Tag: Industry - Page 29
News The Last of Us' Neil Druckmann Promoted to Vice President of Naughty Dog
Game Directors and Lead Designers for The Last of Us 2 announced
Naughty Dog veteran Neil Druckmann has been promoted to the position of Vice President at the Californian developer. According to President Evan Wells, this is in recognition of Neil’s “expanded role, contributing on critical, studio level decisions”. The former programmer will...
News Valve Promises to Start Shipping Games Again
We're GLaDOS to hear it
Valve used to be one of gaming’s most acclaimed developers, shipping series like Half-Life and Portal on PlayStation. However, over the past decade it’s increasingly turned its attention to PC-based digital storefront Steam and its roster of competitive multiplayer titles like DOTA 2. But speaking at a press event...
News Ubisoft Is Breaking Ground with AI That Helps Game Developers Fix Bugs
The future is now
Well this is interesting, isn't it? As reported by Wired, Ubisoft's research and development division has unveiled an artificial intelligence that helps game developers catch bugs. The AI is called Commit Assistant, and it's basically designed to spot potential issues before programmers finalise their work. Apparently,...
News Ubisoft Buys Blue Mammoth Games, Makers of Popular Free-to-Play Fighter Brawlhalla
On the up
Blue Mammoth Games, the relatively small studio behind hit free-to-play fighting game Brawlhalla, has been acquired by mega publisher Ubisoft. According to the press release, Blue Mammoth Games is made up of just 21 team members, so Ubisoft's certainly going for quality over quantity here. It's an interesting story because these days the...
News Sony Doubling Down on PlayStation Exclusives in Corporate Reshuffle
First-party more important than ever
Sony has reiterated its commitment to first-party franchises as part of an organisational reshuffle that will see some of its most forward-facing executives promoted up the corporate ladder. Shawn Layden, who will continue to front Sony Interactive Entertainment America and act as the Chairman of Worldwide...
News The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency Shuts Up Shop
Drawn to Death developer is done
David Jaffe is in the process of shutting down The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency, which developed the divisive Drawn to Death. You may remember earlier in the year there was a project cancellation which prompted a “vast majority” of the staff to be laid off. Now the organisation is no more. A
News ESRB Adding 'In-Game Purchases' Label to Games Following Loot Box Outcry
Box to box
Microtransactions and loot boxes have become an increasingly hot topic over the last... Well, for what feels like a very, very long time. Governments have had their say, gambling commissions have weighed in on the situation, and the internet's obviously been going ballistic. There's been a lot of noise, then, but has anything...
News Bethesda Softworks Was 2017's Best Publisher, According to Metacritic
Rating by numbers
Media score aggregate site Metacritic has unveiled some new statistics this week, revealing its list of publishers that performed the best in 2017. To calculate this, it's taken all of a publisher's games released last year and averaged their scores, and figured out the percentage of games that have received what Metacritic...
News New Study Suggests Only 6% of People Don't Spend Money on Microtransactions
69% are fine with cosmetic stuff
Well here's a study that makes for some interesting reading. A report entitled Gaming Today, which is based on an online discussion held by figures from across gaming and technology, suggests that the most people really don't care all that much about microtransactions in their video games. Based on one particular...
News CD Projekt Red Wades in on Loot Box Debate
Meanwhile, a U.S. Senator calls for investigation
After Hawaiian politician Chris Lee proposed government action against loot boxes earlier this week, the ongoing debate surrounding them has showed no signs of stopping. Now, CD Projekt Red has voiced its opinions on the subject. Marcin Iwiński, co-founder of the beloved Witcher developer, said in...
News Mafia III Developer Hangar 13 Hit With Job Cuts
2K reduces staff
A new report from Kotaku states that Hangar 13, the studio behind 2016's Mafia III, has suffered a significant number of layoffs. Publisher 2K told Kotaku that staff reductions have been made at Hangar 13 "in order to ensure that the studio’s resources are properly aligned with its long-term development plans". Their statement...
News THQ Nordic Now Owns Metro, Dead Island, Saints Row, More in New Acquisition
Publisher purchases Koch Media
THQ Nordic has felt like a bit of a B-team player for a while, re-releasing a lot of its back catalogue and slowly accumulating more and more IPs. It seemed that no one was really paying them much attention, but that may be about to change; the publisher has just made a serious acquisition in the purchase of Koch Media...
News Hawaii's Government Proposes Action Against Loot Boxes
Loot out
Everyone's probably tired of hearing about it, but it seems like we still haven't seen the end of the Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot box controversy's consequences. In what is a landmark for laws regulating games - something scarce in most countries until now - Representative Chris Lee of Oahu has proposed two bills to the Hawaii State...
News Capcom Chops Back Vancouver Branch as Dead Rising Sequel Is Dialled Down
Unannounced game cancelled
As many as 50 employees have been laid off at Dead Rising 4 developer Capcom Vancouver, according to a Kotaku story citing sources and social media reports. The cutbacks include the cancellation of a project believed to be set in an alternate reality New York, as well as changes to the next Dead Rising title, which had...
News PlayStation Profits Soar as PS4 Reaches 76.5 Million Units
It prints money
Sony has released its financial results from the quarter ending 31st December, and it's showing some impressive numbers once again. PlayStation 4 hardware sales were actually down year-on-year, from 9.7 million to 9 million, but the total number of units is now at 76.5 million. The console enjoyed its best ever calendar year, moving...
News Sony Management Shifts See CEO Kaz Hirai Stepping Down
Will become Chairman
In a recent press release, Sony has announced a few changes to its management structure. CEO Kazuo Hirai, who has been in the top seat for six years, will be replaced by current CFO Kenichiro Yoshida. Kaz will instead adopt the roles of Director and Chairman. These changes are effective from 1st April 2018. Hirai-san led the...
News Ridiculous Rumour Suggests Microsoft Is Eyeing Up EA
Unlikely acquisition seems very unlikely
In arguably the most bizarre rumour we’ve read since Shenmue III and Final Fantasy VII were being touted as potential announcements at E3 2015, there’s bonkers talk of Microsoft lining up an acquisition of Electronic Arts – the publisher of FIFA and Madden. The actual basis for the...
News Hyper Light Drifter Designer Leaves Square Enix Montreal After Game Cancellation
"The business strategy of the studio shifted"
Former Hyper Light Drifter designer Teddy Diefenbach today announced on his personal website that he has voluntarily vacated Square Enix Montreal after the publisher terminated his team's project. He describes in his post that it was a "dream role", but that the "business strategy of the studio shifted"...
News Twisted Metal Maker David Jaffe's Studio Struck with Layoffs
Project cancelled
David Jaffe’s verbose indie studio The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency has been struck with layoffs following the cancellation of an unannounced project. The team is perhaps best known for Drawn to Death which, shall we say, divided public opinion. To be honest, we’re probably the only publication on the planet that...
Talking Point Could Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Model Work on PS4?
Disruptive business strategy could change games forever
At a time where Bethesda is putting out commercials to celebrate single player games, a new business model from Microsoft threatens to disrupt the industry as we know it today. The Redmond firm has announced an update to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which will see all of its...
News 'People Ask for Story-Based Games, But Don't Necessarily Buy Them'
Uncharted creator Amy Hennig weighs in
The cancellation of Amy Hennig’s single player Star Wars title last year caused controversy regarding the state of story-driven, single player games. Many hardcore gamers argued that they’re starting to feel left behind, as multiplayer releases become increasingly prominent. The climate even prompted...
News Activision Boss to Leave Company After 8 Years in March
He's had a good run
Eric Hirshberg, Activision's talkative CEO, will be leaving the publisher this March following eight years of service. Hirshberg has been in charge of overseeing some of the company's biggest properties, including Call of Duty, Destiny, and Skylanders. Fair to say that he's been an important part of the business for a while...
News Sony's Third-Party Relations Chief Exits After a Year
Revolving door
The replacement for Adam Boyes in one of PlayStation’s most important positions has left the company after just a year, according to a Games Beat report. Ex-Harmonix chief Florian Hunziker was recruited in January 2017 as Head of Third-Party Developer Relations to fill the shoes of the aforementioned charismatic suit, but has...
News A New Alien Shooter Is in Development for PS4
Fox expanding gaming focus
FoxNext Games is the gaming branch of 20th Century Fox, and it's expanding the scope of its game development. The company has acquired developer Cold Iron Studios, and will be putting it to work on an all-new shooter in the Alien universe. Details on the game itself are virtually non-existent, but it's certainly...
News Sony's PhyreEngine Adds Support for Nintendo Switch
Fanning the flames
Sony’s game development toolset PhyreEngine appears to have added support for the Nintendo Switch, judging by documentation in the system’s recently released Dragon Quest Builders demo. It’s not a massive surprise, of course, as the software already supports the Xbox One, iOS, and Android – in addition to the family of...
News Jim Ryan Promoted to Deputy President of Sony Interactive Entertainment
Congratulations
Jim Ryan is one of a few Sony suits you'll recognise from previous press conferences. He's been with the company since 1994, and was made president of SIE Europe in 2011. He was also made head of global sales and marketing in 2016, and helped launch the PS4 Pro and PlayStation VR. His hard work seems to have paid off, as he's...
News Former DriveClub, Motorstorm Devs Working on Sci-Fi Title as Wushu Studios
New frontier
Some potentially exciting news for you here: former DriveClub and Motorstorm leads are heading up a brand new Liverpool-based development team -- and they're working on an all-new sci-fi property. Named Wushu Studios, the outfit's still in the process of hiring talent and expanding, but it probably won't be too long until we hear...
News Quantic Dream 'Surprised' by Allegations About Studio Culture
Update: French developer releases official statement
Quantic Dream once again finds itself in the centre of a whirlwind, as three separate French reports have called into question the culture of the studio and its management. Publications such as Le Monde, Canard PC, and
News Crash Bandicoot Outsells Destiny 2 at UK Retail in 2017
Woah!
A brand new set of figures concerning last year's sales of physical games in the UK has emerged, courtesy of gamesindustry.biz. In a comprehensive breakdown of the UK games market for 2017, it's revealed that physical sales were down by 0.4%, but revenue increased by 2.1% to £792m. Perhaps most interestingly, however, is the list of the top...
News Sony Boss John Kodera's Twitter Account May Have Been Fake
Update: Shuhei Yoshida confirms
A new Twitter account for incoming PlayStation president John Kodera appeared this week, retweeting corporate intel like PlayStation 4 sales figures and such. It was promptly followed by various Sony employees, lending legitimacy to the handle. However, as of this morning it’s been suspended, suggesting it may have...
Weirdness This Is What CES 2018 Looks Like When the Power Goes Out
Lights out
If you’ve ever been to an electronics convention before, you’ll know that they’re filled with loud music and flashing lights. What happens, then, when the power goes out? Well, that’s exactly what occurred at CES 2018 in Las Vegas earlier today, where parts of the South and Central Halls were plunged into darkness. Honestly,...
News SIE CEO John Kodera Says not to Worry About First Party Games Going the Service Route
Phew
Back when Andy House left his role as President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, there were concerns that his replacement, John Kodera, was a little too keen on microtransactions. In a conference call a few months ago, it was discussed that PlayStation would look into the possibility of adding more in-game purchases to future titles, a...
News Insomniac Games Weighs in on the Dangers of the Vocal Minority
Blah blah blah
We all know that the Internet can be an exhausting place to exist. There are opinions everywhere you turn, and it can be difficult to determine your own views as a result. What, then, do you do when you’re a developer and forums are aflame with complaints and criticisms about your latest game? In an interesting interview with Games...
News Gaming Hardware Company Mad Catz Returns
Just a scratch
You may remember that, about 9 months ago, Mad Catz filed for bankruptcy and shut down. The company was a large player in the gaming peripheral world, with arcade sticks, controllers, and much more to its name. Fortunately, it has made a miraculous recovery, and under the name Mad Catz Global Limited, is set to release an all new line...
News Platinum Games' Next Title Could've Been a Princess Clothing Making Game
Studio exploring options going forward
When you think of Platinum Games, you think of fast, fluid action titles and flamboyant style. However, in a recent interview with Game Informer, head of development Atsushi Inaba spoke about the studio's search for new projects, and among them were some unexpected possibilities. When asked about where the...
News Jet Set Radio Evo Pitched to SEGA, Sony Loved Concept
But project went no further
Would you turn that radio down, we’re trying to tell you about a Jet Set Radio pitch that SEGA passed on. Over the course of the weekend, Austin-based developer Dinosaur Games has revealed a “visual proof of concept” for a title named Jet Set Radio Evo, which it pitched to the Japanese publisher at the Game...
News Deus Ex Developer Eidos Montreal Moving Towards Online Experiences
Marvel-ous
The developer behind the most recent Deus Ex games, Eidos Montreal, has today released a new vision statement outlining the studio’s direction moving forward. Going against the grain of its own recent history, studio head David Anfossi says that “online experiences” will be a key part of the company's future. Here’s what he had to...
News The Game Awards 2017 Watched by a Mind-Boggling 11.5 Million
Wow
Proof that perseverance almost always pays off: Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards 2017 was watched by a mind-boggling 11.5 million people – legitimising the ceremony, and painting a positive future for the event. The best news is that it was actually excellent this year, with a perfect balance of awards, reveals, and industry tributes. Hats...
News Sony: We Can't Ignore the Nintendo Switch
Manufacturer remaining on its toes
It’s going to take a little more time before we’re able to determine just how big the Nintendo Switch is going to be, but one thing’s for sure: it’s no Wii U. The hybrid will likely end up lapping the Big N’s last effort several times over, and that’s got the PlayStation division on its toes. Speaking...
News Geoff Keighley Teases at Least 15 World Premieres for The Game Awards
Hype machine
Geoff Keighley's in full hype train mode as we race towards The Game Awards 2017. The big man has let slip that the production will play host to at least 15 world premieres, across both the pre-show and the main event. During a quick question and answer session, Keighley said that The Game Awards has "three or four things in the...
News Nearly 80,000 People Have Signed a Petition to Revoke EA's Star Wars License
It's a conspiracy
Petitions never, ever work in the video game industry, but with nearly 80,000 people signing a petition to take the Star Wars game license away from Electronic Arts, it's clear that many consumers want to send a message to the controversial company following their antics of the past few weeks. EA's relationship with its customers...
News Doritos Wanted Geoff Keighley to Host The Game Awards as the Doritos Pope
Seriously
In the lighter days prior to the GamerGate scandal, there was an image of Geoff Keighley that went viral. It showed the journalist-turned-presenter sitting uncomfortably, surrounded by Doritos, Mtn Dew, and various bits of Halo paraphernalia. Fans, as they’re wont to do, had a little fun with the picture, and thus the Doritos Pope was...
News EA: Battlefront 2 Scandal a Great Learning Experience, Not Giving Up on Microtransactions
"You don't want Darth Vader in pink"
The past few weeks have not deterred EA from pursuing the “notion of microtransactions”, although the company’s clearly been humbled by the controversy surrounding Star Wars Battlefront 2 – a scandal which it has described as a “great learning experience”. For those of you who’ve been living under a...
News Sony: We Announced Some PS4 Games Too Early
Company candid about perceived errors
Perhaps one of the most vocal criticisms aimed at Sony is that it announces games too early. While we’re yet to see any real big cancellations from the company since the heady days of The Getaway 3, it has been at the helm of some laughably late projects – the brilliant but embarrassingly overdue The Last...
News UK Gambling Commission Has Its Say on the Loot Box Saga
Not gambling but not necessarily okay
Belgium’s already declared loot boxes to be a form of gambling, and indicated that it wants to take its ruling to Europe in order to prohibit the sale of random in-app purchases. Now the UK Gambling Commission has weighed in on the sticky subject matter, stating that while it doesn’t believe the...
News Retrace the Steps Leading to EA's Star Wars Loot Box Scandal
Andrew Wilson's ultimate dream
Most of the videos about Star Wars Battlefront 2 and loot boxes are basically just ‘Tubers screaming obscenities into Blue Yeti microphones, but this one by Skill Up is ten times more damning: it includes actual research. The 25 minute clip is a little on the long side, but it packs some fascinating info, retracing...
News Creative Assembly Embarks on Its Biggest Ever Multiformat Project
But unlikely to be more Alien
UK developer Creative Assembly, best known for Alien Isolation and a wealth of strategy games, is hiring for what’s being described as the “biggest multiplatform project [the developer] has ever undertaken”. Word comes way of a “studio insider”, quoted by the reliable PCGamesN. Apparently, the game is a new...
News Belgium Reckons Loot Boxes Are Gambling, Wants Them Banned in Europe
Declares the mix of gaming and gambling dangerous
Just another reason to pull the plug on Brexit: Belgium’s Gaming Commission has declared loot boxes to be a form of gambling – and it wants to ban them across Europe. News comes courtesy of VTM (via PC Gamer), with the verdict of a recent investigation determining that loot boxes are indeed a...
News Analyst: Gamers Are Overreacting Over Star Wars, Publishers Should Increase Prices
A different perspective
Well, here’s a take you won’t be hearing on next week’s Jimquisition: KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Evan Wingren believes that gamers are overreacting over Star Wars Battlefront 2’s microtransaction saga – and that publishers should increase the price of their software as they’re undercharging. We sure hope he...
News The Story of Kaz Hirai, Sony's Oddball CEO, Is Worth Reading
The suit who saved Sony
Sony was a bruised behemoth when Kaz Hirai took the helm in 2012; the company is now on the verge of recording its best-ever financial performance since all the way back in 1998. The former PlayStation president has completely transformed the juggernaut’s fortunes, then – but what is the secret to his success? A brilliant...
