Game Developer

South Korean studio NCSoft has eliminated staff as part of a wider restructuring effort, according to news agency Yonhap. The number of affected workers, and which teams this impacts, is currently unknown.In a translated story, co-CEOs Taek-Jin Kim and Byung-Moo Park revealed the company has "deteriorating" financially. 2024's second quarter earnings show quarterly and yearly sales declines by 7 percent and 16 percent, and by 66 percent and 75 percent in operating profit for the same timeframes.As such, the CEOs...

about 3 hours ago

Game Developer

Bungie's Creative Studios (BCS) team has become fully integrated with PlayStation Studios.Bridget O'Neill, the former senior director of BCS, has been appointed as PlayStation's senior director of its Creative department. Her new position will see her "build the foundation for a creative team that can support all PlayStation live-service games."When Bungie laid off 220 employees in July, it also announced a change to become deeper integrated with its parent company. 115 employees were moved over to Sony Interactive Entertainment.The creation...

about 3 hours ago

Game Developer

The team at Ubisoft Montpellier who created Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has reportedly been disbanded, according to French journalist Gautoz.In his new video (which is translated here), he alleges Ubisoft decided to be done with the 2024 sidescroller months after its January release. Despite solid reviews, Ubisoft previously indicated the game did not meet sales expectations.Even so, Gautoz claims the staff he spoke with called Lost Crown "the best production of my life." Those same sources allegedly hoped...

about 5 hours ago

Game Developer

The Game Developer Collective recently conducted a survey about virtual reality games. Of those asked, 56 percent find the market is "currently declining or stagnating."38 percent believe in the latter, and 18 percent in the former. Conversely, 23 percent find that the market is growing modestly over time.Like with consoles, the price of VR headsets are a significant barrier of entry. The PlayStation VR2 has been hobbled by its initial $550 cost, and while Sony has yet to make a...

about 6 hours ago

Game Developer

PlayStation 1 inspired horror title Crow Country has sold 100,000 copies since May. A week after Crow Country's release on Nintendo Switch, London-based developer SFB Games announced that it had reached the impressive milestone.Two third of copies sold were via Steam, with the rest split between PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch."100k copies in under 6 months is far beyond our highest hopes for Crow Country!"Tom Vian of SFB Games said, via press release. "It's been incredible to see...

about 6 hours ago

Game Developer

Welcome back! I’m game composer Winifred Phillips – my most recent game release is the original music of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord: the smash-hit 3D remake of the classic 1981 dungeon-crawler (listen and download my award-winning soundtrack for free).  This is part four of my series of articles based on the content of the lecture I gave at the Game Developers Conference 2024!  My lecture, entitled “Dial Up the Diegetics: Musical Sound Effects,” explored how we game composers can adopt the audio assets...

about 7 hours ago

Game Developer

Game Developer Deep Dives are an ongoing series with the goal of shedding light on specific design, art, or technical features within a video game in order to show how seemingly simple, fundamental design decisions aren’t really that simple at all.Earlier installments cover topics such as developing a rating system and making juicy TV in The Crush House, the development of custom tools for the 2D photo mode of A Highland Song, and refreshing the Crusader Kings III tutorial mode...

about 7 hours ago

Game Developer

After four years of development on Nightingale, the UK subsidiary of Inflexion Games is being shut down. Taking to LinkedIn, Jon Newman—the Audio Director at Inflexion—announced that the support studio is no more."It is with a heavy heart that I am sharing the sad news that the UK subsidiary of Inflexion Games is closing, and with it, the roles of the Audio team based here in the UK as well as others in the UK are affected." Newman said."It has...

about 7 hours ago

Game Developer

Secrecy runs rampant in the game industry, with everything from game projects to hiring decisions kept lock and key under tight NDAs. But what if a company was so secretive you didn’t even know you were applying to work at it when you sent in your application?That’s a scenario one former worker at Phoenix Labs, the studio behind Fae Farm and Dauntless, found themselves in last year. When they asked for information about the studio’s parent company during the recruiting...

about 9 hours ago

Game Developer

Valve has confirmed that it won’t offer annual Steam Deck refreshes, stating that doing so would be "unfair" to consumers. Speaking to Reviews.org ahead of the much-delayed launch of Steam Deck in Australia, Valve also stated that the Steam Deck 2 will offer a "generational leap."Steam Deck designer Lawrence Yang told Reviews.org, "We really do want to wait for a generational leap in compute without sacrificing battery life before we ship the real second generation of Steam Deck. But it...

about 10 hours ago

Game Developer

Netflix has shuttered its Southern Californian AAA game studio — Team Blue — after less than two years of operation. As reported by Game File, along with the studio closure, three of Team Blue’s most notable hires have also left the company.Blue was Netflix’s fifth internal game studio, and said to be working on a new AAA IP while "pursuing a big-budget multi-device strategy".Since 2022, the studio had attracted industry attention by hiring senior developers from Blizzard, Bungie and Sony...

about 12 hours ago

Game Developer

Twitch is eliminating a badge that signified game developers in a chat stream. The removal goes into effect today, October 21, (or "soon after"), and accounts with the badge will automatically lose it without any input required.The badge was first introduced in 2022 as a way for developers "to be more visible and verifiable in chat," said developer relations head Jon Bulava. He acknowledged the feature has been "beneficial," but has been cut to "restore our Developer Organization review process."According...

1 day ago

Game Developer

Bandai Namco will team with developer Rebel Wolves to publish the studio's debut project, Dawnwalker.The Tekken 8 publisher will put out the fantasy-RPG in both physical and digital formats worldwide. In a statement, Bandai Namco Europe's business development VP Alberto Gonzalez called the agreement "another key milestone in our content development strategy for the Western market.""By combining our strengths," he continued, "we will deliver this first game of the studio to a worldwide audience...resulting in a great addition to our...

1 day ago

Game Developer

Visual effects in games command our attention through spectacular visuals. Stunning arrays of spells, explosions, and more can evoke visceral emotion and tactility in a digital landscape. Under the hood these real-time visual effects refer to a wide umbrella of techniques and methods, ranging from particle systems to shaders to volumetrics, all used to produce these visual standards in service of a player experience. Beyond the spectacle, VFX in games can be leveraged as design tools themselves. Design-facing VFX illustrate...

1 day ago

Game Developer

Several former Supercell developers have founded a new multiplayer-focused studio called Antihero, opening offices in both Finland and Barcelona.As reported by Mobilegamer.biz, the studio was founded by former Supercell creative director Brice Laville Saint-Martin, alongside former Brawl Stars senior game designer Frank Yan and former King technical director Andre Parodi. Ubisoft game designer Hadrian Semroud and former Socialpoint developer Gonzalo Martinez are also part of the team.Laville Saint-Martin took to LinkedIn to reveal that Antihero is currently preparing for its...

1 day ago

Game Developer

Hi-Rez Studios will be shutting down two of its multiplayer titles on February 17,2025—Divine Knockout and Realm Royale Reforge. The move was announced via the Steam page for each respective game, with developers Evil Mojo Games and Red Beard Games (both subsidiaries of Hi-Rez Studios) sharing almost identical statements on the proposed closures.The news comes just weeks after Hi-Rez implemented an un-specified number of layoffs, citing that the move would “ensure” Smite 2’s future success. Upon closure, Divine Knockout and...

1 day ago

Game Developer

Sony has lost a more than decade-old lawsuit against UK peripheral firm Datel, with The European Court of Justice ruling in favor of the Action Replay manufacturer.The lawsuit dates all the way back to 2012, when Sony filed a lawsuit against Datel in German courts over the use of its Action Replay cheating device for PSP, claiming that the product was infringing on its lone rights to alter previously-released game software.A press release from The European Court of Justice explains...

1 day ago

Game Developer

A quartet of projects focused on assisting indie developers recently won £510,000 (or $665,275) from the British Film Institute (BFI).Per GamesIndustry, the four were awarded funding from the production company's National Lottery Innovation Challenge. Businesses will put that money toward new tools and resources for undersupported developers.BFI's research and industry innovation director Rishi Coupland said the four projects "romise to deliver further creative and commercial success for the video games industry, through a focus on data, insights, market access, and...

4 days ago

Game Developer

Mike "Mynki" Brennan, an artist at Warframe developer Digital Extremes, passed away from cancer on October 15 at 50 years old.According to his obituary, Brennan joined Digital Extremes right out of college as a general artist in 2001. Over the years, he made character and UI art for the studio's shooters Dark Sector and The Darkness II, plus its contract work BioShock 2.Come 2012, Brennan was part of the initial team that formed the art style and direction for Warframe....

4 days ago

Game Developer

Surgent Studios said its game division is being put "on hiatus," and the development team behind Tales of Kenzera: Zau has been put on notice for redundancy.The studio explained the decision was made as it looks for funding for its next, unannounced project. Surgent described its protoype as "darker and edgier" than Zau while keeping that title's "high-octane combat and cultural depth."Tales of Kenzera: Zau released this past April. In July, the studio laid off over a dozen employees due...

4 days ago

Game Developer

Global service provider Keywords has made a play to acquire famous support studio Certain Affinity for an unknown sum.Under the deal, Certain Affinity will "bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise...to our Create division," said Keywords CEO Bertrand Bodson. Founder and CEO Max Hoberman and president Paul Sams will still lead the developer."We look forward to partnering with Max, Paul, and their team over the coming years to continue to drive growth and overall business," Bodson concluded.Hoberman's own statement...

4 days ago

Game Developer

Funko Fusion developer 1010 Games was brought to life in 2021 by a number of TT Games veterans, who'd all worked on various LEGO games at the Warner Bros.-owned studio. They were experienced with the family-friendly 3D action genre, and wanted to make an "older" version with Funko pops taking over for the beloved branded bricks.What they found, head of publishing Arthur Parsons explained to Game Developer at Gamescom 2024, was that starting up a brand new studio in the...

4 days ago

Game Developer

Unity 6 has launched today, releasing on mobile, PC, extended reality and console platforms.A blog post details what developers can expect from the new engine, ranging from the expected —increased stability of the overall platform — to tools that support mobile web development and even new graphics features that allow developers to shift the workload from the CPU to the GPU.In the post, Unity’s new president and CEO Matthew Bromberg promises a "fundamental change in its approach to the development...

4 days ago

Game Developer

Capcom today revealed that 2023’s Resident Evil 4 Remake has surpassed eight million copies sold. Taking to X, the Japanese company posted the sales milestone alongside a piece of anime-inspired art to celebrate.Resident Evil 4 Remake launched in March 2023, taking just over a year and a half to reach the impressive sales figure. 2019’s Resident Evil 2 Remake—currently the best-selling game in the franchise—has sold over 13.9 million copies to date, a figure that took the horror reimagining 5...

4 days ago

Game Developer

Pullup Entertainment posted its financials for the second quarter of 2024-2025, and the publisher more than outdid itself compared to last year.Catalog revenue for the quarter hit €164 million (or nearly $177.6 million), and €164.1 for the fiscal year's first half. Indivdually, those respective revenues were 13 times and 7.1 times more than last year's metrics.When combined with the €70.2 million of back catalog and other revenue, Pullup made €234.3 million ($253.7 million) for the first six months of 2024-2025,...

5 days ago

Game Developer

Employees from Ubisoft's France-based teams have been striking this week over the studio's three-day-a-week return-to-office (RTO) mandate, and now Italian workers are joining that effort.Per Deadline, developers from the Milan team are holding their own strike today, October 17. Through the country's Fiom Cgil union, Ubisoft Milan members said they were afraid of quitting their jobs because of the reinstated policy."It is unthinkable that a young person who lives in another region or in any case far from our territory...

5 days ago

Game Developer

Streamer-affiliated publisher Mad Mushroom has announced that cofounder "Asmongold" (real name: "Zack," last name withheld) will be stepping away from the company following an anti-Muslim rant this week that led to him being temporarily banned on streaming platform Twitch.The company shared the news in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). "As an indie game publisher, we exist to empower developers from all cultures and backgrounds to share their stories and passions through their art," it wrote."The viewpoints shared by...

5 days ago

Game Developer

Sales for It Takes Two have now exceeded 20 million copies, revealed Hazelight Studios.The co-op (and relationship-focused) adventure game sold 16 million copies this past March, and has continually grown since its launch in 2021. Hazelight thanked "every one of the millions upon millions who have enjoyed their time with Cody and May.""You’re the best fans in the world," it added, "[and] how you have embraced our game is blowing our minds!"Along with the milestone, Hazelight has also begun teasing...

5 days ago

Game Developer

Konami's PlayStation 5 and PC remake of Silent Hill 2 sold over 1 million copies within days of its launch.The first mainline entry in the series in 12 years, Bloober Team's remake of the 2001 classic has received solid reviews since launch.Is it profitable for Bloober or Konami? That is unclear; the former released The Medium in 2021, which was deemed profitable just days after its launch. However, the original Silent Hill 2 sold one million copies in its first...

5 days ago

Game Developer

At Pixonic (MY.GAMES), we host game jams in a range of formats every year. In this post, we’ll explore the pros and cons of each game jam format, how to prepare, plan, promote, and conduct the jam itself, tackle post-jam support, and provide more insights!Organizing a game jam within a company is akin to setting up a sports competition. You need enticing prizes, clear award categories, and an atmosphere that's both friendly and competitive. A game jam is also athletic...

5 days ago

Game Developer

Machine Yearning is all about trying to convince machines that you aren't human, doing so by carefully navigating captchas to match shapes with nonsense words and then recall them later.Game Developer spoke with developer Daniel Ellis of Tiny Little Keys to talk about its origins as a game where players make up the rules as they play, how the game creates memorable words out of "nonsense," and the nuances that went into making challenging puzzles out of shape-word combinations the...

5 days ago

Game Developer

Mobile games have cornered the video games industry, taking nearly half of total video games market share in 2023. With games like Honor of Kings earning billions of dollars during their life cycle, mobile games clearly have ample opportunity to bring in revenue post-download from in-app purchases and ads. However, with hundreds of thousands of mobile games on the market, entering this arena can be daunting. How do you create a mobile game marketing strategy to make your game stand...

5 days ago

Game Developer

The former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, Shawn Layden, has stated that "AA is gone" during a talk, cautioning AAA studios' over reliance on blockbusters as a  "death sentence."The remarks were made on stage at Gamescom Asia, where Layden also referred to the loss of mid-budget games as a "threat to the ecosystem" during a talk with Raw Fury co-founder and chief publishing officer Gordon Van Dyke."Today, the entry costs for making a AAA game is in triple digit...

5 days ago

Game Developer

I'm having a blast with Star Wars Outlaws. Are other players? Depends who you ask. The reviews run positive (when you filter out the bigoted weirdos with an axe to grind), but the sales ran so soft Ubisoft delayed its next open-world action-adventure game Assassin's Creed: Shadows.Why are sales so sluggish? I have my theories, but they have far more to do with the saturation of the open-world genre and some bad pre-release word of mouth than the bigoted brigading....

5 days ago

Game Developer

Game commerce platform Xsolla is partnering with IT Park Uzbekistan to launch a game development academy in the country next year.Like the academies established in Saudi Arabia and Central Asia, Uzbekistan's will "train local talent and create new opportunities for game production & development within [its] growing industry." The aim is for Uzbekistan to become a prominent development hub by 2030.Xsolla is also planning more long-term support for Uzbekistan, such as collaborating with established studios and international developers, or investing...

6 days ago

Game Developer

Don't Nod's weak financials for the first half of 2024 (January 1-June 30, 2024) may lead to the French studio laying off staff.This possible "reorganization project" may result in up to 69 jobs being eliminated, said CEO Oskar Guilbert. The effort would "restore more organizational agility, rationalize the number of the company production lines, and secure the company financing."Last month, Don't Nod posted "disappointing" first-half declines. At the time, it also indicated it may change its roadmap for the next...

6 days ago

Game Developer

Hitman creator IO Interactive is dipping its feet into third-party publishing. Its first assignment? MindsEye, a game from Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) and its previously announced Everywhere MMO.The triple-A actioner has been previously described as a "proof of concept" game for Everywhere. Build a Rocket Boy's aim for Everywhere is to be a large-scale community driven creation platform which may or may not be the metaverse under another name.Speaking to IGN, IO CEO Hakan Abrak explained its publishing deal...

6 days ago

Game Developer

The creators of Among Us have announced more funding for their new indie publishing label, Outersloth. Revealed during Summer Games Fest, the initiative has already signed 13 games, and now two notable indie developers will provide additional funding and help reviewing game pitches.The first of the two developers contributing to Outersloth is Slay the Spire creator Casey Yano, alongside a second indie developer who currently wishes to remain anonymous. Taking to a blog post, Innersloth's Victoria Tran and Forest Willard...

6 days ago

Game Developer

EA has announced that Plants Vs Zombies 3 will no longer be playable from November 15, with the publisher removing the game from app stores today so that it can undergo "a major overhaul".The tower defense threequel soft launched in January,  but received an unenthusiastic response from players over the last nine months. Users on Reddit and beyond have heavily criticized Plant Vs Zombies 3, citing poor technical performance and off-putting aggressive pay-to-win mechanics.EA released a blog post stating that...

6 days ago

Game Developer

Longtime game composer Nobuo Uematsu revealed he will retire after the launch of Fantasian: Neo Dimension in December.In a video promoting the RPG, he called it his "final project as a composer of video game music." As such, he naturally hopes players buy the game.Earlier this year, Uematsu admitted he may not "have the physical and mental strength" to compose music for an entire game anymore. The 65-year-old musician previously stepped away from his projects in 2018 due to the...

7 days ago

Game Developer

Developer Riot Games is eliminating staff, said co-founder Marc Merill."Some" roles have been cut within the League of Legends team. He explained the reductions are part of a long-term goal and "making sure we have the right expertise so that League continues to be great for another 15 years and beyond.""This isn’t about reducing headcount to save money," he added. "We’re not slowing down work on the game you love. We’re investing heavily in solving today’s challenges faster while also...

7 days ago

Game Developer

Nearly three months after video game voice actors went on strike, SAG-AFTRA says it will reenter negotiations with developers.Next Wednesday, October 23, the actor union will resume speaking with the bargaining group representing triple-A developers such as EA, Insomniac Games, and Take-Two.Beyond that, it said neither it or the developers had any further comment at this time.A timeline of the video game actors' strikeBefore the strike started in late July, SAG-AFTRA members had been bargaining with the studios for some...

7 days ago

Game Developer

Microsoft has settled a lawsuit against last year's $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard brought forth by Call of Duty players.In late 2022, the 10 players (who lived in California, New Mexico, and New Jersey) filed a private consumer lawsuit against the Xbox maker. At the time, they wanted to stop Microsoft from having "far-outsized market power."Per the Hollywood Reporter, both parties told the California court they wanted to dismiss the lawsuit "with prejudice," and it cannot be refiled later....

7 days ago

Game Developer

Game Developer Deep Dives are an ongoing series with the goal of shedding light on specific design, art, or technical features within a video game in order to show how seemingly simple, fundamental design decisions aren’t really that simple at all.Earlier installments cover topics such as developing a rating system and making juicy TV in The Crush House, the development of custom tools for the 2D photo mode of A Highland Song, and refreshing the Crusader Kings III tutorial mode...

7 days ago

Game Developer

Japanese publisher Bandai Namco is reducing the workforce in its Tokyo Office, Bloomberg reports, pressuring up to 200 employees to resign.The publisher has also allegedly put several projects on hold, including a planned contract project with Nintendo and both a One Piece and Dragon Ball title. Thanks to strict Japanese labor laws, Bandai Namco is pushing its employees to resign voluntarily, moving 200 of its 1300 employees into rooms where they are given nothing to do.Bandai Namco's troubles persist, despite...

7 days ago

Game Developer

On a train ride out of Gamescom, I chanced on a pair of junior developers scrutinizing their own lanyards, which sported Xsolla's branding. "Who even IS Xsolla?" one of them asked, as they commented on how they'd seen the branding at all kinds of events over the last year.Ever the eavesdropper, I leaned in to answer the question. I'm not just familiar with the firm because we've covered them a fair few times on Game Developer, but because just a...

7 days ago

Game Developer

When I first heard about UFO 50 (at this year's Day of the Devs broadcast), I was astounded. A compilation of 50 full games evoking the 8-bit era, styled as a library from a long-lost fictional studio, created by the real-world developers who have given the world projects like Spelunky, Skorpulac, Catacomb Kids and Downwell? Without exaggeration, that sounds like a retro player (and pixel art enthusiast)'s dream come true.While that sounds hyberbolic, the team appears to have truly pulled...

8 days ago

Game Developer

GamesIndustry reports Xbox Game Studios will have a leadership shakeup with he departure of studio head Alan Hartman. Hartman, who previously led Forza developer Turn 10, took on the role last year, and will retire from the company at the end of November.Taking over from Hartman will be Craig Duncan, current leader of Rare Ltd. Since being appointed studio head in 2011, Duncan led Rare during its run of Kinect games to Killer Instinct and more recently Sea of Thieves.Under...

8 days ago

Game Developer

NetEase and Bungie have announced Destiny: Rising, a free to play mobile shooter set in the Destiny universe. Officially licensed by Bungie, Rising will offer both first and third person gunplay, playable either via touchscreen or with a controller.Rising is the first visible result of 2018's $100 million dollar partnership between Bungie and NetEase. NetEase has revealed a gameplay trailer for Rising, showing off an impressively-detailed (if familiar) take on the Destiny experience.Rising also marks the first free to play mobile...

8 days ago

Game Developer

Game Freak confirmed yesterday that it has been the victim of a large scale hack, in which 1TB of company data has been exposed. Releasing a statement on its website, the Pokémon developer reveals that the breach took place in August 2024, and that the data of over 2600 current and former employees had been accessed by a third party."Game Freak discovered that personal information of employees and others was leaked in connection with unauthorized access to our server by...

8 days ago

Game Developer

Bithell Games founder Mike Bithell's passion for the TRON films is easy to see. Follow him on social media and you'll see him document his trips to Disneyland's new TRON ride and regular reverence for the film that broke ground on the world of computer animation.He got to live his dream with TRON: Identity, an interactive narrative game where players took on the role of detective in a setting called the "Arq Grid," a digital realm set beyond the "Grid"...

8 days ago

Game Developer

Following this morning's announcement of new studios Dark Math Games and Longdue Games, another ZA/UM alum has launched their own independent outfit.Co-founded by Disco Elysium writer Argo Tuulik, Summer Eternal is billed as an "art collective/RPG studio." Its mission? Gather other Disco writers and some new blood to "create a liberating space for us and other veteran RPG developers to finally, collectively start innovating again in this game space."According to the website, other prominent staff include Disco writer Olga Moskvina,...

11 days ago

Game Developer

Valve's Steam Deck is making its way to Australia sometime in November.Nearly three years after its initial launch, the handheld is finally hitting the country with both its original and OLED iterations up for sale. The LCD's 256 GB version will run for $649 AUD, while the 512 GB and 1 TB OLEDs are $899 and $1,049, respectively.Since its release in 2022, the Steam Deck has had a gradual launch. Much of that was owed to continuous component shortages that...

11 days ago

Game Developer

Crystal Dynamics revealed the long-running Tomb Raider franchise has eclipsed 100 million copies in its almost 30-year history.The original Tomb Raider game turns 28 years old on October 24, and first came out in Europe for the Sega Saturn. Of the milestone, the studio called it "a momentous accomplishment that few video game franchises ever achieve.""We’re extremely grateful for the Tomb Raider community’s collective spirit of adventure," continued Crystal Dynamics, "and we look forward to all the journeys still to...

11 days ago

Game Developer

Atlus' newest RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, is off to a great sales start.According to Sega, the title has already sold 1 million digital and physical copies less than a day into its launch on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X|S.That makes it Atlus' fastest-selling title in its 35-year history, a record previously held by Persona 3 Reload this past February. The remake of the 2006 classic managed to sell 1 million copies in a week.Both titles have received...

11 days ago

Game Developer

Players will be able to play and buy games via the Xbox App on Android, starting next month. The news was announced by Xbox president Sarah Bond on X, following the US court ruling this week that Google must open its Android marketplace to competitors.“The court’s ruling to open up Google's mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility,” Bond wrote on X.“Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices so we are thrilled...

11 days ago

Game Developer

Devil’s Terminal is a mystery coming of age story about a loser teen plagued by a controlling voice. The story takes place at Guidance Spiritual Retreat, a camp that promises to exorcize the problem out of “problem children.” The MC (Main Character) meets four fellow troubled kids, the camp's shady owner, a lively counselor, a quirky medium, and an omniscient computer that promises to guide the MC out of their loserdom.Soon (like 30 minutes in), it becomes obvious that the...

11 days ago

Game Developer

Editor's note: This story was drafted before the Internet Archive suffered a massive DDOS attack, and links to archive.org currently do not function. Check back later to take your own deep dive in the Fat Babies archives.Hello dear readers. Chris is out this month for some well-deserved R&R, leaving the pilot's seat open for me to come in and steer the good ship Patch Notes. Today, we're going to take a strange trip through game development history.I was working on...

11 days ago

Game Developer

Two studios have formed from the smoldering ashes of ZA/UM, the developers of 2019's critically-acclaimed Disco Elysium. After several high-profile staff exits at ZA/UM and a slew of legal troubles, two new London-based studios have emerged: Dark Math Games and Longdue Games.Longdue Games is comprised of 12 people, including Disco Elysium producers and ex-Bungie and Rockstar devs, and has announced a spiritual successor to Disco Elysium. While the project is currently untitled, Longdue has released a lone piece of concept...

11 days ago

Game Developer

GamesIndustry reports NaturalMotion may be at risk of layoffs. The studio is split across two teams in the United Kingdom and United States, and leadership is reviewing them ahead of the potential reductions.Should cuts take place, a spokesperson said a "small number of roles" would be impacted. Studios based in the UK, like Sharkmob or XR Games, enter consultation periods before going through with layoffs."We believe these changes will help to ensure that the studio is sustainable for the long...

12 days ago

Game Developer

A documentary made entirely inside Grand Theft Auto Online is coming to theaters next year, and it is about...making a production of Hamlet inside of GTA Online.Fittingly called Grand Theft Hamlet, distributor Mubi (recently known for The Substance) picked up the movie's US and global SVOD rights. Per the Hollywood Reporter, Mubi intends to release GTHamlet in early 2025 in the US, preceded by a festival run this month in the UK.Grand Theft Hamlet follows a pair of actors who...

12 days ago

Game Developer

FIFA has deemed Konami its new partner for the popular soccer franchise's esports scene.Both companies are teaming on a new tournament for consoles and mobile that begins today, October 10, and runs through the rest of the year. This collaboration, according to the press release, will "further boost the joy of the global football community through esports."Under the deal, the FIFAe World Cup features players from 18 participating countries, including Brazil, Argentina, England, Japan, and Morocco. The full list of...

12 days ago

Game Developer

The following excerpt is from Game Economy Design Metagame, Monetization and Live Operations by Charlie Czerkawski. The book will be published October 16, 2024 by CRC Press, a division of Taylor & Francis, a sister company of Game Developer and Informa Tech. Use our discount code GDTF20 at checkout on Routledge.com to receive a 20% discount on your purchase. Offer is valid through January 1, 2025.What Is a Game Economy?In real-world terms, an economy is the highly complex set of interrelated...

12 days ago

Game Developer

Age of Empires 3 is being delisted on October 30th, 17 years after its release. Taking to Steam, Xbox Game Studios announced that the beloved PC release will also have its servers shuttered on the same date.“After many years of support, we will be retiring the title from sale,” Xbox Game Studios says. “In addition, on October 30, 2024 multiplayer services for the game will cease to run. This is due to the technology no longer being supported."Age of Empires...

12 days ago

Game Developer

Sony has removed Hotline Miami 2 for sale on PSN in Australia after seemingly forgetting that the game was banned in the region in 2015. Despite releasing on PS5 down under in October 2023, the Australian ratings board has apparently only just noticed, with Sony now issuing refunds for PS5 owners that purchased the game."We have become aware that the product Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has not received a proper rating from the Australian Classification Board and have therefore taken steps...

12 days ago

Game Developer

Bloomberg Law reports Ubisoft is being sued for allegedly sharing player data from its titular store and Ubisoft+ subscription service with Meta.In the suit, plaintiffs Trevor Lakes and Alex Rajjoub allege they learned of the data sharing when they individually bought or downloaded games from the developer's website. During these instances, they were also logged into their respective Facebook accounts, which revealed key personal details like their names, jobs, and where they live.Ubisoft's website allows users to log in through...

13 days ago

Game Developer

Developers are probably familiar with "country pavilions" at events like Gamescom and Game Developers Conference. They're areas organized by region-affiliated trade groups or governments that shine a light on game development in their regions—both to help games from those areas find an audience, and to convince investors and studios to open up shop in their area.Gamescom 2024's country pavilion was a nearly overwhelming sight this year, with China, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Brazil, Indonesia, Estonia, The Philippines, and other...

13 days ago

Game Developer

Yesterday, indie developers took to social media with concerns about the possible end of the .io domain, used by Itch.io, Github.io, and the URLs for a number of tech and game industry websites. The domain (assigned to the UK-occupied Chagos Islands by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) is likely to be retired following a recently signed UK treaty that will transfer the territory to the nearby nation of Mauritius.The transfer of the territory has far greater implications for the current...

13 days ago

Game Developer

Almost a full year after its last round of layoffs, Cryptic Studios is letting go of more staff. Various workers on LinkedIn revealed they were impacted, and that they will no longer be at the studio after October 31.The exact number of layoffs is unclear, but character artist Amelia March said she "and many of my talented coworkers have been impacted by the most recent layoffs at the company. [...] I truly wish all the best for my fellow Cryptonians, and...

13 days ago

Game Developer

I was invited to be a keynote speaker at GamedevDays in Graz, Austria. I’m honored to have been invited to such a beautiful community and space. All the talks were incredible. I learned so much in just one day. If you ever have a chance to go, I can’t recommend it enough.All my experiences up to now with speaking in Europe are inspiring me to want to write about the scene here. I’m constantly blown away by how much more people know...

13 days ago

Game Developer

Tequila Works, developers of The Sexy Brutale and Deadlight, have cut staff following the cancellation of an unannounced project.On LinkedIn, the studio said a "small number" of roles were impacted by this development. No specific reason was given for the project's end.However, it did state it would now focus its full attention on another, also unannounced game it was making."This is an incredibly difficult time, and our focus is to provide the support and guidance to those affected," it wrote.In...

14 days ago

Game Developer

[Content note: This story discusses allegations of child sexual abuse.]A new report from research firm Hindenburg Research claims Roblox Corp. is lying about player metrics for its titular game platform, and gives more detail on its previous issues with employing proper child safety measures.Hindenburg investigates unethical business and financial reporting and accounting irregularities. Since its founding in 2017, the firm has consistently exposed alleged fraud and corruption, and its findings have been used in financial crime cases.Roblox Corp. has continuously...

14 days ago

Game Developer

Humble Games is teaming up with Good Games Group, a publisher formed by previous staff from Humble itself.Good Games was founded by ex-general manager Alan Patmore and former global publishing VP Mark Nash. Under their deal, the new publisher will provide additional support to the IGN-owned Humble's previously released games."Partnering with Ziff Davis allows us to continue working with the amazing indie developers we collaborated with at Humble Games," wrote Patmore, "while also allowing us to chart a new course...

14 days ago

Game Developer

NCSoft and Amazon Games' Throne of LIberty earned over 3 million players within its first week, the companies revealed.The MMORPG released on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 1. Collectively, those players also have translated to 24 million hours of playtime.For some comparison, Amazon's 2022 MMO Lost Ark opened to 1.32 million players in its launch weekend, and New World had over 700,000 players on launch day. However, both of those first launched solely on PC."We’re so...

14 days ago

Game Developer

Paradox Interactive deputy CEO Mattias Lilja feels the publisher's recent struggles are the result of overconfidence and claims the company needs to return to its roots.The Swedish company has made a number of high-profile missteps over the past year. In June, Paradox scrapped Life by You and shuttered developer Paradox Tectonic, resulting in a write down of roughly $20 million.Prior to that, it said The Lamplighters League failed to meet sales expectations and parted ways with developer Harebrained Schemes shortly...

14 days ago

Game Developer

Players will no longer be able to purchase LittleBigPlanet 3 or any of the series’ DLC digitally from this November, Sony has announced. After October 31 2024, this beloved game—and the franchises' entire range of DLC—will no longer be available on the PS Store in any region or territory.The move comes 10 years after the PS3 and PS4 release of LittleBigPlanet 3, and just weeks after Sony delisted the PC version of Horizon: Zero Dawn, removing it from Steam and...

14 days ago

Game Developer

Developers that have worked on Skyrim, The Last Of Us and Dragon Age have formed a brand new games company, NEARStudios.Led by Heather Cerlan and Jason Richardson, the Maryland-based studio has begun work on its first game, Hawthorn. A co-op sandbox RPG that combines element of village sims with the nostalgic adventure stories of the '80s and '90s, Hawthorn aims to double down on its developers' strong RPG heritage. The lead designer of Skyrim, Bruce Nesmith, will be lending his...

14 days ago

Game Developer

Quantic Dream announced its narrative adventure Detroit Become Human has sold over 10 million units since its 2018 launch."We are extremely grateful to each and everyone out there who played the game," wrote co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumière. "You mean the world to us, and we couldn't have achieved this incredible milestone without every single one of you!"Interestingly, de Fondaumière emphasized the number covered paid units across PlayStation 4 and PC. In 2019, over a year after its initial PS4 launch,...

15 days ago

Game Developer

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) may be looking to up its already-established stake into Japanese studios like Nintendo and Koei Tecmo, and begin new investments into others.Per Kyodo News, the fund's vice chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al-Saud recently acknowledged the "possibility" of these backings, but only with the permission of its business partners."It's important to keep the communication going so you get there in the right way," he said. "We don't want to rush anything."To date,...

15 days ago

Game Developer

343 Industries is no more, as it is changing its name to Halo Studios as part of a larger "new dawn" for itself and the flagging Xbox franchise.On Sunday, the Halo Infinite developer revealed it would switch from its in-house Slipspace engine over to Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 for multiple projects in development for the series.Per studio head Pierre Hintze, the name and engine change will both improve development efficiency and "change the recipe of how we make Halo games."The shift...

15 days ago

Game Developer

The Tokyo Game Show 2024 is over!This was my first time presenting my game to the public at the Tokyo Game Show, and it was an incredible experience, with its own unique characteristics compared to the conventions I've attended in France.For those who may not know, the Tokyo Game Show is a video game convention held near Tokyo over four days in September. The first two days are reserved for professionals (people working in the video game industry, journalists, etc.),...

15 days ago

Game Developer

Firaxis is working with the Shawnee Tribe to ensure accurate in-game representation in the upcoming Civilization VII. The game will feature  19th Century indigenous military and political leader Tecumseh, voiced in the Shawnee language, who united Native American Tribes against U.S expansion.A player of Civilization himself, Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes tells AP News that he was thrilled to consult, and to have his tribe in Sid Meier's prolific franchise."For us, it’s really about a cultural expression of cultural hegemony,”...

15 days ago

Game Developer

In TV, film, and video games, documentaries are a tough market to crack. They're increasingly popular on streaming services in series format, but it's been a long time since mass market films like Fahrenheit 911 and Supersize Me were hits at the box office. And films or series about the history of video games have either focused on hyper-niche subjects or been relatively light on detail. Is it possible to capture interest in video game history outside of academic settings...

15 days ago

Game Developer

British company Antstream laid off a "small amount" of staff working on its retro game platform, Antstream Arcade.In a statement to GamesIndustry, Antstream attributed the reductions to a "strategic shift in focus internally." The statement came days after former PR manager Diane Hutchinson and UI designer Robyn Jamieson revealed they were impacted."This decision was not made lightly," it wrote, "and we will be working to support those affected throughout the process. Antstream Arcade remains dedicated to delivering the best possible...

18 days ago

Game Developer

Ubisoft Majority shareholders the Guillemot family are considering teaming up with Tencent for a buyout, according to a Bloomberg report. The news comes amid disappointing sales of last month’s Star Wars Outlaws and the delay of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, in a year where Ubisoft has lost almost half its market value.Now, Bloomberg reports The Guillemot family is speaking to advisors in a bid to stabilize the company and increase its market value, with the buyout being one potential option. Ubisoft...

18 days ago

Game Developer

Aggro Crab has shared an early playable prototype online of last year's underwater soulslike hit, Another Crab's Treasure. Released in 2023, Aggro Crab's crustacean-filled creation swiftly found an audience, shifting 100,000 units within its first week.Now, in a rare peek behind the curtain, developer Aggro Crab has shared a playable 2021 prototype of the 2023 hit. Around five minutes long, this downloadable early build was intended to win over investors, and now it offers developers and players alike a welcome...

18 days ago

Game Developer

Several games draw upon the Roaring Twenties—from striking art deco architecture and snazzy jazz music to themes of oppression and rebellion. Some of this inspiration is direct, from 1982's Gangbusters to 2K Games' Mafia series and Romero Games' Empire of Sin. Others are more anachronistic in their influences, forming part of the backdrop for a fictional world or otherworldly event, such as the Bioshock series and The Sinking City.But while its influence looms large, it's surprisingly rare to see the...

18 days ago

Game Developer

Elden Ring and Dark Souls developer FromSoftware is raising its base salary in Japan. From April 2025, it will pay new graduates 300,000 yen ($2,020)–an 11.8 percent increase from its current starting salary of 260,000 yen ($1,750).The raise comes amid a wider move in Japan to attract and retain top tier developer talent. Over the last 12 months, Konami, Capcom and Atlus have all increased their starting salary to 300,000 yen, bringing the Dark Souls creators' graduate pay structure inline...

18 days ago

Game Developer

Developers on Red Dead Redemption and the Mario + Rabbids series have teamed to found their own studio, Day 4 Night.Led by game director Davide Soliani and Christian Cantamessa, the team will split its staff between Los Angeles and Milan, Italy. Fellow co-founders include Cristina Nava, Gian Marco Zanna, and Luca Breda, all three of which were previously at Ubisoft for 13-16 years.Soliani exited Ubisoft Milan this past July after 25 years. Along with the Mario+Rabbids games (which Nava, Zanna,...

19 days ago

Game Developer

Saber Interactive has another project lined up: creating a game for Paramount's Avatar franchise.The Space Marine 2 developer has been tapped to developer an action-RPG based on Nickelodeon's hit action-fantasy franchise. Paramount's games SVP Doug Rosen noted the studio's licensed games history made it a perfect fit for the series.Paramount and Saber will co-fund the project together, which reunites them after their previous team-up on the 2019 game World War Z."Through games, we’re able to expand the world-building and allow...

19 days ago

Game Developer

Game Developer has learned that eight developers from 11 Bit Studios were let go in December 2023, and it went without mention by the Frostpunk 2 creator.Recently, former studio writer Anna Sokalska explained that it has been "nine months after layoffs at 11 Bit, [and] I'm still searching for a job." At 11 Bit, she was a narrative designer on a project she said was simply known as "Gord."Speaking to that project, a spokesperson for 11 Bit told Game Developer...

19 days ago

Game Developer

Ti-Ning Kwa, a 3D artist who previously worked at LucasArts and Sims developer Maxis, passed away last week, according to an email from his former coworker Gaurav Mathur.Per information provided by Mathur and the family, Kwa got his start in games at Dynamix, where he provided artwork for 1998's Starsiege Tribes and 2001's Tribes 2. When the studio went defunct that same year, he and other Tribes team members went over to LucasArts.There, he did concept and world art for...

19 days ago

Game Developer

Starstruck: Hands of Time sees you digging out old Guitar Hero guitars to play tunes and becoming a giant hand that smashes a hand-crafted city of popsicle sticks and cardboard.Game Developer caught up with Max Ponoroff, the game’s director, to talk about what appealed to them about offering musical and destructive gameplay styles in the same game, how the developer’s own strange urge to wreck what they created resulted in the ridiculous giant hand segments, and how inspirations from Mister...

19 days ago

Game Developer

As a Senior Environment Artist with over a decade of experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most talented individuals in the game development industry. My journey has been shaped by leading large-scale projects, mentoring junior artists, and fostering innovation. However, one practice that I believe is not only outdated but also counterproductive is the use of art tests in the hiring process.The Misuse of Art TestsIn theory, art tests are intended to evaluate an artist’s...

19 days ago

Game Developer

Cairn was the most brutal game we saw at Gamescom.That's surprising in the sense that The Game Baker's Cairn is not a lot of game with blood, guts, or viscera. It also wasn't exceptionally difficult. But it nailed a terrifying sensation for anyone who's ever been rock climbing: the terrible strain put on your muscles as you're hanging dozens—or hundreds—of feet up in the air.Playing Cairn is obviously safer for your real body than the real deal, and it's even...

19 days ago

Game Developer

French developer Studio Black Flag has declared bankruptcy, and the studio has shut down.The studio, which was working on Orphan Age before its end, explained "communications broke down" between it and its publisher. Without present or future funding, the country's government has shut it down, effective immediately.Black Flag had its concerns about potentially closing in the summer, but said the last few weeks confirmed it was an "inevitable situation. Due to the legal specifics of this case, we were put...

20 days ago

Game Developer

A new report from Insider Gaming alleges Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) will require staff to work seven-day work weeks until mid-October.In an internal email obtained by the outlet, CIG leadership say the studio must meet deadlines before its annual Citizencon event on October 19. As such, it is "doubling down over the next 18 days" to finalize a Star Citizen patch and demo showcase for Squadron 42.All staff are required to work in the office on Friday, October 4 and...

20 days ago

Game Developer

PLAY Magazine's upcoming 46th issue on October 15 will be its last."The unfortunate truth is that at some point all games must come to an end," wrote editor Oscar Taylor-Kent. "That time has now come for PLAY as well."The original incarnation of PLAY released in June 1995, and has focused on Sony's PlayStation systems and games. It was initially considered a rival to Future Magazine's Official PlayStation Magazine.PLAY marks the second major video game publication to end in 2024. In...

20 days ago

Game Developer

Developer Sharkmob may lay off staff at its London studio after the team canceled an unannounced project.In a statement, Sharkmob explained the London team is in a consultation period to determine how much of its staff will be reduced. The unnamed project was in the works "for some time" prior to its end.Citing "industry challenges," the developer said it would "try and minimise this impact" as much as possible."This is an incredibly difficult time," Sharkmob continued, "and our focus is...

20 days ago

Game Developer

When Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader and Pathfinder: Kingmaker developer Owlcat Games stood up a publisher for narrative-focused games, it did so with years of self-publishing experience under its belt. In 2019, head of publishing Andrey Tsvetkov joined the company to build up a self-publishing arm, and after 5 years and the acquisition of publisher Meta Publishing, the company's ready share its success with other developers.Launching a new game publisher in 2024 is a bold choice. The last year hasn't just seen...

20 days ago