Game Development
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Microsoft Considering Spinning Off Xbox, Speeding Up Elder Scrolls And Fallout Game Releases – Report
Microsoft is reportedly exploring options for the Xbox brand, including spinning it off into a separate company or operating it as a subsidiary. The company is also considering increasing investment to speed up development for major franchises like Halo, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. While some games like Halo: Campaign Evolved may see PlayStation 5 releases, Microsoft aims to renew focus on console exclusives.
Elite Dangerous dev Frontier counts its second best financial year ever, promises more Elite content
Frontier Developments has reported its second-best financial year ever, with revenues of £104.8M, driven largely by its management simulation games. The company confirmed plans for new content for its existing franchises, including Elite Dangerous, in the upcoming fiscal year.
MMO Hype Train: Guild Wars 3’s announcement came at the absolute best time
The announcement of Guild Wars 3 injects much-needed hope into the MMORPG genre, which has seen better days with project failures and studio closures. ArenaNet, the developer behind Guild Wars 2 and the original Guild Wars, is seen as a reliable studio to deliver a promising new title. While still far from launch, the announcement has generated significant hype and excitement among players.
The art of game writing in 'non-narrative' games
Veteran game writer Emma Kidwell and narrative designer Harrison Pink discuss the role of writing and narrative design in games that are not primarily story-driven, such as strategy or multiplayer titles. They explore how even simple narrative elements can complement complex gameplay systems and enhance player experience.
Ubisoft’s Next Ghost Recon Game Reportedly Running Into Big Problems
Ubisoft's upcoming Ghost Recon game, codenamed Project OVR, is reportedly facing significant development issues, including unrealistic deadlines and poor management, potentially leading to a complete reboot or cancellation. The project has already seen silent layoffs, and Ubisoft is implementing a more hands-on approach with additional executives overseeing development. This news comes as Ubisoft reported a substantial operating loss and is looking to upcoming titles like Assassin's Creed Hexe and a new Far Cry to return to profitability.
Nintendo Palworld lawsuit has "zero chance" at more than "chump change," expert says, but Pocketpair lead says it has "impacted morale" and development
An IP expert believes Nintendo's lawsuit against Palworld has minimal chance of significant financial gain, estimating potential damages at around $31,200 USD. Despite the low financial stakes, the lawsuit has impacted Pocketpair's team morale and led to changes in game mechanics to address patent concerns.
Elden Ring Director Insists FromSoftware Is Free to Make the Games It Wants To, Teases 'Unannounced Titles'
Hidetaka Miyazaki, director at FromSoftware, has reassured fans that the company remains free to create the games it desires without excessive interference, despite recent news regarding shareholder pressure on parent company Kadokawa. Miyazaki's comments suggest that the studio's creative independence is not compromised.
Just what Bungie needed: Marathon Season 2 woes continue as endgame mode Cryo Archive is disabled after players discover…
Bungie has temporarily disabled the Cryo Archive endgame mode in its futuristic shooter Marathon due to an exploit that prevents players from being revived after being downed. This issue follows several other bugs and glitches that have plagued Marathon's second season since its recent launch. The studio is also reportedly facing significant layoffs amidst these ongoing development challenges.
Morning Interviews
Developers behind Onimusha: Warlords discuss the inspiration drawn from Miyamoto Musashi and a haunted Kyoto setting. They also touch upon the process of modernizing the game's combat system for contemporary audiences.
'The Only Way to Keep Bungie Alive Is to Support Marathon,' Ex-Destiny Community Manager Says
A former Bungie community manager believes that supporting the upcoming game Marathon is crucial for the studio's survival, suggesting that issues within the company predate Marathon's development and Sony's acquisition. The manager criticized players for comparing Destiny 2's player count to Marathon's early reception.
Almost 15 years of RPG history faces extinction: RPG Maker is shutting down forums loaded with tutorials with "no…
RPG Maker is shutting down its official online community forum on December 11th after 14 years of operation. The forum, which hosted countless tutorials, guides, and discussions for indie game developers, will be retired as part of a transition to a new platform operated by Gotcha Gotcha Games Inc. There are no plans for an official backup or archive of the existing forum content, leading to community concern over the loss of valuable historical information.
Impressive looking dark point and click adventure Tormentum II gets a demo
A demo for the dark point-and-click adventure game Tormentum II is now available on Steam, ahead of its July 23rd, 2026 release. The game features artwork inspired by H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, and explores themes of artificial intelligence and creator ambition. The developer is seeking feedback on its native Linux support.
Spyro: A Realm Beyond studio CEO says there was no 'pushback' to becoming independent from Activision Blizzard, but the process and planning the game at the same time was 'complex' — 'I think that was the biggest challenge'
Toys for Bob, the studio behind Spyro: A Realm Beyond, has stated that neither Activision Blizzard nor Microsoft opposed their decision to become an independent studio again. Studio Head Paul Yan described the process as complex due to the simultaneous planning of the new game and navigating the legal and logistical separation from their former parent company.
FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki teases unannounced games, says the studio should do what it wants as the investor that told Nintendo to charge "99 cents just to get Mario to jump a little higher" fights its parent company
FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that the studio is satisfied with its current development environment and wishes to continue making the games it wants to create, amidst an ongoing investor dispute involving its owner, Kadokawa. The investor, Oasis Management Company, is pushing for changes in Kadokawa's leadership and strategy, while Miyazaki emphasized the importance of preserving FromSoftware's creative freedom for producing valuable titles, including both announced games like The Duskbloods and unannounced projects.
GTA 6 doesn't scare Phantom Blade Zero devs, who just moved their release date closer to Rockstar's: "We…
Developer S-Game has moved the release date for their upcoming action RPG, Phantom Blade: Zero, from September 9 to October 29. Director Qiwei Liang stated that the team is focused on product quality and bug fixes rather than competing with other major releases like Grand Theft Auto 6. The game is scheduled to launch on PC and PlayStation 5.
Now-deleted TFT job post hints that it could be moving to Unreal Engine
A now-deleted job posting from Riot Games suggests that Teamfight Tactics may be transitioning from its current Hextech Engine to Unreal Engine. The job description for a Director of User Experience (UX) Design mentioned partnering on the transition into Unreal Engine. This move could indicate a standalone version of the game and potentially improve the mobile experience, aligning with other Riot titles like Valorant that utilize Unreal Engine.
Summer Games Week: The Biggest Reveals, Interviews, And Features
Summer Games Week, the successor to E3, concluded with numerous reveals, interviews, and features from various showcases like State of Play and Summer Game Fest. GameSpot covered a wide array of upcoming titles, including Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, Resident Evil: Veronica, and Gears of War: E-Day, providing previews and in-depth articles.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 & 2 remasters apparently started development in 2019
Information uncovered by a data miner suggests that remasters of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 began development in 2019. These are believed to be remasters rather than full remakes.
Marvel's Blade is Confirmed to NOT Be Cancelled
Despite previous reports and a lack of major updates since its 2023 announcement, Marvel's Blade is confirmed to not be cancelled. Arkane Lyon's lead concept artist and art director assistant, Jean-Luc Monnet, responded to a fan's inquiry with a "Let us cook" GIF, signaling that development is ongoing. This provides a ray of hope for fans concerned about the project's status.
Microsoft's Xbox games keep ending up as flops according to new report
A new report indicates that several Xbox games, including Avowed, Hellblade 2, and Forza Motorsport, have significantly underperformed Microsoft's sales and engagement expectations. This comes amid reports of expected layoffs and studio closures at Xbox, with CEO Asha Sharma acknowledging the company has 'over extended' its resources and needs to reassess investment priorities.
