Hey everyone!
It’s been a very busy couple of months for us. For those awaiting gameplay updates, fret not: we’ll be dropping another dev diary later this month, which will focus on the shipping system in Beyond These Stars.
We wanted to put this blog post out as a little snapshot of what we’ve been up to, but first we want to take the opportunity to express our stance on a matter that’s important to us as a studio: the ongoing fight against a bill proposed in New Zealand parliament, which we believe undermines the principles on which the modern Aotearoa/New Zealand state was founded, and threatens to to dilute the rights of Māori. Last week, management gave the green light for studio members to voice their dissent and attend a protest on company time. Here is the statement we put out on social media:
If you wish to also support this cause, we recommend checking out the below websites for further resources, or to offer financial support:
New Zealand parliament is also accepting submissions to a select committee regarding the matter. It’s a great way to make your voice heard, so if you have the time, we encourage you to submit a statement.
(and speaking of social media: we have a Bluesky account now and we love it! Follow us at @balancingmonkey.bsky.social.)
Without further ado, here’s our digest of What Has BMG Even Been Up To Over The Past Month!
PAX
By the good graces of CODE, we were able to exhibit Beyond These Stars at PAX for a second consecutive year. We came prepared with a special build of the game that allowed players to choose to play either our regular public demo, or continue from the end of this demo with ten whole minutes of exclusive gameplay (!!!).
If I can get up on my soap box for a moment here: PAX was a wonderful time for us on the community management front. I’m always interacting with our online community, but so rarely do I get to engage with them in person - and it’s phenomenally inspiring. One major highlight was chatting to the mOB Zombies crew and seeing the impact our games have had, and we slipped Emma a cheeky T-shirt in thanks for their support! I’ll let the video they filmed do all the talking here:
(check out the companion article as well! ❤)
Sarah, Sam & Nina had all flown up to Melbourne, and we were all thoroughly exhausted by the intensity that is Melbourne International Games Week, but it was so worth it - as always. Some of our fellow CODE developers also had some incredible booth outfits:
Nate from Fnife Games tie dyed these t-shirts by hand. There was dye involved. A big metal pot involved. Also salt involved?
"Why is there so much salt. The shirts will taste terrible."
The Guardian Maia team (Metia Interactive) wearing kākahu Maōri. Managing director Maru made these herself, based on what Maia wears in-game! This is apparently a slightly shorter design, to avoid getting sweaty during cons.
The Burger Bois of Mischief Makers studio, looking like a snack. They had these hats printed with their game's logo, then made the sesame seeds themselves from polymer clay.
NZGDC
We also made yet another trip this year to the New Zealand Game Developers Conference. Sam, Anna & Emily were the ones to make it over there this year.
I wasn’t there myself, so I asked Emily to share some thoughts on her NZGDC experience:
It's a delight rolling out of bed and plopping yourself straight in your desk chair for work, but moderation is key: after a while, the isolation and lack of separation from work is a draining thing. NZGDC was exactly what my lonely soul needed! The weather was perfect (can't beat Wellington on a good day), and I was thrust into many wonderful conversations; and I got to make new connections, see friends, old and new, and catch up with Sam and Anna. I began to say goodbye to people, and tell them I'm moving to Berlin (very bittersweet!), and to please come to GamesCom.
The talks, largely, were excellent, and I received some affirmation that I'm on the right path (the write path, lol, lmao) as a Narrative Designer & Writer. Oh, and the catering at the conference was great as well. There was free coffee too - no wonder so many people were happy.
I'll miss NZGDC fiercely, but I know it's not going anywhere - every year, it'll be there, stacked to the brim with incredible people, waiting for me.
Ambassador’s visit
Finally, to cap things off: we received a visit from the Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand!
We discussed our mutual love for Ghibli, te reo Māori terms like kaupapa, and watched as the Ambassador played Beyond These Stars. Some of the team who were there observed that he was a little out of his comfort zone, but pleasantly surprised to see the Japanese localisation in the tutorial. A very fun and wholesome visit overall!
Thanks for reading, friends, and we’ll see you all next week!
- Lia ❤
