Industry News, Industry Features

Tried and tested

Sony won’t charge you more to get your greasy mitts on first-party software for the PlayStation 4. In a brief exchange with Shacknews, a representative for the platform holder explained that all four of its impending launch window games will retail for $59.99, the same as on the PlayStation 3. Those titles include DriveClub,...

Changing public perception

The days of entering codes into your PlayStation 3 before connecting with your peers are long over, as EA has announced that it’s doing away with its Online Pass system. In an email sent to GamesBeat overnight, the company’s senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg confirmed that the publisher’s...

Father of PlayStation teams up with Soul Sacrifice developer

It’s taken a while, but it seems that Ken Kutaragi has finally followed his own controversial advice and landed himself a second job. The man behind the PlayStation, and the former chairman and CEO of SCE, has secured the role of external director at Soul Sacrifice developer Marvelous...

Platform holder not expecting big losses

Sony doesn’t expect the PlayStation 4 to nuke its bank balance to quite the same degree as the PlayStation 3. Those of you that were around at the start of the generation will recall the manufacturer’s current console almost crippling the company, even in spite of its exorbitant launch price...

Gavel gazing

Death’s gigantic hammer has fallen on deceased publisher THQ’s remaining assets, deeming Nordic Games the new owner of Darksiders, Red Faction, and various other properties. The publisher paid a whopping $4.9 million for the assortment pack of IP, also grabbing MX vs. ATV, Destroy All Humans, and Marvel Super Hero Squad in the...

Executive promises improvements at under fire publisher

EA’s not exactly having the best of times – the recent departure of CEO John Riccitiello is evidence of that. But while the publisher’s managed to badly bungle the launch of SimCity and produce some below-par games, we can probably all agree that it doesn’t deserve the ‘Worst...

Star Wars 1313's fate not looking good

Disney’s questionable treatment of non-Star Wars: Episode VII content has continued today with the closure of legendary video game arm LucasArts. Following the Mickey Mouse marker's acquisition of LucasFilm along with its various subsidiaries late last year, the company has opted to shutter a large portion...

Bang, bang

Brilliant as it undeniably is, there’s a moment in BioShock Infinite where you realise that it’s turned a corner. Booker DeWitt’s exciting excursion to Columbia opens with very little action at all; the game’s perfectly content to let you explore the skyward archipelago at your own pace. But as you sprint towards the...

Final Fantasy maker down on its luck

John Riccitiello is not the only high-profile video game executive to be heading for the exit door, as Square Enix gaffer Yoichi Wada has been ousted from the company following a dire financial forecast for its current fiscal year. The outgoing boss had been in the job since 2000, but he’ll now be replaced by...

Under fire executive resigns

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello has submitted his resignation to a boardroom of (presumably) stern-looking directors. The executive’s final day will be on 30th March, the close of the company’s fiscal year. After that, he’ll be forced to pack up his ballpoint pens and Commander Shepard figurines, and leave the...

Try again

The threat of failure in games is a foundation that’s existed as long as the industry itself. Ever since the days of Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and more, the idea that you can ‘lose’ at a title is something that we’ve come to expect. But while this mechanic was originally conceived as a means to conclude sessions and ultimately...

Using its many limbs to reach into the next generation

The engine behind PlayStation Network puzzler Hamilton’s Great Adventure is extending its reach to the PlayStation 4. Bitsquid has confirmed that its multiplatform development suite will be compatible with Sony’s impending next generation system, promising a flexible production environment...

Brave new world

Sony chairman and former chief executive officer Howard Stringer has announced that he will retire from his position within the firm in June. The Welsh businessman announced his departure as part of a speech at the Japan Society in New York City last week, where he revealed that he will turn his attention to the healthcare and...

Magic numbers

The review embargo for God of War: Ascension lifted yesterday, prompting a cavalcade of forum posts regarding the status of Sony Santa Monica’s savage Spartan series. The title scored lower than previous entries, resulting in a Metacritic rating of 79 at the time of writing. According to the aggregate’s scale, that number...

Pre-orders for the next generation platform performing extremely well

UK retailer GAME believes that the impending PlayStation 4 will successfully resurrect the nation’s troubled video game market. Chatting with VideoGamer.com, category director Charlotte Knight explained that pre-orders for the platform are “performing very well” at the...

Marker of the times

It sounds like the legs of Visceral Games’ likeable Dead Space series have been targeted by a well aimed Plasma Cutter shot by EA executives. According to a report on VideoGamer.com, a fourth entry in the horror series was in development, but has been cancelled following the poor sales of Dead Space 3. The

Platform holder freeing up assets

As part of an ongoing effort to stabilise its financial footing, Sony has announced that it’s selling its shares in Japanese online gaming firm DeNA for around $440 million. Games Industry.biz reports that Nomura Securities are poised to snatch up the 17.72 million shares, which will add a few more zeroes to the...

Life in the old dog yet

Despite the recent announcement of the PlayStation 4, Sony has insisted that there’s still plenty in the pipeline for the PlayStation 3. Chatting with the PlayStation Blog, SCEE president Jim Ryan insisted that the manufacturer’s current platform will remain an important part of the company’s output for the...

Starting a new journey

Do you remember Ouya? The Android-powered console took Kickstarter by storm earlier in the year – and it’s just added a fairly high-profile name to its list of backers. Journey developer and thatgamecompany co-founder Kellee Santiago has signed up to lead developer relations, where she’ll be responsible for helping...