Category: News

Funding & Development Opportunities for Aussie Game Developers

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

In 2026, a wide range of federal and state-based funding programs are opening up that directly target prototyping, production, skills development, and market readiness for game developers at every stage. Whether you’re an emerging solo developer or an established studio scaling up, these grants can significantly de-risk development and give your project the breathing room it needs to mature. The key is understanding which funds align with your current stage and designing your application accordingly...

Gaming Giant GOG.COM Returns to Its Roots

Posted on by trwebads2 in Blog, Game Design, News

When storefronts talk about “ownership,” it’s usually marketing language. GOG is one of the few platforms where it has always meant something concrete. That’s why the news that GOG has been acquired by its co-founder Michał Kiciński, separating it operationally from CD Projekt, is more than a business reshuffle - it’s a philosophical reset...

The Death of Vince Zampella and What It Means for the Games Industry

Posted on by trwebads2 in Blog, Game Design, News

When Vince Zampella’s name appears in a headline, it usually signals a major shift in the shooter genre or a new phase for a blockbuster franchise. This time, the news was far more sobering. Reports from California confirm that Vince Zampella, co-founder of Call of Duty and one of the most influential figures in modern game development, has died aged 55 following a car crash in the mountains north of Los Angeles...

Larian, AI, and the Line Between Tool and Authorship

Posted on by trwebads2 in Blog, Game Design, News

When Larian Studios speaks, the industry listens and not just because of Baldur’s Gate 3 or the newly announced Divinity project. Larian has become a rare example of a large studio that pairs scale with strong creative values. That’s why CEO Swen Vincke’s comments about AI use at The Game Awards 2025 sparked such a strong reaction...

Paramount’s $163B Play for Warner Bros: What a Hollywood Mega-Merger Could Mean for Games

Posted on by trwebads2 in Blog, Game Design, News

Now that Paramount has put forward a massive $163B hostile bid, outbidding Netflix’s earlier $125B offer, the future of those game franchises suddenly looks uncertain. The streaming war has collided with the games industry, and the outcome may reshape how blockbuster games are financed, marketed, distributed - and who owns the stories players care about. To understand the scale: this would be the largest acquisition in entertainment history. It is not a bidding war over a studio. It is a bidding war over culture...

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...