Topic: game development
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Why Donkey Kong Bananza Couldn't Run on Switch 1
Donkey Kong Bananza was moved from the original Nintendo Switch to the Switch 2 due to severe performance limitations, which prevented it from achieving its intended quality and highlighted the technical leap between the systems. The game's expansive stage designs and dynamic voxel-based terrain,...
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Fable PS5's Cutscenes Inspired by Classic TV Comedies
The upcoming Fable reboot is heavily inspired by iconic British TV comedies like *The Office*, aiming to infuse the game with a distinct, witty, and universally appealing comedic tone. A key narrative technique borrowed is the mockumentary-style interview, which will allow characters to directly ...
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RE9 Director Explains How It Avoids RE6's Mistakes
Resident Evil 9 (*Requiem*) is designed to blend two distinct gameplay styles into a cohesive whole, directly addressing past criticisms of the divisive *Resident Evil 6* structure. The game features dual protagonists: Grace's campaign follows a survival horror style like *RE2 Remake*, while Leon...
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Witchfire's Creative Director on Small Teams and Clair Obscur's Brilliance
Witchfire, a dark fantasy shooter, is nearing full release after a nine-year development cycle that began following a pivot from a sci-fi concept to a "shooting demons" premise. The game's successful Early Access, selling over 500,000 copies, is attributed to its compelling "Dark Souls with guns"...
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Krafton Hunts for Its Next Hit After PUBG
Krafton is developing 26 new games to build franchises beyond *PUBG*, with a dozen slated for release within two years, including *Subnautica 2* and a mobile *Palworld*. The company plans to expand the *PUBG* universe with enhanced user-generated content tools, while the original game remains a t...
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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4's Plan to Reignite the RTS
King Art Games is developing a new *Dawn of War* game, aiming to reignite the franchise for both dedicated fans and newcomers by serving as a fresh entry point to the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The studio chose to return to the classic base-building RTS roots of the original *Dawn of War 1*, with...
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Nintendo Reveals Metroid Prime 4's Origin and Development Hurdles
The game's development began with a request from Nintendo of America and involved a complete reboot and team restructuring, significantly extending its timeline after the 2017 announcement. A major challenge was building Retro Studios' development team and workflow from scratch, while also carefu...
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Why Metroid Prime 4 Isn't Open-World, According to Nintendo
Nintendo deliberately avoided a fully open-world design for *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond* to preserve the series' core identity of progressive exploration, which conflicts with the unrestricted freedom of modern open-world games. The development team created a central hub area connecting to distinct ...
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Top GamesIndustry.biz Features of 2025: Year in Review
The year featured in-depth developer interviews and analysis of major game releases, highlighting development philosophies, strategic delays, and studio responses to industry trends. Significant industry events and corporate moves were covered, including major acquisitions, policy changes, and in...
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007 First Light Release Date Shaken Up
The release of the video game **007 First Light** has been officially delayed to allow for additional polish and refinement, aiming to meet high-quality standards. The core game is fully playable, and the extra time will be used to enhance features like action sequences, espionage, and gadgets fo...
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AI's 2025 Impact: Gamers and Developers Divided
Generative AI has become a dominant and divisive force in the video game industry by 2025, with major studios championing it for efficiency while many developers and players strongly oppose it. The adoption is driven by competitive pressure and financial incentives, but current AI tools often pro...
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Elder Scrolls 6 Devs Taking Time, Praise GTA 6 Delay
Bethesda is prioritizing quality over speed for *The Elder Scrolls 6*, with no release date in sight, and developers have openly praised Rockstar's similar patient approach with *GTA VI*. Studio leadership is excited about the game's technological potential, citing modern tools that enable a sign...
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The Elder Scrolls 6: Bethesda Shares New Development Update
Bethesda has provided a new development update on The Elder Scrolls VI, with the team energized by the technological potential available since Skyrim. Studio leadership expressed enthusiasm for the project's progress, highlighting the evolution in gaming hardware and their commitment to a hig...
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Slay the Spire 2 Exists Because of a 50/50 Coin Flip
The development of *Slay the Spire 2* was decided by a literal coin toss between the co-founders, choosing it over a new, different game. This chance-based decision reflects the game's own themes of probability and underscores the unpredictable nature of game development. The sequel is scheduled ...
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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Credits Reveal Major Devs Like Next Level Games
The development of *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond* was a major collaborative effort led by Retro Studios, involving numerous external partners like Next Level Games to ensure a premium experience for the Nintendo Switch 2. A large roster of supporting studios contributed specialized skills across art, ...
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Sweet Surrender: Our PlayStation VR2 Review & Verdict
The PS VR2 port of Sweet Surrender was technically successful but a commercial failure, selling only about 330 units in its first month despite a smooth launch and positive reception from influencers. Key strategic errors included poor timing in a crowded holiday release window, an outdated $25 p...
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Hollow Knight: Silksong Development Confirmed, Details Remain Secret
Team Cherry has confirmed that additional content for Hollow Knight: Silksong is in production, though details on its nature and release schedule are not yet disclosed. The developers are exploring both planned content and their own ideas for expansions, emphasizing the need for polish and creati...
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Remembering Rebecca Heineman: Legendary Game Designer & Trailblazer
Rebecca Heineman, a pioneering figure in video games, passed away at 62 after a brief battle with lung cancer, leaving a legacy that includes co-founding Interplay Entertainment and contributing to iconic titles like Fallout. Her career began after winning the first National Space Invaders Champi...
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Planet Centauri Devs Say Game is 'Cursed' After New Steam Bug
Planet Centauri's 1.0 launch was hindered by a Steam bug that blocked release notifications to wishlisters, reducing its initial visibility significantly. Valve offered a Daily Deal to compensate, but it coincided with Valve's major hardware announcement, which overshadowed the promotion and led ...
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Yoko Taro Reveals His Games Keep Getting Canceled
Yoko Taro's recent projects include the mobile game 404 Game Re:set and the Voice of Cards trilogy, but fans are awaiting a new non-gacha Nier title. Taro revealed at G-CON 2025 that multiple projects he worked on were canceled during development, explaining his apparent absence from releases. He...
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Deep Rock Galactic Devs Feel the Heat From 2023's Multiplayer Hits
Ghost Ship Games faces a competitive multiplayer market as it develops its next project, Rogue Core, with player attention divided among many new and established titles. The director notes the market has become saturated with strong co-op competitors since Deep Rock Galactic's 2018 launch, making...
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Todd Howard: The Elder Scrolls 6 Still "A Long Way Off"
Bethesda's Todd Howard confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still far from release, urging fans to be patient despite ongoing development. The long gap since Skyrim is due to Bethesda focusing on other projects like Fallout 4 and Starfield, which served as a creative reset for the team. Howard p...
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Nintendo's 2-Year Race to Finish Metroid Prime 2
The development of *Metroid Prime 2: Echoes* was a two-year sprint under intense pressure, with Retro Studios pushing for a full standalone sequel instead of a shorter multiplayer-focused version. To meet the aggressive deadline, the team used real-time translation methods and rapid on-the-spot d...
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BioWare Shifts Full Focus to Next Mass Effect Game
BioWare has fully dedicated its development team to the next Mass Effect game, emphasizing a strong commitment to the franchise and focusing on building a vast universe with new features and romances. The studio confirmed the game is in active development and addressed rumors by reaffirming EA an...
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Bioware Confirms New Mass Effect Still in Development
Bioware has confirmed the next Mass Effect game is in active development, with the team focused on expanding the universe through new adventures, features, and character relationships. The announcement comes amid studio uncertainty, including potential acquisition of parent company EA, making the...
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Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen Lands Major Funding Boost
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen has secured a seven-figure investment to accelerate development and expand the team, marking a pivotal moment after over a decade of effort. The funding, from backers who support the studio's vision, will allow Visionary Realms to hire more staff and enable team membe...
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Xbox's Legendary RPG Gets Major Update With New Game Mode
A major update for *Pillars of Eternity* introduces a turn-based combat mode nearly a decade after its original launch, now in public beta on Steam and PC via Xbox. The new mode features key improvements like Unbound Turns based on character speed, Smarter Free Actions for strategic flexibility, ...
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Leaked Screenshots Reveal Canceled God of War PS5 Game
Leaked screenshots reveal a canceled live-service God of War game by Bluepoint Games, which would have returned to Greek mythology and featured multiplayer on PlayStation 5. Sony canceled this project and another from Bend Studio as part of a strategic reassessment of its live-service approach, d...
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Stormind Games Secures Funding for New Game Projects
Stormind Games has secured new investment to fund the development of several new game titles, strengthening its position in the global gaming market. A significant part of the funding will support a project based on a major Hollywood IP, building on the studio's recent work on "A Quiet Place: The...
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Metroid Prime Producer Reveals Creative Tensions With Retro Studios
The development of *Metroid Prime* was a collaborative effort between Nintendo and Retro Studios, blending Japanese and Western philosophies to transition the series into a 3D first-person adventure, despite creative clashes and a clear hierarchy with Nintendo having final approval. Key conflicts...
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Marathon's Playtest Was a "Great A/B Test," Says Arc Raiders Director
The simultaneous playtests of Marathon and Arc Raiders provided an unplanned A/B testing scenario, allowing the Arc Raiders team to compare design choices and player reactions within the same genre. This comparative analysis helped the Arc Raiders developers gain insights into player preferences ...
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Spellcasters Chronicles: Quantic Dream's Risky Gamble After Star Wars Eclipse
Quantic Dream is shifting from its signature narrative-driven single-player games to the competitive multiplayer arena with *Spellcasters Chronicles*, a free-to-play 3v3 game focused on strategic spellcasting and team-based combat. The game emphasizes innovation with features like unrestricted fl...
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Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2: What Critics Are Saying
After a troubled development, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has launched with deeply divisive reviews, ranging from 4/10 to 8/10, reflecting its complex journey and split player reception. The game excels in its compelling narrative, well-realized characters, and immersive atmosphere, dr...
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Lost Pokemon Legends: Ho-Oh and Lugia Details Uncovered
The original sequel to Pokémon Legends: Arceus was planned as "Pokémon Legends: Ho-Oh and Lugia," set in Johto and focusing on the origins of Pokémon Trainers, but was changed to the Kalos-based Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Leaked details for the scrapped game included a new PokéRide system allowing mov...
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Heart Machine Announces Staff Layoffs at LA Indie Studio
Heart Machine has laid off a significant portion of its workforce and is winding down development on its early access game, Hyper Light Breaker, citing uncontrollable industry challenges like funding shifts and market uncertainty. The layoffs follow the game's mixed reception on Steam and a previ...
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Everwild Screenshots Leak, Revealing UI and Gameplay
Everwild, an ambitious multiplayer game announced by Rare in 2019, faced significant development challenges and leadership changes before being canceled in 2024 after nearly a decade in development. Recently leaked development screenshots revealed the game's user interface and features, including...
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Nine Sols May Contain a Hidden Game
Players have discovered a hidden horror game within Nine Sols, accessible via a Steam beta code, as part of an alternate reality game hinting at the developer's return to horror roots. The hidden game is a short, first-person horror adventure named "yuukimindscape," focused on rescuing a characte...
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New Lord of the Rings Game Reportedly Rivals Hogwarts Legacy
A new third-person action game set in The Lord of the Rings universe is in development, aiming to compete with the success of Hogwarts Legacy. The project is backed by $100 million in funding from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and involves Embracer Group and developer Revenge. This initiative i...
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Brotato's Post-Launch Development Now Handled by Evil Empire
Evil Empire, known for their work on *Dead Cells*, has taken over the post-launch development of *Brotato*, the popular roguelike shooter originally created by Blobfish, which has attracted over ten million players since its 2023 release. The first major content update is scheduled for October, i...
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Former WoW Lead Designer Unveils New Multiplayer Game
Bonfire Studios, led by former Blizzard executive Rob Pardo, has announced its debut game Arkheron, a team-based multiplayer action RPG with a competitive structure. The game features 15 teams of three players racing up a tower, collecting loot and abilities for real-time strategy and customizati...
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Ripple Effect on Building Battlefield 6 & Lessons from Battlefield 2042
The latest Battlefield title is developed through a multi-studio collaboration, focusing on console optimization, anti-cheat measures, and learning from past entries to revitalize the series. Players on PlayStation 5 can choose between Performance Mode for higher frame rates and Fidelity Mode for...
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Omani Designer's Viral 1900s Gulf Video Game: Self-Taught via YouTube
He’s not looking to hand over control of his creation to big studios or corporations. Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons? From breaking celeb news to making stars spill ...
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Double Fine Focuses on New IPs, Not Brutal Legend or Psychonauts Sequels
Double Fine Productions is developing multiple original IPs, with no immediate plans for sequels to existing franchises like *Psychonauts* or *Brutal Legend*. Studio head Tim Schafer is personally involved in new projects, focusing on fresh concepts and untold stories rather than revisiting past ...
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Battlefield 6: Will EA's Big Bet Succeed?
Battlefield 6 is EA's strategic attempt to challenge Call of Duty's dominance, backed by record pre-launch excitement but involving a major financial gamble with high development costs. The game is being developed collaboratively by four studios and aims to recover from the poorly received Battle...
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Fahy Studios Secures $1.75M to Launch Global Games from Saudi Arabia
Fahy Studios raised $1.75 million in funding to accelerate development of hybrid-casual mobile games from Saudi Arabia. The studio is actively developing titles including RAWR, Footy Traps, and Heist Party, focusing on engaging gameplay with depth. This investment supports Saudi Arabia's growing ...
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Fortnite Now Supports Unity Games
Epic Games and Unity are partnering to allow Unity-built games to be published directly within Fortnite, expanding its content library and transforming it into a broader platform. The collaboration aims to foster an open metaverse, enabling interoperability and providing developers, especially sm...
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Valve Eases AI Content Rules on Steam
Valve now requires developers to disclose if AI is used to create final in-game content like assets, narrative, or sound, or if it dynamically generates content during gameplay. The policy no longer mandates disclosure for AI tools used for "efficiency gains" in standard development pipelines, fo...
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Why Wyll's Arc in Baldur's Gate 3 Fell Short: A Writer Explains
Wyll Ravengard's story in Baldur's Gate 3 is considered underdeveloped compared to other companions, a perception reinforced by post-launch updates that gave his conclusions less attention. A developer acknowledged that Wyll's narrative became sparse due to a late restart, split focus between two...
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Xbox's Towerborne Ditches Free-to-Play for Paid Model
Towerborne is shifting from a free-to-play to a paid model, offering a complete, offline-playable game at launch for a one-time purchase price. The change was driven by player feedback, leading to a major overhaul to remove live-service elements like constant monetization and pay-to-win mechanics...
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Level-5 Boss: GenAI Is a Tool, Like a Knife in Game Dev
Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino views generative AI as a tool to accelerate game development, not replace human creativity, potentially shortening AAA production cycles from a decade to a few years. Hino clarified that reports of AI writing 80% of a game's code were inaccurate, noting such a feat is not...
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