Game Development Essentials

07/21/2025

Apple is removing the 2016 indie visual novel Wheels of Aurelia from the App Store on July 25 due to infrequent updates – despite developer Santa Ragione’s protests that the game remains fully functional and that its delisting undermines artistic preservation.

– Kotaku’s Ethan Gach

Indie adventure Wheels of Aurelia is being delisted 'without justification'

07/17/2025

On Game Rant, check out Matthew Whitehurts’s roundup of 10 games that transcend traditional genre definitions by blending established mechanics, introducing novel concepts – or subverting player expectations.

Game genres bring with them a set of expectations that players go in with, and when games subvert those expectations, they often become classics.

07/15/2025

Driven by his ambition to create an immersive sim, Warren Spector was initially going to make Deus Ex a “Command & Conquer RPG” … before John Romero’s intervention, that is.

– Rick Lane on PC Gamer

PC gaming history could have been very different.

07/10/2025

Blake Simons interviews adventure game designer Charles Cecil about his work on Broken Sword Reforged – a tweaked edition of the original game that addresses narrative inconsistencies and outdated character depictions.

– BFI (British Film Institute)

The celebrated British game designer has gone back to his globe-trotting conspiracy game Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars for a new tweaked edition. He tells us what’s changed, and why there are crucial differences between film and game storytelling.

07/09/2025

Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen spoke with the BBC’s Ben Morris about the urgent need for mobile game reinvention and creative risk-taking – citing rising development costs and the industry’s reliance on older titles.

The boss of mobile gaming giant Supercell says the industry needs to take bigger risks to compete.

07/08/2025

Novy knows roguelikes. This is a sample of some of the incredible titles we've worked on since 2011! To learn more about how Novy can support your game – reg...

07/08/2025

Happy National Video Game Day! 🎮

What are you playing today?

07/04/2025

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July! How are you celebrating? 🎉

07/03/2025

On IGN, Verity Townsend reports on ITmedia ビジネスオンライン’s interview with Masahiro Sakurai (creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros.), who believes that the current AAA game development model is “unsustainable” due to its scale and complexity – suggesting that generative AI is the most effective breakthrough to improve efficiency and help companies survive.

Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has discussed his working style, the changing industry, and "unsustainable" AAA development.

07/01/2025

Nintendo Pictures provided CG animation and motion capture for Sony’s PlayStation 5 exclusive Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The Japanese animation studio (formerly known as Dynamo Pictures) was acquired by Nintendo in 2022.

– GameSpot’s Eddie Makuch

Sony's newest PS5 exclusive was made possible in part thanks to a company owned by Nintendo.

06/26/2025

On the Unity blog, Emily Raine talks with Psycasso lead developer Benjamin Lavender (Omni Digital Technologies) about the “playfully gory” 2D pixel retro-inspired open-world game where players embody a serial killer – creating and selling “masterpieces” painted with victims’ blood.

The team behind pixel art horror game Psycasso® describes how they approached 2D lighting and shadows.

06/24/2025

From humble 16-bit beginnings on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive to a stunning next-gen original on 3DO and multiple sequels, Road Rash has left a mark on gaming like few franchises before and after it. Digital Foundry ’s DF Retro feature-length documentary is a loving trip down memory lane – snaking through twisty portable ports to the almighty 32-bit/64-bit console generations and beyond. John Linneman has done justice to EA - Electronic Arts’ forgotten racing franchise – and we’re here for it!

Check out MSI's range of desktop PCs here: https://msi.gm/MSIGamingPCsElectronic Arts' Road Rash was a major title for its initial push onto the Sega Mega Dr...