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 ]
I’ll be the first to acknowledge Amazon and I make rather strange bedfellows. Raised on local libraries and used bookstores, I’ve long been a loyal customer to many of the indie bookshops cornered by the world’s largest online retailer, prizing them as community centers and places to find a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-03-08 09:49:14 UTC ]
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The Build America’s Libraries Act was introduced in the House of Representatives this week by Reps. Andy Levin (D-MI) and Don Young (R-AK) and would provide $5 billion to address decades of needed repairs, updates, as well as the construction of modern library facilities in underserved and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Taking a look at libraries offering services to seniors during the pandemic, with programs for memory care, vaccine roll-out, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-03-03 11:33:00 UTC ]
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"What do libraries do?" You may be surprised by these seven basic services your public library offers for free, including job search help. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-03-01 11:30:00 UTC ]
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The Library Campaign has warned that hundreds of libraries may close not only for the pandemic, but permanently. With councils under financial strain and Walsall’s council leader even asking, “Do we need [them]?”, the future of libraries needs protecting. Libraries are an indispensable service... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-01 00:31:07 UTC ]
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Can you think of a single feel-good news story from the past five years that isn’t, at its core, an indictment of the society in which we live? Here at Lit Hub, one of our most-read stories last year was “Big-hearted strangers turn Little Free Libraries into Little Free Pantries.” While I don’t... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-23 16:10:35 UTC ]
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If you're planning some bookish trips for the future, don't miss adding these gorgeous libraries to visit post-pandemic to the list. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-22 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Long considered a tool to encourage patrons to return materials on time, in the past few years hundreds of public libraries have decided late fees do more harm than good by keeping away low-income and disadvantaged readers. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2021-02-21 09:00:00 UTC ]
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The American Library in Paris sits in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Its collection of 100,000 books is spread over three stories. Members from 60 countries can work at long tables or whisper at the coffee machine. As the programs manager, I oversaw the ALP’s weekly Evening with an Author... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-19 09:48:59 UTC ]
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Cast aside your assumptions about academic libraries. You'd be surprised what absolute gems of nerdery you can find in a college library. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-08 11:30:00 UTC ]
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A great idea! Marshall University students in Bret Masters’s building technology class are currently building bookshelves to install Little Free Libraries in Yeager and Huntington Tri-State Airports. The idea for the project was originated by Kelli Johnson, associate librarian at Marshall, when... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-02 18:12:16 UTC ]
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Get to know the work and services of libraries for the visually impaired and print disabled people around the world. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-01-29 11:32:00 UTC ]
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Among the group's priorities will be to advocate for “less restrictive" e-book licenses and new digital licenses that would allow libraries to "own" digital works with the same associated rights as print materials. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Short of becoming a time machine for well-meaning Gen X slackers, I cannot imagine a grander afterlife for the humble phone booth than to be reincarnated as a cosy wee library. One day you’re a rusted urinal, all-but invisible to the cellphone-clasping masses trundling past, and the next you’ve... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-25 17:54:55 UTC ]
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A school librarian talks about how he teaches students to think critically about fake news on the internet. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-01-25 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Reedsy.com describes indie publishing as “…any form of publishing that doesn’t rely on the Big 5 publishing houses.” I have produced work with three such companies. I left them unsatisfied. I didn’t like the royalty payouts, or lack of. I didn’t like their “go to market” strategies. I didn’t... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-22 11:59:04 UTC ]
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Throughout our history, we've see that when we come together in civil, honest conversations based on facts and science, history and truth, we find commonality. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. viewers spent nearly 30.5 billion minutes streaming Netflix's original drama Ozark in 2020, making it the most-watched original series on a streaming service last year. But library titles like The Office and Grey's Anatomy still deliver the biggest streaming audiences by far, according to... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2021-01-12 20:15:00 UTC ]
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It’s been a bad year for libraries and those who love them. Despite some interesting tech innovations (we could have been cleaning our books with UV rays this whole time!), many temporarily reopened libraries are closing again due to surging COVID numbers and COVID exposures, and many other... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-11 18:26:49 UTC ]
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Explore libraries that have unusual collections, exist in strange places, or use novel modes of transportation to deliver books to readers. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-01-11 11:30:00 UTC ]
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