University of Michigan game development professor Austin Yarger is a favorite on Cronicle Press, for introducing our readers to new indie games and AR/VR tech coming out locally. Yarger recently completed his project to turn a list of 60+ gaming studios in Michigan into a database, and we want to share it with you. The website is MichiganGameStudios.com.

It was a tough year, that needs no emphasizing, except to say we extend our heartfelt sympathies to anyone who lost a loved one from COVID-19 this year, or from any number of other dangers that tangled up to make 2020 one of the most challenging years on record. At Cronicle Press Tech News, we were just kicking off our first full year of reporting on tech and startup news from Michigan and Midwest tech industries, and the uncertainty for us as a fledgling blog and for the companies we were reporting on was unprecedented.

Ann Arbor-based Shuffleboard officially launches today, with a 40% discount for anyone looking for a remote team collaboration tool. The idea, from founder Sam Pierce Lolla? Make remote team collaboration more like in-person brainstorming. Shuffleboard alleges to cut down on Zoom fatigue, and also creates a process by which professional teams can glean feedback from clients or colleagues in a simple streamlined process. Lolla has years of professional experience working with professional teams to help them collaborate. The Shuffleboard tool is a natural extension of a lot of expertise and deep knowledge of team brainstorming process best practices.