Exclusive Interviews

Feature

  • A Place in the Crowd

    With sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, crowdfunding has become a viable option for bringing an app to life -- and to profit. Here’s how to make the most out of this new model.

  • Firaxis Goes Back to the Future With XCOM: Enemy Unknown

    A lot has changed since gamers first took on an alien force in the original XCOM. We talk to lead designer of the new XCOM: Enemy Unknown about what to expect in this new take on the classic.

  • Chair Entertainment’s Donald Mustard Discusses the Future of Multiscreen Gaming

    With the success of its Infinity Blade franchise, Chair Entertainment is one of the leaders in mobile game development today. We talk to them about the multiscreen future of gaming.

  • Epic Games’ Cliff Bleszinski Gets Unreal

    Epic’s lead designer discusses the technology behind Unreal Engine 3, previews Unreal Engine 4 and looks at the future of gaming.

  • Electronic Arts Expands Medal of Honor Franchise With Warfighter

    At GDC earlier this month, Electronic Arts offered a first look at its first-person shooter sequel, Medal of Honor Warfighter. We talked to Rich Farley, creative director at Danger Close Games, about what’s in store for PC gamers in this latest take on modern warfare.

  • Critical Mass: The Power of Mass Effect 3

    Shepherding an epic story across three installments spaced years apart isn’t easy. BioWare’s Casey Hudson talks about the technology needed to bring a believable science-fiction universe down to Earth with Mass Effect 3.

  • Crystal Ball: What’s the Future of Mobile?

    Futurist Brian David Johnson talks about what he expects from human-computer technology over the next two decades.

  • Get Chip’d: DIG Joins the Syndicate

    How do you resurrect a classic franchise and update it for a modern audience, using modern technology? John Miles, art director of Starbreeze Studios’ latest game, Syndicate, talks about developing the game.

  • Building the Old Republic: The Technology Behind BioWare’s First MMO

    Four years and plenty of hurdles have gone into BioWare’s first MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Here’s how it handled a beloved intellectual property in a new way.

  • Strategic Insight: The Rise of Paradox Interactive

    Shams Jorjani of Paradox Interactive talks about the rapidly growing company, the process of marketing to niche audiences and developing for PCs, and the enduring appeal of the strategy game.

  • Watching Nations Fall

    David Luehmann, executive producer of Trion’s forthcoming massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game, End of Nations, talks about the game’s development.

  • Fallen Enchantress Is Set to Rise: Part 2

    Stardock released a flawed gem in 2010’s Elemental: War of Magic. It then hired Derek Paxton, lead designer and lead producer of Fallen Enchantress, to get the franchise back on track. DIG spoke to Paxton about how to successfully develop a game and stop things from getting out of hand.

  • Fallen Enchantress Is Set to Rise: Part 1

    When Stardock’s Elemental: War of Magic turned into a disaster, they called in Derek Paxton to set things right with a standalone expansion, Fallen Enchantress. DIG chats with him about taking the reins as both lead producer and lead designer -- and about getting the Elemental franchise back on track.

  • The Art of War: Shogun 2

    In the latest installment of DIG’s game developer Q&A series, we talk to Mark O’Connell of The Creative Assembly about developing the visually stunning and tactically brutal Total War: Shogun 2.

  • Sneak Peek at DC Universe Online With Chris Cao

    Chris Cao of Sony Online Entertainment talks about the launch of their latest MMO DC Universe Online, how to develop a big-license property and how to plan for the future of gaming.

  • Talking Portal 2 With Valve Software’s Erik Wolpaw

    In this exclusive interview, Valve Software’s Eric Wolpaw talks to DIG about developing the much-anticipated Portal 2, implementing co-op play and upping the ante for PC play.

  • Exclusive Look at Homefront

    Homefront, THQ’s new near-future first-person shooter, explores a United States that is invaded by North Korea. Kaos Studio’s David Votypka talks to DIG about the story and narrative development of the game, plus the powerful multiplayer options only available on PC.

  • Nathan Camarillo of Crytek Talks Crysis 2 and CryEngine 3

    In this DIG exclusive video interview, Crytek’s Nathan Camarillo discusses the technical firepower of CryEngine 3, which is under the hood of the newest installment in the Crysis franchise. Camarillo, the executive producer of Crysis 2, runs down the most engaging, high-tech features of this anticipated shooter.

  • Hal Hanlin Talks Rift

    Hal Hanlin of Trion Worlds talks about developing Rift, their latest MMO, how to stand out in a crowded market and the difficulty of building a truly dynamic MMORPG.

  • Peter Molyneux Talks Fable III and Commitment to PC Gaming

    Peter Molyneux -- a member of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame who’s been knighted by the French government -- accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony at GDC 2011 this week. Here, he talks about Fable III and his love of PC gaming.

  • Capcom’s Jun Takeuchi Gets Emotional

    Capcom’s Jun Takeuchi, the producer of such games as Resident Evil 5 and Lost Planet, was recently promoted to corporate officer of Capcom, and deputy head of consumer games R&D division. He was introduced to gaming with the debut of Mario Bros. on Super Nintendo, and after a brief detour when he considered a career designing baby toys, he ended up at Capcom, where his first project was Street Fighter II.

  • Racing to the Finish Line: Chris Southall Talks Total War and Sonic

    Chris Southall grew up mastering car-racing video games in Great Britain before he decided to enter the game development field. Now technical director at SEGA Europe, he talks to DIG about using technology and workflow tools to race to the finish with such titles as the Total War franchise, from Empire to the upcoming Shogun 2.

Blog

  • Are You a Side-scroller?

    The side-scroller category comes with many cliches. Here's how to get past the stereotypes and succeed with side-scrollers.

  • Which OS Should You Target?

    The good news is that a majority of mobile users own a smartphone. The bad news? They're using a half-dozen different operating systems. Here, a veteran analyst explains what to consider.

  • Figuring out the Puzzles

    Crytek moves into the mobile gaming space with Fibble.

  • To App or Not to App?

    With more than a half-dozen mobile OS's in use, reaching users can mean spending a lot of time and effort developing a version of your app for each OS. Or does it? Some developers are skipping apps in favor of Web services, which use the browser to create an app-like experience that works on any OS.

  • A Single Development Tool for Multiple OS’s?

    Android, iOS, Windows phone: The list of mobile OS's keeps growing. Fortunately, there's also a growing selection of tools that help developers easily create a version of their apps for each mobile OS. Are these tools really that effective, or are there trade-offs?

  • Developing With Construct 2

    How do you create games to run on mobile devices? Here, Scirra's director offers a few ideas for using Construct 2.

  • WellDoc Offers Tips for Mobile Health Apps

    Exec advises developers to emphasize clinical credibility and patient connectivity.

  • Tackling the Big Issues: PC Gaming Alliance

    Matt Ployhar discusses what drew him to gaming, how he sees the industry evolving and how his organization, the PC Gaming Alliance, can help.

  • Epic Games Founder Tim Sweeney Talks Tech

    John Gaudiosi talks to Tim Sweeney, the man behind Unreal Engine 3 and a recent inductee to the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.

  • Thought Leaders: Michael Mateas

    What's next for digital art and development? We talk to Michael Mateas, associate professor of computer science at University of California, Santa Cruz, about artificial intelligence, art and design -- and their impact on the future of technology.

  • Thought Leaders: John Laird

    What's next for digital art and video game development? Here, we talk to computer science professor and AI researcher John Laird about his vision for the future.

  • Thought Leaders: Chris Hecker

    What's next for digital art and development? Here, we talk to independent game developer Chris Hecker to get his vision for the future.

  • Thought Leaders: Kyle Orland

    What's next for digital art and development? Here, we talk to games critic and industry thought leader Kyle Orland to get his vision for the future.

  • Assassin of Video Cards: Marek Ziemark Talks Witcher 2

    The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is one of the highest-rated and most innovative RPGs in recent history. We sat down with designer Marek Ziemark at Gamescom 2011 to talk about development challenges and playing the game with the settings cranked all the way up.

  • Thought Leaders: Greg Kasavin

    What's next for digital art and development? DIG talks to Greg Kasavin, former executive editor at GameSpot.com and now creative director at Supergiant Games, about the shape of the industry and the future of video games as art.

  • Daring to Be Digital: The U.K.’s Biggest Student Game Design Competition

    DIG looks at the Dare to be Digital student game design competition held by the University of Abertay in Dundee, Scotland.

  • Tools for Creativity: Chatting With John Martin of Reallusion

    Arti Gupta talks to John Martin, vice president of marketing for Reallusion, about his company's suite of animation tools for games and media, as well as their social networking site, City.

  • Thought Leaders: Bonnie Nardi

    What's next for digital art and development? DIG talks to Bonnie Nardi, a cultural anthropologist and industry thought leader, to get her vision for the future.

  • Thought Leaders: Steve Pitzel

    What's next for digital art and game development? DIG talks to industry leader and tech evangelist Steve Pitzel to get his vision for the future.

  • Thought Leaders: Brian David Johnson

    What's next for digital art and development? DIG talks to industry leader and tech writer Brian David Johnson to get his vision for the future.

  • Thought Leaders: Eleanor Wynn

    What's next for digital art and development? DIG talks to industry leader Eleanor Wynn, an anthropologist of computing, to get her vision for the future of game development.

  • Thought Leaders: Orion Granatir

    What's next for digital art and development? DIG talks to industry thought leaders to get their visions for the future.