Tag: Industry - Page 2
News Troubled Hyper Light Drifter Dev Cuts Losses with New Game, Confirms Layoffs
Hyper Light Heart Breaker
Heart Machine, the talented studio behind 2016 indie gem Hyper Light Drifter and the eye-popping Solar Ash, has confirmed that it's making an unspecified number of layoffs. The developer launched its ongoing project, Hyper Light Breaker, into early access on PC at the start of the year. However, the Hyper Light Drifter...
News PS6 Out 'in a Few Years' as Sony, AMD Discuss the Future of Games
"From Project Amethyst to the Future of Play"
Sony and AMD have today released a new video on the PlayStation YouTube channel that provides an update on the two companies' work on Project Amethyst, which sees them exploring the future of technology together. One part of this research shall result in the PS6, to which system architect Mark Cerny...
News People Don't Buy Anywhere Near As Many Games As You Think
"Hyper enthusiasts are keeping things going"
Think about how many games release every single month. And then consider that more than 60% of US players purchase fewer than two new releases per year. It doesn’t really make economical sense, does it? And it’s why we often frown at the idea of publishers making shorter, cheaper software so we can...
News Peter Molyneux Very Nearly Became a First-Party PlayStation Dev
"One of our best kept secrets"
Sony wanted to buy Bullfrog, the legendary UK studio founded by Peter Molyneux. As part of a 30th anniversary piece published by The Game Business, veteran PlayStation producer Martin Alltimes revealed that the platform holder came incredibly close to adding the Theme Park maker to its stable of studios. He revealed:...
News Wolverine PS5 Actor Was Allegedly Paid a 'Hefty Sum' to Star in Xbox's Answer to Uncharted
He'd eventually end up in Gears of War 4
A thoroughly researched video essay from Did You Know Gaming? reveals that Microsoft wanted to create a rival to Uncharted on the Xbox One – and Marvel’s Wolverine star Liam McIntyre was hired to portray the protagonist. The story dates back all the way to the late PS3 days, when Sony found enormous...
News PS6 May Go Uncontested as Rumours of Next-Gen Xbox Cancellation Force Microsoft to Comment
What would that mean for Sony?
The web is, perhaps tediously, once again awash with speculation of Xbox’s unclear future. A tough week for the Redmond firm – in which it raised Game Pass prices by 50%, causing its cancellation website to crash – has culminated in fresh speculation that its next-gen console may be cancelled. The source is not...
"Dominant firms become too-big-to-care"
Everything that ex-FTC chair Lina Khan said would happen is happening. Those of you who followed the drama around Microsoft’s unprecedented near-$70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard will recall Khan was one of the few voices against the buyout. She argued, at the time, that consolidation would...
News Xbox Squandered Over $300 Million Putting Call of Duty in Game Pass
At launch, 82% of full-price Black Ops 6 sales were on PlayStation
Xbox announced a remarkable 50% price increase to Game Pass this week, underlining an accusation it’s so frequently rebuffed – that the service is simply not sustainable. Now a report from Bloomberg, citing former employees who asked not to be identified, reveals tha
News Ubisoft and Tencent's New Company Stewards Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, More Starting Today
Reportedly named Vantage Studios
Ubisoft's joint venture with Tencent reportedly begins operations today, and its name is Vantage Studios. The company is a subsidiary of the European games publisher, and partially funded/owned by the Chinese conglomerate. According to VGC, Vantage Studios settled on its name by staff vote, and 1st October 2025...
Rumour Mass Effect, Dragon Age Studio BioWare Braced for Layoffs After EA's Buyout Agreement
Big changes ahead
BioWare, the once revered RPG studio, reportedly finds itself in a precarious position following the news of EA's planned acquisition. If you're not quite up to speed on the situation, the publisher, which is BioWare's parent company, has agreed to a $55 billion buyout. An investor consortium made up of the Saudi Arabian Public...
News Sony Is a 'Terrible Company' That's 'Blowing It in the Games Business', Says Michael Pachter
Not another one
Business analyst Michael Pachter seemingly really has it in for Sony, as he's now said it's a "terrible company" that is currently "blowing it in the games business". This has followed on from suggestions he made last month of "clueless" management that doesn't know what it's doing. The latest comments were made during an interview...
News Mega Publisher EA Agrees to $55 Billion Buyout by Saudi Arabia, Silver Lake, Affinity Partners
It's in the game
Electronic Arts — more commonly known as EA — has reached an agreement to be acquired by a group of investors. Said investors are the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The deal is worth an eye-watering $55 billion. In the most corporate explanation imaginable, the company writes:...
News Publisher EA Poised to Go Private as 'Advanced Talks' of $50 Billion Buyout Emerge
Saudi Arabia's PIF named among potential investors
Battlefield and EA Sports FC maker could be about to go private, as “advanced talks” of a $50 billion buyout have emerged. The Wall Street Journal reports that a group of private investors, including Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund, are willing to stump up for the...
News Almost 800 People Are Working on Ambitious Anime Open World Ananta
Kitchen sink approach
There are between 700 and 800 people currently working on the wildly ambitious anime open world Ananta. The number won’t come as a huge surprise to anyone who’s seen the latest footage of the title, which blends the best of several different games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man, GTA 5, and Batman: Arkham Asylum. It’s...
News PS5 Is the Most Successful Console in PlayStation History, States Sony
Generational
The PS5 is Sony's most successful ever console. That's according to the company itself, with CEO Hideaki Nishino spreading the word during a Tokyo Game Show 2025 keynote (as reported by the no doubt incredibly busy Geoff Keighley). So what does "most successful" actually mean in this situation? Well, based on the keynote photograph...
News Even More Xbox Price Increases Make PS5 Look Like a Good Deal
$20, $50, and $70 increases for Xbox consoles
More expensive than it was at the launch, the price of a PS5 has been heavily affected by the current climate and tariffs imposed by the USA government. It now costs $550 for a base unit with a disc drive, but hey, it could be worse — what if it was $650? That's apparently the new price of an Xbox...
News Latest Capcom Livestream Will Exclude PS5 Horror Resident Evil Requiem
Pragmata! Mega Man! Monster Hunter! Onimusha! More!
Capcom’s upcoming Tokyo Game Show livestream will skip Resident Evil Requiem entirely, focusing instead on the publisher’s slate of other impending releases. The broadcast, which will air on 24th September 7AM PT / 3PM BST, will include updates on the following games: Pragmata: See the...
News Everyone's Talking About How Little Physical PS5 Games Contribute to Sony's Bottom Line
But some crucial context is required
A new corporate report reveals just 3% of PlayStation’s revenue in its most recent fiscal year came courtesy of physical sales. That means of the ~$31.5 billion the manufacturer made, just ~$945 million could be attributed to boxed PS5 and PS4 software. It’s not a drop in the ocean by any stretch – but it...
News Sony to 'Advance Position as Creative Leader in Single Player Experiences'
A big corporate focus
Much has been made of Sony’s approach to single player games this generation, but the reality is it still very much remains at the forefront of great solo software. Last year it released the runaway Game of the Year winner in Astro Bot, and just next month it’ll deploy Ghost of Yotei. That’s not to mention all of the...
News Sony Removes Multiformat Revenue from Strategic Indicators
It's not a focus
Much has been made of PlayStation and its dalliance with multiformat releases. In a world where Microsoft has started releasing its entire portfolio to PS5, many suspect Sony to be following the same path – especially after unexpectedly porting games like Helldivers 2 to Xbox Series X|S and LEGO Horizon Adventures to the Nintendo...
News Ghost of Yotei Artist Loses 'Dream Job' After Charlie Kirk Comments
"I would do it again"
It should be a time for celebration at developer Sucker Punch, with sequel Ghost of Yotei out in a matter of days. Instead, it looks like it may find itself at the centre of an employment storm, with a Senior Staff Character Artist allegedly let go for making comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. For those of you who don’t...
News Sucker Punch Thinks Only 10% of Studio Would Be Hyped to Make Sly Cooper
"It's been a long time"
Those aching for a return to the PS2 era of PlayStation platformers may want to close this page immediately. In a quick fire interview with Ben Hanson from MinnMax, Sucker Punch creative director Nate Fox has said his team wouldn’t be all that impressed if it was tasked with working on a new Sly Cooper next. Asked...
News Even More Ex-Xbox Executives Speak Out About 'Tension' of Game Pass
"I saw short sighted decision making"
If there’s anyone best placed to speak on the impact of Xbox Game Pass, it’s ex-Bethesda boss Pete Hines, who left the publisher in 2023. Hines enjoyed a wildly successful 24 years at the company, and so he saw first-hand the consequences of Microsoft’s acquisition. And while he admitted that he’s been...
Not what IO Interactive hoped for
You know Build a Rocket Boy as the developer behind MindsEye, but the colossal PS5 flop might never have made it to market without its publishing partner, Hitman and 007 First Light team IO Interactive. MindsEye was the first game published by the studio that it did not make itself, and it's done so badly that IO...
PIF buys out RTS
The fighting game community is currently being rocked by news that Evo — the world's biggest annual fighting game event — is now co-owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (often referred to as the PIF). To briefly recap, Evo is owned by two organisations: talent management outfit RTS, and Indian entertainment company...
News Xbox's Perfect Dark Was Very Nearly Rescued by a Third-Party Publisher
Double take
With the trajectory Microsoft’s on, there’s a good chance its cancelled Perfect Dark game would have come to the PS5 anyway. But now word has emerged that the project was almost saved by a third-party publisher, which would have effectively guaranteed a PlayStation release. The ever-reliable Jason Schreier reports on Bloomberg that...
News Physint, OD Are Potential Reveals at Kojima Productions 10th Anniversary Show
Looks at "future projects" teased
Kojima Productions will celebrate its 10th anniversary later this month with a livestreamed showcase at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills, featuring special guests and "a glimpse into future projects". The event is called Beyond The Strand, and takes place on 23rd September. Hideo Kojima will host the show, which will...
News Remember Acclaim? Well, It's Back in More Than Just Pog Form
Legendary publisher revived
If you played games in the 90s, then you’ll remember Acclaim. The publisher’s distinctive font and rainbow coloured logo is seared into our memories – it showed in front of literally hundreds of classic games, including the likes of NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, and so, so many more. Well,...
News 'There's No Real Need for a PS6': Industry Veteran Weighs in on Next-Gen Debate
"Hardware is expensive"
There’s been an uptick in chatter about the PS6 of late, as various hardware specifications have purportedly leaked and Sony has started to openly acknowledge the existence of its next-gen console. This has sparked intense debate within the gaming community, with some arguing it’s too early for new hardware. On a...
News Bandai Namco's Big TGS Booth Includes Code Vein 2, Digimon, More
Time strangers
Bandai Namco has announced its slate of software for the Tokyo Game Show, which is scheduled to start on 25th September at the iconic Makuhari Messe. The lineup will include the following PS5 games: Code Vein 2 Digimon Story: Time Stranger Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots Little Nightmares 3 Once Upon
News 'The Number of Live Service Games Is Not Important': PS5 Boss Gives Rare Insight into Strategy
Hermen Hulst speaks
Earlier in the generation, Sony famously announced plans to release 10 live service titles, as it looked to diversify its first-party offering and create lucrative recurring revenue streams. But it’s been a year since the disastrous first-person shooter Concord released and was subsequently shuttered, which has prompted the...
News Bungie Boss Pete Parsons Departs as Sony Starts to Take Control of Flagging Dev
Going through changes
Bungie boss Pete Parsons is out as the embattled developer continues to go through a significant shake-up. Sony recently said that it’ll be taking more control of the Marathon maker and will be integrating the studio under its PS Studios umbrella. After its acquisition, Bungie was granted autonomy separate from...
News BioShock Infinite Executive Returns to Rescue BioShock 4 from Dev Hell
Rod Fergusson the new studio head at Cloud Chamber
Rod Fergusson, formerly of Blizzard Entertainment, where he led the Diablo franchise for five years, has joined BioShock 4 team Cloud Chamber as the new studio head. This is coupled with an "unspecified" number of layoffs at the studio. Reported by Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, the move s
News 'They Don't Know What They're Doing': Analyst Sticks the Boot in Sony's 'Clueless' Management
"PlayStation's lost its way"
Veteran industry analyst Michael Pachter believes Sony has “lost its way” due to executives who “don’t know what they’re doing”. In a brutal video – where he mistakenly spoke about Haven Studios’ Fairgames, and has since clarified his comments – he went to town on the current PlayStation management...
News Xbox Game Pass May Make Devs 'Wage Slaves', Says Ex-PlayStation Exec
"I'm not a fan of the Netflix of gaming"
A sprawling – and quite insightful – article about the current state of the games industry has been published by GamesIndustry.biz, featuring interviews with the likes of Circana’s Mat Piscatella. But it’s former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden’s thoughts that are going viral, as he’s chimed...
News EA's Stock Reaches a Record High on the Back of Explosive Battlefield 6 Open Beta
Respawn
EA is riding high right now after an explosive Battlefield 6 beta which looks like it’s going to be one of the biggest games of the year. The publisher, which recently suffered some difficult times due to lower than expected sales of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and EA Spo
News Sony Likens Its Fledgling Anime Business to the PS1 Era
On the cusp of an explosion
Sony’s investing big time into anime, as it watches the medium grow worldwide and looks to capitalise. The company-wide initiative – which aims to unify its three entertainment divisions – has seen it acquire Crunchyroll and invest in organisations like K
News A Quote from a Sony Exec Is Causing a Hubbub Among PS5 Fans Again
"We're moving away from a hardware-centric business"
An out of context quote from Sony Senior Vice President Sadahiko Hayakawa has sent shockwaves through the PS5 fan base yet again. In the aftermath of the Japanese giant’s latest earnings report, Hayakawa answered a question from newspaper Nikkei involving the company’s recent investment in
Astonishing earnings plot growth in every metric
In every conceivable measure, the PlayStation business is absolutely thriving. While there’s been a huge amount of chatter about the trajectory of consoles in 2025, Sony’s latest financial report paints a completely different picture. Over the last few years, one criticism that’s been levelled...
News Sony Controlling More of Marathon Dev Bungie, Will Be Integrated into PS Studios
Marathon to launch by April 2026
Sony has reiterated its intentions to take more ownership and control of Bungie as it looks to fully integrate the Destiny 2, Marathon developer into PS Studios. Following a string of controversies and failures, the studio update was shared by Sony CFO Lin Tao in the Q&A section of the company's latest financial...
News BioShock PS5 Sequel in Dev Hell, Remake of Original Scrapped
There's always a lighthouse
The next BioShock game – first announced in 2019 and allegedly in production for over a decade – has hit the skids. Uber-reliable Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reports that the project is being overhauled after it failed a publisher review. Now it’s shaking up the management at developer Cloud Chamber, and...
News Microsoft Reiterates It's the Top Publisher on PS5 in Earnings Call
No real surprises
As we reported earlier this week, six of the top ten PS5 games sold in Q2 2025 were published by Microsoft. With the exception of Forza Horizon 5, however – which has sold remarkably well on Sony’s system – the remaining five titles that topped the list were made by Bethesda or Activision – two historically multiformat fir
News EA Still Resisting $80 PS5 Games, Not Raising Prices 'at This Stage'
"We're not looking to make any changes"
EA has reiterated that it does not plan on raising the price of its upcoming games to $80, despite some other publishers in the industry already doing so. Nintendo was the first to put out an $80 game in the Nintendo Switch 2 launch effort Mario Kart World, and Microsoft was going to follow suit with The...
News Atari Picks Up SteamWorld Publisher in €4.5 Million Investment
Buys 82% of Thunderful shares
Atari has announced it's investing €4.5 million into SteamWorld publisher Thunderful, which sees it now own 82% of the company's shares. The acquisition sees Atari take ownership of five video game development studios and more than 20 IPs, which include Lost in Random and ISLANDERS alongside the aforementioned...
News Sony Sues Tencent Over 'Shameless' Horizon Copycat Coming to PS5
Chinese firm allegedly tried to license Guerrilla's IP
There’s paying homage and then there’s just outright copying. It looks like Sony’s legal team think Light of Motiram has crossed a line, and it’s suing Chinese giant Tencent over the “slavish” Horizon clone. According to Reuters, the platform holder filed a lawsuit against the...
Brave new world
Is the age of console exclusivity truly coming to an end? Perhaps not for Nintendo, but Sony is searching for an executive to lead its rapidly evolving multiformat strategy. A new job opening at its head office in San Mateo is looking for a director to lead PlayStation’s exploration of systems beyond PS5. The post explicitly...
"The line's pointing up and to the right"
Earlier this month, Microsoft cut an astronomical 9,000 jobs across its entire business, with its Xbox division struck particularly hard. This led to the cancellation of multiple in-development projects, including The Initiative’s Perfect Dark and Rare’s Everwild, all of which would have likely released...
Talking Point Sony's Investing in Anime, But Why Isn't PlayStation Leading the Charge?
Rogue synergy
Sony saw the anime boom before many of its rivals – and to its credit it’s been investing accordingly. Back in 2021 it acquired streaming service Crunchyroll for $1.1 billion, and it’s since invested in multimedia conglomerates like Kadokawa and Bandai Namco
News Sony Invests in Elden Ring Publisher Bandai Namco, Signs Strategic Partnership
Sony now owns 2.5% of Bandai Namco shares
Sony has today announced it's investing 68 billion yen (~$464 million) into Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco, which will see it acquire 2.5% of the overall business. As a result of the investment, the two companies have signed a "strategic partnership" that will see them collaborate on "expanding the fan...
News Xbox U-Turn the First Step Towards Gamers Rejecting $80 Games
Sorry, try again
Microsoft was the first publisher to bullishly follow in Nintendo’s footsteps and announce an increase to $80 for its upcoming games. But with The Outer Worlds 2 caught up in the controversy – and
