Tag: Industry - Page 3
News Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Wins Another 'Game Of The Year' Award
Congratulations, Nintendo
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has won all sorts of awards since its arrival earlier this year, and now to top it off it's taken out EDGE's 'Game of the Year' award. The outlet placed it ahead of games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Along with this, Tears of the Kingdom also took out best Nintendo game,...
News Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Director Makes 2023 'Variety500' List
Shuntaro Furukawa & Doug Bowser also featured
Nintendo is made up of all sorts of talented individuals but one person who probably deserves a little more respect is Hidemaro Fujibayashi. He's been a director on the series since 2001 and was most recently credited on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. With this in mind, he's now been...
News Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kotick Will Step Down Later This Month
While ex-Nintendo employee Jill Braff will lead ZeniMax/Bethesda
Following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard earlier this year (finally, right?), it's been announced that Bobby Kotick will step down from his role as CEO on December 29th, 2023 (thanks, Eurogamer). Kotick became CEO of Activision all the way back in 1991 and was integral...
News Metacritic Reveals "The Worst Video Games Of 2023"
Gollum takes out the top spot
It's that time of year again when the aggregate review website Metacritic rounds up the best and worst games of the year, according to their Metascore. Today, the focus is on the "worst video games of 2023" - covering the lowest-scoring games released across any platform between 1st January 2023 up until 31st December...
News Bandai Namco Announces New Dev Studio For Commissioned Projects
Nintendo appears to be a big part of the plans
Update [Wed 20th Dec, 2023 00:55 GMT]: New job listings for Bandai Namco Studio 2 & Studio S have reportedly surfaced on the official company website. One, in particular, is believed to be linked to a Nintendo project that first made headlines in April last year. It could supposedly be a...
News Nintendo Switch "Lifetime US Unit Sales" Surpass Xbox 360
"Switch trails only Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2"
The Nintendo Switch has smashed all sorts of records in 2023 and it turns out it's just done it again in recent times. As highlighted by Circana (formerly NPD) industry analyst Mat Piscatella, the hybrid hardware managed to surpass "lifetime US unit sales" of Microsoft's Xbox 360 in November,...
News TimeSplitters Dev Free Radical Has Shut Down As Staff Share "Last Day" Messages
"It's sad to say goodbye like this"
Without even an official announcement, it looks like Embracer Group has shut down UK game studio Free Radical Design, the team behind the TimeSplitters series of video games. Staff at the Nottingham-based developer have been sharing their thoughts, goodbyes, and happy memories on Twitter (spotted via Game...
News Sega Plans To Revive Even "More" Legacy Franchises
This is "just the start" of its initiative
Arguably one of the biggest highlights of this year's Game Awards show was Sega's announcement it would be reimaging five classic IP including Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Streets of Rage. In case you missed it, there is apparently even "more" to come according to the official...
News Geoff Keighley Agrees Music Was Played "Too Fast" For TGA Winners This Year
"It's something to address going forward"
The Game Awards 2023 was a huge success for Geoff Keighley this year, but he has received some feedback about the show's treatment of winners, asking them to wrap up their speeches before some of them even got underway. Nintendo's very own Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma was seemingly on the receiving...
News The Game Awards GOTY For 2023 Is Baldur's Gate 3
Here is the full list of winners
The Game Awards has just wrapped and Larian's epic role-playing game Baldur's Gate 3 won Game of the Year. It was up against Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Baldur's Gate 3 also took out multiple other awards on the night.
News Sega Announces New Games In Development For Classic Franchises
Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe & more!
Update [Fri 8th Dec, 2023 01:50 GMT]: Sega dropped a bombshell at this year's Game Awards confirming it's reviving five of its classic franchises for a new generation. This includes Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Crazy Taxi and there's apparently "more" to come! No platforms or...
News Geoff Keighley Reminds Everyone To Get Their Votes In For The Game Awards
"It is going to be a great showcase"
We're so close to The Game Awards now and although the show's creator and host Geoff Keighley is an incredibly busy man, he's taken time out of his action-packed schedule to share one last update on how everything is going. In his latest video (shared via X), he can be seen standing on the actual set of this...
News 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
"We are so very sorry"
League of Geeks, the developer behind the acclaimed Switch game Armello, has announced that over 50% of its staff have been made redundant. In total, 31 people have been laid off following "unprecedented withdrawal of funding opportunities" within the industry, along with rising operation costs and poor Early Access sales. As...
News Geoff Keighley Reveals "Hype Trailer" For The Game Awards 2023
A mash-up of the year's best
The Game Awards 2023 are right around the corner and, just like clockwork, host and Mr Games himself, Geoff Keighley, has revealed this year's "hype trailer" to get us all, well, hyped. As is usually the case, Keighley takes to the editor's seat to showcase some of the year's best games (according to TGA, that is), over...
News The New Sims Game Is Using Animal Crossing's Multiplayer As A Source Of Inspiration
"It is such a good example"
Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the social simulation to new heights when it launched exclusively on the Switch in 2020, and it's apparently become a source of inspiration for the team at Maxis, who is currently working on the next entry in The Sims series (codenamed "Project Rene"). Speaking on a
Random Valve's Gabe Newell On Game Delays: "Late Is Just For A Little While, Suck Is Forever"
That sounds familiar...
In Valve's new documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Half-Life series, the company's co-founder Gabe Newell has shared his own thoughts about the differences between a delayed game and a rushed release. He summed it up as "late is just for a little while, suck is forever" when touching on the challenges Valve...
News Aspyr Claims The Star Wars: KOTOR 2 DLC Was Cancelled Due To A 'Third Party'
Developer is looking to have a lawsuit dismissed
Earlier this year, it was reported that disgruntled fans had filed a class action lawsuit against developer Aspyr after the latter announced it would be cancelling the 'Restored Content' DLC for STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords on Switch. According to a new article from
News Persona Developer Atlus Is Raising Its Average Employee Salary By 15%
New graduates will also benefit
Atlus, the developer behind the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei franchises, has announced that it is raising the average annual salary for its employees by 15%. In a stark contrast to the seemingly endless lay-offs hitting the industry of late, new graduates at Atlus will see their starting salary rise by 300,000 yen...
News Nintendo Thanks Everyone For The Support Ahead Of The Game Awards
It's honoured Mario & Zelda are in the running for GOTY
Earlier this week, The Game Awards revealed the nominees for each category and Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are both in the running for Game of the Year. Nintendo has now officially responded to this on its social media accounts, mentioning how...
News Zelda: TOTK And Mario Wonder Land GOTY Nominations At The Game Awards 2023
Both games collect 5 noms each
The nominations have been officially announced for Geoff Keighley's night of razzle-dazzle, The Game Awards, which this year will take place on 7th December. Of course, the category on everyone's mind is the prestigious Game of the Year, which this time sees two Nintendo games in the running for top prize. Yes, both...
News Warner Bros. Says It's Focused On Transforming Its "Biggest Franchises" Into Live Services
"Always on gameplay" with an extended life cycle
During Warner Bros. Q3 earnings call, the company's CEO David Zaslav has revealed it's focused on transforming its "biggest franchises" from three to four-year releases into "more always on gameplay" experiences through live services, multiplatform releases, and free-to-play extensions. The "goal" is...
News Nintendo Confirms Delay Of New Development Building
Expansion plan knocks it back to 2028
Back in August, there was a report from Nikkei claiming Nintendo's new development building had been delayed due to an "expansion plan". Nintendo didn't officially comment about this at the time, but now within the slides of its latest financial results briefing, it's confirmed construction has been up-scaled...
News Embracer May Soon Be Closing 'Timesplitters' Studio Free Radical Design
Another casualty of Embracer's restructuring
In yet another blow to the gaming industry, VGC has reported that Embracer Group may soon be closing the Nottingham-based UK studio Free Radical Design. The team was reformed back in 2021 to revive the classic FPS franchise Timesplitters, but it looks like that may now be under threat as a result of...
News Assassin's Creed Publisher Ubisoft Axes 124 Jobs
Ubisoft Montreal cuts 98 positions in total
Ubisoft is the latest company to lay off employees, with the French publisher's Montreal studio (Assassin's Creed) reportedly hit the hardest, cutting 98 jobs. In total though, Ubisoft is axing 124 jobs as part of a global company restructure. Some of the positions impacted include administration and IT...
News Nintendo Records Biggest Q1+2 Sales Figures Since Switch Launch
Mario Movie and other projects lend a hand
Nintendo has today published its financial report for Q2 FY2024 and it looks like things have been going really rather well. On top of some meaty sales figures for the likes of Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4 and the Switch console itself, the report finds that Nintendo's sales in the first half of the...
News Here Are The Top Ten Best-Selling Nintendo Switch Games As Of September 2023
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe stays in pole position
Nintendo has today shared its latest financial report for FY2024 and this gives us an updated list of the best-selling Switch games as of 30th September 2023. Unlike the last report, which saw The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sneak into the proceedings, this quarter remains relatively unchanged...
News Sega's First Super Game Making Steady Progress, Still Targeting 2026 Release
Aims to "stand head and shoulders" above normal games
Remember that "Super Game" Sega was working on? Well, according to Sega's latest report, it's still aiming to have it out by "fiscal year ending March 2026". Sega also provided a brief progress update, revealing the team is making "steady headway in development of the Super Game" and goes on to...
News Shinji Mikami And Hideki Kamiya Set To Host Talk On Careers And Future Plans
The start of a new venture?
Shinji Mikami and Hideki Kamiya, who both left their respective companies in 2023, are set to host a joint conversation on their careers and future plans at the Archipel Caravan Festival in Tokyo on December 16, 2023. As reported by VGC, the talk, simply dubbed ‘Shinji Mikami x Hideki Kamiya’, will also see the...
News Atari Acquires Retro Specialist Digital Eclipse
"The future is bright and unwritten"
In what will no doubt prove to be one of the more, shall we say, sensible acquisitions in the games industry, Digital Eclipse has announced that it is officially joining Atari after its stellar work on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Founded in 1992, Digital Eclipse is well known for its expertise in the...
News Newly Discovered Nintendo Filing Shows Off "Dual-Screen, Detachable Device"
Sending Switch successor rumours into overdrive (again)
Switch successor rumours have got louder in recent months and now some new Nintendo filings have been discovered. New ideas and designs from Nintendo, which were originally filed by the Japanese video game company on 11th November 2022, have been discovered on the 'World Intellectual Property...
News Capcom Has A "Major" Unannounced Title Scheduled To Arrive Before March 2024
What could it be for?
Capcom shared its latest earning results earlier this week, and as part of this, it's also published a Q&A revealing its intentions to release a "major" unannounced title early next year. As highlighted by fans of the Japanese company, this game will arrive before the end of its current fiscal year, which is set to end in...
News Doug Bowser: Nintendo Has A "Great Relationship" With Microsoft
"We're looking forward to that partnership continuing"
If you were curious to know if there was any bad blood between Nintendo and Microsoft after certain Xbox email leaks, apparently not. In a new interview with Inverse, Nintendo of America's president Doug Bowser insists the creator of Mario maintains a "great relationship with Microsoft" and its...
News Xbox Boss Wants Nintendo Fans To Feel "100% Part Of The Call Of Duty Nation"
"The goal is 100% parity across all platforms"
After a lot of courtroom drama, Microsoft last week announced it had officially acquired Activision Blizzard as well as mobile giant King. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has now appeared on the Official Xbox Podcast to discuss the acquisition and Call of Duty has once again come up in conversation. Phil...
News Bethesda Veteran Pete Hines Announces Retirement After 24 Years
"It feels like the time is right"
There's some big news coming out of Elder Scrolls and Fallout creator Bethesda, with the head of publishing Pete Hines calling time on his long-running career at the company. After 24 years of leadership, Hines is retiring and will begin an "exciting new chapter" of his life to explore other interests and passions...
News It's Over, Microsoft Has Officially Acquired Activision Blizzard
It's done, says Mr. Frodo
Well, that's that, folks. After Microsoft initially announced its intention to acquire gaming giant Activision Blizzard on January 18th, 2022, it's only bloomin' gone and closed the deal. The news comes after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) approved the proposed acquisition following Microsoft's amendment...
News Disney Boss Reportedly Being Urged To Acquire A Major Game Publisher
To become a "gaming giant"
Disney executives are reportedly encouraging CEO Bob Iger to consider expanding Disney from a "gaming license" to a "gaming giant". In a report published by Bloomberg (via VGC), it seems that all is not happy at the House of Mouse, with reports of discontent following comm
News Unity's CEO And President Retires After Policy Debacle
Firm seeking new permanent replacement
In the wake of Unity's highly controversial policy regarding runtime fees, which it has now altered based on community backlash, its CEO and President John Riccitiello has now stepped down. In addition, he has also stepped down from his position on the board of directors as chairman. As reported by...
News Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Tops Another 'Greatest Games' List
Based on the "past 30 years" of video game history
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has already won a stack of awards and been praised as one of the best games of all time, and now it's topped another list. The publication Edge Magazine recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and as part of this, it ran its biggest poll ever, where...
News Telltale Games Confirms Layoffs, With 'Most Of' The Studio Reportedly Gone
Sigh...
In what has increasingly proved to be a turbulent year for the video game industry, with layoffs reported at studios such as Epic Games, Crystal Dynamics, and Team17, the latest to add to the pile is Telltale Games. The first indication of trouble ca
Random Making "Miyamoto Happy" Isn't The Goal Of Development, According To Pikmin 4's Creators
"I hope people don't take this the wrong way"
Shigeru Miyamoto is perhaps the most legendary figure in all of gaming and over the years we've heard plenty of stories about how he's often changed the course of development, or come up with a ground-breaking idea that's changed the industry forever. Although he is a living legend, Pikmin 4 chief and...
News Multiple Job Losses Expected At Team17 As It Splits With CEO Michael Pattison
QA team likely to be heavily affected
Team17 has confirmed that it will be commencing a company restructure that will likely result in multiple job losses. In addition, it has also announced an 'amicable' split with CEO Michael Pattison. This comes following recent reports of significant layoffs at Epic Games. As reported by Eurogamer and
News Epic Insists "Mediatonic's Work On Fall Guys Continues To Be A Company Priority"
16% of Epic's workforce has been axed
Epic Games this week laid off 16% of its workforce, with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier suggesting the Fall Guys developer Mediatonic had been "hit very hard". This allegedly followed with claims elsewhere online that the entire UK-based team had been cut. Apparently, this is not the case. In a statement to our...
News Wipeout-Style Racer 'BallisticNG' Cancelled For Switch Following Unity's Policy Changes
Developer announces cancellation
Back in 2021 we were excited to see that the Wipeout-style sci-fi racer BallisticNG would be speeding onto Switch in the future. Well, a couple of years down the line, developer Neognosis has announced that the Switch port is now cancelled as a result of last week's controversial policy changes from Unity (thanks,...
News Capcom Would 'Gracefully Decline' An Acquisition Offer From Microsoft
No sale for you!
With Microsoft's gargantuan acquisition of Activision-Blizzard nearing its close after the UK's CMA provisionally approved the revised deal, many are wondering who might be next on the tech corporation's shopping list (and no, it's probably not Nintendo). Indeed, one prime target for acquisition at the moment might well be Resident...
News Unity Reveals New Pricing Model For Runtime Fee Policy
"Thank you for giving us hard feedback"
It only took just over a week for Unity to make changes to its brand new Runtime Fee policy, but that's exactly what it has done. Announcing the changes in an open letter published today on the Unity Blog (shared on social media), the revamped model includes some pretty sweeping changes from the initial...
News Embracer Group: More "Tough Decisions" To Come As Crystal Dynamics Suffers Layoffs
Embracer's restructuring continues
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics is the latest subsidiary of Embracer Group to be hit with cuts, with the studio announcing yesterday on Twitter that ten staff had to be let go "due to an internal restructuring". And, at Embracer's annual general meeting (which you can watch on YouTube), CEO Lars Wingefors...
News Mythforce Developer Hit By Layoffs As Embracer Continues To Restructure
26 employees affected
Embracer Group is continuing its efforts to restructure its organisation, this time resulting in multiple job losses at developer Beamdog, which was acquired by Aspyr / Embracer last year. As reported by GameDeveloper (thanks, Eurogamer), a total of 26 employees at the MythForce developer were let go according to multiple...
Soapbox Nintendo, "THE Prime Asset" In Xbox's Content Quest? It's Only Natural
But it ain't happening
The FTC case examining Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, depending on your perspective, is either the gift that keeps on giving or an eye-scrapingly dull, never-ending saga. Still, you can't deny that it's turned up some tasty behind-the-scenes morsels to chew on, giving gamers a fascinating glimpse of the...
News Internal Xbox Email Details Desire To Acquire Nintendo
“THE prime asset for us in Gaming”
An internal email from Xbox's Phil Spencer in 2020 has revealed that the company was (and potentially still is) considering Nintendo as a potential acquisition. Revealed as part of a deluge of leaked, unredacted documents from the FTC Vs. Microsoft case in the United States (the original of which appears to...
News Unity Apologies For Its 'Runtime Fee' Policy, Promises To Make 'Changes'
"We have heard you"
Well, that didn't take long. It seems the highly vocal reaction from game developers and the community at large has forced Unity's hand after the company announced plans for its new 'runtime fee' policy. The policy, which would effectively charge developers every time a game utilising the Unity engine is installed (after...