Category: News

Indie Horror Santa Ragione’s Horses is Now Banned

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Santa Ragione’s Horses was never meant to be comfortable. It is deliberately disturbing, thematically abrasive, and visually confrontational - the kind of experimental, short-form horror game that pushes interactive art into uncomfortable territory. But discomfort is not the same as danger, and yet Horses has now been banned by Steam and pulled by Epic Games Store just 24 hours before launch, plunging the studio into a financial crisis after two years of development and nearly $100,000 invested...

Ubisoft, Generative AI, and the Real Risk to Game Development

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Ubisoft’s recent stance on generative AI is unusual in an industry that has spent the last two years promising automation as salvation. Instead of pitching AI as a magic fix, Ubisoft is urging the industry to “be humble,” acknowledging that the technology is unpredictable, limited, and prone to creating more work rather than less. But beneath that caution is a deeper conversation the industry isn’t having: not whether studios should use AI, but where AI belongs. And the answer is not in narrative, world logic, or anything players directly experience...

Rebecca Heineman: The First Champion, The Quiet Architect

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

The games industry has lost one of its true originals. Rebecca Heineman - programmer, designer, technical force, tournament champion, and co-founder of Interplay - has passed away from adenocarcinoma, only weeks after publicly sharing her diagnosis...

Rockstar’s Union Problem: The Industry’s Old Habits Are Coming Back

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Rockstar Games, the studio behind Grand Theft Auto VI, is once again in the headlines - but not for its games. This week, the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) filed formal legal claims against Rockstar, alleging the unlawful dismissal of more than 30 workers who were organising to unionise. According to sources, Rockstar’s actions amount to “victimisation and collective dismissal linked to trade union activity.” The case will now move to British courts, marking one of the most significant labor disputes in the modern games industry...

Grow a Garden: The Death of Authentic Phenomena

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Hollywood film based on Grow a Garden is in development. On the surface, it sounds like a feel-good story: a teenage Roblox developer creates a breakout hit that captures the imagination of millions. But the truth is more sobering. Grow a Garden was never a creative breakthrough. It didn’t redefine systems, storytelling, or design philosophy. It became popular because it gamified waiting. Players earned progress by staying offline, returning later to collect rewards. It was a clever engagement loop that mimicked the psychological patterns of mobile gambling apps...

EA’s AI Experiment Is Backfiring – And It’s a Warning to the Whole Industry

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Electronic Arts has spent the past year trying to reinvent how games are made through generative AI. According to multiple insiders, the company’s internal rollout isn’t saving time - it’s causing chaos. From broken code to frustrated staff, EA’s “AI-first” approach has sparked internal backlash, exposing a deeper problem across the industry: when creativity is replaced by automation, the results often feel less like innovation - and more like erosion...

Why Coffee Stain’s Nasdaq Debut Could Redefine Game Development

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

The next big gaming company to hit the stock market won’t be another corporate giant chasing billion-dollar IPs. It’ll be a scrappy Swedish collective built on chaos, creativity, and community - the Coffee Stain Group, creators of Goat Simulator, Satisfactory, and publisher of Valheim. As the group prepares to spin off from Embracer (soon to be renamed Fellowship Entertainment) and apply for listing on Nasdaq First North, it’s not just a business move - it’s a philosophical statement. Coffee Stain represents a counterpoint to the bloated AAA model, proving that smaller-scale, community-driven development can still thrive in the public market...

Owlcat Games Launches Curated Game Development Resource Hub

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Owlcat Games, the studio behind Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, has launched a powerful new initiative for aspiring and professional developers alike: GameDev Learning Drop, a free online database offering over 350 curated game development resources...

Heart Machine Ends Development on Hyper Light Breaker

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Heart Machine - the studio behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash - has announced layoffs and the end of development on Hyper Light Breaker, less than a year after its early access launch. The studio cited “broader forces beyond our control,” pointing to shifts in funding, corporate consolidation, and an increasingly unstable environment for small developers...

Saudi Arabia’s $55 Billion Dollar EA Buyout

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, Game Design, News

Electronic Arts (EA), one of the most recognisable names in global gaming, has officially confirmed its $55 billion acquisition by a private consortium. While private equity firms are no strangers to high-profile deals, the inclusion of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has raised eyebrows across the games industry, sparking both economic curiosity and ethical debate...