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 ]
Why libraries are often deliberate targets during war: “For book lovers, there is something profoundly, almost viscerally disturbing about a library on fire.” | Lit Hub Libraries “On paper, Enoch’s travels don’t sound that dissimilar to reported nonhuman encounters.” Luis Elizondo on beings from... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-08-20 10:30:55 UTC ]
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Sarajevo, 1992. My mother’s uncle, Dobrivoje Beljkašić, or Dobri for short, was 68 when the siege of his hometown began. He was a landscape painter renowned for painting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ottoman bridges. His magnificent studio was above the National Library in the old City Hall in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-08-20 08:56:15 UTC ]
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The Google TV streamer, a Chromecast replacement, is truly an AI-first device, using Gemini to offer content summaries and screen savers. The Apple TV version, with Apple Intelligence, can’t be far behind. I’ve long been a fan of the Apple TV (Apple’s digital media player set-top, box–not to be... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2024-08-17 09:00:00 UTC ]
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What is weeding in libraries and when is it a disguise for banning books? That, plus this week's book censorship news roundup. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-16 12:30:00 UTC ]
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Contemporary literature is one of those four-dimensional things that seem to expand whenever you take a closer look. No one really knows more than a corner of it, perhaps a very large one, but a corner nevertheless. This quality, this mercuriality, of literature makes it more endless than any... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2024-08-16 11:05:00 UTC ]
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A partnership between the Digital Public Library of America and the Independent Publishers Group is offering an e-book ownership option from a wide range of indie publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Paramount is laying off 15 percent of its US workforce, according to reporting by Deadline. This follows a lean second quarter earnings report in which total revenue fell short from an expected $7.21 billion to $6.81 billion. The layoffs will impact around 3,000 people. “The industry continues... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-08-13 15:31:20 UTC ]
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Direct guilt sits with those who brought violence to our streets, but their hatred was inflamed by lies spread on XOne man is missing. Of course, it’s good that so many of those responsible for a week of terrifying far-right violence are facing an especially swift and severe form of justice –... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-08-09 14:36:53 UTC ]
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The game-like endeavors are designed to get guests to view their local libraries — and the world outside of them — a little more imaginatively. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-08-07 10:00:27 UTC ]
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Author-illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka embarked on a public library book tour from June 21–August 2, billing his New England stops as “JJK’s Summah Readin’ Roadtrip.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In the latest example of a troubling industry pattern, NVIDIA appears to have scraped troves of copyrighted content for AI training. On Monday, 404 Media’s Samantha Cole reported that the $2.4 trillion company asked workers to download videos from YouTube, Netflix and other datasets to develop... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-08-05 20:49:43 UTC ]
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Among the week's headlines: a new EveryLibrary report explores the threat to libraries posed by the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025; Maggie Tokuda-Hall weighs in on book bans for 'Book Riot'; and a mother and TikToker in Idaho details her experience with the state's new harmful to minors law. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Discussion about what books children should access has diminished on the national stage. But most rules pertaining to schools and libraries are made at the state and local level. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-07-29 09:01:03 UTC ]
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What's happening in the world of libraries this week? A roundup of news and stories you should know. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-07-19 16:25:00 UTC ]
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Libraries are fine places to study in college (I quickly learned the difference between the beautiful one that was good for napping and the more austere building that was conducive to getting things done). But if you’d rather work from the comfort of your own home — be that an apartment, dorm... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-07-17 12:01:27 UTC ]
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As the world’s largest independent seller of new and used books, ThriftBooks is known to customers as the place to purchase affordable books and locate hard-to-find titles. But the online retailer also plays another important role: helping libraries raise significant funds from unneeded books.... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-07-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Ten months ago, Mayor Eric Adams warned of the need for “painful” cuts to the city’s budget, affecting everything from early education to trash pickup. He spoke of a looming fiscal crisis spurred by the cost of caring for tens of thousands of migrants flooding the city from the Texas... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2024-07-02 19:33:04 UTC ]
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While many streamers have a global subscriber base, some have stuck to North America. Tubi, the Fox Corporation's free ad-supported streaming service, is no longer in that second camp with the streamer announcing it will launch in the United Kingdom. Tubi will arrive with over 20,000 TV... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-07-02 10:30:19 UTC ]
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Mayor Eric Adams announced a deal on a $112 billion budget with the City Council on Friday, reversing a small but notable fraction of his unpopular cuts as he looks toward a difficult re-election bid next year.The spending plan for Fiscal Year 2025 also makes some new investments at the urging... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2024-06-28 21:14:47 UTC ]
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As the saying goes, you know you’ve fucked up when the librarians start protesting—and while New York City makes a sport out of hating its mayors, current problematic mayor Eric Adams really stepped in it when he announced cuts to the city’s libraries in the mid-year budget last fall. As we... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-06-28 14:01:00 UTC ]
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