andrewcrawshaw.bsky.social
Gamedev and 1-person studio @ThunkdGames Past credits: The Magnificent Trufflepigs, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Amnesia: AMfP. Also run gamedev networking events.
https://linktr.ee/andrewcrawshaw
72 posts
2,063 followers
316 following
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I love to mooch around Waterstones whenever I'm in Bradford. I know it's just another chain bookstore, but it's an amazing place to spend an hour 😍
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I wouldn't disagree that music is even more commerically fubar'd than games :(
But - and while we've still got some half decent revenue streams - the way they connect to their audiences/potential purchasers seems much stronger
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tl;dr - fans that love any type of non-AAA game don't really have the community or media to celebrate, share and obssess about that love. We need the gaming equivalent of "metal", "hip hop", "country"... And when we get there we'll soon see the game equivalents of "metalcore" or "drill" appear too.
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Seems like nearly everyone in the industry wants to be associated with "games" first, and getting lost in the crowd when they could be finding their people by embracing subcultures and genres.
We can't all be the biggest fish in the biggest pond, and we should be embracing that as an opportunity.
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Genres/subculture are naturally smaller, but they tend to be more loyal and invested (yes, I'm making lots of generalisations).
We've seen some of this with cosy/wholesome games - although those identifiers have been watered down by the number of devs targeting them.
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'Out-of-towners' are v.welcome, and we often have people travelling from the North West/North East to spend the evening with us
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Many happy returns! 🎂 It's my birthday today too - I think my cake will have way more candles on it than yours though 🥹
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It was my first Brookmyre, but thanks for the suggestions! One or both of those will go on my wishlist (which is already way too long...)
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Yep. I didn't realise it was part of a series when I started it...
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Quite Ugly One Morning - Christopher Brookmyre
The Centre - Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
Sudden Traveller - Sarah Hall
A Shock - Keith Ridgway
New Animal - Ella Baxter
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Gone far too soon! I'm sure he's made himself at home in the big pub in the sky and is already up to no good with his old mate Gordon. Cheers Martyn!
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Hearing Martyn talk about not letting his career force him to drag his family around the globe always stuck with me and it was one of the reasons I started @gamayo.bsky.social (which he supported in the early days - even sponsoring his own beer tap so he could give out drinks all night :D)
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Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is a PEGI 16, mostly due to a couple of drug references spoken in the VO.
An audiobook of (for example) American Psycho is littered w/ in-depth descriptions of sex, drug use & violence, and there's no age rating whatsoever.
Game ratings = uncorrected 1990s hysteria
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Thank you!
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It's Hebtroco's in-house magazine. They send me a complimentary copy :)
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Audiobooks! I usually rack up 1-2 hrs a day in bed (before I sleep, when I wake). I also try and do as many morning walks as I can, which can add another hour or so a day. I'm not really one for epic novels either, which helps :)
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Shit. So sorry to hear that :(
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2/2
- Accept it can't be all things to all people
- Set the tone, the rules and your code of conduct!
- Go a-hunting for attendees (LinkedIn, X, here...)
- Consider what time of the month (end = quieter venues, but might also clash with crunch)
- Think about having co-hosts to help you
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- Check existing events. Don't step on their toes, be different
- Discuss plans. Don’t ask for suggestions! (everyone will expect you to build their version)
- Finding venues is v.hard. You might need to move around as you grow
- Pick a format that works for you. You'll be the only ever-present
1/2
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Anyway, if you're thinking "I wish we had something like that where I live", just do it. Or message me if you need any help getting started, but here's my advice:
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And as a host, I get the joy of knowing that people have secured new jobs, studios have landed contracts, careers have started and lifelong friendships have been made because I got people in the same room :)
If only I'd have put agency/finder's fee contracts in place.. $$ :D
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We usually have 50~ gamedevs, from indie to AAA, and from those making their 1st game, to veterans with 30 years experience. it's completely informal - no ticket, no presentaions, just meet and mingle.
Some turn up every single month, some just show up every now and then.