Game Development
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Jason may or may not appear fully nude in GTA 6, but either way we've now seen his dong
A new 25-minute development build leak of Grand Theft Auto 6 shows protagonist Jason with fully modeled genitals, and co-protagonist Lucia topless. It remains unclear if this level of nudity will be present in the final game or if it's due to developer tools. The article also touches on the changing public perception of nudity in games, referencing past controversies like Mass Effect's alien boobies and GTA's Hot Coffee incident.
Vampire games on Steam are a recession indicator and I have the charts to prove it
This article posits that the increasing number of vampire games released on Steam serves as an indicator of economic downturns. Analyzing SteamDB data, the author notes a significant rise in vampire game releases and listings over the past six years, correlating this trend with rising costs of living, increased debt delinquency, and decreased savings rates in the US.
Naughty Dog crunch could be "grueling" but The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 artist defends the studio, says it wasn't "evil corporation demands horrific working hours"
VFX artist Matt Radford, who worked on Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us, defended Naughty Dog's crunch culture, stating it's not an 'evil corporation' but motivated people pushing for their best work. While admitting to grueling times, he believes great art has come from this suffering, though the article notes this doesn't fully exonerate the studio from potential peer pressure and management expectations.
A great indie studio is making a sequel to one of my favorite adventures 17 years later, for one simple reason: 'We're not getting any younger, and the world seems to be ending'
Amanita Design has announced Machinarium 2, a sequel to their beloved 2007 point-and-click adventure game, 17 years later. Studio CEO Jakub Dvorský cited the passage of time and the current state of the world as reasons for its development. The sequel will feature both Josef and Berta as playable characters and will once again feature music by Tomáš Dvořák, who aims for a more melodic and mature soundtrack.
MMO Business Roundup: Xbox is ‘back to growth,’ Kotick is on the Skydance board, and Aion 2 misses projections
Xbox is reportedly returning to growth, according to Xbox boss Asha Sharma. Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has joined the board of Skydance, the company formed from the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger. NCsoft's earnings forecast was lowered due to Aion 2's performance, while Necesse developer Fair Games was acquired by Fireshine Games. Additionally, Gardens Interactive, a studio founded by former Journey and Sky: Children of the Light developers, secured $35 million in Series B funding.
Strange Scaffold Saved This New Tactics Game From Cancellation
The narrative-driven tactics game Gods With Badges, originally canceled by Artificer, has been saved by developer Strange Scaffold. Strange Scaffold, known for El Paso, Elsewhere, is reinterpreting the project, which follows a disgraced police officer in a dystopian city. The game is set to release on PC in 2027 and will feature choice-driven conversations and turn-based combat.
Triple-I Initiative October 2026: Everything Announced At The Showcase
The Triple-I Initiative showcase featured a variety of new game announcements and updates, including Aftergods, Waltz and Jam, Among Us Story: On Guard, and Brotato: Primal Dread. Many of these titles are slated for release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with some also heading to Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms. Several games also have demos available on Steam.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed because EA demanded yearly releases from BioWare and pushed senior devs to Anthem, says…
Former BioWare lead Mark Darrah attributes the commercial failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to Electronic Arts' demand for yearly releases and the strain placed on senior developers by projects like Anthem. Darrah explained that constant deadline shifts and a lack of long-term project oversight prevented the team from adequately developing the game, leading to its muted reception.
Ex-PlayStation lead says too many devs are trying to make "the thing that they think is just going to hit"…
Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden believes many AAA developers are too focused on creating guaranteed hits rather than pursuing unique ideas, leading to safe, formulaic games. He criticizes the trend of chasing 'Fortnite money' with failed live service attempts and suggests that while artistic vision needs guidance, publishers are increasingly risk-averse.
RuneScape begins beta testing plugin support, Old School RuneScape breaks down its Fractured Archive raid
RuneScape has launched a beta test for direct plugin support on PC, allowing players to experiment with community-crafted modifications. Meanwhile, Old School RuneScape has detailed its upcoming Fractured Archive raid, including its mechanics, layout, and loot, alongside a new PvP NPC with challenges and rewards.
‘It’s Almost Not Worth Being Number Two’ – How Live-Service Turned Games Into a Battle Royale for the Top Spot
The live-service trend, while producing some successful games, has created a highly competitive environment that stifles developer creativity. This intense focus on achieving top-tier success has turned game development into a battle royale for market dominance.
"A creative idea can save more money than AI can right now" – Glen Schofield on his retirement, Callisto Protocol's development, and the state of AAA
Veteran developer Glen Schofield discusses his retirement from game development, citing frustrations with AAA development costs and management decisions at Krafton during The Callisto Protocol's creation. He expresses a preference for smaller teams and creative-driven projects, and sees potential in AI as a creative tool rather than just a cost-saving measure.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer was prototyped in the most unexpected way: as a board game covered in Post-It notes
Fuse Games, the developer behind the highly-rated Star Wars: Galactic Racer, revealed their unique prototyping method involved using a board game covered in Post-It notes to map out game systems. CEO Matt Webster and Creative Director Kieran Crimmin emphasized the speed and validation of ideas through this low-fidelity approach. The article also touches on the importance of testing game feel through playable prototypes.
Safe In Our World launches Four Billion Players campaign to make mental health support more accessible for gamers
The mental health charity Safe In Our World has launched the 'Four Billion Players' campaign, urging developers, publishers, and platforms to integrate mental health support directly into games. The initiative aims to make resources more accessible to the projected four billion gamers worldwide by 2029, with examples including splash screens, menu links, and in-game events.
Google and Unity unveil gen-AI game-making platforms, and demonstrate one of them with depressingly rubbish "dream game" Space Corridor
Google and Unity have announced new generative AI platforms, Playground and Unity Spark respectively, aimed at simplifying game creation through text prompts. While Playground is positioned as an entry-level tool, Unity Spark integrates with the existing Unity engine for more complex development. The announcement has been met with skepticism from some game developers who view these tools as potentially lowering the quality and creativity of game development.
Next Gears of War game won't "take nearly as long," The Coalition boss promises after 7 year wait between…
The Coalition studio head Mike Crump has stated that the next game in the Gears of War series will not take as long to develop as the seven years between Gears 5 and the recently released Gears of War: E-Day. Despite acknowledging recent layoffs at Microsoft, Crump emphasized focusing on shipping great games.
Gears Of War: E-Day is getting a sequel and it won’t take as long says Xbox
Xbox studio The Coalition is reportedly planning a sequel to Gears Of War: E-Day, with studio head Mike Crump stating it "will not take nearly as long" as previous entries. Despite the positive outlook for the franchise, the article highlights ongoing layoffs at Xbox and the recent dismissal of Gears Of War story director Juan Vaca, raising concerns about job security within the studio.
"Asking the AI to reproduce a game that has already been made does not make you Kojima," says Unity CEO…
Unity CEO Matt Bromberg stated that using generative AI tools like Unity Spark to quickly reproduce existing games does not equate to creative development. He emphasized that the process of creation is what defines a developer, not the shortcut of AI generation. While Spark aims to assist in prototyping, Bromberg cautioned against using it for 'one-shotting games,' suggesting it's more suited for beginners but carries risks of not learning fundamental problem-solving skills.
Gardens Interactive, founded by veterans behind Journey and Sky: Children of the Light, raise over $35m in Series B funding round
Gardens Interactive, a studio co-founded by veterans behind Journey and Sky: Children of the Light, has secured over $35 million in a Series B funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. This brings the company's total investment to over $70 million, with participation from several other venture capital firms and individual investors. The funds will support the development and ongoing evolution of their debut multiplayer game, Project Gardens, which focuses on social roleplay and player-driven worldbuilding.
Nier's Yoko Taro has achieved his development dreams. Now, he's working to stave off dementia
Developer Yoko Taro, known for Nier and Drakengard, stated at The Tenth Mosaic event that he has achieved his directorial dreams and is now working on games for dementia prevention. He views continued work as a way to maintain cognitive health, citing studies on job security's impact on cognitive aging, and contrasts this with the current instability in the videogame industry.
