In this GDC 2018 talk, Supercell’s (Clash of Clans) Ilkka Paananen dives into the management lessons he’s learned as a company founder, sharing his experience of building an unconventional organizational structure for Supercell.

Paananen shares his observations after years of leading companies that were structured like most games companies.

Management owned the vision and had creative control, while he wanted to create a structure that would allow talented, creative developers to flourish instead. 

He discusses how Supercell challenges tradition and give teams the independence and full autonomy to design games, lead projects and have the final say on whether the company launches or kills a game.

It’s an informative talk that’s definitely worth watching, so developers shouldn’t miss the opportunity to do so now that it’s freely available on the official GDC YouTube channel!

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas.

Nielsen Holdings announced in a press release today its acquisition of games market intelligence firm SuperData Research, known for collecting and interpreting data from customers.

As part of the acquisition (the details were not disclosed), SuperData will help strengthen Nielsen’s games and eSports research sectors, which offer publishers, developers, console manufacturers, media platforms, eSports brands, and industry stakeholders data from customer research. 

While SuperData and Nielsen share numbers publicly, it’s worth noting that research pulled from either company should be taken with a grain of salt.

It’s not entirely clear how they interpret and collect data and the language surrounding their methodology seems vague. 

© 2018 Valve Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries.

The Season of the Outlaw has begun.

Player Character

General

Sandbox

General

Exotic Weapons

Weapons

Perks

Abilities

Activities

Strikes

Crucible

General

Maps

Competitive

Private Matches

Gambit

General

Tower

Vendors

Events & Rituals

Challenges

Items & Economy

General

Masterworks

Power

Shaders

Infusion

Destination Materials

Collections 

Three of Coins

Eververse

Prismatic Matrix Schedule

Eververse Bounties

Bright Engram Updates

Leveling Rewards in Forsaken

General

Clans

General

Guided Games

General

Technical

Audio

UI

For years Linux admins and users have configured their network interfaces in the same way. For instance, if you’re a Ubuntu user, you could either configure the network connection via the desktop GUI or from within the /etc/network/interfaces file. The configuration was incredibly easy and never failed to work. The configuration within that file looked something like this:

auto enp10s0 iface enp10s0 inet static address 192.168.1.162 netmask 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.100 dns-nameservers 1.0.0.1,1.1.1.1

Save and close that file. Restart networking with the command:

sudo systemctl restart networking

Or, if you’re not using a non-systemd distribution, you could restart networking the old fashioned way like so:

sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart

Your network will restart and the newly configured interface is good to go.

That’s how it’s been done for years. Until now. With certain distributions (such as Ubuntu Linux 18.04), the configuration and control of networking has changed considerably. Instead of that interfaces file and using the /etc/init.d/networking script, we now turn to Netplan. Netplan is a command line utility for the configuration of networking on certain Linux distributions. Netplan uses YAML description files to configure network interfaces and, from those descriptions, will generate the necessary configuration options for any given renderer tool.

I want to show you how to use Netplan on Linux, to configure a static IP address and a DHCP address. I’ll be demonstrating on Ubuntu Server 18.04. I will give you one word of warning, the .yaml files you create for Netplan must be consistent in spacing, otherwise they’ll fail to work. You don’t have to use a specific spacing for each line, it just has to remain consistent.

The new configuration files

Open a terminal window (or log into your Ubuntu Server via SSH). You will find the new configuration files for Netplan in the /etc/netplan directory. Change into that directory with the command cd /etc/netplan. Once in that directory, you will probably only see a single file:

01-netcfg.yaml

You can create a new file or edit the default. If you opt to edit the default, I suggest making a copy with the command:

sudo cp /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml.bak

With your backup in place, you’re ready to configure.

Network Device Name

Before you configure your static IP address, you’ll need to know the name of device to be configured. To do that, you can issue the command ip a and find out which device is to be used (Figure 1).

I’ll be configuring ens5 for a static IP address.

Configuring a Static IP Address

Open the original .yaml file for editing with the command:

sudo nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml

The layout of the file looks like this:

network:

    Version: 2

    Renderer: networkd

    ethernets:

       DEVICE_NAME:

          Dhcp4: yes/no

          Addresses: [IP/NETMASK]

          Gateway: GATEWAY

          Nameservers:

             Addresses: [NAMESERVER, NAMESERVER]

Where:

• DEVICE_NAME is the actual device name to be configured.

• yes/no is an option to enable or disable dhcp4.

• IP is the IP address for the device.

• NETMASK is the netmask for the IP address.

• GATEWAY is the address for your gateway.

• NAMESERVER is the comma-separated list of DNS nameservers.

Here’s a sample .yaml file:

network: version: 2 renderer: networkd ethernets: ens5: dhcp4: no addresses: [192.168.1.230/24] gateway4: 192.168.1.254 nameservers: addresses: [8.8.4.4,8.8.8.8]

Edit the above to fit your networking needs. Save and close that file.

Notice the netmask is no longer configured in the form 255.255.255.0. Instead, the netmask is added to the IP address.

Testing the Configuration

Before we apply the change, let’s test the configuration. To do that, issue the command:

sudo netplan try

The above command will validate the configuration before applying it. If it succeeds, you will see Configuration accepted. In other words, Netplan will attempt to apply the new settings to a running system. Should the new configuration file fail, Netplan will automatically revert to the previous working configuration. Should the new configuration work, it will be applied.

Applying the New Configuration

If you are certain of your configuration file, you can skip the try option and go directly to applying the new options. The command for this is:

sudo netplan apply

At this point, you can issue the command ip a to see that your new address configurations are in place.

Configuring DHCP

Although you probably won’t be configuring your server for DHCP, it’s always good to know how to do this. For example, you might not know what static IP addresses are currently available on your network. You could configure the device for DHCP, get an IP address, and then reconfigure that address as static.

To use DHCP with Netplan, the configuration file would look something like this:

network: version: 2 renderer: networkd ethernets: ens5: Addresses: [] dhcp4: true optional: true

Save and close that file. Test the file with:

sudo netplan try

Netplan should succeed and apply the DHCP configuration. You could then issue the ip a command, get the dynamically assigned address, and then reconfigure a static address. Or, you could leave it set to use DHCP (but seeing as how this is a server, you probably won’t want to do that).

Should you have more than one interface, you could name the second .yaml configuration file 02-netcfg.yaml. Netplan will apply the configuration files in numerical order, so 01 will be applied before 02. Create as many configuration files as needed for your server.

That’s All There Is

Believe it or not, that’s all there is to using Netplan. Although it is a significant change to how we’re accustomed to configuring network addresses, it’s not all that hard to get used to. But this style of configuration is here to stay… so you will need to get used to it.

Learn more about Linux through the free “Introduction to Linux” course from The Linux Foundation and edX.

For students and educators around the world now heading back to school, it’s a time filled with emotions and opportunities to make new friends, connect with old ones, and embark on new learning opportunities.

For one school in Bellevue, Washington, it’s been a momentous week: Wilburton Elementary opened its doors to a new community of students, parents, and educators, for the very first time. Over the past year we’ve been sharing this school’s journey, from its earliest planning stages to partnering with Wilburton to bring the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework to life every step of the way.

More than 400 Wilburton Wolves are in for an amazing year ahead, and I couldn’t be prouder of what the teams have accomplished in creating a holistically impactful environment for these students to dream big, expect more, and give back.

A framework for leadership

For Bellevue School District Superintendent Dr. Ivan Duran, the new school represents a big step forward in the transformation of learning. “Wilburton Elementary is the first school we’ve built from the ground up in over 25 years, in order to serve a fast-growing and diverse area in our district,” Superintendent Duran tells us. “The state-of-the-art campus reflects the district’s commitment to creating innovative approaches for equitable and inclusive learning, enabled by Microsoft technology. Working in partnership with Microsoft Education, we’ve created a learning environment that will give students the skills and opportunities they need to be affirmed and inspired as creators of their future world.”

What I’ve learned over the years, through our Showcase School program, is that amazing schools are the output of an incredible leader. Beth Hamilton, Wilburton’s passionate and energetic principal, is a testament to turning a vision into a real-life, fully functioning school. Hamilton has been a leading light throughout the entire project, ensuring that every detail  – from the building construction, the design of the learning environments, through to the learning approach – has placed students at the heart of every decision.

“We’re going to help each other, take risks, get things wrong,” Hamilton says. “We’re going to laugh and cry, but it’s all to make sure that we have a relevant, adaptive, and rigorous learning experience for all of our kids.”

It’s been a privilege to work alongside Beth and listen and learn along the way. And what we’ve learned throughout the journey will help inspire and educate the next generation of new schools.

The Microsoft Education Transformation Framework (ETF) has been instrumental in helping Hamilton to consider every aspect of learning and design. Across Leading and Policy, Modern Teaching and Learning, Intelligent Environments, and Technology Blueprint, we’ve trialed and tested various approaches and options to best craft this amazing new place to learn.

And the new teachers at Wilburton couldn’t be more excited.

From day one to the first day

“On day one, the teachers were excited, but tentative,” Hamilton says. “Today, they’re excited and full of energy – all because of the relationships and trust they’ve built with each other. They believe in each other; it’s the mindset we’ve created.”

Wilburton’s educators, some of them brand new, spent the summer getting their classrooms ready and investing in their own development. Leveraging the Teaching and Learning component in the ETF, along with resources like the Microsoft Educator Community, these educators participated in over 100 hours of professional development, with a focus on connecting as a team and going deep with the innovative technologies designed to take student learning and experience to the next level.

First-grade teacher Mandy Sin says, “Coming in as a first-year teacher, I’m nervous about this whole new chapter in my life, but after our PD there’s a sense of togetherness. We’re a wolf pack – a family – and it feels like whatever I do, say, or try – it’s ok.”

And all of Wilburton’s staff is looking forward to the new resources they can access – including their partnership with nearby Bellevue Botanical Garden and the school’s learning terrace, which is an indoor/outdoor environment connected to their Maker Space. It’s an area for raised gardens, creativity, community building, with all the resources of a classroom. The school is also designed with pods that create open spaces, for students in different classes to connect as a community.

Built for today, built for everyone

From the very beginning, the school was designed to consider opportunities for technology to play a key role in driving digital transformation in both the learning environments and the efficiency and effectiveness of the school and facility itself. Using the Microsoft Education Transformation Framework, they executed on a plan that identified the tools their students and educators need today, and the systems and solutions the school needs to be more productive, efficient, and secure.

Wilburton Elementary provides every student with access to a device while they are at school, where they will use Office 365 with digital inking and a stylus to support their ability to collaborate with each other and be more productive. Microsoft Teams, OneNote, Forms and more will be used throughout the school to enable learning, improve feedback and assessment, and provide more personalized learning to every student.

The school is also taking a holistic approach to accessibility and inclusion, using Microsoft Learning Tools to support every student, regardless of learning differences. STEM is considered fundamental in the curriculum, with the Maker Space leading to hands-on experiences, Minecraft and MakeCode introducing coding and creative thinking, and computer science serving as core.

 

Technology leads the way

Katherine Gorin, a 2^nd grade teacher, is most excited about using technology to differentiate learning and make her classroom more inclusive and equitable. “When technology wasn’t as integrated in the classroom, it was a lot more difficult to make all the materials accessible,” she tells us, “but with technology that we’re extremely lucky to have, it’s so much easier to make sure all students have the opportunity to access what they need to be successful.”

Physical Education teacher Marnie Kazarian looks forward to bridging the connection from the classroom into the gym with technology. “I need to assess and check for understanding, and technology creates that environment where classroom teachers and I can connect to talk about health and skill concepts outside of the 40-minute class period,” she explains. “We’ll know what’s happening in both worlds and can make that connection visible to students so that they come into the gym with a focus.”

Lessons learned

Building a new school – and a new community – from the ground up has presented its share of challenges. The lessons Hamilton and her team have learned in the process apply not only to new schools, but to any school seeking to transform learning:

1. Relationships, relationships, relationships. According to Hamilton, leading any school is all about building relationships, both within the broader school community and between teachers. “You can have all the procedures and routines figured out, but if you don’t have the relationships, it’s never going to work,” she says. “It’s the culture, climate, and relationships that staff, families, and students are creating with each other that will make the school amazing.”
2. Less is more. The work of leading a new school requires Hamilton to wear many hats. “My Type A personality wants me to have everything in order and done,” Hamilton shares. “I’ve learned this year to focus what’s the most important – what we need to do right now – because an overwhelmed teacher is never going to be at their best.”
3. Model the technology. Hamilton stresses that school leaders can’t just tell teachers about technology tools, they have to use them. “If you want teachers to use technology in an innovative way that is intentional and purposeful, you have to show them and model how it can be done,” says Hamilton. “And if they use it as a student, they have a better understanding of it’s potential, and they can pass that on to their students.”
4. Throughout the journey, Wilburton leaned on the advice and support of many partners and stakeholders in the process, including Microsoft, ISTE, NPDL, Sam Labs, ST Math, Steelcase and local community partners.

Wilburton’s journey has been a learning experience for Microsoft, too. Putting innovation into practice continues to inform our products and our relationships with schools, educators, and students. We’re also excited to share the Wilburton story with the many education officials, school leaders, and educators, who visit the Microsoft Redmond campus every year. As part of our collaboration, Wilburton has a dedicated space for Microsoft to welcome those who want to learn more about the school from both students and educators.

As this part of the journey ends, another one (this time, with students!) begins, and we’ll be there every step of the way to provide support. Congratulations and best of luck to the entire Wilburton Elementary community! Thank you for an amazing journey. I am humbled that you chose Microsoft be a part of it.

Learn more about becoming a Microsoft Showcase School.

Catch up on the full Wilburton Elementary story, start to finish:

1. Building for innovative learning: A new elementary school takes shape
2. A new community breaks ground on creativity
3. Staffing from scratch
4. Professional development and the art of vulnerability
5. The women of Wilburton Elementary are reinventing STEM for K-5
6. Building community, one parent and one student at a time
7. Making it personal: New approaches for inclusive learning at Wilburton Elementary

A gardener’s life is a busy one. There is always weeding, pruning, and dead-heading to be done; not to mention the constant battle against slugs, snails and battalions of other pesky creepy-crawlies. Evergarden is a puzzle game that lets you create glorious floral displays without ever getting soil under your nails or suffering from an aching back.

The aim of Evergarden is to bring life back to the forest by filling the world with impressive displays of flowers. The play area consists of a hexagonal grid and the basic premise is to match like-for-like flowers.  Matching two flowers will produce one of a higher level. You will begin the game with seedlings, which only have a single petal, but drag two adjacent seedlings together and you will create a new plant with two petals. You carry on like this, eventually creating huge six-petal blooms. Flowers of any size can also drop a new seed into an adjoining space. Ending your current turn will give these seeds the opportunity to germinate into seedlings.

This all sounds pretty straightforward, if you have ever played Triple Town then you will be on familiar ground. However, dig a little deeper and things begin to get more interesting. A horticulturally-savvy fox-like creature named Fen oversees your progress and will request various patterns of flowers.  Meeting his aesthetic requirements is definitely worth the effort, as the reward is a flower that you can add to your inventory and then place on any space of your choice.  Evergarden has a further trick up its sleeve, in that combining two of the highest-level flowers will create a stone monolith, which will earn you three extra turns. This is a big deal as you initially only have ten turns to amass a high score. Monoliths are extremely useful as they can also be used as wildcards to help complete Fen’s requests, and at the end of the game, each monolith will produce a gemstone.

Between games, you can explore the world of Evergarden, in what is billed as a narrative adventure. This seems to be stretching things a little as it basically amounts to justcollecting additional hidden gems andsolving tangram-style puzzles. It never feels like you are part of an overarching story, but the rewards on offer make up for this minor disappointment. Completing these puzzles will reward you with either sage words of wisdom, which often provide clues to the location of new gems or gramophone records. There are a total of eight records to collect, and they are not only pleasing on the ear but also allow you to add a new special ability to your inventory. The abilities on offer include summoning a falcon to rid you of a garden pest, or you can summon a rainstorm, which improves the levels of all nearby plants. Your inventory is limited to only three items, so with bonus flowers and new records to accommodate, it quickly fills up and requires some careful management.

Initially, your choices seem fairly obvious, but after a while, you realise that the game requires more thought than first impressions suggest. Managing your dwindling space is the key concern, especially when you start creating monoliths and creatures begin to invade your garden, taking up even more of your precious space. Some of these pests (I’m looking at you Mr Rabbit) even enjoy munching your flowers. The increasingly complex demands of Fen and tight turn limits will soon have you scratching your head.  Fen’s requests often require quite high levels of spatial awareness and it can be very demanding to cultivate the correct level flowers in the appropriate places. Although the atmosphere always remains chilled-out and relaxing, the game’s challenge is not to be underestimated.

This atmosphere is enhanced by some very pleasing aesthetics. Evergarden’s simple geometric graphics are both very pleasing and very practical. The autumnal colours set the laidback scene and the calming audio feedback and short bonus tunes add to the relaxed feel. The simple controls also work well; dragging the flowers together is intuitive and responsive. All of these factors conspire to make a game that remains stress-free and hardly ever becomes frustrating. Evergarden takes a minimalistic approach to presentation; an air of mystery is maintained by encouraging the player to discover how the game works through actually playing rather than explaining. Some may find this approach a little off-putting. When you start playing you are not really sure what you need to do, but the game is simple enough and everything slowly reveals like a flowering bud.

One major concern is that each attempt has to be completed in a single sitting. A playthrough can take around twenty minutes, which means that the lack of a save game option could be a problem for gamers on the go.  I also found the game tended to chomp through my battery quicker than slugs through a lettuce patch. The main puzzle game itself is interesting but doesn’t really change from game to game. The initial incentive to keep playing is to unlock the special powers. However, it is a bit disappointing that some of the bonus abilities are obviously more powerful than others. Having to battle away to acquire large amounts of gems to earn an ability that you will probably never use can feel anticlimactic.

Evergarden’s developers estimate that the game will take between four to eight hours to fully explore. After this, it is all about breaking into the global high score tables. Consequently, it is more of a Tetris high score chaser rather than the type of puzzler where you have to pit your wits against increasingly difficult levels. Unlocking all of the game’s secrets does not require particularly high levels of skill, just the persistence to keep playing and adding to your gem collection. The game’s so-called narrative aspect is disappointing, being just a means for acquiring the additional abilities. I didn’t feel that it was really telling a story.  Having said that, I still think that many people are going to enjoy this polished and relaxing puzzler. You don’t need green fingers to create a wonderful floral display, but you will need to apply a fair bit of thought and planning.