It's 2024! Happy New Year to you all and thank you so much for supporting me in 2023. Last year was a huge year at the Kinmoku studios: The VIDEOVERSE demo launched in March, then it appeared at Summer Games Fest and, on August 7th, the full game launched on PC, Mac and Linux. Since, it received critical acclaim, with 90 on Metacritic and 92 on OpenCritic, and even appeared on some GOTY 2023 lists, from Digital Trends to TheGamer to Les Inrockuptibles!
Digital Trends also interviewed me for a special end-of-year piece comparing the similarities between the game's story and the death of Twitter. I talk about my past—growing up in a small village with the internet as a means to connect—and my thoughts on Musk's Twitter takeover. But I also share my own personal grief that inspired the game, which was later compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It's been amazing seeing the strong impact VIDEOVERSE had on people during 2023. I aimed to tell a story about how technology and the internet can be a good in our lives, even if it doesn't always feel that way. With everything that's been going on with “A.I” and “X”, plus the thousands of gaming industry layoffs, I feel I couldn't have released VIDEOVERSE at a better time.
2023 has been a critical success for me, and I'm enormously grateful for still being able to create games, though there are certainly challenges lying ahead for all independent developers and artists right now. How we're consuming media is changing and original art is being devalued. It's sad because it's coming from all sides: A.I is being used to cut development costs, social media is becoming pay-to-win, and subscription based game libraries mean that players are spoilt for choice. Nowadays, if your budget it low, it's almost impossible to be seen, and it's not easy to acquire funds anymore, either. There's also the ongoing competition with every video game that's come before, with remakes, backwards compatibility and ports. I don't want to sound too pessimistic, but I think the next 12 months will be interesting to say the least.
It's been amazing seeing the strong impact VIDEOVERSE had on people during 2023. I aimed to tell a story about how technology and the internet can be a good in our lives, even if it doesn't always feel that way. With everything that's been going on with “A.I” and “X”, plus the thousands of gaming industry layoffs, I feel I couldn't have released VIDEOVERSE at a better time.
2023 has been a critical success for me, and I'm enormously grateful for still being able to create games, though there are certainly challenges lying ahead for all independent developers and artists right now. How we're consuming media is changing and original art is being devalued. It's sad because it's coming from all sides: A.I is being used to cut development costs, social media is becoming pay-to-win, and subscription based game libraries mean that players are spoilt for choice. Nowadays, if your budget it low, it's almost impossible to be seen, and it's not easy to acquire funds anymore, either. There's also the ongoing competition with every video game that's come before, with remakes, backwards compatibility and ports. I don't want to sound too pessimistic, but I think the next 12 months will be interesting to say the least.
I have a few plans for VIDEOVERSE lined up for 2024, but after that, I’ll need to start thinking about game number three. I have so many ideas and feelings right now, I'm unsure which direction to take! So, for the next few weeks, I plan on catching up on some games, films and books I’ve missed over the last couple of years to see what other artists have been up to.
Starting a new project is always exciting but, as a game designer, one needs to take care in picking the right concept. If I was a more traditional developer—focusing on game mechanics and physics—I’d try out some prototypes, but since my games are narrative-heavy, this can be a little tricky. As I did with VIDEOVERSE, I’ll start by writing a few synopses and creating mood boards...though I'll need to consider budget, too. One idea I have requires me to make some trips for photographic references. Another needs an impressive soundtrack, and another requires a team of artists and programmers...so there's a lot to consider!
Starting a new project is always exciting but, as a game designer, one needs to take care in picking the right concept. If I was a more traditional developer—focusing on game mechanics and physics—I’d try out some prototypes, but since my games are narrative-heavy, this can be a little tricky. As I did with VIDEOVERSE, I’ll start by writing a few synopses and creating mood boards...though I'll need to consider budget, too. One idea I have requires me to make some trips for photographic references. Another needs an impressive soundtrack, and another requires a team of artists and programmers...so there's a lot to consider!
I leave you with this new VIDEOVERSE illustration I did for Christmas. If you celebrated it this year, I hope you were as happy as Emmett was opening his Kinmoku Shark in 1998! XD
Here's wishing your 2024 will be full of fun and video games!
Here's wishing your 2024 will be full of fun and video games!