AAA, Asset and Dev - Game Developers Network

Godot for AA/AAA game development - What's missing?

Mircosoft Game Dev

JANUARY 15, 2023

The features offered are also a lot more reminiscent of AAA games, such as far more material options and advanced visual effects (including circle DOF , volumetric fog, AMD FSR, etc.). It means that assets are pulled from disk on demand (loaded only at the time they are needed), rather than as a part of a larger stage.

AAA

AAA Game Developer Game Development Development

AWS to showcase tools for breakthrough gaming experiences at GDC 2025

AWS Games

MARCH 13, 2025

Tap into AWS for Games services to quickly create game assets, accelerate development, and unlock new player acquisition, engagement and monetization opportunities. Meet with AWS for Games experts to learn about the transformational power of generative AI and cloud game development. Reserve your spot for the all-day event.

AI

AI Demo Games Build

Solo dev Jonathan C Haman created “the glorious Drift Type C – which no one is buying”

PreMortem.Games

JUNE 7, 2023

To get the cars in Drift Type C well… drifting, Haman fixed a fundamental flaw in the Unity assets he used: “Two lines of nasty-hack later and the cars felt great and realistic.” I put in car building as well, and downloaded every vehicle physics asset to make it easy. Why did you become a solo developer? JON BRAIN GOOD.

Dev

Dev Asset Concepts Build

What build system do AAA studios typically use? I know that Electronic Arts has their own build system, but is this common?

Ask a Game Dev

MAY 3, 2024

This is because each game has its own file structure, asset list, and scripts that must be processed alongside building the code in order to result in a functioning game build. The devs are required to run this build and validation process before being allowed to submit their changes in order to ensure stability in the game.

Build

Build Electronics AAA Studios

Lazy Game Dev Kidnaps Brackeys

Awesome Tuts

APRIL 22, 2022

Recently I promoted my Lazy Game Dev product and this is one of the emails I wrote for the promotion. A young, insignificant game dev named Asbjørn Thirslund is hurrying home to create his first tutorial for a YT channel he just started called Brackeys. You’re a YT game dev,” shouts Brackeys. The email starts below the line.

Dev

Dev Games Code AAA

A friend of mine wants to become a game designer without learning any other disciplines in game dev, he seems very sure this is possible but his confidence comes off as “idea guy” to me. I like thinking about design as well and how it could all fit together cohesively but I’m worried he’s setting himself up for failure by not learning another discipline to go along with it. Am I correct in this thought or am I being an jerk?

Ask a Game Dev

AUGUST 3, 2023

If a designer doesn't understand the technical and asset constraints she's working with, it can make for a lot of wasted work. If he wants a career in AAA games, he will need specialized expertise. At the very least he'll need to create his own assets and/or write his own code. I wish him (and you) the best of luck.

Cinematics

Cinematics Game Design Game Designer Dev

Postcards from Quakeland, 2022

Radiator Blog

JUNE 15, 2022

For a chance to "go official", modmakers must ensure clean provenance for their assets. This is meant to be dev infrastructure for me to quickly build Quake-style levels in TrenchBroom , bring them into Unity, and hopefully sell some shooter games to the gamers eventually. THE FUTURE OF MY QUAKE MAPS.

Indy

Indy Dev Build Software

A podcast recently talked about how some games, like Contra Operation Galuga are struggling to run on Nintendo Switch, because they developed it for higher end systems(PS5, Xbox series, PC) first then port it to Nintendo Switch. They suggested it should have been done the other way around, so every platform has a version of the game that runs perfectly(barring AAA high quality titles like God of War and Spider-Man). How true is this?

Ask a Game Dev

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

The source assets like animation rigging and motions, textures, character and environment models, and so on would be built at a lower fidelity. Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr Frequent Questions: The FAQ

Platformer

Platformer Rigging Texture Asset

This is more of a technical question, but what version of C++ is most used in AAA nowadays? Is it still very much C++11/14 or has it transitioned to C++17/20?

Ask a Game Dev

JULY 10, 2023

Most devs are still using C++11/14 to my knowledge, with several ongoing legacy titles continuing to use C++03 to support them. One of the biggest pillars of development is that the ability for devs to work (stability) is paramount. It’s a pretty broad mix. If we were to make a change like an engine or software upgrade (e.g.

Dev

Dev Software AAA Asset

Given the lost productivity of build times how are game dev companies trying to speed them up? Is it just a matter of shoving as much RAM and CPU cores into the workstations as possible or do things like cloud synching issues put a hard cap on how much throwing money at the problem helps?

Ask a Game Dev

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

Here are a few of them: ALT Modular Builds Instead of having everybody build everything, we separate assets into buckets that don’t always need to be built - common assets in one bucket, specific level assets in another, character assets in a third, weapons in a fourth, and so on.

Build

Build Dev Asset Engineering

The Best 3D Art Outsourcing Studios in the Industry

iXie gaming

JANUARY 11, 2023

Specialties: – Outsource art, VR Full-cycle, AR, External art / engineering development, art, partner, co-dev, and esports. AAA Game Art Studio. AAA Game Art Studio is willing to take on all difficulties as long as they are connected to outsourcing game art. Art Bully Productions.

Art

Art Studios Animation Animation

The Inevitable Blockchain Revolution

Deconstructor of Fun

NOVEMBER 14, 2021

The seismic shift enabled by microtransactions and live services won’t be complete until there are no more annual releases because every tentpole AAA game has transformed into a live-operated platform. 2 Asset Ownership Will Drive Player Choice Imagine you are the type of player happy to spend $2 million to be the top player in a 4x game.

Mobile

Mobile Mobile Platformer Asset

Unity VS Unreal: Which Engine Should You Choose As A Beginner

Awesome Tuts

NOVEMBER 13, 2022

It’s not that you can’t get a job if you know Unity and C#, but C++ is more used in the AAA game industry and more opportunities are available. For some reason, most game devs cover Unity instead of Unreal. While that might be true if you are a AAA game studio, it isn’t necessarily the same for an indie developer.

Engineering

Engineering Engine Code Graphics

The Showdown: Unity Vs. Godot Vs. Buildbox Vs Unreal Engine

SOVEREIGN MOON

OCTOBER 11, 2020

Unity has a reputation for being a complex game engine designed to help developers make AAA games. Unity took another major attempt to onboard more no-code users last year when they launched the 2D and 3D game kits (which are also free assets). Essentially, these game kits come with every imaginable asset you need to make games.

Engineering

Engineering Engine Visual Scripting Scripting

Godot 3.3 has arrived, with a focus on optimization and reliability

Mircosoft Game Dev

APRIL 21, 2021

Web editor running the "Ninja Adventure" demo from the eponymous CC0 asset pack by Pixel-Boy and AAA. When you add assets to a Godot project, most of them get imported to engine internal formats on the fly based on options configured in the Import dock. The colors and contrast can be customized in the editor settings.

Collision

Collision Lightmap Baking Render

Solo dev Pat Naoum of the handpainted The Master’s Pupil: “Creativity is a tool”

PreMortem.Games

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

These were small versions of the AAA games I had played a lot of, but they were just as enjoyable.” All advice for new game devs is to work on small projects, and make as many as you can. If I could pay for employees tomorrow, I would, but for now the solo dev works best. It’s interesting that so many devs say that.

Dev

Dev Art Concepts Indy

Out Now • Solo dev Pat Naoum of the handpainted The Master’s Pupil: “Creativity is a tool”

PreMortem.Games

AUGUST 9, 2023

These were small versions of the AAA games I had played a lot of, but they were just as enjoyable.” All advice for new game devs is to work on small projects, and make as many as you can. If I could pay for employees tomorrow, I would, but for now the solo dev works best. It’s interesting that so many devs say that.

Dev

Dev Art Concepts Indy

Is classic game porting/remastering becoming its own specialization? What I mean is, of course it’s happening more these days, so/but is space growing to be someone who specializes in these projects? Or is it still niche enough that the small number of teams/staff who do it will continue to do it?

Ask a Game Dev

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

AAA studios are expensive and cost a lot to run, assigning a AAA studio a remake/port project is not really worth it when compared to the estimated return on investment. First, it costs notably less than the publisher putting their own internal AAA studios on it. The answer here is "kind of". This has two major benefits.

AAA

AAA Studios Dev Build

"Quake Renaissance" for Rock Paper Shotgun

Radiator Blog

AUGUST 25, 2021

I tried to respect the deep engagement of a fan, use the technical knowledge of a dev, and maintain the critical distance of an academic. Show how Quake community is surprisingly anarchist / radical -- they have complete control over themselves, from their social hubs to their source code to their dev tools.

Writing

Writing Polygon Dev Software

Staying Strong in the Game with Jordan Smith

Game Dev Unchained

JANUARY 16, 2025

A 2024 MIT Technology Review report found that 30% of studios are actively incorporating AI-driven tools to replace traditional developer roles, from procedural level design to automated asset creation. Every single AAA studio is trying to copy that model. Jordan: “Like, remember when outsourcing was the biggest fear?

AI

AI Games Technology AAA

The Forgotten City (2021) revisited

Radiator Blog

NOVEMBER 3, 2021

From a game dev perspective, it's been fascinating to play. In this post, I compare and contrast the original and this modern remake from a dev / design perspective. Even AAA has given up on immersive sim RPGs , so any dev deserves praise just for attempting this genre I think. The Forgotten City (2021).

NPC

NPC Fighting Art Dev

Game Developers Network

Godot for AA/AAA game development - What's missing?

AWS to showcase tools for breakthrough gaming experiences at GDC 2025

Trending Sources

Solo dev Jonathan C Haman created “the glorious Drift Type C – which no one is buying”

What build system do AAA studios typically use? I know that Electronic Arts has their own build system, but is this common?

Lazy Game Dev Kidnaps Brackeys

Postcards from Quakeland, 2022

This is more of a technical question, but what version of C++ is most used in AAA nowadays? Is it still very much C++11/14 or has it transitioned to C++17/20?

Given the lost productivity of build times how are game dev companies trying to speed them up? Is it just a matter of shoving as much RAM and CPU cores into the workstations as possible or do things like cloud synching issues put a hard cap on how much throwing money at the problem helps?

The Best 3D Art Outsourcing Studios in the Industry

The Inevitable Blockchain Revolution

Unity VS Unreal: Which Engine Should You Choose As A Beginner

The Showdown: Unity Vs. Godot Vs. Buildbox Vs Unreal Engine

Godot 3.3 has arrived, with a focus on optimization and reliability

Solo dev Pat Naoum of the handpainted The Master’s Pupil: “Creativity is a tool”

Out Now • Solo dev Pat Naoum of the handpainted The Master’s Pupil: “Creativity is a tool”

Is classic game porting/remastering becoming its own specialization? What I mean is, of course it’s happening more these days, so/but is space growing to be someone who specializes in these projects? Or is it still niche enough that the small number of teams/staff who do it will continue to do it?

"Quake Renaissance" for Rock Paper Shotgun

Staying Strong in the Game with Jordan Smith

The Forgotten City (2021) revisited

Stay Connected