Game Development
Ongoing coverage on Game Development.
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Bethesda’s Layoffs Were “Really Tough”, Lets It “Focus Best” On its Franchises, Says Todd Howard
Bethesda's Todd Howard described the company's recent layoffs as a difficult experience, stating that the studio will now focus on its core franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. He also expressed excitement about working with Obsidian Entertainment again on new Fallout projects, including remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, while confirming Fallout 5 remains a long-term goal. The article also touches on industry-wide layoffs affecting Xbox and its studios.
Grand Theft Auto 6 “Must Be Monstrous” in Size, Says Former Rockstar Producer
Former Rockstar producer John Ricchio believes Grand Theft Auto 6 will be "monstrous" in size and detail, building on the expansive worlds of previous titles like Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption. The article also touches on the game's reported $2 billion budget and significant pre-order campaign, with projections of high first-week sales upon its November 19th release for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
Fallout 5, Remasters and New Games Confirmed, But Can They Save Bethesda?
Bethesda has outlined its future game development plans, confirming Fallout 5 is in pre-production and remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are coming. The Elder Scrolls 6 remains the primary focus, with Starfield set to receive ongoing updates and new content. The studio also addressed recent layoffs and fan concerns about its direction.
Crimson Desert Finally Has Cross-Save, But Its Implementation Is Far From Seamless
Crimson Desert's latest update introduces a cross-save feature for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC, but its manual implementation and single save slot across platforms are criticized. The article highlights concerns about potential data loss, the inconvenience of manual uploads, and the lack of cross-buy for purchased entitlements, suggesting these issues detract from an otherwise promising feature.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Receiving Year-Long Support “Isn’t a Crazy Bet”, Says Director
Richard Knight, game director for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, stated that Ubisoft plans to support the remake with post-launch updates for at least a year, focusing on bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements. A New Game Plus mode is a top priority, with potential for DLC ideas to be explored later, though the original Freedom Cry expansion is unlikely to be included to maintain focus on Edward Kenway.
Halo Studios Doesn’t Have Any Other Projects in Full Development – Rumor
A rumor suggests that Halo Studios, formerly 343 Industries, has no other projects in full development beyond Halo: Campaign Evolved, with potential remakes of Halo 2 and 3 on shaky ground. While the studio is exploring DLC for Campaign Evolved to avoid a gap, other projects are in early exploration stages, amidst concerns of upcoming layoffs at Xbox.
Bethesda Director Todd Howard Says He Has No Plans to Retire Anytime Soon
Bethesda game director Todd Howard stated in an interview that he has no immediate plans for retirement, citing his passion for his work and colleagues as motivation. He also touched upon the recent layoffs at Bethesda, describing it as a difficult period for the company. Howard is currently leading development on The Elder Scrolls 6 and is involved with new Fallout projects, including remasters and Fallout 5.
Bungie’s Future Is Balanced On A Knife Edge – Can They Survive?
Bungie faces significant challenges following the departure of Joe Ziegler and the struggling launch of Marathon, which has seen dwindling player counts. With ongoing layoffs and no announced future projects, the studio's future appears uncertain.
Marathon Game Director Joe Ziegler Leaves Bungie Four Months After Launch
Joe Ziegler has stepped down as the game director for Bungie's Marathon, just four months after its launch. Del Chafe III will assume the role of game director, with assurances that the game's development will continue despite recent studio layoffs.
Cliff Bleszinski says ego played a role in LawBreakers' failure: 'People are loyal to the game, but…
Cliff Bleszinski, co-founder of Boss Key Studios, attributes the commercial failure of LawBreakers to his own ego and a desire to make it 'his' show, rather than leveraging experienced collaborators like Rod Fergusson. He also cited issues with the publishing deal with Nexon, where the publisher lacked sufficient incentive due to favorable terms for Boss Key, and other contributing factors such as art direction, platform strategy, and personal struggles.
Cliff Bleszinski on Boss Key's Failure and a Possible Gaming Comeback
In a conversation titled 'Cliff Bleszinski Knows What Went Wrong on Level 80,' Cliff Bleszinski reflects on the failures of his studio, Boss Key Productions, and discusses his past experiences in game development, including his work on Unreal. He also touches upon a potential comeback to the gaming industry.
Roadmaps and Plans
CCP Games provided an update on the future of force projection in EVE Online, while Valve offered a brief 'proof of life' regarding an update for Team Fortress 2's Mann vs. Machine mode. Both updates indicate ongoing development for these long-standing titles.
Whatever happened to Unleashed Games’ cooperative-focused MMORPG Haven?
Developer Unleashed Games, comprised of industry veterans, is facing financial difficulties in securing publisher funding for its cooperative MMORPG, Haven. The studio has experienced a lack of communication and a shift in livestream broadcasts, leading to concerns about the game's future. The team is currently reassessing their project and plans to provide an update soon.
"It creates lesser games": Indie game studios are supposed to love generative AI, so why do the 25 devs I…
Many indie game developers express strong aversion to using generative AI, viewing it as a threat to their reputation, a trap for new developers, a legal hazard, or simply impractical. They emphasize the value of human ingenuity and the creative process, arguing that AI-generated content leads to lesser, soulless games and could harm the industry by automating junior roles and prioritizing short-term profit over artistic integrity.
Call of Duty movie will be set in the Modern Warfare universe
The upcoming Call of Duty movie will be set in the Modern Warfare universe, as confirmed by director Peter Berg. Activision producer Rob Kostich emphasized the importance of authenticity and epic scope for the film, which is slated for a June 30, 2028 release. In other news, Marathon director Joe Ziegler has departed Bungie, passing leadership to Del Chafe III and Julia Nardin amidst ongoing studio layoffs and legal disputes.
Pantheon Rise of the Fallen’s weekly dev report is a cornucopia of more tuning, tweaking, and polishing
Visionary Realms provided a weekly development update for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, detailing ongoing efforts in tuning, tweaking, and polishing the early access sandbox. The report highlights final passes on NPCs, optimization work on water, collision, and lighting, creature optimizations, server process revisions for scalability, and progress on Ranger's mastery.
Marathon director Joe Ziegler leaves Bungie just four months after launch
Joe Ziegler, the director of Bungie's upcoming game Marathon, has departed the studio after three and a half years. He announced his last day was July 17th and that he is passing the game director role to Del Chafe III and Julia Nardin. This news comes amidst ongoing controversy for Bungie, including recent layoffs affecting hundreds of employees across multiple teams.
God of War Laufey star Deborah Ann Woll isn't phased by the negative reactions to its announcement: 'I feel…
Actress Deborah Ann Woll, who voices Laufey in the upcoming God of War Laufey, is unfazed by negative online reactions to the game's female protagonist. Woll stated she is not bothered by the criticism, believing the game is good regardless of personal preference. The article also speculates on the game's potential PC release, given Sony's recent shift towards PlayStation exclusivity.
Final Fantasy 10 leaned into the fantasy genre after devs "learned that The Lord of the Rings was in production" and thought it would be "the next big global trend"
Final Fantasy 10's developers shifted from a sci-fi direction to a fantasy setting after learning about the production of The Lord of the Rings films, anticipating fantasy would become a major trend. This decision aligned with the game's 2001 release, shortly before The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone hit theaters. While the game embraced fantasy, some sci-fi elements remained, influenced by a desire for Eastern-inspired fantasy rather than medieval European settings.
After GTA San Andreas' Hot Coffee debacle, Rockstar makes a "huge effort" to wipe anything cut from its game to avoid accidentally shipping it, ex-dev says
A former Rockstar Games producer revealed that the studio now makes a significant effort to remove all cut content from game files to prevent accidental shipping, a practice implemented after the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 'Hot Coffee' scandal. This scandal involved a hidden, explicit minigame that was discovered by players, leading to legal backlash and a reissued version of the game without the content.
