Game Development
Ongoing coverage on Game Development.
Latest coverage
Report: FIFA World Cup developer Refactor Games shuttered by Delphi Interactive
Refactor Games, the developer behind FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, has reportedly been shuttered by its part-owner Delphi Interactive shortly after the game's release on Netflix Games. Multiple former employees confirmed the studio closure, citing a sudden pull of funding from the parent company. The exact number of impacted individuals is currently unclear.
Roadmaps and Plans
This article provides updates on several games, including map reworks for Overwatch in the OWCS MSC 2026 season, a Q&A with the director and producer of Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, and planned changes for EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Team. It covers various aspects of game development roadmaps and future plans.
Morning Postmortems/Retrospectives
This article analyzes Tencent's unsuccessful attempt to compete with the Grand Theft Auto franchise. It delves into the business strategies and game development challenges faced by Tencent in this endeavor.
New Nintendo Direct tomorrow but Zelda fans should get ready for disappointment
Nintendo has announced a new Nintendo Direct focused on Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, airing tomorrow, August 4th. Fans hoping for news on the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will likely be disappointed, as it is not expected to be featured. The article speculates release windows for Ocarina of Time and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, suggesting a dedicated Zelda Direct might occur in late October.
Rapport: Tencents storsatsning Last Sentinel är i dåligt skick
Tencent's ambitious open-world cyberpunk game, Last Sentinel, developed by Lightspeed Studios, is reportedly in poor condition. Internal testing revealed the game was not fun, leading to missed deadlines and budget overruns. While Tencent states the project is not canceled but has shifted direction, 80 employees have been laid off.
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPG studio’s reputation has changed most dramatically over time?
This article discusses how the reputations of MMORPG studios like NCsoft and Blizzard Entertainment have changed dramatically over time. It highlights how studios can recover from past missteps through actions like reviving games or developing successful franchises, while others squander initial goodwill.
Miyamoto talks the origins of Mario’s famous dash mechanic
Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Mario's iconic dash mechanic, used to clear gaps at speed, originated as a coding bug. This unintended feature resulted from flawed collision detection in the early development of the Super Mario series.
FF7 Remake director had to tell his team to 'be reasonable' because they got too excited about the FF14 crossover: 'That would be putting the cart before the horse'
Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi discussed the excitement surrounding a potential crossover with Final Fantasy 14, emphasizing the need for his team to remain realistic about development bandwidth. Both Hamaguchi and Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki Yoshida had to temper their teams' enthusiasm to ensure that development on the MMO's patches was not impacted.
MMO Week in Review: I want to believe
This week's MMO news roundup covers updates and announcements for numerous titles including Stars Reach, EverQuest Legends, Elder Scrolls Online, and Final Fantasy XIV. Key stories include Stars Reach's official early access date, Elder Scrolls Online's post-layoff roadmap, and Guild Wars 3 revealing its composers. The article also touches on game development, business practices, and player sentiment across various MMORPGs.
Last Sentinel Spent 6 Years and “Hundreds of Millions” to Compete With GTA and Failed – Rumor
Lightspeed LA's ambitious open-world cyberpunk game, Last Sentinel, has reportedly been in development for six years with a budget in the hundreds of millions, aiming to compete with Grand Theft Auto. Despite features like an elaborate story and destructible environments, the project has suffered from staff turnover, unclear creative vision, negative internal playtest feedback, and significant layoffs. Tencent has expressed dissatisfaction, leading to a drastic change in the game's direction, with its eventual release uncertain.
Silent Hill Producer Says Konami Couldn’t Simply Test the Waters With More Remakes
Konami producer Motoi Okamoto believes that releasing new Silent Hill titles like Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall alongside Silent Hill 2 Remake was crucial for the franchise's revival. He argued that focusing solely on remakes would not have been enough to re-engage fans or attract new players, emphasizing Konami's commitment to the series' future.
Owlcat co-founder says the studio won't turn its back on hardcore RPGs as it hits 600 employees and preps its own…
Owlcat Games, now with 600 employees, reaffirms its commitment to developing hardcore CRPGs, according to co-founder Alexander Mishulin. The studio plans to explore new approaches within the genre while working on multiple projects, including Warhammer 40,000: Darktide and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain's AI slop music video is terrible for us all
The article criticizes ShiftUp's use of AI-generated music and video for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, calling it detrimental to the game's artistic integrity and the broader gaming industry. CEO Kim Hyung Tae's pro-AI stance is highlighted, contrasting with the company's previous success with human-created music in Nikke: Goddess of Victory. The author expresses concern that normalizing such practices could lead to a future of soulless, mass-produced games.
Capcom dev got his dream Zelda game by threatening Shigeru Miyamoto: "If Nintendo's not up for it, we'll release an identical game with different characters and just call it something else"
Former Capcom producer Yoshiki Okamoto threatened Shigeru Miyamoto with releasing an "identical game with different characters" if Nintendo did not allow his team to develop a remake of the original Legend of Zelda for Game Boy Color. This threat led to negotiations, ultimately resulting in the development of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages by Capcom's Flagship team.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake boss wanted to make sure its crossover with Final Fantasy 14 didn't derail the MMO's…
Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi discussed the upcoming crossover with Final Fantasy 14, emphasizing the need to balance excitement with the MMO's release schedule. Hamaguchi and Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida worked to ensure the collaboration did not impact the MMO's patch cadence, with original writer Kazushige Nojima also involved in the project.
SpiritVale opens a PTR to test item trading, guild storage, and its still-broken auction house
Indie MMORPG SpiritVale has opened a public test realm to allow players to test features like item trading, guild storage, and the auction house. The game's developers at Baikun Interactive are using the PTR to gather feedback and ensure more stable updates for the live servers. Despite ongoing issues with the auction house and bugs, the game's Ragnarok Online-like gameplay is noted, though player concurrency has seen a decline since its early access launch.
One of Kerbal Space Program's biggest inspirations was a promotional Flash game for Top Gear: 'That was the most similar game to KSP that I could find back then'
Felipe Falanghe, the creator of Kerbal Space Program, discusses his gaming history and inspirations, including Flight Simulator 4 and a promotional Flash game for Top Gear. He shares his current playtime with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and BattleBit, and his enduring love for Flight Simulator and Fragile Allegiance. Falanghe also touches on his journey into game development and the initial unambitious scope of Kerbal Space Program.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33's studio is a manor that looks just like the one in the RPG, but it was a pure coincidence: "It shouldn't feel like coming to an office"
Sandfall Interactive, the developer behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, coincidentally found an office space in a manor that closely resembles the one in their game. Creative director Guillaume Broche stated their philosophy was to create a warm, house-like environment rather than a traditional office. The team values their current, smaller space to maintain an independent spirit and foster close communication.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book developers talk about enhanced power of Switch 2
Developers of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book discussed the advantages of developing for the Nintendo Switch 2, noting its enhanced power compared to the original Nintendo Switch. Senior producer Etsunobu Ebisu, director Masahiro Yamamoto, and producer Hisashi Nogami shared insights into the development process with Nintendo Dream.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director says each character in the RPG only has 4 jobs because making games is so much…
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi stated that each character will have four distinct jobs, a decision influenced by the increasing difficulty of game development. He contrasted this with earlier Final Fantasy titles like Final Fantasy 5, which featured over 20 jobs, noting that modern games require bespoke animations for each character, making such extensive systems unfeasible for standalone titles.
