Tag: Industry - Page 15
News Japan Simply Isn't Enough Anymore as Square Enix Calls Global Market a 'Critical' Priority
Times have changed
This industry really has changed, hasn't it? It's no secret that the big Japanese publishers — Capcom, SEGA, Square Enix, etc. — are largely looking to the West these days, as their home nation seems to distance itself more and more from traditional console gaming (well, outside of Nintendo, at least). Whether it's enforcing...
News No, EA Will Not Stop Shipping Physical Games in Germany
Not saying auf wiedersehen to boxed copies just yet
Earlier today, stories were swirling regarding EA’s alleged decision to stop shipping physical games in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The news, which first surfaced on German website Games Wirtschaft, was picked up by many major gaming websites. Our initial assumption was that something had...
News Rocksteady Co-Founders Depart, But Suicide Squad 'Nearly Finished'
To pursue "new adventure in gaming"
Rocksteady co-founders Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker have today announced that they will be leaving the studio at the end of this year to pursue a "new adventure in gaming". Best known for their work on the Batman: Arkham series, Hill served as the director of all the mainline entries while Walker was studio...
News Naughty Dog to Partner with PSS Visual Arts for Unannounced AAA Title
The Last of Us: Part 2... remake?
It looks like Sony is building a new internal game development team in partnership with PlayStation Studios Visual Arts and Naughty Dog. PSS Visual Arts is a company specialising in motion capture cinematics and animation. Naughty Dog, meanwhile, is a first-party video game developer that specialises in bringing joy...
News Star Wars Eclipse 'Controlled Leak' Was Reportedly Intentional, Meant to Gauge Interest
Thinking outside the box
New details concerning Star Wars Eclipse have emerged. They were allegedly leaked intentionally to gauge community interest in the project and to drum up development talent for French studio, Quantic Dream, which was recently acquired by Chinese mega-corp NetEase. That's according to a new report from Sacred Symbols host...
News God of War Ragnarok's PS5, PS4 Squeeze Gaps Spark Insight into Hidden Loading Screens
Lightening the load
Back when Sony first announced the PS5, with its uber-fast SSD, it was believed that the device would do away with disguised loading screens. This was ultimately demonstrated effortlessly by Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, where the titular duo were quite literally sent hurtling through portals, with the environment transforming...
But it's bull
An outlandish rumour picked up by several “reputable” websites claims that Sony has delayed its next PS Showcase due to the Competition and Markets Authority’s ongoing investigation into Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Given the scale and speed at which this story is circulating, it’s important to pump the...
Random Kill It with Fire! Scientists Grow Brain Cells That Can Play Pong
This won't end well
There wouldn’t be PlayStation without Pong, but there may not be humans if scientists don’t slow down. Well, not natural ones anyway. A team of boffins from the company Cortical Labs have created a lab-grown brain capable of playing Atari’s classic arcade cabinet. In what sounds like the premise to a horror movie, the...
News Sony Studio Haven Wants to Change Game Development Forever
PS5, PS4 architect Mark Cerny is along for the ride
Haven Studios, the latest developer to be acquired by Sony, is trying to change the game. The Canadian studio – which has grown at a rapid rate – is not only working on an ambitious live service title for the PS5, but is also aiming to transform the way game development works. If it’s...
News What're Ya Buyin'? Meta Snags Resident Evil 4 VR Dev
Zuckerberg's got enough cash, stranger
Meta has acquired the developer of Oculus Studios’ impressive Resident Evil 4 VR conversion. Despite the original game famously being created by Capcom, the organisation’s impressive Meta Quest 2 version was tackled by Armature Studio, a Texas-based team made up of Retro Studios alumni. The outfit will...
News 2K Confirms User Data Was Stolen in September Hack, Some of Which Is Now Up For Sale
Bad actors, bad habits
In late September, we brought you word that publisher 2K was the latest victim of The Great Hackening, a silly term that we made up to encapsulate the series of high-profile breaches and leaks that took place last month, perhaps best encapsulated by that massive GTA 6 debacle. The next unfortunate phase of that story has...
News Square Enix Montréal Is Now Studio Onoma Following Embracer Group Buyout
Hitman Go team rebrands
Earlier this year, you may recall Embracer Group bought up pretty much all of Square Enix's western studios, along with their IPs. The $300 million transaction results in the conglomerate now owning the likes of Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Legacy of Kain, Thief, and more. Studios now owned by Embracer include Eidos Montréal,...
News Ghost of Tsushima, Sly Cooper Dev Sucker Punch Celebrates 25th Anniversary
An inFAMOUS achievement
Sucker Punch – the Seattle-based creator of juggernaut PlayStation franchises like Sly Cooper, inFAMOUS, and Ghost of Tsushima – turns 25-years-old today. The PS Studios subsidiary, based in Bellevue, was founded in 1997 – and actually got its start in game development on the Nintendo 64, rather than the PS1. The...
News Hideo Kojima Confirms Elle Fanning for Next Project, Seems to Be Death Stranding 2
Producer appears to confirm as more actresses teased
Update #2: Looks like this saga is going to run a little longer. Following her post earlier in the day which included the #DeathStranding hashtag, Kojima Productions producer Kateryna Tarasova has since insinuated she forgot to include a “?” at the end of the game’s name. Simple oversight...
News CD Projekt Red to Test Games on All Platforms Equally Going Forward, Not Just on PC
It's never too late to turn over a new leaf
The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 on console will live long in gamers' minds. The release was virtually unparalleled in terms of the shocking state of the game, which didn't seem like it had been tested on PS4 literally at all, and has attained a sort of mythical status. Where were you the day Cyberpunk 2077...
News Sony Headhunts Nike Honcho to Help Build PlayStation's Brand
Just do it
Sony has recruited Andrea Perez, a former honcho at Nike, to lead its PlayStation marketing initiatives. The ex-Global Vice President for Jordan Women’s will assume the role as Senior Vice President of Brand, Product, and Services marketing, where she’ll oversee campaigns relating to PS5, PSVR2, PS Plus, the PS Store, and much more. A...
News CD Projekt Red Is Establishing a North American Studio to Develop Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel
With core members of the original team relocating
CD Projekt Red will establish a new studio based in North America, Boston specifically, in order to develop the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, which is currently known by the code name Project Orion. This studio will be helmed by core members of Cyberpunk's development team, including quest...
News Bloodborne Movie, TV Show Could Be a Thing in the Future
"Not unthinkable," says Hermen Hulst
A Bloodborne movie, TV series, or anime is not outside the realms of possibility according to PlayStation Studios lead Hermen Hulst, who says the company's investments are about more than just game development nowadays. Talking to Reuters about Sony's recent funding of Elden Ring
News PS Studios Malaysia Achieves Next Major Milestone with Futuristic Workspace
Welcome to the future
PS Studios Malaysia, the first-party support studio located in Kuala-Lumpur, has achieved its next major milestone: a gorgeous, futuristic workspace for its team to collaborate in. Photographs of the office were shared by studio head Hasnul Hadi on Twitter, which reveal a spaceship-like sliding glass door entrance, marked with...
News Crystal Dynamics Wants Your Take on the Future of the Legacy of Kain Franchise
There is no greater release than that from vengeance, sated
Crystal Dynamics, the newly-minted owners of the Legacy of Kain IP, wants to know how fans would like the series to make a comeback and has duly sent out a survey to garner feedback. The survey, which you can fill out for yourself, is surprisingly in-depth and query's your memories of the...
News Once Considered a PlayStation Competitor, Google Stadia Is Shutting Down
Sorry, Stadians
Back in 2019, Google officially announced its new game streaming platform, Stadia. At the time, the tech juggernaut framed Stadia as the future of gaming — a way to play all kinds of games on demand, without having to worry about your computer's specifications. It all sounded rather impressive — and it actually worked fairly...
News Hires for AAA Live Service Game from a 'Flagship' Sony IP Are Underway
Jetpack Interactive looking for talent
Jetpack Interactive, a small support studio based in Vancouver, has posted job listings for a AAA live service game it is working on with Sony. The title is based on a "flagship" PlayStation IP, and will form part of the platform holder's large push into the live service games sector. The Canadian team is...
News Next Game from Outriders, Bulletstorm Dev Loses Publisher, But Work Continues
People Can Fly now expects to self-publish
Bulletstorm and Outriders developer People Can Fly has today confirmed publisher Take-Two intends to "terminate the development and publishing agreement" for its next game, which is codenamed Project Dagger. In a post on the team's official website, the game is described as a "new action-adventure IP" and...
News E3 2023 Will Try to Re-Establish 'the Traditional E3 Week' Next June
Looking to "bring back that spark"
ReedPop is looking to "re-establish the traditional E3 week" next year as it confirms the physical show will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center on 13th-16th June 2023. The first two days will give press outlets the chance to get their hands on the latest upcoming titles from the world's biggest gaming...
News Marvel Not Planning MCU-Esque Connected Universe for Games
"Everyone has the freedom to tell their story"
Marvel, fresh from dominating theatres, is expanding its output of video games – led, of course, by Sony’s own Spider-Man and Wolverine adaptations. With a new Iron Man announced earlier this week, as well other in-development projects like Amy Hennig’s Captain America and Black Panth
News Ubisoft Issues Strong Response to Embargo Breaking YouTuber
Did it all for the clout
Update: Ubisoft has issued a statement aimed at the YouTuber who broke embargoes on an alter-ego’s Twitter account before being caught. Dan Allen Gaming masqueraded as the TheRealInsider on social media, leaking sensitive information he’d been privy to as part of his YouTube channel. A lot of this information was...
News Overwatch 2 Lead Hero Designer Geoff Goodman Departs Blizzard
Goodman left the company earlier this year
Geoff Goodman, the lead hero designer for the massive and iconic cast of characters in Overwatch and the upcoming Overwatch 2, has left Blizzard. The company confirmed the departure in a statement to PC Gamer. The specifics remain unclear, but a Blizzard spokesperson said that Goodman "made the decision to...
News Publisher 2K the Latest Victim of the Great Hackening
Hack the planet
It looks like 2K is the latest company to fall prey to digital bad actors, with an unauthorised third party gaining access to the publisher's customer support and help desk platforms. The company swiftly put out a statement, which you can read in full below. 2K has warned users against opening emails or clicking on links sent from...
News Ex-PlayStation Boss Shawn Layden Lands New Job at Tencent
Joins as a strategic advisor
PlayStation has had its fair share of corporate shake-ups in the last few years, with a few executives climbing the ladder, switching focus, or jumping ship. Shawn Layden left the company in 2019, much to the dismay of industry enthusiasts. What he's been up to in the meantime has been less in the public domain, but a...
News Gigantic GTA 6 Leak Confirmed Real as Devs Show Support for Rockstar
"Everyone loses"
Update: Rockstar itself has now also commented on the leak. Read more through the link. Original Story: In case you somehow missed it, GTA 6 was unceremoniously leaked to the public with about 90 video clips of early, mid-development footage. There was some question as to whether this was the real deal or an extremely elaborate...
News Sony Won't Let Microsoft's $69 Billion Activision Acquisition Go, Stresses It's Bad for Gaming
Deal to be further investigated
Update: Microsoft has responded to Sony's comments about the acquisition with yet another statement to GamesIndustry. A spokesperson said: "It makes zero business sense for Microsoft to remove Call of Duty from PlayStation given its market leading console position." This doesn't necessarily mean Microsoft would keep...
News Ubisoft Joins $70 Game Train, Skull and Bones the First
But not all games will be that high a price
Ubisoft has announced it's joining the likes of Sony and 2K in increasing the prices of its games to $70 on PS5. This will begin with November release Skull and Bones and applies to the publisher's "big AAA games". The French company has demonstrated it'll show some restraint, however, as Assassin's Creed...
Reaction Publishers Are Getting Worse at Nintendo Direct-Style Livestreams
Tune out
Publishers need to better understand their audiences before hosting insipid livestreams. While we’re hesitant to criticise companies too hard – after all, we’re not owed semi-regular broadcasts from the likes of Ubisoft, EA, et al – the reality is that these Nintendo Direct-inspired marketing drops are getting worse. It would appear...
News Deviation Games Co-Founder Jason Blundell Departs Studio
Dave Anthony will continue to lead as CEO
Deviation Games is a studio founded by ex-Treyarch developers Jason Blundell and Dave Anthony, who worked on various Call of Duty projects prior. The studio announced Blundell's departure on Twitter, and details as to the reason why are scant at the time of writing. Anthony will continue to lead the...
News Crystal Dynamics Now Owns Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain Franchises
Bought off Square Enix
New Embracer Group developer Crystal Dynamics has today revealed it's taken control of the Tomb Raider and Legacy of Kain IPs along with "several game franchises". It sees ownership transfer from Square Enix over to the California-based team following its acquisition by the Embracer Group. This news was an inevitability...
News PlayStation Bites Back At 'Inadequate' Call of Duty Offer from Microsoft
Jim Ryan says Xbox only offered three years
Wow! This is really freakin’ spicy, to say the least! Earlier this week, Microsoft bigwig Phil Spencer publicly revealed that his company had provided a “signed agreement” to Sony that would guarantee Call of Duty remains on PlayStation consoles for “several more years” beyond the Japanese...
News Key PS5, PS4 Boss Masayasu Ito Set to Retire After 36 Years at Sony
Lin Tao now SIE vice president
Sony has confirmed that Masayasu Ito will retire from the company on the 1st October. You may have seen Ito's name mentioned in various corporate-focused articles over the years, and that's because he's the vice president of Sony Interactive Entertainment — a key figure in the overall business of PlayStation. Ito's...
News Supermassive Games' Next Title in Development, Could Stray from Teen Horror Genre
Adult horror? Horror for kids?
The next game from Until Dawn and The Quarry developer Supermassive is currently in development, has a tentative release window of 2025 or 2026, and will be equivalent in size to previous games. Intriguingly, it may also depart from the well-worn realm of teen horror. In an interview with VGC, studio director Will...
Made back in January
A new statement shared with The Verge has revealed that Microsoft and Sony signed an agreement back in January to keep the Call of Duty series on PlayStation hardware for "several more years" after any current contracts expire. The news follows a statement from the UK government that
News UK Government Investigating Xbox's Activision Buyout Further
Microsoft issues response
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has today revealed its investigation into Microsoft's proposed purchase of Call of Duty maker Activision requires more time in a "phase two" study. The initial findings have raised concerns about how "Microsoft could use its control over popular games like Call of Duty and World of...
News NetEase to Fully Acquire Detroit: Become Human Studio Quantic Dream
Dreaming big
Chinese company NetEase has announced it will acquire Quantic Dream, the developer behind the likes of Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human. Already holding a minority stake, NetEase will fully own the studio once the deal closes. Quantic Dream will retain its creative independence, and will be the company's first European studio as it...
News Sony to Acquire Minority Stake in Elden Ring Dev FromSoftware
Tencent, too
FromSoftware, the studio behind hit RPGs like Elden Ring and Dark Souls, has today announced it will be selling new shares to both Sony and Tencent. Kadokawa Corporation, the current owner of FromSoft, will retain the majority of shares, owning 69.66 per cent of the studio. Sony will purchase a 14.09 per cent stake, and Tencent...
News Help Make PS5's Next Big Online Multiplayer Game with London Studio's Paid Internship
Player One Programme announced
Getting into creative industries can be incredibly tough, and with gaming still somewhat secretive about how the sausage is made, it can feel impossible at times if you're looking to break in. Fortunately, opportunities do present themselves from time to time, and today, PlayStation's London Studio has announced a very...
News System Shock Sequels are a Matter for Tencent to Decide, Says IP Owner
One step at a time
Nightdive Studios, the developer of the upcoming System Shock remake and owner of the original IP, says that the future of the franchise is now in the hands of publisher Tencent. Speaking to VGC at Gamescom, Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick explained that the rights to the third game, which has been in development under studio...
News PlayStation Acquires Savage Game Studios, Focusing on Mobile Games
PlayStation Studios grows once again
PlayStation has today announced its plan to acquire Savage Game Studios to bolster its mobile games development. Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, made the announcement over on the PS Blog. If you don't know the team, it's a company comprising two European studios that make mobile games. Among its staff...
News Amazon Not Acquiring EA After All, Rumour Debunked
They won't
Update 2: USA Today's original report has been updated. The publication now says GLHF, a Swedish games media company, cited "unnamed and unvetted sources", and the initial claim that Amazon would announce its purchase of EA has been removed completely. Effectively, the rumour has been reduced to nothing. Given this update and CNBC's...
News Embracer Completes Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal Acquisition
Another win for consolidation
While it looks like Amazon will not be buying EA after all, Embracer Group has completed its acquisition of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and various other assets. According to a
News PS5 Is the Only Console Getting Price Rise, Microsoft and Nintendo Have 'No Plans'
Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch price increases denied
Microsoft and Nintendo have both stated they won't be increasing the price of their respective consoles in the wake of Sony's decision to raise the cost of a PS5 in many major territories. It means Sony is the only platformer holder deciding to do so — the price increases were effective...
News Why the PS5's Price Hasn't Changed in USA
Two cents
Sony is being absolutely slaughtered on social media for increasing the price of the PS5 outside of the United States. Many are understandably frustrated that the firm appears to be gouging consumers across Europe, Australia, and its native Japan. While that criticism is founded, it’s also important to look at the facts. The US dollar...
News Huge! Hideo Kojima Plots New Spotify Podcast
Brain Structure debuts next month
Host Geoff Keighley and ex-Konami developer Hideo Kojima’s bromance is renowned for bearing plump video game fruits – but the auteur is not yet ready to unveil his latest projects, which will presumably include Death Stranding 2. Keighley had two-hours (!!!) of airtime to fill during Gamescom Opening Night Live
