Latest news with #GhostofTsushima
Business Insider
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Gaming Industry is calling for Renaissance: How illustrator, designer and game creator is reshaping the global stage
Monsters, zombies, vampires, dark souls wandering the dark halls, prophets of doom and gloom - you name it, he drew it. Several generations of PlayStations, XBox, Microsoft Windows games feature the characters drawn by Dmitry Parkin, an award-winning illustrator, designer, and game creator who started his journey in a provincial Russian town. Almost three decades in the game-developing industry won Dmitry Parkin wide acclaim and various awards varying from many Games of the Year to Best RPGs, Best Art Direction, Best Storytelling, and even the Most Violent Game to Make It Past Aussie Censors. Whatever best-selling post-apocalyptic-world action role-playing video game you are choosing in PlayStore, it is highly likely to feature his characters or images. Monster Darlings Reaping Awards His pensive paintbrush created the Ghost of Tsushima, Mortal Shell, Metro: Exodus & Last Light, Fallout 3, Doom 4, The Order: 1886, Aliens, Halo: The Master Chief Collection to name a few. Some, like the open-ended Fallout 3 with its flexible character-leveling system, marked a major shift in the series by using 3D graphics and real-time combat, replacing the 2D isometric graphics. It is still considered one of the greatest video games of all time, with 18 international awards it got coverage by many national media: CNN, BBC, New York Times, Hollywood Reporter etc. Others, like Ghost of Tsushima, became the first American game to earn the Famitsu 's Game of the Year award. Some (Aliens: Colonial Marines) revamped the old film classics like James Cameron's 1986 film Aliens; others (Order: 1886) won rewards for outstanding visual effects in a real-time project. His games bring about nostalgia, allowing one to have the first impression the second time. Much like his Mortal Shell released in 2020 that many reviewers claimed to resuscitate the same emotions experienced when they played the good old Dark Souls. Hitting 1,6 million views on its YouTube debut trailer and thus being nominated as the Best Trailer of Gaming Awards 2020, Mortal Shell sold over million copies by 2023 ploughing in the gross revenue of about $29 mln. It was nominated for Best Debut Game at The Game Awards 2020. With a well-established reputation in the industry and extensive expertise in character art, Sony extended Dmitry a job offer and facilitated his relocation to work on Ghost of Tsushima as a Senior Character Artist. In two and a half years, the game was officially released, becoming an overnight sensation. It sold over 2.4 million copies within the first three days. As of 2023, the game had generated an impressive $397 million in total revenue. Not only that. Ghost of Tsushima received 38 nominations and won 26 awards, including some of the most prestigious honors in the industry — Best Art Direction, Outstanding Character Design and Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Best Visual Art and Audience Award Winner, and it was just in 2020 alone. Even four years after release, Ghost of Tsushima continued to dominate the market. In May 2024, it was the best-selling game in the U.S., reaffirming its status as a modern classic. How can a man have his thumb in all those many pies? Where does that creative passion come from? Allure of the Dangerous The answer is simple. 'I never went with the flow, yet created the waves by myself', says Dmitry. The wave started with a ripple. Staring at the shallow waters of a small river, the young Dmitry was mesmerized by newts slowly paddling by, weirdly crawling crustaceans, slimy leeches and hissing snakes. 'All those amphibians evoked thoughts about the ones living in constant danger, the coldness and the darkness, hunting some and hiding from others, all those spiky shapes and wriggly tails were scary, hypnotizing, and irresistible', describes Parkin. Vivid illustrations found in the home library encyclopedias nurtured the passion for studying the structure and the movement of those unearthly-like creatures. The inexplicable allure of death and fear drove him to explore the mechanisms and images that cause these emotions. In general, it formed the foundations for the perception of fear, death, domination, the cruelty of nature where one animal eats another, the incomparable suffering of the devoured compared to the feeling of satiation of the other, there has always been a feeling that there is something wrong with it. 'Reading Nietzsche and listening to the deafening rumble of dense bass-and-drum metal rock solidified the idea that art should challenge and evoke emotions, otherwise, it is a meaningless doodling', explains Dmitry Parkin. Not by Art Alone Born and raised in Saratov, a city in the Russian 'midwest', Parkin could have become a local Banksy, drawing graffiti on the grey city walls. Yet, being inspired by H.R. Giger's works, he would have added more to Saratov's blues if his monsters had ever appeared there. Instead, he dived into polishing his techniques, experimenting with materials in the dire quest to discover a formula, a combination that would trigger a certain emotion. 'Eventually, it was acrylic or pencil that let add more layers in post-processing hence making the image more complex and allowing hiding technical nuances, brush strokes or touches to get away from the feeling that it was a drawing', he said. Back in the 1990s, when he was 14-15, Dmitry met a friend who was into programming, they started hanging out together — the guy programming, Dmitry drawing basic visuals for the games. This was the dawn of the era of the first 3D editor software, the best time to dive into the unknown and grow. Dmitry mastered some software, plunged into several projects which brought handsome pocket money for a schoolboy; he had got a solid portfolio and 4 years of working experience by the time he left school. Dmitry never studied design or art in high school. After graduating from school he made an attempt to study programming at a polytechnical university in his hometown but soon dropped out. 'Soon I realized that university lectures were too boring for me. On the other hand, drawing and creating my own gaming worlds enchanted me', Parkin recalled. Starry-eyed and passionate, he got project after project usually without test assignments, his works being the best proof of eligibility. The Way to the USA Building up his technical expertise, Dmitry made a perfect partner for programmers as few could do both - create art for the game and help develop it. The first job in Moscow in the early 00s was with a publishing house Buka where Dmitry worked as an artist, not limited by narrow frameworks. 'Working there, I realised the power of freedom and eventually moved to freelance which allowed taking up more projects. I went really global in the mid 00s, doing jobs for XBox, Microsoft, Sony, indiebrands, etc.', he says. By the time Parkin engaged in 3D graphics professionally, he had chiselled his art techniques and style — the fundamentals for any creator. Digital tools are just tools to enhance one's technical prowess, it is the idea and the message that gets the project skyrocketing. And sometimes luck. Hardly could Dmitry fathom when he agreed to participate in Liquid Development 's startup project, that it would turn out to be the Fallout 3 game he was signing up for. It was his favourite game, now being part of the art team, it felt legit. Winning the War of GameDev Dominance Winning 2008 Dominance War 3 was like 'fire meet gasoline'. 'In the art world, a benchmark for fame is not the amount of paintings you produced, but the amount of replicas and 'spin-offs' you generated', explains Parkin. The Imrod character after the personal award of 2008 Dominance War 3 became the most popular and replicated character, often copied by 3D artists. The original version was made freely available and became often used for various tests and demonstrations, indie game projects, youtube tutorials and even SIGGRAPH 2008 presentation. That victory brought an avalanche of job offers. When the focus within the game industry shifted to creature design, character art and 'digital sculpture', Dmitry's full potential became unleashed. The early passion for amphibious creeps coupled with advanced technical expertise raising the detail and quality to a new level helped to get as close as possible to hyper-realism, and become a key element that set the trend in the modern (at that time) game industry. Over years, he has been putting skins on, adding light, assembling the settings in games, reviving somewhat lame code into sturdy demos that went viral overnight and generated millions of views. Some games like Mortal Shell became great career boosters as working there he combined art and art-directing, thus getting the ultimate freedom of expression. 'I once did what turned out to be a life-saving project for Playstack who was virtually on its last legs and looking for a flagship project that would champion a good market share', recalls Parkin. With his vast portfolio of monsters, Dmitry happened to find himself in the eye of the storm, always trendy, regardless of the fleeting fashions in the industry. There has always been a place where he belonged. Dmitry's creed is to create characters with a mission, vision and message. Quite a refreshing view on the over-commercialised game-developing industry that churns out gazillions of games 24/7. 'The generic games developed now are mostly like a stack of books on a railway station stall - identical bland time-killing amusement. The industry is calling for Renaissance bringing about something tangible, real, savoury and wholesome. Everybody is getting tired of the trite eviscerated visuals and ideas that lack finesse and, most importantly, message. There is no art in it. The much-hailed AI cannot provide a valid substitution for human creative spirits. It might in the future, but now it is up to a human with a solid set of art skills to generate the ideas and navigate the art projects from concept to fruition', Parkin shares his thoughts about the industry development.
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A New Disappointing Update About ‘Solo Leveling' Season 3
Solo Leveling Solo Leveling is one of the most popular animes in recent memory, but one thing about the series has been confusing. Why isn't season 3 confirmed yet? What's going on there? All we are getting are hints about the 'hopes' for season 3, but with a new update, that appears to be all they are still, hopes. In a Deadline interview with Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini, which airs the show, he was asked about season 3 plans for Solo Leveling, and his answer is at least somewhat disconcerting: 'We hope so,' Purini said. 'The creators want to work on lot of shows. Anime is really popular, so there's a lot of demand, and so we have to find the right time to get started on the next season.' It's unclear why the creators wouldn't immediately prioritize a new season of Solo Leveling due to its stunning popularity, but nothing seems to be worked out yet, and the fact they they are still in the stage of 'figuring out the right time to get started' means that season 3 is apparently nowhere right now, and it will be a wildly larger gap than we saw between seasons 1 and 2. At least 2-3 years from here, it would seem. Solo Leveling FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This reluctance extends back a few months which Solo Leveling animation producer Atsuhi Kaneko said that Solo Leveling 'may or may not' continue from there, despite an obvious cliffhanger and loads of source material to adapt. Whatever's going on here, Solo Leveling has been such a hit that it's changing the core of Crunchyroll development. Back to Purini and the Deadline interview: 'It definitely makes us want to take more experiments. Ghost of Tsushima is an example. It is a game IP that we know gaming fans love, and that's one of the reasons we want to bring it to anime; to see if we can recreate that same phenomenon.' Ghost of Tsushima is the critically-acclaimed Sony video game that has a sequel out, Ghost of Yotei, in October of this year. Many video game animated series have found themselves performing extremely well, but mostly over on Netflix, from Arcane to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners to Castlevania. Though I think expecting a Ghost of Tsushima anime to come close to something like Solo Leveling will not be realistic. It really is not clear about why Solo Leveling season 3 feels this up in the air. Even juggling projects, even with anime development taking a while, this show is so big it should be a priority for everyone over everything else. Hopefully we'll get some actually good news soon, but like season 3, that may too be far away. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 among many new games released this week
We have a whole lot of major games out this week, along with updates from the Asian gaming scene. Here's this week's gaming round-up. The big picture Sandfall Interactive, a new studio in France, is taking a huge gamble with its debut release — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The studio comprises 30 developers, most of whom are former Ubisoft staff. After experiencing the title, it's safe to say it steers clear of the usual Ubisoft tropes — bloated padding, checklist open-world gameplay, and lack of focus. Free from corporate publishing shackles, Sandfall is producing something highly creative while honouring its inspirations — the Japanese role-playing game. Even with rising triple-A game prices and console exclusivity from franchises like Mario Kart, it's encouraging to see a high-budget-looking single-player game priced around RM139. Let's hope the trend continues and players support these endeavours with their wallets. Short beats PlayStation and Sucker Punch Productions have announced the release date for their upcoming action-adventure title Ghost of Yotei — Oct 2, exclusively on PlayStation 5. This is the sequel to 2020's acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima. Diablo IV and Diablo Immortal are collaborating with dark fantasy manga Berserk, featuring exclusive equipment and fights. Bethesda has responded to the makers of Skyblivion — the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim-meets-Oblivion mod — by giving them free copies of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Indonesian studio Anantarupa, makers of the MOBA title Lokapala, has allegedly not paid its employees since November 2024. Malaysia's indie game exhibition, Indie Jam, is currently underway (April 26–27). SNK will host a major Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves tournament as part of the SNK World Championship 2025. The prize pool stands at US$2,500,000, with the winner taking home US$1,500,000. Op-Eds Following the Ghost of Yotei announcement, we take a retrospective look at its prequel Ghost of Tsushima and how it explores moral compromise during wartime. Games out this week Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – A new Japanese role-playing game from French studio Sandfall Interactive. Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their mission to destroy the Paintress, preventing her from painting death again. Inspired by Belle Époque France, the game blends turn-based combat with real-time mechanics. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – The long-awaited 2D fighting sequel to 1999's Garou: Mark of the Wolves. This 1v1 title features striking visuals, a deep fighting system that balances offence and defence, and a robust single-player mode that expands on the Fatal Fury saga. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered – A revamped version of the 2006 RPG, where you escape prison and help an emperor battle invading hell armies. The remaster is by Virtuos. Detective Dotson – An adventure game by Masala Games about a detective with Bollywood dreams. Set on the colourful streets of India, it features charming 2D characters in a 3D world. Solve cases and piece together a larger mystery. Recommended viewing Playism will be showcasing a large number of indie titles this weekend. Watch the video here. We also talk about the indie gem Detective Dotson and why it's a massive love letter to India. And here's why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is already a Game of the Year 2025 contender.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
GTA 6 and Ghost of Yotei clash in fall 2025: who will win the spotlight?
Source: X With Ghost of Yōtei, the next installment of the much-anticipated Ghost of Tsushima series, set to drop on October 2, 2025, it faces off directly against one of gaming's most hotly anticipated releases of all time, Grand Theft Auto VI. Both games are penciled in to arrive in the same fall window, which means this confrontation represents a key date in the gaming schedule. With all the hype for GTA 6 , Ghost of Yōtei will have to fight hard to find its footing. The battle for attention: GTA 6 vs Ghost of Yōtei GTA 6 has fast become a cultural phenomenon, with fans eagerly awaiting the next huge release from Rockstar Games . Its influence on the gaming landscape is set to be colossal, with some predicting it could be one of the decade's largest entertainment releases. Based in a realistic, open-world setting replete with interactive storytelling and next-generation gameplay, GTA 6 is set to take headlines and capture millions of players globally. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo However, the Ghost of Yōtei has its own distinct charm. Being a stealth-action samurai game, it presents a distinct genre experience from GTA 6's crime drama. Sucker Punch Productions develops the game and carries the lineage of the much-acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima, which itself received widespread acclaim for its visuals, innovative fighting mechanics, and rich storytelling. However, the challenge for Ghost of Yōtei lies in launching in the shadow of GTA 6's cultural and media dominance. What does this mean for Ghost of Yōtei's success? While Ghost of Yōtei boasts an exclusive PlayStation 5 release, which gives it an advantage in attracting a dedicated fanbase, the fierce competition from GTA 6 could affect its visibility. The GTA 6 juggernaut will likely dominate social media, gaming forums, and news outlets, making it difficult for other releases to shine as brightly. Yet, Ghost of Yōtei's unique setting and gameplay mechanics may still attract PlayStation fans eager for a different kind of experience, particularly those who prefer narrative-driven, single-player adventures. With a dedicated fan base, a specific genre niche, and being released exclusively on PlayStation 5, Ghost of Yōtei has the ingredients to stay in the limelight. But, during the busy fall release period, its success will highly be dependent on how effective it is in separating itself from GTA 6's shadow. The autumn of 2025 promises to be one of gaming's most competitive times, with GTA 6 and Ghost of Yōtei both competing for the spotlight. Though GTA 6's reign is all but guaranteed, Ghost of Yōtei might find some niche among PlayStation users. It will be worth watching what these two titans do as they vie for attention. Also Read: GTA 6: Insider Tom Henderson speculates official news could arrive ahead of Take-Two earnings call
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ghost of Yōtei comes to PS5 on October 2
The wait is (kind of) almost over. Ghost of Yōtei will be available for PS5 on October 2. This is a sequel to the 2020 hit Ghost of Tsushima and was first announced last year. It's a PS5 exclusive, as it's developed by Sony-owned Sucker Punch. It doesn't follow the story of Ghost of Tsushima. Rather, it's an original adventure with new characters that's set in a new era. Ghost of Yōtei takes place in Hokkaido, Japan in the early 1600s. This is over 300 years after the events of the first game. It's still an open-world adventure, though Sony promises "even more freedom and variety than in Ghost of Tsushima." For instance, you can hunt down the six big bads in whatever order you choose. There's a new trailer that reveals the basic story beats and some gameplay. It looks pretty darn fun. Preorders will open up on May 2 at 10AM ET for those in the US. This being a modern console game, there are a few different editions to choose from. There's the Standard Edition, which is just the game, that costs $70. The Digital Deluxe Edition adds in-game bonuses, like armor, weapons and costumes. That one costs $80. The Collector's Edition, which costs a whopping $250, comes with all of the aforementioned in-game items, but that's just the beginning. It also ships with physical items, like replicas of the protagonist's mask, katana and sash. Sony is calling this the best Collector's Edition it has ever produced. All preorders, no matter which edition, receive a "unique in-game mask" and a handful of PSN avatars.
