It’s been nearly two months. That’s the longest I’ve gone without an update since I restarted the blog last year. And there are many different reasons why I haven’t been writing here. Some of which I am about to go into and others that will remain personal to me.
The Good.
Let’s start with some good news first. I have a new job with Indie Game Magazine. I’m working as a Producer for their radio division and will be showing up in different things in the future. Currently, I’m in the first episode of the Player 3 Podcast and I hosted a roundtable discussion of Steam Greenlight.
More than just getting paid (always a plus!), it gives me an opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do: actually talk to indie developers about their projects, motivations and the general process behind their works. I’ve grown increasingly tired of the PR cycles — and the stunts — from major studios and publishers. Part of this job, and my favorite by far, is talking to developers about their projects and hearing back from them directly.
The Odd.
I was featured on Bitmob today. Are you confused by that? I certainly am. Something I wrote last year got featured for some reason. And the way I learned about it is that people have been commenting on it. If you are interested, go read it. The edited version is drastically different than the original one I wrote.
The Inevitable.
Here is the real reason I created this post: to write that this blog is going to sleep for awhile. Deep cold sleep. Travel through space at near-relativistic speeds cryogenic sleep. I don’t expect to write anything else here for several months. Between my normal schedule — being a teaching assistant while taking classes too — and this new producer job, I’m pretty busy. The time I’m not spending working and studying, I’m wrapped up in making my own games.
Yes, I know. Nearly everyone I read has either made one or is working on a game now. Heck, even The Border House has a game jam now! (Aside: I might participate in The Border House’s jam. It all depends on my schedule this weekend. I definitely had fun with Ludum Dare a few weeks ago.)
My own work is a little different though. For one, I’m doing weekly videos each Saturday with my progress. It’s a way to keep me accountable for actually coding something each week. It also promotes the fact that I am learning as I go. To that end, I hope to write up some tutorials on what I have learned recently about procedurally generating levels — and what not to do too.
If you want to keep up with me until I return, I’m on Twitter. I’m quiet most of the time with occasional bursts of activity.
Digital Ephemera 
hey congrats on the job! Sounds like a good match for your interests. Definitely post when you have a demo or something, ‘cuz I want to play it.
You probably know all the indie developers I know but in case you ever wanted to see a big list of them on twitter I made one that I should continue updating: https://twitter.com/i/#!/Rachel_Helps/indie-game-devs
Thanks, Rachel. Yeah, it definitely is something I’ve been interested in doing for a couple of years now. One of the future advantages, I’m hoping, is that I get to go out to various conventions and meetings to talk to people in person. That, I feel, is the next step.
That list is pretty great. Since, at the moment, I get to pick who I talk to, I’ve got my own shorter list of people, but I have subscribed to that list too. You seem more connected on Twitter than I am willing to be.
My latest game-thing should be out — as I write this on Friday, 28 September — tomorrow. I’m trying to make something each month to build up to the point of actually selling a game early next year. That’s also been a goal of mine, to sell a game, but it also helps with the street cred part in talking to indie developers too.
Producer for a radio show about indie games? Way to go, Dan! Good to hear about your progress. I know you’ve wanted to contribute to the games industry for a while now. Make the most of it!
This hypersleep you’re going to put your site into will give me time to catch up on some of your older writings and articles. In the meantime, all the best at your new job! I look forward to reading about your experiences.
Thanks, Ari. I’m pretty excited about the job and the access it gives me to developers and other members of the indie scene. I can’t seem to go more than a few months without being on a podcast. With this, I get to actually talk to people I’ve only known through their games and projects. It’s neat.