Will Luton

Does the UK video games industry have a class problem? A non-profit organisation is trying to create more pathways into the sector for working-class people.

Thanks to Declan of Into Games & @ukieofficial.bsky.social for speaking to me @developconference.com about issues faced by working class people in the UK video games industry & how they're trying to fix it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... @willluton.bsky.social @manycatsstudios.bsky.social

Was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night the last great 2D game of its era? We discuss this in the latest episode of Games of Note.

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Games of Note Podcast · GamesofNote Podcast · Games of Note podcast is where we discuss not if a particular game is good or bad, but the impact it had on game design & and the culture of video games. Hosted by Will...

🚀Introducing Games of Note, a podcast games that matter.
💬 Less ramble, more research and context.

First episode (Shenmue) is out now:

Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/3r8K8y2...

Amazon - music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ded...

Apple - podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/...

Please like and share!

We're LIVE! we've just launched our new podcast, hosted by @willluton.bsky.social & @wayneemanuel.bsky.social where we talk about the impact of video games!

Games of Note Podcast · GamesofNote Podcast · Games of Note podcast is where we discuss not if a particular game is good or bad, but the impact it had on game design & and the culture of video games. Hosted by Will...

🚀Introducing Games of Note, a podcast games that matter.
💬 Less ramble, more research and context.

First episode (Shenmue) is out now:

Spotify - open.spotify.com/show/3r8K8y2...

Amazon - music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ded...

Apple - podcastsconnect.apple.com/my-podcasts/...

Please like and share!

Why Does Everyone Hate Mobile Games? “If you were my son, I’d recommend you don’t get into mobile”.

Everyone, I have some opinions.

It's about mobile games and if they're shit. But more about how mobile game making is making all games shit. But that shit can save us.

medium.com/@will_luton/...

Why Does Everyone Hate Mobile Games? “If you were my son, I’d recommend you don’t get into mobile”.

Everyone, I have some opinions.

It's about mobile games and if they're shit. But more about how mobile game making is making all games shit. But that shit can save us.

medium.com/@will_luton/...

Someone is still fronting the domain costs to dunk on the N-Gage sidetalkin.com/original/

Million-plus a week.

Just make up a number that seems absurd, then double it. What they gonna do? Fact check you?

We’re post truth, Caspar.

I’ve been through this. Once it’s all built you’ll also need three PhDs building and improving seed generation for dynamic difficulty with novel machine learning.

What I Learned Raising Millions from Games VCs It was the summer of 2022. The world seemed like one big juicy oyster as me, and two co-founders, had just raised two point three millions…

Some time ago I raised a lot of money. It was hard in until I figured out how to do it. This is what I remember of what I learned: medium.com/@will_luton/...

The watch is also featured in game, so this might be a decent investment. Has an automatic in-house movement, so that’s not a crazy price.

Introducing: Hamilton's Latest Video Game Collab Is A Limited Edition Boulton For 'Death Stranding 2' An iconic brand and beloved video game designer team up for this new, futuristic release.

As far as game merch goes, is there 2,000 people willing to drop $1.5k on a watch? I have no idea, byt interested to find out www.hodinkee.com/articles/int...

Games of AliExpress: Play-to-Earn, The Future of Shopping - Department of Play At Department of Play, we love shopping on AliExpress, from retro console mods and arcade hardware to office equipment and clothes. But recently we’ve become fascinated by its complex web of games, wh...

New blog!

Did you know:

📈 AliExpress reaches over 150m users worldwide?

🕹️ The app has four full mobile games and several smaller titles?

💸 The game economy is complexly linked and dollar-backed?

😥 It's not perfect?

departmentofplay.net/games-of-ali...

The guide, still locked on the screen, replied: “Yeah, it normally takes longer than that”.

Anyway, we took it.

Good house.

I was viewing a student house, and there was a little B&W TV in the corner of the room.

Harold was strangling a man.

The current tenant showing us around stopped.

He said, low, to himself: “Go on Harold”.

The stranglee drops to the floor.

To break the tension I said: “That was quick.”

We’re not trying to survive the games industry, we’re all just pass through.

I have wondered, as I’m sure many have, is the end of the journey? Will I go follow one of my other passions? For me, that seems unlikely. But if it does happen, I’m okay with it.

If it feels like the end of your journey too, that is good. Another path is ahead.

Right now we’re in a collective bad time. But it will change for us individually and collectively. These hard years, as painful as they are, will make the good times good.

The philosopher Boethius said: “Good times pass way, but then so do the bad. Mutability is our tragedy, but also our hope.”

Accept chance. What happens to you is mostly lucky. You might shake the dice, but you don’t control them. Layoffs, promotions, hits, failures, boom, bust.

When starting my consulting biz, my buddy Jas once told me: Don’t get too cocky in the good times, don’t feel too down in the bad times.

Look after yourself. Eat well, sleep and exercise. Life feels better when you do these things. Also, practice kindness towards yourself. It’s hard but worthwhile.

Gain independence. You can’t be fired by you! Knowing what money is in the bank and where you stand brings massive stability and peace of mind. Plus you get to work how you want to work.

Don’t be a snob. There are lots of different niches in games and there’s lots of opinions. Don’t get caught up in what is being bashed. Try all types of games and be open to them. You don’t know where they will lead.

Don’t work too hard. It’s not worth it. You’ll get tired and sick, suck at your job, ruin relationships and want to do something else. Simply say no to long hours.

Be a good manager. At some point you will be above others. Assume everyone is doing their best (they are) and be open. But when it’s a bad time, be kind, clear and strong in your decisions. People will respect it.

Don’t burn bridges. I’ve not always got this right. It’s a very small industry and over the years you will cross paths with people multiple times. The better the relationship you have the more options you have and the more doors open.

Be out there. Meet people and have some profile. Talk about what you’ve done and network. Having friends and being part of the community makes the journey feel worthwhile.

Live below your means. You can earn good money making games. I’ve seen some people inflate their lifestyles, buy big houses or fancy cars. Then lose their job and be in lots of trouble. Avoid hedonic adaptation. Learn to manage your money and have lots of solid investments. You will face hardship.