This Week in Video Game Criticism: From Magic to Dragon's Crown 1
by Johannes Köller [04.29.13]
This week, our partnership with game criticism site Critical Distance brings us picks from Johannes Köller on topics including Dragon's Crown, how magic is modeled in games, and more.
Console/PC, Indie, Art, Design

---

Finding success in games 'is kind of a crap shoot' these days  
by Kris Ligman [04.29.13]
"A small four-man studio can crank out what looks like an unfinished game and make millions." The Behemoth devs share their thoughts on the 'serendipity' of market instability.
Console/PC, Indie, Production, Business/Marketing

---

November's GDC Next, App Developers Conference open for talk submissions  
by Staff [04.29.13]
The brand new future-focused GDC Next show in L.A. is calling for talk submissions through May 29th, alongside the co-located, non-game focused App Developers Conference.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Programming, Design, Production, Business/Marketing

---

Q&A: Documentary aims to shed light on ugly side of video games 13
by Kris Ligman [04.29.13]
Shannon Sun-Higginson isn't deeply ingrained in any aspect of video game culture. So when she found out about gender inequality and the outright sexual harassment that takes place, she was shocked.
Social/Online, Indie

---

Postmortem 4-in-1: FTL, Dyad, Dragon Fantasy, War Commander 5
by Staff [04.29.13]
Four postmortems to help you stay current on every potential platform out there. Find out what went right and what went wrong in development of these noteworthy games.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Programming, Art, Audio, Design, Production, Business/Marketing

---

Unity is your CTO, says CEO David Helgason 1
by Gamasutra Community [04.29.13]
One of Gamasutra's bloggers takes on the Unity CEO, getting a bead on what he thinks the company's role is, and what for its relationship with developers should take.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Programming, Production, Business/Marketing

---

How can games contain and convey values? 24
by Leigh Alexander [04.26.13]
Mary Flanagan (Critical Play) shares examples of her increasingly-analog work and its associated research to show that games can carry biases -- or they can teach about the dissolution of prejudice.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Indie, Serious, Programming, Art, Design, Production, Exclusive

---

The psychology of money: Why players pay (or don't) 15
by Gamasutra Community [04.26.13]
How does the human brain handle money? Understand that and you should have a better chance of understanding what players will pay for. This blog post spells it all out.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Design, Business/Marketing

---

Blog: The genius of the game design in Monaco 2
by Gamasutra Community [04.26.13]
Penny Arcade Adventures 3 developer Robert Boyd explains the "five great ideas" that make Monaco: What's Yours is Mine a fantastic piece of design work.
Console/PC, Indie, Design

---

Blog: Tips for designing your video game's logo 9
by Gamasutra Community [04.26.13]
You want a logo that captures the spirit of your game and correctly communicates that to your potential audience. How do you go about it? The developers of Folk Tale expose the process.
Console/PC, Indie, Art, Business/Marketing

---

Why are you making games? 7
by Gamasutra Community [04.26.13]
Sometimes you hit a creative standstill. That is when it is time to do some soul searching and figure out why you're making the game you are making -- and this inspirational post suggests how.
Console/PC, Indie, Design

---

Now you can charge monthly subscriptions through Steam 5
by Kris Ligman [04.25.13]
Valve Software wants to make the subscription model a little more seamless. Today, the company rolled out its new Steam Subscription Plan in conjunction with indie MMO Darkfall Unholy Wars.
Console/PC, Indie, Business/Marketing

---

Live 'Let's Play' game exhibition descends upon Chicago  
by Kris Ligman [04.25.13]
Chicago-based cinema house will screen series of live Let's Play demonstrations from notable independent game developers.
Indie, Art

---

Blog: Horror games - What kind of enemy should you create? 11
by Gamasutra Community [04.25.13]
Horror games often face you off against hordes of enemies -- but there is another choice. Some games have pitted the player against a single antagonist. The two approaches are contrasted in this blog.
Console/PC, Indie, Design

---

The blissfully awkward controls of Surgeon Simulator 2013 3
by Mike Rose [04.25.13]
"We're fairly sure the real procedures are nothing like what happens in the game," Luke Williams of Bossa Studios tells Gamasutra of the company's big hit Surgeon Simulator 2013.
Console/PC, Indie, Programming, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive, Video

---

Video: Making a game while struggling with obsessive compulsiveness 3
by GDC Vault Staff [04.24.13]
At GDC, Matt Gilgenbach shared his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder while developing the PlayStation Network and PC rhythm shooter Retro/Grade.
Console/PC, Indie, Programming, Art, Audio, Design, Production, Business/Marketing, Video

---

Xbox designers come together to fund student-led games  
by Kris Ligman [04.24.13]
New fund aims to help USC game design students to "build their own future."
Indie, Student/Education

---

How to gather and best use player feedback 1
by Christian Nutt [04.24.13]
Getting player feedback is easy, but how do you gather useful data and then interpret it? Here's a guide to creating a player survey and interpreting the results.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Design, Production, Business/Marketing

---

IGF China seeking pan-Pacific indie game submissions for 2013 event  
by GDC Staff [04.24.13]
The Independent Games Festival China – which will take place alongside this September's GDC China in Shanghai – is accepting indie game entries from the pan-Pacific area from now through July 19.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Programming, Design

---

A postmortem on the indie 3DS game Mutant Mudds 2
by Gamasutra Community [04.24.13]
A look back at the development and release of the 3DS' popular indie platformer. Want to know how to settle on a gameplay hook, approach the press and other tips? Look inside.
Console/PC, Indie, Design, Production, Business/Marketing

---