Tag: Industry - Page 33
E3 2016 Attendance Drops as E3 2017 Is Dated
Ready to go again?
Whether you enjoyed E3 2016 or not, we're going to do the whole damn thing all over again next year. The ESA has confirmed that E3 2017 – we suppose we better get the tag ready – will run between 13th June and 17th June in 2017, which is more or less identical to this year's show. That's despite attendance for this year's...
Soapbox Let's Be Honest, E3 2016 Was Disappointing
Sammy's not feeling all that stoked
In the cold, hard light of day – with more than four hours sleep under my belt – I've come to a bold, brave conclusion: E3 2016 was a bit disappointing, wasn't it? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the spectacle of Sony's conference and the banter that accompanied the bad ones – but it's hardly been a vintage...
E3 2016 Sony's Added a New Studio to Its First-Party Family
Well, sort of
Sony has no shortage of first-party studios, but it looks like a new team has been officially recruited to the Worldwide Studios family. SIE San Mateo has always had a light role in game development – it houses various internal technology groups and Entwined developer PixelOpus – but it seems like it's going to have more...
News Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards Will Return on 1st December
On every gaming screen and VR
Oh, great. As we mentally prepare ourselves for a week of exorbitantly late night streams, industry icon Geoff Keighley has revealed that we can look forward to one more on 1st December, when The Game Awards will return. We thought that last year's show was just about as good as one could reasonably expect an awards...
News Is an Until Dawn Sequel Unlikely Now?
Supermassive Games eyeing multiformat move
We'd always assumed, following the surprise commercial success of Until Dawn, that Sony would have signed up a sequel straight away – but it sounds like developer Supermassive Games has other plans. Despite being one of the Japanese giant's closer partners, the developer has expressed interest in breaking...
News Quantum Break Dev's Next Game Could Come to PS4
Studio working on new game with new partner
Remedy released Quantum Break to a somewhat muted response a couple of months ago, but now the Finnish firm is beginning to look to the future. And its outlook may include the PlayStation 4, as it's stated on its website that it's "developing a brand new game with a new partner". The company has been...
News GameStop's Anticipating New Console Reveals at E3 2016
PS4, k?
Who's ready for new consoles? You're… Not? Well, it seems like you're going to get them anyway, with GameStop hinting that E3 2016 next month will host the reveal of new hardware. Sony is, of course, rumoured to be prepping the announcement of the rumoured PlayStation 4K, while recent reports have pointed to about a dozen different Xbox...
News Forget About E3 2016, It's Time to Get Hyped for TGS 2016
Event's main graphic released
'Tis the season for game conventions, alright! While it may be E3 2016 that's approaching fastest, the main graphic has been revealed for this year's Tokyo Game Show, which is set to run from 15th September through 18th September. Illustrated by Ippei Gyoubu, the theme for 2016's art seems to centre on changing...
News Hideo Kojima Modelling New Studio on Media Molecule
Small and intimate
Do you remember Hideo Kojima's recent worldwide tour? The auteur picked up a lot of tips for the running of his own independent studio, and he's modelling it on Media Molecule. Speaking with Game Reactor, the veteran revealed all about the new Kojima Productions, which is working on a PlayStation 4 exclusive under the Sony...
News Sony Expects to Sell a Lot of PS4 Consoles This Fiscal Year
Like, a lot
Sony's released its sales forecasts for the fiscal year which started in April, and they paint a very interesting picture for the PlayStation 4. According to the company, it expects to sell 20 million new-gen systems through the period which ends 31st March, 2017. That's a sizeable increase on previous fiscal years, with the console...
News Rockstar Games to Reveal Exciting Future Projects Soon
Red dead?
Could we get a glimpse of Red Dead Redemption 2 at this year's E3? It's still one of this author's big predictions for next month's show, and while label Rockstar Games is remaining quiet, publishing overlord Take Two has hinted that we may hear more soon. Indeed, speaking as part of the firm's latest round of financial results, CEO...
News Now Ubisoft's Saying Consoles Like PS4 will Be Replaced by Streaming Services
French publisher seems to agree with EA
Earlier this week, EA's Peter Moore stated in an interview that he thinks consoles as we know them will die out sooner or later, and will be replaced by streaming technology. Needless to say, this prediction didn't sit particularly well with everyone, and now, adding fuel to the fire, Ubisoft CEO Yves...
News Disney Infinity Dumped as Avalanche Software Shuttered
Company will license out brands
Disney Interactive is exiting the video game business for what feels like the umpteenth time. The publisher has announced today that it will no longer self-publish console titles, meaning that it's shuttering Avalanche Software and ditching toys-to-life release Disney Infinity. The latter will result in around 300 job...
News Consoles Like PS4 Will Die Out Sooner or Later, Reckons EA's Peter Moore
Here we are again
One conversation that never seems to end in this industry, the ultimate fate of consoles like the PlayStation 4 is always up for debate. Will similar machines still exist five, ten, or twenty years from now? Or will we be past the point of relying on boxes that sit beneath our televisions? According to EA's always talkative Peter...
News Destiny Continues to Be a Big Hit for Activision
Shooter has almost 30 million users
Activision's revealed some pretty impressive Destiny statistics during the company's most recent financial report, claiming that the game now has almost 30 million registered players. Those keeping pace will remember that back in November of last year, the publisher stated that Destiny had around 25 million users...
Soapbox Why Hitman Proves More Games Should Release Episodically
Sam Brooke makes a case for experimental releases
It's safe to say that plenty of gamers aren't fans of episodic releases. Apart from Telltale Games – and even then it took until The Walking Dead to get people on board – developers always seem to get a hard time whenever they opt for a less conventional release system. Sure, you could say that...
News Sony Has Now Shipped a Staggering 40 Million PS4 Consoles
Beast mode
PlayStation helped propel Sony to a very profitable financial year, with the company's operating income up 329 per cent to ¥294.2 billion (~$2.7 billion). The company's gaming division played a huge part in that, its own sales up 11 per cent, with profits doubling to ¥88.7 billion (~$819 million). For a snapshot of just how well the...
News PSN's Raking in More Cash Than the Entirety of Nintendo
It's true
Remember the days when Sony perpetually felt like one flop away from financial catastrophe? This author does – after all, Push Square was founded during some dark times for the Japanese manufacturer. The company's doing much, much better under the leadership of Kaz Hirai, however, and PlayStation especially is in a positive place. One...
News You Better Hope SEGA Publishes Persona 5 in Europe, 'Cause NIS America Won't Be
Uh oh
Persona 5 is probably getting a Japanese release date next month, but the painful wait for any kind of confirmation of a European launch looks set to continue. For years now, NIS America has been bringing Atlus' games to European shores, ensuring that the likes of Persona 4 Golden made it overseas. However, following SEGA's purchase of Atlus,...
News Oddworld's Lorne Lanning: Consoles Lasting 7 Years Is Becoming Less Viable
It's an odd world
While there are conflicting reports on where developers stand on the PlayStation 4K, industry veteran Lorne Lanning has hinted that Sony may be making the right move in an interview with Game Informer. The silver haired suit – who co-founded Oddworld Inhabitants – suggested that he personally believes the concept of seven year...
News GameStop Signs Tequila Works, Ready at Dawn as Retailer Firms Publishing Plans
Time for RIME?
GameStop, the specialist US retailer, is making a move into god's honest video game publishing – and it's signing up some familiar names to help make its charge. Regular readers will already know that Insomniac Games is on board, with its underwater adventure Song of the Deep due out on the PlayStation 4 later this year. However,...
News The Art Lead on Alienation Has Sadly Passed Away
At just 42
There's a bit of sad news coming out of Housemarque today: veteran Finnish developer Antti Kallioinen has passed away. Having worked in the industry for many years all around the world, Kallioinen joined the Resogun developer in 2012 in order to serve as the Art Lead on its upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive, Alienation. "Antti Kallioinen...
News Ex-Rockstar North Boss Is Taking Take-Two to the Cleaners
Disgruntled executive wants $150 million
Do you remember when Leslie Benzies, the former president of Rockstar North, left the Edinburgh-based developer earlier in the year? Having enjoyed a long sabbatical prior to his departure, it seemed like the suit was simply burnt out. However, that's not the case according to a $150 million lawsuit that he's...
News Evolution Studios Team Snapped Up by Codemasters
DriveClub dev not going down without a fight
Evolution Studios lives on – kind of! The Runcorn-based outfit, shuttered by Sony last month, has been snapped up by Codemasters, and will continue the legacy that it left off – albeit on a multiformat basis moving forwards. It's unclear whether it will retain the studio name – that doesn't appear...
News Sony Computer Entertainment Officially Rebrands As Sony Interactive Entertainment
Not an April Fools' joke
Yes, it's still 1st April in some parts of the world – though the period of pranks is surely over globally at this point – but the formation of Sony Interactive Entertainment is no joke. You may remember us reporting on this a few weeks ago – well, now the deed is done, the documents are signed, and the new logo is...
News Frictional Games Dives Deep into Development with Two New Projects
Also reports on SOMA sales
Frictional Games' spectacularly philosophical SOMA is a horror hit that this particular author happened to finish this evening, and, as if on cue, the developer published an update today not only responding to the game's financial success, but also revealing what the team's direction will be moving forward. Including both...
News Sony Shuts Down DriveClub Developer Evolution Studios
Oh no
Sony's revealed a sucker punch today: Evolution Studios, the storied Runcorn-based developer behind DriveClub among numerous other PlayStation exclusives, has been shut down. The studio was downsized last year, but the ongoing success of DriveClub – along with the release of DriveClub Bikes and continued development of DriveClub VR –...
News Will Xbox One and PS4 Gamers Play Together? Sony's Looking into It
Needs to consider technical, policy, and business issues
Microsoft's decision to suddenly start supporting cross-platform play after years of blocking it – odd anomalies excluded – was announced expertly. Despite the likes of Nintendo and Sony allowing gamers to play with PC players for years – and, in the case of upcoming game Dreii, even...
News The Witcher 3 Will Never Stop Winning Game of the Year Awards at This Rate
Geralt scoops another one
Well, Geralt's gone and done it again. The Game Developers Choice Awards were held last night, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt managed to scoop yet another top gong. We've honestly lost track of how many accolades this game has. CD Projekt Red's role-playing release actually won two awards: Game of the Year, and Best...
News Sony's Open to Cross-Platform Play, But Says This Is Nothing New
The saga continues
Sony has once again reiterated its stance on cross-platform play following Microsoft's supposed statement regarding the concept. Speaking to Sony bigwig Adam Boyes at GDC, Game Informer reports that the Japanese giant certainly isn't against the idea of cross-platform play - but again, this is nothing new as far as Sony's...
News This Isn't the Dynasty Warriors Announcement You Were Expecting
Movie adaptation incoming
We almost unleashed our musou attack when we heard that there was some big Dynasty Warriors news, but it's sadly not the announcement that we were expecting. Indeed, there's no sign of Dynasty Warriors 9 just yet, although we'd argue this still makes for a pretty interesting reveal. Koei Tecmo has announced that it'll be...
News Sony to Hold Recruitment Fair for Axed Lionhead Employees
All SCEE studios to attend
As a British site, we always find it extra sad when UK studios close their doors – especially if they have a long and storied lineage like Studio Liverpool or Bizarre Creations. The closure of Lionhead this week, then, proved particularly depressing news – even more so seeing as the Guildford-based outfit was...
News The Witcher 3 Developer May Release An Unannounced Game This Year
Oh really?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt developer CD Projekt Red is set to unveil an unannounced game this year, according to the studio's latest earnings briefing. Adam Kicinski, the company's president, stated that the studio isn't yet ready to talk about the project, and that comes as no surprise, seeing as the aforementioned role-playing game's...
News Meet the People That Make Sony Santa Monica Tick
Sao Paulo to Santa Monica
While we complain about bugs and pre-order campaigns, it's easy to forget that hundreds of people contribute to the creation of a single game. This new video series from Sony Santa Monica aims to put the spotlight on the stories of individuals from within the storied studio, with senior staff character artist Rafael...
News LittleBigPlanet 3 Developer Assumes Control of Dead Island 2
Back from the dead
Dead Island 2 has been re-animated by Sheffield-based studio Sumo Digital. Those of you with long memories may recall that the title was in production at Spec Ops: The Line maker Yager, and even was announced during a PlayStation press conference. But despite us getting hands-on time with the release, the German organisation...
Soapbox Why Do We Treat Gaming Like a Chore?
Work, work, work
I've got to finish it otherwise I'll never clear my backlog. Recognise that? In this instance, 'it' doesn't refer to an important project or a piece of school work – but a game instead. Some of you won't have uttered a sentence like that, but I'd wager that there'll be more of you that have than haven't. The fact is that many of...
News EA Is Making an Absolute Killing from Microtransactions
Ka-ching
Additional digital content is a big part of business for many a publisher these days. For more niche titles, for example, premium DLC offerings are a good way to rack up some extra dosh, while blockbusters often use DLC packs and season passes to find more success after launch. Okay, so that's a pretty simplistic way of looking at things -...
Talking Point Do You Fast Travel in Open World Games?
Quick trip or epic voyage
There are those that fast travel, and those that don't. Raised voices broke out in Push Square Towers this week when Robert Ramsey revealed that he walks everywhere in Fallout 4. This led to Sammy Barker using words that can't be repeated on these hallowed pages. The result: a poll to the death to determine who the real...
News Er, Fallout 4 Won Game of the Year at the DICE Awards 2016
Hmmm
If we all assume that Geoff Keighley's livestreamed The Game Awards event is the Pop Justice £20 Music Prize of video game awards ceremonies, then the DICE Awards are the Grammys. That doesn't mean that the 19th annual event held at The Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas overnight wasn't packed with curious victors, however. Fallout...
Talking Point Is PlayStation Right to Switch Focus to the West?
Emigrating overseas
The humble beginnings of PlayStation are well documented: Ken Kutaragi believed that Sony should get into the console business so strongly that he began developing the firm's first format behind his employer's back. The board didn't back him, but CEO Norio Ohga saw the potential – and he sent the famously hot-headed engineer...
News Metal Gear Solid V Ships Over 6 Million Copies as Konami Profits
Mission successful, Snake
Konami's enjoyed a decent amount of success with it's surprisingly divisive Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. According to the Japanese publisher's latest earnings report, the open world stealth-'em-up has shipped over six million copies worldwide. The title's popularity contributed to a 37.5 per cent increase in...
News Sony's Doing Pretty Darn Well at the Moment
Company smashes earnings expectations
For a huge chunk of this site's life, we've reported on Sony's financial losses. You could guarantee that each quarter without fail, the firm would be in the red. But ever since Kaz Hirai took the helm, the company's trajectory has started to change. And, while it's nowhere near the juggernaut that it once was,...
News Sony's Dropped a Clanger with This Let's Play Lark
Company tries to trademark YouTube term
Sony, why?! The early success of the PlayStation 4 can be assigned to the feel-good factor that the Japanese giant built around the format: the gamer-centric marketing, the agreeable policies, the Jack Tretton smackdown – so why the heck is the company jeapordising that by trying to trademark the popular...
News Bungie Has a New CEO Who Promises Great Games and More Destiny
Harold Ryan steps down
There's some reshuffling going on at Bungie - one of the gaming industry's most renowned development studios. Harold Ryan, who has been been at the company for 15 years, has stepped down as CEO, and former COO Pete Parsons has replaced him at the top. Of course, many of you will know that Bungie is the developer behind...
News EA Withdraws from E3 2016 Showfloor
Opts for its own event instead
This week has been packed to the rafters with unexpected announcements, and here's another headline that we weren't anticipating: Electronic Arts will not be present on the show floor at E3 2016. The mega publisher is instead opting to invite fans to a new PlayStation Experience-esque public showcase, which will run...
Reaction What Does the Death of Sony Computer Entertainment Mean?
Going through changes
Sony Computer Entertainment, the iconic company that gave birth to the billion dollar PlayStation brand, is dead – or, at least, it will be when the new financial year begins on 1st April. The Japanese giant has announced its intention today to merge the PlayStation maker with Sony Network Entertainment, a companion...
News Say Goodbye to Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation now operates under Sony Interactive Entertainment
This is not the news that we expected to wake up to on a chilly Tuesday morning: Sony Computer Entertainment is no more. Don't panic, PlayStation is very much alive – but the iconic organisation housing the billion dollar brand has been renamed Sony Interactive Entertainment. It's very...
News Sony Attempts and Fails to Trademark Let's Play
What's up, it's your boy...
YouTubers need no longer fidget frantically, as Sony's request to trademark the term 'Let's Play' has been denied by the United States Patent and Trademark Office – but not because it's a popular phrase among gamers. Instead, it was denied use because of a similar trademark held since 2013 by Let'z Play of America, a...
News Grand Theft Auto Veteran Exits Rockstar North
Leslie Benzies departs Scottish studio
Rockstar North, the uber-secretive Edinburgh-based developer behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, is going through a bit of a shake-up at the minute. Leslie Benzies, one of the key figures behind the aforementioned sandbox series, has departed the company after over 15 years of service. He originally joined...
News Remember to Give Media Molecule Ten Birthday Bashings
British dev turns ten-years-old
Sony's experimental outfit Media Molecule is celebrating its tenth anniversary today – which must be a significant landmark when your cut your teeth on out-there titles like Dreams. The studio's first slam dunk was LittleBigPlanet, of course, which won a slew of awards following its release in 2008 – and spawned...