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[Mindlog]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover.)

I'll probably be pretty quiet about this project for the rest of the year as I report/write, but expect to hear lots more in 2017!

Good luck. Long and trying, but rewarding road ahead.

Now I have no sources. No real grasp and just how interesting the topic would be, BUT.
This game showed the promise of console shooter MMOs that in my humble opinion Destiny and Division failed to meet. This game was co-developed with a shoe-string budget along with a TV series. This game also starts with a D.

Defiance by Trion Worlds faced all of the problems the bigger products have faced and had to try and solve them with a vastly different kind of resource pool. I think a piece of Defiance would serve as great background to some discussion on a genre that's much bigger these days.

* Oh and Hellgate London. Former Blizzard devs try to build Destiny years before Destiny.
** Oh and Project Offset. Hot off the heals of Savage a small indie team becomes a part of Intel's plan to change PC Gaming forever. Then it never happens.

 

[jschreier]

Every Final Fantasy past 11.

Scuttlebutt, I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeds it.

There are a lot of Japanese games I'd love to dig into, but the translation barrier (and cultural differences when it comes to transparency) might make it tough. We'll see!

 

[Deleted member 102362]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover!

I'd love to learn more about Team Fortress 2's multiple development cycles, shifts in art direction, gameplay and tone, etc. Some of the info's already out there, but learning more about what makes a studio shift direction on a single project several times over the course of 22 years, especially for a studio that can afford to do that, like Valve, would be fascinating to read about.

 

[Nightbird]

There are a lot of Japanese games I'd love to dig into, but the translation barrier (and cultural differences when it comes to transparency) might make it tough. We'll see!

You can always make a second volume that focuses on Japanese development if the first one becomes successful

 

[diaspora]

Will it cover the Bungie clusterfuck? If so, I'm in.

 

[Zombine]

Pen name needs to be P. S. F. Jason

 

[hoola]

If it is anything like Masters of Doom then I will definitely get it.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

Subbed for updates, this is cool. We need more knowledgable and interesting books about the industry, good luck Jason!

If it is anything like Masters of Doom then I will definitely get it.

Go read "Game Over" by David Sheff, it's fantastic.

 

[Pehesse]

Sounds like a very good project! Will it focus on AAA-like projects like with the Destiny article (very good read, by the way!), or will it cover a wider range of development styles, from solo indie devs to the larger teams? The OP mentions "high profile" games, but I'd like to clarify what this means :-D

 

[sflufan]

When does the pre-order go up?

 

[thekiddfran]

Excellent, make it available in Europe and in hardback Jason.

 

[Jabba]

Sounds great, Jason, what gave you the idea to write a book?

 

[Koozek]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover.)

I'll probably be pretty quiet about this project for the rest of the year as I report/write, but expect to hear lots more in 2017!

Sounds very interesting! Looking forward to it. Wish you the best of luck!

Request: Versus XIII/FFXV

 

[Kaako]

This sounds interesting and I'll most likely read for the crazy ass nightmare stories. You have my axe, Mr. Schreier.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover.)

I'll probably be pretty quiet about this project for the rest of the year as I report/write, but expect to hear lots more in 2017!

Hmmm, I'd love a good in depth piece of the supposed change in direction with the storyline of Mass Effect that ended with its controversial ending and taking most of the promises of "every choice you make will affect the game" to end up being some really superfluous extra galactic readiness points here and there.

On that note, wouldn't mind a good in depth look at the Witcher series and CDPR, how they went from Witcher 1 to making their own game in Witcher 2 and 3 and eventually cementing themselves as one of the most influential developers out there right now.

FFXV and Last Guardian are easy choices if you can dig information about their development cycles, but it's probably been talked to death.

A good story on a kickstarter 'failure' would be good too.

Maybe even one on Beyond Good and Evil 2 if you can dig up info.

 

[desu]

Final Fantasy 15 is probably one of the most interesting, but most likely impossible to get.

Either way, 2017 is way too far away!

 

[Tripon]

I'd like to hear about some canceled games that were supposed to come out like Half Life 3. Kappa.

 

[More_Badass]

Will the games be more indie or AAA? I'd love to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of The Witness, Indivisible, and SOMA.

 

[Bedameister]

I'd like to know more about the development of Half-Life 3.

;(

 

[Urthor]

Time was that Kotaku was literally laughed at by any self respecting gamer for tolerating all the animu bullshit on their site that drives away self respecting human beings, pretty much being the absolute sewer of game journalism. Jason Schrier pretty much changed that, leverage the sheer page views of Kotaku into some actual journalism to get it a veneer of credibility. Interested to see how this turns out.

 

[hwy_61]

Is there a Kickstarter for this? Let's get this done Jason!

 

[Tripon]

Is there a Kickstarter for this? Let's get this done Jason!

It is literally being published by a big publishing firm. What you're asking for is a kickstarter for a game developed and published by EA or Activision.

 

[Sectorseven]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover.)

Too Human

 

[emb]

Schreir's good, I'll look forward to checking out the book.

 

[Ban Puncher]

Sounds fucking sneaky.

 

[Patrick Klepek]

can u find out why they keep deleting levels in mario maker thanks jason

 

[Deleted member 10571]

Too Human

Destiny.

edit: lolpek

 

[Sabas]

can u find out why they keep deleting levels in mario maker thanks jason

lol Patrick. Looking forward to reading this!

 

[hydruxo]

Definitely want to read this.

 

[jschreier]

Sounds like a very good project! Will it focus on AAA-like projects like with the Destiny article (very good read, by the way!), or will it cover a wider range of development styles, from solo indie devs to the larger teams? The OP mentions "high profile" games, but I'd like to clarify what this means :-D

I would certainly like to get some indie and mobile stories in there. The goal is to shed some light (in an entertaining, interesting way) on how hard it is to make any kind of video game, whether the team behind it is just one person or 1,000.

 

[jschreier]

can u find out why they keep deleting levels in mario maker thanks jason

Some mysteries were never meant to be solved.

 

[Pehesse]

I would certainly like to get some indie and mobile stories in there. The goal is to shed some light (in an entertaining, interesting way) on how hard it is to make any kind of video game, whether the team behind it is just one person or 1,000.

That's awesome! Maybe some in the indie dev thread would have some stories to share?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=965454

 

[Tambini]

Sounds interesting, how about the development/ disaster launch of Driveclub?

 

[kadotsu]

Why isn't this already out? Schreier should crunch more.

 

[John Caboose]

Congratulations Jason. I will totally buy your book.

 

[ShutterMunster]

FALL 2017?! SO FAR! I am so here for this. Hoping it's even better than his Destiny piece. We need more stuff like this.

 

[SeanTSC]

Can I pre-order a collector's edition?

 

[Deleted member 80556]

Can't believe a Gaffer is becoming famous!

Spoiler

haha

Jason, I think the development cycles of certain companies like Rockstar with Red Dead Redemption, or Ubisoft with the development purgatory Kotaku reported that depressed developers because nothing was done there, can be quite interesting for the book.

Wishing you the best!

 

[TheLetdown]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover.)

I'll probably be pretty quiet about this project for the rest of the year as I report/write, but expect to hear lots more in 2017!

If at all possible, I'd like to see a one-person developer. Or a small indie group.

It'd be an elucidating contrast to view Destiny's cycle and then something like Stardew Valley's.

This element of gaming is something I find fascinating, so I'll definitely be picking this up.

Also, I don't suppose that guy from Trendy would be down to let you have a chapter about him, would he?

Edit: Or pick a developer and go full Lester Bangs on Lou Reed with it, where he straddled reverence and open antagonism.

 

[SeanNoonan]

Jason, I think the development cycles of certain companies like Rockstar with Red Dead Redemption, or Ubisoft with the development purgatory Kotaku reported that depressed developers because nothing was done there.

 

[anaron]

this is cool!

I would loooooooooove to see insight into the big Japanese implosions of Square and Capcom, work culture and creative security and how it changed from the 90s through the 2000s.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

seriously though, the fuck was going on with Destiny. Jason promise me Destiny will be covered and I might just pre-order.

 

[Pehesse]

I'd be interested to contrast the stories of "industry veterans" going indie and ones just starting out that way. What are their views on the industry, on players/their audience, how do contacts/networks/old habits help or detract from development, etc...?

Some stories that come to mind I'd be interested to learn more about: Stardew Valley, Undertale, Slain, Unsung Story.

Spoiler

I'd offer to contribute, although my own game isn't finished yet, and I would hate to take the place from a more deserving story if there are choices to be made. Still, if you're hurting for something to fill up some pages...!

 

[scitek]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover.)

I'll probably be pretty quiet about this project for the rest of the year as I report/write, but expect to hear lots more in 2017!

See what you can dig up about Retro's games. They're so secretive, I'd be fascinated in learning more about their work.

 

[Erevador]

Happy for you Jason. Looking forward to reading the finished book.

 

[_Spr_Drnk]

Jason has a great writing style, his Destiny piece was very good. I'll be buying.

 

[Sesha]

Thanks, guys. Pretty stoked about this. The list of games I'm going to cover isn't finalized yet, so if you have any requests, feel free to post them here. (Can't make any promises, of course - some stories will be difficult if not impossible to uncover.)

I'll probably be pretty quiet about this project for the rest of the year as I report/write, but expect to hear lots more in 2017!

Any DMC game from DMC2 and on. DMC4 and DmC in particular. DMC2s troubled development which started as a different game without Kamiya knowing and included the original director quitting, Itsuno almost leaving after 2 was such a massive disappointment and the extreme turnaround with DMC3 and its rapid development, followed by 3SE and DMC4 in rapid succession, then DMC4s extremely rocky development that probably mirrors that of other early HD game from other pubs like FFXIII and MGS4, then Capcom JP asking Capcom USA to take over for the next game, leading into DmC, then the series' fate post-DmC. Might be impossible because it's a mostly Japanese series, but anything you could find out that isn't public knowledge would be amazing.

PS1 era Squaresoft would be interesting as well.

 

[Kathian]

Great idea

 

[Adnor]

I hope it covers what happened with the PC port of Arkham Knight.

 

[D20CritMiss]

Great concept. I'd be fascinated to see why Drive Club launched the way it did, Street Fighter V as well. Same with what happened to Fable Legends as it was so solid and so close to complete.