It took 20 years for Children of the Sun to become an overnight success

Children of the Sun burst onto the indie scene like a muzzle flash on a dark night. Publisher Devolver Digital dropped the game’s first trailer on February 1, showcasing frenzied sniper shots and a radioactive art style. A Steam demo highlighting its initial seven stages went live that same day and became a breakout hit during February’s Steam Next Fest. Two months later it landed in full and to broad acclaim. This explosive reveal and rapid release timeline mirrors the game itself — chaotic but contained, swift and direct, sharp and bright. Though it feels like Children of the Sun popped into existence over the span of two months, it took solo developer René Rother more than 20 years to get here. René Rother As a kid in Berlin in the early 2000s, Rother was fascinated by the booming mod community. He spent his time messing around with free Counter-Strike mapping tools and Quake III mods from the demo discs tucked into his PC magazines. Rother daydreamed about having a job in game development, but it never felt like an attainable goal. “It just didn't seem possible to make games,” he told Engadget. “It's like it was this huge black box.” Rother couldn’t see an easy entry point until the 2010s, when mesh libraries and tools like GameMaker and Unity became more accessible. He discovered a fondness for creating 3D interactive art. But aside from some free online Javascript courses, he didn’t know how to program anything, so his output was limited. “I dabbled into it a little... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2024-04-18 19:45:11 UTC ]
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From the Stage to the Page: 10 Years In, Z2 Comics Rocks On

For nearly a decade, Z2 Comics has worked to merge the twin fandoms, collaborating with musicians to produce titles that coexist with their musical work. The result: books that act as bridges between mediums. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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PubWest Highlights Nontraditional Retail Success, Addresses A.I.

At this year's PubWest Conference, several publishing professionals noted ways they have found to amplify sales by partnering with more nontraditional book retailers, while for others, discussions of A.I. and the future of the industry remained front and center. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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China’s Shanghai Children’s Book Fair Names 2024 Dates

The 11th Shanghai International Children's Book Fair has announced its dates and some of its plans for its 2024 iteration. The post China’s Shanghai Children’s Book Fair Names 2024 Dates appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-12 17:35:55 UTC ]
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These books were challenged at Ottawa's libraries last year

Challenges cited allegations of racism and hatred, as well as supposedly inaccurate or age-inappropriate content, but all were rejected. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-02-10 09:00:00 UTC ]
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Toronto breaks 86-year temperature record as unseasonable warmth hits

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[ CBC | 2024-02-09 17:27:50 UTC ]
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The Netherlands in Taiwan: 400 Years of Shared History

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-08 22:24:46 UTC ]
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130-Year-Old California Bookstore Seeks Buyer

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[ The New York Times | 2024-02-08 14:22:44 UTC ]
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Trade Fair on Tour: Bologna Children’s Book Fair and Book Plus in India

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-06 21:31:48 UTC ]
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The 23-Year-Old Publishing Satire That is Still Painfully Relevant

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[ Book Riot | 2024-02-06 15:31:08 UTC ]
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The Book Behind ‘American Fiction’ Came Out 23 Years Ago. It’s Still Current.

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[ The New York Times | 2024-02-03 10:02:42 UTC ]
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How many people die each year in jails and prisons? No one knows

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-02-02 20:19:44 UTC ]
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PRH Led in Children’s Picture Book Bestsellers in 2023, While Scholastic Took Top Spot in Fiction

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster Opens Its 100th Anniversary Year

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-01-31 17:56:56 UTC ]
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Book Riot’s Children’s Deals of the Day for January 31, 2024

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[ Book Riot | 2024-01-31 15:46:26 UTC ]
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The Kobo Libra 2 drops to its lowest price of the year so far

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[ Engadget | 2024-01-30 19:50:25 UTC ]
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Open Road Integrated Media Has ‘Transformational’ Year

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-24 05:00:00 UTC ]
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