Latest news with #SamLake
Forbes
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
'Video Games Are The Most Exciting Medium For Storytelling'
Sam Lake always wanted to be a novelist. 'Growing up, the strongest emotions I felt came from reading books' he says. The 55-year-old Finnish games developer is yet to publish a novel; instead he says he's funnelled his passion for literature into the video games he's written, which includes 2001's Max Payne and 2023's Alan Wake II. Lake is seated at a desk in front of a large plaque that reads 'federal bureau of control'. It's a nod to a fictional agency in another game he's penned, the 2019 twisted romp, Control. Draped across the background is a set of deep maroon curtains that instantly makes me think of the nightmarish red room in Twin Peaks. It's no coincidence as Lake cites the TV show and its creator, David Lynch as an inspiration. But it's literature that he speaks most enthusiastically about when I sit down with him over Zoom. He names authors like Paul Auster, Thomas Pynchon and Bret Easton Ellis before talking about comic books and hard-boiled crime fiction. 'I can see all of them echoing around in the stories I love writing' he explains. Sam Lake 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 At the age of 12, Lake read The Lord of the Rings for the first time and it kickstarted a binge of J.R.R Tolkien's other works. He then advanced onto tales of Norse mythology and poetry. 'Books were my first love and they've always been a part of a toolbox for me to draw [inspiration] He's not alone as there's an ongoing trend in video games where developers are taking their influences from literature and folklore. Take a look at some of the titles nominated for the best narrative award at BAFTA's upcoming Games Awards ceremony - Black Myth: Wukong adapted the 16th century Chinese novel, Journey to the West while Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is entrenched in Icelandic mythology. Last year's recipient of the award, Baldur's Gate 3 (which pipped Alan Wake II to the gong) takes its world and gameplay mechanics from the pages of a Dungeons and Dragons rulebook. Of course, this isn't a nascent thing, but it's the complexity of the stories in those games that really highlights just how far gaming has come since Pong and Space Invaders. Games are no longer just considered entertainment and they frequently tackle complex subjects, whether that be trauma in The Last of Us or fatherhood in God of War. God of War 2018 is about the relationship between Kratos and his son, Atreus. Across his career which has spanned almost 30 years, Lake has seen a shift in how developers approach storytelling. He uses his own games as an example, labelling 2010's Alan Wake as pulpy and cartoonish compared to its more sophisticated sequel which came out 13 years later. 'The ambition has matured through the years and [gaming] has become a more serious art form' he adds before telling me that the concepts in Alan Wake II wouldn't have been possible a decade earlier. The game follows a troubled writer and an FBI agent and it mixes traditional animation with live-action sequences to tell its mind-bending story. Separately, I spoke with the director of Metaphor: ReFantazio, Katsura Hashino, who says that it is advances in technology that has allowed video games to create more detailed worlds and subsequently, more realistic narrative themes. 'As technology has evolved, games have grown tremendously as a means of expression. We have a greater means to express the subtle nuances of a character's emotions or the ambiguous complexities between good and evil' he explains. Hashino's sprawling role-playing game, which has also been nominated for the best narrative award at Tuesday's Bafta event, tackles social class and anxiety. He says that the interactivity offered by gaming makes a difference to how stories are presented. 'Compared to literature and movies, video games allow players to enter another world. The sense of being fully immersed is unique to games. Playing a game is an intuitive experience. To pull the player into that world completely, I think it is more effective to provide an experience that mirrors real life, as opposed to telling them a story.' he adds. It's a sentiment that Lake previously voiced too. 'Gaming is the most exciting medium to tell a story in, just because there's more freedom to invent. Many older forms of storytelling have a format that isn't challenged. With games, there's room for exploration and innovation' he says.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Balatro' Wins Game of the Year at Game Developers Choice Awards; ‘Consume Me' Takes Top Honor for Independent Games Festival
'Balatro' won Game of the Year at the 2025 Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) on Wednesday, just after 'Consume Me' received the top prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards (IGFA). From LocalThunk and Playstack, 'Balatro' is a indie roguelike deckbuilding game that has a 'unique spin on the timeless card game Poker where players build unique decks with a variety of distinct cards to score points and defeat blinds within the roguelike gameplay.' More from Variety Griffin Gaming Partners' Peter Levin Talks AI, Industry Trends, Emerging Markets & Hollywood Interest Amid GDC One in 10 Video Game Developers Were Laid Off in 2024, GDC Report Finds 'Consume Me' and 'Despelote' Among Top Nominees for GDC's Independent Games Festival Awards During the 25th edition of annual awards show, which took place at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco amid the Game Developers Conference, 'Balatro' also won Best Debut, Innovation Award and Best Design. PlayStation Studios-owned Team ASOBI's 'Astro Bot' was the runner-up in total wins for the night, taking Best Audio and Best Technology. Other winners included 'Black Myth: Wukong' (Game Science), which won Best Visual Art, 'Metaphor: ReFantazio' (Studio Zero / ATLUS) which received Best Narrative, 'Life is Strange: Double Exposure' (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix) which won the Social Impact Award and 'Final Fantasy VII Rebirth' (Square Enix) which took the Audience Award. Additionally, the GDCA honored writer and director Sam Lake with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Lucas Pope with the Pioneer Award. Earlier in the evening, the 27th annual Independent Games Festival, which took place back to back with Game Developers Choice Awards at the Moscone Convention Center, 'Consume Me,' won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for Best Independent Game. Described as a 'darkly humorous personal game' about creator Jenny Jiao Hsia's relationship with food, 'Consume Me' draws from her past experiences with dieting and disordered eating. Previous IGF prize winners have included 'Venba,' 'Neon White,' 'TUNIC,' 'Return of the Obra Dinn' and 'Her Story.' See the full list of the 2025 Game Developers Choice Award winners below. Best DebutBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Best Visual ArtBlack Myth: Wukong (Game Science) Best AudioAstro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Best NarrativeMetaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS) Social Impact AwardLife is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix) Innovation AwardBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Best TechnologyAstro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Best DesignBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Audience AwardFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) Game of the YearBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Pioneer AwardLucas Pope Lifetime Achievement AwardSam Lake And below are the winners of the 27th annual IGF Awards: Excellence in Visual Art ($2,000)Hauntii (Moonloop Games / Firestoke) Excellence in Audio ($2,000)Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena / Panic) Excellence in Design ($2,000)Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments) Excellence in Narrative ($2,000)Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games) Nuovo Award ($2,000)Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken 'coda' Snyder) Best Student Game ($2,000)Slot Waste (Vinny Roca) Audience Award ($2,000)The WereCleaner (The WereCleaner Team / USC Games) Award ($2,000)ChromaCorp (Art Center) Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($10,000)Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken 'coda' Snyder) Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Balatro Goes All In, Winning Game of the Year and More at the 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards
Balatro Also Received Best Debut, Innovation Award and Best Design, with Astro Bot Also Showing a Strong Hand by Winning the Best Audio and Technology Awards SAN FRANCISCO, March 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The indie roguelike deckbuilding game Balatro has taken the pot at the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), receiving the highly coveted Game of the Year Award. The title also secured the win for the Best Debut, Innovation Award and Best Design, tallying up four total wins for the title at the ceremony. The GDCAs are the premier accolades for peer recognition in the digital games industry. Each year, the Choice Awards recognize and celebrate the creativity, artistry and technical genius of the finest developers and games created in the last year. The award ceremony takes place each year as part of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), which is taking place this week at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. LocalThunk and Playstack's Balatro is a unique spin on the timeless card game Poker where players build unique decks with a variety of distinct cards to score points and defeat blinds within the roguelike gameplay. The game was originally released on PC and consoles on February 20, 2024, and was later brought to MacOS, iOS and Android on September 26. Astro Bot, the 3D platforming adventure developed by PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, also received two accolades during the GDCA ceremony: Best Audio and Best Technology. The title is a love letter to the many iconic characters and worlds from PlayStation's wide roster of franchises, and has been widely praised for its unique and energetic level design, incredible soundtrack, smart integration with the PlayStation 5's hardware and charming aesthetics. Other winners of the night included Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science), which won Best Visual Art, Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS) which received Best Narrative, Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix) which was honored with the Social Impact Award and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) which received the Audience Award. The Game Developers Choice Awards also took time to honor two influential figures in the industry. This year, the GDCA honored writer and director Sam Lake with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Lake is renowned for his deep, layered storytelling and ability to meld together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences. Most recently, he was the co-director and lead writer of Alan Wake 2, which won over 200 industry awards—including Best Game Direction and Best Narrative at The Game Awards, along with Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. Lucas Pope, well known as the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, was the well-deserving recipient of the Pioneer Award. Pope is an independent game developer experimenting with the interactions of mechanics, narrative, and art. Papers, Please was highly lauded across the board, winning the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival (IGF) along with several trophies at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014, along with a BAFTA Games Award for Best Strategy and Simulation Game. Return of the Obra Dinn was also heavily praised by critics, again winning Pope the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at IGF Awards, along with several trophies from the Game Developers Choice Awards, Peabody Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards and BAFTA Games Awards. The 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards winners are: Best DebutBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Best Visual ArtBlack Myth: Wukong (Game Science) Best AudioAstro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Best NarrativeMetaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero / ATLUS) Social Impact AwardLife is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine Games / Square Enix) Innovation AwardBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Best TechnologyAstro Bot (PlayStation Studios Team ASOBI / Sony Interactive Entertainment) Best DesignBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Audience AwardFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth (Square Enix) Game of the YearBalatro (LocalThunk / Playstack) Pioneer AwardLucas Pope Lifetime Achievement AwardSam Lake The GDCA awards are live-streamed annually on the official Game Developers Conference (GDC) Twitch channel and are archived both on Twitch and on the official GDC YouTube Channel. For more information about the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit: For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, BlueSky or RSS. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: About GDC The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world's largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the GDC Networking Meet-ups, GDC Vault, Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit View source version on Contacts fortyseven communicationsHiro Itogdcpress@
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Xbox dilemma
Two separate Southeast Asian gaming events combined into one? Link between terrorism and gaming debunked? All these, and more, in this week's gaming news recap. The Big Picture If there was any doubt that Xbox isn't a third-party game studio, all of that is completely erased. Back in late 2001, Xbox paved the way for legitimate online play for consoles and also boasted a wave of titles like the Halo and Forza series, with Gears of War debuting on the Xbox 360. These days, Xbox is porting its games and 'hand-me-downs' onto PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2. Why? Because it is making back its money in the long term after spending way too much on the Activision Blizzard King trifecta in 2022. Two years later, Xbox is following the path Sega was on back when the latter went out of the first-party console race, making games for Nintendo and PlayStation. How did it come to this? The once-championed first-party Western game studio and console maker under Microsoft is now relegated to a third-party role? Simple – the need to get games on its Xbox Game Pass subscription plan. While the idea is sound (more new games to this new ecosystem of distributing games on the cheap), the fact that Microsoft paid more than it should have put it in a position where it needs to recoup all those billions by selling games on other platforms. It's a great long-term profitable plan, but long-time Xbox followers and fans will see this as nothing more than a betrayal, eschewing its ecosystem in favour of its long-term recoup-slash-eventual-profit plan. This is why you'll see Sony and Nintendo saying, 'Thanks for the games,' to Microsoft without them being obligated or needing to put their games on the Xbox Series and new Xbox platform in the first place. There is simply no benefit for Sony and Nintendo to do so from a business standpoint, as exclusive games are still king in their PlayStation and Switch domains. Xbox has no leverage, and its own (un)doing led it to this third-party path. No amount of fanboy 'copium' can change that current reality. Short Beats Competitive player-versus-player shooter Marvel Rivals hits 40 million players, but right after a round of layoffs. Thailand Game Show and Gamescom Asia are joining forces for a mega gaming event this October 2025. Last year's hit open-world first-person shooter title S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is getting incremental updates – about 1,700 of them. Remedy founder Sam Lake (Max Payne series, Alan Wake, Control) and indie developer Lucas Pope (Papers, Please, Return of the Obra Dinn) will be honoured at this year's Game Developer Choice Awards this March. Lake will receive the Lifetime Achievement award, while Pope will get the Pioneer Award. Op-Eds We had our hands deep in the Elden Ring: Nightreign beta. Check out our thoughts. A Malaysian publication linked gaming with extremism and terrorism in the most dubious way possible. We asked a real expert in the subject matter. Read her views. Games Out This Week Avowed is out now for PC, Xbox Series, and Xbox Game Pass. It is a new computer role-playing game with open-world exploration and multi-layered real-time combat with swords, guns, and spells in the mix. It also has an expansive story involving colonialism and prejudices in the fantasy area called the Living Lands. Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an action-adventure title where you control a yakuza member who lost his memory and ends up being a pirate with his own ship and crewmates. All while sailing the Hawaiian seas and islands for lost treasure and plundering from other bloodthirsty pirates. And even ninjas. And deviating from your quest to play go-karts with weapons, karaoke, and scouting for Minato Girls for your pirate friend. The game is out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5. Stories From Sol: The Gun Dog is a PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 visual novel set in a sci-fi universe and is tailored like a 90s PC story game with anime cutscenes and backdrops. Take on the role of the Gun Dog's security officer as you attempt to save the ship from an unknown assailant whilst navigating the paranoia, conspiracies, and vendettas that break out amongst the crew. Recommended Viewing Here is a quick evolution video from Kakuchopurei spotlighting the Shinobi series from Sega, dating back to 1987. Game website channel 20m Podcast talks to Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke about the Malaysian offshoot studio and its future.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Game Developers Choice Awards Honors Iconic Writer/Director Sam Lake With Lifetime Achievement Award and Innovative Designer Lucas Pope With Pioneer Award
SAN FRANCISCO, February 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Organizers of the 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), the premier accolades for peer recognition in the digital games industry, have revealed the recipients of two of the award show's most prestigious awards. This year, the international game development community will honor Sam Lake, writer for games such as Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Lucas Pope, the renowned mentor, designer and developer who has worked at major game companies for over 20 years in the industry, will be recognized with the Pioneer Award for his outstanding contributions to the industry. The Pioneer Award is given to key individuals who elevate video games and the industry as a whole, including 2023's recipient Mabel Addis, the first female game designer, and other industry icons including Jordan Mechner, Gabe Newell, Alexey Pajitnov and many others. Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Sam Lake is a respected writer and director in the video game industry, acting as a key creative force in dreaming up Remedy's acclaimed games and stories in Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control; the protagonist of the Max Payne series was famously designed with his likeness in mind. Lake is renowned for his deep, layered storytelling and ability to meld together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences. Most recently, he was the co-director and lead writer of Alan Wake 2, which won over 200 industry awards—including Best Game Direction and Best Narrative at The Game Awards, along with Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. Lake was also a BAFTA nominee for Narrative and Performer in a Supporting Role in Alan Wake 2. In 2023 and 2024, Lake was included in the Variety500 list of the most influential people shaping the global media industry and received The Develop:Star Award for Best Creative Lead and Gamesbeat Visionary Award. He also recently received the prestigious Andrew Yoon Legend Award at the New York Game Awards in January 2025. Lucas Pope, recipient of this year's Pioneer Award, is an independent game developer experimenting with the interactions of mechanics, narrative, and art. Starting with hobbyist development on the Mac Plus, he found his interests in music, engineering, art, and problem-solving perfectly reflected in the toil of creating games. Stumbling through 30 years of indie, serious, AAA and mobile titles, he has tried to make things that others don't, exploring new genres and new ways of telling interesting stories. He is most well known as the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, both of which are known for their innovative approach to storytelling and immersive gameplay. Papers, Please was highly lauded across the board, winning the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival (IGF) along with several trophies at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014, along with a BAFTA Games Award for Best Strategy and Simulation Game. Return of the Obra Dinn was also heavily praised by critics, again winning Pope the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at IGF Awards, along with several trophies from the Game Developers Choice Awards, Peabody Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards and BAFTA Games Awards. "The Game Developers Choice Awards has a proud legacy of shining the spotlight on figures who make gaming the most gripping and evocative method of storytelling," said Stephenie Hawkins, GDC's Event Director. "We're excited to recognize Sam Lake and Lucas Pope for their commitment to pushing the boundaries of the medium through transcendent narrative structures, complex moral questions and evocative gameplay." The 25th annual GDCA awards ceremony will take place during the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Wednesday, March 19, and will be held immediately after the Independent Game Festival (IGF) awards. Recipients of the Lifetime Achievement and Pioneer Award were chosen by this year's Game Developers Choice Editorial Committee, following suggestions from the International Choice Awards Network (ICAN). All GDC 2025 pass-holders will be able to watch both award ceremonies in person at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. The GDCA and IGF award shows will also be live-streamed on the official GDC Twitch channel. For more information about the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit: For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, X or Bluesky. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: About GDC The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world's largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the GDC Vault, Independent Games Festival, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit View source version on Contacts fortyseven communicationsHiro Itogdcpress@ Sign in to access your portfolio
