Mark Darrah | Game World Observer

All publications by tag «Mark Darrah»

Featured September 11

Mark Darrah on Deadlock vs. Concord and state of live services: “I don’t know that the big publishers are prepared to work that way”

The failure and quick death of Concord has spawned a lot of debate on the current state of live service games. Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah shares his thoughts on the matter and what drives the decisions Sony and other large corporations.

Game Development August 8

Mark Darrah says devs should answer 6 questions before starting studio: “If ‘make money’ is your only reason, it’s not enough”

Starting your own studio is a risky endeavor, whether you’re a solo developer or someone with deep pockets. Mark Darrah, programmer, consultant, and former BioWare producer, has broken down the key questions you need to answer before embarking on this adventure.

Industry News February 8

Palworld “could be taken as a signal to someone else with deeper pockets that Pokémon isn’t unassailable,” Mark Darrah says

Palworld has been causing debate since its launch, with Pocketpair also accused of plagiarism and the use of AI. Mark Darrah, veteran game developer and former BioWare producer, has shared his thoughts on the matter and what the game’s success could mean for Nintendo.

Game Development December 1, 2023

Mark Darrah on target audience and decision-making: “Running your design as a democracy is not a good way to go”

Targeting the right audience for a game is one of the most important tasks for developers. Acclaimed developer and former BioWare producer Mark Darrah has opened up about the decision-making process and who should make the final choice.

Game Development August 14, 2023

Mark Darrah on trap of live service games, or why napkin math doesn’t work: “You can only play one Destiny at a time”

History is cyclical, and this is true for the games industry as well. Veteran developer and former BioWare producer Mark Darrah has shared his thoughts on companies that repeat the same mistakes over and over again when trying to make their own Ultima Online or Destiny.

Game Development July 7, 2023

Mark Darrah on balancing Jade Empire and solving Xbox memory issue: “Sometimes the brute force solution is ok”

In a series of videos on his YouTube channel, Mark Darrah recalls the games he contributed to while working at BioWare. Here are the lessons he learned from the development of Jade Empire, which at the time was the studio’s first original IP since Shattered Steel.

Game Development May 25, 2023

Mark Darrah on lessons learned from Baldur’s Gate: “If you look for perfection, you’re never going to ship”

Prominent game developer and former BioWare producer Mark Darrah has shared his memories of creating the first Baldur’s Gate. Here are the lessons he learned during the process, including the importance of not chasing imaginary perfection.

Game Development October 31, 2022

Mark Darrah explains what Alpha means in game development: “You open up the floodgates for testing”

Former Bioware executive producer Mark Darrah has tried to explain what Alpha means in game development, using Dragon Age: Dreadwolf as an example. He listed the distinctive features of this stage of production, also saying how much time usually passes between Alpha and launch.

Industry News January 19, 2022

Mark Darrah on “BioWare magic” being terrible for development: “That’s where crunch comes from”

BioWare former executive producer Mark Darrah has shared his thoughts on the so-called “BioWare magic.” The expression, which was used at the company, means getting stuck during the development process for an indefinite time and then finishing the project shortly before launch as if by magic.