Game Development
Ongoing coverage on Game Development.
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Bethesda Celebrates “40 Years of Adventures” With A Brand-New Logo Reveal
Bethesda has unveiled a new logo to commemorate its 40th anniversary, marking decades of game development. The studio acknowledged recent performance of titles like Starfield and addressed player concerns regarding layoffs and future releases, expressing optimism for a new direction.
Godot supports coding in Sumero-Akkadian Cuneiform, if you needed another reason to switch game engines
The Godot game engine's built-in GDscript language supports coding using Sumerian-Akkadian cuneiform and other Unicode characters, a feature highlighted by independent developer SteinMakesGames. This capability stems from GDscript's parser accepting most Unicode Standard Annex #31 characters in identifiers, a flexibility not found in all programming languages. This allows for unique commenting and coding styles, potentially appealing to developers seeking alternative engines.
How a Ghost of Yotei developer spent years making his own hit Steam game under the eye of Sony at Sucker Punch:…
Jean Nguyen, an animator at Sony's Sucker Punch studio, successfully developed and released his own Steam game, Dinoblade, with the company's support. The dinosaur action RPG has sold over 83,000 copies in its first week, achieving a 90% positive user review score. Nguyen highlights the creative freedom and learning opportunities gained from working on his independent project alongside his AAA role.
"A couple of companies have managed to ignite a culture war and bring the economy to the brink of collapse": Games AI veteran says it can be useful, but we've made mountains out of ChatGPT's molehills
AI researcher Luke Dicken argues that while AI has useful applications in game development, the current hype around Large Language Models and generative AI is disproportionate. He distinguishes between AI as a decision-making tool and the overblown promises of magic buttons, emphasizing that AI's true value lies in enabling capabilities beyond human scale, not just faster or cheaper execution of existing tasks. Dicken also warns of the unsustainable economic model behind current AI tools and suggests publishers should focus on addressing wasted labor in AAA development rather than relying on AI to cut corners.
Wind Waker 2 was in development before Zelda lead Eiji Aonuma was told Toon Link "alienated" American teenagers, so we got Twilight Princess instead
The development of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was influenced by concerns that The Wind Waker's cel-shaded art style alienated North American teenagers. Eiji Aonuma revealed that The Wind Waker 2 was transformed into Twilight Princess to appeal to a more mature audience, a decision that also facilitated gameplay innovations like horseback combat. This shift in art direction was also influenced by the popularity of epic fantasy films.
We won't get "the next FromSoftware" or "another Remedy or Larian" at this rate, warns veteran…
Veteran game developer Xalavier Nelson Jr. warns that industry consolidation and financial uncertainty are preventing new studios like Larian or Remedy from emerging. He argues that the current environment, exacerbated by issues like rising console prices due to AI-driven RAM shortages, stunts the growth of developers and limits their ability to practice and refine their craft over decades. Nelson Jr. emphasizes the need for audiences to actively support and evangelize the games and creators they love to foster a healthier development ecosystem.
'We are not looking to just maintain' Elder Scrolls Online, new ZeniMax boss says, but a bunch of updates have been delayed into 2027 and possibly beyond
ZeniMax Online Studios co-head Nick Giacomini stated that The Elder Scrolls Online is committed to growth despite recent layoffs impacting the studio. However, significant updates, including the Class and Combat Refresh and a new Trial, have been delayed to 2027 or later. Update 51 is still scheduled for September 27, with Season 2 launching October 21.
After Layoffs, New Elder Scrolls Online Content Is Delayed But Still Coming
Despite recent layoffs, ZeniMax Online Studios has confirmed that new content for The Elder Scrolls Online is still planned, with a roadmap for 2026 and 2027. Some anticipated updates, including a combat and class refresh, have been delayed to prioritize quality. New content for the remainder of 2024 includes Update 51 and Season Two, featuring solo dungeons and various improvements.
Svenska The Ascent firar sin 5-årsdag med att utannonsera en uppdatering
Swedish developer Neon Giant is celebrating the 5th anniversary of their debut game, The Ascent, by announcing a significant update planned for November. This update aims to fix various issues, including co-op teleportation problems and save file corruption, and will also introduce HDR support. The studio, now expanded thanks to Krafton's acquisition in 2022, has ambitious plans for The Ascent franchise, hinting at potential new platforms, genres, and sequels, while also working on a new cyberpunk FPS titled No Law.
Buffs, Nerfs, and Bugs
NVIDIA addressed a critical bug in Path of Exile 2 that required a full PC shipment to resolve, indicating the issue was more complex than initially thought. The company has since implemented fixes for shader and device removal problems.
‘We are not looking to just maintain the game,’ Elder Scrolls Online boss says in new post-layoff roadmap
Following recent layoffs at ZeniMax Online Studios, Game Director Nick Giacomini has addressed players regarding the future of The Elder Scrolls Online. He confirmed the studio's dedication to the game's growth and outlined a revised roadmap, with some features like the Crimson Veldt trial and Update 52's PvP zone now slated for 2027. The studio will also collaborate more closely with Bethesda Game Studios.
GTA 6 news coming very soon says insider as fans question summer marketing plans
An insider known as NateTheHate suggests that news and marketing for Grand Theft Auto 6 will begin in August, despite a lack of updates so far. This follows Take-Two Interactive's earlier promise of summer marketing, with fans speculating about trailer releases and website updates. The article also touches on Grand Theft Auto Online's gambling minigames and potential age verification laws for Grand Theft Auto 6 in Australia and the UK.
Omtyckta soulslike-spelet Wuchang: Fallen Feathers får en uppföljare
505 Games has announced a sequel to the acclaimed soulslike game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. The new title will be developed by the newly formed studio Indolphinity, led by Xia Siyuan, the director of the original game. The project is currently in its early stages.
"Our bosses would have stopped us," if PS2's Spider-Man was made today, says director: "There were several months of us telling our bosses 'Don't look at it yet! Don't look at it yet!'"
Former Treyarch developers Jamie Fristrom and Tomo Moriwaki discuss the challenging development of the original Spider-Man and the groundbreaking innovations in Spider-Man 2. They highlight how the team pushed boundaries with fluid web-swinging mechanics and open-world design, facing internal resistance and tight deadlines, which they believe would be impossible with today's industry standards and publisher oversight.
27 years later and I’m having flashbacks, as Croc 2 Kingdom of the Gobbos remaster announced
Argonaut Games has announced a remaster of Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos, following the successful market performance of the original Croc remaster. Company co-CEO Mike Arkin stated that the original engine differences presented remastering challenges, while founder Jez San OBE expressed pleasure in bringing the sequel to modern platforms. The remaster will include a digital museum called Croc2pedia featuring development materials and interviews, with a release targeted before the end of the year.
EverQuest Legends’ release sees at least one small patch and overall stable response from fans
EverQuest Legends has launched with a stable response from fans and has received a small patch addressing musical cues, buff displays, and server stability. Game Jawn is preparing a developer livestream for July 31st. Player feedback on Reddit and Discord includes requests for improvements to the Beastlord class, group size adjustments, and UI enhancements like a more visible mouse cursor.
Unity brings dedicated engine support to Netflix Games
Unity is providing dedicated engine support to Netflix Games, aiming to simplify the creation of titles across Netflix's mobile and television platforms. This collaboration includes optimizations for Netflix's cloud gaming services, enabling studios to develop games for multiple platforms from a single build. Several Netflix titles, such as Unhinged and Squid Game: Unleashed, have already been developed using Unity.
After Pathfinder and One of the Best Warhammer 40,000 Games Ever Made, Owlcat's Next Step Is to Top Them All — and It's Grown to 600 People to Do It
Owlcat Games, known for Pathfinder and Warhammer 40,000 titles, has grown to 600 employees as it aims to surpass its previous successes. The studio is focused on developing its next major project.
'We Are a Little Bit Masochistic' — Developers Are Running Scared of Baldur's Gate 4, but Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Studio Owlcat Would Consider It a 'Great Challenge'
Developers are reportedly hesitant to create Baldur's Gate 4 due to the high expectations set by Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3. Owlcat Games, the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, stated they would consider it a 'great challenge' but would aim for innovation rather than replication.
Gamesight: Creators are best predictor for a game's success, not viewership
Marketing platform Gamesight's analysis indicates that the number of active creators producing content by day three of a game's launch is a more reliable predictor of long-term success than total viewership. This metric is particularly crucial for player-versus-player first-person shooter games, where factors like replayability and competitive progression contribute to sustained creator interest and community formation.
