The two-word trick to small talk: Im curiousPublished inThe Medium BlogSent as aNewsletter2 min readJust now-- Happy pre-Thanksgiving travel day to all who celebrateIssue #216: podcasting is video now, design ethics, and standing outTomorrow, for the first time in over a decade, Im doing Thanksgiving with a new crew: some close friends and their extended families. Like many of you in the U.S., Ill be sitting down to inhale a bunch o carbs (and some protein) with at least a few people Ive never met.A few years ago on Medium, Dave Schools shared two magic words that cut through small talk and help you get to know people better: Im curious. Talking to strangers is such an underrated skill (up there with cold emailing) and the holidays are an opportunity to practice. What Im curious does is set the other person up for success, Schools explains. Theres no judgment, no ulterior motive. You simply want to learn.It worked for Schools. He tried it out one night at a house party he went to alone, and in short order met a group of Mennonites, a youth pastor, and a social worker who once served Mark Zuckerberg a whiskey ginger.Speaking of curiosity: Tufts Public Opinion Lab, which analyzes public opinion surveys, found that ~62% of Americans have at least one family member who supports the opposing political party. Republicans were more likely to report having Democratic family members than vice versa, and Republicans were also more likely to report actively bringing up politics at the dinner table.This tracks with previous studies finding that Democrats (a) belong to more politically homogenous social groups than Republicans, and (b) are less enthused about debating the opposing side. Tufts researchers write, diplomatically: This might encourage Republicans to approach their political discussions in a more empathetic and patient way. And Democrats may learn that Republicans are often aiming to find common ground through these discussions rather than argue or fight.Lets try to keep it civil (and curious) tomorrow, everyone! Harris Sockel Were readingPodcasting is mostly video now, especially for listeners under 30. (Intelligencer)A designers code of ethics includes building the muscle of saying no. (Dike Thelma)For any vegetarians or vegans hosting Thanksgiving this year, here are 50 sides you can make without animal products. (Marla Rose) Practical wisdomAn underrated way to stand out at work, according to Adaobi Adibe: learn an undefined skill, something useful but not yet professionalized (like basic coding with GPT). A note on yesterdays newsletterYesterday, we made a regrettable faux paw (wow, sorry) in calling the leaping cat on Jaguars former logo a cheetah. (Its a, uh, jaguar. Theyre different.) Thanks, Nick Warren, for pouncing on that error in the comments.

The Met's employee art show features more than 600 works. The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Eileen TravellFew artists are able to get work placed in prominent museums like New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art. But for many years, the Met has been staging special exhibitions featuring an unexpected group of artists: its own staff.Titled Art Work: Artists Working at the Met, this years show features more than 600 piecesincluding paintings, etchings, ceramics, embroidery and digital artmade by 640 Met staffers, according toHyperallergics Maya Pontone. The exhibition showcases work by staffers in a variety of roles, including security guards, technicians, librarians, designers and volunteers.Christopher Fahey, a storeroom specialist who helps handle and install artworks and artifacts, tells the New York Posts Raquel LaneriIts a beautiful thing, he says. Were all getting a lot out of working here, but [the Met is] also getting a lot from artists working here. All Met employees are given the opportunity to contribute to the show. The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Eileen TravellFahey is a poet and mixed-media artist from Queens on top of his day job, per the New York Post. For the show, Fahey is displaying an intricate sculpture made out of a piece of redwood found in the trash. Hes been working on the piece for two years.The Met has been staging exhibitions of staff art since 1935, and they usually take place every other year. The show is designed, hung, presented and guarded by that same staffsome of the worlds bestwho also design, hang, present and guard the 1.5 million works in its full collection, writes the Financial Times Lilah Raptopoulos.Historically, these shows havent been open to the public. But in 2022, the museum allowed any interested art lovers to see it for thevery first time. This year is only the second time in history that Art Work is open to all museumgoers.Daniel Kershaw, an exhibition design manager, tells Hyperallergic that the number of staff artworks on view has nearly doubled this year in comparison to previous years.Because of the amount of press that it got last time and the opportunity for the public to see it, everybody decided that they want to put something in, he says. Its just a lot of fun. Kershaw has an architectural model for a future exhibition on view in the show. This year's staff show is the biggest ever for the museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Eileen TravellAmanda Rothschild, who works in the museums technology department, echoes this sentiment, saying that many Met staffers find connection through their art.Theres definitely a community around art in the museum thats different from other places, she tells Hyperallergic. The exhibition features one of Rothschilds paintings: a retro image of a sink that she noticed in a Greenpoint coffee shop surrounded by cool blue tiles.Some of the employee pieces are inspired by artifacts at the museum. Armia Malak Khalil, a senior security officer, has created a small sculpture inspired by Ushabti, ancient Egyptian statues that were placed in burials to help the deceased in the afterlife.Khalil, who is from Egypt, immigrated to the United States in 2006. He also has a wooden bust on view in another exhibition at the Met, Flight into Egypt.Its the first time one of us guards is in a major exhibit, he tells the New York Post. Theyre all so proud of me.Art Work: Artists Working at the Met is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York through December 1.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Artists, Arts, Ceramics, Contemporary Art, Digital Art, Exhibitions, Exhibits, Museums, New York City, Painting, Sculpture, Visual Arts

A man spotted the scar while looking at Google Earth satellite imagery earlier this year. Screenshot, Google EarthWhen tornadoes rip through populated areas, their presence is unmistakable. Theyre loud, dangerous and destructive, leaving behind a trail of debris that lingers long after theyre gone. But what about when they sweep across barren, rural land?Even when no one is around to see or hear them, tornadoes still make their mark on the landscape, as researchers in Australia recently demonstrated. By investigating a mysterious scar on the ground, they determined that a powerful tornado swept through the desert two years agobut it went undetected, until now.The findings were published last week in the Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science.Earlier this year, a man was studying Google Earth satellite imagery of a region called the Nullarbor Plain. Located in southern Australia, the Nullarbor Plain is a flat, dry, treeless area that spans the border between the states of South Australia and Western Australia.The man was looking for caves, but he instead spotted a mysterious shape on the ground. It looked like a long, slender line running mostly east-west. The mark wasnt perfectly straightit sloped and curved and, at one point, formed a deep V. It looked a bit like a childs drawing of a seagull, as Peter de Kruijff writes for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Eventually, news of the mysterious discovery reached researchers at Curtin University in Perth. After studying historic satellite imagery and weather data for the region, they realized the unusual squiggle on the ground was the calling card of a tornado.Without the power of technology, this remarkable example of natures ferocity would have gone unnoticed, Curtin University geoscientist Matej Lipar, the studys sole author, writes in the Conversation. Researchers studied the looping "cycloidal marks" in the scar to determine the tornado's severity, direction and wind speeds. Matej Lipar, Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science, 2024Lipar and his colleagues determined the tornado had passed through the area sometime between November 16 and November 18, 2022. During that period, a low-pressure system and a cold front occurred in the region, which could have produced severe weather conditions.The team also visited the Nullarbor Plain to see the scar for themselves. It was still thereand clearly visible18 months after the storm. The scar measured 6.8 miles long and spanned between 525 and 820 feet wide. It had cycloidal marks, or a chain of dark loops created by the tornados suction vortexes.Based on their observations, the researchers estimate the tornado was in the F2 or F3 category rated significant or severe, right in the middle of the Fujita Scale of tornado intensityand it likely reached speeds of more than 124 miles per hour. They suspect the tornado lasted for 7 to 13 minutes and was spinning clockwise as it traveled east across the barren landscape.But not everyone is convinced that the scar alone can reveal all that information. Since the tornado didnt damage any buildings and had no witnesses, its difficult to estimate its intensity.F2 and F3 tornadoes certainly occur in Australia, but are comparatively rare and are associated with stronger, longer-lived thunderstorms, John Allen, a meteorologist at Central Michigan University who was not involved with the research, tells the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. But based on the presence ofcycloidal marks, he agrees atornado likely did sweep through the area.The study suggests satellite imagery could be a useful tool for meteorologists, especially those studying remote, uninhabited places. Even in rural areas, researchers want to be able to predict and prepare for severe weather.The findings are also a stark reminder of just how powerful and unpredictable nature can be, sometimes without us knowing, Lipar writes in the Conversation.Extreme weather can strike anywhere, anytime, he adds.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Australia, Deserts, Earth Science, Geology, Maps, New Research, Satellites, Tornadoes, Weather

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Mac Walters' Worlds Untold studio on "pause" as it seeks new funding partner"This isn't goodbye - there's more to come," BioWare alumni Mac Walters saidImage credit: Worlds Untold News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Nov. 27, 2024 A second studio founded by a BioWare alumni has shuttered in as many days.Mac Walters' Worlds Untold - which had been backed by NetEase - announced it was "pausing operations" until it can locate further funding.In a statement posted to LinkedIn, Walters said the decision was "heartbreaking", adding he was "deeply grateful" for "the time we've had together" at the studio."It's hard to find the right words for this, but I wanted to share that we've made the very difficult decision to pause operations at Worlds Untold while we search for a new partner to help bring our vision to life," Walters said."This was not a decision we made lightly - it's been a deeply personal journey, and we're all so proud of everything this team has built together."In the meantime, our incredible team members will be exploring new opportunities. If you're looking for passionate, talented professionals, please reach out - I'd be honoured to connect you with some of the best people I've ever worked with."This is a heartbreaking moment for everyone involved, but I'm deeply grateful for the support of our partners, friends and family, and for the time we've had together at Worlds Untold," he concluded. "While we're pausing for now, this isn't goodbye - there's more to come, and we look forward to sharing the next chapter with you when the time is right."It's unclear how many people have been affected by this decision to "pause," but LinkedIn intimates Worlds Untold, which is based in Canada but fully remote, employs 11-50 people.This follows yesterday's news that Humanoid Origin was closing, ending the development of its untitled sci-fi game. Founded by former BioWare general manager Casey Hudson in 2021, Humanoid Origin had offices in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.

"The pirates are hiding in a nearby nebula," a fleet officer tells us. "We can either explore them one at a time, but run the risk of abandoning the convoy, or we can send probes into each one but that will definitely alert the pirates to our presence. Or we could just proceed to the rendez-vous and hope we're not ambushed."We're standing on the bridge of the USC Havock. More accurately, we're under a railway arch near Vauxhall in London the home of Bridge Command, an immersive experience run by interactive shows firm Parabolic Theatre that puts groups of visitors in charge of a Star Trek-style starship.The strategies laid out before us come near the end of our mission. Unlike so many video game story choices that commit players to a specific path, we could pivot at any moment pivot. We could stop sending probes and venture into the nebulas ourselves. We could send out our shuttle crew, with their mini-bridge set, in order to cover more ground. My friend, who had been assigned as chief engineer, yelled in the middle of the inevitable battle: "If you lot don't get your act together, I'll hit the self-destruct button." Almost anything is an option.It might sound easy to allow this sort of agency in an immersive theatre experience; after all, human actors, like our fleet officer, can improvise and adapt far more creatively than a computer can. But here's a secret: strip away the sets, the flashing lights, the sound of the alarm, and the NASA-style jumpsuits we're all wearing, and Bridge Command is essentially a video game. Owen Kingston, Parabolic TheatreAll of the touchscreen bridge stations helm, weapon control, navigation, and so on are running on a modified version of EmptyEpsilon, a bridge simulator readily available on Steam. That simulation is rendering the nebulas, space pirates, and our allied ships on the main screen in graphics not unlike the original Homeworld or earlier versions of EVE Online.Bridge Command co-creator and Parabolic Theatre's artistic director Owen Kingston admits that the show is still free from many of the restrictions that game developers face and pushing past those restrictions is the key to making an experience like this work."There are people who make immersive experiences who essentially just sort of clone the decision tree approach that you would take in a role-playing game or choose-your-own-adventure novel," he tells GamesIndustry.biz. "The trouble with applying that to a live environment is it's a system that's not designed for that."If I've written a choose-your-own-adventure novel, I don't have the option to go to the house of every single person and edit the book on the fly for them. I have to present them with a rational series of choices that I've decided, and they have to choose one of them because there's no other way it's going to work. And when you're playing a computer game, you instinctively know that is what's got to happen because there isn't another way of doing it."But when you're in a live experience and you have live actors there who are able to respond dynamically, it's kind of foolish to not take advantage of that. That's the unique selling point at the end of the day.""We've got people who can react dynamically in the moment. If you can somehow figure out how to do that in a computer game setting, that's potentially gold"Kingston explains that, instead of taking the decision tree approach typically used in video games, Bridge Command missions are written around a series of emotional beats. The staff/actors can then drop in additional events to help deliver these beats, all the while adapting to how the visitors/players react."Our rule is, if you come up with something that seems logical to you, as long as it fits the world of the show, we'll run with it," says Kingston. "We will bend the story around that. A decision you've made might mean that we drop in a completely new, unique plot beat, but it's going to fall all at the same emotional moment as maybe one of the things that we've got up our sleeve in case something doesn't present itself." Bridge Command is built around open-source multiplayer bridge simulator EmptyEpsilonAgain, this is hard for video game developers to recreate. But Kingston believes that video games will one day be able to move away from the decision tree structure and provide more reactive storylines."Decision trees inherently have a really bad customer service problem built into them, which is the 'computer says no' problem," he explains. "If you ask your bank for something and they say 'Sorry, we can't do that, he computer says no', it's the most frustrating thing yet we build that into games all the time inadvertently by closing off options that seem logical to the player, simply because we can't make every single option available."So there is something interesting there, and I don't know whether it's something to pluck out with AI involvement maybe, but being able to adapt to what seems logical to the player and not have to say to them 'You can either do A or B, but you can't do C'... The first computer games that crack how to handle that stand to really benefit."Everyone is involved. You need everybody's skillset to make the ship fly""If you have a way of dynamically creating option C based on what seems logical to the player, that's a really cool thing. We're able to do it because we've got live actors and we've got people who can react dynamically in the moment. If you can somehow figure out how to do that in a computer game setting, that's potentially gold."Bridge Command also offers potential inspiration for developers who work on a form of video gaming that is still relatively uncommon: asymmetric multiplayer.Titles like Dead by Daylight and Secret Neighbor offer players the chance to compete in matches where one of them has a significantly different, often antagonistic, role than the others. However, while the isolated player may have different abilities, the functionality and verbs (run, jump, shoot, and so on) of the gameplay remain largely the same especially for those on the same team.Bridge Command is different. Each station offers completely different functionality and even a different interface to the others. Only the helm can steer and accelerate, while only weapon controls can target and fire it is truly asymmetric, and Kingston says this helps to foster better teamwork and collaboration."It makes sure that everyone is involved; you need everybody's skillset to make the ship fly," he says."When you move it into a competitive environment, then something shifts. Competitive players want fairness, and it's much more difficult to create a sense of a level playing field when everyone has got unique powers. It's not impossible, but there's always going to be a certain amount of, 'Oh, well, you were playing the sniper, so of course you won.' That kind of thing can be problematic." Bridge Command players can apply any strategy that logically makes sense in the world, and the staff behind the scenes will do their best to accommodate itBridge Command currently has two starships available for hire and Parabolic Theatre has been experimenting with bringing them into the same simulation, either for cooperative missions or competitive battles."That has got huge potential if we can get it right," Kingston smiles.The immersive show has one last trick up its sleeve that game developers can also build on: it remembers the players. Each person who experiences Bridge Command is asked to create a profile on their first visit, entering basic information like name and email address. This is recorded in a database on Notion and the staff uses this to record which missions players go on, any significant events that occurred and, where relevant, any particularly notable actions that person took.The staff then see a summary for returning players in any particular group and plan out the mission accordingly, whether it's bringing back a specific character (if that actor is working that day) or setting up challenges that play to their strengths.Kingston likens it to the nemesis system in Shadow of Mordor, adding that it can make the player feel like their game experience is truly unique to them."When we're able to make callbacks to previous shows, whether it's returning characters or referencing things that the crew have done before, [it] serves to heighten that feeling like you're part of the world," he says."For us, the immersive part is that you're not merely sharing the same space as the actors you're inhabiting the same world as them, you're part of it. So the more things we can do to make that feel real, the better."

Danielle Riendeau, Editor-in-ChiefNovember 27, 2024At a Glance"Part of the process is becoming an expert in your game, right?"Nothing helps dull the sharp edges of the holidays quite like an addicting mobile game in your pocket, and nothing helps foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of said mobile game quite like a podcast interview with one of its lead developers.We happen to trade in podcast interviews around these parts, and with Thanksgiving nipping at our heels and winter break just over the horizon, now is the perfect time to queue up this in-depth GDC Showcase interview with Ben Brode, chief development officer at Second Dinner, the studio behind Marvel Snap.Produced by Jordan Mallory and with music by Mike Meehan, this is episode 48 of the Game Developer Podcast. Post written by Jordan Mallory.While designing Snap, Brode and his team faced the interesting challenge of making a game simple enough for an extremely wide audience to vibe with, while still somehow giving themselves enough design space to introduce new cards and mechanics regularly over the course of several years. Solving these problems first required a concrete understanding of what the core game is, and to obtain that, the team had to experiment.Becoming an expert in the game you are designing"Part of the process is becoming an expert in your game, right?" Brode says. "When we first started out, I didn't know the right number of cards per location, the right number of locations, the right number of turns for Marvel Snap, the right number of energy to start with. We tried seven turns and five turns, and starting on turn two and nine cards per location and four cards per location, three cards per location and two cards per location, and infinite cards per location. We tried everything."Eventually, Brode continues, these variables coalesce into the foundation of the product, and once that's all settled, you can go about the business of actually designing cards. But how much viable content can your new game actually support?"You need to actually make sure you can make a bunch of stuff," Brode says. "Like if your goal was 'Hey, let's make Tic Tac Toe a live service game,' and we're gonna add cards you can play before every turn of Tic Tac Toe there's a couple designs that may be kind of interesting and not broken but not that many."For this hypothetical, Brode would ideally design out a year's worth of content just to see if the idea had legs. "Even if you don't end up shipping any of those cards, you're like, 'Oh my God, I've used all the design space, Tic Tac Toe is too simplistic. I just can't come up with another 500 of these for the next 10 years.'"Second Dinner is sitting at the Godot tableBryant also speaks with Brode about Second Dinner's embrace of Godot for another project that's already in development. The engine has grown leaps and bounds over the last few years, Brode says, thanks in-part to its open source nature and the responsive folk shepherding the project. And for his team specifically, Godot offers tremendous value in its ability to issue over-the-air updates for "literally anything.""Because we're writing the whole game in [GDScript] this means if we wanted to do something like launch on a platform that is maybe notoriously difficult to get new content and new features shipped live to players quickly, well, we can just do that over the air without having to go through an approvals pipeline for [a] AAA platform," says Brode. "That could take a long time and we just don't have to do that. We can just quickly get stuff to players in a day or something. That's really mega, especially for a live service project."Listen to the rest of our really mega conversation on your podcast platform of choice, and might we be so bold as to suggest adding GDC 2025 to your March to-do list for more valuable insights from leading developers?Read more about:Game Developer PodcastAbout the AuthorDanielle RiendeauEditor-in-Chief, GameDeveloper.comDanielle is the editor-in-chief of Game Developer, with previous editorial posts at Fanbyte, VICE, and Polygon. Shes also a lecturer in game design at the Berklee College of Music, and a hobbyist game developer in her spare time.See more from Danielle RiendeauDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorNovember 27, 20241 Min ReadImage via Codecks.At a GlanceCodecks uses a card-and-deck system that lets developers to track project milestones and share decks with outside devs.Software developer Codecks has raised 1 million to "expand and grow" its titular project management tool for game developers.The majority of that funding comes from Creative Europe Media's MEDIA program, which provided a 700 million grant to the company. With it, the studio aims to hire more staff, grow current Codecks features and create new ones while keeping the tool "accessible to as many teams as possible, no matter their size (and wallet!)."Codecks was founded in 2019, and uses a card and deck system to help developers manage projects, see metrics, and chart milestones. According to the developer, the tool is in use by companies such as Unity, 505 Games, and Devolver Digital.Depending on the subscription tier, the tool's price ranges from free to 15 ($15.85) per month, and more features can be accessed based on the tier."We're committed to helping game developers make games in a way that's both effective and enjoyable," said co-founder Riad Djemili in a press release. "This grant opens doors for us to significantly improve and expand Codecks, amplifying the tools we offer and creating new ones, making project management as fun and efficient as possible.""With this grant, we're empowered to make that vision even bigger, with features that make Codecks more valuable for every team member-whatever their project, wherever they are in the world," continued fellow co-founder Daniel Berndt.As outlined on Codecks' newest blog, the company is aiming to deliver new features in 2025, including a revamped, separate Vision Board that lets users see the overall development of their project. It likened the upcoming iteration to a "skill tree, but for your game."More information on Codecks can be read here.Read more about:FundingAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Microsoft says its built an Xbox game store on Android but cant launch itMicrosoft says its built an Xbox game store on Android but cant launch it / The ability to sell games in its Xbox app on Android is ready to go live according to Microsoft. However, the company isnt specific about whats holding it back.By Richard Lawler, a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget. Nov 27, 2024, 11:49 PM UTCShare this storyIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. The VergeA few weeks ago, Microsoft exec Sarah Bond said that in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android. Its almost December and the feature still isnt live, but Bond says its not Microsofts fault. The problem, as she puts it, is that Microsoft would only be able to do it once a court order takes effect that forces sweeping changes for Googles Play Store on Android, like opening it up to competition and ending the requirement for apps to use Google Play Billing. On October 18th, Judge James Donato granted Googles request for a stay while it appeals his ruling that the Android app store is an illegal monopoly, which could leave things hanging in the balance for quite a while. Bond referenced that in a thread on Bluesky today, writing, Due to a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts, we are currently unable to launch these features as planned. Our team has the functionality built and ready to go live as soon as the court makes a final decision.Microsoft has been planning its mobile app store strategy for years. However, as frustrating as it is for gamers, the company still hasnt explicitly said what about the situation prevents it from offering Xbox game purchases like Steam and PlayStation already do, to go with its integrated Xbox Cloud Gaming features. We also dont have an update on the status of its browser-based mobile store, which still shows a coming soon sign, just like it did in August.Most PopularMost Popular