GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 23/11/2009
[In an editorial originally published in Game Developer magazine 's November 2009 issue, editor-in-chief Brandon Sheffield considers whether traditional player death conventions have worn out their welcome, asking "why is death even part of the equation?" for games, if meaningful consequences aren't built in.] Arcades have brought us a lot of significant advances over the years....
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 22/11/2009
[The Critter Crunch (iPhone, PSN) creators tells our own Brandon Sheffield about moving to consoles, why mobile sucks for indies, and future studio plans, including details on their upcoming WiiWare title Heartbeat .] Capy is a small independent game studio from Toronto, now 23 people strong. I met most of the company’s founders at the 2003 GDC as OkayFun -– a small team...
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 20/11/2009
[Just wanted to sneak this niche, but neat interview in, as our own Brandon Sheffield speaks with Sega and Image Epoch about the Japanese DS role-playing game Sands of Destruction -- scenario by Chrono Trigger 's Kato, music by Chrono Cross ' Mitsuda -- and its aim to be an "atypical" RPG.] Sands of Destruction is a new DS RPG from Sega and Image Epoch, titled World Destruction...
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 30/10/2009
[Notable Japanese indie developer Nigoro ( Rose & Camellia ) is now called Asterizm, and Brandon Sheffield talks to its principals about philosophies, design concepts, and taking retro 2D platformer La Mulana onto WiiWare.] Nigoro was an Japanese independent game developer that has released a number of humorous -- and well-regarded -- Flash games over the last few years. Titles like...
IndieGames.com - The Weblog (Free subscription) | 28/10/2009
... plus the announcement of upcoming Xbox 360 support. Nigoro Talks La Mulana For WiiWare (Gamasutra) Brandon Sheffield speaks to Naramura and Shoji Nakamura about the origin of Nigoro, game influences and their current project, La-Mulana . Amanita Design Interview (Gaming Daily) Jakub Dvorský answering a few questions about Amanita Design's recent release, Machinarium . The Odd...
GayGamer.net (Free subscription) | 26/10/2009
... for retro game systems to the masses with the upcoming WiiWare release of La-Mulana . Gamasutra's Brandon Sheffield got the chance to sit down with Naramura and Nakamura during this year's Tokyo Game Show and asked the pair about their indie roots, but the most probing and interesting topic that Sheffield was able to touch upon in my little opinion was the visual inspirations...
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 25/10/2009
[The Odd Gentlemen, the developers of time-twistin' XBLA platformer The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, talk to Game Developer and Gamasutra's Brandon Sheffield on inspiration, the increasing artistic and commercial success of indie games, and just who their audience might really be.] Next year, The Odd Gentlemen will release its debut game, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom...
Gaming Rover - The News You Want (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
... and I'd love to work with Spike sometime to make a new Michigan or a remake." Interviewer Brandon Sheffield discussed talks he'd had with US publishers about the game, who told him Sony declined it due to a lack of gameplay. So a remake would probably include more direct gameplay or ... would be for another platform. Suda also said that he never expected to become a superstar...
PSP Fanboy (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
... and I'd love to work with Spike sometime to make a new Michigan or a remake." Interviewer Brandon Sheffield discussed talks he'd had with US publishers about the game, who told him Sony declined it due to a lack of gameplay. So a remake would probably include more direct gameplay or ... would be for another platform. Suda also said that he never expected to become a superstar...
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 23/10/2009
Grasshopper Manufacture head Goichi "Suda51" Suda enjoys a reputation for creativity that sets him somewhat apart from other designers -- his games are never mammoth blockbusters, and yet titles like Killer7 and No More Heroes have earned acclaim and an enduring seat in gaming culture for their wild unconventionality and distinctive tone. Here, GDMag EIC Brandon Sheffield catches...
Hctor.com (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009
... lines, and I’d love to work with Spike sometime to make a new Michigan or a remake.” Interviewer Brandon Sheffield discussed talks he’d had with US publishers about the game, who told him Sony declined it due to a lack of gameplay. So a remake would probably include more direct gameplay or … would be for another platform. Suda also said that he never expected to become a superstar...
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 22/10/2009
[In an editorial originally published in Game Developer magazine magazine's October 2009 issue, editor-in-chief Brandon Sheffield considers whether the "evil" part of "necessary evil" really applies to game publishers, specifically discussing U.S.-based publishing processes.] Publishers. Are they a necessary evil? Developers seem to portray them that way at times,...
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 17/10/2009
[Our own Brandon Sheffield sat down with Nippon Ichi president and COO Souhei Niikawa and Disgaea team development lead Masahiro Yamamoto to discuss the SRPG-focused company's new PSP game, as well as its philosophy and operating practices.] For over 15 years, Japanese developer and publisher Nippon Ichi Software has been releasing hardcore-targeted RPGs, particularly strategy RPGs like...
GameSetWatch (Free subscription) | 15/10/2009
{In a neat interview, Brandon Sheffield chats with Jacub Dvorsky of Czech company Amanita Design about his inspirations, and the process of creating IGF-winning PC title Machinarium , a visually-striking adventure game that could breathe new life into the genre.] Jacub Dvorsky and his Czech company Amanita Design hit the global scene in 2003 with his critically acclaimed web game Samorost...
