Best of GamesIndustry.biz — 2024

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    'Singles, not albums': A guide to making smaller games | GI Sprint

    Tony Gowland, managing director of UK studio Ant Workshop, shares his insights on the benefits and practices of creating smaller, more focused games instead of large projects. After investing significant time and money into a game that failed to reach a wide audience, the studio decided to adopt a more agile approach, releasing 'singles' instead of 'albums.' These smaller games, developed on tighter budgets and schedules, allow for more experimentation and quicker feedback from players. Gowland emphasizes simplicity in game design, flexibility in the development process, and the importance of early player feedback.

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    Why are Japanese developers not undergoing mass layoffs?

    Japanese developers have largely been spared from the mass layoffs affecting the global gaming industry due to strong employee protections and cultural factors. Major Japanese companies like FromSoftware, Konami, Capcom, and Nintendo are increasing wages and retaining staff, contributing to a stable and growing employment landscape. Factors include Japan's robust mobile gaming market, language barriers preventing outsourcing, and a shrinking workforce driving wage competition. These practices contrast sharply with the frequent layoffs seen in Western companies driven by short-term profitability goals.

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    "I just dropped them an email" – How a small studio won over Netflix to make a Queen's Gambit game

    Jamie Brayshaw from Ripstone shared insights at Develop Brighton on how the studio successfully pitched and developed a Queen's Gambit game for Netflix. Despite tight deadlines, the studio leveraged its chess game expertise and bold pitching strategy. The project faced numerous challenges, including adapting Unreal Engine for mobile, addressing a diverse audience, and ensuring smooth first-time user experience. Continuous user testing was crucial in refining the game, which includes bite-sized puzzles alongside traditional chess gameplay.

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    Valve rejects "yearly cadence" of Steam Deck updates to be "fair" to gamers

    Valve designers confirmed in an interview that the company will not be releasing yearly updates for the Steam Deck. Instead, Valve will wait for significant generational improvements in performance and battery life before launching a new version, ensuring that updates are meaningful for customers.

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    Little Kitty, Big City: The former Half-Life dev's cat game for his kids that became an overnight success

    Little Kitty, Big City, developed by Double Dagger Studio under Matt T. Wood, is a surprise hit focusing on a cat's adventure to find its way home. Released on May 9, the game has sold over 100,000 units in 48 hours and garnered over a million plays on Game Pass. Wood, a former Valve developer, created the game with his kids in mind, avoiding elements of danger to focus on fun, exploration, and cat-like behaviors. The game has been praised for its natural animations and joyful experience, contributing to its widespread success and appeal across various age groups.

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    Ubisoft apologises for Assassin's Creed Shadows promotional materials that "have caused concern"

    Ubisoft apologized for promotional materials for Assassin's Creed Shadows that caused concern within the Japanese community. The company clarified that the game, like other titles in the series, is a work of fiction aimed at sparking curiosity about historical settings. Controversy has arisen over the depiction of samurai and the game's protagonist, Yasuke, a Black samurai from the Sengoku period, with a petition in Japan calling for the game's cancellation gaining over 94,000 signatures.

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    Valve's not-so-secret game is a bold experiment in soft-launching | Opinion

    Valve is soft-launching its new hero shooter, Deadlock, by inviting tens of thousands of players to experience the game without formal announcements or NDAs. This unique approach aims to avoid the common pitfalls of traditional high-profile game launches. By gradually ramping up player numbers, Valve can gather valuable feedback and minimize server issues while building anticipation. Deadlock's strategy may pave the way for more flexible and less risky game launches in the future, provided the game itself proves engaging enough to retain players.

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    Avatar of gamesindustryGamesIndustry.biz·2y

    How to design a great tutorial

    Learn how to design a great tutorial for video games. Discover the key ingredients and design principles behind compelling tutorials, the importance of integrating tutorials into the game's narrative, and the role of playtesting in tutorial design.

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    Pokémon Sleep earns $100m in first year revenue

    Pokémon Sleep has achieved $100 million in revenue in its first year with 9.8 million downloads. Japan leads in user spending with $73 million, followed by the US with $15 million, and Taiwan with $4 million. Significant revenue peaks were noted during events, with the largest being $4 million during the 2023 holiday period.

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    Avatar of gamesindustryGamesIndustry.biz·1y

    Why RuneScape creator Andrew Gower has returned to MMORPGs with Brighter Shores

    Andrew Gower, the creator of RuneScape, has returned to MMORPGs with his new project, Brighter Shores. After departing Jagex in 2010, Gower founded Fen Research and developed the FenForge engine. Initially focused on creating a game engine, Gower realized he needed a project to demonstrate its capabilities. Despite originally working on a different game, community demand pushed him to create another MMORPG. Brighter Shores launched into Early Access on November 6th, designed to incorporate modern player expectations and the passive gameplay systems catering to those with limited time.

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    GTA 6 and the PlayStation 4 problem

    As the gaming industry looks forward to a possible rebound in 2025 with the launch of new consoles and economic recovery, the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) is highly anticipated to be a major event. However, the transition from older consoles like the PlayStation 4 to newer ones remains a challenge, as many players continue to use their older hardware due to economic reasons and the popularity of live service games. The launch of GTA 6 may push players to upgrade, presenting both opportunities and challenges for developers and hardware manufacturers.

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    Ex-Riot devs Believer seeks "a better way to develop video games" with open-source tool Friendshipper

    The Believer Company, founded by ex-Riot Games developers, has released its internal development tool Friendshipper as an open-source project. Friendshipper aims to improve the efficiency of game development by quickly making changes to the code, doing builds, and getting changes out to testers. The studio is sharing this technology with other developers because they believe there is a better way to develop video games. Friendshipper is just one potential solution to the problems game developers face. The studio wants to build a community around these tools and ideas to learn and grow from the experiences of others in the industry.

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    The Minecraft studio and Minecraft YouTuber looking to transform sandbox gaming

    4J Studios, known for its console versions of Minecraft, is collaborating with YouTuber Joseph Garrett (Stampy) on an ambitious new sandbox game called Reforj. The game aims to offer a unique creative survival experience, distinct from Minecraft, with a community-focused development approach. Reforj will leverage a custom-built Elements Engine for superior performance on current hardware. Despite its ambitious goals, the project emphasizes slow, community-driven growth without specific player targets.

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    How many players does a game like Concord need to survive?

    Sony's decision to temporarily halt its live service hero shooter Concord highlights the challenges in sustaining online games. Despite initial sales of 25,000 copies, Concord struggled to maintain player engagement, peaking at 697 concurrent users. Experts indicate that player count requirements vary based on game type and business model. Factors like investment, operational costs, and player experience significantly influence a game's viability. Concord’s premium pricing and lack of microtransactions further complicated its sustainability. As the market tightens, the survival of new live service titles grows increasingly difficult.

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    The state of the indie games industry in 2024

    Indie game developers face significant challenges in 2024, including securing funding, maintaining visibility, and keeping up with rapid technological changes. Many developers, such as those from Finji and Don't Nod Montréal, express that the competitive market and long development cycles strain their resources and budgets. Discoverability is also a major issue, with new games struggling to stand out among numerous high-quality titles. Industry support through events, mentorship, and better marketing strategies can help indie developers thrive.

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    Why there will never be another Destiny

    On its tenth anniversary, Destiny is highlighted as a groundbreaking game that reshaped the gaming industry with its unique combination of FPS, MMO, and looter shooter elements. It set a trend for live service games, inspiring many yet unmatched in its success. Analysts reflect on its enduring influence, Bungie's challenges, and the game's complex audience dynamics. Despite a declining player base, Destiny's legacy as a genre-defining title remains strong.

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    How to survive until 2025 in the games industry

    Developers and business leaders offer strategies for surviving in the games industry until 2025, including seeking non-traditional funding, listening to advisors, pivoting business strategies, raising funds proactively, planning for failures, and forming external partnerships. Emphasis is also placed on leadership, maintaining team morale, focusing on existing games, and cautiously navigating new industry norms.

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    Atari acquires Transport Tycoon IP

    Atari has acquired the Transport Tycoon IP from veteran game developer Chris Sawyer. The company has plans to preserve and potentially expand the classic management game, possibly including new releases and merchandise. Atari has been actively acquiring retro brands and indie games, adding Transport Tycoon to its growing portfolio alongside titles like Locomotion and RollerCoaster Tycoon.

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    Trends shaping the mobile gaming industry in 2024

    The mobile gaming industry in 2024 is shaped by several key trends including economic impacts on development, the growing importance of live operations, brand and IP collaborations, hybrid monetization models, and the use of artificial intelligence. Developers are focusing on creating engaging events, diversifying revenue streams, and leveraging AI for content creation. There is also a significant emphasis on adapting content for new markets and integrating nostalgic and self-care elements in games.

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    How accessible are game engines, and how much is still to be done?

    Game engines have made progress in integrating accessibility features, but there are still obstacles to make them fully accessible. Including people with disabilities in the development process can benefit game engines and lead to more accessible games.

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