my favorite GDC talks

september 18, 2020
game design, marketing

I really should be keeping a list of these with descriptions, so why not keep them in an article?

Automated Testing and Instant Replays in Retro City Rampage

Vblank Entertainment's Brian Provinciano (2015)
log button inputs to replay the game, for use in preproducing bugs, sharing replays on the community leaderboard, running cutscenes, and even controlling AI. It is 100% accurate in deterministic engines but also helpful in less deterministic engines.

I backed up the code he shared here. It is a simple example of how to record and playback button input, written in C++.

Empathizing with Steam: How People Shop for Your Game

Chris Zukowski (2020)
tips for how to design your Steam store page based on Zukowski's screenshare and shopping diary observations of ordinary people shopping on Steam

Essentially, make your gameplay genre absolutely clear within the first 4 screenshots and in the short description so that people will wishlist your game to buy during a seasonal Steam Sale.
Approach your wishlisters as complete newcomers. Jazz up your Steam page before a Steam Sale. Release an update, post in your forums, put a Santa hat on your character. When wishlisters return to your page, they will see an active game and be sold on it all over again.
His conclusions are very similar to how I shop on Steam, except I could care less for the tag section.
The romantic indie fiction section on Amazon dwarves the indie game section on Steam. To be immediately visible to their audience, romance authors follow a clear visual language on their covers to communicate their genres and sub-genres. Zukowski uses this as an extreme method for attracting your audience using the tropes of your genre, pointing out common UI elements and the shooter guy on every FPS cover.
More notes @ /diary/entries/extra/gdc-design-steam-store