 The Designer's Notebook: Difficulty Modes and Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment by Ernest Adams [05.14.08] In Ernest Adams' latest Gamasutra column, he digs into difficulty levels in games, interestingly suggesting that player-set difficulty might be preferable to the imagined utopia of pure dynamic difficulty settings. |
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 Quality Of Life? Does Anyone Still Give A Damn? by Paul Hyman [05.13.08] How have 'quality of life' issues in the game industry improved since EA_Spouse's letter in late 2004? Gamasutra talks to the IGDA's Jason Della Rocca and the Spouse (Erin Hoffman) herself to analyze progress so far.
[27] |
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 Content Kings: Square Enix's Shiraishi And Tsuchida On WiiWare And Risk by Brandon Sheffield and Jeremy Parish [05.12.08] WiiWare's flagship Western launch title may be Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, and Gamasutra talks in-depth to co-creators Fumiaki Shiraishi and Toshihiro Tsuchida on building the city-building sim for Nintendo's download service. |
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 Interview: Jordan Weisman by Chris Dahlen [05.09.08] Weisman's legendary resume spans FASA (Battletech), 42 Entertainment (I Love Bees) and now Smith & Tinker (game rights to Crimson Skies and Shadowrun) - Gamasutra presents a rare interview with him on design and inspiration. |
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 A History of Gaming Platforms: Mattel Intellivision by Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice [05.08.08] Following up on their profiles of the Commodore 64, Vectrex, Apple II, and Atari 2600, game historians Loguidice and Barton examine the lifespan of Mattel's cult '80s console the Intellivision, from Astrosmash to AD&D and beyond. |
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 Persuasive Games: Texture by Ian Bogost [05.07.08] Author/designer Ian Bogost (Fatworld) looks at 'texture' in games - the art of connecting the virtual to the real via rumble and physical simulation, from Hard Drivin' to Rez and beyond.
[7] |
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 Carry Small, Game Large: Big Shared Screen Multiplayer Gaming by Scott Crabtree and Omar Rodriguez and Brad Werth and Erik J. Johnson [05.06.08] This technical article presents an intriguing 'shared gaming' concept, using a Java/Flash framework to allow mobile Internet devices to control a big-screen game with participants in the same location - details, source code within.
[7] |
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| Finding A New Way: Jenova Chen And Thatgamecompany by Brandon Sheffield [05.05.08] In this in-depth interview, thatgamecompany co-founder and fl0w designer Jenova Chen discusses his philosophy of abstract game design - and why making traditional games is "too easy" to dwell on.
[1] |
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| Yoshiki Okamoto: Japan's Game Maverick Speaks by Christian Nutt and Yukiko Miyajima Grové [05.02.08] Game Republic (Folklore) founder Yoshiki Okamoto is a game development legend, having created titles such as Time Pilot, 1942, and Street Fighter II - and Gamasutra has a rare interview with the Capcom veteran on the biz in 2008.
[3] |
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| Sponsored Feature: Games for Zune with XNA Game Studio 3.0 by Frank Savage [05.02.08] Microsoft's Frank Savage, development manager for the XNA Game Studio Express team, summarizes the capabilities of running XNA Framework games on its Zune portable music player. |
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| Building a Mindset for Rapid Iteration Part 1: The Problem by David Gregory [05.01.08] In this analytical article, EA veteran and Emergent VP Gregory looks at the problems of iterating game concepts and assets with a large team, suggesting possible roadblocks and solutions.
[10] |
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| The State of Indie Gaming by Juan Gril [04.30.08] In this in-depth Gamasutra analysis, casual game veteran Gril looks at the state of, and opportunities in, independent gaming, from PC to console, from Desktop Tower Defense to fl0w and beyond...
[13] |
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| What Gamers Want: Family Gamers by Andy Robertson [04.29.08] How should game creators build titles to appeal to wider audiences? Gamasutra held a kid-infested focus group and came away with 10 key points that will help games better reach the mainstream.
[4] |
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| Postmortem: Ironclad/Stardock's Sins of a Solar Empire by Brad Wardell and Blair Fraser [04.28.08] The Ironclad-developed, Stardock-published PC RTS title Sins Of A Solar Empire has been the surprise 'hardcore' PC game hit of the year so far - and Gamasutra has an in-depth postmortem into its creation.
[3] |
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| Ken Levine on BioShock's Narrative Drive by Mathew Kumar and Christian Nutt [04.25.08] 2K Boston/Australia's BioShock is a key game in the evolution of gaming narrative - and in this in-depth Gamasutra interview, creator Ken Levine expands on his GDC talk to reveal just how it was put together.
[2] |
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| The Top 20 Underutilized Licenses by Kyle Orland [04.24.08] Time for a Gamasutra thought experiment - what books, comics, movies, and dormant game franchises richly deserve to be made into games? The site's editors have banded together, locked horns, and produced this no doubt debatable result.
[24] |
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| Sponsored Feature: Interoperability and Autodesk FBX Technology by Michel Kripalani [04.23.08] In this Autodesk-sponsored article, Games for Autodesk senior industry manager Michel Kripalani explains the fundamentals of the company's FBX technology, which allows developers to transfer 3D data types -- motion, cameras, characters, skeletal hierarchies, as well as 2D, audio, and video media -- across a wide range of 2D and 3D applications.
[1] |
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| Dungeons & Dragons: The Pen and Paper Video Game by Alvan Monje [04.23.08] In a fitting tribute to late Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, Volition designer Monje examines Gygax's massive legacy, suggesting that D&D was "the progenitor of most contemporary video games, irrespective of genre."
[10] |
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| Postmortem: Kat Games' Dream Chronicles by Miguel Tartaj [04.22.08] Casual title Dream Chronicles has helped to introduce classic Myst-style adventure gaming to the PC casual market, and in this exclusive Gamasutra postmortem, creator Tartaj explains its genesis. |
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| Developing An Epic: Nakazato On Lost Odyssey And The Future by Brandon Sheffield [04.21.08] The surprisingly honest Ray Nakazato heads up Lost Odyssey developer feelplus, and in this in-depth Gamasutra interview he talks in-depth about both the Sakaguchi-overseen Xbox 360 epic and the upcoming Blue Dragon Plus for DS. |
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| MMO Class Design: Up With Hybrids! An Economic Argument by John Hopson [04.18.08] Designing fulfilling classes in MMOs is difficult -- creating compelling hybrid classes, particularly so. Here, Microsoft Game Studios' John Hopson proposes a new way of looking at character design: an economic model.
[39] |
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| Digital Bruckheimer: Cameron Brown On Mercenaries 2 by Christian Nutt [04.17.08] The long-awaited Mercenaries 2 is a key title for EA-acquired developer Pandemic - and Gamasutra talks in-depth to creative director Cameron Brown on the game's creation and influences, from Will Wright to Jerry Bruckheimer. |
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| The History of Panzer Dragoon by Kurt Kalata [04.16.08] Sega's Panzer Dragoon series proved both short-lived and beloved, with developers and fans alike entranced by the series' unique, organic world view - Gamasutra presents a comprehensive design history of the franchise.
[4] |
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| Fewer Mechanics, Better Game by John Rose [04.15.08] Do BioShock's complex mechanics actually weaken the game? In the latest Gamasutra feature, gameplay programmer John Rose examines how limiting mechanics can result in stronger play experiences -- tossing aside fashionable notions in favor of an argument for discipline in design.
[42] |
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| A Western Initiative: Svensson On Capcom's Digital Future by Brandon Sheffield [04.14.08] Capcom may be best-known for its Japanese-created franchises, from Street Fighter to Devil May Cry, but it's working hard to make Western-focused games and digital download a priority - VP Christian Svensson explains more. |
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