Transitioning from Hobbyist to Full-time Indie

Posted on Monday, July 7th, 2014 at 2:50pm CDT by BreannaJames

We all are familiar with some of the negative gamer stereotypes that have been circulating around the US for years – that gamers are all fat, smelly and socially awkward virgins is just plain wrong. One of the ways that we can escape these stereotypes is by reinforcing the positive ones, one of which is that gamers are creative. I’ve known many people that have … Continue reading →

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Creating a Cross-Platform Marketplace

Posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2012 at 7:48pm CDT by Ross Przybylski

Having a unified buying experience is an essential quality of a true cross-platform application. Many people have asked how I overcame the challenge of creating a consistent marketplace for my cross-platform game, Hero Mage, so I’ve put together this brief tutorial and downloadable example. This tutorial doesn’t cover writing ANE’s or setting up vendor-specific storefront; rather, it demonstrates how to write a common interface that … Continue reading →

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Adobe Game Jam!

Posted on Sunday, November 18th, 2012 at 9:20am CDT by Ross Przybylski

If the latest advances in Flash player and Adobe AIR…Stage 3D, Starling, Feathers, direct deploy to iOS, and more haven’t yet convinced you of Adobe’s commitment to empowering game developers, then it’s time to put these tools and your skills to the test at Adobe Game Jam! If you’re in or around the Chicago area, their next event takes place in just a couple weeks … Continue reading →

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How to Become a Successful Game Developer with Adobe Flash

Posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2012 at 2:11pm CDT by Ross Przybylski
successfulGameDeveloper

With the advent of mobile app stores, there is more potential than ever for independent game developers to arise and become the next generation of game innovators. But how can small or even one-man teams possibly manage the technical complexities of developing on so many diverse platforms? Enter Adobe Flash, a visual development tool with the capability to export games to web, Android, and iOS. … Continue reading →

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How to Create an Asynchronous Multiplayer Game Part 4: Matchmaking

Posted on Sunday, July 22nd, 2012 at 8:53pm CDT by Ross Przybylski
Creating a new multiplayer game in Hero Mages

The key to a successful multiplayer game is having a critical mass of people to play with each other. But how do you amass players without an initial player base in the first place? Remove the requirement of "must-be-online-to-play". Asynchronous matchmaking enables players to engage in multiplayer games, even if they’re not online! Random matchups allow players to meet new people and make new friends, … Continue reading →

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Discover TechWeek Chicago IGDA Game Lounge

Posted on Sunday, June 24th, 2012 at 10:50pm CDT by Ross Przybylski
Heather Decker and Jared Steffes

Despite the fact that over fifty video game companies are located in and around Chicago, Illinois, few people are aware of its growing games industry. To raise awareness about Chicago development and connect developers with the tech industry at large, the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) hosted the IGDA Game Lounge at Chicago TechWeek. I am Ross Przybylski, founder of D20Studios, LLC and creator of … Continue reading →

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How to Start Your Own Game Company

Posted on Thursday, June 21st, 2012 at 5:01pm CDT by Ross Przybylski
howToStartGameCompany

D20Studios founder Ross Przybylski does a classroom lecture for North Central College explaining how to start your own game company. In this lecture, Ross explains how to make the transition from game design hobbyist to business professional, how to fund a gaming project, the costs of operating a game studio, and how running your own business affects your personal relationships.

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Features Needed for Game Development in Flash Professional

Posted on Monday, June 11th, 2012 at 11:47am CDT by Ross Przybylski

Many developers use Flash Professional as their primary tool for creating browser and mobile games for Android and iOS due to its ability to easily work with game assets and also work with ActionScript code. The tool is unique because it allows you to exercise both your right and left brains. With Adobe’s new game-centric focus for the Flash player and AIR, future versions of … Continue reading →

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Aura Multiscreen Components

Posted on Tuesday, June 5th, 2012 at 12:30am CDT by Ross Przybylski
AURA

Adobe Flash Professional is an amazing tool for developing multiscreen games and applications. I’m developing a new suite of UI components to help make the process of creating multiscreen compatible user interfaces even easier called Aura. These components adapt themselves automatically to function effectively for both desktop computers and mobile touchscreens. This video demonstrates the components in action from within the Flash Professional IDE: Features of Aura … Continue reading →

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How to Create an Asynchronous Multiplayer Game Part 3: Loading Games from the Database

Posted on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 at 1:30am CDT by Ross Przybylski
gameListFeature

Asynchronous multiplayer games are awesome because players can enjoy social gaming experiences without having to commit to long sit-down sessions. This convenient style of play is made possible by online servers that deliver updates on games being played directly to a player’s device. This article will explain how games previously saved to a database are loaded by the server and made accessible within the game … Continue reading →

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