June/July 2009

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Postmortem: Crystal Dynamics'
Tomb Raider: Underworld

By Eric Lindstrom

Tomb Raider: Underworld was originally planned as an "easy" sequel to the previous game in the series, using the same toolchain—but it never quite works out that way. Eric Lindstrom describes the process, highlighting instances in which the team wasn't able to avoid known problems.

Top 50 Developers

By Trevor Wilson

Our second annual Top 50 Developers report uses metrics such as review scores, revenues, and reputation surveys to determine the best and brightest developers that released games in the past year.

Infinite Space

By the EVE Online team

Most MMOs use multiple shards to break up their game universes. EVE Online, by contrast, uses a single shard. Here, various members of the team, from programmers to designers, share why they feel one shard is the way to go.

Staying Power

By Bruce Phillips

Microsoft researcher Bruce Phillips finds that players often quit single-player campaigns before they're complete. Citing psychology and exclusive statistics, Phillips proposes that "learning goals" can help keep players from getting discouraged.

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Game Career Guide 2008
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Game Career Guide 2007
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Career Guide 2004
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May 2004

Game Plan

By Brandon Sheffield
The Personality Problem

Heads Up Display

Thinking After Dark conference report, GP2X Wiz launch, GDC: The Game, and more.

Tool Box

By Greg Snook
Blade Games World's Blade3D

The Inner Product

By Noel Llopis
Mock Objects: Friends or Foes?

Pixel Pusher

By Steve Theodore
Metagames

Design Of The Times

By Damion Schubert
Tactical Transparency

Aural Fixation

By Jesse Harlin
Thinking Outside the Booth

Arrested Development

By Matthew Wasteland
Ask a Pizza

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Postmortem: Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider: Underworld