Game Development
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Stardew Valley creator is "struggling" with Haunted Chocolatier thanks to the precedent he accidentally set himself: "It might disappoint millions of people"
Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone is struggling with the development of Haunted Chocolatier due to the immense pressure and expectations set by his previous success. He aims to recapture the original feeling of creating Stardew Valley without an audience, but fears disappointing millions of players with the upcoming title.
Phasmophobia’s 30 Million Sales Started With a 1,000-Unit Goal
Phasmophobia has surpassed 30 million sales across PC and consoles since its 2020 Early Access launch. Kinetic Games, led by director Daniel Knight, originally aimed to sell only 1,000 units in the first year. The studio also confirmed the return of the Crimson Eye Halloween event and plans for a 1.0 release in the second half of 2027.
Epic Games delays Disney game and tells developers to go "AI first"
Epic Games has delayed its upcoming Disney collaboration shooter, which features Marvel and Star Wars characters, and has instructed developers to adopt an "AI first" production model. The game, originally slated for March, will now be built using AI tools, with directors stating "No more hand-written code" and all art generated via AI workflows. This shift has reportedly stunned some developers and comes after Epic's significant investment in Disney and a recent round of layoffs.
Assassin's Creed creator says 1666: Amsterdam developers create up to 20 builds a day – "Progression is…
Patrice Désilets, the creator of Assassin's Creed and creative director of 1666: Amsterdam, stated that his current studio, Panache Digital Games, produces between 15 to 20 builds of the game daily. The game, which is currently in Early Access, has faced development challenges including past ownership by THQ and Ubisoft, and a recent controversy regarding AI-generated assets which the team has committed to removing.
Gamescom | Game Developer
This article discusses Gamescom as a major event for the gaming industry, highlighting its role in game reveals, developer interviews, and industry updates. It emphasizes the platform's ability to provide critical insights and informed decisions across business priorities.
Dragon Quest Creator Lauds AI After Prompting New Game In 30 Minutes
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has lauded the advancements in AI, demonstrating a prototype game he created in under 30 minutes using AI prompting. Horii, who has long supported AI in game development, contrasted this with the extensive solo effort required for his early work on 'The Portopia Serial Murder Case'. Square Enix is also exploring AI integration, with an AI chatbot planned for Dragon Quest X.
World of Warcraft Forever had a much smaller original pitch, but it ‘built up over time’
The development team behind World of Warcraft Forever initially had a much smaller scope for the project, focusing on minor class changes to Vanilla World of Warcraft. However, the ambition grew within the team and Blizzard to deliver a more substantial experience than players might have expected, leading to the expanded scope for the game's launch.
No Man's Sky is somehow coming to mobile, and Hello Games says it's partly thanks to Light No Fire
Hello Games announced that No Man's Sky will be released on iOS devices, including iPhone and iPad, on October 28th. The studio revealed that the development of its upcoming game, Light No Fire, has contributed to performance improvements that benefit all platforms, including the mobile version.
Dragon Quest co-creator Yuji Horii releases new AI-generated game, and he says it took 30 minutes to make
Dragon Quest co-creator Yuji Horii has released a new text-based interrogation game that he claims took only 30 minutes to create using generative AI. Horii, who developed the 1983 game The Portopia Serial Murder Case largely by himself, expressed astonishment at AI's capabilities. This follows his previous use of AI in Dragon Quest 10 and his consideration of AI for future projects, amidst ongoing industry controversy surrounding AI in game development.
Eternal Tombs admits to being a solo dev project, projects early March 2027 release and a demo on Steam soon
Eternal Tombs, an MMORPG previously known as War of Dragnorox, has revealed that it is a solo developer project by Triune Studios, with the developer admitting to hiding this fact due to fear of judgment. The game is now projecting an early March 2027 release, with a demo expected on Steam soon, featuring between five to 20 hours of content and GM-run events.
24 ‘Til Launch: The Making of Mina the Hollower premieres this Friday
Shacknews announced that its documentary "24 ‘Til Launch: The Making of Mina the Hollower" will premiere on October 16. The nearly three-hour film chronicles the development of the game by Yacht Club Games, featuring interviews with over half a dozen developers.
Star Wars Galaxies Restoration rogue server showcases DirectX 12 renderer updates in a new video
Rogue server SWG Restoration is showcasing updates to its DirectX 12 renderer for Star Wars Galaxies. The new renderer brings improvements to lighting, graphical details, and view distance. A release timeline has not been provided, but the developers promise it will be soon.
Dead Space creator put "a lot" of work into patching The Callisto Protocol after Krafton allegedly "forced" him to release it 3 months early: "All they were doing was complaining"
Dead Space creator Glen Schofield claims he was "forced" to release The Callisto Protocol three months early by publisher Krafton, leading to extensive post-launch patching. Schofield alleges Krafton was unhappy with the game's reception and complained while his team worked on 86 patches, ultimately leading to the cancellation of a sequel.
The happiest man in gaming hates generative AI
Dwarf Fortress co-creator Tarn Adams expresses immense enthusiasm for game development, particularly the procedural generation of magic systems in the upcoming Myth and Magic update. However, he voices strong concerns about generative AI, fearing its potential to devalue human work and its bloated code. Adams also discusses the success of Dwarf Fortress on Steam, the community's incredible modding achievements, and the financial realities of running Bay 12 Games.
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii continues his love affair with AI slop as he releases a new game he generated in 30…
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has released a new game, 'Interrogation Room Komiya,' which he claims took only 30 minutes to create using generative AI. Horii expresses strong enthusiasm for AI in game development, contrasting with critical views from figures like Hideo Kojima. This development raises questions about the future of AI in major titles like Dragon Quest 12.
Star Wars Galactic Racer's devs tested its roguelite progression system by turning it into a board game
Fuse Games' creative director Kieran Crimmins revealed that the development team for Star Wars Galactic Racer prototyped its roguelite progression system by creating a board game version. This method allowed them to quickly test and validate the moment-to-moment gameplay loop and meta-progression elements.
MMO Week in Review: RuneScape 4, Aion 2
This week's MMO news includes Jagex announcing RuneScape 4, which will operate alongside existing titles. Aion 2 officially launched globally, while Lord of the Rings Online delayed its fall expansion. New World's fate was lamented, and Throne and Liberty confirmed its transition back to NCsoft in November.
Control Resonant Interview – Worldbuilding, Melee Combat, Side Content, And More
In an interview about Control Resonant, Remedy Entertainment developers discussed the game's melee combat, drawing inspiration from titles like Ninja Gaiden and Doom Eternal. They also detailed advancements in their in-house engine and world editor, NWED, built upon lessons learned from Alan Wake 2, enabling larger and more dynamic environments. The discussion also touched upon the game's narrative tools, AI, audio systems, and the push for real-time path tracing to achieve naturalistic lighting.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Director Aims for “Even Higher” Graphics Quality Than Rebirth on Switch 2
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi aims to surpass the graphics quality of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, even on less powerful platforms like the Nintendo Switch 2. He emphasizes that the team's experience developing Rebirth has been crucial for optimizing Revelation simultaneously across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Nier creator Yoko Taro says he's achieved his career dreams, but he continues working because it's 'good…
Nier creator Yoko Taro stated that he has achieved his career dreams, particularly with his directorial debut Drakengard, and now views subsequent work as a way to prevent dementia and earn money. He also expressed a desire to fill gaps in the industry rather than compete with perfect games or AI-assisted creations.
