#64 - Testing, Testing

In this episode, we delve into the world of collectors’ editions in the games industry and discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly, how we would design our own collector’s editions, and much, much more! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:33 Episode Starts05:34 Rune’s Experience and Dreams of Collector’s Editions12:52 Collector’s Editions Gone Wrong13:36 Grand Theft Auto IV: Collector’s Edition14:43 Fallout 4 & Fallout 7630:38 Are Preorders Harmful to the Games Industry?50:18 Sunset Moon and Prototyping55:47 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! — https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! — https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! — https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! — https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! — https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-70-collectors-edition-60b312ba60b8

Tune in as Mireneye and Ulfgang tell us all about Dynasthir, a game over a decade in the making with all its ups and downs while Otto and Rune talk about their impressions from playing it first-hand! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:31 Episode Starts01:22 Ulfgang Introduction02:15 Mireneye Introduction03:59 The History of Dynasthir06:53 How Ulfgang Got Involved09:19 What Is Dynasthir?12:46 Dynasthir Review Starts01:09:21 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guests, and Their Games Wishlist and request access to Dynasthir on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2145210/Dynasthir/ Check out Dynasthir on itch.io! - https://mireneye.itch.io/dynasthir Join the Dynasthir speedrun competition! - https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2897980/view/4139443829726646097 Join the Dynasthir (TwinlakeMinstrels Tower) Discord Server! - https://discord.gg/C9jKbyXe9r Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! - https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! - https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! - https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! - https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! - https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-title-69-dynasthir-review-5b77a7e19954

This week on the Rune Show, we showcase the progress of "Sunset Moon," highlighting how to piece a game together as it reaches its final development phase. Although it's just a demo, demos often represent a small part of the final product. Rune will demonstrate dialogue trees, in-game functions, and bug fixes on the fly.

In this episode, we venture into the jungle of monetization that is the gaming industry. Starting with the traditional games-as-products model reminiscent of the ’90s, we trace the evolution to expansions, downloadable content (DLC), and the controversial realm of microtransactions and loot boxes. Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:30 Episode Starts01:00 Introducing the Theme for the Episode; Monetization04:41 Issues With Modern-Day Monetization17:15 The Legitimate Side of Game Monetization and Its Future34:28 Loot Boxes38:37 Parallels to RuneScape — The Good, the Bad and the Ugly46:34 The Ethical Dilemma of Microtransactions01:01:23 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! — https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! — https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! — https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! — https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! — https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-67-monetization-bd166b5b2099

Welcome back to House of Games! In this episode, we try to answer the big questions; What is a game? Why do people make walking simulators? And lastly, What Remains of Elon Musk? Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:29 Introducing the Theme; What Is a Game?04:51 What Is a Game?58:14 Reading a Comment59:13 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! — https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! — https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! — https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! — https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! — https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-66-what-is-a-game-7065e9f9d6ee

Welcome back to House of Games! This week we talk about updates to our games, what’s going on with Sunset Moon, what it takes to finalize a demo and a special reveal, don’t miss it! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:23 Update on Sunset Moon36:17 Midnight Nano Reveal42:18 Midnight Nano Gameplay52:05 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano - Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Games https://animalcrossing.nintendo.com/ — The homepage for Animal Crossing. https://www.storyofseasons.com/ — The homepage for the Harvest Moon franchise (Story of Seasons). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_(1998_video_game) — The Wikipedia page for Metal Gear Solid. https://persona.atlus.com/series/ — The homepage for the Persona franchise. https://insomniac.games/game/spider-man-ps4/ — The homepage for Marvel’s Spider-Man. https://www.stardewvalley.net/ — The homepage for Stardew Valley. Other Links https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/ — The IMDB page for Black Mirror. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-65-sunset-moon-update-midnight-nano-reveal-b3e181fd110e

This week on House of Games we talk about testing, types of tests, and what (not) to do to find bugs, tune in! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro01:01 How Rune Tests His Games07:49 Otto’s Experience as a Tester17:59 Unit Test26:48 Smoke Test33:22 Regression Test37:49 Why Don’t Programmers Find All the Bugs Themselves?42:59 Stress Test45:47 Structured Testing vs. Unstructured Testing52:36 Real-World Applications of Testing Skills56:34 Reading Comments58:58 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Other Links https://doom.com/ — The homepage for the Doom franchise. https://rome.ro/ — The homepage for John Romero. https://youtu.be/ILkT_HV9DVU?si=G5OGB4MRb1LFwzfM — Lecture on Software Testing by James Bach. https://unity.com/ — The homepage for Unity. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-64-testing-testing-92928a472492

I hope you are ready for a different type of game developer education; Ida Fontaine tells us all about “The Military School of Game Development”, a.k.a The Game Assembly! Put on your best camouflage and shine those boots as we dive into the newest episode of House of Games! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro01:14 Ida Fontaine Introduces Herself01:41 What Is the Game Assembly?03:16 What Does Ida Do at The Game Assembly?04:34 What Is Procedural Art?08:10 What Is Technical Art?08:54 A Day in the Life of a Student at The Game Assembly10:26 What Is Agile?13:55 What the Industry Think of The Game Assembly Method14:50 A Day in the Life… Continued24:08 The Application and Admission Process at The Game Assembly31:04 Exploring the Reasons for Joining the School34:35 Future Plans and the Vision for the Game Assembly38:47 The Game Assembly’s In-House Game Engine40:06 Does the Game Assembly Create Artistic Freedom or Conformity?47:52 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://thegameassembly.com/se/ansokan/ — Apply to The Game Assembly! (In Swedish) https://thegameassembly.com/se/nyheter/ansokningsomgang-2024/ — Visit The Game Assembly’s Open House! (In Swedish) https://thegameassembly.com/ — Learn more about The Game Assembly! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Tools for Making Games https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview — The homepage for Autodesk Maya. https://www.blender.org/ — The homepage for Blender. https://www.ea.com/frostbite — The homepage of the Frostbite Engine. https://www.sidefx.com/products/houdini/ — The homepage for Houdini. https://unity.com/ — The homepage for Unity. https://www.unrealengine.com/ — The homepage for Unreal Engine. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-63-tga-the-military-school-of-game-development-3103940c832e

Join us for a high-tech emotional rollercoaster as we are visited all the way from Germany to hear all about StickyStoneStudio's latest project; M.O.O.D.S! If you like sci-fi, robots, action, and explosions, click play and listen as our wonderful Guest Luca Lorenz guides us through this post-apocalyptic masterpiece! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro02:05 Getting to Know the Guest: Luzca from StickyStoneStudio02:39 Discussing StickyStoneStudio's Journey and Projects04:52 M.O.O.D.S: The Game Concept and Development12:38 M.O.O.D.S Review43:44 What Does a Day in Luca’s Work Life Look Like?48:15 Tips on Speaking to Publishers50:58 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2771200/MOODS_Prologue/ - Wishlist M.O.O.D.S.: Prologue on Steam! https://www.stickystonestudio.de/en/ - Visit StickyStoneStudio's homepage! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ - Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 - Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP - The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-62-m-o-o-d-s-ed3b6f66632d

Load ’em up and aim down below as we discuss the concept of “Shooting Yourself in the Foot”, or ruining the fun in games. Listen in as we talk about stories where we ruined our own fun and how you can stop players from doing the same in your game! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:55 Introducing the Theme for the Episode: Shooting Yourself in the Foot03:02 Open-World Games and Collectibles13:41 How Developers Are Shooting Themselves in the Foot14:28 Open-World Games (in Space) Are Overhyped and Over-Promised17:32 Sunset Moon Update19:48 Shooting Yourself in the Foot With Trophies25:29 Achievements in KnifeBoy29:45 The Antidote42:33 Why Open World Space Games Are Boring, Continued47:53 Points of No Return in Games52:23 Problems and Solutions for Card Games Inside Video Games58:00 How Developing Games Replaces Playing Games01:03:15 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. https://youtu.be/drUKDVWgeTo?si=6CRqqX1Rzn3VQbyK — Credits to Miketendo64 for the KnifeBoy gameplay background footage. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-61-shooting-yourself-in-the-foot-6d38587bc684