Hellblade’s Dev Diary Digs into the Announcement

The first developer diary video for Ninja Theory’s upcoming Celtic-themed action title, Hellblade, details the team’s early work on the game, and its debut trailer shown at Sony’s Gamescom press conference.

Oddly, the developer diary talks almost exclusively about the process, and not the product. Starting from concept sketches, the video gives us a look at the entirety of the development process that goes into creating a debut trailer, delving into pre-visualization videos, performance capture, over-painting and even acquiring music. Ninja Theory staffers Dominic Matthews and Tameemi Antoniades also discuss Sony’s request to show the game at Gamescom a week earlier than expected, and the challenges that a condensed schedule presented.

The first Hellblade dev diary is a fascinating look at an often overlooked, but important part of a game’s production. Fan response to early trailers is extremely important to the marketing of a title, especially a new IP. Just as a spectacular debut video can turn a nearly unknown game into an eagerly-anticipated blockbuster, an underwhelming launch trailer can sink a new title before its release. Ninja Theory promises to “share the journey” as they make Hellblade a reality, so look for plenty more developer diaries in the future.

Hellblade is scheduled for a PS4 release sometime next year. An Xbox One or PC release has not yet been confirmed, but we’re anticipating a timed PlayStation 4 exclusive.