Creative challenges in game development

- Raphael van Lierop, creative director and co-founder, Hinterland Games A new feature at USgamer takes a look at the creative process of game development -- the how and the why of it, from a practical level. Framed as a look at what hits the cutting room floor and why, it takes in opinions from Obsidian Entertainment's Chris Avellone (Planescape: Torment, Fallout: New Vegas) Raphael van Lierop (pictured, Company of Heroes) and Matt Mocarski (WildStar). Van Lierop (who's now working on an independently developed game, The Long Dark) is particularly reflective on his time working on an earlier, unreleased iteration of Far Cry 3 at Ubisoft, while Avellone discusses games like Knights of the Old Republic II. The article touches on everything from how backer and Early Access feedback can shape games ("Player feedback is a highly valuable tool to help you avoid drinking your own Kool Aid," says van Lierop) to how big triple-A budgets shape (or warp) the creative direction of games and the need for strong creative leadership on projects. You can read the whole feature at USgamer.