[BLOG] #EGX2014: HellBlade & Independent AAA (@NinjaTheory)

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Lonesamurai
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[BLOG] #EGX2014: HellBlade & Independent AAA (@NinjaTheory)

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One of Sundays highlights from EGX 2014 (Apart from LEGO Batman 3 of course) was HellBlade, from Ninja Theory, the studio behind DMC (Devil May Cry), Enslaved and Heavenly Sword.



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Hellblade, from the look of it, is quickly shaping up as a good looking RPG in the vein of Skyrim or Dragon Age, but from a team of only a handful of dedicated, and fun people at Ninja Theory.



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However the Dev session today was more about the MAKING of the game and almost Ninja Theory's new manifesto for better games development and the future of games development going forward.

Dominic Mathews () took us through a really easy to follow, but informative chat about what they are calling, "Independent AA" Development", basically producing triple A games but with the ethos and love of an Indie dev studio.

Not only that, but also starting apprenticeships and even training new games devs, whether those people then stay with Ninja Theory or move on to other houses, or even start their own.  A very interesting call to arms for the video game industry going forward (and one desperately needed in these times of big companies buying up Indie stars like Mojang)



In their own words:
What is the Independent AAA game? It is about creating, funding and owning IP of AAA quality but with the more focused game design, lower price point and open development process that defines indie games.  It’s about taking creative risks and making spectacular, exciting and unique game experiences that can compete with AAA and engages fans directly.


They did show the same teaser they showed at E3, but as the game only started development in march this year, we saw no gameplay this time.   You can see the teaser here:







What we DID find out though, is that although HellBlade will start as a Playstation exclusive, we may see the game on XBox and PC later on, which I very much hope is the case.



The game, AND the idea for Independent AAA sound great and I'm looking forward to following HellBlade as it grows, so keep checking back for more news as and when we get it!



You can see the Developer session from EGX2014 below:



[Youtube]*Video still to come*[/youtube]
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