We talk a lot about 'finding the fun' - but what does that mean? This classic 2001 feature explores why some things are fun while others aren't, and how devs can use this to perfect their craft. ...

But how do you achieve it? Tips from former Undead Labs and ArenaNet lead Shaun Leach: "Make sure you're listening as well as talking. Work on your communication skills regardless of if you're a manager or not." ...

"No matter how prepared and how skilled your team may be, stumbling at the final hurdle after the product has shipped can have a devastating effect on your projected forecast for reviews and more importantly sales." ...

Professor Paul Cairns, who teaches human-computer interaction at the UK's University of York, has tested whether the placebo effect can alter the way players perceive video games. ...

"This game feels like a game meant to either a.) discuss with another person, or b.) for one to sit and meditate on it by oneself. So I wanted to discuss the game with someone." ...

"While the whole industry talks about 'balancing games' there is surprisingly little consensus on what that actually means. Debates run wild." ...

"Despite strong revenue... our past hiring was too ambitious and we had to make a hard call last week," says COO. ...

A new challenger stepped into the game engine arena today: MaxPlay, a game technology company that aims to entice developers into using its "cloud-based" collaborative game development platform. ...

Microsoft's Greenshoots game development funding & guidance program is expanding this year and starting to offer £100,000 in grants to developers in Northern Ireland. ...

"Both the community and press have responded well to our transparency. Direct communication with the fans has lead to huge support, which helped us fix the game and make it even better." ...