One thing I've noticed over the years is how often someone thinks a post (blog, fb, tweet, etc.) is about them. Makes me think of the song "you're so vain". Anyone else ever experience that?
Have a great day everyone! We are thankful for many things and among them is how grateful we are to be able to hang out and talk to you guys (and gals) on a regular basis. Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm really digging my Surface RT. However, it's the hardware that makes it so compelling. It's compelling despite the software called Windows RT. But the hardware is so great that it's the first time I've used something that made me think I was using something from the future since my first iPhone. It's that good. And yet, Microsoft -- the software side -- has failed in Product Management. Someone, pretty far up the chain there, is incompetent. There&#...
So here I am at Starbucks doing some quick work. This is, obviously, not something you'd do with an iPad. You never see people with tablets at Starbucks. It's either they're messing with their phone while waiting or they have, more commonly, various MacBooks. What is making MS Surface so great for me is that while I can use it as a tablet, though not as good as my iPad, it is much more practical to lug around than my 11 inch MacBook Air. Is makes...
Microsoft Surface RT is not a great tablet. I wouldn't generally use it instead of my iPad...in general. But it has obliterated my use for the MacBook Air which was a constant companion of mine. What makes Surface so compelling comes down to 3 basic design decisions that have far reaching consequences: 1. The removable keyboard works extremely well. Especially the upgraded one. 2. It supports a mouse and mouse cursor allowing for precision control. 3. It integrates mu...
Very soon we plan to release the very first Map Pack for Elemental: Fallen Enchantress. In addition to a new hand crafted map for every map size along with new stamps to spice up random map generation, it also includes the full Anthys map. A gigantic map that contains the entire known world of Elemental (at least, as of ~150 AC).
As an indie developer, we are typically competing against much larger companies. And normally, larger companies are just a lot…well, dumber. So we usually can beat them head to head because they can’t move as nimbly as we can or because our decision makers are better than their decision makers. But Valve…they’re something else. Valve has the resources of a large company but the raw intelligence of a very smart indie. It’s an unbeatable combination.
Yesterday I mentioned that there's no Metro version of the Windows essentials utilities. This remains a baffling issue as a Live Movie Maker and a Live Writer would be very nice to haven. I will say that the Metro version of Skype is nice. Which brings me to today's observation: Microsoft has got to come up with a distinct classification for WinRT apps because it's impossible to do a decent search on the terms Modern and UI. As in, what is the best Modern UI Face...
The MS Surface hardware is its saving grace. It's pretty good. The screen is definitely sub-Retina but it's "Good enough". What makes it killer is the kickstand and keyboard combo that lets me write this little entry while laying down on the couch. Try that with any laptop and notebook and it's much much harder. The MS hardware team deserves kudos. The problems with Surface comes from the Windows team. Metro, frankly, sucks. For example, if you drag from...
Fallen Enchantress at two weeks Fallen Enchantress has now been out two weeks. So far, we’ve sold about 50,000 units (give or take). This is somewhat below Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion but, obviously, far far ahead of War of Magic during the same time frame. The biggest obstacle has been reviews. It’s hard for niche titles (and make no mistake, fantasy turn-based PC games are niche) to get coverage. There’s only so many reviewers to go around a...
I'm writing this with my brand-new Microsoft Surface. The best way to describe it is that Surface is to tablets what the Zune was to music players. It's not terrible but the $500 device has nothing to recommend for it. As a notebook device, it's certainly better than the iPad. It supports multiple users. It supports mice (and on-screen mouse cursors). In short, you could realistically use this device as a very very light work machine. In theory. It comes with a Windo...
One of the benefits of having the “non games” generating steady revenue is that when we release a new game, we don’t have to downscale after release. Typically in the games industry (and really most any industry that has “launches”) there is the “staffing up” phase and then the “staffing down” phase. That’s because a lot of positions become semi-idle after launch. One of the decisions we made early on here was that we didn’t want to do this. We wanted to have a stable company cul...
How many times have you heard someone proclaim 4X strategy games doomed? Prior to major reviews, prior to us even sending out mailers, Fallen Enchantress is already 7th on Steam. Spread the word!
Don't forget to vote: https://www.elementalgame.com/journals And on the 23rd of October, the classic strategy game design concepts returned When I think of classic strategy games, I think Civilization, Star Control, Ultima, Wing Commander, Master of Orion, Baldur’s Gate and of course Master of Magic. Because of the…unusual nature of Stardock, we have the luxury of trying to make a game that, we hope, is a love letter to that classic age. The us...