Game Development — Page 2 | Game World Observer

What is shader compilation and how it became scourge of modern PC gaming, explained in 5 cards

Stuttering… a word that has become synonymous with a painful experience for PC gamers. Today we are diving into what shader compilation is, why it leads to hitching, what Unreal Engine and DX12 have to do with this issue, and how developers can address it.

Game Development March 23

Procedural generation tools, Substrate shading system, and other new features in Unreal Engine 5.2

Epic Games has released a preview of Unreal Engine 5.2 and detailed its key features at the GDC 2023. Here are the main new tools and improvements that could change the way developers and artists create worlds and materials.

Game Development March 20

Dev integrates ChatGPT into Unity to edit projects using natural language prompts

In the era of ever-evolving language models and chatbots, many are wondering how AI technologies will influence various areas, including game development. Here is an example of a possible use case for ChatGPT in Unity.

Game Development March 16

Epic Games announces Unreal Editor for Fortnite, allowing players to create and publish their own games

Epic Games is now one step closer to realizing its metaverse ambitions. The company will release the Unreal Editor for Fortnite, so players can release their own experiences directly into the world-famous battle royale game.

Game Development March 6

How AI-assisted RPG Tales of Syn utilizes Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT to create assets and dialogues

Tales of Syn is an isometric RPG in the style of classic Fallout titles. The twist is how it uses the power of Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT to create game assets, backgrounds, character models, and dialogues.

Game Development March 2

Open source engine Godot 4.0 out now with Vulkan support, new tilemap editor, XR tools, and other improvements

Godot 4.0 has finally been released after four years in the making. Here are all the key features and improvements of the new version of this open source game engine.

Game Development February 15

Researchers release MarioGPT model to generate Super Mario Bros. levels from text prompts

A group of Danish researchers have created a model to generate Super Mario Bros. levels. Here is how MarioGPT works and what limitations it has.

Game Development February 13

Fan releases Fallout 1 open source project allowing players to install original game on mobile devices

Even two decades after its launch, the original Fallout has a large fan base around the world. There is now a new open source project that allows players to run the classic game on their phones natively.

Game Development February 10

How to turn morality into game mechanic using Dishonored, Rimworld, and Crusader Kings as examples

Morality is a great tool for game designers that adds depth and complexity to player decisions. So how do we transform morality into game mechanics? Let’s take a look at a few games that have done this well.

Game Development February 9

How Captain Mathius’ transformation scene was made in Dead Space remake — explained by EA Motive

The Dead Space remake not only carefully recreates the original game, but also uses modern technologies to breathe new life into certain scenes. Here is how EA Motive reworked the famous transformation sequence.

Game Development January 27

AI USE CASE: How a mobile game development studio saved $70K in expenses

The game development studio Lost Lore has shared with us some tips for using AI in making art for mobile games.

Game Development January 20

This Argentine artist creates free game assets and tutorials for indie developers

Up-and-coming game developers often use ready-made assets in their first projects. And this Argentine artist offers indie creators thousands of free models and assets for a variety of genres and styles.

Featured January 13

Buying ready-made 3D assets for your game — a time saver or a waste of money?

Using ready-made 3D assets can save time and money for some teams, but there are also a lot of pitfalls. Maksim Nikifarovich, lead artist at Belka Games, has opened up about the key challenges that game developers may face.

Game Development January 11

Counterplay shares source code for Duelyst, encouraging other devs and fans to modify and extend it

Counterplay Games has made its now-closed card battler Duelyst open source. This means everyone can now use its source code and assets to make their own projects based on it.

Game Development December 27, 2022

Scrapped 1996 Duke Nukem Forever side-scroller leaked online — abandoned prototype true to series’ 2D roots

The infamous development of Duke Nukem Forever and the sad fate of 3D Realms have become the talk of the town in the games industry. However, not many people know about the game’s early 2D version from 1996 that was recently leaked online.

Game Development December 23, 2022

How to create retro-style 3D graphics: explained by Warpips developer Skirmish Mode Games

Scott Thunelius, programmer and 3D artist known for his work on Subnautica, has shared with us the key principles behind creating retro-style graphics. As an example, he used Warpips, a tug-of-war strategy game he made with his friends in the spare time.

Game Development December 20, 2022

Havok Physics for Unity now fully released and supported for production

Havok Physics for Unity has now officially become supported for production. Developers will be able to use the physics engine for free and implement its features in their games.

Game Development December 20, 2022

Pixel Composer, node-based VFX editor for pixel art, released with support of over 100 nodes

VFX editor Pixel Composer has been officially released. The tool for creating animated effects for pixel art is now available for purchase, with 100+ various nodes to experiment with.

Game Development December 19, 2022

How Gearbox uses AI tools to save Borderlands artists’ time and prevent crunch

Ryan Smith, tech art director of R&D at Gearbox, has opened up about how the studio is already using AI in its work. He encouraged other artists to learn these tools, because they can help in solving routine tasks.

Game Development December 16, 2022

What is narrative weight and how game designers can manipulate it to add value to certain elements

Why do players consider some events and details in the game more significant than others? This is directly related to the so-called narrative weight. Andrei Medvedev, game designer at Friday’s Games, breaks down what this term means and why it is critical for game designers to be able to adjust the importance of certain elements.