News

Darksiders II: What the critics are saying
Darksiders II: What the critics are saying
"The hack-n-slash combat flows smoothly as you string combos together" while you "run along walls and jump across beams like a devilish Prince of Persia," though the game "lacks an elegant way" to switch between actions.
Aug. 15, 2012
Papo & Yo: What the critics are saying
Papo & Yo: What the critics are saying
"Papo & Yo is a moving allegory about family, abuse, and the power of imagination to rise above," though its "charm wears thin near the end" with its "pointless push/pull puzzles."
Aug. 15, 2012
Gamasutra Member Blogs: From Google Play to the Law of Conservation
Gamasutra Member Blogs: From Google Play to the Law of Conservation
In highlights from Gamasutra's Member Blogs, our bloggers write about diverse topics, such as why Google Play can be better than the App Store, why games should follow the Law of Conservation, and more.
Aug. 15, 2012
The Ville rises to the top while other Zynga games falter
The Ville rises to the top while other Zynga games falter
Every other week, Gamasutra examines the most popular Facebook games, this time looking at the dominance of Zynga's The Ville, while the company's older games continue to lose users.
Aug. 15, 2012
Stardock blames and sues marketer for Elemental's poor launch
Stardock blames and sues marketer for Elemental's poor launch
Stardock is placing the blame for Elemental: War of Magic disappointing launch on a former employee who allegedly destroyed marketing materials, and impaired the game's quality as a result.
Aug. 15, 2012
Warren Spector: Let's make believable characters, not believable guns
Warren Spector: Let's make believable characters, not believable guns
Deus Ex and Epic Mickey creator Warren Spector is tired of seeing the industry focus on violence and high-end visuals, and hopes to see more developers strive to create complex and believable characters.
Aug. 15, 2012
NaturalMotion's latest earns $12M in its debut month
NaturalMotion's latest earns $12M in its debut month
Game developer, publisher, and middleware provider NaturalMotion has seen some real success with its latest iOS game, CSR Racing, as the title pulled in more than $12 million in its first month.
Aug. 15, 2012
Avoiding 'false choices' and giving your players real trade-offs
Avoiding 'false choices' and giving your players real trade-offs
James Russell, lead designer at Creative Assembly, is a big fan of player choices and trade-offs in video games -- and noted at GDC Europe that these choices actually have to be interesting, otherwise they become meaningless.
Aug. 15, 2012
MMO designers need to focus more on the 'why', not the 'what'
MMO designers need to focus more on the 'why', not the 'what'
MMO designers need to stop focusing so much on what players want to do in online games, and instead hone in on why these players choose to put so many hours into the MMOs they play, says Funcom creative director Craig Morrison.
Aug. 15, 2012
Taking the 'less is more' approach to level design
Taking the 'less is more' approach to level design
Eufloria's Rudolf Kremers believes that "less is more" is the perfect approach for indie developers on a budget when it comes to level design, and his GDC Europe talk today described the various ways this approach can be achieved.
Aug. 15, 2012
With sales on the decline, has Call of Duty hit its peak?
With sales on the decline, has Call of Duty hit its peak?
It's looking like sales of last year's Modern Warfare 3 will never catch up with 2010's Black Ops, leaving the fate of Black Ops 2, due for release later this year, in question.
Aug. 15, 2012
What went wrong during the making of Journey
What went wrong during the making of Journey
Former thatgamecompany executive producer Robin Hunicke discusses in frank detail the things that went wrong during the making of Journey, hoping to inspire better practices among her peers.
Aug. 15, 2012