Tag: Industry - Page 3
News 'Increasingly Selective Consumers' to Blame for Underperformance of Blades of Fire
It got good reviews
An “oversupply of new releases and increasingly selective consumers” are to blame for PS5 action game Blades of Fire’s underperformance. That’s according to Italian organisation Digital Bros, which owns publisher 505 Games. The firm has warned that its earnings will be lower than the previous year as a result of the...
News Ex Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Dragon's Dogma Producer to Reveal New Action RPG This Year
That's some CV
For the past couple of years or so, ex-Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi has made a habit of mentioning his new project — and we may finally be on the cusp of actually seeing it. Having left the company in 2022, Kobayashi had worked at Capcom for close to 30 years, overseeing the original Devil May Cry and Dragon's Dogma games as...
News Ubisoft Reckons Microtransactions Make Games 'More Fun'
Calls them a "monetization offer"
Ubisoft has suggested the microtransactions it includes in premium titles like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry make those games "more fun" for the players. Buried in a financial report from the French publisher, it's claimed the "golden rule" at Ubisoft is to "allow players to enjoy the game in full without having to...
News Worried About AI in Game Development? It's Here, and It's Only Getting Worse
¡AI, caramba!
More and more developers are turning to generative AI models when making their games — and it's a trend that's practically exploded over the last year or so. This story isn't strictly to do with PlayStation right now, but it's almost guaranteed to become a major talking point in the near future. A fascinating new study from...
Rumour Oblivion Remastered, Metal Gear Solid Delta Dev Hit with Hundreds of Layoffs
Apparently overspent on Oblivion
Virtuos, the development company behind Oblivion Remastered and the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta, is reportedly in the process of laying off around 300 employees. This is according to French reporter Gauthier Andres, who says that 7% of Virtuos' workforce will be let go. At this point you may be thinking, "wait,...
News Looks Like There's Going to Be a New Lollipop Chainsaw Game
Multiple new projects in the pipeline
A sequel to cult PS3 character action game Lollipop Chainsaw looks likely. Dragami Games, the developer behind the original’s RePop remaster on PS5, has signed a deal with Taiwan-based investment firm Nada Holdings to jointly develop “multiple new projects” in the franchise. Shohei Sato, the dev’s...
News Sublime Murder Mystery The Invisible Hours Hopes to Get a Remaster
Original writer acquires rights
People don’t talk about the phenomenal murder mystery game The Invisible Hours anywhere near enough. Originally released for PSVR, the title is all about observation, as a story unfolds linearly in a mansion, and you decide who to follow and what to see. The game requires multiple playthroughs, as you gradually...
News Stolen PS1 WipEout Games Axed from the Xbox Store
Wiped out
A new release on the Xbox Series X|S consoles this week has been yanked from sale, after it appeared to infringe on Sony’s software. The shameless Anti-Gravity Racing WipEout seemed to include slightly edited emulated versions of the original WipEout and its successor WipEout 3: Special Edition, with minor texture changes and button...
News Director of The Last of Us' Axed PS5 Multiplayer to Start New Studio in Japan
Pastures new
The wounds from The Last of Us Online’s cancellation still cut deep, but we suppose we’re all going to have to move on eventually. Vinit Agarwal, who was the director of the highly anticipated standalone multiplayer spin-off, has announced that he’s moving to Japan to start a new studio. His time at Naughty Dog also included game...
News Capcom Nixes Tone Deaf Conference on Monster Hunter Wilds Optimisation
But fan harassment crossed a line
Monster Hunter Wilds is not what we’d describe as the smoothest PS5 game, so Capcom’s decision to hold a seminar on video game optimisation doesn’t strike us as the best idea. To be clear, the Japanese publisher has made some outstandingly slick software over the years, so we’re sure it has valuable...
News Tokyo Game Show 2025 Set to Be Biggest Ever, Confirms Sony, Square Enix, SEGA, More
Show time
This year's Tokyo Game Show is set to be the largest in the event's history, with a huge total of 772 exhibitors currently listed for participation across a whopping 4,083 booths. The likes of Sony, Square Enix, SEGA, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Koei Tecmo, and Konami are just some of the biggest Japanese names amongst them. But so much of the...
News 'I Much Prefer PS Plus' Lifecycle Management Strategy': Devs Chime in on Xbox Game Pass Impact
Debate over whether service is profitable rages
Microsoft laid off over 9,000 employees this week, with Xbox hit particularly hard. Various games were cancelled, one studio was closed, and too many now find themselves out of work. In the aftermath of the chaos, people have been looking for answers. In one report by the Seattle Times, it’s claimed...
"We welcome the opportunity to discuss our position"
Stop Killing Games, the consumer campaign designed to put a stop to publishers rendering their software unplayable once support has been terminated, has really picked up pace over the past week. You may recall we reported on the campaign surpassing one million signatures, which if legitimate...
News Publishers Pitch Sony on Adding Retro Classics to PS Plus
That's how Battle Engine Aquila got released
Exactly how do new retro titles get selected for PS Plus Premium? It’s a question we’ve been pondering for a while, as the rollout has been mixed since the service started a few years ago. While we’ve seen obvious first-party titles like Sly Cooper and Ape Escape added to the service, there’s so...
News Romero Games Allegedly Met with Microsoft a Day Before Funding Was Pulled
"There was no mention of it"
An upcoming project from the legendary DOOM designer John Romero and his team has been cancelled as part of the wider Xbox cuts which have rocked the industry this week. The removal of funding – which Insider Gaming reports would have been published by Microsoft subsidiary Bethesda, presumably on PS5 as well as other...
News Gran Turismo's Primary Console Competitor May Be No More
Rear view mirror
When it comes to the console wars, the skirmish between sim racers Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport was once a key battleground. PlayStation’s flagship franchise has obviously always enjoyed enormous attention due to its legacy on the PS1 and PS2, but there was a period on the PS3 where it started to lose its edge. Many...
News Stop Killing Games Campaign Surpasses One Million Signatures, But There Are Issues
Sign it properly, folks
There have been a few instances recently of publishers rendering full-price games obsolete. The Crew is perhaps the most famous example: a game designed to be played online, which had its servers shutdown in 2023. This means if you own a copy of the release on Blu-ray, it’s utterly worthless these days, as you can’t...
Rumour PS5 Disaster MindsEye Wants 'Redemption Arc' Despite Hundreds of Jobs Being 'At Risk'
MindsEyefulness
Some kind of comeback attempt for MindsEye could be on the cards, following the game's dismal launch on PS5 and other platforms last month. This is according to a new report from IGN, which paints a bleak picture of what's going behind the scenes at developer Build A Rocket Boy. Sources say that around 300 employees at the studio...
News Dying Light Team Reportedly Cancels Two Games
One might be its fantasy RPG
Dying Light franchise developer Techland has reportedly cancelled two unannounced games, resulting in a loss of 130 million Polish złoty (~£26.3 million / $36 million). The claim comes from Polish outlet Puls Biznesu, where it's said the monetary losses are attributed to "our decision to discontinue further work on...
News Mass Xbox Layoffs Begin, Everwild and Perfect Dark Both Cancelled
Perfect Dark developer The Initiative shut down
The significant layoffs affecting the Xbox division — first reported earlier this week — have now begun, says Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier. In a fresh ar
"This is not proprietary technology"
Sony is working closely with AMD on the PS6, and specifically on a technology currently codenamed Project Amethyst. This is a true collaboration between the two companies which has already borne fruit: the FSR4 upscaling tech in the latest line of Radeon graphics cards was create
News Mass Layoffs at Xbox Expected to Be Confirmed on 2nd July
Entire studios could be axed
Industry whispers suggest Microsoft could be poised to layoff up to 2,000 employees across Xbox as soon as next week. Bloomberg’s extremely reliable Jason Schreier first reported on the “major job cuts” earlier this week, when he cited sources familiar with the company’s plans. According to his write-up...
News You Can Now Launch First-Party PlayStation Games Through the Xbox PC App
And everyone's talking about it
In a social media environment which encourages being as antagonistic as possible, we suppose it was only a matter of time before a video of a first-party PlayStation game launching directly from Xbox’s new PC app went viral. For those of you who haven’t been following the news, Microsoft has been worked on an...
News Sony Sued for 'Abusing Its Dominant Position in the Console Market'
Netherlands-based non-profit launches class action lawsuit
A Dutch class action lawsuit has accused Sony of “abusing its dominant position in the console market” and artificially inflating prices of software on the PS Store. The case filed in the Netherlands by non-profit firm Stichting Massaschade & Consument claims it’s acting on the behalf...
"We've stayed true to our strategy"
Sony will stick to its tried and trusted strategy, and will not devalue its first-party content by adding it to its subscription service PS Plus upon launch. The manufacturer was under intense pressure at the start of this generation to follow Microsoft’s splashy Xbox Game Pass model, which includes mammoth...
News PS5's AI Slop Shovelware Has Hit a New Low
ASMR meets... survival horror?
Tetyana Vysochanska, purveyors of garbage PS Store shovelware like Anime Girls Basketball, seem intent on swamping Sony’s digital storefront with AI atrocities. But its latest effort, allegedly due out in 2026, may be its absolute worst yet. Anime Girls: Whispering Fear describes itself as “a slow, seductive...
News Microsoft Rivals PSVR2 with Meta Quest 3S Xbox Headset
Out today for £380 / $400
Microsoft has announced that it's dipping its toes into the VR space by teaming up with Meta to create an Xbox-branded Meta Quest 3S headset. This is a limited edition offered by the two companies and is said to be in very short supply, but the idea is that you shall have access to both the Meta Quest storefront and Xbox...
News MindsEye Studio Confirms Its Layoff Process Has Started
100+ workers potentially affected
MindsEye studio Build a Rocket Boy has started a redundancy process that could see more than 100 of its UK workers lose their jobs over the coming weeks, a new IGN report claims. Sources within the team tell the outlet that management has begun a 45-day consultation process, which starts when a company in the UK...
News SEGA's Accidentally Outed Sales Numbers Put a Lot into Context
To sell this good takes AGES
It’s so rare we get meaningful sales data from publishers, unless a title has performed exceptionally well. But we found this accidentally uploaded information from SEGA fascinating, because it actually clues us in to the real-world performance of a number of titles. Here’s all of the data, as archived by
Rumour Sony Wants Warner Bros' Gaming Assets, Like Mortal Kombat
As management upheaval continues
Warner Bros is going through a period upheaval, and apparently that’s got Sony sniffing. To be honest, website SEScoops may not be the most recognisable website, but it’s citing sources which claim the Japanese manufacturer is interested in scooping up its new WB Streaming and Studios business, which is being...
News The Next Xbox Is a PC, So What Does That Mean for PS6?
The times they are-a changin'
In a strange, out of nowhere announcement today, Xbox has effectively announced its next-gen console. The confirmation comes courtesy of a video hosted by boss Sarah Bond, in which she announced a “strategic, multi-year agreement” with computer chip manufacturer AMD. Amusingly, Sony is also collaborating with the...
News Ex-PlayStation Boss Says Sony Has Never Really Seen Nintendo As a Rival
"They don't even show up in business analysis"
Shuhei Yoshida knows a thing or two about PlayStation: until his departure earlier this year, he’d been with the company since its inception. As he continues to chat about his career with different corners of the Internet, he’s popped up on the Nintendo-focused Kit & Krysta podcast, and he’s...
News Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest Seems Unstoppable
Sees an 89% increase in viewership again
While we had very clear and obvious issues with E3 through until its eventual demise a few years back, we’re not really convinced Summer Game Fest has proven an adequate replacement really. But the reality is that the show, under creator Geoff Keighley’s industrious stewardship, is going from strength to...
News 'We Won't Make the Same Mistakes Again': Sony Reflects on PS5's Catastrophic Concord
But will not give up on live service
Sony’s vowed not to repeat the mistakes it made with the PS5’s ill-fated live service shooter Concord, saying its “reviewed its processes […] to deeply understand how and why the title failed to meet expectations”. Speaking candidly as part of a choreographed investors roundtable, PS Studios boss...
"There are multiple participants who drive the game industry"
Sony’s said that competition from rival console manufacturers drives it to innovate, although it’s not overly worried about Xbox’s potential exit from the business. PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino was asked rather bluntly during an investors meeting whether he believes it’ll be...
"Content has been devalued"
Revenge of the Savage Planet launched day one with Xbox Game Pass, but maker Raccoon Logic’s boss Alex Hutchinson has said developers shouldn’t take the deals. Speaking with Gamer Social Club, he admitted that while sales for the title “have been good”, most of its “traffic” is coming through Microsoft’s...
News Xbox to Blame for The Outer Worlds 2's Devastating $80 PS5 Price Point
"I wish everybody could play my game"
The Outer Worlds 2 will cost $80 to buy on the PS5, and it’s unlikely all the data will even be included on the Blu-ray if you choose to pick it up boxed. In a
News Days Gone Dev Hit with Layoffs, Loses 30% of Staff
Roughly 40 people lose their jobs
Days Gone team Bend Studio has suffered a wave of layoffs that means 30% of its workforce will lose their jobs, a post from Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier reports. This translates to around 40 people being laid off. In a Bluesky post, Schreier said: "Sony's Bend studio, which cancelled a live-service game...
News Video Game Actor Strike Over AI Concerns Could Finally Be Close to an End
Tentative agreement reached
Last summer, American actors union SAG-AFTRA initiated a strike with regards to the use of AI in generating voiceover for video games. Now, almost a year later, it seems the strike may draw to a close. The union group announced that it has reached a "tentative" agreement with publishers and developers — including...
News Hi-Fi Rush Studio Reopens, Hiring for New Action Game
New logo, website revealed
After being closed by Microsoft and rescued by KRAFTON, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks has officially reopened for business. The Japanese team has a new logo and website to go with the relaunch as it starts to recruit new hires t
News Outriders, Bulletstorm Dev People Can Fly Cancels Two Games, Layoffs Imminent
Turbulence
Developer People Can Fly has announced the cancellation of not one but two major projects. The studio, known for games like Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and more recently Outriders, has released a statement revealing projects Gemini and Bifrost are no longer going ahead. Project Ge
Contributed to Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy as well
After an impressive 29-year stint at Square Enix, The World Ends with You director Tatsuya Kando has left the Japanese company. In addition to creating the aforementioned Nintendo DS game, which received a PS4 sequel in NEO: The World Ends With You, Kando also worked on franchises like Final...
News Atomic Heart Success Turns Game's Developer into Publisher
Game reached 10 million players
Mundfish, the developer behind Atomic Heart, has achieved so much success off the back of the 2023 game that it has been able to grow into a games publisher. Across all the platforms it released on, Atomic Heart reached 10 million users. Now, the company is officially launching Mundfish Powerhouse, which is a...
News Sony Studio Insomniac Inviting Interns to Cut Their Claws on Marvel's Wolverine for PS5
Summer of '25
Work continues in earnest on Insomniac Games’ upcoming superhero outing Marvel’s Wolverine, which is expected to be one of the biggest games of the PS5 generation. While it’s been quite some time since the title was announced, the Burbank-based developer has announced that it’s inviting interns to “cut their claws” on the...
News Capcom, on an Unstoppable Run, Plots New Osaka Studio
Keep the good times rolling
Capcom has been winning for quite some time now, announcing eight years of record financial results – and, of course, it’s been making some unforgettable games along the way. Now the organisation plans to build a new base in Osaka, with the construction expected to be completed in 2027. That’s according to comments...
News Sony Seemingly Readying Mobile Version of MLB The Show
Could be a home run
Sony’s been extremely slow embracing mobile, despite its best efforts to spin-up a new initiative in the smartphone space. The company recently shuttered German developer Neon Koi before it could even ship anything, and there’s been a ton of executive turnover in its floundering PS Mobile division. But a
News It's Over! FTC Drops Its Case Against Microsoft's Activision Buyout
"Today's decision is a victory for players"
Earlier this month it was reported the Federal Trade Commission was still fighting Microsoft's Activision Blizzard buyout and it wasn't going so well. Now, in perhaps the last significant development, the FTC has officially dropped its case against the tech giant. “The Commission has determined that the...
Lost in Cult comes through
There’s light at the end of the tunnel of what’s been a torrid time for fans of physical games. With declining sales of boxed software, publishers have started to take the piss, resulting in low effort releases like DOOM: The Dark Ages, where only 85MB is included on the disc. Lost In Cult, already purveyors of fine...
News Beloved Ex-PlayStation Boss Believes $70, $80 Games Are a Steal
Compared to other entertainment, anyway
Ex-PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida believes $70 and $80 games are a “steal” when compared to other forms of entertainment The newly independent executive was speaking at Gamescom LATAM, where he was inevitably asked about the rising cost of games. Almost all publishers bumped the price of their...
News Like It or Loathe It, This Is Why Sony Won't Stop Trying to Make Live Service Games for PS5
Almost 30% of record-breaking revenue from microtransactions
Disruption to the development of Fairgames has inevitably brought live service doubters out of the woodwork once more. It’s ironic, considering this week saw Sony announce its financial results for the fiscal year which finished on 31st March, where the PlayStation division registered...
