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@askagamedev.bsky.social
387 followers 3 following 344 posts

I make games for a living and can answer your questions. He/him, she/her, they/them are all acceptable. askagamedev.tumblr.com discord.gg/W3Pk2Je

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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 5h
Why do so many modern games have fewer small polish details like animations for different situations? (Spoiler: The scope for small polish tasks is much larger now) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8292878...
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I've noticed a trend in a lot of modern games that there seems to be a lower attention to certain types of mechanical detail, and was wondering if there is any spesific reason for this. Clearest...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Thoughts on the GTA Price increase? (Spoiler: If it works, we'll see others try. If it continues to work, it will continue to happen) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8291082...
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What are your thoughts on the more expensive price point of GTAVI? Do you think more studios will be pushing for that as well, and do you think the work involved nowadays allows it to make sense? I.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
What exactly happens when a big content cut happens, like in Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave when they cut the number of routes down to four from eight? (Spoiler: It depends on how we do things, but we figure it out what we can with tech and tools) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8290160...
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After playing the new hotness (fortunes weave) I ended up wondering about what teams have to do during a significant shift in scope. During development, they ended up droping the route number from 8.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Tell us a story, Dev :c (Spoiler: Ok) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8287442...
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Tell us a story, Dev... :c Sure. I'll tell you about a very important lesson I learned years ago. Once upon a time, I was working on a mature (read: years-old) MMOG - one that had a solid audience and...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Is the ridiculous price of RAM affecting game development? (Spoiler: Very yes) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8286537...
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Is the RAMageddon materially effecting game dev at the moment? Are current specs going to be targeted for longer? And I know future consoles are under broad NDAs, but hypothetically do you see their.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
How common is hot reloading in AAA engines? (Spoiler: Quite common) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8285630...
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How common is hot reloading in AAA engines? Very. Most AAA engines support it in some way, primarily because it saves a lot of dev time if we don't have to restart the game in order to see changes...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
How do you deal with live service games that depend on old abandonware? (Spoiler: You usually continue to service the old software as best you can) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8283819...
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Follow-up on the abondonware issue. You are working on some long running live service game that still is popular and generating revenue, so the company wants to keep it running. However, some software...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Can the gameplay team request features from the engine programmers? (Spoiler: Sure if it's needed and the tech leadership approves) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8280196...
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Are game programmers allowed to request certain features from engine programmers, or is that strictly up to higher-ups? We typically won't request others to do work without reason. If the gameplay...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Do you think the Wolverine target audience is the more casual moviegoing Marvel fans instead of more hardcore gamers? (Spoiler: Not if the game is a PS5 exclusive) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8279288...
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On the topic of Wolverine, do you think the handholding issue could be because they are expecting a lot of less experienced players to play it do to the IP? Like they are expecting people who mostly.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Thoughts on the hand holding Wolverine features? (Spoiler: I think it's dissonance due to the target audience and marketing) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8278382...
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Any thoughts on the Wolverine handholding controversy? I understand that Sony probably has some data to determine when players are likely to get lost or drop the game, but when does it become too...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
What's the difference between a closed beta and an open beta? (Spoiler: We're measuring and looking at different things) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8277524...
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I understand how they deffer from the players perspective, but from a developer perspective whats the difference between an open and closed beta? Are there different feedback uses/desire or different....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
What's the deal with the Unreal Engine "look" in so many games? (Spoiler: We've had very widespread "look" eras for games for a long time) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8274759...
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I see the Ocarina of Time remake and immediately think about Unreal Engine. It's clear that Nintendo put a lot of effort into their own engine, but the fact that it looks so similar makes it feel...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Are there more turn-based games like Pokemon where both players go simultaneously? (Spoiler: Yes, we call them 'WEGO' games instead of 'IGOUGO') askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8273860...
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In Chess, and in many games, there is a first move advantage, where the player who goes first is more likely to win. Some games, like Price is Right, have a last move advantage. Why don’t more RPGs...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
How do you design coop challenges? (Spoiler: Divvy up needed tools/information between players so they need each other to complete challenges) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8272041...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
What actually happens during preproduction? (Spoiler: It's where we go from the game idea to the vertical slice) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8271135...
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Could you go more in depth with the pre-production phase? What usually occurs during this period, and is it just an amalgamation of separate prototypes, or more organized than that? Is this where...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
You've mentioned how live service game devs work 2+ patches in the future. If there's significant negative feedback from a content update, how does that affect development? (Spoiler: We usually can't modify the next update, but after that is fair game) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8268416...
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You've mentioned that for live service games, the team has content they're working on for the next 2-3 patches/months. So suppose the game launched and the next 2 patches that were in the pipeline...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Bit Reactor (Star Wars: Zero Company dev) furloughed part of their staff because they ran out of money. Does this happen often? (Spoiler: In studios that want to survive when their burn rate is too high, yes) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8267511...
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I read somewhere that the studio behind Star Wars: Zero Company furloughed part of their staff because they ran out of money. They are hoping that with the money from sales they can get the people...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
What are "table stake" features? (Spoiler: Features that players expect, but don't actually like) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8265701...
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What would you define as “table stake” features? "Table stakes" are features players expect any game in the genre to ship with, despite generally being unmemorable or uninteresting. That's what makes....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Why do indie devs love to make Soulslike games so much? (Spoiler: I think there's a number of strong factors that make it easier for indie devs to choose the Soulslike formula) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8264794...
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I have noticed a number of mid to indie devs love to make souls-like games. As a game dev, can you explain what is the appeal of the genre for someone who makes and sells games? I am not a fan of...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Other games have voting systems, why don't they have nice communities too? (Spoiler: Dawngate risked a lot more by tying major incentives to their karma system, most games do not) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8262076...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
If Dawngate's systems were so good, why don't more games use its systems? (Spoiler: Dawngate didn't ever make it out of beta or get a big audience, most people don't know about it) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8261168...
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If that moba you cited came out in 2014 and it’s system was so good at making the community act better, why don’t more games use it’s system or systems like it? Unfortunately, Dawngate's other...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I've seen some videos arguing that MOBAs foster toxic communities through the design. Is this unavoidable? (Spoiler: No) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8260266...
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Piggybacking on the latest ask. I've seen videos arguing that some MOBAs such as league of legends foster toxic player bases unwillingly through the level design itself; it's easy to lose a game when....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
How do you prevent/reduce the risk of a game getting a bad community? (Spoiler: Establish norms early, and enforce them rigorously) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8259357...
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Is there any way to prevent/reduce the risk of a game ending up with a bad community? ("git gud" bros, speedrunners, discourse junkies, e.t.c.) The answer here is that the community leaders/moderation...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Repost: How do you make player movement feel good? (Spoiler: The game/character needs to respond visibly to player input within a certain window) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/1558124...
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How do you make a game feel good?For example, what kinds of design decisions go into making the player feels as though he/she has full control of the character's movement, and make that movement...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Repost: Why devs don't respond to feedback in a timely manner, even though we ask for it (Spoiler: We're often working several months ahead of what's currently released) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/6921240...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Ask a Game Dev's Frequently Asked Questions (Busy this week, expect reposts) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/1503142...
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Ask a Game Dev’s Frequently Asked Questions
Hey Dev! I’ve got a question for you! Sure thing. It’s what I’m here for. What kind of question is it? I have a question about working in the game industry. How do I get a job in the game...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
What are some reasons other than paying for staff to shut down an old service like Pokemon Bank? (Spoiler: It could also be tool obsolescence or legal compliance issues) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8249391...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I saw a video where data from Team Fortress 2 and Fallout New Vegas were running while their game data was being deleted. How can games run when so much of their data is gone? (Spoiler: Games don't use all of the data all of the time) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8248487...
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I watched a video where huge portions for the data of Team Fortress 2 and Fallout New Vegas data was deleted. Despite being reduced to tiny file sizes, the games kept running (even if they were...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Thoughts on the Saudi buyout? (Spoiler: I have two takes - one charitable, one more realistic) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8242144...
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Thoughts on EA being acquired by Saudi Arabia, particularly after Ubisoft was also recently purchased by them? The Saudis don't own a stake in Ubisoft. The biggest stakeholders in Ubisoft is the...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I'm confused - why would EA want to take on $20 billion in new debt? (Spoiler: EA is under new ownership and the new owners are betting on EA doing well in the future) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8240331...
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Im genuinely confused about something. If EA selling themselves would put them 20 billion in debt, then why would they ever do that? For that matter, why would being bought cause them to go into debt?...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Do devs establish hard rules to avoid bugs or tech issues? (Spoilers: Yes. We call them metrics and use them to establish a lot of gameplay rules) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8239426...
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Do game developers list any hard rules for design to avoid glitches or technical issues? For example, if the trigger to activate a save point is 12 units around the point, any wall that the save point...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Thoughts on EA CEO Andrew Wilson getting his big payout following big layoffs? (Spoiler: These are bad optics but mostly unrelated. The big issue is the impending buyout) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8236708...
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Thoughts on EA's CEO getting a pay raise even as EA is doing massive layoffs, including at DICE after Battlefield 6 outsold last year's Call of Duty? From the outside looking in, the situation looks.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
What country do game devs try to cater to that has the harshest localization regulations? (Spoiler: It's China) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8234897...
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What country that game developers generally try to cater to has the harshest game related regulations? China is, by far, the harshest regulated gaming market by far. The CCP has a bunch of...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Thoughts on the Sony physical disc situation? (Spoiler: I think it's a symptom, but not the real disease) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8233084...
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You might have been asked this already, but any thoughts on the Sony Playstation discontinuing physical discs news? I feel it's kind of a dilemma since Sony might have justified business reasons, but....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I've been working in games for 10 years. I pitched a game and got the green light, but now it's been shelved by my employer. My game is the only thing I want to work on. What to do? (Spoiler: See who owns the IP, then proceed accordingly) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8229462...
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I've been working in the industry for 10 years, I decided to quit to work on a game idea I am passionate about a year ago. When I told the company I work for they asked me to pitch the game to them,....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Why don't games slightly overestimate their budgets to avoid these problems? (Spoiler: We do. It's not a cure-all) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8226743...
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Why don’t games slightly over estimate their budgets so they have extra “flight time” (per your older metaphors) to make up for inevitable bumps in the road? Like, if they estimate a game will cost 90...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
How do you describe work experience on a resume for a game that got cancelled but is still under NDA? (Spoiler: You focus on what you did and you remove all specifics) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8223118...
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If you work at an outsource/co-dev studio and a project you're working on while under NDA is cancelled, what is the general practice for your resume/portfolio when looking for new work as you're not.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Question for any and all of my gamedev followers. I've seen a lot of posts saying "AAA studios regularly fire all the experienced people and bring in a fresh new team of juniors to replace them" etc. How true has this been in your experience?
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
25% of my coworkers got laid off. This is my first layoff survival and it hurts. Have you gone through it? Does it get easier? (Spoiler: Survivor's guilt is real. Yes, it gets easier.) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8222213...
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25% of my coworkers got laid off this week and I’m somehow one of the ones who didn’t get laid off. This is the first layoff I’ve gone through at a studio and it’s absolutely devastating not being...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Now that I'm taking a class, I realize databases are more complex than I thought. Do you really need databases for AAA games? (Spoiler: For many MMOG-type games, absolutely) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8221307...
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I'm taking a database management class this summer, and it's been way more complex than I assumed. Do many games use straight up databases (Oracle, Access, etc)? Are real database admins necessary for...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
OK, understood, this will be hard. If I really wanted to do it, how could I successfully convince Rockstar that we don't like the price change? (Spoiler: You need to persuade enough people not to buy the game that it fails) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8217684...
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Same guy that asked the latest GTAVI question featured. I feel like I didn’t get an answer beyond “moving on”, which I’ll reiterate is not an acceptable answer. Just to be clear, I personally have.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
What if the GTA price increase sets a precedent? (Spoiler: Buyer behavior will adjust and so will the market. This has all happened before, back in the 90s) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8216776...
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On the topic of GTA 6, what about the idea of precedent? For example, companies who see their competitors raising their prices and the amount of business being unchanged will often raise their prices....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
What if I can't let things go and I must crusade against the GTA 6 changes? (Spoiler: Nobody wins in this situation) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8215870...
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Not the same guy, but regarding the GTAVI Situation, your answer to the latest GTAVI question brought little, if any comfort or reassurance. What if I DON’T feel like “accepting the loss and moving.....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Will Unreal Engine's technical advances lead to worse, more generic games? (Spoiler: We'll get more games, which leads to more great games and a *lot* more mid games) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8214965...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Voting with your wallet is hard to do when others disagree (Spoiler: When you vote with your wallet, you can still lose the election) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8211341...
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the unfortunate reality of the GTA 6 situation is that consumers will buy it just based on the hype around the game, and it paves the way for companies to keep pushing and pushing until it stops...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
How do animations not look janky when you're got so many different animation systems playing together? (Spoiler: Animation engineers and riggers do their best) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8210435...
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How do animation systems blend authored animation, physics reactions, ragdolls, procedural motion, and play control without looking jank? This is why good riggers (sometimes called technical...
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Do AAA devs continuously develop their own engines? How does that work with launching games that use those engines? (Spoiler: We have cutoff dates after which we no longer update the engine except for critical bug fixes) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8209529...
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Do AAA studios have a parent engine that is constantly under development, or is it always a fork of the parent engine for each project? Some studios have an in-house engine they continue to develop......
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
How do you deal with optimization problems when using an off the shelf engine? (Spoiler: We do what we can with what we have) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8208623...
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When discussing performance issues in games, how much blame should be put on the game engine that a developer is using? A while back, Unity had somewhat of a bad reputation among people online due to....
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
I think most people tend to forget that voting with your wallet doesn't mean you're going to win the election
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Ask a Game Dev @askagamedev.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
How do you feel about GTA6's pricing? (Spoiler: I think that the players will collectively decide whether they are ok with paying that much) askagamedev.tumblr.com/post/8207718...
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I'm sure you're getting bombarded with GTAVI questions. To me, this whole announcement and release does not bode well for developers or players. I feel strongly that Rockstar Games are setting a...
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