Game Design
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Games for Change Festival to expand and move to new cities
The Games for Change Festival will expand its reach by hosting events in new cities during odd-numbered years, starting with Arizona in 2027 in partnership with Arizona State University. The festival will return to New York in even-numbered years and will resume a three-day schedule due to increased attendance. This expansion aims to include more creators, developers, educators, and researchers in the G4C community.
Evening Reading - July 27, 2026
This edition of Shacknews Evening Reading covers various gaming news and internet curiosities. Topics include the Flood in Halo, Nintendo Switch Sports, Street Fighter 6, Battlefield maps, Ubisoft game ownership on PC, Marvel Snap, God of War Laufey, Marvel Tokon, and Xbox's ad-supported cloud streaming. The article also touches on puzzles, developer design choices, and the impact of AI.
Games Inbox: Why isn’t there a Skyrim remake?
Readers discuss the lack of a Skyrim remake despite numerous special editions, questioning why publishers don't prioritize such projects. Other topics include the viability of a PlayStation 5 boycott, the underutilization of tornadoes in games, and concerns about Capcom's yearly Resident Evil releases and Ubisoft's Far Cry franchise.
Evening Postmortems/Retrospectives
Discussions surrounding the evolution of Halo's campaign and the discovery of cut Zombies content in Call of Duty: Black Ops highlight ongoing community engagement with classic titles. These conversations reflect on the development processes and player experiences within these established franchises.
Beast of Reincarnation Director Admits it “Doesn’t Really Fit Our Vibe”
Kota Furushima, director of Game Freak's upcoming title Beast of Reincarnation, admits the game's photorealistic style doesn't align with the studio's typical aesthetic. Despite the visual departure, Furushima believes the core themes resonate with Game Freak's previous work. The game is set for release on August 4th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Mistfall Hunter – 15 Crucial Details Before You Jump In
Mistfall Hunter, an extraction ARPG from Bellring Games, is set to release on July 30th for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, with day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass. The game features six playable classes, a dual-weapon combat system inspired by Soulslikes but with an arcade feel, and a PvPvE extraction loop. Despite its Soulslike combat influences, Mistfall Hunter aims to be more forgiving with its death and extraction mechanics, and will launch with three maps.
The Relic: First Guardian – Everything You Need to Know
The Relic: First Guardian, an action RPG from Project Cloud Games, is set to release on July 31st for PlayStation 5 and PC, with Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch versions to follow. The game distinguishes itself with an aggression-first combat system, gear-based character progression through discoverable Relics, and unique, story-driven weapons. While drawing comparisons to Soulslike titles like Dark Souls, it aims for a distinct identity with its narrative integration and combat mechanics.
Scrapped God of War Ending Revealed in Interview
Former God of War director David Jaffe revealed a scrapped ending for God of War 3 where Kratos would have killed Zeus early on, leading to a war between different mythologies. This ending would have explored Kratos's journey through Norse and Egyptian pantheons before ultimately realizing that belief sustains gods. The original plan also included epilogues showing the birth of Christ and the cyclical nature of faith.
Six Useful Tips to Survive and Thrive Above the Toxic Clouds in Forever Skies
Forever Skies has launched on Xbox Series X|S alongside its largest update, The Final Echoes, which introduces new power management and damage systems, over 30 side quests, new enemies, and expanded environmental variety. The game also features deep custom difficulty settings that do not disable achievements and supports Xbox Play Anywhere for cross-progression between Xbox and PC.
How Marvel Snap united Spidey's supporting cast for the Spider-Man: Brand New Day season
Marvel Snap's Senior Design Director Justin Swan and Game Designer Jason Yang discuss the Spider-Man: Brand New Day season, focusing on the design of supporting characters like J. Jonah Jameson and the 'Moveable' archetype. They highlight the challenges and creative freedom in adapting Marvel lore and characters into the game, emphasizing strong collaborations with Marvel for movie and comic tie-ins.
Shigeru Miyamoto thinks people don't care about console specs that much anymore, believes Nintendo instead provides "gameplay that only we can create"
Shigeru Miyamoto believes players are less concerned with console specifications and more with unique gameplay experiences, citing Nintendo's success with the Switch. He suggests that customers prioritize playing software on their existing devices over chasing the latest hardware specs. Miyamoto also touched on the challenges of developing for multiple platforms and the advantage of working with a single architecture.
Final Fantasy 14 Evercold's new DPS job will be revealed in October, but Square Enix is already dropping some big,…
Square Enix will reveal the next new DPS job for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail at the Japanese Fan Fest on October 31, 2026. Composer Masayoshi Soken teased fans with audio snippets, leading to speculation that the new job could be a Falconer-type class, similar to concepts seen in previous Final Fantasy titles.
Ion Hazzikostas on World of Warcraft’s Ula’tek story, PvP, and griving himself a B or B- grade on addons
World of Warcraft game director Ion Hazzikostas discussed the upcoming Curse of Ula'tek story, which continues the narrative of The Midnight expansion. He also shared his self-assigned grades for the expansion's progress, noting that Player vs Player content needs more attention despite a shrinking player base, and that housing has been successful. Hazzikostas also addressed the handling of addons, giving himself a B or B-.
20 years later, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess still has Zelda's best dungeons
Twenty years after its release, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is still lauded for having the best dungeons in the series. The article highlights how Twilight Princess's detailed, functional environments and immersive motion controls created a tangible sense of place and consequence, contrasting it with the broader scope of newer titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. The unique items and their integration into dungeon puzzles and boss fights are also praised as key elements of its superior design.
Wisdom of Nym: Reactions to Final Fantasy XIV’s second fan festival
The author shares their reactions to the announcements made at Final Fantasy XIV's second fan festival, including details about the new "Bastion" job and speculation about a "Falconer" job. They also discuss new customization options, open-world content, and a crossover raid with Final Fantasy VII.
Pokemon dev Game Freak says its history informed Beast of Reincarnation's feeling of "becoming partners through gameplay" despite looking totally different
Kota Furushima, director of Beast of Reincarnation, discussed how Game Freak's experience with Pokémon influenced the game's focus on developing player partnerships through gameplay rather than dialogue. He explained that the absence of verbal communication between protagonists Emma and Koo is crucial for fostering a unique player connection and allowing imagination to flourish. This approach aims to build relationships organically through gameplay mechanics, drawing on Game Freak's history of creating bonds between humans and creatures.
Why does GCash feel like the default for casino play in the Philippines?
Research indicates that players of MMOs like Path of Exile, World of Warcraft, and Destiny 2 develop valuable cognitive skills such as problem-solving, strategic thinking, and economic analysis. These skills, honed through managing complex in-game economies and coordinating group activities, are transferable to professional and financial contexts, despite historical underestimation of gamer capabilities.
Neon Depth Review | TheXboxHub
Neon Depth is a short puzzle platformer where players control a cube that must navigate levels by utilizing their own failures to create paths. The game features 30 levels, designed to be completed in about an hour, with mechanics that evolve from simple spike traps to more complex hazards and modifier blocks. Despite some frustrations with controls and level design, the game offers a unique concept and a fair challenge.
Talking Evercold, Bastion, and the future of Final Fantasy XIV at Fan Fest Berlin
During Fan Fest Berlin, Final Fantasy XIV Director Naoki Yoshida discussed the upcoming expansion Evercold, addressing challenges in visual identity inspired by Norse mythology and plans for housing system overhauls. He also detailed the new Bastion Tank job, the split between Main and Off-Tank roles, and ambitious crossover content like Evangelion and Final Fantasy VII Remake. Yoshida emphasized transparency and community engagement as key to the game's enduring success and reaffirmed his commitment to its development.
Baldur's Gate 3 True Third-Person Camera Mod Goes Viral, Sparks Debate About Whether It Erases the Game's Identity
A new mod for Baldur's Gate 3 that introduces a true third-person camera perspective has gone viral, sparking debate among players. While some fans believe Larian Studios should consider this feature for future games, others argue it fundamentally alters the game's identity.