For anyone with an eye on video game news, it’s been hard to ignore the recent rise of names like Annapurna Interactive, Devolver Digital, Private Division, Humble, Epic Games and Netflix tied to independent projects. The distribution process for indie developers has shifted over the past few years from a self-publishing-first model, to one that prioritizes deal-making and acquisitions. For the moment, this shift is powering a small but highly visible boom in the world of indie games.“I don't think I ever want to self-publish again.”Ben Ruiz has been a game developer since 2005, and in that time, he’s pretty much done it all. He founded two studios, he did contract work on titles including Super Meat Boy and Overland, and he independently published a tentpole original project, the monochromatic brawler Aztez. Nowadays, Ruiz is running a five-person studio called Dinogod and he’s building Bounty Star, a game that blends mech combat with life-sim mechanics. Bounty Star is being published by Annapurna Interactive and it’s due out in early 2024.Bounty StarAnnapurna Interactive“Everything favors a publisher relationship, seemingly, because self-publishing has become this extraordinarily difficult thing,” Ruiz said. “It’s possible, but without help, I just don't know how anyone's doing it … I got a lot of friends in the same boat.”Ruiz’s career is a microcosm of the shifting landscape for indie developers over the past 10 years. He began working on Aztez in 2010, when Steam was... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2023-07-28 17:06:39 UTC ]
A federal judge has ruled against the Internet Archive in its high-profile case against a group of four US publishers led by Hachette Book Group. Per Reuters, Judge John G. Koeltl declared on Friday the nonprofit had infringed on the group’s copyrights by lending out digitally scanned copies of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-25 16:46:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Apple Music users on iOS are highlighting a fairly serious bug that is causing other people's playlists and songs to appear in their libraries, according to multiple Redditors. On top of that, some users have complained that their own playlists have outright disappeared or been replaced by... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-23 10:30:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A man so upset by the Pride programming at his local libraries that he felt moved to graffiti “GROOMERS” onto the windows has been charged with possession of child pornography, the Washington Post reports. The man, Charles M. Sutherland, vandalized two branches in Maryland’s Prince George’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-14 15:13:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Reading the titles that have been challenged and removed from public-school libraries across the country. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2023-03-10 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It's now much easier for game studios to release their work on the Epic Games Store. Epic has introduced long-awaited self-publishing tools that let anyone release games through its storefront. They'll have to pay $100 per title and meet certain requirements (more on those in a moment), but they... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-09 16:20:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Among the headlines this week: a look at libraries some three years after the Covid-19 pandemic began; how the right wing culture war playing out in many communities has led to some librarians living in fear; the St. Paul Public Library's 'Read Brave' program enters its 10th year; and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
According to a report from Reuters, ChatGPT is listed as the author or co-author of at least 200 books on Amazon’s Kindle Store. However, the number of bot-written books is likely higher than that since Amazon’s policies don’t require authors to disclose their use of AI.Brett Schickler published... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-22 12:20:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Sydney is hosting WorldPride 2023! The celebration began 17 February with some of the best events available at local libraries. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-20 11:39:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
From big-box stores and schools to banks and gymnasiums, here are some old buildings that were turned into libraries (and bookstores). Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-20 11:38:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A celebration of community libraries and their expanding role, and a look at the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Paul Harding. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-02-17 17:56:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this
So many libraries, so little time! As writers and readers, we here at Electric Literature know there’s nothing quite like stepping into a space that has been specifically designed to invoke and perpetuate a love of reading. With book-banning efforts escalating across the country and funding for... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-02-17 12:05:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
At a glanceExpert's Rating ProsLight weight and sharp text make for hours of comfortable readingWaterproofBuilt-in OverDrive supportBook management offers many filtering and sorting optionsConsCan only play audiobooks from KoboBattery life not quite as good as on KindleOur VerdictNot only... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2023-02-16 23:20:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Plex now has the capability to skip intros and credits, so you don't have to sit through them if you don't want to. The streaming media service has introduced its new "Skip Credits" feature, a couple of years after a similar feature debuted for intros, and it shows up as a button at the bottom... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-16 12:45:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Booksellers from The Strand remember the coolest celebrity “cart shark” of them all: Television frontman Tom Verlaine. | Lit Hub Bookstores & Libraries Food as sustenance and political metaphor: How White House dinners shape presidential policy. | Lit Hub Politics “Will this book, like so... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-11 11:30:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
What, and whether, our world leaders read provides crucial insight into their minds and priorities. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2023-02-10 15:44:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this
While Valve’s awesome $399 Steam Deck is a capable enough gaming system out of the box, some of its best features are easy to miss. If you know where to look, you can customize the Steam Deck to your liking, minimize annoyances, and even expand your game catalog well beyond the built-in... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2023-02-10 12:52:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Cloud gaming libraries normally get larger, but Amazon Luna's appears to be shrinking — for now, at least. 9to5Googlenotes that the paid Luna+ tier will lose 53 games in February. Many of these are older or niche titles you won't necessarily miss, but that does mean losing classics like No More... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-06 16:53:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The latest game to get the reverse-engineering treatment is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Neowin has reported. A GitHub user called snesrev has fully ported the game to PC using over 80,000 lines of code, while adding some extra enhancements. Those include support for enhanced aspect... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-06 11:55:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It's a rough time for fans of several live service games, which are titles designed to be constantly updated for a long time. A bunch are shutting down in the near future, and CrossfireX and Knockout City are among the latest to join the list.CrossfireX is an Xbox console version of the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-03 20:24:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Penguin Random House Audio has acquired Playaway Products, a producer of physical audio players and tablets preloaded with content. Launched in 2005 and based in Solon, Ohio, the company offers 36,000 titles and works with some 40,000 libraries and institutions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this