Failure To Fame: The Story Of Arkane Studios

Arkane Studios is a developer that has made its mark in the industry creating games, like the Dishonored series and this year's Prey, that follow in the tradition of classic first-person immersive simulators on PC. But how did the studio come to be and who are its major players? In this three-part behind-the-scenes video series, GameSpot travels to Arkane Studios to explore the history of the team, the roots of modern first-person RPGs, and the decade-long struggle that led to the studio's current fame.

Part one gives us a look at Arkane's breakout hit, Dishonored. Part two delves into the origins of the immersive sims and the genre's influence on the studio. And the final part gives us insight on how Arkane learned from these early games, its struggles to iterate on its own work, and its hopes for the future.

For more videos like this, watch our GameSpot Studios documentaries on Mass Effect Andromeda and the history of Relic Entertainment. You can also check out our full GameSpot Studios playlist on YouTube.

Part 1: How Dishonored Saved Arkane Studios

Arkane discusses its struggles to find success for 12 years, how Dishonored propelled the studio into the limelight, and helped revive immersive sim RPGs.

Part 2: The Secret Origins Of Arkane Studios

GameSpot tracks down Richard Garriott and Warren Spector, two legendary developers who helped pioneer immersive sim RPGs in the '90s, to discuss how they mentored the members of Arkane Studios.

Part 3: How Arkane Studios Mastered a Genre

We talk to Arkane about the challenges that came with the success of Dishonored, the problems with making a sequel, how Prey develops the studio's identity, and where the team wants to go in the future.