Development on Dark Matter proceeds at a fair clip, and we’re well into our first closed Beta testing phase. The game has assumed a shape that could be called final, if it weren’t for the numerous iterations that each component will undergo in the coming months. The full Dark Matter experience is functional, if not complete or polished yet. We have finally reached that tipping point where more work goes into building the actual game experience than into building the infrastructure that supports that experience. Our change logs talk more and more about tweaks, refinements and new levels, and less about impressive new tech-y bits. That is a good thing. These days,...

The world around us is sleeping, snug under a blanket of snow and ice, peacefully dreaming white dreams as it waits for the thaw of spring. Inside our offices, however, things are just as fiery as ever. After a brief holiday respite, work has been progressing unabated, in both pace and progress. It’s a good time for Dark Matter, as all the core gameplay systems are in place, mature enough not to get into fights with each other, and largely well-behaved. Last week, we packaged the first build for internal testing, and we are going to start sending it out to a few select testers this week, to gather first feedback rounds on gameplay, atmosphere, pacing and so...

There’s more to making a good space game than sticking random aliens down some generic metal corridors. You have to use big, mean, ugly, soul-destroyingly revolting aliens. With that ancient piece of wisdom in mind, we set off to design the three warrior-class members of the Scavenger species. After much tweaking and emissive decorating, and just in time to haunt the upcoming holiday season, we are proud to introduce two of their number: the Seeker and Samurai Scavengers. These two heavies represent the top of the Scavenger food chain. Each in their own special way, the Seeker and Samurai will teach you to fear those rumbling sounds you’ll hear in the dark....

Sharing Dark Matter’s first gameplay video is one of those moments. Prom. Walking down the aisle. Picking up the gravity gun in Half Life 2. Filled with anticipation, ripe with promise, and charged with enough tension to defy any attempt at hyperbole. Today we finally show Dark Matter in action, and it definitely is one of those moments. We’ve talked about the game, and discussed it with many fans. There have been questions and healthy doubt, but mostly a surprising amount of support. You can now see for your own eyes a few of Dark Matter’s gameplay basics, and we hope that they do not disappoint. That’s just us being modest. We’re very excited by Dark...

Dark Matter is now officially in full development. Coders groan and occasionally make wailing noises in a misguided attempt to initiate human interaction, artists do things with pixels and lines on their screens, and the level designer curses like a sailor on shore leave during a chastity festival. That last one doesn’t really mean anything. He just has a potty mouth. Alpha was signed off nicely, and it was successful enough that everyone’s giving it beta-level feedback, somehow expecting a fully playable experience from this stage of development. For the next game, we’ll code in a couple of crashes to desktop, and randomly apply purple textures to the...