Jeff STARGAZY Sheen

Since 2009, STARGAZY has made innovative games.

Democracy 4 / Democracy 3 Africa / Prison Architect

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

🔗 https://t.co/gUB9s1bpAM

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

@jtoresson DM'd about an opportunity. Would love it if you can find the time to take a look.

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

https://t.co/KF3b3qeVVW

Timestamped link to Business of Video Games episode that gives exec summary of the current funding landscape by Uwu (Callum Underwood)

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

Overbold in the UFO 50 collection is so good.

Smash TV-like w/ great enemy design that each encourage different tactics, & more in combination with each other.

Brilliant push your luck economy with varied power-ups in the shop randomly incentivised.

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

Overbold in the UFO 50 collection is so good.

Smash TV-like w/ great enemy designs that each encourage different tactics, & more in combination with each other.

Brilliant push your luck economy with varied power-ups in the shop randomly incentivised.

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

In the short to medium term, expect to need to show near-finished game slices with proof of market interest to unlock good funding deals from a reduced number of funders.

This market requires developers to assume more risk before being able to access runway capital.

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

US election result was already priced into forward FED interest rates.

2Y is 4.2%

10Y is 4.4%

i.e. loan markets are expected to be flat over the next 5Y+

Smart money should exit cash positions into higher yielding corporations with proven business models.

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

Though, relative to 2009-2022, not many speculative businesses will be started with IRL loans at 5.5%+

I think the funding landscape in games will recover slowly next year from the mass retraction over the past 2 years, but will be far from the levels of investment 4 years ago.

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

- Ship small budget games frequently, so that individual experiences can be sold at a modest price, but your audience can spend far more in aggregate by playing your deep catalogue (which also has algorithmic store discovery benefits)

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

https://t.co/YxolV0IuaY

Xalavier Nelson discusses Sustainable Development.

TLDR:

- Rule #1 survive by shipping
- Ship by making production decisions in terms of a set project budget (i.e. nil sum game)
- Aggressively scope to reduce risk by minimising unknowns from the start

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

- N.B. this conservative, pragmatic approach may improve developer sustainability, but publishers prefer to sign devs who are willing to risk it all on a moon shot (they don't care about the continued operation of creators, only potential of a product to be an outlier hit)

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

Initially reticent to listen to the Eggplant Show's UFO 50 game-per-week episodes, worried about Barbuta's secrets being spoiled (it's the 1st game).

Now I've gotten over that hump, I can recommend listening.

Insightful design analysis.

https://t.co/X17RtEe7eP

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

My top Cardiff bacon sandwiches:

Terra Nova caffi, Roath Park, w/ perfectly cooked streaky rashers, chilli jam & rocket, on a supple brioche roll

Parsons bakery, Whitchurch, w/ doorstop profile, thick back rashers between chunky slices of cloud-soft British loaf, butter & sauce

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

UFO 50 is wonderful

It presents as retro, but the game designs are circa 2007-2011

i.e. when small, thoughtful games that push game design forward were generally more viable (an era of design that probably inspired many here)

The session lengths fit in perfectly to busy lives

[Stellar Cartography @StelCart]

✨To the Stars✨is OUT NOW on Steam, GOG and Epic!

If you're into some quirky tactical planet hopping please buy, play & don't forget to leave a review - especially in these early days every review matters🙏

[Ido Yehieli @tametick]

Play To the Stars' free demo now, in time for the Endless Replayability Fest and let us know what you think on our discord: https://t.co/MrCUlLdjsH

Any shares/RTs highly appreciated 🙏

https://t.co/fAfOVX0OE3

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

Descent 3 source code released on GitHub.

Everyone else went straight for the data structures too, right?

https://t.co/be8eLnfttB

[Ichiro Lambe @IchiroDejobaan]

Have you checked out our guide to the Steam Deckbuilders Fest? A guide to 30 great games, many of which are hidden gems!

❤ https://t.co/H1lZzx9jIm

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

This is not a drill.

Slice & Dice 3.0 is live on all stores now!

[Jeff STARGAZY Sheen @stargazystudios]

A good roundup of current applications of genAI in game production + 24-36 month lookahead predictions from two veteran game industry VCs

https://t.co/wPrcyZbnNe