"We come to perhaps the most common use of leitmotif -- the representation of characters. Nearly every major character in the game has an associated leitmotif, often spanning multiple tracks in the soundtrack." ...

"I've opened my own game studio and we've begun work on our first game, Stardust Command. Until recently doing this in China would be almost impossible." ...

Games are often about traversal, metaphorically or literally. Many mechanics are, at their core, about closing the gap between self and other, between the familiar and the unfamiliar, and critical writing on games often walks the same ground. ...

Meet the team behind the 3.6.0 update of the venerable NetHack--the first update since 2003. Some are former fans. Others have been involved with the game since it first debuted in the summer of 1987. ...

"They think they're just playing a game, but they have to solve some of the hardest problems facing humanity," a social scientist told the New York Times. "They have to solve the tragedy of the commons." ...

"Having your (impressions and visits) data structured over time is really useful, because it will help you to view what are the underlying trends in your data. Furthermore, you can supplement this data-set with sales data." ...

Game makers, take note: You can now register early at a discounted rate to attend this year's GDC Europe, which will once again be held in Cologne, Germany August 15th and 16th. ...

Yacht Club Games' David D'Angelo tells the complete story of the sales stats for indie wunderkind Shovel Knight, including the impact of a retail release, Amiibo sales, and free DLC -- across all platforms. ...

"Recently I was having a discussion with a couple of game developer friends about the perfect industry role. Inevitably the conversation progressed on to the challenges of staying content and motivated over the course of a project." ...

We speak to Pascal Nataf, co-founder of new Quebec independent game development cooperative La Guilde, to find out about his organization's place in the industry and its mission. ...