The Jefferson County Commission Tuesday delayed discussion and possible action regarding a reported $14 million shortfall in World Games 2022 operations.

Commissioner Joe Knight, chairman of the commission’s finance committee and liaison to The World Games, said the commission had been asked for an additional $4 million to fix the shortage.

While putting the matter on the committee’s Sept. 6 agenda, Knight said he still views the 11-day sporting event as a triumph for the metro area.

“The Jefferson County Commission continues our efforts in support of World Games 2022,” Knight said, reading from a prepared statement. “While not contractually obligated, the commission has partnered with Birmingham, the state of Alabama, the convention bureau and the corporate community to bring these games to our community. The Games were a success in the eyes of the athletes, the fans and the 3,400 volunteers who made it possible.

“On the other hand, there are outstanding balances, as is often the case with events of this magnitude,” the commissioner continued. “We will continue to work with all partners to bring this to an amicable conclusion.”

Knight acknowledged that there might be disagreements among commissioners about spending more money on the games.

“Some of the commissioners may vote in favour, some will not,” he said. “But I will work with the other partners to resolve this and get this over with so we don’t make a bad impression at the event,” he told media between the committee meeting and the regular session, both of which were held Tuesday .

Ron Jackson, a longtime citizen activist, said Jefferson County should stop giving taxpayer money to the World Games.

“This was a business proposition that was miscalculated and speculated, and our taxpayers will not pay for it,” said Jackson, executive director of Citizens for Better Schools and Sustainable Communities. “We are letting the Commission and everyone else know that we want the World Games Organizing Committee to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy now so that the unsecured creditors … we want them paid.”

Commission President Jimmie Stephens said it was premature to do anything about the World Games debt immediately. He said there had to be a reckoning to determine what the “contractors” had done to reduce the deficit.

“There’s one thing we won’t do,” Stephens said. “We will not take taxpayers’ money that is earmarked for improving our roads and transportation and will allocate those from the citizens who have elected us for the World Games that have come and gone.”

At 12, Max Trest is already an established independent video game developer, having even created a game using the Unity engine.

This project, astrolander, which Max developed himself currently has a demo on the Steam digital storefront and is one of the games selected for the Indie Games Showcase at this weekend’s Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle. Max is currently self-publishing the title through his company Lost Cartridge Creations.

in the astrolander, Two players control different systems on a single rocket ship and must work together to solve puzzles, dodge obstacles, and dodge enemies. Max is a big fan of retro games and old computer systems and Astrolander draws strong inspiration from the 1979 Atari arcade game lunar lander.

Max has exhibited Astrolander at several virtual and physical events this summer, including the Puddle Jump Games and Play Festival in Seattle’s Ballard area and the Steam Next Fest.

He is also a member of the Seattle Indies development community and frequently comes down to participate from his home in British Columbia. Academically, Max is a student who is currently homeschooled in the 10th grade and was one of the participants in this year’s Mars Society Mission to Mars competition.

We caught up with Max to find out more about it Astrolander, some of his favorite games and more. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

GeekWire: What did you start with? Astrolander first of all?

Max Trest: The freedom to express myself and to put my ideas into action. I used to tinker with hardware and build things when I was younger and it basically builds on that.

Game engines today are really easy to use compared to some of the older stuff I studied. Unity and Unreal both have visual scripting solutions and I don’t know how they compare to other options, but they seem pretty good. It’s still a little tricky to work with as you need to know the tools, art and all if you want to create custom things, but overall it’s a lot easier than it was.

I use Blender for many things on a daily basis. I am self-taught; I started this when it was on 2.8 or so when that revision came out. I couldn’t use it before because it was super confusing, but they changed it with this revamp and I was able to get into it.

So Astrolander is inspired by lunar module, after a conversation I had with your father.

Yes, I really enjoyed playing with the vector graphics. It looks really good and is holding up today, to be honest.

That would be a turning point for someone my age, let alone yours. What drew you to this game as opposed to something newer?

Mainly it’s the simplicity and the repetition. Predict what you will land on and try not to crash. I’ve been to many arcades and they occasionally have this game. I wanted to take it modern.

What are some of your other favorite games?

I enjoy civilization VI, and play that a lot. lemmings, for the Commodore Amiga. Likewise, Populous. I like strategy games very much.

We have a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie and I play a lot of retro games on it. I wanted to try and see if I could release my game on the Intellivision Amico, but it doesn’t look like that will ever come out.

This was something I was curious about if you were trying to get your game to run on older hardware. I heard you gave former Xbox exec Ed Fries a non-functional Astrolander Atari 2600 cartridge at a New Tech Seattle event in June.

I thought about doing something like this. The only problem is the coding in assembly for legacy systems. It’s crazy how complicated the coding is for older systems. I made some music, but nothing more.

What are your thoughts on the long term?

For my next game I’m planning a modern version of something like lemmings, Maybe in AR or VR.

Though one customer found a rare Xbox Series X box with a blue tint instead of the notable green (via GameRant), it doesn’t change the fact that the gaming console is possibly the fastest and most powerful Xbox ever to hit the market. It also features some of the most complex and innovative games ever seen in the industry elden ring to Cuphead. Gaming newbies or those who just want to enjoy the stories unfolding in front of them might be looking for an easier-to-play title.

Completing a game can give a great sense of accomplishment, and fortunately these releases finish much quicker than most. In between titan fall 2 and several war of stars Serial games are still must-have titles that are breaking new ground, but with a simple game mode, they’re sure to be great fun without the usual frustration that can accompany a video game.

10 Forza Horizon 5 (2021)

That forza series has started to offer great campaigns alongside the main elements of the racing game. While these can be quite lengthy for those who call themselves “completors”, they are actually easy to complete if the player is a worthy driver.

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With a base running time of 20 hours, the idea of ​​surviving this mostly open-world title isn’t too scary. It might be a bit harder for non-racing fans to learn all the tricks and tips needed to really improve their driving skills, but the Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios title is still largely accessible.

9 LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022)

The LEGO titles are family-friendly, great for co-op, and don’t require any special playing skills. It’s fair to say that The Skywalker Saga is by far the biggest LEGO release from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games to date. However, it’s still easy to get into.

While it might take a player a lot of time to invest in the title, the game’s ease of play is on par with the other LEGO installments in terms of length. The controls are intuitive, boss fights are always manageable, and its mechanics really benefit all ages.

8th Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (2021)

A Marvel title will seek to appeal to mainstream audiences, comic book fans, moviegoers and hardcore gamers alike. Therefore, it must hit every group by being relatively accessible. Square Enix helped achieve that guardians of the galaxy, this is a snazzy and entertaining escapade into the cosmos.

It really does hold the player’s hand while showing them the ropes, and while there are a few challenges to overcome, none of them seem entirely impossible to shoot. There’s a bit of a learning curve to the quest’s system, but once that’s done, the streamlined nature of the title means its 25-hour runtime slips by extremely easily.

7 Star Wars: Squadrons (2020)

Similar to Marvel, war of stars tries again to hit every target audience when it comes to EA and Motive Studio’s entry into the saga, squadrons. As far as flight simulators go, this one absolutely appeals to the masses, with some technical components but plenty of customization options and intuitive choices.

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The plot itself is fast-paced, running at around nine hours, making it one of the shortest war of stars games in history. That’s an absolute benefit for players who might not have time to play long games, and brings with it a replay factor that might not be there if the title was a difficult slog for an extended period of time. Once the player has learned the basics, they literally fly through the campaign.

6 Psychonauts 2 (2021)

psychonauts 2 was a true return to the best of the series for Double Fine and Xbox Game Studios. With an invincibility mode meaning the player is protected better than ever, the challenge might be non-existent for those looking for a truly easy time.

It’s fun, colorful, and so vibrant that it’s hard to get frustrated with the release. Plus, with just a 15-hour campaign to contend with, players can take their time playing the game knowing that they don’t have to rush through to make a dent in a title, who could have been a huge one.

5 Titanfall 2 (2016)

titan fall 2 It might not have been designed for the Xbox Series X, but thanks to Xbox Game Pass and some brilliant improvements in both loading speeds and graphics, the mech series continues to thrive in the next-gen and certainly doesn’t look dated.

EA and Respawn Entertainment were a real winner as the entertaining campaign itself lasted six hours. The multiplayer is the real benefit, but even that feels a lot better for newcomers than some over-the-top battle royale titles of recent years that benefit veteran pundits. It’s just such a simple game to just pick up and enjoy.

4 12 minutes (2021)

With an all-star cast and gorgeous graphics, 12 minutes was really an experimental game by Luis Antonio and Nomada Studio. The title is so focused on the story that those looking for a change from the action-adventures will definitely see the appeal of the choice-based system.

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This is not a game with boss fights and puzzles. Instead, it’s a narrative that players can continue to interact with. As such, it can be completed over and over again, with wildly different results each time it’s completed. However, getting the best results isn’t always easy.

3 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (2022)

Classic arcade titles weren’t always easy considering players had to get to the beginning all over again before they had a chance to actually complete the game. However, the newest Teenage mutant ninja turtle The Tribute Games release combines the old graphics and game style with some modern techniques.

The result is a fast and breezy experience that lasts around two to three hours. There are a few challenging levels to overcome, but with a game this small and controls this simple, there shouldn’t be too much to complain about for kids and adults alike. The fun of retro throwback outweighs any smaller fights.

2 A Way Out (2018)

Hazelight Studios and EA have developed another narrative title, A way out, which seems easy on the surface, partly because of its six-hour running time. If you look at other action-adventure games, no other offers such a big campaign in such a short amount of time, which makes it that much more palatable.

For many, it makes it easier that the game always needs a partner. It’s co-op only, either via a couch mode or online. Help is always there for the trickier moments, making the video game even more accessible to those who often feel like they need a little help. Also on the Xbox Series X this title looks better than ever.

1 Donut County (2018)

The indie game that sits on Xbox Game Pass and benefits from these next-gen upgrades, the title is one of the simplest in its premise. An introduction to the puzzle genre, Donut County sees the player trying to fit a variety of objects into a giant hole.

The controls are simple and absolutely no gaming experience is required to have a great time. There are a few moments where the player really needs to think things through, but at two hours long there’s certainly no rush to do it all at once.

NEXT: The 10 best video games to play this month