Aaaand that’s a wrap on 2023! It flew by, likely just because we were so gosh-darn busy (few to no complaints about it though)! We’re happy with all of the things we accomplished, but we’re even more excited for what 2024 holds for us. So without further ado: here’s our year in review, including our resolutions for the upcoming year.
Previous Resolutions
Last year, we set out with a few goals for our young company, Terrabyte. We were a little discouraged since we weren’t able to meet our ambitious goals for 2022, so we rode the fine line between realistic and hopeful resolutions. If we could bring composting and recycling services to those on our team that are based in our home city of Omaha, Nebraska; expand our sustainable merch options in the web store; and finish our game, Pinekeepers – we’d be sitting good. We might not have completed work on Pinekeepers (and conversely, ended up putting the game on hold to focus on our other game, Wasted Space…), but we’re happy to have gone above and beyond with our first two goals! For composting, we’re working with Hillside Solutions, another local business, to provide accessible dropoff locations around the metro. And for merch – we’ve introduced two new categories of products: digital stickers and ready-to-print bookmarks! Currently, we only have one digital sticker set available (one that we made in collaboration with Plastic Free July), but have created two bookmark sets that incorporate only the best parts of Pixel Planet Today.
“‘Above and beyond’ doesn’t mean not meeting your goals?” I hear you say. While this is fair, that’s not all we did. Remember how our goals for 2022 were too lofty? Well, we made some real progress towards those very goals! The loftiness came from one goal in particular: be able to make Pixel posts using only renewable energy. What made it (and still makes it) so difficult is the nature of our current operations. Our team works fully remote, so each member is in charge of their own devices and electricity. Our team and collaborators are based all around the globe, making it impossible to ensure everyone is working solely on renewable energy. Even to break it down to a smaller scale: I (Sammy, creator of Pixel Planet Today and founder of Terrabyte, hello) create most of the content for Terrabyte projects, but I am still unable to install renewable energy solutions at my current residence (in what my landlord calls a ‘misuse of property and a liability to everyone involved’…). That being said, earlier this month, we took the plunge to invest in a Jackery solar generator – and so far, there’s lots to love! Portability is great, but doubled with enough power to charge large devices like laptops and desktop setups, it’s unstoppable. Maybe I’ll make a full solar generator review in the coming months, but for now, I’m looking forward to cutting our emissions. Even just this month, my traditional energy use for Terrabyte projects is down about 12% as compared to last year!
Resolutions for 2024
And that leads us nicely into what our goals are for 2024! I still have a ways to go until the solar generator is fully ingrained into my workflow, but I think it’s realistic to say that by the end of 2024, we can get a quarter of our electricity needs from sustainable sources (i.e. the solar generator). But because sustainable tech should start with sustainable tech, we’re also working on providing sustainable hardware for those on our team. That includes our first company computer (built strictly with repurposed and pre-owned parts), and our first preowned test phone (for app builds, of course). Attending events hardly seems like work – but we are also aiming to attend local sustainable/green events to showcase our projects and network along the way.
But the biggest thing we are doing this year? RELEASING WASTED SPACE! I’m a bit of a perfectionist (see the last blog post for reference), but as I previously said: perfection cannot stand in the way of progress. Wasted Space isn’t the most groundbreaking game of all time, but the time is now for sustainably-centered games that bring environmentalism into the fold. And the biggest thing that needs to be done is to actually get it done (not for it to be perfect). We’re still working on a release timeline, but currently, look for a playable demo Earth Day 2024, and a production-ready game by the end of the year (you heard it here first)! Lofty goal? Perhaps. But we can do it – I am going to do everything I can to make sure of it.
Interested in being a Wasted Space beta tester? Reach out to us via social media or on our website to get in touch! Spots will be limited, so don’t delay!