aren’t people still understanding about Kickstarter? The answer is: A lot.” by Troy Lonergan. This is an excellent, in-depth piece on how to achieve realistic financial goals with Kickstarter.

Miguel Sicart suggests an academic book “Encounters: Two Studies in the Sociology of Interaction” (Ervin Goffman, 1961), in particular the first essay “Fun in Games”. He says all game designers should read this book, “particularly those making local multiplayer games”.

Amanda Lange suggests “Truth In the Land of Imposters” by Alec Holowka. If you worry that one day everyone is going to find out that you’re a fraud and have no talent whatsoever, then this is the article for you.

Clara Fernández-Vara suggests “A Detective Story: A Case Study of Games in Literature” by Bernard Suits (PDF download available from page). Clara writes, “This is an old article that deals with the game-like aspects of detective stories, which created a controversy similar to the ludology-narratology debate 15 years later. ‘How could stories be games?'”

Joel Goodwin suggests the “Freesound” site. This is a great resource and the site describes itself as “a collaborative database of Creative Commons Licensed sounds.”

Amanda Lange suggests one for the students: “51* things every game student should know” by Kaye Elling. Amanda likes this but, well, she would say that having contributed to it. This is worth a read even if you’re not a student because it made someone laugh here at Electron Dance HQ.

Joel Goodwin suggests “Don’t” by Chris Whitman. Whitman lists three Don’ts that he has found helpful in keeping a level head during development projects.

The Saturday Paper

Michael Cook writes The Saturday Paper, which explores academic papers related to game development.

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2 thoughts on “Marginalia #2

  1. OMG Bernard Suits I do love his stuff so much.
    Thanks for letting me be part of this!

  2. Yes, I remember you citing Suits when you were doing your version of “what is a game” on Tap!

    No problem being part of the unpaid staff, Amanda. Any time! We can double the salary you get paid over on Tap, but don’t tell Steerpike, he might put in a counteroffer.

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