Video: The strain of keeping 150M Club Penguin players happy  
by GDC Vault Staff [02.06.13]
Nicole Thompson speaks on managing and entertaining over 150 million account holders in Disney's MMO Club Penguin, in this free lecture from the Game Developers Conference Online 2011.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Production, Business/Marketing, Exclusive, Video

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Road to the IGF: Henry Smith's Spaceteam  
by Kris Graft [02.06.13]
As part of Gamasutra's Road to the IGF series, Spaceteam creator Henry Smith discusses the various influences he drew inspiration from, and what he plans to do next with the space genre.
Smartphone/Tablet, Indie, Design, Exclusive, IGF

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Opinion: Why Facebook's push to attract the 'core' is a bad idea 29
by Leigh Alexander [02.05.13]
Leigh Alexander argues that Facebook's push for more "core games" is ill-advised and self serving -- what are the opportunities on the giant social platform, and who is the "core," anyway?
Console/PC, Social/Online, Programming, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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A developer says goodbye to XNA 25
by Staff [02.05.13]
As Microsoft sends its Xbox indie development platform out to pasture, one of its biggest supporters and best-known developers, Nathan Fouts (Mommy's Best Games) takes a look back at what it meant.
Console/PC, Indie, Programming, Exclusive

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How Saints Row and Metro ended up with Koch Media 5
by Kris Graft [02.05.13]
As THQ collapsed, Koch Media took a crash course in the Chapter 11 process, and came out the other side as a more formidable player in the triple-A game space.
Console/PC, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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Road to the IGF: Q-Games' PixelJunk 4AM  
by Leigh Alexander [02.04.13]
We talk to Q-Games' Rowan Parker, lead designer of IGF Excellence in Audio nominee PixelJunk 4AM, about the game's style and inspiration, and the role of indies in the changing video game landscape.
Indie, Programming, Exclusive, IGF

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What does Kongregate's mobile push mean for developers?  
by Mike Rose [02.04.13]
Kongregate may be one of the front-runners of browser games at the moment, but the company isn't planning to be left behind when it comes to the mobile game boom.
Social/Online, Smartphone/Tablet, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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League of Legends bets big on eSports success 6
by Christian Nutt [02.04.13]
With Season 3 of League of Legends just started, Riot Games talks to Gamasutra about its efforts to make eSports integral to the game, including a 40 person team behind the move.
Console/PC, Social/Online, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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Depth and accessibility can be friends, says Tropico dev 2
by Mike Rose [02.01.13]
Omerta: City of Gangsters puts you in the role of an up-and-coming mob boss. Bisser Dyankov, game designer on the upcoming title, discusses balancing accessibility and hardcore strategy.
Design, Exclusive, Video

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Opinion: It's totally OK to not like 'anti-games' 67
by Mike Rose [02.01.13]
Proteus was released earlier this week, and has caused quite a ruckus online, as players argue over its video game merits versus its lack of traditional gameplay.
Console/PC, Indie, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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Stealth in 2D: Design lessons from Mark of the Ninja  
by Patrick Miller [02.01.13]
How do you make a 2D stealth game? In the February postmortem for Game Developer magazine, devs explain how they adapted core stealth principles for 2D -- and some of the challenges they ran into.
Console/PC, Indie, Programming, Design, Exclusive

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Why GTA V's delay could cause an industry-wide ripple effect 42
by Chris Morris [01.31.13]
With the delay of Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar essentially lobbed a hand grenade into the holiday period -- one that was going to already be plenty chaotic.
Console/PC, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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Four must-read predictions about the Chinese mobile game market in 2013 12
by Henry Fong [01.31.13]
Mobile game development can be a worldwide opportunity for big and small developers alike. Yodo1 CEO Henry Fong paints a clear picture of the opportunities China will present this year.
Smartphone/Tablet, Business/Marketing, Exclusive, China

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Opinion: The dubious new face of 'everyone's a gamer now' 55
by Leigh Alexander [01.30.13]
As video games hurtle toward ubiquity, perhaps the spirit of games is becoming diluted, or lost completely. Gamasutra's Leigh Alexander examines this concept in this introspective editorial.
Console/PC, Art, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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Spooky Cool Labs: What happens when arcade vets take on Facebook 4
by Christian Nutt [01.30.13]
A group of console, arcade, and casino veterans hopes that flashy graphics and more complex gameplay can lure in social game players -- but will it work?
Social/Online, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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After iOS success, Sword & Sworcery sees strong sales on Android 3
by Mike Rose [01.30.13]
For some notable independent game developers, releasing an Android version of an iOS game has proven to be worth the effort. Maybe you should take a closer look at Android too.
Smartphone/Tablet, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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Is Proteus a game -- and if not, who cares? 54
by Mike Rose [01.30.13]
Proteus isn't your typical video game. With the game finally getting a release this week, developer Ed Key discusses the antagonism that still surrounds "anti-games", and why game theory definitions mean nothing.
Console/PC, Indie, Design, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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250 out of work as Gameloft suddenly shuts down its India studio [Updated] 32
by Frank Cifaldi [01.29.13]
At the same time that Gameloft boasted of a successful 2012, it quietly let go of 250 people and allegedly asked them to lie about their termination being voluntary. Update: Gameloft refuses comment, employees consider legal action.
Smartphone/Tablet, Business/Marketing, Exclusive, Recruitment

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Road to the IGF: Cardboard Computer's Kentucky Route Zero 1
by Mike Rose [01.29.13]
As part of Gamasutra's Road to the IGF series, Elliott discusses the inspiration for Kentucky Route Zero, and why he's glad that the game's Kickstarter came before the big crowd-funding boom.
Console/PC, Indie, Design, Exclusive, IGF

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GameStop positions itself to survive in a growing digital age 4
by Chris Morris [01.29.13]
In an industry where sales are increasingly going digital, GameStop is at a crossroads. Gamasutra talks to Brad Schliesser, director of digital content for the retailer, about what happens next.
Console/PC, Business/Marketing, Exclusive

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