Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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The Pokémon Company Is Actively Recruiting PhD Holders With Backgrounds in Ecology to Work in Tokyo - IGN
The Pokémon Company is actively seeking PhD holders with backgrounds in ecology to join their team in Tokyo. The company is looking for candidates with research experience in animal and plant ecology, offering a significant bonus for those with a PhD. This recruitment aims to bring real-world ecological knowledge into the development of future Pokémon games and designs.
Battlefield 6 Dev Director Anna Norrevik to Headline NG26 Spring
Battlefield 6 Dev Director Anna Norrevik will be a headline speaker at Nordic Game Spring 2026, discussing the development of the franchise's latest installment. Her session will cover lessons learned from previous titles, community feedback, core gameplay loops, and managing global collaboration across four studios: DICE, Criterion, Motive, and Ripple Effect.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Director Reveals Gameplay Mechanics and Locations Fans Can Expect - IGN
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 director Naoki Hamaguchi has revealed details about upcoming gameplay mechanics and locations, including Rocket Town, space, and Wutai. Hamaguchi also teased an expanded "gameplay experience" with flying and a "powered-up" Queen's Blood card game. The game's core experience is nearly complete, with the team now focusing on refinement and polishing.
'I'm Pro Sex Minigames': Former God of War Dev Backs PS5 Trilogy Remake to Keep Controversial Minigames
Former Santa Monica Studio developer Alanah Pearce believes the upcoming God of War Trilogy Remake for PlayStation 5 should retain the controversial sex minigames from the original titles. She argued that these minigames were designed by women and are a part of the series' history, contributing to Kratos' character development.
Steam Tower Defense Fest Launches Tomorrow — Time to Build the Ultimate Digital Fortress
Steam's Tower Defense Fest is set to launch tomorrow, March 9th, featuring sales and showcases for the genre. The event aims to highlight the evolution of tower defense games, from classic mechanics to modern blends with strategy and puzzle elements. It provides an opportunity for players to discover new titles and purchase wishlist items at discounted prices.
Warlords Battleground: Extraction Launches Tomorrow With Save Wipe Drama
Warlords Battleground: Extraction is launching tomorrow, March 10th, on PC with a controversial save wipe for demo progress. Developers are implementing this to ensure competitive balance and high stakes, offering Pioneer Rewards to early testers as compensation. The game will also feature six new troop types, an auto-click combat option for accessibility, and expanded unit progression systems.
Marathon First Weekend Impressions – A Brutal Extraction Shooter That’s Hard to Put Down — Too Much Gaming | Video Games Reviews, News, & Guides
Marathon's first weekend impressions reveal a compelling extraction shooter experience with deep gameplay loops and strategic combat. Bungie's signature gunplay is effectively blended with the genre, offering exhilarating encounters and a sense of unpredictability. Despite its challenging nature and acquired taste for some, the game shows significant potential, especially with ongoing community-driven storytelling and the upcoming Cryo Archive map.
SAO: Echoes of Aincrad Gets Deadly New Mode That Raises Stakes
Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad has introduced a new 'Death Game Mode' that simulates the high-stakes scenario of being unable to log out of a virtual world, where death in-game results in permanent character loss. This mode aims to capture the core anxiety of the original Sword Art Online premise and could signal a new direction for anime game adaptations by focusing on the essence of source material concepts rather than direct scene recreation. The article also touches on player concerns regarding balance and accessibility, and highlights PC as a suitable platform for such experimental gameplay.
Samson: A Tyndalston Story’s City and Car Designes Detailed in New Developer Diary
Developer Liquid Swords has released a new developer diary for Samson: A Tyndalston Story, detailing the city and car design processes. Concept artist Piotr Kupsc and vehicle artist Damian Ksiezopolski discuss balancing gameplay with visuals, drawing inspiration from 1990s North Eastern American cities, and the iterative design of the player's car, the Magnum Opus. The game is set to release on PC on April 8th.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3’s Development Team Includes 95 Percent of Rebirth’s Team
Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, revealed that approximately 95 percent of the development team from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is working on the upcoming title. He also confirmed that Wutai and expanded flying capabilities for the Highwind will be featured, with a reveal planned for this year. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is also slated for a June 3rd release on Nintendo Switch with a target frame rate of 30 FPS.
Marathon hands-on preview | Notebookcheck
Early hands-on impressions of Marathon reveal a distinctive extraction shooter featuring robust shell-based class design and layered faction progression. The game presents a surreal aesthetic and a dense user interface that requires further refinement.
Counter-Strike: Source Players Refuse to Surrender 22 Years Later
Despite the release of Counter-Strike 2, a dedicated community continues to play Counter-Strike: Source 22 years after its launch, valuing its specific mechanics and physics over newer graphics. This enduring loyalty highlights the lasting appeal of core gameplay fundamentals in competitive shooters, a trend also seen in the resurgence of other retro titles.
CEO of Kitfox Games reckons hundreds of hours playing Civilization could be the secret to the Dwarf Fortress publisher's success: 'Maybe Kitfox wouldn't be as successful if I didn't know how to alternate between science trees and army defences'
Tanya X. Short, CEO of Kitfox Games, discusses her gaming habits and how playing games like Civilization has influenced her leadership style. She highlights the importance of 'plate spinning' in managing projects and her fondness for database games and her studio's first title, Moon Hunters.
Sunday Interviews
Bungie discussed the 'graphic retro futurism' aesthetic for their upcoming game Marathon. The studio also shared that they learned lessons about 'live narrative' from their experience with Destiny.
Haunted Pikachu dolls? Dead-eyed Ditto-humans? A Look at Pokemon Pokopia | TAG
The article discusses the unique and bizarre post-apocalyptic world of Pokémon Pokopia, which offers a refreshing departure from the traditional Pokémon formula with its haunted dolls and unusual characters. It also touches upon other gaming news including Resident Evil Requiem's narrative approach, deals on Nintendo titles like Mario Kart World and Splatoon 3, the divisive nature of Mega Evolutions in Pokémon, new book preorders, a Star Wars character comparison, a quirky dungeon crawler, and the ongoing drama surrounding Ashes of Creation.
Opinion: God of War: Sons of Sparta Is the Smaller PS5 Game Fans Want, and I Hope We See More
The article argues that Sony's PS Studios should diversify its output by creating smaller, less expensive games like God of War: Sons of Sparta to complement its blockbuster titles. This approach could allow for more creative risks and help balance the financial strain of high-budget productions, potentially reviving interest in dormant franchises.
Gnaughty Gnomes Review — Gnot bad but gnot great
Gnaughty Gnomes is a chaotic party brawler for PC that features up to four players battling in small arenas with destructible objects and mounts. The game includes a unique card-based upgrade system that adds strategic depth between rounds, alongside extensive gnome customization options. However, the review notes significant issues with unpolished animations, major bugs, and a shared-screen design that hinders online multiplayer, leading to a mediocre overall experience.
Lost and Found Co. Review — Seek and ye shall find
Lost and Found Co. is a charming hidden-object game developed by Bit Egg Inc. that features meticulous searching within adorable, detailed environments. The game wraps its gameplay in a fun single-player campaign with quirky characters and silly dialogue, offering a satisfying challenge with optional side missions and a surprisingly robust room customization system.
Crimson Desert Hands-on Preview — Ten Course Meal
Crimson Desert, developed by Pearl Abyss, is shaping up to be a massive open-world action RPG with a vast array of features including combat, base building, and exploration. The preview highlights the game's impressive visual fidelity and scale, though some mechanics and character presentation could be refined. It is set to launch on March 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The Sunday Papers
This week's Sunday Papers roundup highlights various articles from gaming publications. It touches on farewells to Eurogamer staff, the reunion of a former dealsman with Digital Foundry, and new game design articles from Eteo. The piece also includes discussions on Grand Theft Auto V's satire, venue design at Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome, the 'Finance Broification' of armed conflict, and the soundtrack of extraction shooters.
