Game Development
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Baldur's Gate 2's co-lead designer was asked to make Baldur's Gate 4 after Larian declined: 'Having to compete against Baldur's Gate 3? That would be insanity'
Following the success of Baldur's Gate 3, Hasbro sought a sequel, but Larian Studios declined to develop Baldur's Gate 4, despite having a partially playable build. Co-lead designer of Baldur's Gate 2, James Ohlen, was also approached but refused, citing the difficulty of competing with Larian's acclaimed title and the significant effort required to build a new engine. A remaster of Baldur's Gate 2 is reportedly in development, with former BG2 lead designer Kevin Martens involved.
Pokémon TCG Pocket developer DeNA has received 1.5 billion yen in subsidies, sparking debate about whether the studio actually needs the investment
Japanese developer DeNA, known for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, has received a 1.5 billion yen subsidy from the government's IP360 program, intended to support domestic IP development. This has sparked debate among the public and industry figures regarding the necessity of such funding for a successful company and the broader challenges faced by smaller developers in securing game development investment.
Nintendo has revealed more about the Splatoon Raiders direct happening tomorrow
Nintendo has announced a new Nintendo Direct presentation focused entirely on the upcoming single-player adventure game, Splatoon Raiders. The 15-minute Direct will air on June 30th, followed by a 30-minute gameplay showcase from the Nintendo Treehouse. Splatoon Raiders is a departure from the series' multiplayer roots, featuring island exploration and gadget-based combat against Salmonoids, and is a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
"I literally built an investment firm that wouldn't have funded my own pitch" – Why the money isn't reaching the games that need it
A workshop at the Madeira Games Summit revealed a significant gap between game developers and investors, leading to funding being concentrated on established companies and risk-averse projects. Participants, including former PlayStation executive Adam Boyes, found that when tasked with designing investment funds, they prioritized tools and infrastructure over traditional game content. The core issue identified is a difference in mindset and communication, with developers needing to articulate financial returns more effectively to secure investment for original games.
Supermassive Games CEO steps down following launch of Directive 8020
Robert Henrysson is stepping down as CEO of Supermassive Games after less than three years. His departure comes approximately six weeks after the launch of the studio's latest title, Directive 8020. Henrysson, who also served as a partner at Nordisk Games, cited industry changes and the team's effort in his announcement.
Planescape: Torment 2 was greenlit by Wizards of the Coast, 'they were really into what we were doing', but it refused to fund the sequel, and nobody else was interested
Beamdog and former BioWare writer David Gaider pitched a sequel to Planescape: Torment, titled Planescape: Unraveled, to Wizards of the Coast. While Wizards of the Coast was initially receptive to the concept, they declined to fund the project themselves, and no other investors were found. The sequel was ultimately shelved by the end of 2016.
Sony games boss says company will bravely keep sending live services over the top, despite cancelling 8 of the 12 ones planned for 2025 and wiping out most of Destiny 2's developers
Despite cancelling eight of twelve planned live service games for 2025 and shutting down most of the Destiny 2 development team, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino stated the company will continue to invest in and develop live service titles. Nishino believes these games attract a global audience and aims to revitalize the market with both first-party and third-party content, while also considering the long-term potential of older titles.
CD Projekt rebrands to CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt has officially changed its company name to CD Projekt Red to unify its brand with its primary game development studio. This decision, voted on at the company's general meeting, aims to improve brand consistency and market identification. The company is currently working on The Witcher 4, a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, and other projects like Project Sirius and Project Hadar.
nanos world – Beta Sign Up | Alpha Beta Gamer
nanos world is a new open-world multiplayer sandbox game that offers extensive creative freedom through Lua scripting and custom Unreal Engine 5 asset imports. Players can host dedicated servers for various game modes, from roleplay to tactical shooters. The platform aims to be a spiritual successor to games like Garry's Mod and SA-MP, and is currently offering beta sign-ups.
CD Projekt is rebranding as CD Projekt Red, but confusingly, CD Projekt Red is still CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt has officially rebranded to CD Projekt Red, unifying the company and its development studio under a single name. This change aims to streamline brand communication and identification on the global market. The company also reflected on the challenging launch of Cyberpunk 2077, with joint CEO Michał Nowakowski calling it a 'heartbreaking' period for the studio.
Sunday Postmortems/Retrospectives
Nightdive Studios brought on the original developer of the 1998 Thief game to ensure the cutscenes for Thief Remastered were accurately recreated. The article discusses the challenges and considerations involved in this process for the PC version.
Phasmophobia delays highly-anticipated 1.0 launch to 2027 as it "prioritises quality over speed"
Kinetic Games has announced that the full 1.0 launch of Phasmophobia has been delayed to 2027, prioritizing quality over speed. The developer cited feedback from recent updates as a reason for the extended development timeline. The game will still receive updates, including a reworked Willow Street map by the end of July and two major quality-of-life improvements.
Craterlands Development Log June
This development log for Craterlands provides an update on recent progress and outlines upcoming features. The entry details the latest advancements in the game's development and what players can expect in the future.
Star Wars Eclipse "literally cannot be finished" without more staff, insist striking Quantic Dream developers
Striking developers at Quantic Dream have warned that the upcoming game Star Wars Eclipse cannot be finished if the studio proceeds with planned layoffs of 115 employees. The developers argue that the studio is already understaffed and that the game requires these additional personnel to be completed. This action coincides with a visit from Lucasfilm Games.
Star Wars Eclipse "literally cannot be finished" if layoffs go through, its devs reportedly say
Developers at Quantic Dream reportedly stated that the upcoming game Star Wars Eclipse cannot be finished if planned layoffs of 115 staff members go through. The union STJV is protesting these potential layoffs, claiming the studio is already understaffed and that these employees are necessary for the game's completion. The game, revealed in 2021, is set during the High Republic era.
Nintendo is Raising Employee Salaries by 10% in Japan
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa announced a 10% increase in base salaries for employees in Japan during the company's annual shareholder meeting. This decision aligns with the Japanese Prime Minister's call for wage growth and is intended to support Nintendo's long-term expansion. Furukawa also addressed concerns about RAM supply, the use of AI in game development, and expanding the company's intellectual property across various media.
SpaceCraft now has a solo offline mode
Shiro Games has released a solo offline mode for their early access space exploration and building game, SpaceCraft, in response to community feedback. This new mode offers separate progression and removes multiplayer-specific systems like Nexus trading, while also introducing improvements such as reduced crafting times and increased extractor speeds for players who prefer a single-player experience.
Silver Palace Dichotomy Beta Sign-Ups Open for Biggest Playable Test Yet
Elementa has opened beta sign-ups for Silver Palace, an open-world detective RPG featuring Victorian and gothic fairytale influences. This "Dichotomy" beta is the largest playable test to date, introducing a male protagonist, new characters, expanded story content, and refined combat. The game is being developed with Unreal Engine 5, and Elementa also announced a global expo tour starting at Anime Expo.
Pikmin 4 sound design lead talks about working on the game’s sound effects
Pikmin 4 sound design lead Taiyo Furukawa discussed the challenges of creating sound effects for the game, particularly in expressing the smallness of the Pikmin and protagonist while maintaining responsive gameplay. He emphasized the importance of observing the real world for sound inspiration and collaborating with colleagues to refine audio design. The article also touches on the general significance of sound effects in enhancing player immersion and memory.
Nintendo’s newer games from Good-Feel are missing this important thing
This article analyzes the music in recent games developed by Good-Feel for Nintendo, arguing that titles like Kirby's Epic Yarn and Yoshi's Woolly World excelled due to unique and atmospheric soundtracks. In contrast, newer games like Yoshi's Crafted World and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book are criticized for relying too heavily on remixes of the main theme, resulting in less memorable and less atmospheric experiences. The composer Tomoya Tomita's departure after Yoshi's Woolly World is highlighted as a significant factor in this perceived decline in musical quality.
