Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Not For Broadcast is a propaganda simulator that was first released in early access back in 2020 and sees players in the control room for a news station. Utilizing full-motion video, it harkens back to a classic era of game development. To learn more about the use of FMV and the rest of Not For Broadcast’s development, we got in touch with developer NotGames.
Shacknews head of video Greg Burke spoke with Alex Paterson (Director) and Andy Murray (CEO) of NotGames to discuss in detail the making of Not For Broadcast. In the interview, the two discuss what initially inspired them to create a game that utilizes FMV. “All of us at NotGames have backgrounds in film, TV, theater,” said Paterson. “So we were trying to find something that used those kinds of skills.” He also directly cites Her Story as an inspiration.
It’s here that we also get a peek at how the writing process works, and how the developers balance humor and seriousness. Murray explains that the writers will often divide the work, with one focusing on the politics and seriousness while another writes humor. Once they both have drafts, they trade scripts and then do the same thing.
The full interview with the NotGames developers is full of game development insight. If you enjoyed what you saw, we encourage you to check out the Shacknews and GamerHubTV YouTube channels, which are home to a plethora of interview content, as well as gameplay, unboxings, and more. Of course, you should drop a subscription while you’re there!