Bay Backner

Head of Studio Partnerships @decentraland - leading the Creator Success Program // Assistant Professor Emerging Tech @berkleevalencia

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

Introducing Creator Success: a new way to get funded to build in Decentraland.

The program is designed to help you move from an early idea to a tested, funded game project.

A big part of that is our new AI Game Design Skills, which help turn a rough concept into a structured Game Design Document (GDD), covering things like your core loop, social play, retention and scope. They can also help you rapidly prototype your idea in Decentraland.

The steps:

💡 Shape your idea with Game Design Skills
📝 Build a clear GDD
💸 Apply for $1,000 in initial funding
🎮 Build, playtest and improve your game
📈 Progress to further funding rounds if the project performs well

Applications are open now.
https://t.co/eavEeTXaye

[Decentraland @decentraland]

IYKYK 🤌

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

@Kimcurrier yes, 100% yes. I texted friends this morning "like, you do know this is happening?". Resounding no.

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

@swissverse Yes, 100% agree with your statement here: "Perhaps that's the real challenge of Creative Privilege: creating enough room for creativity to develop before we can even recognize its value"

Very elegant way of expressing exactly what I'm reaching for.

[SWISS @swissverse]

“Creative privilege” is an interesting concept.

If I understand it correctly, it’s the luxury of having the opportunity to learn through trial and error. To practice, build momentum, gain confidence, and try again. Eventually, you succeed. And that success gives you the confidence to do it again.

But read it for yourself. 👇

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

@eellillee What would that structure mean for you?

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

I spoke this morning at VDS about AI in creative practice, and I said that AI does not, and will not, democratise creativity.

Quite a few people in the audience talked with me after about this. So, it seems like a good time to start sharing!
Links ⬇️🧵

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

I spoke this morning at VDS about AI in creative practice, and I said that AI does not, and will not, democratise creativity.

Quite a few people in the audience talked with me after about this. So, it seems like a good time to start sharing!
Links ⬇️🧵

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

I'm aiming to post something each month, mostly sharing what I'm learning as I go. I think a post on the democratisation of creativity probably needs to be next!

Let me know if you've other topics!

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

Sharing this link is also a step to share with you Creative Privilege (https://t.co/y7tfXf0ghA), a wider project I'm researching and writing in my spare time.

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

@swissverse Ah, huge congratulations!

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

Want to use @decentraland Creator Hub directly with your agent? The MCP config works like freaking magic.

In Creator Hub, click on the top right DCL icon.

Choose: Settings -> AI
Then scroll to "Expose AI assistant MCP server"
Paste the code into your agent. Done.

[wcrpaul @wcrpaul]

He is...
RoboCrab.
He is...
Ready.
(Sound up 🔉)

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

@dcl_matt @metapaul531 @decentraland It's fantastic to get the opportunity to work with you and see your process, Matt!

[Matt @dcl_matt]

Thank you @metapaul531 🫡

That’s a huge compliment coming from a #Web3 #gaming legend!

Shoutout to @BayBackner and @decentraland for supporting creators and helping make these experiences possible!

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

@swissverse Great you can be part of it!! I owe you the V1 scope. On its way - if not today, then over the weekend :)

[SWISS @swissverse]

1/9 The past three months in #Decentraland have been some of the most fun I've had in five years. Today, October 15, marks the end of a personal three-month challenge: explore, build, participate, and discover what's possible. I'm excited about what comes next.

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

@decentraland haha, my photo is flagged as "Made with AI".

Well, I should bloomin hope so. Nico E is definitely not orange IRL.

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

What happens when you put your game in front of 15 players and just watch what they do?

This week's @decentraland Creator Success playtests gave us fab lessons on difficulty, frustration, onboarding and the stuff I break.

Here's what we learned 🧵

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

7/10 To wrap this week...

Playtesting isn't really about finding bugs. It's about discovering the gap between what you think you made and what players actually experience.

Which is why all you awesome studios and playtesters make my job the most interesting in Decentraland.

[Bay Backner @BayBackner]

6/10 More features aren't always the answer.

One game had grown with new rewards, cool combat and multiplayer.

But some players still struggled with mobile controls, inventory, and unclear feedback.

Sometimes the best next feature is making it easier to play.