Game Developer June/July Issue Showcases Final Fantasy's WiiWare Debut

Author: by Staff

The June/July 2008 issue of Game Developer magazine, the sister print publication to Gamasutra.com and the leading U.S. trade publication for the video game industry, has shipped to print/digital subscribers and is available from the Game Developer Digital service in both subscription and single-issue formats, as well as a single physical issue. The cover feature for the issue is an exclusive postmortem of Square Enix's first WiiWare effort, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King, offering much insight into the title's development. As is explained in its description: "Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King was a WiiWare launch title in Japan, and sits somewhere between a strategy game and a god game. In this technical-oriented postmortem, lead programmer Fumiaki Shiraishi shares the ups and downs of implementing scripting for designers, the benefits of small file sizes, and the trouble with overblown AI." Another major feature in the new issue is "Intelligent Brawling," in which THQ creative manager Tom Smith examines a design overview and comparison document that he compiled to help Nihilistic's Conan creators: "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and with that in mind, Tom Smith dissected the enemy AI of several competing 3D brawlers in order to discern what makes for intelligent looking enemies. The results are intriguing, at the least, and show what there is to gain by putting a magnifying glass to the work of others." In another notable feature, Michael Zenke examines free-to-play MMOs such as Nexon's MapleStory, and why they might be more important than many subscription-based MMO developers might think: "Smaller, non-subscription MMOs have been slowly but surely making their way into the hearts and minds of the game community. But now, they're getting too big to ignore. Are tiny MMOs eating away at your subscribers?" In addition, code columnist Noel Llopis offers part 2 of his highly technical analysis of implementing deterministic playback systems in development, and art columnist Steve Theodore invokes the world of art history to provide important perspective for video game artists. Plus, design co-columnist Soren Johnson takes a look at the merits of 2D and 3D design, and audio columnist Jesse Harlin calls for fewer games and trailers relying on the old crutch of generic Latin-language choral soundtracks. Finally, in a new interview, Grasshopper Manufacture's accomplished sound director Masafumi Takada (Killer7, No More Heroes, God Hand, Earth Defense Force) discusses the creative process he uses both for Grasshopper's own titles and his external projects. As always, the issue also contains product reviews and other notable editorial columns, as well as the latest game development news and industry perspectives. Worldwide paper-based subscriptions to Game Developer magazine are currently available at the official magazine website, and the Game Developer Digital version of the issue is also now available, with the site offering six months' and a year's subscriptions, alongside access to back issues and PDF downloads of all issues, all for a reduced price. There is now also an opportunity to buy the digital version of June/July 2008's magazine as a single issue.