Tag: Development - Page 2
News Warner Bros Resurrects Disney Infinity Studio Avalanche For Cars 3 Video Game
Back on track
Warner Bros has announced that it has purchased Avalanche Software, the studio which was shuttered by parent company Disney Interactive last year following the underperformance of its Disney Infinity franchise, which Avalanche developed. Warner Bros has succeeded in re-hiring many of the staffers which were let go last May, including...
News Nintendo Confirms Game Developers Conference 2017 Attendance
Takes place at the end of next month
This year's Game Developers Conference is due to take place between Monday 27th February and Friday 3rd March 2017 in San Francisco, and Nintendo has confirmed that it will be in attendance. GDC is one of the industry's most effective means of bringing together platform holders with the wider dev community and...
News Miyamoto On Working With Apple, Living With Mario And Why He's Not Retiring Any Time Soon
"I kinda of look at it as if I'm running a talent agency"
Super Mario Run launches on iOS this week, an event which not so long ago would have been totally inconceivable to the average Nintendo fan. Nintendo's slow but steady embrace of mobile has certainly generated column inches in the gaming world, and to push the release the legendary Shigeru...
News Capcom "Researching" Viability Of PS4 And Xbox One Ports On Nintendo Switch
"We do feel that there are differences in the desired direction"
Capcom has stated during its financial year 2016 Q2 question and answer session that it is currently researching the viability of porting PS4 and Xbox One titles to the Nintendo Switch. The veteran publisher - which has franchises such as Resident Evil, Street Fighter and Monster...
Video Take A Rare Look Behind The Scenes At Nintendo's Hit Factory, Circa 1990
Starring a youthful Shigeru Miyamoto
These days, Nintendo employees like Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka are well known with gamers, but back in the days before the internet came along and enriched/ruined everything, these individuals were largely mysterious to the average player. That's what makes this 1990 visit to Nintendo's Kyoto HQ so...
News Fan-Made Title Pokémon Uranium Is Officially Dead
No longer catching 'em all
Pokémon Uranium made quite a splash when it launched a while back, with 1.5 million downloads being racked up. Sadly download links for the fan-made game were removed following fears of legal action, but the developers insisted that the project was
News Lost Nintendo 64 Racer Rev Limit Rolls Out Of The Garage
The Gran Turismo beater that never was
Seta is a name that will be familiar to SNES owners thanks to the firm's well-recieved Exhaust Heat / F1 Race of Champions titles and the Castlevania-inspired Nosferatu. During the N64 era the firm pledged its support to Nintendo with a raft of titles including Wild Choppers (Chopper Attack in the west) and a...
News Here's The Machine Sega's Artists Used To Bring Some Of Its Best Games To Life
It's the Sega Digitizer System!
3D visuals have largely become the industry standard these days, supported by a host of special tools and engines which aid their creation and streamline the design process. However, back in the '80s the landscape was a lot different. 2D pixel artwork was the dominant style, but studios often had to create their own...
News Shigeru Miyamoto and Bill Trinen Explain Some of the Key Principles That Define Nintendo Games
Tegotae, or the 'feel' of controls, is just one example
While Nintendo as a company and platform holder naturally has its ups and downs, many agree that its core, big-name games deliver a distinct level of quality and refinement. From the precision platforming in Mario games to the structure and design of Zelda titles, to recent examples such as...
News Pawbyte's 'Game Pencil Engine' Development Tool is Released, Supports Wii U
Supports languages such as HTML5
About a year ago we reported on Pawbyte's Game Pencil Engine, development software that also operates as a 2D editor, that was released for PC development. The key news was that it was also promising future support for the Wii U, adding to tools such as Construct and Impact, in particular, in helping developers...
News Medabots Studio Delta Arts Has Closed Its Doors
Also responsible for Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle on 3DS
Japanese studio Delta Arts has closed, it has been announced. The company has been responsible for the major instalments in the Medabots series since 2010, and also created Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle on 3DS. The last Medabots release it worked on was Medabots 9, which launched in Japan...
News Koei Tecmo Confirms That It Has Nintendo NX Software In Development
But of course
Veteran Japanese publisher Koei Tecmo has publicly confirmed that it has software in production for Nintendo's mysterious NX console. The company - which worked with Nintendo recently on Hyrule Warriors - has clearly had some access to the NX previously. Last year, President and CEO Yoichi Erikawa was the first
News Sonic Team Boss Takashi Iizuka Heads To The US To Oversee New Sonic Games
Will "establish Los Angeles as the centralized hub for the global brand"
Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka has relocated to North America to create a new "development hub" for Sonic the Hedgehog games, it has been revealed. Iizuka - who acted as producer on many recent Sonic titles before being sidelined by the externally-produced Sonic Boom series - has...
News MercurySteam Reunites With Castlevania Producer Dave Cox For New Secret Project
"I'm extremely excited about this very ambitious work they're undertaking"
Spanish developer MercurySteam - which created the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow sub-series and produced Mirror of Fate for the 3DS - has revealed that it has reunited with Dave Cox, the former Konami producer who worked with the studio on those titles. Cox enjoyed 17 years...
News Ori and the Blind Forest Director Criticises Secrecy and Lack of Access to NX Devkits
"They'll need indies and smaller studios to step up"
Just recently the studio behind the charming Unravel spoke of an interest in working on the NX. The problem? They have no idea what it is. Though some secrets may or may not be leaking out of Nintendo and partners recently, the actual concept itself remains under wraps. Picking up on Coldwood...
News Unravel Developer Open To Idea Of NX Port, Just Wishes He Knew More About The Console
"It's kind of hard to pitch something when you don't even know what it is!"
Coldwood Interactive's Unravel has been getting some pretty favourable reviews recently, and the folks over at Gaming Bolt have popped the question that many Nintendo fans will want to know - could the title ever see the light of day on the NX? Coldwood's Martin Sahlin...
News Overheating Computers Almost Cost The World The Original Pokémon Games
"I sure am glad I fixed those computers back then"
Pokémon turns 20 this year, and to mark the occassion Game Freak's Junichi Masuda has posted a video online in which he shares some of his strongest memories regarding the creation of this iconic series. Masuda - who served as a programmer on Pokémon Red and Green and created the music and sound...
Video Behind The Scenes On The GameCube Star Wars Rogue Leader Games
Stay on target
The world is going Star Wars-mad at the moment, what with The Force Awakens hitting cinemas this week. To mark the event, Nintendo Life contributor Gonçalo Lopes has uploaded the behind-the-scenes documentaries which were included on Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader and Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike as...
News Back In 1990, Miyamoto's Desire Was To Make Video Games Parents Wanted Their Kids To Play
"Ah, good! My child is old enough to play video games now!"
Video games are often unfairly blamed for society's ills, with critics claiming they make players violent or antisocial. While some might assume such claims are a recent thing, a newly-translated interview with the team behind Super Mario World reveals that such unwarranted criticism has...
News Konami Already Planning Next Metal Gear Game, Presumably Without Hideo Kojima's Input
"A large-scale investment will become necessary"
The Konami drama continues. After rumours that the veteran publisher is leaving AAA development and the confusion surrounding the employment status of Hideo Kojima - its most famous staffer - Konami has recently confirmed that it is shuttering the LA-based studio responsible for Metal Gear Online,...
Rumour Retro Is Working On A Game It Pitched To Nintendo, And It's Not Metroid Prime 4
"The time is now for Retro to do an original property"
Just what is Retro Studios up to right now? That's the question that many a Nintendo fan has asked over the past year or so, and when E3 2015 came and went without any news from the Metroid Prime creator, brows became even more furrowed. However, Nintendo Life contributor and Unseen64 archivist...
News Fresh Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Details Reveal Shigeru Miyamoto's Role In The Game's Downfall
Legendary designer took issue with game's costly CGI spend
Not so long ago we covered the tortured production of the Wii title Project H.A.M.M.E.R., a waggle-heavy action title in development by Nintendo Software Technology, Nintendo's famed North American studio. Revealed early in the life of the Wii, the game would never see the light of day and,...
News Nintendo Wanted A GoldenEye Sequel On N64 But Rare Turned It Down
And Nintendo gracefully accepted the decision
1997's GoldenEye 007 was a massive commercial and critical success for Nintendo, selling 8 million copies worldwide and generating an enormous amount of revenue. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo wanted a sequel and even asked developer Rare to make one - but the UK company, which was at the time a second-party...
Weirdness Miyamoto Wanted A Murder-Free GoldenEye Where You Made Friends With Enemies At The End
"Close-up killing - he found it a bit too horrible"
In your average James Bond flick the suave British secret agent dispatches countless goons and bad guys without batting an eyelid, but if Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto had had his way, the best Bond video game of all time wouldn't have contained a single death. Speaking at the ongoing GameCity event...
News Nintendo Launches Updated Developer Portal Website
Designed to be welcoming
In this generation Nintendo has been open-armed and welcoming to developers of all sizes, fostering the 'Nindie' age and opening the Wii U (and eventually the New Nintendo 3DS) up to development tools such as Unity. It seems to be stepping up those efforts, having launched a new Developer Portal with key information and an...
News Factor 5's Lost Wii Kid Icarus Boasted A Dark Hero With 60fps Airborne Action
"I feel like we were missing the point"
Fans of Kid Icarus had to endure a long and painful wait between the original NES and Game Boy titles and the eventual 3DS update, but had Star Wars: Rogue Squadron studio Factor 5 had its way, we would have been playing a sequel a little bit sooner. Unseen 64 staffer and occasional Nintendo Life contributor...
Rumour New Report Suggests That Konami Has All But Abandoned Console Development
PES and Metal Gear Online are the only titles spared
With the incredible commercial and critical success of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain you'd think that publisher Konami would be feeling pretty pleased about its home console output, but it would appear that earlier reports regarding the company exiting the domestic arena are true...
Talking Point Sweeping Internal Changes Show That Nintendo Is Ready To Tackle New Challenges
Structural shifts and fresh promotions are just part of a wider plan
Yoshiaki Koizumi is one of the key beneficiaries of the merger of EAD and SPD While this week's big news is certainly the appointment of Tatsumi Kimishima as Nintendo's new president, it was the changes taking place behind the scenes which will have piqued the interest of seasoned...
News Nintendo Is Merging Its Prized EAD And SPD Teams Into A Single Group
Say hello to the Entertainment Planning & Development Division
Shinya Takahashi and Shigeru Miyamoto As well as confirming yesterday that Tatsumi Kimishima is its new president, Nintendo also detailed some organisational changes which will impact the day-to-day running of some of its famous internal teams. The big news is that EAD (Entertainment...
Exclusive MercurySteam Has Been Working On A Metroid Prototype For Wii U And 3DS
Update: Anonymous developer tried to leak the game three months ago
Update: Since we posted the original story, we have since come across this curious post from 4chan's /v/ board (click that link at your own risk) which appears to show a member of Spain's development community attempting to leak the existence of MercurySteam's Metroid. The post...
News Nintendo NX Could Get A Port Of MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Negotiations with Nintendo yet to happen
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida has revealed to DualShockers that a port of the game could come to the Nintendo NX, but there are still some hurdles to overcome. Square Enix has already caused considerable interest by announcing that Dragon Quest X and Drag
News Rare Co-Founder Has No Idea Why Nintendo Didn't Buy The Studio Outright
"I thought we were a good fit"
Rare co-founder Tim Stamper recently won the accolade of Development Legend at this year's Develop awards - along with his brother, Chris - and has now given his first interview since 2007. Stamper - who has recently returned to the games industry with mobile studio FortuneFish - talks about the origins of Rare, its...
Inside information
Nintendo has traditionally been very reluctant to allow its employees to speak to freely with the gaming press, but that stance has apparently been relaxed in recent years according to Treehouse staffer Chris Pranger - and as if to prove his point, he's taken part in a lively podcast where he covers a whole host of...
Video Nintendo Shines The Spotlight on Aya Kyogoku and Risa Tabata
"Please cherish what you really want to do"
In recent years we've seen a number of young faces move to the forefront of Nintendo development, and we've also seen key women step up with increasing visibility in the company. One of the most recognisable is Aya Kyogoku for her leadership in the Animal Crossing franchise, and in a video from Nintendo...
News M2 Initially Felt Porting Streets Of Rage 2 To 3DS Was "Impossible"
"We just didn’t know if we could pull it off"
This week sees the western launch of 3D Streets of Rage 2, the latest in Sega's line of 3DS-based 3D Classics. It's one of the most beloved games of the 16-bit era, and also one of the most technically impressive Genesis / Mega Drive titles seen so far. In fact, the game is such a potent showcase of...
Inking out a deal
Nintendo's been pro-active during this generation to support and promote game development from smaller studios around the world, helping the eShop to be a vibrant platform on both Wii U and 3DS. Another project is now set to get underway, and this time it'll be utilising development talent in Singapore to bring 3DS eShop games to a...
News Unseen64 Digs Up Development Insights Into Metroid Prime: Hunters, Dread and Federation Force
Dread "literally looked like a port of Fusion on DS"
Just recently we shared the most recent work of Unseen64, which produced a devastating expose of the doomed Project H.A.M.M.E.R., highlighting the problems between North American studio Nintendo Software Technology (NST) and Japanese management. It was an episode that, ultimately, didn't reflect...
News Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Exposé Reveals Torrid State Of Affairs At Nintendo Software Technology
The game that humbled a studio
Project H.A.M.M.E.R. was supposed to be a Wii title which catered for the needs of serious gamers, thanks to its gritty setting and focus on intense destructive action. Developed by Nintendo Software Technology - the North American studio responsible for titles like Wave Race: Blue Storm, Metroid Prime: Hunters and...
"Development of Virtual Console titles require detailed manual work"
The Virtual Console promised so much when it launched alongside the original Wii all those years ago. Indeed, on that particular console it became something of a goldmine of amazing retro titles, and when Nintendo announced that the service would carry over to the Wii U, many...
Rumour Former Rare Composer David Wise Is Working On An Unannounced Nintendo Title
Man behind Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze's music is back
David Wise is a living legend for many Nintendo fans, having contributed some amazing music to a dazzling array of classic Nintendo releases - the most famous of which is arguably the Donkey Kong Country franchise. Wise has since gone freelance but composed the fantastic soundtrack to...
News AI Program Learns How To Build Super Mario Levels By Watching Gameplay Videos
Next stop, the complete destruction of mankind as we know it
Not so long ago we reported on a computer program which can "learn" how to play Game Boy games, but now someone has gone one better. A team at the Georgia Institute of Technology is currently working on a program which can build its own Super Mario levels - without the use of Super Mario...
News Monolith Soft Open To Helping Get Zelda Wii U Ready For Launch
"Monolith Soft is always available and we would love to help"
The talented development team at Monolith Soft is busy polishing off Xenoblade Chronicles X for its Western release on the Wii U in December, but that hasn't stopped them thinking of their next project. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Xenoblade director Tetsuya Takahashi and...
News Working On F-Zero Wouldn't Have Been My Idea Of Fun, Says Former Criterion Boss
Alex Ward responds to news regarding the F-Zero that never was
We recently broke the news that Nintendo asked UK studio Criterion to create an F-Zero title for the Wii U, but sadly the discussion came to nothing. Criterion founder Alex Ward has responded to the story on Twitter, pointing out that F-Zero was simply one project amongst many pitched...
Playable prototype actually exists
Next Level Games has a long and proud history with Nintendo, having worked on a wide range of titles including Super Mario Strikers, Punch Out!! and Luigi's Mansion 2. However, not all of the projects pitched by this developer have seen the light of day, and Unseen64 has posted an updated video explaining what...
News Cancelled Wii Adventure Zblu Cops Is Unearthed, Looks Amazing
Based on the cult French comic book
Those chaps at Unseen64 have done it again and unearthed another cancelled and forgotten game from the annals of history. This time it's Wii adventure Zblu Cops, which was based on a French comic book all but unknown in the west. The work of entertainment group Biodroid, this promising title used a cel-shaded...
News Nintendo Is A Slave To Its Past Success, Says Gearbox President Randy Pitchford
Japanese company needs to reach new customers
During this year's E3, a whole bunch of industry veterans met at the Lunch with Luminaries event. In this yearly talk Gaikai and Shiny founder Dave Perry invites big names for a in-depth discussion about the games industry, and this time around we had Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford, Boss Key...
Exclusive Slightly Mad Studio Head Ian Bell Sets The Record Straight On Project CARS Wii U
"It was always 'maybe' as we had no knowledge of the system"
Slightly Mad Studios recently launched Project CARS on next-gen consoles and PC to positive reviews and encouraging sales. A truly unique racing title, it was crowdfunded by the community in a process which pre-dated the now-popular Kickstarter approach. The route to market has been a...
News Cabbage Is The Dream Nintendo Game That Never Was
Shigesato Itoi, Shigeru Miyamoto and Tsunekazu Ishi all involved
We recently ran a feature on Star Fox 2, one of Nintendo's most famous cancelled projects. This SNES-based sequel had all the ingredients to be a sure-fire classic, but never made it to market. However, there's another game in the company's past which had the potential to be even more...
Video Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric Blame Could Largely be With SEGA, Not Big Red Button
Seg-ah
Sonic Boom didn't do well on any metric; its sales failed to match those of fellow Nintendo exclusive Sonic Lost World, and it was panned by many critics and Sonic fans alike. Like any project it has its defenders, but many are agreed that it was a major disappointment, with Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric on Wii U being the biggest culprit. It...
News Nintendo Share Value Increases With Profits and Smart Device Gaming on the Agenda
Nintendo pushes back system plans for developing countries
Whether by design or simply coincidence, Nintendo managed to bury its financial results behind a Splatoon Direct, though for the first time in a few years the reports were actually positive. Nintendo made a larger than expected profit despite missing some sales targets, and expects improved...
