Tag: Industry - Page 32
News JonTron's Yooka-Laylee Cameo to Be Patched Out by Playtonic
In the aftermath of controversial comments
Playtonic has announced that it will patch out popular YouTube personality Jon 'JonTron' Jafari's cameo from platformer Yooka-Laylee as part of an update. The game – which recently went gold ahead of its 11th April launch date – has presumably already been submitted to platform holders for printing and...
News Telltale Chief Kevin Bruner Reportedly Steps Down
Telltale will remember that
Telltale gaffer Kevin Bruner has reportedly stepped down from his position of CEO this week, according to sources close to Kotaku scribe Jason Schreier. This is big news because Bruner actually helped found the company which has gone on to become a major household name, following its success primarily on The Walking Dead...
Talking Point Could 2017 Be Gaming's Greatest Ever Year?
GoaT mad
So here's the thing: we've never known a start to the year quite as strong as what 2017 is turning out to be. Last year was a fine year for games, but it was by-the-numbers – few games exceeded expectations and even fewer will live long in the memory. The past two and a bit months have been the opposite, though: exciting, fresh, and so...
News 40% of UK's Game Industry Consider Relocation After Brexit
UKIE looks into the impact of the referendum
Britain remains in flux following last year's European Union referendum, and that impacts all industries – including the video games sector. Already challenged due to rising costs and attractive international tax breaks, we've seen many UK developers shut up shop in recent years, with Sony's own...
News Naughty Dog Co-President Christophe Balestra Retires
Leaving the kennel
When Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra replaced founders Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin as the co-presidents of Naughty Dog, many commentated that they had big shoes to fill – but they still managed to turn the Californian studio into one of the greatest in the industry today. It's with sadness, then, that we can reveal that...
News Hideo Kojima Won't Stop Fultoning Konami Staff
Poached
We thought everyone hated Konami, so consider our surprise when we spotted £50 Bomberman smirking at us among the UK sales charts top ten today. Whatever. It seems that Hideo Kojima is still busy poaching staff from his ex-employer, as Horizon: Zero Dawn's credits list a number of names from the new Kojima Productions. Included in the...
News PlayStation's Still Patting Nintendo on the Back
Corporate congrats
Sony congratulated Nintendo on the success of Zelda's reviews yesterday, and it's returned to acknowledge the release of the Switch today. Writing on its official Twitter account to over 13 million followers, it shared the following message: "Today's a big day for Nintendo! Congratulations on launch, we can't wa
News PlayStation Congratulates Nintendo on Zelda Success
Claims it's an "amazing time for gaming"
In the latest edition of advertising disguised as a pat on the back, PlayStation UK has publicly congratulated Nintendo on the success of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game, which has frankly set a Metacritic benchmark which will never be beaten in this editor's opinion, received a raft of...
News Horizon: Zero Dawn Cost a Reported €45 Million to Make
That seems kinda cheap these days
Development budgets have soared so much over the past decade or so that we're sitting here surprised at the price tag that's been placed on Horizon: Zero Dawn's head. A report in a Dutch national newspaper claims that the PlayStation 4 exclusive cost over €45 million (~$47 million) to make, and while the exact...
News Liverpool FC Signs EA's Peter Moore For an Undisclosed Fee
Signing of the summer
In a rather bizarre turn of events, EA boss and all-round entertaining industry figure Peter Moore will be taking on the role of CEO at Liverpool Football Club. The talkative gaming veteran, who was born in Liverpool, is a lifelong supporter of the team - so this is basically the 61-year-old's dream job. We suppose...
News BioShock Creator Ken Levine's New Studio Is Named Ghost Story, Sci-Fi RPG in the Works
Levine la vida loca
Ken Levine and the folk behind BioShock have revealed the name of their new studio: Ghost Story. Essentially, this is BioShock developer Irrational Games rebranded, and although the team has been hanging around since Irrational shut down in 2014, it's only just decided to formally introduce itself. Well, when we say 'hanging...
News Tomb Raider Dev Crystal Dynamics Moves to New Studio
Avengers assemble
Having focused on Tomb Raider for the past ten years or so, Crystal Dynamics is about to embark on a new adventure with The Avengers – and it'll be making the journey in a new studio. The developer has announced that it moved into a fresh office last week, and it sounds like it's kitted out with some cool features. "We have some...
News Stolen PS4 Story At Least Has a Happy Ending
Children's cancer ward gets consoles back
Whenever you think humanity has reached its lowest ebb, always remember that there are more good people out there than there are bad. You may recall last week we reported on the theft of a PlayStation 4 from the children's cancer ward at Wellington Hospital. The console was used by nine-year-old Angus Little...
Talking Point Are 'Live Games' Really What You Want on PS4?
The future
Ubisoft insinuated this week that it cancelled production on a more "traditional" game in order to bolster the content pipeline for its suite of "live games" – titles like The Crew, Rainbow Six: Siege, and The Division which are being iterated upon with regularity. But while this is clearly the future that publishers see for the PlayS
News Ubisoft to Release Fewer Games as Focus Shifts to Long-Term Support
Publisher apparently 'happy' with Watch Dogs 2
Ubisoft has admitted that Watch Dogs 2 didn't get off to the best start in life, but proving yet again that a (watch) dog is for life and not just for Christmas, the title's fortunes have improved of late thanks to positive word of mouth. The hack happy outing is now trending better than Assassin's...
News E3 2017 Will Be Open to the Public for the First Time Ever
Times are changing
For the first time in its storied history, E3 2017 will be open to the public. Previously only open to those in the industry, the Entertainment Software Association – which organises the event every year – has announced that an initial allocation of 15,000 tickets will be made available to the public starting Monday, 13th...
News Sony to Stick with Movie Division Despite Billion Dollar Loss
Will look to better leverage PlayStation properties
Sony will stand by its embattled movie division despite the group registering a near-billion dollar loss in its latest financial report. The firm revealed that the subsidiary would register a $913 million loss prior to its latest financial report, attributing the sum to a reduction in the value of...
News GameStop May Be Lying to You About New Games
Bonkers initiative puts staff in impossible position
A new program established by GameStop management may be forcing humble store clerks to lie to you about the availability of brand new games – and it's kinda crazy. Reddit has been bubbling over with reports of the retailer's 'Circle of Life' initiative for a few days now, but Kotaku's...
News Namco Founder Masaya Nakamura Passes Away at 91
Rest in peace
Namco's founder Masaya Nakamura passed away on Sunday, 22nd January, publisher Bandai Namco has announced. The executive was 91-years-old at the time of his death. A private wake and funeral with close family and relatives has already been held, with the deceased requesting that the news of his passing be kept private until after the...
News Take a Look Inside Kojima Productions' Sci-Fi Studio
Seeing is believing
Hideo Kojima has opened the doors to the new Kojima Productions for the first time, revealing the futuristic studio space where Death Stranding will be made. The company, which the auteur founded in late 2015 following his departure from Konami, is almost ready to begin full production on its PlayStation 4 exclusive project –...
News Ex-Witcher, Hitman, Dying Light Devs Form a Fresh Studio Named Strange New Things
Face the strange
We don't usually write about the opening of a new studio until we know that it's working on something PlayStation related, but the newly formed Strange New Things already sounds too promising not to mention. Made up of developers who have worked on The Witcher series, the most recent Hitman game, Dying Light, and more, the outfit is...
News Ubisoft Acquires DJ Hero Developer from Activision
FreeStyleGames becomes Ubisoft Leamington
Here's a surprise: Ubisoft has acquired DJ Hero developer FreeStyleGames from Activision. The UK-based team – which most recently made Guitar Hero Live – will be renamed Ubisoft Leamington, and will be headed up by Ubisoft Reflections chief Richard Blenkinsop. Presumably the developer will be integrated...
News Kojima Productions Is Quietly Poaching the Top Talent from Konami
Brain drain
Hideo Kojima has departed Konami – and he's bringing all of the top talent with him. The new Kojima Productions, which will launch Death Stranding exclusively on the PlayStation 4 as its first project, has quietly been fultoning high-ranked employees and adding them to its office. We already know that art director Yoji Shinkawa,...
News Sony Set to Close Guerrilla Cambridge Studio
MediEvil developer shut down after 19 years
It's always sad when we have to report on a studio closure, but it's even worse when it's a developer that, over the last 19 years, has clearly shown it has real talent. Game Industry reports that Sony is going to shutter Guerrilla Cambridge, the UK branch of Killzone and Horizon: Zero Dawn developer...
Talking Point Has Holiday 2016 Devalued New Games?
Cheap as chips
Booting up a £19.99 copy of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare over the Christmas break, we couldn't help but ponder whether this holiday gone has seriously devalued new games. All games get price drops eventually, of course – some sooner than others – but this feels different. On the European PlayStation Store right now you can nab...
News PS4 Physical Game Sales Increase As UK Industry Suffers Blow
Overall sales down 13.4 per cent
Worryingly, the PlayStation 4 was the only home console to see sales of physical software in the UK increase year-over-year in 2016. The Nintendo 3DS also built upon its previous year's tally, but every other platform shrunk. That's resulted in a 13.4 per cent decline in game sales compared to 2015 in Britain, with...
News Merry Christmas! Crytek Closes a Whopping Five Studios
In Crysis
Crytek, the major developer perhaps best known for the Crysis series, has broken silence on rumours regarding its inability to pay staff, confirming that it's closing down a whopping five of its wholly owned studios. The move means that its Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seoul (South Korea), Shanghai (China), and Istanbul (Turkey)...
Rumour Warner Bros Montreal Scraps Suicide Squad Game
Harley fin
Word is that Warner Bros Montreal has scrapped its long-in-development Suicide Squad game – despite it being in production for two years. The title – which would have seen you take control of the eponymous band of anti-heroes – was never formally announced, but was rumoured to be a co-op title. Apparently, it failed to impress...
News Westworld Writer Recruited to Help Pen 'Intense' The Last of Us: Part II
Halley Gross brought on board
Neil Druckmann won't be the sole writer on The Last of Us: Part II, as the director will be aided by Westworld's Halley Gross. According to IMDB, the American is credited with writing episodes such as 'Trompe L'Oeil' and 'The Adversary', while she's worked as an editor on several others. Writing on Twitter, Druckmann...
News Bruce Straley Will Not Co-Direct The Last of Us: Part II
Astray
This is a little bit of a bummer: Bruce Straley will not co-direct The Last of Us: Part II. The veteran game director, who's been with Naughty Dog for many years but is best known for his partnership with Neil Druckmann on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, is taking a year-long sabbatical from game development after many years in...
News Advertising Standards Passes Judgement on No Man's Sky, Says It Didn't Mislead Customers
Off the hook
We were wondering when we were going to hear about the outcome of this. Back in September, it was revealed that the UK's Advertising Standards Authority was looking into No Man's Sky following complaints that the game's marketing and pre-release media didn't represent the finished product. Since then, developer Hello Games has released...
Talking Point Why Are Fall's Biggest Blockbusters Flopping?
Signs of decline
It's not been a good few months if you pay attention to the UK sales charts. There have been a handful of success stories: Mafia III, against all odds, exceeded expectations – while Battlefield 1 has done well for itself. But by and large, it's been a quarter of catastrophic sequels: Titanfall 2? Down. Gears of War 4? Down. Call...
News Media Molecule Opens Satellite Studio in Brighton
Pier we go
Media Molecule's borderline cringe working culture has culminated in the creation of a new satellite studio based in Brighton. The Guildford-based organisation has opened the new workspace in order to accommodate a group of devs who have been commuting from the seaside town for many years. While those on location will still make regular...
News Sleeping Dogs 2 Hopes Put Down as United Front Games Shuts Shop
You won't be seeing Wei Shen again
Sleeping Dogs deserved so much more. The Hong Kong-based, pork bun-wielding cult classic didn't exactly set the cash registers alight, but it was universally adored by those who played it – primarily because it was essentially Grand Theft Auto without crap controls. While many held out hope for a sequel, however,...
News PS4 Pro Requires Very Little Investment from Developers
One or two people working on Sony titles
CD Projekt Red's decision not to update The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the PlayStation 4 Pro has prompted some people to ponder just how many resources developers need to commit to the new machine. According to Digital Foundry, the answer is very few, as it's reporting that just one person from Sony Bend is...
News Job Losses at London Studio as PlayStation VR Worlds Dev Is Completed
Team restructuring around new projects
Sony San Diego's not the only team in the platform holder's stable to sadly lose staff this week, as London Studio has also been struck by a round of layoffs. The first-party team has led the charge on PlayStation VR over the past few years, and it's behind one of the peripheral's showpiece launch titles:...
News MLB The Show Survives as Sony San Diego Restructures
Drawn to Death not dead either
Sony San Diego has seen a large number of layoffs – thought to be in the region of 40 to 50 employees – but the MLB The Show team has been unaffected. Despite being one of the Japanese giant's lower-profile exclusives, the baseball series sells strongly every year in the United States – and is widely considered...
Rumour MLB The Show Developer Sony San Diego Shuttered?
Caught out
MLB The Show rarely gets much coverage on websites like ours, but it's a strong seller for Sony in the United States every year. However, reports are swirling that the studio may have been shut down. Not exactly the kind of news that will go down well at a time when the Japanese giant seems to be attracting waves of negative press. We...
News Sony: We Don't Discriminate Between AAA or Indie
"It's all about great games"
Sony often gets criticised for paying too much attention to so-called "smaller" games, but speaking at Gamescom 2016, likeable PlayStation exec Jim Ryan has said that the platform holder primarily cares about great titles – regardless of whether they're made by massive studios or minuscule ones. Asked if the company...
News Buzz! Developer Relentless Software Shuttered
X
In the days before the Nintendo Wii, it was actually Sony that ruled the casual games space – especially in Europe, with franchises like Singstar, EyeToy Play, and… Yes, Buzz!. For those of you who don't remember it – the series only seemed to be popular in the Old World – it was essentially a multiplayer quiz title, where you controlled...
News Sony Profits as PS4 Sales Continue to Surge
PlayStation offsets earthquake disaster
Sony is still in the black, though it can thank PlayStation for offsetting the costs inflicted by Japan's recent earthquake disaster. Profits plunged 42 per cent year-over-year in the three month period ending 30th June, with the company racking up ¥56.2 billion ($542 million) in operating income. The...
News Burnout Makers Begin Work on New Racing Game
Burn rubber
Three Fields Entertainment recently released Dangerous Golf, a kind of twist on Burnout's very popular Crash mode. But while the title offered a nice warm-up for the UK-based studio, we've all been waiting for it to begin work on a racing title really. Fortunately, the outfit announced yesterday that work has begun on a "driving game"...
News Ex-Sony Exec Adam Boyes Enters the Lang Zone at Iron Galaxy
Oh Boyes
In news that will elate Giant Bomb fans, ex-Sony executive Adam Boyes has joined Iron Galaxy as its CEO, replacing founder Dave Lang, who will continue to have a very active role in the studio's business development. Iron Galaxy, for those who don't know, is perhaps best known for Killer Instinct on the Xbox One and Windows 10 – but it...
News Don't Panic, Shu Yoshida Has Reclaimed His Twitter Account
And he's living the life of riley in Montpelier
Normal service has resumed on Shuhei Yoshida's Twitter account, after it was hacked earlier today by a group of ne'erdowells. The cheerful chap didn't seem to be too bothered by the infiltration, though, as he spent his afternoon supping wine and scoffing snails in the idyllic French city of...
News Pokémon Go Makes Nintendo More Valuable Than Sony
And we don't just mean the PlayStation business
Pokémon Go fever is so obnoxiously enormous that even we've been relegated to writing about it, as Nintendo's stock has climbed so high over the past couple of weeks that the company's currently more valuable than Sony. And, to be clear, we're not just talking about the PlayStation division – we're...
News Ubisoft Solves a Mystery That's Bugged Mankind Since the Beginning of Time
Finally
It was alluded to in Homer's Odyssey and it was brought up in the Bible, but now Ubisoft has attempted to solve a mystery that has cursed mankind since the beginning of time: just how do you pronounce the company's name? It's not You-Bee-Eye-Soft that's for sure. Muppets!
News Popular PlayStation Suit Adam Boyes Is Leaving Sony
Getting back to game development
Adam Boyes has one of the most recognisable faces at PlayStation – but the Vice President of Developer and Publisher Relations is moving on. The suit – perhaps best known for announcing Final Fantasy VII Remake and Shenmue III at last year's E3, as well as featuring in
News Sony Reveals Over 20 Million Users Are Subscribed to PlayStation Plus
Not bad, that
The PlayStation 4 continues to perform beyond even Sony's expectations, we know that much, but how's PlayStation Plus doing these days? The premium service, which is required to play most PS4 games online, has had its fair share of critics over the years, but the Japanese company has always been keen on racking up more profit in the...
News Criterion's Teased Racing Game Has Been Cancelled
Project burnt out after two years of silence
Back at E3 2014, Burnout creators Criterion Games showed some early footage of its multi-vehicle racer, showing players switching mid-race between ATVs, wingsuits, planes, helicopters, jet-skis, and other vehicles, exciting many people. However, it seems that, after two years of uncertainty on the...
News Sony CEO Kaz Hirai Is Absolutely Raking in the Cash
Exec's salary more than doubles
According to Variety, ex-PlayStation president and current Sony CEO Kaz Hirai received a salary of $4.9 million for the fiscal year which ended 31st March – more than double his compensation from the previous year. It's the most the company has paid to a CEO since the firm was forced to reveal the wages of its top...