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Paolo's Blog Posts

Nexflix will close the games department in 3 years maximum

Published by Paolo on 05/11/2024

At long last, I am ready to talk about what I’m doing next: I am working on driving a “once in a generation” inflection point for game development and player experiences using C++. This transformational technology will accelerate the velocity of development and unlock truly novel game experiences that will surprise, delight, and inspire players.  

I am focused on a creator-first vision for C++, one that puts creative talent at the center, with C++ being a catalyst and an accelerant. C++ will enable big game teams to move much faster, and will also put an almost unimaginable collection of new capabilities in the hands of developers in smaller game teams.

Sounds like weird, right? Well, someone wrote the same stuff, but instead of C++, he spoke about genAI. That guy earns more money than me, you, and everyone who will read this post altogether.

The difference is that in my version of the statement I named a technology that actually helped lots of people make fantastic games. This is not the case with genAI, which is a theft created to destroy jobs.

Game making is a creative activity, which means that there are a lot of micro-decisions that we have to make every day. It involves conscience. And conscience is not the result of a set of electric signals, it’s something higher that comes from above. The most powerful processor, or GPU, can create many signals and solve complex operations faster than our brain, but it can never have conscience.

Netflix will shut down its games operations in a maximum of 3 years. If you want to have a more secure/safe job do not work for a company that will fail.

Virality, Virulence, Infectiousness

Published by Paolo on 04/11/2024

A new team of ex-<FamousCompany> wants to “create games worth sharing, with two core pillars – socially engaging games with a word-of-mouth-worthy brand.“

This reminds me of a study I did with two colleagues when I was working at Digital Chocolate. A study on a made-up and also widely abused word: virality.

Virality is a term that doesn’t exist in any dictionary, but two words compose it:

  • Virulence: the strength of the thing’s ability to cause disease
  • Infectiousness: the capability of a thing to spread rapidly to others.

Most of the efforts towards this dream concept, virality, focus only on infectiousness. Invite friends, guild systems, and leaderboards. There are many best practices around that topic and it’s easier to find experts to help you.

You need to focus on virulence to create something innovative. If it were up to me, I would add a weekly internal playtest and a monthly external one. Clear heuristics to measure progress from an engagement perspective.

Again, SDT is the way.

Creativity and productivity

Published by Paolo on 31/10/2024

A common misconception in this age is that creativity means productivity. But creativity doesn’t mean completing things and shipping them.

I am very creative, but I am unproductive with most of my own projects. You know, those books I want to write and indie games I want to make. The intention to change that is always there, but it is what it is.

If you want to increase your chances of financial success you need to be productive, or “lucky”. But you can always choose creativity, it’s free.

Indie, AA, and AAA fundamental questions

Published by Paolo on 30/10/2024

The 3 main markets on PC and Console are indie, AA, and AAA. The discussion around them focuses on things like budget, scope, and quality.

I would like to propose two questions to address each of these three challenges. The first will be around our ambition (why), while in the second one, we will use the lens of the art (what).

Indie

Indie games for me are a message to the world. The message can be important on a personal level and an exercise of talent. You can want to change the world or show that we are here. So let’s ask ourselves:

1. Ambition: why do I want to say this to the world?

2. Art: what does the world should have the courage to listen to?

AA

These games come from companies who want a commercial product, doing a few things well. Let’s ask ourselves.

1. Ambition: why are we focusing on these 1-2 mechanics?

2. Art: according to current and past trends, what will be trending in 2 years?

AAA

These are spectacular games and full of things to do. We can consider these games like monuments, and the mental effort of the team is enormous. Let’s ask ourselves:

1. Ambition: why do we want to build a monument that big?

2. Art: what will make this work a masterpiece?

Blue and red Oceans

Published by Paolo on 29/10/2024

For me, game genres are not markets. For example, there is no “merge games market”. There are “merge games” in the “mobile market”.

Every time I see a team created like this:

  • someone believes that a genre has formed a market (on the last sad news you can find a lot of “hero shooters”)
  • hires talents who already work in that “market”, also if they would enjoy better another kind of game, in some case
  • the offer is attractive and the project is new, easy to convince the bored employee

in 3-5-7 years everything gets shut down without results. Surprise, there was no market at all.

When do I see that things work?

  • a group of enthusiasts of a genre get together to explore it
  • the team (including marketers) engages for real with the players
  • concrete and measurable experiments are done to define a vision well
  • after years of effort, they publish the game.

In this case, the probability of success increases. Even if the timing is somewhat unpredictable (never seen a success in less than 7-10 years, in mobile f2p).

Games please our entertainment needs uniquely.

  • People play Royal Match to relax, brain train, tournaments, curiosity… Not because they want to “play a match-3 game”.
  • millions are playing Metaphor: ReFantazio because of the story, map revealing, and challenge with combat… not because it’s a modern JRPG.

The fact that a specific game gets massive doesn’t mean we have a new market around its genre.

This means it has found its audience in the market, which is different!

Do well the easy things first

Published by Paolo on 28/10/2024

I write for the Internet a lot, sometimes much more than I would. I feel an unstoppable desire to share my thoughts, especially on my beloved games industry. That has consequences, as you can imagine.

One of the bland consequences is that some people, usually more inexperienced, believe that I am “successful”. Meaning I make a lot of money. Well, my friend, in this age of Feudalism 2.0 I am struggling just like you. Thank God I can maintain my family with my work, but I have also the support of my parents often.

I have periods with 0 clients and 0 incomes, but I was born on the richest side of the World. You may want to say that I am very passionate, and I really am. But if you believe that I am economically successful, I am afraid you are in the wrong direction.

What I really achieved in the last 10 years was to not add problems on top of systemic ones. The fact that we live in a gig economy, that the job market is unstable, that the games industry is built too often on pure dreams… I cannot control that. What I can control is my way of being a professional.

  • I show up on time
  • I put the time in my tasks
  • I work towards making a difference on a small scale (you never work on the next Zelda as a freelancer)
  • I am not looking to work on good games, I am looking to make important work. Work that matters to SOMEONE.

When I say that I work in creative direction, vision, and so on, someone will probably imagine Hideo Kojima at work. That is not the case. Most of my job is to:

  • Create detailed tasks for coders and artists
  • Review builds and write notes
  • Review visuals and send my feedback
  • Write down or create content that sets up a direction. It can be a pitch, but also a level design.

Important to note that I am always working, as a freelancer, on projects ideated by others. I do not agree with the basis of many of them, but those pay my bills. I am appreciated because I deliver and I speak clearly. I do not fight for my ideas, because I know that the more I am in the industry, the more I am biased as well as experienced. So who knows in the end?

A console concept for Netflix

Published by Paolo on 25/10/2024

After the shutdown of a Netflix studio, I read the opinions of many experts. One of the most common ideas is that Netflix needs its hardware to create a healthy games business.

To sketch up this idea, I also used LLM platforms. I will not publish any images, because they are based on stolen copyrights, but still, I want to admit that I used them for inspiration.

Netflix can reinvent the concept of the console, as they reinvented the business of VHS renting years ago.

Audience

The core audience is, of course, people (like myself) who have a Netflix subscription and who love video games. People that probably have kids, and work using technology.

We love to jump from series to series, we are nostalgic about the old days when games were simpler and gamepads had fewer buttons!

Features

The new console should:

  • Use common smartphones both as screens and controllers
  • Load games from fast support with no extra connections required
  • It will work as a “radio”, with knobs and everything, but for podcasts!
  • Once you own it, you are part of an ecosystem where you can also stream to others and create your program

Games

The games allowed on the platform should follow these rules:

  • The Player will be able to play opting out completely from micro-transactions
  • Every game must have a single-player experience and the content length will be public
  • Games can come with physical support that should contain the whole game and that will be played forever
  • Games are owned by the players forever and can be played on that console forever

Mood

The console can have a retro look but its colors and curved lines will attract new audiences.

The gamepads will have fewer buttons than new consoles. Every game should be simpler than competitors. Also, they can “wrap” a smartphone inside.

For a brighter future for games

Published by Paolo on 24/10/2024

The YouTube channel of popular game director Masahiro Sakurai has come to an end.

This will remain an outstanding document that hopefully will teach basics to generations to come. Thank you Masahiro San!

Regarding this last video above, I am impressed with the work ethic and discipline. I couldn’t never have this level of mastery because I have a different background and life. Still, there are something to learn not just on video production, but on content design in general:

  • Everything was planned right from the start: outline, scripts, footages. Everything.
  • Focus on 1 task at the time and cover the entire content length
  • Keep everything extremely organized in folders and find name conventions for easier queries
  • Collab with external partners only when everything is well defined, because you will have management overload
  • Use the email with bullet points for feedback and general comms.

Masahiro San says that he invested around $630k and got $0 as revenue. He did this just for the improvement of our beloved industry. I would like to see more Masahiros around here…

The important moves

Published by Paolo on 22/10/2024

It always makes me smile when a team member says in a meeting “I don’t know what to do right now…”

I think about the luxury that underlies this expression. A farmer or a factory worker could never say something like that!

One thing I communicate is the importance of being professional. Game design is about identifying the systems and timing to make certain moves.

Systems, timing, moves.

The moves can go well or badly, it doesn’t matter. I mean, of course, it does, but even if they go badly, it is important to do them on the one hand and learn on the other. A client last year told me: “Look, I accept bad news. What I don’t like are surprises”.

Examples of moves we can make when we don’t know what to do:

  • plan
  • look for player insights
  • try to understand the why of certain systems and define the problem
  • understand and outline business goals
  • measure what has already been released
  • share insights with the team
  • plan experiments and playtests

It’s up to you to identify the systems and the timing, and now I hope you have something to do!

Improve your communication

Published by Paolo on 15/10/2024

A programmer introduces bugs into the code. An artist creates assets that perhaps go a little outside the visual style of the game. A game designer explains himself poorly.

Communication is where we make the most mistakes in our work as designers.

So don’t say:

  1. this is not my job
  2. it’s in the GDD
  3. No, you don’t understand
  4. Players don’t want this

Even when you’re asked for something that is outside your duties. You’re sure you wrote it in the GDD. Even when your colleague doesn’t seem to understand. You’ve been in contact with players and you know for sure that they don’t want it.

Communication, unlike bugs and visuals, can create friendships and enmities. Every misunderstanding is an opportunity to strengthen a creative vision.

Do this:

  • Open paint/gimp/… and use simple shapes to explain live how things work (recording a video and sending it counts)
  • Record yourself miming certain situations, even if it seems ridiculous
  • create one-page briefs where necessary.