EVE Online developer CCP Games has brought on Icelandic economist Stefn rarinsson to serve as its new head of economy.rarinsson will help the studio "refine and legitimize" in-game player economies for its space survival game, EVE Frontier, and ensure the system "operate with the same diligence and analysis applied to real-world economies.""His appointment advances our goal toward building a truly open financial system within a virtual world," wrote CEO Hilmar Veigar Ptursson. "By removing currency controls and fostering emergent value systems, EVE Frontier will redefine virtual nation-building, offering insights into both digital and real-world economies.""Virtual economies are living, evolving financial systems that demand serious study," wrote rarinsson. "We aim not just to simulate a wide variety of economic activity but to study, refine, and validate how virtual economies function at scale; EVE Frontier will set the standard for how these systems can be structured, regulated, and understood."EVE Online's economy has been largely player-driven and operates on supply and demand. In 2007, CCP hired economist Eyjlfur Gumundsson to oversee the game's economy, a first-time event for the industry. After his exit in 2014, CCP hopes Frontier and rarinsson can continue the first game's "landmark work" in this regard and help its overall goal of "providing valuable insight into digital finance and decentralized economic systems."In hand with rarinsson's hiring, Frontier is getting a number of economy-related updates, the first of which focuses on monetary inflation, data gathering on players' decision-making and economic adaptation. Later updates will be done through CCP's Founder membership tier, providing a "fully controlled environment to model, predict, and optimize how virtual economies function under different conditions."Those results, said CCP, will "inform both the development of EVE Frontier and the broader conversation about how digital economies can be examined, structured and sustained in the future."

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 6, 20252 Min ReadImage via Welevel.At a GlanceMunich-based Welevel has raised $5.7 million to develop an unnanounced sandbox game and a suite of AI tools.Independent studio Welevel recently raised $5.7 million in a round of seed funding. The German studio plans to put that money toward growing its staff and developing AI tools made to "streamline game development and create dynamic, personalized gameplay."According to the announcement, these tools "innovate on world-building, NPC behavior, and quest generation, through sophisticated algorithms that make interactions tailored to each player. This system allows for adaptive storytelling where players choices shape the world in unexpected ways, providing a truly dynamic experience."Venture firm Bitkraft, which previously put invested in Sprocket Games and Lightforge Games (among other ventures), led the majority of Welevel's funding.Welevel's debut project game is a triple-A survival game. Founder and CEO Christian Heimerl believed his previous AI experience at past companies allowed him to recognize "the potential it has to empower small, passionate teams to produce games. In the past four years, our team has engineered tools and an AI platform that allow us to not just rival triple-A studios, but surpass them with a living, breathing world."Along with its unannounced game, the studio plans to branch off to "expansive user-generated content and aspirations to expand into other genres and settings."GenAI-ai-aiThe AI tool boom is here, and developers of many sizes are trying to get in on it.In the triple-A sector, Ubisoft, Microsoft, and EA have used generative AI or made tools of their own to aid in development. Ubisoft has its Ghostwriter tool, and EA employed genAI to help with the athlete likenesses of EA Sports College Football 25.More recently, Microsoft unveiled Muse, its latest AI model it promised will help "generate game visuals, controller actions, or both." Xbox head Phil Spencer hyped up its usefulness with the promise of aiding in game preservation and "effectively supporting human creatives."Earlier this week, Xbox subsidiary Activision Blizzard was found allegedly using the technology to promote nonexistent Guitar Hero and Crash Bandicoot games to see if players would like spinoffs from those franchises.Outside the heavy hitters, smaller teams like Echo Chunk and Jam & Tea have used genAI to make puzzle games and mutiplayer RPGs. Like Welevel, both studios are bough into the idea of the technology's ability to reduce the development workload and "revolutionize games."Read more about:FundingGenerative AIAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 6, 20252 Min ReadImage via Jackbox Games.At a GlanceWith GameLift Streams, Amazon is offering developers a faster and cheaper way to let players stream their games.Amazon's GameLift service now features streaming capabilities that allow developers and publishers to "build and deliver global, direct-to-player game streaming experiences."The streams will enable them to release games directly onto any device with a web browser, including PCs, mobile phones, and SmartTVs. As Amazon notes, this means companies "[avoid] investing millions of dollars in infrastructure and software development to build your own service. Players can start gaming in just a few seconds, without waiting for downloads or installs."Party game developer Jackbox is GameLift Streams' first proponent, and CTO Evan Jacover lauded how the technology easily integrated with its games. "Based on our experiences talking with other streaming platforms, we were anticipating having to do a custom build, but we didnt need to," he said. "We just took our Windows build, uploaded it to Amazon GameLift Streams, and it ran. The whole process was efficient, and the game looked and sounded great."Jackbox's game library has grown enough to require a unified launcher, and Jacover noted that scaling for each individual title would require "a lot of overhead." Gamelift Streams let the developer scale "for our whole catalog, which makes everything much more efficient. Keeping costs down is the key to making streaming work from a business standpoint, so these efficiencies really add up."To further prove GameLift Streams' capabilities, Jackbox launched a SmartTV app. Longtime players can access their library from the app in a "more elegant and streamlined way," and newcomers without a console have an easier way to explore the developer's work.According to Amazon's blog, the GameLift Streams SDK integrates with a game's already existing services, storefronts, and launchers to enable streaming. Developers can use the SDK console to observe active streams and scale the infrastructure across multiple regions on the Amazon Web Services network. "GameLift Streams is the only solution that enables you to upload your game content onto fully-managed GPU instances in the cloud and start streaming in minutes," it reads, "with little or no modification of your code."Read more about:Amazon GamesAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

TheIGF(Independent Games Festival) aims to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize independent game developers advancing the medium.This year, Game Developer sat down with the finalists for the IGF's Nuevo and grand prizesahead of GDC to explore the themes, design decisions, and tools behind each entry. Game Developer and GDC are sibling organizations under Informa.Nuovo award nominee individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware rant manifesto is a living digital museum and explorable discussion that takes the player through the developers thoughts on the current trajectory of tech and art.Game Developer spoke with Nathalie Lawhead, the game's creator, to discuss what drew them to take their thoughts on social media and the restriction of tech and art and turn them into a game, the unique power that interaction has to make a subject really connect with someone, and how to weave even the games store page into part of the games exploration of its subject matter.Who are you, and what was your role in developing individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware rant manifesto?I'm a solo-developer that makes experimental software and games. My work has been around, including one of my more popular games, Everything is going to be OK, making it into the permanent collection of MoMA in New York.Last year I started lecturing for various events. One of the going themes in my public speaking has been the way social media privatized the internet, and how that has affected our own creative freedom on computers.It's a long-standing concern for me because computers started out as such egalitarian things where (simply put) anyone could make a thing and share it, steadily shifting to today's tech-vision where we have all these walled gardens and private platforms that are actually fairly restrictive.The social media layer built over the internet, and the type of internet that we use the most now, has caused positive social change, sure, but I fear that the positive is widely being overshadowed by the empowerment of far-right radicalization and fascism. There's a lot of uncertainty about the future of tech (and the place any individual human has in it) under the shadow of AI and monopolies.My hope of turning some of these talking points into an interactive essay was that maybe it would reach a different crowd that usually doesn't care about reading long articles. It did, too! The conversations it started were interesting to follow.If we challenge these things as artists, we encourage people to believe in a better vision of the future. Art is the greatest conduit to inspire social change. I believe the same to be true for games.If we have these movements to "keep politics out of games" or attack marginalized voices to keep them out of games, or whatever... then you have to acknowledge the other side of the coin that there's something about games that can affect social change. Games are a type of art that is deeply meaningful in the digital landscape. I think, even if there is negative friction, that's where artists need to be.What's your background in making games?I started as a net-artist in the late 90's and eventually ended up in games because "game" became an umbrella term to encompass pretty much all interactive art on a computer.How did you come up with the concept for individualism in the dead-internet age: an anti-big tech asset flip shovelware rant manifesto?Interactive essaysusing games for the sake of critical theory or documentarian purposeshave been a thing for a long time. There have been these beautiful experiences like madotsuki's closet, a digital art piece about Yume Nikki, or experiences like The Last Survey that are more of a narrative essay. The intersection between essays and games based on personal experiences is strong.What fascinates me is how existing in a game can grow to encompass more than just fiction. You can use it to illustrate these impactful topics in a way that is deeply meaningful to players. The end result is much more personal to the person playing it than if they were to just read an article about what you have to say.A while ago, someone pointed out the quote "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" when I was talking about how making a game is an impactful way to talk about games, and I love that comparison. There's so much room for the medium to grow here. I think games criticism, critical theory, and essays being "playable" is an obvious thing to explore. It's certainly much more impactful to people when they are "in" the thing you are talking about.What development tools were used to build your game?I used Unreal. The itch page jokingly boasts the features of: "Pedantic views on tech feudalism with nice shader work, and good reflection captures. Overly critical views on capitalism with lumen and nanite enabled."I wanted to use something that's usually associated with high fidelity AAA type of games, using all the latest offerings of the engine, because it's kind of punk to appropriate that type of AAA aesthetic for something completely counter to what that aesthetic represents. The mainstream has always appropriated queer, punk, and subculture aesthetics. It seemed like an interesting statement to do the opposite as a way to package criticism of capitalism.What challenges and/or exciting possibilities came out of the idea of presenting your thoughts on this subject as a playable experience? What felt compelling about creating an essay players could inhabit and explore instead of one out of just words?I think you can reach more people if you package what you are saying in an intriguing way. Digital art is a huge possibility space. The internet is kind of divided into these groups of text, audio, or video, but computers can take that so much further. Games are the intersection of all these things, and there's space for exploring how essays could look in context of a game.I think it's interesting to point out that streamers and Youtubers have, in many ways, grown more popular than online text-based outlets. Youtubers often repackage these messages into their own videos, and people will rarely actually look into the writing being sourced. Video is just more intriguing of a delivery platform. That's a generalization, but I think it captures how people consume content online.Following that tangent, I wondered if a video game would be just as impactful. Would people be receptive to "playing" an essay about this? If it looked intriguing and high quality enough, would it draw people in?Individualism in the dead internet age is built to be something you meander through while letting the environment illustrate the words. Links to different articles offer tangents, or rabbit holes, that you can fall into, all illustrating the points of the game.We need more playable essays. It's a wonderful format!What thoughts went into structuring the experience? Into creating the museum-like environment that guides the player through history and your thoughts while also allowing them the freedom to ignore the path and follow what they desire?I've been steadily saving "free for the month" asset bundles from the Epic game store, where developers give away these expensive beautiful assets for free.I'm usually, and just on a personal artistic level, against using assets from others for my own work. There's a stigma to it that I'm paranoid about. I feel like that superstitious fear of what gamers will think is something that holds me back. I decided I wanted to just go completely into that direction of what's considered "taboo" to deliver a commentary on tech culture. It turned out interesting because there's this level of self-awareness and self-parody that kind of comes through.Things are paced out so that you are tasked with "collecting" parts of the essay, like its a museum tour, while stopping in front of these assets to look at them, or look at the links in the display windows.Understanding that players will be players and some will just run through the whole thing, I kept in mind to build it so it can be silly and weird to do that too. You can actually escape the "museum" and walk off into the void if you wanted to. It ends up being a very strange relic of a world to explore.How did you shape the loud, colorful, chaotic varied, vibrant spaces the player would explore as they played the game? How did you choose the many, many varied visual elements in this game? Are there elements of the creative Wild West that was the early internet present in how you shaped this game?Individualism in the dead internet age is built to be kind of like a museum so you have these throwbacks to old internet art and old desktop elements that all illustrate how vibrant our online culture used to be. Some of it is worked into the world to be almost unsettling... Like being stalked by the giant smiley face as you suddenly find yourself exploring the old Windows 3D Maze screensaver while listening to rants about AI and social media.The results ended up feeling kind of haunted. I think it's because these familiar old elements are used so out-of-contextlike you're exploring a lost past.What unique thoughts and challenges came from creating this work? From doing so using third party assets?It was really hard pacing the audio out in a way that players would get it all, within the order they're supposed to get it, while letting the player also feel free to go where they want.I've never used third party assets before to this extent. It was beautiful to be introduced to this generous space of asset creators that put out so much of their work that kind of ends up being melted into other people's games. Even if you work alone, game development is collaborative in nature.I really wanted to highlight that work without it getting lost in the background.The exaggerated use of third party assets plays a big part in giving the text a voice. Building this definitely made me more appreciative of asset creators, or these movements in games like Plundercore where games are made up of recognizable stolen pieces that are re-contextualized to become something else. Other media has so much of this, like sampling culture in music, or collaging for zine making.It was an intentional decision to use other people's assetsthese assets then being re-contextualized into something that is criticizing the current tech culture of AI... when one of the major criticisms of AI is that learning models are populated by "stolen work." It challenges my own discomfort surrounding ownership, fairness, and copyright. How am I different as an artist using these assets? Am I being a hypocrite, or am I being "subversive"?You also put a great deal of thought into the presentation, playfulness, and language of the game's itch.io store page (although you always put this kind of creativity into your store pages). What particular elements felt important to implement into the game's store page, and what drew you to draw from language about shovelware and visual fidelity/effects for your description of the game?The title is the best explanation. It's a chaotic bundle of everything that popular culture has tried to reject about games. It's an asset flip, which is a strong insult. It's shovelware, which players complain about. The word rant is crossed out because, for the sake of self-importance, it's a manifesto!I think the self-awareness on the outset is a good commentary on itself. The fact that it so heavily criticizes capitalism, while being built in Unreal Engine, bragging about using all the latest bells and whistles, is also a wonderful self-criticism. It criticizes AI while also using re-contextualized work. The comment wheel is spinning, so is this even a serious work? It's weirdly between being really super critical while also mocking itself.The current culture of technofeudalism, technocapitalism, mixed with a good dose of dead-internet... all these keywords... Present day is so darkly dystopian it comes around to being almost funny, in a morbid way. I kind of hope people get the subtle ridiculousness of it all.

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Frogger and Call of Duty 4 headline nominees for 2025's Video Game Hall of FameFrogger and Call of Duty 4 headline nominees for 2025's Video Game Hall of FameThe Strong Museum's Hall of Fame candidates for 2025 include some familiar faces and fresh new pickings.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 6, 20251 Min ReadImage via Infinity Ward/Activision.At a GlancePlayers can vote for the Video Game Hall of Fame noms until March 13, and winners will be revealed on May 8.The Strong Museum has revealed its newest set of nominees for the Video Game Hall of Fame.2025's candidates for industry-shaping giants are the original Angry Birds, 2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, 1997's Age of Empires, 1981's Defender and Frogger, 007: GoldenEye, Harvest Moon, Golden Tee Golf, the Tamagotchi, the first Quake, Mattel Football, and the very first NBA 2K.Do several of these look familiar? It wasn't that long ago that Quake, NBA 2K, Angry Birds, GoldenEye, Call of Duty 4 and Age of Empires were part of the 2023 finalists. That year, they all lost to Naughty Dog's The Last of Us (the original PlayStation 3 release from 2013) and Barbie Fashion Designer.Frogger was previously nominated in 2020, and Mattell Football in 2021.New contenders for the Video Game Hall of FameAs for the newer candidates, the Strong Museum recognized each of them for their impact on the game industry. Defender was lauded as a title which proved "players would embrace more complex and challenging games in the arcade. [...] It sold more than 55,000 unitshigh figures for an arcade machineand helped create a new market for more difficult games."Meanwhile, Amccus' Harvest Moon's "innovative blend of life simulation, community-building, and in-game time management established the farming sim genre, influencing countless games such asAnimal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Farmville,and many others." Tamagotchi was similarly praised for starting the pet simulation genre, "yielding popular games such asNeopets, Nintendogs,and many other social media and app-based games."Players can vote for their favorite game from now until next Thursday, March 13. The Strong will announce the inductees on Thursday, May 8.Read more about:CultureAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Indie newsletter and resource hub Pantaloon has launched a publishing label to provide a "home for misfits."The company said it hopes to bring weird and wayward games to market in the micro-indie space.Pantaloon will offer full brand-lead marketing campaigns, release management and store optimization, production and QA services, development financing, and more."Pantaloon operates in the micro-indie space, looking to build a label of small games with big hooks. For now, our dev-budgets are in the $30k-$100k sort of range, but we strive to be as flexible as possible on this front," reads an explainer on the Pantaloon website.Pantaloon looking for an "offbeat quality" in projects"Pantaloon isn't handcuffed to a genre. We do look for a theme, however. An aesthetic. An intangible offbeat quality that simply makes your game bizarre. We want to explore uncharted genre-waters and find new combinations of systems that havent been brought together before."The label will typically offer a 70/30 revenue split in favor of developers but is prepared to take a smaller cut. Developers who sign with Pantaloon will retain full ownership of their IP and won't be locked into a contract thanks to the use of open termination clauses. In addition, Pantaloon explained it will never force a recoup upon its partners.The company hopes those terms will "restore the broken power balance in the indie publishing world."Pantaloon's publishing slate currently includes Sub-Verge from New Zealand-based developer Interactive Tragedy and Occlude from UK studio Tributary Games. It will also be handling the Steam release of Puzzletrunk.Label founder Jamin Smith said the world "probably doesn't need another indie publisher" but hopes Pantaloon can find success by operating with a different set of principles."With an existing awareness platform and terms that give novel agency and security to development partners, we then seek to actively court risk, finding peculiar or experimental games that can chart unexplored or choppy genre-waters," he added."'A home for misfits' is more than just a tagline; its a call to arms for games that dont fit traditional publishing structures."

In 2010, the team at League of Legends developer Riot Games was feeling nervous. Their scrappy multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) was taking off, but a few hours south in Anaheim, Blizzard was preparing to launch Starcraft II, a blockbuster PC strategy game that could eat up their audience and smother League before it had a chance to explode. It was an inflection point for the studio and game industry as a whole. Both companies were asking the same fundamental question: "what do players want from online games?"Things worked out fine for League of Legends. 16 years after launch, it's still logging millions of daily average players and driving millions in revenue for Riot Games, which has since spun up other titles like Teamfight Tactics and Valorantand is about to dive into the tag-team fighting game genre with 2XKO.Now, the companyand the game industry as a wholeare asking that question again.A lot has changed in those 16 years. Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment had to grow up. Both have settled lawsuits with the California Civil Rights Department over allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace, and both have laid off workers in the face of rising production costs and plateauing player spending.League players have aged, meaning many can't commit as much time or physical effort into mastering their favorite champions. Younger players, raised on a feast of survival crafting games like Minecraft or social UGC games like Roblox, have different tastes. And as studio co-founder and chief product officer Marc Merrill pointed out to Game Developer in a conversation at DICE 2025, audience expectations for what are now called "live service games" are higher than ever, raising the stakes for projects that sometimes require hundreds of millions of dollars to get off the ground.So, how does the company move forward? Merrill said Riot is eyeing at the "social interactions" that are driving conversation about online games of late, but it's also sticking to its original strategy: converting players into people who say "I play League of Legends," instead of "I play video games."2XKO's social lobby will be key to its successUnlike MOBAs or tactical first-person shooters, fighting games have survived and thrived since the arcade eras thanks to robust, often player-driven meetups where players cheer each other on (or throw around trash talk) in real life. Riot has a history of spinning up esports events, but Merrill acknowledged meeting this community where it lives will require a more different approach.But a more interesting question was this: while Riot's publishing arms get 2XKO in front of players, how will the development team help players socialize online? The answer is in the game's pre-match lobby. As the company's revealed in its closed alpha tests, players spend time between matches not staring at a matchmaking screen, but navigating a digital arcade using customizable avatars.Riot's not the first to roll out a feature like this. Capcom's Street Fighter VI has a similar lobby feature. But in 2XKO's case you can see the groundwork for what you might call a "Roblox-ification" of online spaces. Emotes, character skins, the ability to just run around in circles next to your friends (making it a space for players who might just want to relax and chat with pals instead of square up for matches).Players in the lobby can even walk over to other arcade cabinets to peer at games in progresscertainly a more engaging way to spectate other games without navigating menus.Riot's been experimenting with its pre-game lobby design for several years, going so far as to update the League of Legends launcher to allow players to pre-select what roles they'd like to play before entering a lobbya significant move that cemented the fixed roles players take on in League matches (top lane, mid lane, "jungler," etc.).It's an effective menu, but it's also overwhelming for new or (speaking from recent personal experience) returning players. "You can dunk on it," Merrill said in reference to the League main menu as we compared and contrasted the two systems.A perhaps unfair ribbing of the menu screen experienced by most of Riot Games' customers' aside (that is carefully maintained and updated by hardworking developers, the compare-and-contrast allowed us to discuss Riot's top-level strategy for the "lifespan" of its online gamesand how taking a wide a view as possible of that lifespan is essential to its continued market position.Avoiding conventional "industry logic" about online gamesMerrill laid out two ideas about the future of online games that he fundamentally disagrees with. First, he said it's "absurd" to think that young Roblox players are forever bound to the block-based game's ecosystem, "A lot of times the social motivations and [desire] to play where your friends are playingthose things are incredibly powerful," he said. "But that doesn't mean if somebody grew up in Roblox, that all they're gonna do for their life is played like block games or a Roblox-like." Those playerslike any other playerare on the hunt for experiences that resonate with them, those experiences may just take different forms.The second idea, was that the only way for a company to view an online game's lifespan was through the lens of growth, peak, and inevitable decline. If you followed that logic, League of Legends would be considered a failure since its monthly average user count is estimated to have peaked in 2022."One thing we try to fight a lot is the mindset that the product life cycle is one of growth, a spike, and then a slow decline. That's also silly," he said. "There is entropy, there's downward pressure, it's hard to keep people engaged over a long period of time and continue to make it fresh. But that doesn't mean there aren't incredible things to do to improve the experience."Those "things" might not just be updates to the content pipeline. Riot's triple-pronged strategy of esports, animated adaptations, and music productions are all part of the strategy to sustain League of Legends even though it may not be as popular as it was in the 2010s. "That would never have happened if we were like 'well, you know, we start to see churn rates increasing, time to go move all resources to something else,'" said Merrill.Devs who want to follow this strategy but maybe don't have Riot's cash can still study its success. "Look at it from a motivational lens," he continued. "Why do people like this game in the first place? And then it's, are [you] doing a sufficient job of delivering to those expectations or not?" He pointed to Blizzard's World of Warcraft as another game executing on this strategy (without an animated Netflix show in sight...just don't ask about a certain 2016 feature film).Elsewhere, Riot continued experimenting in a bid to minimize the infamous toxicity that's become affiliated with League of Legends. Merrill repeated the company's talking point that in-game harassment is far less prevalent than it may seem from the outside (but the few bad eggs going above and beyond to hurt people have a big impact, he acknowledged), but there are fascinating new frontiers to explore. Of late, he said Riot is studying how the dynamics of League matches drive toxicity, sometimes driven by a misalignment between what different teammates want out of a match."Some [toxic] players feel justified on what they're doing and why," he said, laying out a use case where a player in the "ADC" role (a damage-focused role in League of Legends) might feel frustrated by a "support" player not keeping up with them or being repeatedly taken out by the enemy team.Or there's the inversewhere a support player is playing passively and has an ADC teammate they can't keep up with. Across millions of games being played, some percentage of them will trigger that "emotional spike" for players, and they'll say a thing they might not say otherwise. He compared it to how even the most mild-mannered of people will get aggressive when caught in traffic.Identifying those mismatches is relatively easy. The solutions are tricky. He said Riot is examining if there are matchmaking solutions to help players looking for similar experiences, saying it's an "untapped frontier." But if Riot overcommits to that strategy, it risks taking away some of the friction of a competitive multiplayer game.If there's one takeaway for other developers from the multi-pronged approach Riot is taking to changing player demographics, it's that you don't have to look at the popular interest in emerging genres as a sign players aren't into your game. Times change, tastes change, and companies can risk falling behind the curvebut you don't have to look at tomorrow's players as an impossible enigma. Just like yesterday's, they're searching for great experiences, and there's good odds your game might just be what they're looking for.

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Obituary: Legacy of Kain writer Jim Curry has diedObituary: Legacy of Kain writer Jim Curry has diedAlong with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Curry wrote Akuji: The Heartless and handled marketing for the Gex games.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 5, 20251 Min ReadImage via Ellen Curry.At a GlanceThe family of Game industry veteran and Legacy of Kain writer Jim Curry has confirmed his passing.Jim Curry, a writer and marketing manager on Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and the Gex series, passed away in mid-February.In an obituary on his Facebook page, his wife Ellen revealed he had been battling an undisclosed illness for "over two years.""It has been an exhausting, difficult, and sad struggle, and we have cherished many moments along the way," she wrote. "Jim died surrounded by family."According to MobyGames, Curry got his start in the industry as a special advisor on 1991's Marvel Land and on the "Hometek Team" for Rolling Thunder 2 that same year. Most of his credits, such as 3D Baseball and Abomination, pertain to product marketing. Along with Soul Reaver, his writing credits include Battle Cars (as a copywriter), Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (cinematic script editor), and Akuji: The Heartless.Both Soul Reaver and its sequel were recently remastered in a bundle for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S, and serve as his final credited work.Read more about:ObituariesAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Translation studio Transperfect acquires support dev Technicolor GamesTranslation studio Transperfect acquires support dev Technicolor GamesAs part of Transperfect's game division, Technicolor will 'reinforce its reputation as a premier provider of art, animation, and VFX services to the global video game industry.'Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 5, 20251 Min ReadImage via BioWare/EA.At a GlanceTransperfect has purchased support studio Technicolor Games after the financial collapse of Technicolor.Transperfect, a company that specializes in language services across the film and game industries, recently purchased Technicolor Games for an undisclosed fee. The new subsidiary will operate as part of Transperfect Gaming.The company's game division provides services such as art production, QA, and audio services. Its past clients have included localization for Blizzard Entertainment and Inxile and customer support and marketing for Candivore.In the announcement, Technicolor CEO Andy Emery said the acquisition "ensures [Technicolor's] legacy continues, reinforcing its reputation as a premier provider of art, animation, and VFX services to the global video game industry."Based in North America, Asia, and the UK, Technicolor Games. has done animation and VFX work for Kingdom Come Deliverance II, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and EA Sports FC 25. As part of the deal, Emery and global business VP Eric Williams will remain and join Transparent Gaming's senior leadership team.Technicolor's India-based employees will also be moved back to its Bangalore facility to "ensure continuity of business for all clients."This appears to be Transperfect's first video game-related acquisition since its purchase of localization company MoGi Group in 2019.Read more about:M&ATop StoriesLayoffsAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Report: Ballistic Moon 'effectively closed now' after Until Dawn remake's launchReport: Ballistic Moon 'effectively closed now' after Until Dawn remake's launchThe developer already cut staff last fall, and now it's claimed only the founders and a 'handful' of employees remain.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 5, 20251 Min ReadImage via Ballistic Moon/Supermassive Games/PlayStation.At a GlanceSeveral sources are claiming Until Dawn remake developer Ballistic Moon is "effectively closed."Ballistic Moon, the studio behind the recent remake for Until Dawn, has reportedly closed its doors.Several sources speaking to Insider Gaming allege the UK developer has "effectively closed." These insiders say the studio laid off 20 more employees since its last layoff round in September 2024, where the company let go of around 40 people.Those same sources stated the remaining staff include founders Duncan Kershaw, Neil McEwan and Chris Lamb and "possibly" a handful of employees. One source revealed there is "no one working on patch support for the game anymore."The Until Dawn remake released for PlayStation 5 and PC in October 2024. Since its launch, Sony has been quiet on its performance (and existence), and it appeared to have a weak opening in the UK.Kershaw, McEwan, and Lamb previously worked at Until Dawn's original creator, Supermassive Games, before starting Ballistic Moon in 2020. The remake is the developer's first and only released game.Insider Gaming noted the company is still active in "technical terms," but the founders have reportedly failed to secure funding or a new publisher, and "there is no work being done." More work from Sony was apparently discussed, such as funding for more updates to the remake, but those funds never manifested.Game Developer has contacted Sony and Ballistic Moon, and will update when a response is provided.Read more about:LayoffsAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

41 titles have received nominations in totalincluding Astro Bot, Still Wakes the Deep, and Thank Goodness You're Here!

Sony is reportedly conducting layoffs across its Visual Arts and PlayStation Studios Malaysia support studios.Numerous current and former PlayStation employees shared the news on Linkedin, indicating there have been widespread cuts on a global scale."I don't often post, in fact, I think this is my first post. So with sadness in my heart, I was part of the PlayStation Visual Arts layoffs today," wrote senior material artist Lewis Labram."My 16-year journey at Visual Arts has come to an end as I was recently affected by this week's layoffs. It has been a great run and a privilege to work with some truly amazing people on fantastic projects over the years," added animation supervisor Chris Clyde.A number of other Visual Arts workers indicated their time at the studio has come to an end, prompting an outpouring of support from friends and colleagues.Sony also appears to have downsized other PlayStation teams.PlayStation Studios Malaysia senior project manager Johann Affendy Mahfoor claimed a "mass workforce reduction" has swept across the studio and its global counterpartspushing them out of the door on the eve of their two-year work anniversary."As mentioned in the other post, there was a wave of mass workforce reduction which affected Malaysia and our global counterparts. Unfortunately I'm no longer part of the PS brand, along with a few other Production mates in this then-cheerful lunch photo," they added."Saddest, most devastating part for me was seeing high performers and key individuals who were actively working on projects being laid off. I wish everyone affected all the very best, and I hope we all come back stronger from this challenging ordeal."Sony continues to downsize PlayStation teams following project cancellations and studio closuresThose statements appear to corroborate a report from Kotaku, which has spoken to one anonymous source who claimed Sony is conducting widespread layoffs across its network of internal studios.Kotaku claims some of those laid off had been working on now-canceled projects, but that others were also impacted.The latest reports have surfaced just months after Sony scrapped live-service misfire Concord and shuttered internal studios Firewalk and Neon Koi. Prior to that, it laid off around 900 workers across key studios such as Insomniac, Guerrilla, and Naughty Dog.The PlayStation maker also reportedly canceled a live-service project in development at Bend Studio at the beginning of 2025.Sony is now attempting to "maximise synergies" under fresh leadership. At the beginning of the year, the company appointed Hideaki Nishino as president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment to "reach new heights."Moving forward, Nishino said the company must focus on its two biggest strengths: technology and creativity. "We will continue to grow the PlayStation community in new ways, such as IP expansion, while also delivering the best in technology innovation," he added.Game Developer has reached out to Sony for comment.

Longtime support developer PTW has changed its name to Side, a move that the company hopes will express its "commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutionsside-by-sidewith [our] global partners across a wider range of specialisms."In addition to landing it a new logo and mission statement, Side says that the rebranding also serves as a brand unification bid. The move will unite its multiple studios under a single, freshly rebranded umbrella.As explained by comments from chief revenue officer Kaley Hurst: "This rebrand is the amalgamation of years of organic and inorganic growth, strategic planning for the future, and the realization that we are stronger together in both brand and values.Side hopes its unified banner will convey its various services, like QA and localization, through a collaborative lens. Per CEO Deborah Kirkham, "At the core of the rebrand is the promise to infuse technology with human ingenuity across all Side solutions." Those solutions and teams include over 40 studios in 14 countries and projects across Side's 1518 Studios, Ghostpunch Games, PTW, and SIDE."For years now, our company has operated as one team, with one vision driving how we do business Im proud that all our employees are now united under one banner," continues Kirham's statement. "The new brand symbolizes our commitment to delivering innovative, tailored solutions that drive our partners successes around the world."Before its new name, Side opened a new studio in Charleston, North Carolina, its fifth in North America. It also opened a mocap studio in London and acquired Ghostpunch Games, a fellow co-development studio on Risk of Rain 2, for its AI-powered services. In early 2024, it laid off 45 employees across its global teams. The layoffs followed its contributions to 2023 games like Dead Island 2, Starfield, and Baldur's Gate 3. More recently, Side's portfolio includes Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II, Kingdom Come Deliverance II, and Sid Meier's Civilization VII.

The game is now the fastest-selling title in Capcom history and another big hit for the developer this decade.

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Free-to-play browser game Urban Dead taken offline by UK's online safety lawFree-to-play browser game Urban Dead taken offline by UK's online safety lawThe UK's Online Safety Act requires platforms consistently moderate younger players, a feat developer Kevan Davis said isn't possible for Urban Dead.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 4, 20251 Min ReadImage via Kevan Davis.At a GlanceUrban Dead is being shut down just months before its 20-year anniversary on account of a new UK law.After a near 20-year run, the free-to-play browser game Urban Dead is shutting down on March 14.Creator Kevan Davis' statement pointed fingers at the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA) of 2023. Under the law, all social and video game websites are "more responsible for their users safety on their platforms," according to its website. "Platforms will be required to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content and provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise."The kind of moderation is tough on developers with minimal or no resources to comply, like Davis. He admitted that it "doesn't look feasible" for Urban Dead to follow the OSA's rules or face "the possibility of heavy corporate-sized fines.""No grand finale. No final catastrophe. No helicopter evac. Make your peace or your final stand in whichever part of Malton you called home, and the game will be switched off at noon UTC on 14 March," he wrote.Urban Dead is a text-based MMO wherein players begin as either a survivor or zombie in a quarantined region in the fictional city of Malton. Upon death, survivors are made into zombies, while the slain undead can be "revivified" into a living person.The game's sudden end is a notable blow to the browser and free-to-play sectors of the game industry, and another addition to the ever-growing tomb of multiplayer games taken offline.Davis said that if the game ever gets revived or spun off "in any way in the future," he would directly confirm it on the game's website.Read more about:CultureAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

It both was and wasn't surprising to see Team Asobi's Astro Bot scoop up another game of the year win at the 2025 DICE Awards. As Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr put it, "there is catharsis to be found in the silly and absurd," and Astro Bot delivers that catharsis in spades. It's as equal a contendor as every other game of the year award nominee from 2024, no doubt about that.That said, plenty of small, cathartic games have been up for top end-of-year prizes for many years nowbut few break past longer, more bombastic titles. You'll either see narrative behemoths like The Last of Us Part 2 sweep ceremonies, or watch developers get knocked out of the way as the ambitious design of games like Elden Ring barrel through the competition. To see the little blue-and-white bot tap-dancing past huge games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Helldivers 2, while also skating by surprise 2024 hit Balatro (offering each of them a little kiss on the cheek as it passes), represents a break from the last decade's trend.Is it a fluke? Luck? A consequence of split tickets derived from first-past-the-post voting systems? Maybe! Or maybe not? At the ceremony, Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet told Game Developer there might be something bigger going on behind the wins, a "deeper message" that indicates game developers and players are ready to embrace "more compact" games."Fun doesn't have to come in a large size"When we flagged down Doucet, he'd already passed by several times, accepting the studio's awards for technical, animation, and design achievement, as well as 'family game of the year.' He said he wished more of the studio could have been present in Las Vegas for the show, since the wins are a huge collective achievement for Team Asobi.But give Doucet credithe has frequently devoted time at award shows to praise not only his collaborators, but his peers in game development. At The Game Awards in December 2024, he thanked a certain developer in Kyoto for being such a huge inspiration and for "showing there's innovation and quality consistently" in platformers, acting as a huge inspiration for him and Asobi."I've managed not to mention them, have you noticed?" he asked, eyes flickering across the crowdpossibly towards where Sony management was sitting. Risking heat for showing that kind of gratitude signals he's a leader aware of how the game industry is a shared ecosystem, even when companies are direct competitors.Image via Team Asobi/Sony Interactive Entertainment.Image via Team Asobi/Sony Interactive Entertainment.That canniness was on display at DICE too. He noted that while Astro Bot had already picked up many Game of the Year awards, the DICE award was one awarded by his peers in game developmentan honor handed down with understanding of the kind of work it took to produce a bitesized video game bursting with joy. "It's important that we made a game that's quite compact, that is not trying to be too big," he said. "I recognize the fact that it means it's a deeper message than we thought we had sent."What message was that? "Fun doesn't have to come in a large size," he said. "It's not about volume. I think we believed [that] early on, and now after this, even more so.""It's going to be a drive for us to keep things simple and really focus on quality over quantity.""Quality over quantity" is a major struggle for the video game industryDon't take Doucet's words as some knock on the bigger-budget hits Astro Bot has soared past. Again, a director who goes out of his way to thank his direct competitors is someone making clear he doesn't view the business as a knock-down-drag-out brawl, and many of Sony's titanic games are honored in Astro Bot as collectible pals with cute outfits players can encounter on their adventure.But it certainly is a gentle nudge against the game industry's direction since the heyday of the 3D platformers that inspired Astro Bot. As Game Developer's resident Star Wars freak, the history of Star Wars games is a useful measuring stick here. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast took about a year-and-a-half to make. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor took about three years, not counting the foundation it benefitted from in its predecessor Jedi: Fallen Order. Star Wars Outlaws took around four years. Each game is stuffed to the brim with content and technical work that required larger and larger teamsbut how much of that work is being appreciated by players?Outlaws' huge budget made it all the more painful when it debuted to relatively soft sales. When large games made by large teams don't hit, that's a massive amount of money spent for little return.Astro Bot wasn't at risk of falling into that trap. Former Gamesindustry.biz editor Christopher Dring reported in 2024 that it was developed in around three years by a team of roughly 60 people. That makes its 1.5 million copies sold in two months a very efficient return on investment for Sony. That's comparable to the reach of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a game made by a much larger team in development for seven to 10 years depending on how you measure it.(An obligatory asidethe oversized budgets and development cycles for big-budget games are rarely the responsibility of the people working on them, and these comparisons are not an assessment of quality. That's something I have to write now because even some game industry professionals are being unbelievably weird about The Veilguard, a game that was well-received by the 1.5 million-plus players who did pick it up).Doucet has it right. The industry excitement for Astro Bot is a message with great meaning. The cynical and cash-minded will look at its wins and think they should pivot to cute 3D platformers that appeal to players of all-ages. The savvy and creative will see the same result and recognize there are a thousand great games you could make with the same budget and team sizeand they just need those who control of the purse strings to make it happen.

Long-serving Jagex CEO Phil Mansell is vacating the role after eight years.Mansell will be succeeded by Jon Bellamy, who previously held executive roles at the company from 2015 to 2018 and has served on the Jagex Board since 2024.Notably, Bellamy also serves as an advisor for CVC Capital Partnersthe private equity firm that purchased Jagex alongside Haveli Investments in 2024.Mansell served as CEO from 2017. He initially joined Jagex in 2011 as a lead designer on PC title Stellar Dawn, before transitioning into the role of Runescape design and monetisation manager.He climbed the ranks over the next decade, serving as executive producer of Runescape and Old School Runescape, vice president of studios, and eventually CEO.In a post shared on Linkedin, Mansell said he's passing the torch to Bellamy so he can deliver the next phase of growth."I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved as a team over the last 10+ years," said Mansell. "Consistent player and revenue growth in a turbulent market, near-tripling the playerbase, expanding into mobile, winning a BAFTA, innovating in community-driven games and forging RuneScape as one of the absolute top MMORPG franchises. This is an amazing platform setup for even greater success ahead."Mansell will remain with the company for the time being to ensure a smooth transition.Inbound CEO Bellamy intends to outline his broader vision for Jagex in the near future, but said he remains committed to ensuring the quality of the company's product slate."Its a great honour to assume the leadership of Jagex and to help steward a game franchise that means so much to so many millions, myself included," he added in a press release."I am also excited to get to work with the outstanding team, whom I know well from my time on the Board, to ensure our games continue to be the best in the world. I plan to spend some time now with the team, reviewing our ambitions for Jagex, and plan to communicate my broader vision to the RuneScape community in the near-term."

Chris Kerr, News EditorMarch 4, 20252 Min ReadImage via AcclaimAt a GlanceIndustry veterans are reviving Acclaim, a long-dead publisher that filed for bankruptcy in 2004.Iconic publisher Acclaim is being revived by a group of industry veterans hoping to support to indies and resurrect classic franchises.Originally launched in 1987, Acclaim was known for working on popular series like NBA Jam, Turok, and Mortal Kombat. After a period of sustained success in the '90s, the company began to decline and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2004selling off key assets as a result.Now, the brand is being relaunched under the supervision of an advisory team that includes Russell Binder at Striker Entertainment, Mark Caplan at Ridge Partners,and Jeff Jarrett at Global Force Entertainment.Marketing and publishing veteran Alex Josef has been named CEO of the revitalised publisher.Josef previously served as the CEO of full service publisher Graffiti Gamesknown for working on titles like Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion and Restless Souland revealed Acclaim has already signed multiple projects."It's an absolute honor and pleasure to be leading the charge in bringing Acclaim back to the forefront of the games industry," said Josef. "We're fortunate that we have an extremely talented team and that weve already signed some incredible indie titles, which well be revealing soon."Acclaim will offer funding, marketing, and PR support to help independent studios "bring their creative visions to a broad audience.""One of the key goals for the relaunched Acclaim is to resurrect and revitalize its beloved portfolio of classic IP enjoyed for years by millions of players," adds a press release, suggesting remakes and remasters could be on the cards.Speaking to Game Developer, Josef said the group had considered acquiring two classic publishing brands, but emphasised that Acclaim was always the "main target.""In 2024, we came to terms with the last group of stakeholders that owned the logo and name mark and, then it was off to the races," he explained. "Acclaim has had such a massive impact on gaming history with so many notable titles spanning multiple genres and nearly every major license over the gaming landscape. We are having a number of conversations to assess opportunities with classic Acclaim IP that fans want to experience most."Now that Acclaim is back in action, the team hopes to deliver a product slate that includes independent titles from developers keen to build their own franchises and games that refresh existing IPs in a way that serves fans."Our vision for evolving Acclaim includes a product mix that brings the best of independent titles from developers who are building their own emerging brands alongside matchmaking where Acclaim can connect the dots with global brands that are culturally relevant," he continued."Any IP refresh absolutely must elevate the game, and the game must elevate the brand. We take this very seriously, and fan service is the cornerstone for us across our team, our greenlight process, and how we're approaching our release strategy."About the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

The deal comes months after Jam City laid off 85 workers.

Developer Studio Fizbin revealed its upcoming game, Reignbreaker, will be its last. After the game's release on March 18, the developer will close its doors.In a statement, founder and CEO Alexander Pieper explained Fizbin was impacted by Thunderful's late 2024 decision to "drastically reduce internal development." Since that news, he said the team looked at different ways to keep going after Reignbreaker's launch, but said "none of those projects will move us forward, leading us to make this difficult decision."This marks the first set of layoffs for the month of March that we've observed. A number of developers laid off staff throughout February, and Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiaries Monolith Productions, WB San Diego, and Player First Games were ended shortly before the month did.Founded in 2011, the Berlin-based Studio Fizbin released its debut project, The Inner World, two years later. Over the years, it developed The Inner World: The Last Wind Monk in 2017, followed by 2021's Say No! More, Minute of Islands and Lost at Sea. It was acquired by Thunderful in 2023 through the latter's Headup subsidiary, which published the two Inner World games.Looking ahead, Pieper said Fizbin's final days would be ensuring Reignbreaker was ready for release, providing post-launch support, and "supporting our exceptionally talented team in finding new opportunities in the industry." He candidly stated getting the word out about the studio's last game was support in and of itself, and directed hiring managers to contact him for "amazing talent in a wide range of disciplines.""We want to thank every single one of our fans for your purchases, your fan art, your comments, your reviews, your passion, and your seemingly endless support," he concluded. "Wed also like to give the biggest thanks to our team those who are here until the end, and the many others who have found a different path on the way. Fizbin and its games are defined by its team members, and you all made this the most inspiring place to perform the worlds most difficult magic trick: making games. Thank you."In 2021, Game Developer spoke with Studio Fizbin's game director Marius Winter, composer Julie Buchanan, and lead designer Nick Maierhfer about Say No! More's audio design and humor, which you can read here.

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Activision Blizzard is using generative AI to hawk games that don't existActivision Blizzard is using generative AI to hawk games that don't existThe publisher is using the controversial technology to determine if players would want spinoffs for Call of Duty and Crash Bandicoot.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 3, 20252 Min ReadImage via Activision Blizzard.At a GlanceActivision Blizzard appears to be using generative AI to market games that don't exist.Activision Blizzard has been using generative AI to create online ads for games that do not actually exist.VGC spotted promos for three fake titlesGuitar Hero Mobile, Crash Bandicoot Brawl, and Call of Duty: Zombie Defenderon Instagram. The ads lead to mockup app store pages on a site called Geeklab, where upon clicking "Get," viewers are treated to the message: "Thanks for your interest! This isn't a real game, but could be some day! We'd love if you could answer this short survey, which could help inform the potential future of this game. Your feedback really matters to us!"Last week, the Call of Duty publisher confirmed players' suspicions that it was using the controversial technology to produce "some" in-game assets. At the moment, it's unclear what those specific assets are, and it only came out because of Valve's Steam conduct on studios disclosing if their game uses genAI in any capacity.Most use surrounding the technology has concerned its efficiency on game development in fields like art and voice acting. In an early 2024 survey, nearly 50 percent of developers said they were using the technology at work, with most of that use concerning finances or community and product management.Game publishers typically gauge interest for future game projects with surveys, like EA asking players if there was any appeal in remaking the Dead Space sequels. Activision Blizzard's new "advertising" is ethically dicey, both because it's one of the industry's biggest publishers, and because the ads are widely promoting titles which aren't real now and may possibly not become real in the future.Game Developer has reached out to Activision Blizzard about the ads, and will update when a comment is given.Read more about:Activision BlizzardXboxAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Various Oculus Rift games from developer Insomniac Games appear to have been delisted from the Meta store, and without any fanfare from the studio.Journalist Dominic Tarason first spotted the delistings, noting the titles were "big, high-budget PC VR games" only available for the virtual reality device. According to him, the impacted titles include 2016's The Unspoken, Edge of Nowhere, and Feral Rites, and 2019's Stormland. When he contacted Meta for an explanation, the customer support told him to "ask Insomniac."At time of writing, the studio itself has not issued a public statement on the matter. In a reply, Tarason believed the delistings happened "some time ago," but their being unavailable to purchase went generally unnoticed. "Others are so thoroughly vanished that not even pirate and torrent sites seem to have the rest anymore," he said. "That's kinda scary, considering that Insomniac are a high-profile triple-A studio."Before it was acquired by PlayStation and making Marvel games, Insomniac put Ratchet & Clank aside to work on several original titles. The most recognizable were Fuse and Sunset Overdrive, but the developer also made phone games (Fruit Fusion, Digit & Dash) and metroidvanias (Song of the Deep). Its handful of VR titles came out during this experimental phase, and it hasn't dabbled with the technology since, not even to port any of its more recent works to either PlayStation VR system.The four VR games were all published by Oculus Studios, which has previously teamed with other prominent non-VR developers like Turtle Rock Studios and Gunfire Games. It's also purchased Sanzaru Games and the late Ready at Dawn, both of which previously worked on spinoffs for PlayStation franchises Ratchet & Clank and God of War.Insomniac's apparent silence on these games' disappearance also underlines the need for a widespread preservation effort for the medium. If studios are unable to speak on their games going away for whatever reason, the titles deserve to be archived at the very least.

Game designer Zach Barth has a new venture by the name of Coincidence. Instead of being a traditional game developer like his first studio Zachtronics, he says this studio is more of a "flexible business framework" that lets small teams work on solo or group projects, video games or otherwise.Coincidence also revealed Kaizen: A Factory Story, a puzzle automaton game about creating and optimizing factory lines in 1980s Japan. In the announcement, Barth said the company hoped to bring "the open-ended design were known for to a broader audience without compromising on depth or complexity."Kaizen is its first official game project, following the contracted edutainment work Add Astra for an elementary school teacher. The game will be published by Astra Logical later in 2025 on Steam, and "twist your brain into beautiful, efficient knots."Building a game studio is a puzzle all of its ownBarth's game industry career began with the founding of Zachtronics in 2000 and free browser games on his website; one of them, the block-building title Infirmer, inspired Mojang to create Minecraft. Zachtronics' first commercial game was 2011's SpaceChem, which tasked players with using a visual programming language to create chemical modules on assembly lines.While it's tried its hand at wargame and strategy titles, puzzle games have largely been the studio's specialty. Over the years, it became known for Infinifactory, Shenzen I/O, and Last Call BBS. Its final game was 2022's The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection.Speaking of cards, Coincidence also has two physical card games under its belt, The Lucky Seven and Chemistry Set. Barth designed both of them and collaborated with artists and fellow designers Jonathan Stroh, Jay Ackerman, and Drew Messinger-Michaels, and the two games show how serious Coincidence is about not being wed to a particular medium.That freedom may give it more flexibility at a time when developers are closing down or cutting staff on a regular basis, and let it pick and choose when to start up a new team or end an old one, potentially without conducting layoffs.Game Developer spoke with the Zachtronics team numerous times over the years, the last of which was a 2020 interview with designer Matthew Seiji Burns about its then-upcoming visual novel, Eliza.

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Secret Mode splits from Sumo to become independent publisherSecret Mode splits from Sumo to become independent publisherEmona Capital and Secret Mode leaders James Schall and Ed Blincoe led the buyout.Chris Kerr, News EditorMarch 3, 20251 Min ReadImage via Secret ModeSecret Mode, the publisher founded by Sumo Group in 2020, has been sold to Emona Capital for an undisclosed fee.The deal was overseen by some familiar faces, with Secret Mode co-founder James Schall and VP of publishing Ed Blincoe partnering with Emona to lead the buyout.The publisherknown for working on titles like Still Wakes the Deep, Eternal Threads, and Wobbledogs under the Sumo bannerwill now focus on uncovering indie gems for PC and console as an independent entity.Secret Mode will remain under the leadership of Schall and Blincoe, who said they have the "full backing" of Emona."By becoming independent, we can now put all our efforts into uncovering the indie gems that gamers never knew they needed in their lives," said Schall."We are committed to bringing our players the very best indie titles; not just of the future, but also by helping them discover existing indie masterpieces that have undeservedly flown under the radar in years gone by. We are working hard to empower independent developers across the globe, and hope to make some exciting announcements on this front in the coming months."The deal was announced shortly after Sumo outlined plans to move away from internal development to focus exclusively on co-development work. The UK company, which is owned by Tencent, said the pivot will help it adapt to shifting "commercial realities."The decision followed widespread layoffs at the company.Emona has previously invested in studios such as Relic Entertainment and Amber Studio, although Secret Mode represents its first foray into the world of publishing.Read more about:M&AAbout the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.GTA developer Rockstar acquires Video Games Deluxe to expand into AustraliaGTA developer Rockstar acquires Video Games Deluxe to expand into AustraliaThe two studios previously collaborated on Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy and L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files.Chris Kerr, News EditorMarch 3, 20251 Min ReadLogo via Rockstar / Photograph via UnsplashGrand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games has acquired Australian studio Video Games Deluxe.The Sydney-based studio will be renamed Rockstar Australia.Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive shared the news on its website and noted the two studios have previously collaborated on multiple projects."Video Games Deluxe has worked with Rockstar Games on some of its most memorable titles, including the 2017 re-releases ofL.A. Noire, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files, and most recently, on upgrades to Grand Theft Auto: The TrilogyThe Definitive Edition for iOS and Android, Netflix, and modern consoles," reads a press release.Video Games Deluxe founder Brendan McNamara previously worked with Rockstar on the original iteration of L.A. Noire during his time at Team Bondi."It's been an honor to work closely with Rockstar Games this past decade," said McNamara. "We are thrilled to be a part of Rockstar Games and to continue our efforts to make the best games possible."Rockstar and Take-Two are currently preparing to launch GTA VI in fall 2025.The long-awaited sequel will arrive more than a decade after the launch of GTA V, which remains a huge earner for Take-Two thanks to multiplayer component GTA Online.GTA V has sold over 210 million copies worldwide.In its latest fiscal report, Take-Two said it expects the launch of GTA VI to become a major "inflection point" for its business.About the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

The Tokyo-based studio will reportedly strive to 'protect creators.'

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Monster Hunter Wilds opens to 1.3 million PC playersMonster Hunter Wilds opens to 1.3 million PC playersThe player count for Monster Hunter Wilds greatly rose up overnight, and it's now Capcom's most-played PC game ever.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorFebruary 28, 20252 Min ReadImage via Capcom.At a GlanceCapcom put faith in Monster Hunter Wilds for its current fiscal year, and that faith appears to have been rewarded.The newly launched Monster Hunter Wilds has already started off big, with over 1.3 million players on PC alone.As Capcom's beast-slaying game launched overnight, its concurrent player count gradually rose to hundreds of thousands. At time of writing, the current count is 1,307,976 players. So far, Capcom hasn't disclosed how this translates to sales, which would also include its release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.Wilds is now Capcom's best-ever PC launch, a record previously held by Dragon Dogma II's then-peak of over 200,000 players in 2024. It's also considerably higher than the peaks for Monster Hunter World (334,684 players) and Monster Hunter Rise (231,360 players).For Steam overall, it's the sixth most-played game on the platform of all time ahead of Dota 2 (1.2 million players) and Cyberpunk 2077 (1 million players) and behind Lost Ark (1.32 million players) and Counter-Strike 2 (1.8 million players).In the developer's third-quarter fiscal report from January, Capcom placed its faith in Wilds' performance as a counterbalance for its declining income and revenue that quarter.The milestone is also notable since its Steam version first had an "Overwhelmingly Negative" response on the storefront, which has since changed to "Mixed."The rise of Monster HunterMonster Hunter has gradually grown into a flagship franchise for Capcom, which has been working to score more consistent hits beyond Resident Evil and Street Fighter. Ahead of Monster Hunter Wilds' launch, sales for World grew until it hit over 25 million copies, the highest-grossing Capcom game to date.Similarly, sales for its Iceborne expansion and Monster Hunter Rise have grown in the years since their respective launches. The franchise will further grow with Monster Hunter Outlanders, a mobile spinoff developed by Capcom and TiMi.Ahead of Wilds' launch, Game Developer spoke with Capcom about the game's approach to open-world design and the company's ongoing hot streak.Read more about:CapcomSteamTop StoriesAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Warner Bros. Games intends to rebuild its video game business around four tentpole franchises: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC.The company outlined that plan in its latest shareholder letter and said it continues to view its games business as a "strategic differentiator."It reiterated 2024 was a 'disappointing year' for the division, with titles like Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and Multiversus underperforming, and confirmed it will be restructuring around "proven IP and games from proven, world class studios."That cost-cutting initiative has already resulted in the closure of notable studios such as Shadow of Mordor developer Monolith Productions (which had been working on a Wonder Woman project), Multiversus developer Player First Games, and WB San Diego.Those closures followed layoffs at other internal studios including Rocksteady and WB Games Montreal.WB Games seems intent on looking to the past for cues on how to revitalize its flagging businesswith game revenues decreasing by 29 percent year-on-year during Q4. Annual content revenue, which includes video games, also decreased by 8 percent year-on-year across FY2024.WB Games repeatedly name-dropped 2023 release Hogwarts Legacy as an example of how it can leverage a major franchise to deliver success, and it seems the company believes prioritizing a few colossal franchises and 'top tier characters' (obviously Batman was mentioned here) is now the correct play."Just two years ago, our Games team broke through with Hogwarts Legacy and created a completely new gaming franchise that was the best-selling game of the yeara result that only three other franchises in the last 15 years have achieved," continues the shareholder letter."That gives us confidence that with our re-focused strategy we can get back to producing high-quality games built for long term consumer engagement, which we expect to propel our Games division back to profit in 2025 and emerge as a more significant contributor to growth in the years ahead."

TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.EA deploys Command & Conquer games' source code to the massesEA deploys Command & Conquer games' source code to the massesSeveral games in the classic franchise are now open source, so longtime players can peek under the strategic hood and see how they work.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorFebruary 27, 20252 Min ReadImage via Westwood Studios/EA.At a GlanceAhead of Command & Conquer's 30th anniversary, EA's released the source code for the original game and its sequels.EA has released the source code for several Command & Conquer games on Github. Along with the original 1995 game, the repositories include the first Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Command & Conquer: Generals' Zero Hour expansion, Command & Conquer: Renegade, and a remastered collection of the first two games. Mod support for those gamesand Command & Conquer: Kane's Wrath and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3has also been included.Per RockPaperShotgun, the publisher commissioned a modder named Luke "CCHyper" Feenan to restore the source code for the old games. Feenan previously helped restore the aforementioned remasters back on Steam in 2024.While EA has not provided a specific reason for the source code releases, it's previously made some its technology and accessibility-related patents open source. After committing to opening up those patents for larger industry use, it recently permitted third-party teams to use its tech concerning speech pattern recognition and photosensitivity detection.This is actually the second time EA has distributed source code for the real-time strategy series: alongside the remasters in 2020, it made the code for the first two games' mod libraries open source so players could develop improved mods to their hearts' content.A history of Command & ConquerDeveloped by the long-defunct Westwood Studios, Command & Conquer was one of the earliest entries in the real-time strategy genre, and based on the developer's previous game, Dune II. The series was notable for its use of full-motion video cutscenes and several sub-series throughout its run.Before the 2020 remasters, the last mainline entry was 2010's Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. The series mainly lives on through the remasters and the free-to-play Command & Conquer: Rivals mobile game.Throughout its lifetime, Westwood and later studios tried to expand the series with various offshoots that were later canceled. Two of the more well-known were the first-person shooter Tiberium and Command & Conquer: Generals 2. The latter received such a negative reception during its closed alpha testing, both it and developer Victory Games were shut down.Read more about:EAAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Justin Carter, Contributing EditorFebruary 27, 20252 Min ReadImage via Reburn.At a GlanceThe Ukrainian studio has been 'reincarnated' into a new entity that develops original work rather than adapted material.Ukranian developer 4A Games has a new name and the game to go along with it. As of today, the Metro developer is now Reburn, and its "inaugural" project is the sci-fi shooter La Quimera.In an announcement to press, CEO Dmytro Lymar explained the name change was to avoid confusion with the Maltese team that shared the original name and is similarly owned by Embracer. The studio moved its headquarters to Malta in 2014 during the Russo-Ukranian war.Lymar also felt it was apt to leave the original 4A name with the Metro series following its last mainline entry, 2019's Metro: Exodus. "For the new IP, we would create a new brand," he said. "The name ['Reburn'] means 'burning again,' but for us it has the meaning similar to rebirth or reincarnation in a new form, for the creation of a new game with own IP."La Quimera is an original property for the studioits second after the Oculus Rift title Arktika.1and is currently only slated for a Steam release. In a departure from its previous work, the game will be playable in single-player and three-player co-op. Lead designerKostiuk Oleksandr told Polygon the game's technology "allows us to seamlessly integrate new gameplay elements," and its sci-fi setting would provide a change of pace for long-time developers at Reburn."Weve long wanted to create an adventure that players could experience both solo and with friends," he said. "We also wanted to step away from the post-apocalyptic themes of the post-Soviet setting. Some team members have been working in that space for nearly 15 yearsor even longer, dating back to the original STALKER."The studio formerly known as...Several developers have rebranded in recent months, and it's typically marked some kind of paradigm shift. Halo Studios' name change included a move away from the series' Slipspace Engine to Unreal in the hopes of releasing more Halo game projects at a more consistent pace.When a publisher changes its name, it's often to meant to reflect its growing business or aspirations to become a bigger player in the industry.Sometimes, it's the game that's getting the rebrandand in those changes, it's often to make clear what it's about. IO Interactive's Hitman: World of Assassination makes more sense than Hitman III since it encompasses the full reboot trilogy and subsequent DLC in one unified package, after all.Read more about:Embracer GroupStudio announcementAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like