Game Development
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Före detta Starfield-utvecklare: "Det lär inte bli något Starfield 2"
Former lead systems designer for Starfield, Kurt Kuhlman, believes a sequel is unlikely due to the first game's insufficient sales. He suggests that while a Starfield 2 could have better realized Todd Howard's vision, the current game doesn't quite match that potential.
Bethesda is Too Protective of The Elder Scrolls to Allow New Vegas-Style Spinoffs, Says Skyrim Co-Lead
Former Skyrim co-lead Kurt Kuhlmann stated that Bethesda is highly protective of The Elder Scrolls franchise, preventing the creation of New Vegas-style spinoffs. This contrasts with the Fallout series, where Obsidian Entertainment developed Fallout: New Vegas. While Todd Howard is protective, The Elder Scrolls Online has helped alleviate pressure, and anticipation for The Elder Scrolls 6 remains high, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma praising an early build.
Bungie’s Payback Was Going to be a Sandbox Game – Rumor
A report indicates that Bungie was developing a Destiny spin-off called Payback, intended as a hero-centric sandbox game with open-world exploration and puzzle-solving elements. Led by Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy, the project was reportedly canceled in Summer 2024 due to concerns about Destiny 2's aging player base and poor onboarding. Despite the cancellation, Bungie has recently announced plans to bring back vaulted Destiny 2 content and is continuing development on its extraction shooter, Marathon.
Experimental RPG developer Summer Eternal: 'We're giving away 5% of our studio to you, the Players' in order to 'mend the trust broken in this industry a thousand times over'
RPG developer Summer Eternal, co-founded by ex-ZA/UM designers, is implementing a radical governance model that gives players 5% of studio ownership and profit sharing. This initiative aims to rebuild trust in the industry by making players stakeholders in the studio's direction and investments, rather than just consumers. Their first product, 'The Summer Eternal Anthology Vol. 1,' includes essays and a preview of their upcoming game, 'Project Red Rooster.'
Ubisoft Almost Made a Zelda Game With Ganondorf as the Protagonist
Ubisoft Milan reportedly pitched a Legend of Zelda game to Nintendo that would have featured Ganondorf as the protagonist in a new universe. The concept ultimately fell through, becoming a significant 'what-if' scenario in gaming history.
Wild Arms spiritual successor Armed Fantasia, which was planned for Nintendo platforms, has been cancelled
The JRPG Armed Fantasia, a spiritual successor to Wild Arms that was funded via Kickstarter and planned for Nintendo platforms, has been officially cancelled by publisher 505 Games and its parent company Digital Bros. The decision was made after multiple attempts to revise the game's gameplay, citing changing market conditions and additional investment requirements. This cancellation resulted in a non-cash asset impairment of Euro 18.7 million for Digital Bros.
Nintendo and Ubisoft partnered for a Zelda game that was eventually canned
Ubisoft Milan pitched a cancelled game to Nintendo set in The Legend of Zelda universe, tentatively titled Project Goliath. Nintendo expressed interest but requested the game star Ganondorf instead of an unknown protagonist, a change that ultimately did not lead to the game's development.
Halo Studios Was “Years Away” From Shipping A New Halo Game
343 Industries has been demoted to supporting existing Halo titles, with Activision now reportedly preparing a new installment in the franchise. This shift raises concerns about the future direction and development of new Halo games, as the studio was reportedly years away from shipping a new title.
Rumor: Mario + Rabbids dev pitched Zelda spin-off to Nintendo featuring Ganondorf
Ubisoft Milan, the developer behind Mario + Rabbids, reportedly pitched a Legend of Zelda spin-off starring Ganondorf to Nintendo in 2022. Despite developing a prototype, Nintendo rejected the project in late 2023, leading to the dissolution of the team and the departure of key personnel.
PC Gamer's Hyperfeed beta is live
PC Gamer has launched a beta version of its new homepage, the Hyperfeed, designed to offer a richer experience and adapt to changes in the online publishing ecosystem, particularly the impact of AI integration. The Hyperfeed will feature short, ephemeral posts covering microscopic details in PC games and hardware, alongside traditional articles, aiming for more timely and authentic coverage.
The Rogue Prince of Persia won’t be getting any additional updates
Evil Empire has announced that the Anniversary Update will be the final update for The Rogue Prince of Persia, marking the end of its development. The studio expressed gratitude to the over one million players who supported the game, their first project. Separately, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was offered as a limited-time free trial to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
Inside Xbox, "the only concrete thing they have communicated is they want higher profits, and they want it…
An id Software employee reports that ongoing layoffs at Xbox are exacerbating management chaos and making it difficult to meet Microsoft's high profit expectations. Despite corporate communication about a business 'reset,' the employee states the only clear goal is immediate profit increases, leading to low morale and unrealistic goals for game development.
"It genuinely breaks my heart"- Confusion and frustration reign as gaming communities react to Xbox's drastic restructuring this week
Xbox has undergone a significant restructuring this week, leading to widespread layoffs and the impending closure of Ninja Theory. Studios like Obsidian Entertainment, Rare, and World's Edge have been re-assigned to different publishing arms within Xbox's ecosystem, causing confusion and frustration among players and developers regarding future game development and monetization strategies.
"We don't have an excuse": Control Resonant day-1 patch fixes major issues, but causes a bigger headache for PC players who now have to reinstall the whole 92 GB game
Remedy released a day-one patch for Control Resonant to fix gameplay issues, but it caused a major problem for PC players on Steam who were forced to re-download the entire 92 GB game. The developer apologized for the oversight, acknowledging they had no excuse for the inconvenience caused to players who had pre-loaded the title.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 Is Still Alive, and Just Added an Assassin's Creed Shadows Writer
Beyond Good & Evil 2 is still in active development, with the team recently adding a writer who previously worked on Assassin's Creed Shadows. This news indicates continued progress on the long-awaited title.
It's 24 years since Xbox bought Rare and things have only got worse for everyone
This article analyzes the 24th anniversary of Microsoft's acquisition of Rare, arguing it was an ominous sign for Xbox's current struggles. The piece details Rare's history, its shift from Nintendo exclusivity to Xbox, and the subsequent decline in quality and sales, culminating in its current state under Activision and focus on Sea of Thieves.
Stranger Than Heaven Studio Made The Tupac Resurrection Less Weird By Not Using AI
RGG Studio's upcoming game, Stranger Than Heaven, will feature the likeness of the late rapper Tupac Shakur as the character Amaru. The studio confirmed that traditional research methods and archival footage were used, explicitly stating that no artificial intelligence technology was employed to create the character, aiming to treat Shakur's legacy with respect. Snoop Dogg also appears in the game as the character Orpheus.
Stellar Blade director confesses his love for Bayonetta with Platinum Games
Stellar Blade director Kim Hyung-tae and PlatinumGames CEO Atsushi Inaba shared their admiration for the Bayonetta franchise in an interview with Famitsu. Kim Hyung-tae expressed his deep appreciation for the series, which clearly touched Inaba.
Subscriptions: The Gaming Industry Business Model of the Future
Subscription services like Microsoft's Game Pass have fundamentally changed the gaming industry by shifting the model from ownership to access. This provides players with greater affordability and choice, while also offering developers and publishers new avenues for reaching audiences and extending game lifecycles. However, increasing competition and subscription fatigue may force platforms to innovate further to retain users.
Bethesda say new underlings Obsidian will retain their "distinct" creative identity, despite no longer being as free to work on their own creatively distinct series
Bethesda's Jill Braff announced that Obsidian Entertainment will now report to Bethesda, impacting its creative independence. While Braff claims Obsidian's distinct identity will remain, the article argues this structural change, especially with Obsidian working on a new Fallout project, will likely dilute their ability to create original series like The Outer Worlds or Pentiment.
