Jonas Lundqvist

As a freelance rigger, I need to make sure my builds have a lot of flexibility. So I've recently reworked my lid modules to add variable joint counts. By utilizing a curve-based output I can changed the amount of joints used based on the needs of the project. Higher joint counts for fidelity and control, lower counts for simplicity and optimization. Or I can test and iterate to find a happy middle ground. So animators using my rigs on film or game projects can enjoy the same features, such as: - Automated lid follow with eye movement - Main controls to position the lids through translation and sculpt the curvature with rotation/scale  - Secondary controls for finer detail (If there are enough joints to support it) - Manual or automated blinking. Animate controls, or activate the automated meet point between your posed lids for a perfect seal I've been using iterations of this system over my last few projects, both commercials and games. The core elements of this system have been floating around in my head since 2018, so it's been great to finally put it to the test. 

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Finland's game industry. My perspective on the good, the bad, and the ugly from 3,400 km / 2,100 miles away. Neogames Finland ry has published its annual report, filled with character art and positive vibes. But between the lines, you could read the structural challenges in what used to be an undeniable ecosystem. The Good 1️⃣ There are more studios and employees than ever before 2️⃣ The quality of talent is good, while the wages are low 3️⃣ Finland offers high living standards for the average person The Bad 1️⃣ Revenues are rapidly declining. Blaming the "market downturn" is a copout. Overall revenues are up on a global scale. 2️⃣ Increasing dependency on Supercell. One company accounts for well over half of the revenues and is also sucking up all the talent. 3️⃣ Investors don't find fundable studios in Finland. How long will the newly spawned studios last? And what does this tell us about the new wave of founders? The Ugly 1️⃣ Exited founders (Supercell, Seriously, Reworks, Small Giant, Rovio...), apart from a few, have not set up new gaming companies. The generation that built this world-class ecosystem has mostly retired. 2️⃣ We lost our winning formula. Turks blast puzzle games. Montreal develops AAA. Tel Aviv ships casino and tech... sticking to Supercell's "small teams, big dreams" formula for too long made us fall behind. 3️⃣ Unforgiving climate, extremely high taxes (stock options included), and very high living costs make the country unattractive for world-class talent. How to turn this slide into growth? Get the generational builders out of (full) retirement. Build fundable companies. Not passion projects. And whatever you do, don't get sucked into "the Supercell playbook". What worked then will not work now.

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Launching a new game? Together with Mykola, we made a 24-week roadmap template: 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝟭–𝟲)   • Define your core loop (Spot → Act → Reward → Repeat)   • Build quick prototypes and test them early   • Create simple, intuitive tutorials for new players   • Add basic visuals and UI mockups   • Run small tests focused on Day-1 retention and CPI 𝟮. 𝗠𝗶𝗱-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝟳–𝟭𝟮)   • Add more mechanics and progression systems   • Expand content with new levels or modes   • Track player progression and identify churn points   • Refine difficulty and balance based on data   • Add engagement features like daily missions or streak rewards 𝟯. 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 (𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝟭𝟯–𝟭𝟴)   • Combine IAP with rewarded ads   • Add offers: shops, bundles, starter packs   • Measure ARPU, conversion, and pricing strategies   • Optimize your game’s economy   • Make sure monetization supports retention, not hurts it 𝟰. 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 (𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝟭𝟵–𝟮𝟰)   • Launch in Tier-2 countries first   • Run targeted UA campaigns   • Continuously iterate based on feedback and data   • Start building a community through social and feedback loops   • Fix bugs, polish the UX, and get ready for global release Ship smarter. Not just faster. This roadmap gives you the structure to build, test, learn, and grow. Save it for your next launch or send it to someone who needs a clear plan. --- DM Mykola if your studio needs help testing or scaling the next game idea!

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Last week I sat down with the genius Jonas Tyroller to talk about Indie game development and the culture around it. According to Jonas, "It is less about technical mastery and more about creative problem-solving and smart planning." "Success emerges when you prioritize what feels meaningful, learn from mistakes and stay open to feedback." "Instead of striving for perfection, focus on refining ideas and working mindfully to avoid common pitfalls." Jonas emphasizes keeping things simple and scope manageable. Start with appealing concepts, test early and don’t be afraid to cut unnecessary features. Sustainable progress comes from short, focused workdays and always centering your project around what players truly enjoy. Some key highlights: ✅ Prototype broadly, let quantity lead you to quality. ✅ Playtest as soon as possible to guide real improvements. ✅ True indie success is about having the freedom to keep creating. ✅ Collaborating with experienced creators can amplify your reach far beyond just building your own channel. ✅ Feature creep and burnout are common traps, keep teams small and maintain work-life balance for healthier progress. Watch the full episode, you will love it. Link in the first comment below 👇 #IndieGameDev #gamedev #entrepreneurship #storytelling

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What is Japandinavian Game Design? 🇯🇵 I didn’t know until I recently discovered a Marthe Jonkers talk organized by Game Habitat. It’s an approach of using design practices from both Western and Eastern cultures. 5 key Japanese design principles: - Mitakotonai (something not yet seen before) Try unfamiliar things while looking for a solution. - Ii’n janai (not bad) Not giving the right answer, but giving someone the opportunity to explore solutions - Shouganai (nothing we can do about it) Sometimes you need to let go of things and embrace the chaos. - Ma (the space in between) Make experiences and moments that people can enjoy. - Wagamama (do your own things) Add ideas from your personal background. Spoiler alert: There is no recepyy of ideas games! But try to create unique experince, consider devteam as a target audience, and ebrace the creativity! From Scandinavian culture, you should learn about fika! Make pauses for reflection and connecting to the team ☕️ Combine creativity with fika and enjoy the process of making games. Thanks Marthe for sharing! Link to the DevTalk: https://lnkd.in/dVxR-PhP Did you know these principles? What feels close to u? 💕 P.S. I got this small flag from IKEA

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The Hard Conversations We Need to Have in Games We talk a lot about the symptoms of the industry’s problems, but not enough about the root issues. These are twelve of the biggest challenges shaping careers and stability in games today. 🎯 1. Unionizing While far from a panacea, collective bargaining is the clearest path to securing fair severance, sustainable hours, and better working conditions. 💸 2. Layoffs Followed by Cheaper Rehiring Some companies cut staff, then refill the same roles at higher titles but lower pay. 🏢 3. Forced Return to Office Many are called back without clear business needs, sometimes right before layoffs. 🌍 4. Jobs Moving Abroad Cost cutting is shifting roles from higher cost to lower cost regions, reshaping how and where the industry works. 🤖 5. Generative AI and Job Loss AI is already replacing tasks in art, writing, and QA, with uneven benefits and risks. 📊 6. Executive Pay Amid Layoffs Cuts to staff often coincide with higher executive bonuses. In the United States, CEO to worker pay ratios in many industries exceed 300:1, compared to ratios closer to 40:1 in countries like Japan. This is not a given, it is a choice. 🔥 7. Crunch and Burnout Despite progress, poor planning still drives long hours and last minute crises. 🕰️ 8. Ageism and Career Risk After 40 Layoffs often push experienced professionals out of the industry entirely. 📈 9. No Clear Career Paths Flat structures and unclear progression push people out. 👶 10. Collapse of Junior Hiring Entry level opportunities have shrunk dramatically, leaving the talent pipeline at risk. 🔄 11. Lack of Support for Career Transitions Out of Games Many workers who want or need to leave the industry are given no guidance on how to adapt their skills for other sectors. 🎓 12. Helping Students and Parents of Prospective Students Understand the Real Odds of Games Employment Many aspiring professionals and their families do not have clear information about job market realities before committing to expensive programs. They figure, "why not give games a try?" and have no idea what situation they are entering. Why It Matters As I have said many times, there are no magic solutions. It starts by calling these things out regularly. If you wanted me to call them out, as many have requested, here they are. Pick one and start digging in. We need many people helping on many fronts. I will certainly do my part along with the community, often, even if not in front of the cameras. What You Can Do - Coming Next In upcoming content, I will not stop highlighting and breaking down each of these twelve areas and share what individuals and teams can realistically do to push back, influence change, or protect themselves. The goal is to focus on actions that are achievable and impactful, even when systemic issues feel overwhelming.

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Helldivers 2 studio CEO says the "vast majority" of people "silently play" the game, which means the devs can't just look at what streamers are saying for feedback. "This is a challenge for all games". The silent majority is very real. Most players enjoy a game quietly, without weighing in on social media. That creates a challenge for developers, because if they only pay attention to what streamers are saying, they risk making decisions that cater to a small fraction of their audience. This is something I’ve noticed across the industry. What the loud minority pushes for does not always reflect the behavior of the larger player base. It's a balancing act. Developers cannot dismiss passionate players outright, since these voices often highlight real issues or inspire improvements. But over-indexing on them can alienate the majority who just want to play. The healthiest approach is to ground decisions in hard data. Metrics like character choice, playtime, completion rates, and drop-off points reveal what the silent majority is actually doing. Combining this with qualitative feedback lets developers filter the noise and see where minority concerns align with broader patterns. The truth is that both sides matter. The vocal minority provides early warning signals and creative ideas. The silent majority provides the real foundation of a game’s success. Juggling the two requires careful listening, but also disciplined analysis. Developers who recognize this dynamic and use data to guide their decisions stand the best chance of keeping both groups engaged without losing sight of the game’s core vision.

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Quick trick to cut the bandwidth usage of your online game by 87% when sending status effects ("Poisoned, stunned, etc.."): Store all status effects in a bitmask instead of using a boolean for each of them. "bool stunned", "bool slowed", "bool poisoned" -> take 1 byte each. "byte statusEffects" -> takes 1 byte in total [0000 0000], each bit represents a specific status effect (up to 8) If the value of the bit is "1", you are affected by that state. For example: "Poisoned" is the right-most bit -> its integer value is "1" "Slowed" is the bit before it-> its integer value is "2" You're Poisoned and Slowed? then your statusEffects' value is 3 => [0000 0011] in binary Want to know if you're Poisoned? Just use a bitwise AND with the value of the status: If (statusEffects & 1) == 1 --> you're slowed If (statusEffects & 2) == 1 --> you're poisoned If your game has up to 8 status effects, this trick will save you up to 7 bytes on each character/npc instance, which makes a lot of difference at scale (you pay 87% less for bandwidth, and encoding/decoding packages requires less CPU!) #JustDevIt  #gamedevelopment #multiplayer #netcode #optimization

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