If you’ve ever played a game that looked great on paper but just didn’t hit right, you’re not alone. Behind the scenes, game development teams use project management tools to plan and deliver games. One of the oldest and most common is the Iron Triangle a model that balances Time, Cost, and Scope (or sometimes Quality, depending on who you ask). Continue reading Why the “Iron Triangle” Doesn’t Work for Video Games
Age of Empires II has been a cornerstone of my gaming life.
It was a crucial part of my childhood and remains a title I keep coming back to, even decades later. Since the release of the Definitive Edition in 2019, we’ve seen several expansions breathe new life into this classic but the recent release of The Three Kingdoms promises to be the biggest update since The Conquerors, which came out over twenty five years ago.
As someone who plays Age of Empires II regularly and follows the game’s evolution closely, I wanted to share my thoughts on this new expansion, how it compares to those that came before, and whether it’s worth the £15 price tag. Continue reading Age of Empires 2: The Three Kingdoms, First Impressions
The article discusses the challenges faced by game studios Bungie and Hi-Rez as they expand into multiple projects. While trying to balance their main hits with new ventures, both companies have suffered from quality issues and resource mismanagement. The need for focused development and sustained player engagement is emphasized to avoid failure. Continue reading The Cost of Overexpansion: How Bungie and Hi-Rez Mismanaged Their Success
It’s quite a common criticism of the video game industry that corporate and other external stakeholders hold too much influence over the design team and that this culture is the result of many of the troubles in the industry. In recent years we’ve seen games pushed for early released such as Cyberpunk 2077 even though the project wasn’t ready, we’ve seen games like Overwatch 2 … Continue reading Corporate Influence in Game Design: The Forgotten Age of Empires 2 Story
Tim Browne - Consultant and Researcher for Creatives 