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
Tag: Game Development
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
Two Perspectives on Fairness in Game Pricing
Game pricing does not make a lot of sense. Most of us should be paying more for games, and at least some of them should get more expensive over time. The fact this doesn't happen may be strange, but the causes are not mysterious. Steam runs frequent sales events, and the practice of heavy discounting … Continue reading Two Perspectives on Fairness in Game Pricing
Bringing Your Whole Self to Patch Notes
On March 8th the developer of Domina (bignic) decided to moonlight as a health authority/life coach and suffered backlash as a result. The opinion expressed is stupid and uninteresting, but for reference, the note that sparked the response was: TAKE OFF THE FCKN MASKS - Next time you're at the grocery store, try showing a … Continue reading Bringing Your Whole Self to Patch Notes
Should companies be allowed to buy games?
Drake Star Partners, an investment banking firm, published a report on deals in gaming made in the first three quarters of 2021. The report states that the total dollar value of acquisitions (announced or closed) is already twice that of 2020 in its entirety. The comparison to 2020 is even more striking considering that 2020 … Continue reading Should companies be allowed to buy games?
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