Tag: Industry - Page 11
News FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki Would Love to Try His Hand at a Traditional JRPG
Patient, methodical combat
FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki has dreams beyond the Souls-like subgenre with which his name is now synonymous. Having pushed the boundaries of what an action RPG can even be, it turns out the one thing he'd like to turn his hand to is a traditional Japanese roleplaying game. Miyazaki sat for an extensive chat with...
News Naughty Dog Vet Back in the Dog House After Years at The Initiative, Deviation Games
Animating your worst nightmares
Melee expert and animator Lee Davis has found his way home to Naughty Dog after a four-year excursion. During that time, he worked at Microsoft's The Initiative (Perfect Dark) and the now-defunct PlayStation-backed studio Deviation Games. Beginning his Naughty Dog career in 2010, Davis worked as an animator on The...
News Sony Skips Gamescom Presence for a Fifth Year in a Row
PlayStation still MIA
It has been confirmed Sony won't be attending Gamescom this year, making it half a decade since the company had any presence at the biggest video game convention in the world. It last showed up in 2019, and has been missing from the showfloor ever since — though, the 2020 and 2021 versions were either cancelled or held online...
News Ex-Sony Boss Shawn Layden Explains How to Make Games Faster, Cheaper
PlayStation prophet has the answers
Former president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Shawn Layden, began foretelling the current, apocalyptic state of the video game industry in 2020. A piece of conventional wisdom industry onlookers will often cite, Layden himself says it was no remarkable feat, gleaned by observing trend lines over...
News Embracer Group Reportedly Closes Alone in the Dark Developer Pieces Interactive
"Thanks for playing with us"
Pieces Interactive, the developer behind the recent PS5 title Alone in the Dark, is no more. Embracer Group has seemingly shuttered the studio, just a few months after the game's launch back in March of this year. Over on the developer's official website, it now features an image and statement on the homepage confirming...
A tremendous loneliness comes over you
Disco Elysium was a rare beast, perhaps the most immaculately written video game ever released (in this humble scribe's opinion), but it was too pure for this world. Following its launch, the subsequent messy, public legal spat between the creatives responsible for the work and the suits who own the IP would...
News Armello, Jumplight Odyssey Developer League of Geeks Enters 'Hibernation' After Layoffs
"We're not sure when (or if) we will resurrect this great beast"
Australian developer League of Geeks, best known for excellent indies like Armello, Solium Infernum (PC), and the announced Jumplight Odyssey (sadly now indefinitely delayed), is entering a period of "hibernation", potentially forever. The studio went through a
News Video Game Leaking Culture Has Hit an Embarrassing New Low
Online drama explodes
The cult of clout that circles so-called video game insiders appears to be something a handful of terminally online social media users can’t live without, and it can lead to some strange conclusions. Consider the latest online drama, then, which is so bizarre it’s actually started trending overnight. Midori, an alleged SEGA...
News FromSoftware Boss Says Using Guides to Beat Its Games a 'Perfectly Valid Playstyle'
Git gud, with a little help
The Maestro of Punishment, Hidetaka Miyazaki, says it's OK to beat FromSoftware games like Elden Ring using informative, meticulously crafted guides. In fact, he says his studio has "room for improvement" if players struggle to progress "organically". Speaking to
News Ex-PS5 Exec Shawn Layden Isn't Holding Back His Feelings on Xbox
Former boss sticks the boot in Phil Spencer's comments
In the aftermath of its unfathomable $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the top brass at Microsoft has been eager to express its dislike of Sony’s marketing alliance with the Call of Duty franchise. Speaking with IGN, boss Phil Spencer insisted he wants to give players the choice...
News Tencent Announces 15% Staff Reduction at UK-Based Sackboy Maker Sumo Group
Livelihoods of 270 employees on the line
Parent company Tencent has announced a round of layoffs at the UK-based Sumo Group, which includes international studios worldwide, as well as Sackboy and Texas Chain Saw Massacre developer Sumo Digital. A press release announced the news, revealing that the reduction would affect employees based in Canada,...
News PS5 Needs to Do a Better Job of Alerting You to the Things Going on in Your Games
The live service future demands a new approach
The PS5 is a fantastic console, but increasingly we’ve been feeling that its operating system doesn’t feel designed with modern games in mind. This is particularly ironic when you consider Sony’s live service push: Helldivers 2 has already struck big, but it’s desperate to add Concord or...
News Xbox Explains Why It Shuttered Beloved Hi-Fi Rush Developer
"I have to run a sustainable business"
Hi-Fi Rush released on PS5 earlier this year to the same kind of critical acclaim it had already received on Xbox Series X|S and PC – then Microsoft decided to unceremoniously shut the studio down. Xbox boss Phil Spencer, who has been curiously quiet in the aftermath of the closure, piped up during an IGN...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Says DOOM Franchise Is Something That 'Everyone Deserves to Play'
Planned for PlayStation years ago
DOOM: The Dark Ages was just revealed and looks absolutely spectacular. In fantastic news for the PlayStation faithful, id Software's next explosive shooter has been announced as coming to PS5 on day one, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed to whom we owe this good fortune. Sitting down with IGN's Ryan...
News PS5 Hardware Architect Says It May Take Less Time to Build a Console Than a Game Now
But insinuates developers have chosen this path
It’ll probably take less time for PlayStation hardware architect and overall industry legend Mark Cerny to design the PS6 than it will for developers to create its launch games. That’s the status of the industry as we stand, where tentpole AAA productions are now taking at least four years to...
News Sonic X Shadow Generations Has PS5, PS4 Exclusive Content
Due out on 25th October
Update: As had leaked prior to Summer Game Fest, the upcoming Sonic X Shadow Generations will launch on 25th October for PS5 and PS4 – and there’ll be exclusive PlayStation content. “Players who buy the game on PlayStation will receive bonus extended prologue animations with never-before-seen deleted scenes,”...
News Showing a Trailer at Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest Reportedly Costs $250K for One Minute
Worth every penny
Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest is almost upon us, and the big show will air later today, Friday 7th June. As usual, gamers can expect to see a cavalcade of game trailers, announcements, and all the raucous excitement of an industry live show, such as the time that one kid managed to get on stage with FromSoftware. As the...
News Don't Expect GTA 6, Judas, Beyond Good and Evil 2, or Josef Fares at Summer Game Fest
Keighping hype in check
It's almost that most magical time of the year again: Not-E3, the colloquially-known week the industry has organically hermit-crabbed inside of, now that the legendary video game consumer event is officially dead. It seems like it might be a slightly more muted affair this year at Summer Game Fest, in particular, with host...
News Just Cause Developer Avalanche Announces Closure of Two Studios, Layoffs
New York, Montreal
Avalanche, the developer behind the Just Cause franchise, has announced the closure of two of its five studios and layoffs amounting to some 9% of its global workforce, a reduction of around 50 employees. With its Montreal and New York offices closing, Avalanche Studios Group will retain offices in Stockholm and Malmo in Sweden...
News The Latest State of Play Was Completely Leaked, and It's a Growing Problem with YouTube
Just a peek
You may not be aware, but PlayStation's latest State of Play broadcast — the one that happened just last week — was leaked in its entirety just hours before it was publicly shown. We saw the leak ourselves but decided not to report on it for two reasons: the first being that we didn't know for sure if it was real, and the second...
Random What Happens to Your Digital PSN Library When You Die?
Banished to the void
What happens to gamers' digital games when they inevitably shuffle off this mortal coil? We've pondered this question many times in the dark hours before dawn, and it seems we aren't the only ones. A debate has picked up steam on Steam and other platforms about what happens to these increasingly valuable libraries we all collect...
News Ubisoft Confirms Time, Date, and Featured Games for Upcoming Forward Showcase
Assassin's Creed Shadows, Star Wars Outlaws headlining
Ubisoft has confirmed the time, date, and featured games for its upcoming Forward showcase. Live from sunny LA, and expect better looks at heavy hitters like Assassin's Creed Shadows, Star Wars Outlaws, and XDefiant. Confirmed on Twitter, Ubisoft Forward will take place on 10th June at 12 pm...
News Don't Worry, Sony's Most Recognisable Studios Are Still Focused on Single Player PS5 Games
It ain't all live service
As part of its business segment meeting overnight, Sony categorised all of its first-party studios based on the type of content they’ll be delivering. It divided its teams into four segments: Single Player Narrative Focus, Partner Studios, Evolving and Multi Genre, and Live Service Focus. Here’s how it divided its...
News PS5 Players Are Buying Fewer New Games, But Spending More Than Ever Overall
Microtransactions making the moolah
One difference between the PS5 and PS4 is the rise of live service games. A dirty word among the most engaged enthusiasts, this is not a genre but merely a business model; it means titles are designed to evolve and improve over time, as opposed to offering one-and-done experiences. And it’s changing consumers’...
News PS5 Is Sony's Most Profitable Console Generation to Date
Not-so doom and gloom
There’s a growing sentiment among the gaming enthusiast circles, not necessarily always backed up by fact, that console gaming is collapsing. While it’s true the market is facing issues of spiralling costs and slowing growth, it’s a concern not always rooted in reality. Case in point: Sony’s just announced PS5 is its...
News Discord Remembers Roots, Will Double Down on Gaming
Dance with the one that brought you
Discord has announced that it will roll back its ambitious plans to become a broader communication app after rediscovering its roots as a private place to yell at your friends while gaming. This means an opportunity for a redesign with group messages, voice chats, video calls and more being reworked. In a message...
News Sony Plans to Convert PC Gamers Through the Power of PlayStation
Just one hit and you'll be hooked for life
Soon-to-be PlayStation co-CEO Hermen Hulst says the strategy behind releasing its single-player narrative games on PC is to push future console sales. The thinking goes that getting PC players hooked on some of its marquee tentpole franchises will entice a portion to play future sequels on a PlayStation...
News CD Projekt Red Wants to Release Major Games More Frequently
Acceleration protocols
CD Projekt Red, the publisher and developer of The Witcher and Cyberpunk, wants to release major games more frequently. The rapidly expanding company revealed its ambitious plans during its quarterly earnings call on Tuesday (thanks, VGC), intending to make its release schedule "less lum
News Second Silent Hill Transmission Invites Imminent 'Game Updates, a Deeper Look at the Film'
As well as new merch
Konami has extended an open invitation to the second Silent Hill Transmission, a showcase where the publisher has pledged to provide "game updates, a deeper look at the film, and new merch". The ominous invitation was posted on Twitte
News SEGA 'Flat Out Rejected' Initial Pitches for Yakuza/Like a Dragon
Criminal
SEGA's now legendary Yakuza/Like a Dragon series almost didn't happen, with the Sonic the Hedgehog publisher initially hesitant to produce something so outside of its family-friendly wheelhouse. That's according to series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, who said it was a struggle to get the first game off the ground. In an interview with Weekly...
Random Hideo Kojima Finds His Ideal Live-Action Solid Snake
Prepare to be body scanned
Hideo Kojima, the auteur creator of Metal Gear Solid, appears to have the legendary video game series on his mind. He's also a massive fan of George Miller's Mad Max franchise, and one face amongst the cast of post-apocalyptic characters introduced in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga seems to have struck a chord with the developer...
News AI Helps Push Forward 'Boundaries of Storytelling', Says Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann
But ethical issues must be addressed
Naughty Dog co-studio head Neil Druckmann has weighed in on the debate surrounding the use of AI in game creation, suggesting the tech allows creators "to take on more adventurous projects and push the boundaries of storytelling". His comments come in a fresh interview published alongside Sony's recent Corporate...
News Hideo Kojima Is Mad Max Director George Miller's First Choice for a Video Game Adaption
But he wouldn't dream of asking the auteur creator
The director of the Mad Max franchise, George Miller, thinks the world is ready for another video game adaptation. Still, only a game made at "the highest level" will suffice, made by someone like, say, auteur creator Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear Solid, Death Stranding fame. Considering that Kojima...
Random Sony's Vision of Gaming's Future Includes a PS3 Boomerang Pad with a Screen
Concept trailer gives us a glimpse
As part of its Corporate Strategy Meeting earlier today, Sony released a concept trailer designed to reflect its vision of the future. It’s worth noting that none of the hardware or ideas presented in the video represent real, in-development products – it’s more a clip designed to capture a “mood” or...
News Epic Games May Be Sony's Most Important Partner Right Now
An epic alliance
We know that Sony has invested heavily into Epic Games over the years, but it’s clear that the company holds its partnership with the Fortnite maker in extremely high regard. During its Corporate Strategy Meeting, the Japanese giant name dropped the Unreal Engine creator multiple times, across a variety of different mediums...
News Sony Sets Sights on Ruling the Anime World
The next frontier
There’s no doubt about it: Sony is comfortably the biggest fish in the anime ocean these days. The company already owns media company Aniplex, streaming service Crunchyroll, and is involved in the production of many of the most popular series, like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Bocchi the Rock, and the more recent Wind Breaker...
News Bombshell Report Finds Players Becoming Less Interested in Deep Strategy Games
Despite our best efforts
According to a horrifying new report, deep strategy games like those in the Civilization or XCOM franchises are becoming increasingly unappealing to modern gaming audiences. A study from Quantic Foundry collected data using the researcher's gamer motivation profile (GMP) tool over the last nine years and found that,...
Random DOOM Co-Creator John Romero Reveals Hellish Way 'Gib' Is Properly Pronounced
John Romero is going to make you say "gib" correctly
The father of the first-person shooter, John Romero, has settled a debate we didn't even know existed, definitively proving why you should never ask questions you aren't prepared to hear the answers to; we regret to inform you that you have mostly likely been pronouncing "gib" wrong. "Gib" is a...
News New Helldivers 2 CEO Hired So Former Lead Can Focus on Game Development
Shams Jorjani takes the lead
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Studios has revealed the hiring of a new CEO in Shams Jorjani so the former lead Johan Pilestedt — who you've probably seen on Twitter recently — can focus his efforts on game creation again. After the overwhelming success of the PS5, PC title, which currently sits on more than 12...
News PlayStation Mobile Job Listing Reveals New Insight into Sony's Smartphone Strategy
It's still alive
It’s no secret that Sony is desperate for a smartphone success story. Companies like HoYoverse have proven that titles can transcend different devices, with the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail huge on PS5, PC, and mobile. PlayStation has been scrambling to set up a mobile subsidiary within its business for years,...
News PlayStation London Studio Shares a Farewell Message Following Closure
A "wild and wonderful journey"
PlayStation London Studio has posted a farewell message to fans following Sony's decision to close the UK developer amidst 900 job layoffs at the company. Confirmed back in February, the studio was shuttered entirely while there were job losses at other first-party teams such as Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, and...
News Baldur's Gate 3 Studio Expands to Poland in Seventh Office Opening
Joins teams in Quebec, Dublin, and more
Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has announced the opening of a seventh office, this time in Poland. Out of the country's capital city Warsaw, the new sister team will join six others in Quebec, Dublin, Guildford, Barcelona, Ghent, and Kuala Lumpur. This is all designed to boost the overall developer's...
News New Game from Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures Reportedly Set in Expanded Sci-Fi Universe
GTA, Red Dead Redemption writer blasts off
Just Friday, we brought you word that Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser's new outfit, Absurd Ventures, was developing an open world action-adventure game. In an intriguing turn, IGN turned up some new information on the in-development title, suggesting that whatever the next game from the
News Microsoft Commits to Next Call of Duty Game on Xbox Game Pass, New Report Says
All or nothing
Following reports of internal debates at Microsoft over whether the next Call of Duty entry should be part of Xbox Game Pass at launch following the firm's acquisition of Activision, a new article from the Wall Street Journal claims it has now settled on going forward with plans to bundle the FPS in with the subscription service...
News Rockstar Co-Founder Dan Houser's Absurd Ventures Developing 'Open World Action-Adventure' Game
An ersatz life
Last year, we brought you word that Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser had started a new studio called Absurd Ventures, promising to create original IP for "all platforms and formats". It seems the new outfit has commenced work on a game that promises "best-in-class combat and third-person action across multiple game modes". That's...
News Square Enix Bestows New Name on Creative Business Unit 3
Please be excited
Square Enix is undergoing a restructuring process, and layoffs are already underway in the US and Europe as the firm "aggressively" prepares for a multiplatform push. Perhaps in response to feedback, the Japanese publisher has taken the opportunity to rename one of its premier development studios, the Naoki Yoshida-led division...
News Activision Tasks New AAA Studio with Crafting Narrative-Based Series
Timing is everything
Activision has reportedly opened a new studio, tasking the nascent, Warsaw-based Elsewhere Entertainment with developing a "narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise". The huge entity underwent a massive wave of layoffs following the closure of Microsoft's Activision Blizzard King acquisition earlier this year. As...
News GTA Publisher Claims It 'Didn't Shutter' Roll7, Intercept Games
"We didn't shutter those studios"
Take-Two, the publisher behind Grand Theft Auto and owner of other labels such as Private Division, has denied reports it recently shut down Rollerdrome, OlliOlli developer Roll7 and Kerbal Space Program 2 team Intercept Games. Having been questioned by IGN during a financial call today, CEO Strauss Zelnick...
News Microsoft Leadership Reportedly Want No 'Red Line' Stopping Xbox Games Coming to PS5
Is nothing sacred?
A new report suggests that Microsoft's big boss, Satya Nadella, wants to bring more Xbox games to PlayStation as soon as possible. With the instant success Sea of Thieves found on Sony's platform, considered a "key test," it seems like the writing is on the wall at this point; Microsoft leadership reportedly wants there to be no...
News Sony Shipped 4.5 Million PS5's Last Quarter, Almost Five Times More Than Xbox Series X|S
Estimates indicate enormous gap
As the industry digests the latest deluge of earnings reports, attempting to parse the information and present a clearer picture, one piece of news is likely to fuel more than a few pointless arguments on social media: despite marginally missing its own revised target, Sony shipped 4.5 million PS5s last quarter,...
