The last time inflation was unusually high, the economist Robert Lucas wrote a paper criticizing policy evaluation by performing statistical analysis on historical aggregates. It is now known as the Lucas Critique (not to be confused with the more common Lucas Critique concerning the Star Wars prequels). The paper (“Econometric Policy Evaluation: A Critique”) does … Continue reading Use Designers in Data Analysis
Author: systemchalk
Money Trouble
Tech has seen waves of layoffs in 2023 and gaming is no exception. While the two might seem related, the stated reasons are quite different. Tech CEOs have not made it a secret that they feel emboldened by each other’s drives for efficiency, while announcements that tie layoffs to profit margins are the exception in … Continue reading Money Trouble
ATMing Writers
The MBAs are at it again. I, for one, am tired of suits creating problems that don't exist and devalue the work of writers. Games need good writing, and writing is a specialized skill that should be compensated. Hiring talent creates value well in excess of the extra cost over hiring an average writer. Yet … Continue reading ATMing Writers
Why is There a Productivity Problem in Gaming?
This article is a companion to its predecessor that described gaming's productivity problem but did not identify causes. Here we will focus on a subset of potential causes that are the most informative and deal with why we may be experiencing the problem now. The productivity problem is a natural consequence of the growth of … Continue reading Why is There a Productivity Problem in Gaming?
Discoverability as a Productivity Problem
Gamers are less willing to subsidize inefficiency in game production than they have been in the past. This is a product of independent gaming's success which has resulted in more developers being supported while simultaneously introducing more competition. This more competitive environment has been characterized through the discoverability problem, where games struggle to get attention … Continue reading Discoverability as a Productivity Problem
Unity Has Gone Too Far. Time to Go All the Way
Unity announced a price increase a couple days ago which has rightly enraged the developer community. While the seat price remains the same for all Unity licenses, the engine will now charge for unique installs of the Unity runtime once developers pass a certain revenue and install threshold. This unconscionable change strikes at the very … Continue reading Unity Has Gone Too Far. Time to Go All the Way
A Note on That Twitter Thread
There is a thread going around about game budgeting that is getting some traction and, while I wish I could leave my thoughts to one tweet, there is a lot to get through. The thread concerns why large developers are not able to delay projects, and takes a frustrating reddit comment responding to an article … Continue reading A Note on That Twitter Thread
Deals and Devils
Quote tweeters have been amusing themselves with the Wall Street Journal writing that Diablo IV is “shaping up to be a surprise hit”. Or should I say that the entire internet OWNED the out of touch IDIOTS at the MURDOCH OWNED Wall Street Journal who thinks it’s SURPRISING the series that sells TENS OF MILLIONS … Continue reading Deals and Devils
Two perspectives on sales and luck
Jake Birkett, as is his way, posted a tweet that prompted some reflection. Here it is: https://twitter.com/GreyAlien/status/1600913617372811276?s=20&t=SmvkeShC7Ziacz6o2DqHiw He may be responding to this thread by Momiji studios, though if he intended to make the association he would have done so. I am sympathetic to some parts of the thread, particularly the idea that data on … Continue reading Two perspectives on sales and luck
The Ultimate Guide to Steam Wishlists in 2023
Steam wishlists are a leading indicator of a game's success and a significant area of focus for developers. They are used to forecast a game's sales and to break into the coveted Steam front page. Despite the significant attention they recieve, there are a lot of mysteries as to how wishlists work. The number requried … Continue reading The Ultimate Guide to Steam Wishlists in 2023
SystemTalk 