News! Tech! Tools! Talks! Games! And Stuff Worth Sharing!

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Re: News! Tech! Tools! Talks! Games! And Stuff Worth Sharing!

Unread post by jonaz.dk » 05 Aug 2023, 00:03

RIP (Update: not just yet anyways. Crossing fingers they will make it through some tough times)

Image

Holy moly!
More 2023 doom and gloom in the danish games industry. :cry: :|

Campfire Cabal is shutting down as part of the Embracer Group restructuring.
IGN: Embracer Group has shut down Campfire Cabal as the company begins closing down some of its development studios after announcing a few months back that a deal worth $2 billion fell through.
https://www.ign.com/articles/embracer-g ... fire-cabal

Source LinkedIN post
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bruno-ch ... er_desktop

As always! Good luck to everybody affected! Sad to hear the latest news.
I have a bunch (at least six) former colleges at the now former Campfire Cabal. :|
(A mix of peeps from my days at Massive, Logic Artists and PortaPlay)
The last numbers I can see the studio was 17 employees. Probably not 100% up to date number.

If more closures will touch the Danish games industry remains to be seen. Crossing fingers this is the only company. But honestly not 100% confident this will be the only one affected. I see perhaps 1-3 other potential candidates who is not really in the big performing league. But let's see! Crossing fingers!

Campfire Cabal is a quite new studio that never shipped any titles but was rumored to working on new title in the Expeditions series.
Adding: should be mentioned that the studio was an off_shoot from Logic Artists, original creators of the Expeditions series with some of the original team present.
Also the studio to my knowledge was very well funded through THQ Nordic. The studio just turned 1 year old a few weeks ago.
So in short, a young, expensive studio, not making money. In a world of hard numbers it was sadly a reasonable choice for Embracer/THQ. The last game 'Expeditions: Rome' actually seems to have sold really well! (Expedition: Viking also)

But Campfire does not own the IP. So who knows if this will be the end of the Expeditions series? Perhaps some years down the line THQ 'could' pick it up again if the financial climate has improved. Only time will tell. But not too optimistic here. For now it is the end of line for Campfire Cabal in this run. :cry:

RIP Campfire! :cry:

Again good luck out there!


Small update:
Their new project was never revealed. I hope we will see a few glimpses in portfolios in the near future.
So far the only thing besides the website to grace the world was the studio reveal video containing Expeditions: Rome assets. Not sure if it was supposed to be a new Rome game?! Probably not. most likely a 'function of early with too little time' on the studio announcement.


The former Logic Artists team has historically been hit by a lot of cancelled projects like:
'Divinity: Fallen Heroes', 'Bruce' and 'Time Guards'.
But has always been bouncing back. Let's hope another bounce back will happen. :)

Meanwhile the other half of the Logic Artists team lives on in Dynasty Studios.

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 05 Aug 2023, 13:20

Oh Plot twist! Bounce back is on the table!

It's not completely over yet for Campfire. Woop woop! Let's hope they make it though these difficult times. :)
The news has started to pick up that Campfire Cabal has been shut down. We'd like to take a moment to issue an official statement to clear up some of what's going on.

As most of you must already be aware, the Embracer Group has recently entered restructuring. As part of this restructuring process, THQ Nordic has been told to close Campfire Cabal. This decision was not related to the work we've been doing at the studio but was made from a purely financial standpoint. We want to make it clear that our management and the rest of the team have not given up on Campfire Cabal yet, and neither have our friends at THQ Nordic. We are still pursuing our options for finding a good resolution to this situation, and THQ Nordic has been very supportive throughout this difficult time.

You may see more of our team members begin to openly look for new work in the coming days. We have actively encouraged our team to start job-seeking now since the process of finding work can be slow, and we don't want anyone to have to consider the needs of our company over their own.

However, this does not mean that it's over for us as a studio. We're extremely proud of how our team has come together to keep the Campfire burning, and of the commitment and camaraderie everyone has demonstrated since the news broke. We'd like to thank everyone who has reached out with messages of support and everyone who has taken the time to talk to us about future possibilities for Campfire Cabal.

We've done a lot of great work over the past year, and it is our fervent hope that we will find a way to keep it going.

Thank you all for your support,

Jonas Wæver
Creative Director

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/ur ... 978231297/

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Re: News! Tech! Tools! Talks! Games! And Stuff Worth Sharing!

Unread post by jonaz.dk » 05 Aug 2023, 16:48

Rubber Bandits hits 1.000.000 players (across all platforms) Grats! and crazy! :)


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Re: News! Tech! Tools! Talks! Games! And Stuff Worth Sharing!

Unread post by jonaz.dk » 05 Aug 2023, 17:23

Janos Flösser, the former CEO of IO Interactive and later Crey Games. Is now CEO of a new game company!

Namely 'Wombo Games ApS'.

The company was just registered last month and not much is known about the company and project(s) they will be undertaking.
But I'm sure it will be well financed.

My personal and >PURE< speculation is that the company could be focused on AI generated games. Very possibly as a platform.
Possibly in partnership with wombo.ai. There is absolutely no guarantee that this is the reality. Again.. pure speculation on my part. ;)
But an interesting thought and I find it a realistic scenario in this day and age everything taken into account. It would be one of those things people with access to large amounts of capital and a background in running a UGC platform like Crey would do. While hunting for the next big thing. But let's see where is goes!

Small update: Wombo Games ApS is fully owned by billionaire Morten Mathiesen.

Source:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/janosf_i ... er_desktop

Update 1
Well originally I was a bit in denial. Thinking... nahhh.. really??? ;)

And while still.. >TOTALLY UNCONFIRMED<
It could be a realistic scenario if the project was some kind of Crypto/NFT/Web 3 related project.

Wombo Games has a new CTO with at least a small background in crypto. So it is a likely thought.. Also Founder Morten Mathiesen has crypto projects in his portfolio.

Oh well.. who knows?.. maybe a combination of AI generated stuff, with crypto and as a platform.
The potential is there at least.

Let's see where it lands for these money-men.

From https://www.linkedin.com/in/rune-brinckmeyer-185b901/
About
Experienced CTO/Senior Developer. Most of my career have been spent in AAA computer games and the financial sector with a short stint within the igaming and Ethereum blockchain industries. I enjoy working in startups, but have experience working in big international organisations as well.

Update 2
Their updated company linkedin profile indicates they will be making high quality browser games.
Also more hires from the bankrupt Crey has been spotted. Makes a lot of sense from an overarching perspective.
Let's see if the project will be some kind of NFT-infused, UGC platform with AI generation?!
And hopefully won't repeat the mistakes of the past. Time will tell!

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Re: News! Tech! Tools! Talks! Games! And Stuff Worth Sharing!

Unread post by jonaz.dk » 06 Aug 2023, 12:25

Essential Maths For Beginner Gamedevs - Which Math is Useful?

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 06 Aug 2023, 16:11

A few new'ish DK game Kickstarters. Sadly I don't see them going very far, but let's see! :)






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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 06 Aug 2023, 21:34

Why Atomic Heart Fails To Live Up To Its Inspiration

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 07 Aug 2023, 09:42

Want a Steam key for Forgotton Anne?

First is first!

NNZ4E-WBG4Q-IMH6W

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 07 Aug 2023, 15:32

Live streaming from Siggraph 2023 is coming up tomorrow. It's not game specific. But there is usually always some interesting new tech that might show a glimpse of things to come in computer graphics.

Sessions:
https://s2023.siggraph.org/session/?sess=sess258

Live streaming on Twitch tomorrow
Tuesday, 8 August 2023 6pm - 7:45pm PDT
https://www.twitch.tv/acmsiggraph

Papers will also be added here
https://advances.realtimerendering.com

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 12 Aug 2023, 09:57

So the the brand new RTS Tempest Rising from Slipgate Ironworks is just around the corner!

You can now play the first mission. Press Request Access.

Looking forward to give it a spin! ❤🤓

Update:
Played the first mission! Great little throwback to classical RTS games! :) Feels enjoyable and with some nice additions here and there to the formula.
My initial projection is that they have a success on their hands. I'm certain there is an underserved audience out there after many years classical RTS games not really being very much at the heart of attention. :)
And especially a thirst of something that smells like Command & Conquer.
Others like Age of Empires and Starship Troopers: Terran Command and the remastered Command & Conquer has certainly shown that there still is a thirst for more classical RTS games.



Also new trailer

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 12 Aug 2023, 12:01

$15,000,000+ Raised, 10 Years Developed, Complete Failure

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 15 Aug 2023, 10:14

Scoop: Saudi-funded Savvy Games was the mystery partner in collapsed $2B Embracer deal
https://www.axios.com/2023/08/14/saudi- ... acer-group

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 16 Aug 2023, 19:58

So needless to say 2023 has been >rough< for the Danish games industry.

Crey - Bankrupt
Umami - Bankrupt
Kiloo (Games part) - Closed
Reto-moto - Closed
Movie Star Planet - Cut approx. half of staff.
Campfire Cabal - Sticky situation where the company tries to battle for survival for the immediate future. Some people will have to go.

And now the ideologically driven Triple Topping Games is also in trouble and has fired a large portion of the team. Guesstimating maybe around 50%+ of the team has been let go. (From 12 according to recent public figures)

Combined there are now on 'at least' 100 people out there looking for a job. If not closer to 200.

I hope to see some startup companies soon.
The sad ground work of having a lot of people in the same situation can be a great motivating and gathering factor. Let's hope we see the fruits of this in the years to come.

The current job market in the local games industry has ZERO chance of absorbing everybody back in, in the short term. The amount of job posting has an decreased quite a lot this year. So there is a smaller palette of options left for most people in the unfortunate situation. It will for the most part be like traveling abroad, remote work, starting your own company or shifting industry entirely.

Still have a feeling more larger blows are yet to come in 2023. Though I hope not of cause!

Good luck to all of you! Hope you all land somewhere good.. here or elsewhere!

Take care!

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 17 Aug 2023, 15:48

Some new local games industry events!

Gameyard Aarhus - Fridaybar #005
Sign up here:
https://forms.office.com/pages/response ... NHWDJHUy4u





SpilBar 56: Save Game?

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 17 Aug 2023, 21:20

Tiny glimpse of the next project from Half Past Yellow the creators of Time of Frog Island. They will be showcasing the project at upcoming Gamescom conference.

The hash tag indicates it's a puzzle game.
The image 'could' also indicate VR with the glasses and first person view. But that is probably not it.
Puzzle game it is for now! Exiting what they come up with.

Also spotted Funday Factory is going to Gamescom with a new unannounced project.


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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 21 Aug 2023, 15:25

Another horror game release (Zorovan Powerplant) from the extremely productive DK solo(ish) + online team. Aza Game Studio.


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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 23 Aug 2023, 11:41

Looks like Flashbulp updated their steam page with a bit of gameplay video from their upcoming gameRubber Royale

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 23 Aug 2023, 11:42

DLSS 3.5 looking good!
Though only Nvidia exclusive on the 40xx series.


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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 23 Aug 2023, 11:43

Also this thread passed

1.000.000 views!!!!

8O 8O Wooop woooop!! :D :D

Thanks for dropping by all you lurkers out there! :)

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 25 Aug 2023, 17:45

DK iOS release of spare time project 'ooodddaaa' a stacking solitaire game by Asger Strandby (Part of Floppy Club) Designed for iPad

Image
https://apps.apple.com/dk/app/ooodddaaa/id1670746059

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 26 Aug 2023, 12:54

DK solodev Swalk studios has a Steam page up for his game project 'Legends of Mythology'.
Tags: (Action RPG, Metroidvania, Souls-like, Action)



Playables demos on it's
https://swalkstudios.itch.io/lom

Old devlog

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 26 Aug 2023, 20:12

There is a new demo of Playwood's - Successor on Steam.

Still looking mighty fine!


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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 27 Aug 2023, 10:06

Image

The first short chapter of DK solodev Nina Friis' Eve's Journey is available on itch.

About the game:
Eve's Journey is a story-driven adventure game that puts you in the role of Eve, who sets out on a journey to uncover the mystery behind a seemingly bottomless pit which has erupted in her hometown. Mysterious events has surfaced since the appearance of the pit, and if nothing is done soon, there may be severe consequences all over the land - is that why the authorities are being so secretive?

https://thefriizing.itch.io/eves-journey

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Unread post by jonaz.dk » 29 Aug 2023, 08:27

Sounds like BIG NEWS for DK game developers! :)

Regeringen skyder 34 millioner i historisk satsning på danske spil

Et nyt Institut for Dansk Spiludvikling oprettes i 2024 for at få gjort danske computer- og mobilspil til endnu større succeser – navnlig i udlandet.

(Paywalled on Berlingske)
https://www.berlingske.dk/virksomheder/ ... anske-spil

UPDATE 1:
https://nyheder.tv2.dk/business/2023-08 ... er-ekspert

UPDATE 2:
https://pro-f.dk/aktuelt/nyt-institut-spiludvikling

UPDATE 3: Cirka 42 minutter inde. Interview med kulturministeren.
https://www.dr.dk/lyd/p1/kulturen-pa-p1 ... 2023-08-29

Navnet bliver forresten:
Institutet for Spiludvikling
Ikke at forvirre med 'Institut for Dansk Spiludvikling' https://www.idsu.dk
(Tror jeg anyways)

Tilføjer lige:
Super lækkert med et nyt fokuseret spilinstitut. Dog bliver 34 millioner over 4 år, ret hurtigt tyndet op.

Jeg ved ikke hvad instituttet kommer til at koste i drift? Men tænker det minimum hurtigt løber op i en 1Mil om året i løbende udgifter med minimal bemanding. Sikkert mere!
Så kommer den samlede årlige mulige støttesum nok hurtigt ned omkring 5-7.5 Mil om året?!
(Hvis der ikke skal bruges en masse penge på andre formål end støttemuligheder, som det virker til med seneste information)

DFI har 10-12 Mil. DFI Spilordningen 'forventes' at komme ind under det nye spilinsitut, men det er ikke afgjort.
Jævnfør: https://pro-f.dk/aktuelt/nyt-institut-spiludvikling

De klassiske 5-10 års personlige kunstprojekter, uden megen kommerciel værdi samt minimal kulturel værdi, kommer nok stadig til at løbe med mange af de offentlige millioner gennem Spilordningen.

Men altid noget der (måske) kommer lidt småpenge til udviklere med andre ambitioner til at udvikle demo og mindre produktionsstøtte formål.

Vi må se hvem der lander på posterne. Det bliver også en afgørende faktor.
Samt især hvilke regler det nye Spilinstitut kan arbejde under. Det kan (worst case) blive et institut bundet på hænder og fødder af politisk bureaukrati og agendadrevne akademikere. Lad os håbe det ikke ender der.
Og tilføjer lige at jeg er sikker på folkene bag initativet har prøvet at få det bedste ud af det inden for rammerne af kulturpenge fra kulturministeriet. Hvilket nok har sine grundlæggende begrænsninger.

Det virker til at der er lang vej igen og der skal findes flere penge. Og nogle af de formuleringer omkring instituttets formål lyder liiige lovligt "bløde" i mine øre. Næsten som en Spilordningen 1.5 på nogle områder. Hvis man lytter lidt på P1 interviewet.
https://www.dr.dk/lyd/p1/kulturen-pa-p1 ... 2023-08-29

Håber det bliver godt! Og bliver en god start på en ny æra. :)
We will see!

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Re: News! Tech! Tools! Talks! Games! And Stuff Worth Sharing!

Unread post by jonaz.dk » 30 Aug 2023, 10:05

Very cool!
AI generated 3D characters model. It's not full body figures, but rather a bust of a character prompt.
So expect limited usefulness for games currently. The field will surely expand over time.

The unwrap is surprisingly good.

https://labs.avatarsdk.com/

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