In this new MinnMax Interview, Ben Hanson talks to Subnautica 2's game design lead Anthony Gallegos from Unknown Worlds Entertainment about the underwater survival game's gigantic launch amidst extreme external corporate factors. Gallegos explains the team's non-violent approach to the biggest sea creatures and why they are prioritizing multiplayer features based on early data and feedback. We also talk about early design directions the team discussed and prototyped, such as letting you visit multiple alien planets like No Man's Sky. We also talk about Gallegos' ongoing gaming podcast Rebel FM hitting 700 episodes and his early days writing and podcasting at 1UP and GFW Radio.
Watch and share the video version here - https://youtu.be/KMdaEmf612o
To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below...
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:30 - Subnautica 2's huge launch
00:07:24 - Explaining the game's non-violent approach
00:13:45 - Prioritizing multiplayer features
00:16:38 - How podcasting helped Anthony Gallegos as a developer
00:19:45 - The humbling complexity of game development
00:25:30 - Subnautica 1 vs Subnautica 2
00:27:06 - Anthony's time at 1UP and GFW Radio
00:37:30 - The importance of copy editors
00:40:45 - Secrets of Subnautica 2's early development/scrapped ideas
00:44:42 - More Subnautica spin-off games?
00:49:33 - The creative/no-crunch culture of Unknown Worlds
00:53:00 - How business headlines/pressure impacted the developers
00:59:38 - The 700th episode of Rebel FM
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