Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3h

Even with an unlimited budget, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wouldn’t have been a radically different or bigger game. We talk to creative director Guillaume Broche

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Even with an unlimited budget, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wouldn’t have been a radically different or bigger game. We talk to creative director Guillaume Broche - AUTOMATON WEST

Interview with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director Guillaume Broche ahead of the title's major "Thank You Update."

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3h

Dynasty Warriors producer answers fan questions about the series on X, including trivia on faction colors and the opening edit mode

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Dynasty Warriors producer answers fan questions about the series on X, including trivia on faction colors and the opening edit mode - AUTOMATON WEST

The Dynasty Warriors official X account started a fan Q&A series with the producer, revealing some new behind-the-scenes development stories.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3h

I tried to play horror co-op game Underward solo, but my rubber chicken couldn’t save me from getting ambushed by evil sexy nurses

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I tried to play horror co-op game Underward solo, but my rubber chicken couldn’t save me from getting ambushed by evil sexy nurses - AUTOMATON WEST

Though it may not scratch the itch of gamers who are looking for more, Underward is a pretty solid co-op horror that keeps the player entertained.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3h

Chronoscript: The Endless End devs didn’t want to compromise on difficulty. “Games nowadays are too user-friendly. We wanted to bring back a certain level of challenge.”

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Chronoscript: The Endless End devs didn’t want to compromise on difficulty. “Games nowadays are too user-friendly. We wanted to bring back a certain level of challenge.” - AUTOMATON WEST

Talking to AUTOMATON, Chronoscript: The Endless End developers discuss why it was so important for them to keep the game difficult.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3h

Chilla’s Art announces Umigari, a bizarre first-person “harpoon fishing simulator” that gets increasingly uncanny the more you play it

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Chilla's Art announces Umigari, a bizarre first-person “harpoon fishing simulator” that gets increasingly uncanny the more you play it - AUTOMATON WEST

Umigari presents itself as just a "fishing simulator," but what lurks in the depths of the ocean might be more sinister than you think.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 1d

Chronoscript: The Endless End is an artistic Metroidvania coming from Sony veterans who worked on Bloodborne and the PS3’s Rain

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Chronoscript: The Endless End is an artistic Metroidvania coming from Sony veterans who worked on Bloodborne and the PS3’s Rain - AUTOMATON WEST

A look at the core development team behind Chronoscript: The Endless End, Shueisha Games' hand-drawn 2D Metroidvania.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 1d

Hideo Kojima says Metal Gear and Death Stranding wouldn’t exist without the globalist and futuristic outlook he learned from 1970’s Osaka World Expo

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Hideo Kojima says Metal Gear and Death Stranding wouldn’t exist without the globalist and futuristic outlook he learned from 1970’s Osaka World Expo - AUTOMATON WEST

Hideo Kojima reminisces on a formative experience from his childhood which he considers to have indirectly led to Metal Gear and Death Stranding being born.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 1d

Japanese indie hit Pico Park: Classic Edition accidentally becomes permanently free on Steam

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Japanese indie hit Pico Park: Classic Edition accidentally becomes permanently free on Steam - AUTOMATON WEST

After forgetting about Valve's platform rules, Shunsuke Miyake has accidentally made Pico Park: Classic Edition permanently free on Steam.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 1d

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is dripping with Sega’s “secret sauce,” borrowing from classics like Sega Rally and OutRun, devs say

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Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is dripping with Sega’s “secret sauce,” borrowing from classics like Sega Rally and OutRun, devs say - AUTOMATON WEST

In an interview with AUTOMATON, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds devs talk about how the game took on the essence of Sega's biggest racing classics.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 1d

Ishii Jiro’s 200-ending roguelike visual novel doesn’t use generative AI, but human-designed decision trees based on over 850 stage plays

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Ishii Jiro’s 200-ending roguelike visual novel doesn’t use generative AI, but human-designed decision trees based on over 850 stage plays - AUTOMATON WEST

Game designer Jiro Ishii reveals details about the surprisingly down-to-earth development process behind his new "roguelike visual novel."

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 1d

Japanese game and comic platform DLsite launches its own payment alternative following Visa and Mastercard suspensions

The service will not be available outside of Japan

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Japanese game and comic platform DLsite launches its own payment alternative following Visa and Mastercard suspensions - AUTOMATON WEST

Following suspensions of transactions via Visa and Mastercard, DLsite has launched a semi-in-house payment alternative.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 1d

The First Descendant’s upcoming updates will focus on enhancing what the game already has, rather than adding more non-combat content

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The First Descendant’s upcoming updates will focus on deepening what the game already has, rather than adding more non-combat content - AUTOMATON WEST

The First Descendant director Minseok Joo shares insights into the looter shooter's near future updates.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 2d

Ninja Gaiden 4 will make up for the “shortcomings” of past entries’ boss battles, devs say
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Ninja Gaiden 4 will make up for the "shortcomings" of past entries’ boss battles, devs say - AUTOMATON WEST

Ninja Gaiden 4 developers discuss how they improved upon the shortcomings of past entries while maintaining the essence of the series.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 2d

What’s a “metroidvania plus” game? Chronoscript: The Endless End developers on expanding upon existing hits like Hollow Knight and Blasphemous
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What’s a “metroidvania plus” game? Chronoscript: The Endless End developers on expanding upon existing hits like Hollow Knight and Blasphemous - AUTOMATON WEST

AUTOMATON recently asked Chronoscript: The Endless End developers about their efforts to expand on the metroidvania genre.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 2d

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is “like a party game on the outside,” but tuned like a fully skill-based racing game on the inside, developers say
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Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is “like a party game on the outside,” but tuned like a fully skill-based racing game on the inside, developers say - AUTOMATON WEST

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds creative director Masaru Kobayakawa and developer Kenji Arai talk about the new kart racer's design philosophy.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 2d

Like a Dragon “goes through 10 to 20 times more legal and ethical checks” than a typical game, RGG Studio chief says
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Like a Dragon “goes through 10 to 20 times more legal and ethical checks” than a typical game, RGG Studio chief says - AUTOMATON WEST

RGG Studio director and Like a Dragon series executive director Masayoshi Yokoyama talks about the strict procedure each Yakuza game faces.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3d

Ghost of Yotei’s “pet the fox” mechanic deemed potentially dangerous by Hokkaido locals in Japan, experts argue it’s surprisingly historically accurate
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Ghost of Yotei’s “pet the fox” mechanic deemed potentially dangerous by Hokkaido locals in Japan, experts argue it’s surprisingly historically accurate - AUTOMATON WEST

While Atsu can freely go around petting foxes in Ghost of Yotei, doing so in modern-day Hokkaido could be extremely dangerous.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3d

Valheim developers continue to work with only 8 team members. We ask them why they stick to small-scale development amid growing competition
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Valheim developers continue to work with only 8 team members. We ask them why they stick to small-scale development amid growing competition - AUTOMATON WEST

Iron Gate lead engineer and game designer Jonathan Smårs talks about Valheim's small but focused development team.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 3d

Yakuza Kiwami 3 fundamentally changes the meaning of the term “Kiwami,” developers say. It’s no longer just a technical upgrade
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Yakuza Kiwami 3 fundamentally changes the meaning of the term “Kiwami,” developers say. It’s no longer just a technical upgrade - AUTOMATON WEST

Like a Dragon series developers on how their philosophy on producing Kiwami remakes has changed with Yakuza Kiwami 3.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 5d

“Why are Disney and Marvel protected, but Japanese IPs aren’t?” OpenAI’s Sora 2 sparks controversy in Japan over infringement concerns

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“Why are Disney and Marvel protected, but Japanese IPs aren’t?” OpenAI’s Sora 2 sparks controversy in Japan over infringement concerns - AUTOMATON WEST

With many AI generated videos of famous Japanese IPs circulating the internet, OpenAI's Sora 2 could end up being a legal and political problem in Japan, experts suggest.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 6d

Street Fighter 6 developers were “also shocked” about tournament pay-per-view tickets. Internal discussions ongoing
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Street Fighter 6 developers were "also shocked” about tournament pay-per-view tickets. Internal discussions ongoing - AUTOMATON WEST

Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama publicly addresses Capcom's controversial decision to introduce pay-to-view tickets.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 6d

“Getting rid of gacha is beneficial for developers too.” Duet Night Abyss producer says keeping players satisfied is key for stable monetization
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“Getting rid of gacha is beneficial for developers too.” Duet Night Abyss producer says keeping players satisfied is key for stable monetization - AUTOMATON WEST

In an interview with AUTOMATON, Duet Night Abyss producer Deca Bear told us more about his studio's decision to ditch gacha monetization.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 6d

Capcom’s decision to make Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s protagonist Musashi Miyamoto was actually in consideration of global audiences, devs say
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Capcom’s decision to make Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s protagonist Musashi Miyamoto was actually in consideration of global audiences, devs say - AUTOMATON WEST

In an interview with AUTOMATON, Onimusha: Way of the Sword's producer reveals why Musashi Miyamoto was chosen as the new game's protagonist.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 6d

Persona 3 Reload devs initially wanted to port to both Switch systems, but that would have delayed launch by a year
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Persona 3 Reload devs initially wanted to port to both Switch systems, but that would have delayed launch by a year - AUTOMATON WEST

Persona series developers Kazuhisa Wasa and Shigeo Komori talk about why they gave up on a Nintendo Switch release for Persona 3 Reload.

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AUTOMATON WEST @automatonwest.bsky.social · 6d

Final Fantasy 7 Remake's progression boosts and sped-up cutscenes can reduce playtime to under 10 hours. Director Naoki Hamaguchi tells us why he personally pushed for them
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake's progression boosts and sped-up cutscenes can reduce playtime to under 10 hours. Director Hamaguchi tells us why he personally pushed for them - AUTOMATON WEST

Final Fantasy VII Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi on why he pushed for Streamlined Progression despite inevitable mixed reactions.

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