creative process

AppWizard
September 13, 2026
Ashly Burch began her gaming journey with a Donkey Kong knockoff on her mother's typing practice computer and was significantly influenced by LucasArts' Day of the Tentacle. She gained recognition through the online sketch show Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin' and is known for her voice roles as Tiny Tina in Borderlands 2, Chloe in Life is Strange, Parvati Holcomb in The Outer Worlds, and Aloy in Guerrilla Games' Horizon series. Burch is currently working on a YouTube comedy series called I'm Happy You're Here, which aims to make mental health discussions more accessible. She is currently playing The Incident at Galley House, a detective game, and has uninstalled Fields of Mistria after spending many hours on it. Her Steam Deck still has Kentucky Route Zero installed, a game she hasn't finished due to its abstract nature. Burch has logged 270 hours in Slay the Spire and considers League of Legends, especially its ARAM mode, a game she will never uninstall. She uses Audacity for voice auditions and maintains a tidy desktop to support her creative process.
AppWizard
September 6, 2026
The gaming community has expressed skepticism about the upcoming Mass Effect installment from BioWare due to mixed reactions to recent titles like Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda. Armando Troisi, a veteran cinematic designer from the original Mass Effect trilogy, believes concerns may be overstated and emphasizes that BioWare has a talented team capable of delivering a compelling experience if given the freedom to innovate. He expressed support for the studio's vision and confidence in their ability to succeed.
AppWizard
September 4, 2026
Google has expanded its music generation model, Lyria 3.5, making it accessible through the Gemini app and Gemini API, in addition to its original platform, Google Flow Music. Users can now choose from short and long music tracks and utilize new templates to inspire creativity. The model offers improved melodic structures, adherence to user prompts, structural awareness, and realistic vocal outputs. Developers can also access Lyria 3.5 via Google AI Studio and Google Vids.
AppWizard
August 15, 2026
Saber Interactive's CEO discusses the potential of generative AI dialogue in video games, while skepticism remains due to past failures with AI-driven characters. Companies like Convai and Ubisoft aim to create more immersive experiences with AI NPCs, but the assumption that background character dialogue is unimportant undermines storytelling in games. The richness of game worlds comes from carefully crafted scripts, and AI-generated content may not achieve the same quality. Industry veterans emphasize that good storytelling relies on human experience, and there is concern that companies may prioritize profit over artistic integrity, leading to inferior products. This reflects a broader trend of viewing video games as commodities rather than art forms, highlighting a disconnect between corporate strategies and creative processes.
AppWizard
August 13, 2026
Legion Was Here offers an immersive character creation experience, allowing players to customize avatars with extensive options, from facial features to expressions. The character creator is central to gameplay, pushing players to master character design for success in the game. A poorly crafted character can lead to challenges in survival, adding pressure to the creative process. Players can either replicate familiar faces or create new personas, with every detail impacting their character's fate.
AppWizard
August 13, 2026
PC Gamer has an exclusive feature on Onimusha: Way of the Sword, a new action sword-fighting game from Capcom, marking its return after two decades. The magazine includes insights from seven developers and highlights the game's unique swordfight experience. Additionally, it features a 32-page supplement titled PC Gamer's Top 100, showcasing the top 100 games for PC gamers in 2026. The issue also includes an A1 poster of Onimusha, discusses favorite co-op games, and provides hands-on impressions of upcoming titles like The Blood of Dawnwalker and others. It reviews new releases such as Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and is available in PDF and EPUB formats.
AppWizard
August 12, 2026
Saber Interactive's upcoming game, Rideshare "Stimulator," has sparked controversy due to comments from former lead writer Stella Sacco, who claimed she was replaced by ChatGPT during development. Sacco stated that all passenger voices in the game were also AI-generated, raising concerns about transparency in the game's development. She attributed the decision to use AI to higher-ups at Saber, despite her supervisor's support for her involvement. Saber Interactive has denied Sacco's claims but acknowledged the use of AI in the game. The game's Steam page promotes "unique and unpredictable passenger stories," but Sacco's remarks suggest a disconnect between the marketing narrative and the creative process, particularly regarding the lack of disclosure about AI usage.
AppWizard
August 9, 2026
Nough, formerly known as Round8, has released a 16-minute mini-documentary that explores its culture and the creative process behind the Lies of P series. The studio's name change reflects its commitment to a development philosophy centered on the motto 'Games by Gamers'. The documentary features behind-the-scenes insights, personal stories from developers, and highlights the challenges faced during the creation of Lies of P. The team is currently working on a sequel, with optimism stemming from the success of the original game and its Overture expansion. News writer Harvey Randall has noted the positive reception of the Overture expansion as a promising sign for Lies of P 2.
AppWizard
August 6, 2026
Toby Longworth is a prominent voice actor in Warhammer 40k, known for his work on Black Library novels, particularly those by Dan Abnett, including the Eisenhorn and Gaunt's Ghosts series. He has also voiced Nathaniel Garro in Horus Heresy novels. Currently, he is involved in Dawn of War 4, voicing various Space Marines. Additional content about his career and collaboration with Alex Jordan will be available on the PC Gamer YouTube channel.
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