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askagamedev.bsky.social
Ask a Game Dev
@askagamedev.bsky.social
350 followers 3 following 180 posts
I make games for a living and can answer your questions.
He/him, she/her, they/them are all acceptable.

http://askagamedev.tumblr.com

http://discord.gg/W3Pk2Je
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askagamedev.bsky.social
Thoughts on GTA 6 union busting? (Spoiler: This is a test of the new union's strength)

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Ask a Game Dev
Thoughts on GTA 6 union busting? From accounts I've read, it does seem suspicious. The dismissed employees were not really shown any evidence for the dismissal. That said, these kind of hardball...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:22 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Do you play the games you've worked on after they've been released? (Spoilers: Sometimes. Not always)

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Ask a Game Dev
Hi! Do you play the games you've worked on after they've been released for your own entertainment, or is there a case of "working on this thing has soured my opinion and thus I can't enjoy it...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:10 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
As a gamer, I don't think crunch is bad. Crunch made some of the best games I've played. Don't developers sign up for it? (Spoiler: Crunch is mostly irrelevant to a game's quality and has a large human cost)

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Ask a Game Dev
as a gamer, i don't think crunching for game studios is bad at all. almost all games i've played where that's common are some of the best games released. i think it's something developers sign up...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:05 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
What do I need to direct a AAA game? (Spoiler: A lot of skills and a strong network... or a lot of money)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:11 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
When switching jobs, do you play all the old games from the studio? (Spoiler: I research the games before the interview, not after I accept the offer)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:05 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
How do I stop crunch culture at my employer? (Spoiler: Unless you have the power, you don't)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:26 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
What are your thoughts on "You control the buttons you press" when it comes to optional content and game design? (Spoiler: Developers are responsible for providing a fun experience. Players should make informed buying choices)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
What are some pros and cons of working on live service games vs new releases? (Spoiler: Scope, sustainability, crunch, and so on)

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Scope
What are the pro-cons of working on live service games as a dev versus working on a new release? Live service games come with inherent constraints that limit the sort of things we can do. In exchange,...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Is there some way we devs can break the cycle of urgency in our jobs? Crunching 11 hours a day for two months is unsustainable! (Spoiler: Work on a live service game)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:19 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
How do you ensure a smooth difficulty experience if everyone is working on different parts of the game? (Spoiler: One part of the game we work on is the player difficulty experience and how to model that in a spreadsheet)

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Ask a Game Dev
When everyone is working on separate areas/mechanics/levels, how does this unify into a coherent experience in terms of difficulty curve? I’d say you are working the second or third level, how are you...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:04 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
You said you only work on your own part of the game. Are you locked off from the rest of the game or something? (Spoiler: Not specifically, but it would be a huge waste of time to build all of the game levels when I am only working on a part of it)

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Ask a Game Dev
You mentioned how devs only are working on your “areas”. Is the version of the game you are working on somehow cornered off from the rest? For example, if you are working on part of an open world...
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October 21, 2025 at 4:07 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Why get upset over leaks? (Spoiler: Because leaks lack context and it sucks to see people shit on your work)

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Ask a Game Dev
Isn't it a bit silly to get upset over leaks? I don't see how people seeing your work could be a negative thing Leaks are often not the complete story. A leak is a snapshot of an in-development game.....
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October 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Any advice on dealing with how demoralizing leaks feel? (Spoiler: Take a breath. It's not your fault)

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Ask a Game Dev
Any advice on dealing with leaks? I find that it really kills motivation and is pretty upsetting. It really sucks when something you're putting a lot of yourself into gets spoiled early and without.....
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:07 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Will AAA studios ever open source their code? (Spoiler: Probably not)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 16, 2025 at 4:29 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Are major retailers no longer stocking Xboxes? (Spoiler: No)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 15, 2025 at 5:07 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
How do you determine when to have server maintenance? (Spoiler: There are several factors - minimize downtime, how often we need to update, etc.)

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Ask a Game Dev
How do game companies decide when to run scheduled maintenance? Is it simply as “whenever the player count is usually the lowest?” There's a lot of factors involved. Our server binaries can only run.....
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Why wouldn't a multiplayer game have server maintenance? (Spoiler: If the game isn't running on our hardware, we don't need to do any maintenance on it)

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Ask a Game Dev
The new Sonic racing game told me the other day that online would be unavailable briefly due to a maintainence period. You've gone over the kinds of things that happen during this time before I'm...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:06 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
If there's an ad-driven subscription games service, will the advertisers influence the content of the games? (Spoiler: Not directly, but it will indirectly affect the calculus of development)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 7, 2025 at 4:06 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Have you ever worked on a game that was so buggy that it had to be cancelled? (Spoiler: Yes, but not professionally)

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Ask a Game Dev
Have you ever worked on a game that had sooo many bugs, testing anything was almost impossible, and the game ended up being cancelled? Yes, but none of the failed projects were built in any kind of...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 6, 2025 at 4:36 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Thoughts on the meme about wanting "shorter games with worse graphics made by people who are paid more to work less"? (Spoiler: That's essentially what live service games *are*)

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Ask a Game Dev
Do you have any thoughts on the whole meme of "wanting shorter video games with worse graphics made by peope who are paid more to work less"? What would the effect on the industry be like? While it's...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 2, 2025 at 4:11 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Some thoughts on the EA buyout

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For now - while the deal is still being finalized.
Alright, Dev. You know what I'm about to ask already... Let's hear your thoughts on the EA buyout. Here are some of my thoughts on the buyout in no particular order. It's a good day to own EA stock......
askagamedev.tumblr.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:06 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
What does the EA acquisition mean for job losses? What does it mean for the current projects in production? (Spoiler: It doesn't look good for the jobs, and there will almost certainly be cancellations)

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Ask a Game Dev
Following the recent news of the rumors of EA being bought: could this potentially impact upon EA dev jobs or cause job losses? And what does it mean for the projects of the games that EA currently...
askagamedev.tumblr.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:09 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
What does it cost to license a big IP? (Spoiler: It's often more just money, since the brand owner wants to protect the brand's value)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
September 25, 2025 at 4:20 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
How bad are game crashes for player retention? (Spoiler: Very bad)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
September 22, 2025 at 4:06 PM
askagamedev.bsky.social
Why are engaged franchise fans so angry when fan games/mods/etc. that they've never played are taken down? (Spoiler: Removing the option triggers the loss aversion in our brains)

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askagamedev.tumblr.com
September 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM