Ishaan Sahdev
@ishaansahdev.bsky.social
Game Localization Writer | Author, The Legend of Zelda - A Complete Development History | Former Product Manager at Zomato
Portfolio: https://sites.google.com/view/ishaansahdev
Blog: https://www.gamedesigngazette.com/
Portfolio: https://sites.google.com/view/ishaansahdev
Blog: https://www.gamedesigngazette.com/
Quick look at the state of Nintendo Switch Online:
• Active accounts (played at least one game in the past year) are up from 117 million in 2023 to 128 million in 2025
• However, paid NSO subscribers are down from 38 million in 2023 to 34 million in 2025
• Likely due to AC, MonHun etc. dropping off
• Active accounts (played at least one game in the past year) are up from 117 million in 2023 to 128 million in 2025
• However, paid NSO subscribers are down from 38 million in 2023 to 34 million in 2025
• Likely due to AC, MonHun etc. dropping off
November 5, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Quick look at the state of Nintendo Switch Online:
• Active accounts (played at least one game in the past year) are up from 117 million in 2023 to 128 million in 2025
• However, paid NSO subscribers are down from 38 million in 2023 to 34 million in 2025
• Likely due to AC, MonHun etc. dropping off
• Active accounts (played at least one game in the past year) are up from 117 million in 2023 to 128 million in 2025
• However, paid NSO subscribers are down from 38 million in 2023 to 34 million in 2025
• Likely due to AC, MonHun etc. dropping off
Ye olde Batman #500 poster. Today is a good day to own this.
October 11, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Ye olde Batman #500 poster. Today is a good day to own this.
Hopefully whoever they get to play Jean-Paul does justice the role, too. Knightfall/KnightQuest are just as much his story as they are Bruce's. He's an integral part of Batman history.
October 11, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Hopefully whoever they get to play Jean-Paul does justice the role, too. Knightfall/KnightQuest are just as much his story as they are Bruce's. He's an integral part of Batman history.
Very, very excited for the Knightfall animated films. I grew up with Knightfall and KnightQuest in the '90s. I hope the art and animation to justice to the story—especially the KnightQuest portion of the story, where the "Shadow of the Bat" comics looked like nothing else in Batman's history.
October 11, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Very, very excited for the Knightfall animated films. I grew up with Knightfall and KnightQuest in the '90s. I hope the art and animation to justice to the story—especially the KnightQuest portion of the story, where the "Shadow of the Bat" comics looked like nothing else in Batman's history.
The artwork and animation in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance are gorgeous. Even though it's a mix of 2D and 3D elements, there's a coherence to everything. And when something stands out, it's because they want it to. LizardCube are giving Vanillaware a run for their money.
August 31, 2025 at 1:23 PM
The artwork and animation in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance are gorgeous. Even though it's a mix of 2D and 3D elements, there's a coherence to everything. And when something stands out, it's because they want it to. LizardCube are giving Vanillaware a run for their money.
As someone that's bored by 90% of JRPGs feeling visually and tonally indistinguishable from one another, I'm glad Final Fantasy has the guts to keep trying stuff. Even Xenoblade, which once pushed boundaries with 1 & X, feels far too predictable nowadays. www.videogameschronicle.com/features/int...
August 28, 2025 at 3:48 AM
As someone that's bored by 90% of JRPGs feeling visually and tonally indistinguishable from one another, I'm glad Final Fantasy has the guts to keep trying stuff. Even Xenoblade, which once pushed boundaries with 1 & X, feels far too predictable nowadays. www.videogameschronicle.com/features/int...
It took me a long time to figure out what Shinobi 3DS wanted from me... and the answer is that it doesn't want just one thing. Some stages require speed, others a slower, more deliberate approach. It really is a "best hits" take on Shinobi—a true mix between Revenge and Shinobi III. [FIN]
August 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
It took me a long time to figure out what Shinobi 3DS wanted from me... and the answer is that it doesn't want just one thing. Some stages require speed, others a slower, more deliberate approach. It really is a "best hits" take on Shinobi—a true mix between Revenge and Shinobi III. [FIN]
There's also a ton of stage variety here. Aside from the regular side-scrolling stages, there's a stage where you're on horseback, a stage where you're on a fighter jet, a stage where the boss fight is against a giant mechanical shark... the list goes on. [3/4]
August 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
There's also a ton of stage variety here. Aside from the regular side-scrolling stages, there's a stage where you're on horseback, a stage where you're on a fighter jet, a stage where the boss fight is against a giant mechanical shark... the list goes on. [3/4]
There's a lot of depth that the game doesn't do a very good job of conveying. The big one is a parry that, when timed correctly, allows you to close the distance with a dash attack. It took me a while to figure out that the game wants you to constantly alternate between offence and defence. [2/4]
August 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
There's a lot of depth that the game doesn't do a very good job of conveying. The big one is a parry that, when timed correctly, allows you to close the distance with a dash attack. It took me a while to figure out that the game wants you to constantly alternate between offence and defence. [2/4]
In anticipation of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, I went back and decided to replay Shinobi 3DS... and my views on it have changed a lot over time.
Initially, I wasn't all that fond of it. I felt it played more like Revenge of Shinobi than Shinobi III. But that's only true to an extent. [1/4]
Initially, I wasn't all that fond of it. I felt it played more like Revenge of Shinobi than Shinobi III. But that's only true to an extent. [1/4]
August 9, 2025 at 1:22 PM
In anticipation of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, I went back and decided to replay Shinobi 3DS... and my views on it have changed a lot over time.
Initially, I wasn't all that fond of it. I felt it played more like Revenge of Shinobi than Shinobi III. But that's only true to an extent. [1/4]
Initially, I wasn't all that fond of it. I felt it played more like Revenge of Shinobi than Shinobi III. But that's only true to an extent. [1/4]
To everyone playing #XenobladeChroniclesX, I'd highly recommend turning the "Enemy Markers" option off under Settings. It's so distracting, you'll spend more time staring at the enemy info than actually looking at the gorgeous environments. Think of it as Immersive Mode.
March 22, 2025 at 1:49 AM
To everyone playing #XenobladeChroniclesX, I'd highly recommend turning the "Enemy Markers" option off under Settings. It's so distracting, you'll spend more time staring at the enemy info than actually looking at the gorgeous environments. Think of it as Immersive Mode.
Seeing her jump, backflip, and climb around in an urban environment only makes her athleticism stand out that much more—especially when the game has so many neat little alternate pathways for the player to discover, making it feel like you're helping Lara find her love for discovery again. [FIN]
February 17, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Seeing her jump, backflip, and climb around in an urban environment only makes her athleticism stand out that much more—especially when the game has so many neat little alternate pathways for the player to discover, making it feel like you're helping Lara find her love for discovery again. [FIN]
By that point, she's had a gunfight in a night club, blown up the sewers, gotten back into her tank top (her jacket catches fire), and broken into one of the most respected museums in the world and bounced around the place like she practically owns it. Great bit of design pushing narrative. [4/5]
February 17, 2025 at 12:36 PM
By that point, she's had a gunfight in a night club, blown up the sewers, gotten back into her tank top (her jacket catches fire), and broken into one of the most respected museums in the world and bounced around the place like she practically owns it. Great bit of design pushing narrative. [4/5]
As you go along, though, you start to see these little sparks—hints of the old Lara attempting to resurface from beneath the bitterness—almost as though the thrill of adventure is starting to bring her back to life in a fuller sense. The Louvre stage really stands out in that regard. [3/5]
February 17, 2025 at 12:36 PM
As you go along, though, you start to see these little sparks—hints of the old Lara attempting to resurface from beneath the bitterness—almost as though the thrill of adventure is starting to bring her back to life in a fuller sense. The Louvre stage really stands out in that regard. [3/5]
She's so bitter at the start of the game, clearly feeling let down by everyone that left her for dead in TR4. You see it in every interaction she has with the people she comes across. She even passes comments (intended for the player) about how she's "a little rusty" after all this time. [2/5]
February 17, 2025 at 12:36 PM
She's so bitter at the start of the game, clearly feeling let down by everyone that left her for dead in TR4. You see it in every interaction she has with the people she comes across. She even passes comments (intended for the player) about how she's "a little rusty" after all this time. [2/5]
Returning to Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness after so many years, I can't help but fall in love with it all over again, despite its many flaws. It has so many great ideas—the dialogue trees, the multiple pathways and shortcuts through stages, and the way they've chosen to characterise Lara. [1/5]
February 17, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Returning to Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness after so many years, I can't help but fall in love with it all over again, despite its many flaws. It has so many great ideas—the dialogue trees, the multiple pathways and shortcuts through stages, and the way they've chosen to characterise Lara. [1/5]
An at-a-glance summary of Sony's revenue and operating income for each division. Games are doing well, with PS5 Pro, PlayStation Plus subscriptions, and third-party software sales all having contributed to a 37% increase in profit. Music is still a big, consistent contributor as well.
February 15, 2025 at 4:39 PM
An at-a-glance summary of Sony's revenue and operating income for each division. Games are doing well, with PS5 Pro, PlayStation Plus subscriptions, and third-party software sales all having contributed to a 37% increase in profit. Music is still a big, consistent contributor as well.
Finally, the fate of the Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile IPs is also up in the air at the moment. Given that the Star Ocean 2 remake did fairly well, I could see Square continuing to explore more games in that series, but whether that's going to be under CS1 or CS2 remains to be seen. [6/6]
February 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Finally, the fate of the Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile IPs is also up in the air at the moment. Given that the Star Ocean 2 remake did fairly well, I could see Square continuing to explore more games in that series, but whether that's going to be under CS1 or CS2 remains to be seen. [6/6]
Tetsuya Nomura, as ever, remains a phantom. I would imagine that he's at Creative Studio 1 with Hamaguchi, but will continue to be a "creative-at-large," working with both CS1 and CS2 on various projects. We'll find out which division Kingdom Hearts falls under when we see KH4 credits. [4/6]
February 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Tetsuya Nomura, as ever, remains a phantom. I would imagine that he's at Creative Studio 1 with Hamaguchi, but will continue to be a "creative-at-large," working with both CS1 and CS2 on various projects. We'll find out which division Kingdom Hearts falls under when we see KH4 credits. [4/6]
You'll note that the core Final Fantasy team has been split up across Creative Studio 1 (Hamaguchi) and Creative Studio 2 (Kitase). Joining Kitase at CS2 are Motomu Toriyama and Shinpei Yashima, who are the division's deputy heads. Akitoshi Kawazu—SaGa franchise director—is also part of CS2. [3/6]
February 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
You'll note that the core Final Fantasy team has been split up across Creative Studio 1 (Hamaguchi) and Creative Studio 2 (Kitase). Joining Kitase at CS2 are Motomu Toriyama and Shinpei Yashima, who are the division's deputy heads. Akitoshi Kawazu—SaGa franchise director—is also part of CS2. [3/6]
Creative Studios:
CS1 (FF7R) - Naoki Hamaguchi
CS2 (Romancing SaGa 2, Dawntrail with CS3) - Yoshinori Kitase
CS3 (FF14, FF16, Fantasian) - Naoki Yoshida
CS4 (Nier, DQ) - Yosuke Saito [educated guess—he was interim head]
CS5 (HD2D) - Tomoya Asano
CS6 - ??
CS7 (Romancing SaGa 2 with CS2) - ??
[2/6]
CS1 (FF7R) - Naoki Hamaguchi
CS2 (Romancing SaGa 2, Dawntrail with CS3) - Yoshinori Kitase
CS3 (FF14, FF16, Fantasian) - Naoki Yoshida
CS4 (Nier, DQ) - Yosuke Saito [educated guess—he was interim head]
CS5 (HD2D) - Tomoya Asano
CS6 - ??
CS7 (Romancing SaGa 2 with CS2) - ??
[2/6]
February 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Creative Studios:
CS1 (FF7R) - Naoki Hamaguchi
CS2 (Romancing SaGa 2, Dawntrail with CS3) - Yoshinori Kitase
CS3 (FF14, FF16, Fantasian) - Naoki Yoshida
CS4 (Nier, DQ) - Yosuke Saito [educated guess—he was interim head]
CS5 (HD2D) - Tomoya Asano
CS6 - ??
CS7 (Romancing SaGa 2 with CS2) - ??
[2/6]
CS1 (FF7R) - Naoki Hamaguchi
CS2 (Romancing SaGa 2, Dawntrail with CS3) - Yoshinori Kitase
CS3 (FF14, FF16, Fantasian) - Naoki Yoshida
CS4 (Nier, DQ) - Yosuke Saito [educated guess—he was interim head]
CS5 (HD2D) - Tomoya Asano
CS6 - ??
CS7 (Romancing SaGa 2 with CS2) - ??
[2/6]
So, here's what I've been able to suss out about Square Enix's new "Creative Studio" structure, along with each studio head, based on the credits of a few games released over the past several months. More info will become available over time, as they release more games and we see more credits. [1/6]
February 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
So, here's what I've been able to suss out about Square Enix's new "Creative Studio" structure, along with each studio head, based on the credits of a few games released over the past several months. More info will become available over time, as they release more games and we see more credits. [1/6]
Not too shabby for being away from online a while! Armored Core VI's multiplayer is still a lot of fun—but incredibly hard, because everyone still playing is a mecha anime pilot god. #AC6
February 7, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Not too shabby for being away from online a while! Armored Core VI's multiplayer is still a lot of fun—but incredibly hard, because everyone still playing is a mecha anime pilot god. #AC6
Basically, the idea for Mira was to create a world that players would think about even when they weren't playing. A world they'd want to exist in, even when they were off doing other things. Given how unique Mira still is, all these years later, I'd say they succeeded. [FIN]
November 20, 2024 at 3:23 AM
Basically, the idea for Mira was to create a world that players would think about even when they weren't playing. A world they'd want to exist in, even when they were off doing other things. Given how unique Mira still is, all these years later, I'd say they succeeded. [FIN]
All five continents were created in parallel. Work on Primordia began first, but due to the amount of trial-and-error that went into designing each continent, they all ended up being completed around the same time, which is a testament to the effort each one needed. [12/13]
November 20, 2024 at 3:23 AM
All five continents were created in parallel. Work on Primordia began first, but due to the amount of trial-and-error that went into designing each continent, they all ended up being completed around the same time, which is a testament to the effort each one needed. [12/13]