Following a half-hour play session of Left 4 Dead that ended entirely too soon for my tastes, I sat down with Valve Software’s Erik Johnson for a friendly chat. There, in a secluded portion of Valve’s E3 2008 booth, Erik let us in on the process behind the upcoming survival-horror-FPS, and how Valve was able to build a better zombie based on their experiences with Team Fortress 2. Erik also let us in on a few upcoming tidbits regarding the future of TF2, including hints as to upcoming animated shorts and planned content. TF2 fans, you won’t want to miss this one. Continue Reading

GameCyte talks with Telltale Games about Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People in part one of a video interview series.

Declarations of Independents focuses on the most independent of game developers: Small teams or individuals whose games have little or no marketing, advertising, or outreach, yet which have extremely loyal and dedicated followings. These games are the hidden treasures of the game industry, and it is our pleasure to bring you the thoughts and experiences of their creators on what it means to be an independent developer. Continue Reading

New York Magazine has a delightful interview with a most delightful creature: Uwe Boll. Doesn’t his name just sound like some insect you might find in the Underdark? The dungeon master leans close to you, and with his rancid cheeto breath clogging your olfactory organs, he intones, “You have encountered a vile Uwe Boll, its mandibles dripping with acid. Roll for initiative!” More to the point, the interview touches on some great topics, such as the need for a Boll-directed GTA movie.

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GameCyte had the chance to sit down with David Sirlin, a game designer working on re-balancing Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, and talk about the community’s response to the new edition as well as the process of balancing SSF2THD in general. This is part one of a two-part interview.

Gamasutra has a very in-depth interview with Jordan Weisman, the founder of Smith & Tinker and FASA, discussing the responsibilities of a creator when making new universes. Weisman is one of the men behind my favorite tabletop universes (Shadowrun and BattleTech), so I have a great deal of respect for what he says regarding franchises. Given that Smith & Tinker is working on some unknown project, which I pray is an MMO for either of the above universes, I read the interview over a few times, desperate for a hint of a clue about what comes next for the company. While he is deliberately vague about the company’s projects, which may or may not include ARGs, Weisman offers some advice to would-be franchise creators.

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Declarations of Independents focuses on the most independent of game developers: Small teams or individuals whose games have little or no marketing, advertising, or outreach, yet which have extremely loyal and dedicated followings. These games are the hidden treasures of the game industry, and it is our pleasure to bring you the thoughts and experiences of their creators on what it means to be an independent developer. Continue Reading

Telltale Games announced last month that they had paired up with Homestarrunner.com to develop Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People. Based on the characters from the Homestar Runner cartoons, SBCG4AP features connoisseur of awesome and all-around wrestleman Strong Bad in his first commercial game release. We had the opportunity to ask a few questions of Matt and Mike Chapman, creators of homestarrunner.com, about episodic gaming and bringing Strong Bad to WiiWare. Continue Reading

GameCyte sits down with Alex Epshteyn, the creator of the world’s first competitive online typing game. Continue Reading

Declarations of Independents focuses on the most independent of game developers: Small teams or individuals whose games have little or no marketing, advertising, or outreach, yet which have extremely loyal and dedicated followings. These games are the hidden treasures of the game industry, and it is our pleasure to bring you the thoughts and experiences of their creators on what it means to be an independent developer. Continue Reading