Issue #52 Newsletter

Tech & Trends: Larian Studios Sets ''Accountability'' Precedent — The generative AI debate in the gaming industry is shifting from "did they use AI or not?" to "where and at what stage was AI used?" Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke specifically clarified that AI is used only as an idea-organizing and reference tool, with humans handling all core creative work (narrative, characters, dialogue) — proactively demonstrating "accountability." Contrasted with Epic Games Store''s approach of allowing AI content without disclosure requirements, the debate is converging toward designing trust through providing minimum information (scope of AI involvement) rather than regulation or prohibition. Tech & Trends: ''Expedition 33'' Wins 9 Awards at GOTY — At The Game Awards 2025, French studio Sandfall Interactive''s debut title "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" won 9 awards including GOTY (a record), simultaneously winning GOTY and Best Indie Game — blurring the AAA/indie boundary. With approximately 30 team members and under $10M budget, the game achieved critical acclaim through reactive turn-based combat (turn-based + real-time reactions), consistent chiaroscuro aesthetic art direction, and strong narrative, direction, and music. The result signals that design cohesion and creative vision matter more than scale and brand as evaluation criteria. Column: Defense Metaverse and MOSA — Defense metaverse platforms (STE, etc.) must integrate AR/VR and digital twins, but closed monolithic structures create unsustainable cost and upgrade burdens with poor interoperability. The US DoD introduced MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approach) to modularize systems with standard interfaces, enabling plug-and-play component replacement and multi-vendor participation.