Dishonored
News, coverage and analysis tracking Dishonored across the outlets.
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Dishonored's Harvey Smith named his new studio Black Pony Immersive so people would stop asking him to work on other genres: 'Specialising on what you love is not a bad path'
Dishonored director Harvey Smith has launched a new studio, Black Pony Immersive, with fellow Arkane alumnus Ben Horne. The studio's name explicitly signals its focus on immersive sims, a genre Smith believes in specializing in to avoid the pitfalls of projects like Redfall, which he feels Arkane should not have worked on. Smith aims to leverage his reputation in the genre to build a successful independent studio.
Dishonored director Harvey Smith thinks there's still room for big-budget immersive sims: 'When it really comes together and it has the budget behind it and the team, you end up with Deus Ex or Dishonored'
Dishonored director Harvey Smith believes there is still a place for big-budget immersive sims, contrasting with Randy Smith Evergreen's view that such games should have smaller budgets. Harvey Smith argues that when executed with sufficient resources and talent, immersive sims can result in acclaimed titles like Deus Ex and Dishonored, though he acknowledges the need to right-size budgets and avoid overly conservative design.
Thief designer Randy Smith Evergreen refused to work for Xbox because it would be like 'walking past some stakes with human skulls on them' and pretending 'it's probably fine in this direction'
Thief designer Randy Smith Evergreen explains his decision to refuse an opportunity to work for an Xbox-funded studio due to Microsoft's history of studio closures, likening it to ignoring obvious danger. He discusses the challenges of AAA development for immersive sims and his preference for smaller, more focused indie projects.
"Why do we need more graphics?": 2010's Alan Wake was as photoreal as videogames ever needed to be, reckons original Thief designer
Former Thief designer Randy Smith Evergreen argues that photorealistic graphics in video games reached their peak with 2010's Alan Wake, suggesting further advancements are unnecessary and costly. He believes the visual fidelity achieved then was sufficient for immersion, and subsequent graphical arms races are a waste of resources, particularly for immersive sims.
Thief designer thinks the graphics arms race should have ended with 2010's Alan Wake: 'The fidelity curve has…
Thief designer Randy Smith Evergreen believes the graphics arms race in video games should have concluded with 2010's Alan Wake, arguing that current fidelity levels are excessive and serve little practical purpose. He suggests that games like Alan Wake achieved sufficient photorealism, and further advancements are costly without significantly enhancing the player experience, particularly for immersive sims.
"We are committed to passing on savings whenever we can" - Framework rolls out refunds and price reductions on some of its laptops after securing a cheaper supply of memory to make them with
Laptop manufacturer Framework is passing on savings from a cheaper supply of RAM to its customers. The company is issuing price reductions and retroactive refunds for both new orders and existing pre-orders. This move is highlighted as a significant win for consumers amidst current PC market volatility and RAM shortages.
Blending Deus Ex with Escape from Butcher Bay, Deficit is one of the best-feeling indie immersive sims I've played—even if the stealth system needs serious work
Deficit, an upcoming immersive sim from Item42, offers a highly physical and satisfying combat experience reminiscent of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, with impactful melee and reactive environments. While the game draws clear inspiration from Deus Ex, its stealth mechanics are currently problematic and require significant improvement. Despite these issues, the demo is playable and showcases strong potential for the full release.
Nvidia says it's only targeting "photorealistic" games with DLSS 5, but am I the only one who thinks…
The author expresses concern that Nvidia's DLSS 5 technology, intended for "photorealistic" games, risks homogenizing art styles and detracting from the unique visual design of many titles. While Nvidia assures developers have control, the underlying AI's focus on photorealism is seen as a step backward from artistic diversity.
"It folds down to the size of a credit card" - Razer's mobile controllers were getting too bulky so it's launching a foldable one you can carry around in your pocket
Razer has launched the Razer Prio, a new foldable mobile controller designed for ultimate portability, folding down to the size of a credit card. While it aims to balance portability and precision, its $99.99 price point is considered high compared to other mobile controllers on the market. The controller features contactless capacitive analog thumbsticks to prevent stick drift and supports phones up to 7 inches.
Almost 20 years later, Arkane's founder says he understands why Valve cancelled the Ravenholm game that never was:…
Arkane Studios founder Raphaël Colantonio discussed the cancellation of the standalone Half-Life 2: Ravenholm game, which was in development in the late 2000s. He explained that the decision was primarily economic, stemming from the sales performance of Half-Life 2's DLCs. Colantonio expressed initial pain and confusion over the cancellation but has since come to understand the business realities, noting the project's influence on Arkane's later work, such as Dishonored.
When Valve killed its Ravenholm game, Arkane founder says "we did not understand" its thinking: "It all came down to the economics behind Half-Life 2 and how the DLCs were selling"
Arkane founder Raphaël Colantonio discussed the cancellation of the Ravenholm game, a Half-Life 2 spin-off, stating that Valve's decision was based on the economics of DLC sales. Colantonio reflected on the decade-long pain of the cancellation but now understands Valve's business reasoning. He also mentioned that the project led to close collaboration with Half-Life 2's art director, Viktor Antonov.
Why GTA Games Are A “Stab In The Heart,” But Also Amazing, For Ex-Dishonored Dev
Former Dishonored developer Raphaël Colantonio views Grand Theft Auto games as a "stab in the heart" for immersive sim enthusiasts, praising Rockstar's surface-level simulation and sandbox execution while lamenting the lack of lasting consequences for player actions. He contrasts this with games like Skyrim, where choices have meaningful, long-term impacts, and expresses his personal preference for deeper player agency over GTA's mission-instance approach. Colantonio looks forward to Grand Theft Auto 6 to see how Rockstar pushes its instant simulation further.
The people of video games on what gives them cause for hope
Industry professionals share their reasons for optimism despite current challenges, highlighting the resilience of game developers, the innovation within the indie scene, the growing cultural impact of games, and the enduring passion of players. They emphasize community support, creative freedom, and the potential for new ideas to emerge from difficult times, suggesting a bright future for the medium.
Dishonored was a last-ditch effort by Arkane Studios after years of fruitless contract work, according to the game's co-creator: 'I think we had four months of money left'
Dishonored co-creator Harvey Smith revealed that the game was a last-ditch effort for Arkane Studios, which was facing financial collapse with only four months of funds remaining. The studio had been taking on various contract work, but ultimately decided to focus on their passion project, which became a critical and commercial success. This experience solidified Smith's belief in pursuing creative passion, a principle he is applying to his new studio, Black Pony Immersive.
"Do questions like that create a self-fulfilling prophecy?”: Dishonored director Harvey Smith on the fear of asking if immersive sims are dead
Dishonored director Harvey Smith, alongside fellow leads Ben Horne and Ricardo Bare, discusses the current state and future of immersive sims. Smith questions whether the constant questioning of the genre's viability creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, while Horne emphasizes focusing on creative vision rather than chasing trends. They acknowledge the success of titles like BioShock and Deus Ex, and Smith pushes back against the notion that first-person games don't sell.
Former Arkane vets' new studio isn't going to try 'trend chasing', and in hindsight, thank God
Harvey Smith and Ben Horne, former Arkane developers, have founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive. They aim to avoid chasing industry trends and instead focus on creating immersive sim games that excite them and their target audience, citing the continued cultural and financial success of titles like BioShock and Dishonored as evidence of the genre's viability.
"Arkane was about to go under" before it committed to Dishonored, former lead says: "We had 4 months of…
Former Arkane Studios lead designer Harvey Smith revealed that the studio was close to closure before committing to the development of Dishonored. The studio was working on multiple projects with dwindling funds before refocusing on the immersive sim, which became a critical and commercial success. Smith has since co-founded a new studio, Black Pony Immersive, to continue making single-player immersive sim games.
Deus Ex and Dishonored designer Harvey Smith has a new studio making immersive sims
Harvey Smith, known for his work on Deus Ex and Dishonored, has co-founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive. The studio aims to create immersive simulation games and features veteran talent from Arkane Studios, Insomniac Games, and Epic Games.
Harvey Smith and fellow Arkane Austin veterans announce a new studio, Black Pony Immersive
Former Arkane Austin veterans Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have announced the formation of a new studio, Black Pony Immersive. The studio, founded in August 2025, aims to create ambitious immersive sim games, drawing on the team's experience from Arkane and other studios like Insomniac and Epic Games. Black Pony Immersive is currently working on an unannounced single-player narrative-rich game.
"Think Deus Ex, think Dishonored, that's what we're doing": Former Arkane devs reveal new studio dedicated to making single-player immersive sims
Former Arkane developers Harvey Smith and Ben Horne have founded a new studio called Black Pony Immersive, dedicated to creating single-player immersive simulation games. The studio aims to recapture the spirit of titles like Deus Ex and Dishonored, bringing together a team of experienced developers who were affected by recent industry layoffs.
