Tag: Industry
News Industry Analyst Argues Either Sony or Microsoft Will Need to Exit the Console Market
Three's a crowd
One of either Sony or Microsoft must exit the console space, argues analyst group DFC Intelligence. That’s because it believes there isn’t “room for more than two major console systems” and it doesn’t expect Nintendo to go anywhere. “Sony or Microsoft will struggle mightily in a distant third place – largely depending...
Random Former IGN China Editor Refutes Game Science Crying Claim
"In fact, I didn’t even see anyone crying at the event"
On Monday, still coming down from the unexpected high of The Game Awards, we alluded to an emotionally charged event that allegedly occurred in the audience. Former IGN and Sony Santa Monica writer Alanah
News Sony Becomes Kadokawa's Biggest Shareholder As Companies Form Alliance
Hopes to further expand publishing of Kadokawa's games
Sony, it seems, will not acquire Kadokawa outright. Instead, the giant Japanese organisations have today announced a strategic capital and business alliance, which will see Sony become Kadokawa’s largest shareholder. The deal, scheduled to go through on 7th January, will see Sony purchase...
News The Game Awards Is Now Allegedly Bigger Than the Super Bowl
Perhaps Fares was correct in regards to the Oscars
Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards, love it or leave it, is a big deal, allegedly the preeminent global entertainment event of our time. That's according to an imposing but useful graph shared by former Nintendo executive
News Former Bungie Director Chris Barrett Suing Sony for Over $200 Million
Turns out being a director at Bungie can be lucrative
Former Destiny 2 and Marathon director Chris Barrett is suing Sony Interactive Entertainment. He claims that his firing for alleged inappropriate behaviour (detailed in a March Bloomberg report) was a pretence to avoid paying the $50 million he was owed under his employment agreement following...
News Black Myth: Wukong Fans Swing at Swen Vincke Speech, Review Bomb Baldur's Gate 3
Astarion catching strays
Before announcing Astro Bot as Game of the Year 2024 at The Game Awards, Larian Studios founder Swen Vincke, also director of last year's winner, Baldur's Gate 3, gave a poignant speech. Vincke predicted that the game that wins 2025's award would be developed by a studio that "didn't have to meet arbitrary sales targets" and...
News Black Myth: Wukong Deserved Astro Bot's Game of the Year Award, Says Game Science CEO
"The Wukong team were crying when they did not win"
While most punters seem surprisingly pleased with Geoff Keighley's latest instalment of The Game Awards (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's robbery aside), it appears at least one executive took home sour grapes in place of a hoped-for statue. Game Science CEO and Black Myth: Wukong
News Elden Ring Dev Doesn't Currently Know What's Happening with Sony Acquisition
"We're not privy to it"
Sony is poised to purchase Kadokawa, the Japanese media conglomerate spanning various businesses across gaming, manga, and anime. One of its most noteworthy subsidiaries is FromSoftware, a longtime PlayStation partner on projects like Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne. In the aftermath of co-op game Elden Ring: Nightreign’s...
Reaction The Game Awards' 10th Anniversary Special Was Its Biggest and Best Ever
A Keighley masterclass
We’ve been saying for a few years that The Game Awards is just about the best it can possibly be, but credit where credit’s due, host Geoff Keighley put on a barnstormer last night. There was talk of multiple “holy sh*t” moments prior to the event from those ITK, and we think
News Star Wars: Eclipse, Wonder Woman Comprised of 'Literally Nothing' When Revealed
The waiting game
According to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, Quantic Dream's Star Wars: Eclipse and Warner Bros. Games' Wonder Woman were comprised of "literally nothing" when announced onstage at The Game Awards 2021. In light of Geoff Keighley's big show, Schreier's reminder is a good one, as it is always possible something just revealed...
News Physical Media Just Can't Catch a Break Right Now
As Blu-ray loses another manufacturer
Korean manufacturer LG has announced that it’s discontinuing the production of all its standalone Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray players, following in the footsteps of Samsung and Oppo. The decision sounds yet another death knell for physical media, which has been on the decline for some years now. In a statement to...
Rumour Kadokawa Employees Eager for Sony Buyout and Change in Management
Tarnished
Sony's potential buyout of Kadokawa — which has been widely reported on over the last few weeks — is apparently being encouraged by Kadokawa employees. That's according to a fresh article by Japanese publication Bunshun (as covered by Automaton). An anonymous "veteran" employee
News Sony Confirms Interest in Buying FromSoftware Parent Company Kadokawa
There it is
In what is essentially an update on previous reports, Sony has now confirmed that it's interested in acquiring fellow Japanese giant Kadokawa — the parent company of FromSoftware. This is a story that's been rumbling on for weeks now, with Kadokawa itself revealing that Sony had sent an "initial letter of intent" back in November. At...
News PS5, PS4 Users Over-Represented in 2024 Pornhub Console Traffic Share
Play has no limits
It's that wonderful time of year again - wrap-up time, when all of the data corporations harvest from their users is presented back to them in a new and occasionally insightful fashion. Case in point, overwhelmingly, PS5, PS4 and yes, some tiny fraction of PS Vita users are responsible for driving the majority of console traffic...
News You Can Get Excited for The Game Awards, Says Reputable Journalist
Bloomberg's Schreier gives hype the green light
Like most big video game events, fans are getting their hopes up ahead of Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards, which airs tomorrow, 12th December. The industry's lovable rogue's gallery of insiders has been fanning the flames ahead of the big night. Now, Bloomberg's ever-reliable Jason Schreier has...
News Outriders Dev People Can Fly Cancels Multiple Projects, Laying Off 120 Staff
Bookending the year with another round of reduncies
Polish development studio People Can Fly, best known for Outriders and Bulletstorm, is scaling back its ambitions in a major way, announcing the cancellation of multiple projects and the elimination of 120 staff positions. This follows the 30 made redundant in January, and the studio now shares the...
News PlayStation Growth Boosts Sony Shares to Record Closing High
Share and share alike
Sony Group's shares have never been higher than they are right now, and that's thanks in large part to its PlayStation division. The corporation's shares are currently worth ¥3,338, beating the previous highest value — ¥3,260, achieved in 2000. This rise in value stems from growth in the gaming segment. PlayStation...
News Developers Not Nailing Down Release Dates Due to GTA 6 Launch Window
They want to stay "far, far away" from GTA 6
Developers aren't willing to commit to release dates that could clash with the Fall 2025 launch window GTA 6 has set up for itself, a new Bloomberg report claims. The outlet states (via Jason Schreier) teams want to wait as long as possible to see whether the next Rockstar game does indeed release at the...
News Former God of War Art Director Returns to PS Studios, Now at Naughty Dog
After brief stint at Netflix
Raf Grassetti, best known for his work on the God of War series at Sony's Santa Monica Studio, has returned to PlayStation. After his work as art director on God of War Ragnarok, Grassetti left the team for a new role at Netflix, where he worked on an unknown new AAA IP for about 17 months. Now, he's back under Sony's...
News Former Blizzard Boss Slams Marvel Rivals, Comparing It to Horizon-Like Light of Motiram
Immitation, flattery, etc
Not everyone enjoyed the full release of Marvel Rivals, it seems, with former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra comparing the game to Tencent's egregious Horizon rip-off, Light of Motiram. He went so far as to call the popular hero shooter "Overwatch Marvel Rivals" in a since-deleted tweet.
Rumour Ubisoft Turmoil Continues as Shareholders Consider Buyout
Chinese giant Tencent in talks
Ubisoft's tumultuous 2024 continues. Word of a potential buyout is starting to spread (again), as the publisher struggles to right itself following a series of poor decisions, layoffs, and general mismanagement. Back in October, it was reported that shareholders — including Chinese conglomerate Tencent — were...
News Ex-PlayStation Boss Thinks the Days of Consoles Are Numbered
Shawn Layden predicts proprietary hardware is on the way out
Shawn Layden, who formerly headed up PlayStation's first-party studios, reckons game consoles as we know them will eventually become "irrelevant". Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, the ex-Sony suit talked at length about where consoles are heading, pointing to the plateauing power...
News Gamers Are Reportedly More Interested in Watching Games Than Actually Playing Them
Play has limits
You're statistically more likely to be watching a video about games than you are playing one yourself, according to a newly published report. MIDiA Research, which crunches the numbers on various aspects of entertainment, has recently claimed that gamers are spending more of their week watching gaming-related videos on YouTube and...
News PlayStation Boss Hermen Hulst: AI Won't Replace the 'Human Touch' in Game Development
Will be about finding a "balance"
Hermen Hulst, co-CEO of PlayStation, has commented on the rise of AI technology and how it might affect game development in the future. Hulst, who primarily looks after the platform holder's software business, spoke to the BBC, saying that AI could "revolutionise" gaming, but that it will never replace the "human...
News Visions of Mana Director Snapped Up by Square Enix Following Studio Cuts
A new vision
Visions of Mana director Ryosuke Yoshida has announced that he left the NetEase-owned Ouka Studios on the 31st October, and that he's now working at Square Enix. Of course, Square Enix published Visions of Mana to begin with, so the move makes sense. Previously, Yoshida was a designer at Capcom, helping develop titles like Devil May...
News Helldivers 2 Wins Game of the Year at UK Industry Awards
Go get 'em, TIGA
Helldivers 2 was the big winner at the 2024 TIGA Awards, scooping Game of the Year, Best Visual Design, and Best Technical Innovation. The chaotic co-op shooter set the world on fire when it launched back in February (god, that feels like so long ago), but its popularity steadily declined as the months wore on, to the point where...
News Shuhei Yoshida's Resignation Prompts Massive Outpouring of Love for PlayStation Legend
Everybody loves Shuhei
In case you missed the news, Shuhei Yoshida, a legendary PlayStation executive, is leaving the company after 31 years. It's unclear what his next steps will be when he leaves in January, but what's absolutely clear is that everyone adores the man. With the announcement came a tidal wave of love and support for Shu, with...
News Live-Action Cyberpunk Still in Conceptual Phase, CDPR to Peruse Partners in 2025
Full circle
While we had hoped to hear more about CD Projekt Red's teased live-action Cyberpunk 2077 project in early 2025, it seems it's still quite a ways off. CDPR says the project is still in the conceptual phase and won't be ready to shop to potential publishing partners for at least another year. We still don't know whether this live-action...
News Another Former Mass Effect Dev's New Studio Is Facing Financial Woes
World's Untold is "pausing operations"
In a strange bookend to the week, it seems another former Mass Effect senior developer's new undertaking is feeling the current industry pressure. Worlds Untold, established by NetEase Games and led by ME trilogy writer Mac Walters, is "pausing operations" until sufficient funding can be found. Walters re
News Kadokawa Wants Sony's Full Commitment with Buyout of Entire Company
Or not at all
One of the biggest stories in games right now is Sony's potential acquisition of Kadokawa Corporation. In a new report from Bloomberg, it's claimed that the two companies have been in talks about a buyout for years. According to the report, the pair has been back and forth on a deal for a long time, with the main issue relating to the...
News Infinity Ward's Turn in 2026, Sledgehammer Games in 2027, Says Call of Duty Insider
2025 remains a mystery
As everyone is still glued to Black Ops 6, it might seem too soon to start looking ahead to future releases, but the voracious Call of Duty beast never rests. According to a known series insider, Sledgehammer Games will reportedly lead development on 2027's inevitable Call of Duty release. This same leaker expects that 2
News Devolver's Delayed Awards May or May Not Go Ahead Later Today
Devolver Digital reserves the right to delay the show until the very last moment
Chaotic video game publisher Devolver Digital is allegedly holding its 15th Annual Devolver Delayed Awards 2024 today, 27th November. If the show does go ahead, viewers can look forward to "the only awards show recognizing those heroic developers with the courage and...
News PlayStation Exec Shuhei Yoshida Will Leave the Company in January
After 31 years of service at PlayStation
PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has announced he will be leaving Sony, effective from 15th January 2025. He has spent 31 years with the company, helping to bring multiple systems to market and put fan-favourite games on them, like Bloodborne. Once the president of SIE Worldwide Studios, Yoshida has more...
News Naughty Dog Casts Troy Baker to Star in Untitled Next PS5 Game
What year is it?!
In news that might at first sound like a parody, developer Naughty Dog has cast The Last of Us lead, Troy Baker, in its untitled next PS5 game. Baker, who famously played grizzled dad Joel Miller in PlayStation's premiere series, was a natural pick, says Naughty Dog chief Neil Druckmann: "In a heartbeat, I would always work with...
News Former Mass Effect Lead's New Sci-Fi Game Cancelled, Developer Shuts Down
Humanoid Origin announces closure
In another sad piece of news for the industry, developer Humanoid Origin has announced its closure. The Canadian studio was formed in 2021 by former BioWare veteran Casey Hudson, and it was working on a "character-driven" AAA sci-fi title. Previously, Hudson had been the director of the original Mass Effect trilogy...
News Kratos Voice Actor Denies Multiple God of War Announcements
Update: Allegedly not "our" God of War
Despite God of War Ragnarok's 2022 release and subsequent Valhalla DLC arriving in December 2023, it still seems too soon to hear about what the future holds for Kratos and Atreus. Kratos actor Chris Judge has seemingly teased several imminent reveals in a recent TikTok livestream before later clarifying, and...
News Amid Turbulent Times for the Games Industry, Koei Tecmo Is Doubling Down on Consoles Like PS5
Plans to double workforce
All we’ve heard about for what feels like an eternity are layoffs and job losses, so it’s a little unusual to see Koei Tecmo talking about doubling down on AAA titles and growing its workforce from 2,500 employees to 5,000. Still, the Japanese publisher – which will release Dynasty Warriors: Origins early next year...
News PlayStation Preservation Expert Has Safely Stored Over Half a Petabyte of Sony's Gaming History
An important job
Game preservation is more important than ever. As our industry matures, the thought of losing valuable source code, design documents, and artwork feels unthinkable – but it happens all the time. Sony has taken steps to prevent that, assigning preservation expert Garret Fredley and a few of his colleagues the task of creating a...
News Australia's Planned Social Media Ban Won't Include PSN After All
Yeah, nah, don't worry about it, mate
Last week, we brought you troubling news from Down Under, where in the far-off land of Australia, an unfortunate precedent is coming to pass: the banning of "social media" (which has since been legally defined) for under 16s. This revolutionary concept is quickly catching on and is apparently "already on the...
News Shenmue 3 Publishing Rights Passed to ININ on Fifth Anniversary
Starts a "new chapter" for threequel
Long-time readers will know this author is a huge Shenmue nut to the extent where he actually left a message inside long-awaited threequel, Shenmue 3. Now, a day after the title’s fifth anniversary, an interesting development has occurred: publishing rights have been passed from Deep Silver to ININ. A...
News Bandai Namco Basically Shutters Online Arm Following Live Service Failures
Blue Protocol company "absorbed"
Bandai Namco Online, as its name suggests, is essentially Bandai Namco's online games arm; in recent years it's been responsible for the publisher's live service push in the form of Gundam Evolution and Blue Protocol. And now, the plan is for Bandai Namco Online to be absorbed into Bandai Namco Entertainment in...
News PlayStation Has Had More Heads of Mobile Than Mobile Games Since 2021
What exactly is Sony's mobile strategy?
Sony has promoted Olivier Courtemarche to head of mobile at PlayStation. He was previously made co-head of mobile alongside Kris Davis in June 2023, but has now taken on the role solo. The announcement came via an update from Courtemarche on LinkedIn (thanks, Mobilegamer.biz). In addition,
News Kadokawa Confirms Sony Acquisition Interest
Sony sends "letter of intent" to Kadokawa
Kadokawa Corp has responded to yesterday's reports of interest from Sony regarding a potential takeover by confirming it has received an "initial letter of intent" from the company. In a newly issued statement, Kadokawa added "no decision" has been made as to whether it'll go through with the acquisition or...
News Remedy Offers Control 2 Insight, AAA Action RPG on €50 Million Budget
Looking at 3-4 million units for 100% ROI
Remedy has shared an inside look at the budgeting and lifetime goals of creating Control 2, as it states the future game is working on a roughly €50 million budget and will need to sell between three and four million copies to improve on its investment costs. The game is a AAA action RPG, which going by...
Feature Why Would Sony Want to Buy Kadokawa?
We explore why alleged talks may be taking place
Sony is in talks to acquire media conglomerate Kadokawa, an enormous corporation made up of many subsidiaries across gaming, manga, and anime. The buyout – which, according to Reuters, could be completed in a matter of weeks – would significantly bolster the Japanese giant’s entertainment...
News Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Dev's Parent Company Kadokawa Corp
Includes FromSoftware and more manga control
Sony has reportedly entered talks with Elden Ring maker Kadokawa Corporation with a view to acquiring the company, Reuters claims via two sources. Discussions are said to be ongoing, and if they're successful, a finalised deal could be signed within the coming weeks. The firm's stocks are estimated to be...
News Sony's Had a First-Party PS5, PS4 Game Nominated for Game of the Year Ten Times in a Row
Do not underestimate the power of PlayStation
Sony has had a first-party Game of the Year nomination at The Game Awards ten years in a row. In fact, the streak would be even longer if 2014 hadn’t been such a lean year for the industry as a whole. Here are the titles that have been nominated: 2015: Bloodborne 2016: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s...
News Do You Really Want Devs to Make Lower Budget, More Original Games for PS5?
Slitterhead studio in the eye of storm
As we wrote in our review this month, Slitterhead is an inventive and original game. It’s one we thoroughly enjoyed, but it currently commands a Metacritic rating of 62. It’s one of the rare occasions where our 7/10 is actually higher than the critical mean. And it’s started an interesting discussion on...
News Remedy's Sam Lake Honoured with Andrew Yoon Legend Award
Kojima, Schafer, Druckmann, Lake
Charismatic Remedy Entertainment boss Sam Lake has been honoured with the Andrew Yoon Legend Award, named the recipient by the New York Videogame Critics Circle. Lake has spent over two decades at Remedy, serving as creative director on both the Alan Wake and Control franchises. He's also a wonderful dancer. The...
News Embracer Still Struggling, Despite Cutting Thousands of Jobs
Net sales down 23% year-on-year
It's been a little while since we checked in on Embracer Group, and with the publishing giant having posted its Q2 financial results, now seems as good a time as any. Despite cutting thousands of jobs and attempting to right the ship, Embracer reports significant declines across the board, with the all-important...
