Develop October: Evolution of a genre

Evolution of a genre: This month, we take a look at the evolution of one of the most important games in history. Jem Alexander speaks to MachineGames about the newest Wolfenstein game, Wolfenstein II The New Colossus, and finds out how the first-person shooter genre has evolved since the original game 25 years ago.

We also speak to British VR developers, Climax Studios and Supermassive Games, about what’s coming next for the technology and we ask VR and AR developers what has changed in the jobs market since the technology hit the mainstream this time last year.

We also look back at the massive success that was Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 3 in this month’s Post-Mortem and continue to track the progress of would-be stand-up indie developer Byron Atkinson-Jones and his comedy journey.

You can read this issue on your browser or mobile device here. If you’re not already subscribed to Develop, you can sign up for as little as £35 to ensure you receive your monthly look at global games development.

Got feedback? Are you a developer who wants to get involved in future issues? Feel free to email us at jalexander@nbmedia.com.

Here’s a full overview of what to expect this month:

• What’s Old is New: Jem Alexander speaks with MachineGames’ Arcade Berg about how the first-person shooter has evolved from a design perspective
• Betting on VR: Supermassive Games made one of the most well-respected VR games last year with Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. Executive producer Simon Harris talks about the studios upcoming VR projects and why they are betting on VR.
• VR – One Year On: VR hit the mainstream this time last year, and even AR development hit new highs in the public eye with Pokemon Go. Sean Cleaver speaks to developers and recruiters about how the job market has changed in VR one year later.
• Merge VR: The Merge Cube is a toy that helps to combine the virtual reality with the physical one. Jem Alexander investigates this interesting proposition with Merge VR’s founder, Franklin Lyons
• AR Goes Mainstream: Climax Studios CEO, Simon Gardner, talks about the increase in popularity and knowledge with AR with the new ARkit and ARcore framework for Apple and Android devices
• Game Developers Handbook: Michael Futter talks to Jem Alexander about his new book, published by Bithell Games, which aims to give developers at all levels advice on how to create a games studio and the pitfalls of development.
• The Develop Post-Mortem: Forza Horizon 3 is one of the biggest success stories in the last twelve months. Sean Cleaver gets the lowdown from creative director Ralph Fulton on what went into making the beautiful Australian environment and its expansions.
• Opinion: Joining Jem and Sean to share their thoughts this month is Climax Studios CEO Simon Gardner who discusses the important role the new iPhone iOS will have to play in AR development, and Renaissance PR’s Stefano Petrullo advises how devs should approach the media.
• Ask Amiqus: Business manager Liz Prince looks at what special skills are needed for developers looking to hire for VR and if it’s risky to put your focus on developing skills for the technology.
• Recruiter Hot Seat: In the hot seat this month is VR developer nDreams who are looking for artists, programmers, and designers to join them in Farnborough.