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 ]
News tagged with: #soundtrack collaborator #band nadja #similar droning #slowcore vibe #casual message #nice experience #proper word #psychedelic clarity #super spontaneous #necessarily knowing #eventually lead #required work #— chaotic #— visuals #major publishing #libraries

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Apple tells price fixing courtroom it owns 20 percent of the ebook market

Apple director Keith Moerer said in court on Tuesday that the company holds about 20 percent of the US ebook market, double the size commonly assumed. The revelation came after the Department of Justice tried to bolster its price fixing case against the company by asserting that "Apple forgot to... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ringo Starr will adapt 'Octopus's Garden' as a children's book

Starr's book will be illustrated by children's books illustrator and author Ben Cort. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SIBA's 'Code Read' Off to Successful Start

In order to better gauge social media success, and help usher foot traffic into bookstores, SIBA has launched the marketing initiative, "Code Read.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stars to take part in children's reading event

Celebrities including actor Rupert Everett [pictured] will read to children in London’s... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why Aren’t More Mexican Children’s Books Making it to America?

Patricia van Rhijin, director at CIDCLI, discussed the problems getting Mexican children's books published in the US. American publishers are 'so square,' she says. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade excitement at new children's laureate

Publishers and industry figures have welcomed news of Malorie Blackman’s appointment as... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackman named Children’s Laureate

Malorie Blackman has been appointed the Waterstones Children's Laureate for 2013-2015, and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is this the worst book of the year?

There are so many things wrong with the new book The MILF Diet by former Whole Foods chef Jessica Porter it's difficult to know where to begin. But its name is probably the most glaring so let's dive in there. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2013-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Donaldson: media ignores children's books

Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson has criticised the media for a lack of review and feature... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How to Launch a Successful Multiplatform Marketing Campaign in Nine Easy Steps

Scholastic's Julie Amitie and Gavin Brown offer nine steps to successful multi-platform storytelling and promotion, using The 39 Clues and Infinity Ring series as examples. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell’s plans expansion this year

Blackwell’s plans to expand its store portfolio this year, starting with a site at Derby... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children reading more on screen than print, NLT finds

The growth in children’s digital reading is an “opportunity for publishers rather... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion Children's buys middle-grade debut

Orion Children's Books has acquired a debut novel described as "a fresh and exciting new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After 37 Years, Winton Steps Back

After spending 37 years in the publishing industry, including the last five as chairman, CEO, and publisher of Counterpoint LLC, Charlie Winton turned over the publisher reins at the press to Rolph Blythe on May 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roddy Doyle moves to Macmillan Children's

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Condé Nast scraps Easy Living magazine after eight years

Condé Nast's is closing its Easy Living print edition, despite being the only paid-for glossy magazine from a major publisher to increase its circulation in the last six months of 2012. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2013-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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South Asia Book Awards for Children’s and YA Literature!

"The Rumor" by Anushka Ravinshankar and "Kids of Kabul" by Deborah Ellis have won the 2013 South Asia Book Awards for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Children's partners with Box of Awesome

Simon & Schuster Children's Books has partnered with new company Box of Awesome to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Square Books: ‘PW’ Bookstore of the Year

“The store is my crack,” says Richard Howorth, co-owner of 34-year-old Square Books in Oxford, Miss., and former president of the American Booksellers Association. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Morocco, Internet May Lead Children to Books Says Publisher

Amina Alaoui Hachimi from the Moroccan publishing house Yanbow Al Kitab believes the internet is a viable gateway to entice North African children to read. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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