In terms of keeping up with market trends, Insomniac's venture into Facebook via its newly revealed Outernauts might feel somewhat belated, considering how Zynga made their mark back in 2009. Yet what the console game developer hopes to do is bring its brand of plot-driven game design to the social platform, the same kind of narrative draw that made Ratchet & Clank and Resistance so well known. Facebook gamers know all there is about goals (farming or otherwise), but do they know quests? Insomniac is looking to educate the social gaming masses.

Some of us do like character motivations and narratives to pull us into a game. We could care less about having the biggest city or a thriving cafe. With Outernauts, there's a conflict against an intergalactic megacorporation, a race to find a universe-changing artifact, and lots of space pirates to battle. Your playable hero, whose name you choose, could be either gender and can have their hair, skin, and armor customized. Like many RPGs, armor pieces each have stat enhancements, and completing a set of a particular kind of armor will yield bonuses.

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Want to make games, but you don’t know where to start? Want to start up a studio, work for your dream developer, or strike out on your own as an indie? Not sure about any of that, buy you’re dying to work in games? You’ve come to the right place. Getting into the game industry can be tough, but a passion for games, a lot of hard work, and a dollop of insider knowledge can go a long way. Read on for our full video game career guide.

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Game developers Cliff Bleszinski from Epic Games and Amy Henning from Naughty Dog know a thing or two about videogames, and during the Microtalks at GDC 2012, they and others discussed the idea of time, and how it influcences game design. 

If you've ever wondered what what Cliff Bleszinki's rules are for starting out in the videogame industry, read on to find out what he -- and other great videogame minds -- think about the topic of time. 

Between running all over the place for preview events, dealing with the massive block lengths in San Francisco and the crunch of deadlines, I haven’t had time to see many panels at GDC. Thankfully I was able to cover the conference’s famous microtalks—in which ten developers and influential industry figures are given just twenty slides that can only be displayed for 16 seconds each to talk about a theme. The theme this year was “playing for time,” which, as Richard Lemarchand said, is largely about uncertain futures.

Richard Lemarchand – Designer, Naughty Dog

Lemarchand introduced us to the theme of playing for time, explaining the point of the subject matter would hopefully spur building something with value and a legacy.

“Are we building games that have some lasting value, that respect people’s time and give them new ways at looking the world? Embracing play as an important, powerful aspect of life that can help bring friends and family closer and help to learn more about what it means to be human?”

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Love it or hate it, Saint’s Row: The Third was one of the most over-the-top, bat-crap crazy games of 2011. An SR 3 level of finely tuned insanity doesn't happen by chance; it comes from careful planning, tons of hard work, and the kind of eureka! moment that can only spring from a giant purple dildo bat used as a weapon.

Design Director at Volition, Scott Phillips gave a talk at the Game Developer’s Conference 2012 about how they managed to go as over the top as they did, without going too far. The talk covered three main sections: Setting the Tone, Raising the Bar, and Scope Control; making for one of the most interesting panels we’ve seen so far.

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We got a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Batman: Arkham City at GDC 2012, and how the developers took the journey from the Asylum and in to the city. The presentation began with Rocksteady's art director David Hego playing a clip from Arkham Asylum, bringing us back to 2009, when the city was just a very curious object in the distance. Both Batman and the player could gaze at the city, in the hopes of one day crossing that river and kicking some urban ass; and we would do so two years later. In a very concise 30-minute presentation, David went over the many key points in going from the asylum to the city.

• REVIEW: Batman: Arkham City Review

Of the valuable lessons learned, he briefly touch upon the effectiveness of modular assets. That was coupled with the constant and seemingly obvious reminder that Batman is very cool and to make sure the player truly felt like Batman. He continued to make very sensible statements regarding how gameplay is king and how art supports that gameplay. With that kind of foundation, Rocksteady had 27 AAA skilled (many veteran) artists on board going into Batman: Arkham City.

Across both games, creating the Arkhamverse was the result of six years of work and Rocksteady's privileged take on the Batman universe. It was key to put in as much of Batman's DNA as possible, where there was no such thing as being too super referential. Working off a canvas to create the world, Rocksteady looked to Gothic architecture and Victorian vertical designs first in Arkham Asylum and continuing this with Arkham City. This also resulted in having a lot of Art Nouveau throughout the city. While the Batman universe is traditionally seen as very American, that did not stop Rocksteady from giving their world a very French and English style.

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What the difference is between the development of an awesome game and a terrible one is, Bioware leads Richard Vogel and Dallas Dickinson laid it all out at GDC 2012. For Star Wars: The Old Republic developers, making the game awesome meant creating their own Death Star. Even triple-A games have to make sacrifices in order to be successful. That’s why in the last half year of the development cycle The Old Republic, they introduced the Death Star—basically an “imperial” review board that would evaluate team progress and make harsh cuts as needed.

“We brought everyone [on the team] to us to explain where they were. In the background we had a board that was twenty feet across and had magnetic strips of different things that outlined what we needed to do and were tracked daily,” Vogel said.

“It’s very important to cut your babies in half early and often. It’s also very important to that you don’t do nice-to-haves. That’s what everyone wants. We made people cry in the Death Star many times.”

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As gamers, we’re often too caught up fighting for our lives in heated gun or melee battles to appreciate the countless hours of work that go into character animation. Motion capture has been standard fare for many action/adventure projects these days but there are still a lot of hurdles to overcome in terms of properly applying this animation to a specific game setting. This was evident in the high turnout for the GDC panel titled, “Animation Driven Locomotion for Smoother Navigation”.

Just as it takes countless man-hours for Pixar animators to design a garbage bag in Toy Story 3, it might surprise many how much work goes into making sure a non-player character’s feet animation looks realistic, let alone believable. The speakers at this panel know a thing or two about animation, namely:

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In Skyrim it isn't hard to wet your blade. But I'm out to do more than spill a little blood. I'm Tura Satana, a dragonborn serial killer. My quest is to become the most notorious murderer in Skyrim and I plan to make the town of Solitude my claim to fame. Read on and witness the brutal conclusion of my gory death trip. 

• Skyrim Murders Part 1
• Skyrim Murders Part 2
• Skyrim Murders Part 3

ODAR, ERDI, UNA, SYBILLE STENTOR, SOLITUDE GUARDS

This is where it all ends. I've left a swath of death across Skyrim's countryside. And I've finally developed a taste for innocent blood. There are a half-dozen bodies in the bard's college to prove it. And they're just for starters. I plan to make the city of Solitude my own personal abattoir. So I work methodically, starting at one end and killing everything I find as I move my way towards the other.

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In Skyrim everyone is a killer. My goal is to make all those heroes and bandits look like chumps. I'm Tura Satana, a slayer of dragons and a hunter of man. Join me as I learn to stalk the most dangerous game and become the most notorious serial killer in the land. This journey isn't for the faint of heart.

• The Skyrim Murders: Part 1 
• The Skyrim Murders: Part 2

ALIK'R WARRIORS

I'm getting better at killing. On the path to Windhelm I encounter a pair of Alik'r Warriors. They're harassing a Redguard woman on the side of the road. But they have the wrong person – Saadia, the lady they seek, is safe and sound in a Whiterun Tavern. Mere days ago I was ankle-deep in the bodies of the Aliki'r when I murdered the Redguard traitor Kematu and his Alik'r cronies. My dagger has acquired a taste for Akik'r blood. When the men are through harassing the hapless Redgaurd woman they continue down the road to Windhelm, oblivious to my stares. I run, swift and and silent, until I catch up with the slowest of the pair. In a single, smooth motion I grab the man from behind and slit his throat with my blade. His partner, oblivious, is just as easy to gut. A flurry of stabs from behind kills him instantly.  

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Skyrim is a bloody place. Murder is commonplace,  but not all slayings are created equal. My name is Tura Satana. I am The Dragonborn and a Nord serial killer in the making. Follow me as I cut a bloody swath across Skyrim and attempt to find my place amongst the land's most notorious criminals. I may not have what it takes. Read Part One to see how I began my bloody murder spree.

AGNIS

The old woman in Fort Greymoor is the only one I spare. “I just cook and clean and do whatever it is they ask of me,” she bleats while munching on a loaf of bread.

The bandits she feeds and mops up after are killers like me, so I cut them down to the last. But Agnis seems as blameless as straw on the floor of this shabby fortress. This kindness doesn't seem terribly becoming of a serial killer. I'm still trying to find my voice as a mass murderer. Random slayings don't seem my style.

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During a recent media event in San Francisco, Team Ninja confirmed the not-so-surprising appearances of Ayane and Hitomi in the developer's forthcoming brawler Dead or Alive 5. We've known about Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa and DOA's Hayate being in the roster as well, but this was our first chance to see the newest additions in action.

The more I played Dead or Alive 5 during our session, the more that I became convinced that the last time I've seen these many drastic changes to the series was when Dead or Alive 2 came out. It's with these two gals that you can really see how Team Ninja is consciously shifting away from the doll-like facial features of past DOA character designs. Hitomi for example is showing a more slender face, shedding of some of her baby fat. The changes are very slight, just enough to be noticeable, but still unmistakably Dead or Alive.

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When bad things happen to good people the first question they always ask is, “why?” My name is Tura Satana and I am The Dragonborn. I am also a mass-murderer. Join me on my dark journey through Skyrim where I will slip into the skin of a killer and try to make sense of the antisocial impulse. You may not like the answers you find.

THE ORC

My first murder in Skyrim is the result of a theft gone wrong. I found myself in the middle of an autumnal plain North of the Brittleshin Pass. A series of columns, surely a signpost towards adventure, lure me across the expanse. There I found a grating set into the ground. A treasure chest was beneath, but beyond my reach. And I don't know the combination to the puzzle pillars nearby so I decide to quit sniffing after the chest and move on.

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There’s no doubt that Saints Row: The Third offers up some of the craziest, over the top action this holiday season, but there is one thing that can make the action even crazier: Another person. Saints Row: The Third includes the same excellent co-op system from Saints Row 2, albeit with some minor changes, allowing every satchel charge explosion, garbage truck super jump and sex toy beat down to be experienced with another person laughing alongside of you.

There’s a lot to do and see in Steelport, so read on for some tips to make your co-op experience the best it can be.

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Shopping for a gamer is a tall order. Not only do we tend to be rather obsessed with our hobby, but we also tend to get the games we want right away – leaving loved ones with a blank list come holiday gift-giving season. If you’re one of those poor souls, don’t worry – you don’t need to resort to socks and ties – because there are plenty of ways you can feed our addiction in fun ways, without ever worrying you’re buying us something we already have (or worse, a game that really sucks). Here’s our list of the very best non-game gifts for gamers, sure to delight your favorite fanboy/fangirl.

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So you have a gamer girlfriend/wife/”special lady” – lucky you! Chances are, you’re the subject of envy among gamers whose better halves don’t "get" the hobby. Holiday shopping should be a breeze – unless, of course, it turns into a minefield. To avoid the worst of the holiday explosions, we present a holiday gift guide full of suggestions for the best gifts for your gamer girlfriend.

One quick word of advice – listen to her, and you can’t go wrong. Take note of the types of games she plays, the themes she enjoys, and the stuff she’s not into. If she’s a hardcore shooter fan with an aversion to pastels, she may not appreciate it if you wrap up Kirby’s latest with a pink bow. Likewise, a smart lady who enjoys her puzzle-platformers may not be thrilled with Duke Nukem Forever. Keep your eyes open, and you’re bound to make your gaming goddess very happy this season.

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