Game Dev

Rule #1 of Game Marketing

Nowadays there are tons of (awesome) games coming out all the time which means that the biggest challenge to making a successful game isn't necessarily the making the game part, but rather reaching the players that would enjoy your game.

However that does NOT mean that marketing is all that matters and the game doesn't matter, that is WRONG. Marketing is just a multiplier, and if you multiply 100 by 0 you still end up with 0.

So here is Rule #1 of Game Marketing: Have a marketable game.

One dev found this out the hard way. In a post on Reddit this developer decided to spend $500 on Reddit ads to try to get wishlists to try to have a successful game. However the post and the replies from the OP clearly indicate that they are missing the #1 rule of game marketing. They think the issue is marketing when the reality is the issue is the game itself. Breakout-style games do not do well nowadays, it is not a marketable game at all, no matter how many features or mechanics it has.

I can definitely empathize with this developer since it's hard to see the flaws in your own games that you worked so hard on, but for me as an external observer I can tell you instantly as soon as I saw the Steam page that no amount of clever marketing will make this game a success. That might sound harsh but sadly it's the honest truth.

The dev has clearly read up on marketing since they use actual real numbers to justify their decisions. Based on the assumption that they could get 1 wishlist for $1 like some other games, they decided on a pricepoint of $15 which would net about $7 ending up spending $20 to get a sale. If that were the case it would be a reasonable marketing spend.

However as soon as the dev put the plan in action they saw how terrible the ads converted, those $500 only got 16 wishlists which based on the same conversion math would be $700 per customer, not $20, which is obviously not sustainable at all. The dev thought (and still thinks) the issue is marketing, when it really is the game itself.

Nowadays making a breakout clone is NOT a marketable idea (unless you have a super clever super unique twist) and you absolutely cannot sell that for anywhere close to $15.

So my lesson to you is this: If you're making games with commercial intent (there are no rules if you're making games just for fun), then you NEED to pay very close attention to the idea that you pick. Marketing is extremely important but remember how it is just a multiplier, the BEST marketing in the world will not save an unmarketable idea.

Here is a recent excellent video talking about the importance of marketable game ideas from the developer behind the successful Get to Work.

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Game Dev

Game dev is a LIE!

Games are all about what the player experiences, it's all about what the player thinks is happening rather than what is actually happening. Therefore games are usually full of smoke and mirrors that look one way but if you take a peek behind the scenes it will look very different.

Here is a post with a ton of fun examples of that.

• If your want very intense snow in your game, you can make a giant particle system that occupies the entire world, or just put a tiny cloud that occupies the entire field of view.

• What about a cutscene of a baloon flying in the air, except the baloon never actually moves.

• Skateboarding down an endless road? Maybe it's just a donut spinning.

• Going down a tunnel? Maybe it's just a scrolling texture on a weird shape.

• Waves on the sea in The Wind Waker? Nope, it's just triangles.

• Doing a cutscene? Anything not in view of the camera doesn't matter.

• And of course you've got the classics like the Fallout 3 Train hat.

So whenever you're working on your games, remember how all that matters is what the player sees, what they experience, which might be completely different from what is actually happening.

Computers are very advanced nowadays but they still have limitations, it's up to you as the developer to be clever with those limitations to bring your vision to life.

Gaming

The Game Awards 2025!

The Game Awards just happened this week and as always it was an awesome event! Lots of awards and lots of awesome games shown!

The big winner of the night was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 which won 9 awards! (including Game Of The Year)

Best Community Support went to Baldur's Gate 3, Best Audio Design went to Battlefield 6, Best Action Game was Hades II, Best Family Game was Donkey Kong Bananza, Best Multiplayer was Arc Raiders, Best Action Adventure was Hollow Knight: Silksong and of course Most Anticipated Game went to Grand Theft Auto VI.

And of course despite the name, the event is not just about awards, it's also about announcing and showcasing awesome games!

Divinity is the latest game from Larian Studios, absolutely excellent trailer! Star Was: Fate of the Old Republic looks excellent (spiritual successor to KOTOR), there's 2 new Tomb Raider games coming, Control Resonant is the sequel from Remedy, fight massive battles in Total War: Warhammer 40,000, one of the creators of Left 4 Dead is working on 4:Loop, Megaman is returning in 2027, Ace Combat 8 is hitting the skies in 2026, and Leon Kennedy is coming to Resident Evil Requiem.

Definitely lots of awesome stuff to look forward to, and lots of games to go play this year if you haven't already, I definitely need to find the time to play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33!

Fun

Rats play DOOM!

It's a common joke nowadays to get DOOM to run on anything from a Microwave to a Pregnancy Test 

And now here's a next level of that joke, having a non-human play DOOM! In this case one developer created a complex "VR" setup to have rats play DOOM! It really is as insane as it sounds like.

It started with a simple ball and having rats move forward, then added a panoramic screen for the rat to see the game along with a reward system to train the rat by using sugar water synced with in-game rewards. They learned to walk and shoot in about 2 weeks!