Video dev blogging and the game development process

OK, first blog entry here that does not review a game as such, but is very much on the video game industry in general. Ahh, I feel like I am making such progress here in covering a wide array of issues and topics as I said I would in my first ever blog entry.

So yeah, I was looking back over some unwatched podcasts so this might not be news to anyone that watches X-Play games podcasts. Gas Powered Games, currently developing Kings and Castles, are doing a video blog hosted by their CEO and owner Chris Taylor.

I wanted to bring this to the attention of anyone interested in the game making process like I am, and also like me for people aspiring for a future in the gaming industry. Basically he takes a camera around the GPG office on a weekly short video tour. They are very short, like 2-3 mins each, and pretty rapid fire. Despite being goofy and not very detailed, they are a good insight into the game development process and surprisingly you don't get to see much of this anywhere. In the X-Play podcast episode I saw this on, he even states people saying how it is not a good idea to show outsiders the 'secret' development processes behind the drawn curtains. His reply to that was 'Well, why not?'

I have scanned a couple of the vids already and, as I said, they are more goofy and at first they don't sem to show much. But as they get past the first few vids they start to pick up their stride and talk about development processes in little snapshots.

Also, the X-Play podcast episode is pretty good as well, though very short, as he touches on the subject of 'PC gaming is dead' and how silly the whole philosophy sounds. Not sure I agree that everyone screeching this is simply trying to 'create news' in the hopes of people agreeing with them, like trying to create a self-fulfilling prophecy or anything. There is a big picture that die-hard console gamers will not see when they are not immersed in the PC games world anyway so you cannot blame many of them for nodding in agreement to that statement. But I do agree with his thoughts that it is not true at all given the huge industry still existing and evolving in the PC game industry with the impact of MMOs and digital distribution. Also, you only have to look at many games for the PC (and sure they could have a console port as well) and google for any mod packs for the games. You will find a plethora of mods for many games to make them great. Now ask yourself how you get those mods on you console. You simply cannot.

PC gaming is the gateway to game development, purely because of the flexibility of many games for aspiring game writers who may well start their journey coding mods for PC ports of popular games. And so it will always remain.