Raccoon Logic: We're doing the last hurrah of the games industry we grew up withRevenge of the Savage Planet creative director Alex Hutchinson shares his views on finishable games, subscriptions and a hectic 2025 Feature by Christopher Dring Head of Games B2B Published on Dec. 20, 2024 Across the road from The Game Awards, in a car park featuring a couple of trailers and some plastic flamingos, sits the Racoon Logic team.The developer behind the upcoming Revenge of the Savage Planet is demoing the title and conducting interviews with journalists as opposed to doing a big Game Awards trailer. It's a very old school approach to PR."Just being part of the big show, you can get lost in the noise a little bit," reasons creative director Alex Hutchinson."Doing this for us is more fun, and a bit easier. And I like to think we're doing the last hurrah of the games industry I grew up with, which is you get an Edge cover, you fly journalists in to talk to you in actual person it feels like the end. We're doing a physical version of this game with Maximum Games. That's the industry I love. That's how I want to do it. I don't necessarily want to make a games-as-a-service title that costs $200 million, gets unplugged after a week and never gets played."As the industry ages, you would hope that there is an audience of slightly older games that would appreciate the classic approach."That's our bet," he adds. "We will find out next year if there are enough of us. People in their 40s even if you have kids, you have more disposable income than you did in your 20s, but you have less time. So you might still want to play games, but I feel repressed by games that want me to play every week. I don't want to. I want to spend time with the kids or to finish that house project." Revenge of the Savage Planet arrives in May during a busy year for new gamesHutchinson tells us that 2024, in contrast to what has been going on across the industry, has been a good one for the team at Racoon Logic."We were wise in that we didn't grow a lot. We stayed about 30 people. We have money in the bank, we haven't had to make any redundancies, we're pretty stable we have had to be serious in not growing the scope of the game, and not responding to requests from everybody. We're just polishing now and looking forward to its release, and hopefully there is a market for it."Revenge of the Savage Planet, which arrives in May next year, is the follow-up to 2020's Journey to the Savage Planet, although because of various ownership situations, the team isn't entirely sure how successful that first game was."We never saw numbers," Hutchinson admits. "It was 505 Games and then we sold to Google, so we never saw numbers. But we have the player base, and last we saw around five to six million people had played it. Which is great but that doesn't mean they paid for it, because it was on Game Pass, it was on Epic Store, it was on everything. So we don't know how many people bought it vs how many people played it."But it seems like enough people played it, and it's back on Game Pass right now which is great for us. If we're not going to make royalties from it, which we're not as we gave that up to 505 to receive the rights back to the IP, then that's all we want, more people to see and hopefully like it, and then want to buy this one.""I don't necessarily want to make a games-as-a-service title that costs $200 million, gets unplugged after a week and never gets played"Hutchinson has mixed feelings towards Game Pass and subscription services in general."It's tricky and it's unclear," he says. "Game Pass works if you're building an audience, and that's the hardest bit. But then if we're doing that stuff, we want to make sure we have a $10 extra stuff pack and all that, to try and make sure we get some money. Because the amount [subscription companies] are paying has dropped precipitously over the last three years, which means it is not the deal that it was. And I very much worry about a future where everyone is on subscription services and expect content for free. I don't think it's served the music industry well at all, for smaller artists especially."But the worst scenario is that you're not making any money and you're not being paid. I've spent 20 years trying to make games that people will have an opinion on, whether that's Army of Two or Spore or Assassin's Creed 3 or this one someone is going to say they hate it, and that's okay as long as someone else loved it. But if people don't even know the game you're talking about that's the bad one." We played Revenge of the Savage Planet in LA and it's shaping up nicelyRevenge of the Savage Planet arrives during a highly congested 2025 release slate, with an array of games due to arrive throughout the spring and summer, presumably to get ahead of the expected launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 at the end of the year."We're feeling pretty good," Hutchinson says. "We're tonally very different and distinct. I think the audience that likes us are not served by much a lot of the time. There is more coming out, with things like South of Midnight from Microsoft. So there is stuff. But the beauty of the game we're making is that people can buy both. Whereas if it's Concord or something, people buy one, and if they've got Overwatch, why would they buy Concord?"With ours even if they don't buy us early on, they might do later. In AAA, you get this enormous week one, two and three, and then it depreciates significantly. If there's DLC you get a bump, and you get a bump with a sequel, but it's really all or nothing. But with our games, and other smaller finishable games, there is this steady, linear growth where people bookmark it and get to it eventually. I wouldn't say we are optimistic that we'll be huge off the bat. But the sort of game we're making seems to age quite well. We had lots of people contact us when the last one went back on Game Pass, and that game's four years old. So we're cautiously optimistic that we can make it up over time."And it's $40. It's not a $70 game.""I very much worry about a future where everyone is on subscription services and expect content for free"Racoon Logic is self-publishing the game for the first time, and Hutchinson says that the firm has reasonable expectations. The studio's overall goal is to keep making slightly unusual fare. There's no desire to create a mega hit."The industry is always in flux," he continues. "It is always doing things and finding a way to survive. The joy for us is we're definitely going to do a third one. We're in a good spot for that. But we want to keep going and be a studio that does weird flavoured things. A big company always wants you to go on and be a 100-million seller or whatever. We just want to be successful and make games that people come up to us and mention at shows."So the game has only done $100 million? Well, it only cost $5 million and there's only 30 of us. That's a good day."I enjoyed my time with Revenge of the Savage Planet. A mix of action, puzzles, platforming and fun traversal across colourful and ridiculous open areas. And it's funny, too, with plenty of satirical references to the games industry. The villain is called Gunter Harrison, which is presumably a play on former Google games executive Phil Harrison [Hutchinson's previous company was shut down by Google in 2021]."Any similarity to anybody living or dead is purely incidental," he laughs. "Look subtlety's overrated. We took the British approach to humour."In fact, the game's overall tone reminded me of the sort of games UK developer Rare likes to make."There's a bit of Rare," Hutchinson says enthusiastically. "I'll tell you this because it didn't happen. We can have outfits in the game, and we said we can make a Conker outfit [from Rare's 2001 comedy platformer Conker's Bad Fur Day], which would be exclusive to the Xbox version. We didn't want anything for it. The guy said it got way further than he thought it would, but eventually the answer was 'no'. It's a real shame."He concludes: "But generally, there's not enough comedy in games. It's a huge market segment, and I hate saying those words, in movies and books and TV and comics. But it is a fucking empty aisle in video games."

2024 was the year of Microsoft's grand pivot | OpinionExpectations this year would suffer a drought of high-quality releases were very much defied but it's the reinvention of Xbox that will be 2024's lasting legacyImage credit: Microsoft Opinion by Rob Fahey Contributing Editor Published on Dec. 20, 2024 At the outset of 2024, the most often expressed concern about this year in the games business was that it was going to have a very sparse and underwhelming release calendar, at least compared to the spectacular heights of 2023. This was to some extent a ripple effect from the pandemic years: a backlog of delayed software made its way onto the market during 2023, meaning that with many major studios set to be in the early stages of new projects, 2024's line-up did not look very inspiring.With the benefit of hindsight, that fear didn't entirely come to pass; or at least, whatever slump in the release schedule for 2024 we did experience was spread out rather unevenly around different parts of the industry.Fears of a fallow 2024 overall, then, did not come to pass at least not for everyoneFrom a consumer's perspective, it's actually been a pretty solid year for games in the end. It may ultimately come to be seen as the calm before 2025's GTA 6 storm, but this year has held up remarkably well thanks to a combination of hit titles nobody really saw coming Helldivers 2 and Astro Bot are especially notable here, having rescued Sony from what would otherwise have been a pretty shockingly empty year in the middle of its console cycle and, especially in the back half of the year, some games that really defied expectations.In terms of expectations being defied, quite a few games turned up that had largely been written off as development hell nightmares, and have ended up being actually pretty great. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the prime example; on a personal level I find its gameplay a little too much of a departure from previous games in the series for my tastes, but taken on its own merits it's a very enjoyable game and far better than many people had dared to hope for after so many years.Silent Hill 2 is a remake I don't think many people had expected to be quite so good, despite its developer's pedigree in the horror genre. The really unexpected surprise of the year, though, is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle a title that honestly feels like it has no right being quite as fantastically good fun as it actually is. Fears of a fallow year overall, then, did not come to pass at least not for everyone. For some publishers, the danger of 2024 being a lost year was very well-founded, with quite a few companies failing to find a hit title from one end of the year to the other.Poor old Ubisoft is the unwilling flag carrier for that unhappy bunch; it had probably hoped that the relatively quiet release slates of some other major publishers would give Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed Shadows a chance to shine, but the former title sank (arguably a victim of Disney's mishandling of the Star Wars brand as much as any issue with Ubisoft itself) and the latter has been delayed to 2025. Ubisoft isn't the only publisher that was struggling to find hits in 2024, but its ongoing struggle to reinvent and reinvigorate its business is likely to be a story that drags out well into next year.It wasn't just certain publishers having a rough 2024, though; the year's successes were spread rather unevenly around game genres as well. I wrote last week about the torrid year live service games had, with high-profile failures ranging from Sony's Concord disaster to the announcements that the likes of Suicide Squad and XDefiant would be shutting down. Helldivers 2 and Marvel Rivals were the only real bright spots in that market, though it's worth noting that established games like Fortnite have continued trucking on very nicely even as the live service model gets clobbered everywhere else (and even the bruised and battered Overwatch 2 seems to have had a bit of a comeback year).On the other hand, it was a great year for single-player action games, thanks to the likes of Black Myth Wukong, Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and many others. Incidentally, it's also no accident that two of the high points mentioned here Marvel Rivals and Black Myth Wukong are from Chinese developers; after many false starts and a huge amount of investment, this was the year in which China really started flexing its muscle as one of the major global centres for game development.For all that, however, I suspect that when we come to look back at 2024 through some future lens, the most important story is going to be what happened to Microsoft this year.[Buying Activision Blizzard] was always part of a huge business transformation in the making, and the existing identity of Xbox as a platform was always on the chopping blockThis has been an incredibly pivotal year for Microsoft's strategy as a game publisher and platform holder, as it embarks on one of the boldest, and arguably trickiest, transitions that any company in this industry has ever attempted. It's a transition that seemed inevitable to many observers of its struggle to purchase Activision Blizzard there were plenty of voices warning that completing that acquisition would effectively mean the end of Xbox as we knew it but it seems nonetheless to have blindsided many of the most ardent Xbox fans (most of whom were vocal supporters of the deal in question, at that).Spending so much money on buying one of the industry's largest publishers was never going to be about just propping up a console business that was consistently losing out to both Sony and Nintendo in the global market. This was always a huge business transformation in the making, and the existing identity of Xbox as a platform was always on the chopping block.Microsoft has become one of the world's largest and most influential publishers (propped up massively in that role this year by Black Ops 6 being a high point in the series' recent history, and Indiana Jones being so well-received), but in the process it has become something very different from a traditional platform holder. Xbox hardware will now necessarily play second fiddle to the broader idea of Xbox as a platform service and Microsoft as a third-party games publisher. The business that will emerge will undoubtedly be more robust and successful; whether it will still be recognisably anything like Xbox was in the past remains to be seen.One thing to watch carefully in the coming months is consumer response to the 'This Is An Xbox' campaign, which is a bold attempt to explain and outline this complex strategy to the wide consumer audience. Not to be a downer on the campaign (it's a very well-executed piece of marketing), but to make an anecdotal judgement from the confused reactions I've heard personally, I'm not sure it's landing quite like Microsoft had hoped.Consequently, 2025 may well be a year of experimentation for the company as it tries to explain what exactly Xbox means now to a broad audience who are not quite so cued-in to boardroom buzzwords as the people to whom these ideas were pitched internally.As ever, we end the year with some broad strokes outlining how the next year will probably shape up. We know that it will be defined to a great extent by the impact of GTA 6 and Nintendo's new console launch; we can expect stories like Microsoft's repositioning and re-explaining of Xbox, Ubisoft's attempts to rebuild its publishing success, and the ongoing implosion of the live service dream all to continue to develop through the year.We can at least hope, though, that the enormous wave of stories of layoffs and studio closures that made headlines for the past two years will not follow us into 2025; fingers crossed for a year of green shoots and optimism instead.

GamesIndustry.biz presents The Year In Numbers 2024Our annual infographic reveals the global games market value, best-selling games, biggest mobile markets, and more Feature by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 20, 2024 Tis the season to be jolly pouring over pie charts, bar graphs, tables and any other statistics we can throw at you.Yes, the approach of the holiday break means the annual GamesIndustry.biz Year In Numbers infographic is ready to go, perfectly capturing the current state of the video games market in one (admittedly very long) JPG image.As always, a huge thank you to the experts that share their data and help us compile this together. In the infographic below, you will find:The global games market value (courtesy of Newzoo)Total boxed vs digital revenues (also via Newzoo)The biggest mobile games, publishers and countries, both by revenue and downloads (thank you, Sensor Tower)The best-selling games in the UK (from Nielsen GfK), US (from Circana) and Japan (from Famitsu)The most covered games and companies, in terms of number of articles (provided by ICO via Footprints, based on data from over 18,000 websites)The biggest influencers on YouTube, most watched trailers and game promo videos, and the most popular video games on TikTok (courtesy of Fancensus)With that, GamesIndustry.biz presents The Year In Numbers 2024:

Activision confirms it has replaced Call of Duty Black Ops 6 voice actors during SAG-AFTRA strike"We respect the personal choice of these performers," Activision saidImage credit: Treyarch / Activision News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 19, 2024 Activision has recast some of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's voice actors amid the SAG-AFTRA strike.After players noted characters William Peck and Samantha Maxis sounded a little different, voice actor Zeke Alton acknowledged that his performance of Peck in the Zombies mode appears to have been replaced. He has also been removed from the game's credits.Unlike film and TV actors, who can strike even if a project is in-production, a clause known as Side Letter Six permits work on interactive media to continue. And whilst members on daily contracts may choose to strike in solidarity, given Black Ops 6 was in development before July 2024 Activision is permitted to replace striking actors."To the best of my knowledge, that performance is not [mine]," Alton told Game Developer. "It's their character, and they can do with it what they please."My only concern is for my brand as a performer. Fans of the game have reached out to me because the lack of crediting [of the replacement actor] implies that it may still be me, which unfairly represents my abilities as a performer."I have no issue with Activision's actions with a character and IP that they own," Alton added. "I absolutely adore the creative team and the opportunity I've had to collaborate with them in the past. I sincerely hope to collaborate in the future once all performers are protected against generative AI abuse."In a statement to press, Activision said: "We respect the personal choice of these performers. Out of respect for all parties, we won't add new commentary about the ongoing negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. We look forward to a mutually beneficial outcome as soon as possible."Whilst the strike goes on for some, SAG-AFTRA announced a new agreement for video game localisation mid-November. The Independent Interactive Localisation Agreement will cover localisation of projects scripted and released in a foreign language and then dubbed into English. As part of the agreement, performers will receive AI protections and employment opportunities.

Moon Beast Productions secures $4.5m in seed fundingThe studio says the funding round marks "a critical moment"Image credit: Moon Beast Productions News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 19, 2024 Moon Beast Productions has secured $4.5m in seed funding.The independent game studio - founded by Phil Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer - was supported by "a network of notable angel investors" that includes Gaingels, Cohh Carnage, and Mark Pincus. 1AM Gaming led the round, joined by 1UP Ventures, The Mini Fund, Overwolf, and Versus Ventures.The studio said the funding round marked "a critical moment," enabling it to expand whilst "maintaining the lean, focused approach that has defined it since inception." It will also support Moon Beast's development of an action RPG that "challenges conventional design paradigms.""In today's challenging funding environment, we're incredibly fortunate to have investors who understand our vision," said Peter Hu, president and co-founder. "Our approach has always been about working smarter, not just harder. We're building reusable, data-driven systems that allow us to iterate rapidly and create more with less.""We've never been content to follow the crowd," added Phil Shenk, CEO and co-founder. "Throughout our careers, we've always pushed to redefine genres. We were there at the start, helping to invent ARPGs with Diablo and Diablo II. In the years following, from Hellgate: London to Torchlight, and Marvel Heroes Online, we've consistently sought to expand what players expect from the genre."Moon Beast expects to share more about its upcoming project in "early 2025."

Australian games sector employment "steady" as industry generates $211.9m in 2024Plus 81% of Australian studios expect headcount to remain stable or grow in 2025 News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 19, 2024 The Australian video game industry generated $339.1m AUD ($211.9m USD) in revenue in 2024.Despite a "challenging" year for game development globally, Australia's full-time employment was "steady" at 2465 developers, with 61% of studios planning to hire next year. 81% of respondents also said they expected their studio's headcount to either remain stable or grow in 2025.In its Australian Game Development Industry Snapshot report, the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) revealed that of the 137 studios that responded, 85% developed games based on their own IP, and 93% of their revenue was generated from outside of Australia.The survey also found that Victoria "continues to be a popular hub for game development," with 52% of game studio head offices located in the state. Employee distribution illustrated that many studios "have a presence in more than one state and tend to follow talent and incentives across the country," however, 82% of workers are located on the east coast (36% Victoria, 27% Queensland, 18% New South Wales, 1% ACT)."This year has shown the local games sector continues to build capability in the face of global headwinds. 93% of the revenue generated in Australia comes from overseas sources, highlighting the popularity of Australian-made games to a global audience," said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA."Generous and globally competitive tax rebates plus direct funding from the federal and state governments continues to ensure Australian game developers can deliver amazing game projects. 25% of our survey respondents accessed the Digital Games Tax Offset last year, and just under 40% intend to do so this financial year. We must maintain this level of support to ensure the local industry continues to grow and contribute to Australia's creative and digital exports."The full report is downloadable from IGEA's website.

Twitch watch time broadly stable in 2024 at 18.9bn hours"Expect 2025 to be a big year for multistreaming as the tools evolve and become more accessible" News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 19, 2024 Watch time on Twitch has remained stable year-over-year, with 18.9bn hours watched in 2023 compared to 18.5bn this year.StreamElements' State of the Stream 2024 yearly summary - compiled from data courtesy of Rainmaker.gg - suggests possible reasons for the "lack of growth are creators migrating to other platforms or merely splitting their time with the growing popularity of multistreaming in order to broaden their fanbase."Daily hours watched in Q4 are also consistent across the year, with the Q2 dip in hours watched extending throughout the rest of the year.Interestingly, Twitch's top 9 games remain essentially unchanged over the last five years, with Grand Theft Auto 5, League of Legends, and Valorant being the first, second, and third most popular games, respectively. CSGO, Fortnite, Dota 2, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty: Warzone round out the rest of the top 10, although the platform's biggest category remains Just Chatting, with more than twice the hours watched to second-place GTA 5, presumably due to KaiCenat's subathon.Despite this, hours watched for League of Legends are down 34% in November, with GTA 5 and Dota 2 dropping 10% and 7%, too. World of Warcraft is up 84% in November 2024, though, and Fortnite up 38%.KaiCenat - described as a "powerhouse" on the monthly and yearly charts - clocked up 184m hours watched across the year, over twice as much as second place ibai, although StreamElements warns that shouldn't "overshadow the impressive numbers put up by the other chart members," with Jynxzi, Caudrel, caseoh_, and Papaplatte all cracking the top 10 of the year for the first time.Here's StreamElement's full breakdown."Twitch has shuffled through several top streamers over the years. There was the Ninja era, then xQc's reign, and now we are in the KaiCenat age," said Or Perry, CEO of StreamElements."The driver behind the changing of the guards is platform diversification. Ninja began multistreaming while xQc is leveraging different platforms for unique content, both of which have remained successful. It's only a matter of time before KaiCenat tests the water."This is because being everywhere that gamers are is the best way to grow, whether you are using some platforms for discovery and others for community building. Expect 2025 to be a big year for multistreaming as the tools evolve and become more accessible to the broader creator ecosystem."Twitchs monthly hours watched "rebounded" back in September, hitting 1.653bn hours watched, up from 1.568bn in June 2024.

Tencent directors step down from Epic Games' board after US Justice Department "expressed concerns"Law states directors should not serve on the boards of competing companies, such as Epic and RiotImage credit: Epic Games News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 19, 2024 Two Tencent directors have left Epic Games' board of directors after the US Justice Department "expressed concerns" about their positions.In a statement posted on the US Justice Department's website, the report said the department believed the appointment on both the Epic and Tencent boards violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act, an antitrust law that seeks to protect consumers from practices that could be harmful.The law states that directors and officers should not serve simultaneously on the boards of competing companies, such as Epic and Riot.Consequently, Tencent has amended its shareholder agreement with Epic to "relinquish its unilateral right to appoint directors or observers" on the latter's board given it owns a minority stake in Epic whilst also being the parent company of Epic competitor, Riot Games."Scrutiny around interlocking directorates continues to be an enforcement priority for the Antitrust Division," said the department's deputy director of civil enforcement, Miriam R. Vishio."Due to the hard work of our tremendous staff, our increased enforcement around Section 8 over the last few years has achieved substantial results and become part of our fabric."Tencent is said to be holding off taking part in the buyout of Assassin's Creed publisher Ubisoft and increasing its stake in Ubisoft until it has been promised a greater influence when it comes to future board decisions.

Should Xbox and PlayStation make a handheld console? | OpinionWhen it comes to the PlayStation or Xbox handheld console, the question is not whether they could, more whether they should. Feature by Sam Naji Contributor Published on Dec. 18, 2024 As the ninth generation enters mid-life, the rumour mill has started again on what new console hardware will look like. If there is one thing the video game industry does very well, that is jumping on trends, especially if plenty of money could be made. This time its all about gaming mobility. Reports have come out that both Microsoft and Sony are courting console handhelds as the next best thing. The logic being that the Nintendos Switch is one of its best-selling consoles of all time, Valve has seen success with Steam Deck and Sony has seen its mobile streaming peripheral, the PlayStation Portal, fly off shelves. So why not have a dedicated PS5 console handheld or a dedicated Xbox handheld? It makes perfect sense to the c-suits, who bury themselves in spreadsheets.In an interview with Polygon, Phil Spencer stated: "I like the fact that Valve, Lenovo, and Asus went out and innovated in a new form factor." And then added: "I will say that when I'm playing on those devices, it almost feels more like a console than a PC - nine times out of 10 I want to be able to log in with a controller. I've got my list of things we should go do." Not to be outdone, Bloomberg reported that Sony is also working on a new handheld, according to a source.If console handhelds are the stop gap to the tenth-generation console (or even a possible contender to be the tenth generation) here lies both opportunities and challenges in almost equal measure.The Opportunities:a) Consumer behaviour. Back in 2017 when the Switch released Nintendo declared a greater number of gamers preferred to play on it as a dedicated undocked device. It is probably safe to say that over time those who preferred to play on the system as a dedicated docked device probably did not increase in percentage terms, in fact, if anything it may have decreased. As a result, the market for a handheld console is potentially strong. This is something that will appeal greatly with Microsoft Gaming's leader Phil Spencer who is focused on the mantra of 'gaming everywhere and on every device'. Spencers ultimate dream is to be hardware agnostic and to transform the Xbox brand into a service. A console handheld that can play Xbox games would be another vehicle by which the Xbox ecosystem can find a home. For Sony a dedicated handheld console would be an extension of the PlayStation Portal. The only caveat to this market research is that the Nintendo Switch has been designed for the Nintendo gamer and specifically to play Nintendo games. Although gamers are sometimes lumped into one homogeneous lot, there are significant differences in what gamers are looking for from a Nintendo device and from a PlayStation or Xbox device.b) Cloud offers a ready-made solution. cloud solutions for 50 of its 'owned' games, with more games expected to join the service. Sony, which once led the revolution in cloud gaming when it bought Gaikai, is playing catch up to Microsoft with its own newly announced cloud streaming for the PlayStation Portal peripheral. The PS Portal will be able to access content off the cloud untethered from the PS5. This means we are already one step towards a dedicated console handheld for the PS5 system. The cloud solves the problem of having to create dedicated software in a new form factor like a mini disc, SD card or cartridge. This will liberate the handheld from the software limitations that once plagued previous handheld devices.c) Synergy with mobile gaming.another consumer report has found that mobile gaming has surpassed the Switch as the entry point for new (often younger) gamers. The possibility to boost revenue by amalgamating mobile and console gaming experiences could be significant, especially with younger and more casual gamers who are familiar with gaming monetisation via microtransactions. To date there seems to be two markets between console and mobile gaming, but this is not a case of twain-shall-never-meet. I suspect the difference is because gamers have been looking for different gaming experiences between their console and phones/tablets, but that distinction is become muddier as app games become more sophisticated.The strong sell through of the PS Portal is testament to the fact that gamers are enthusiastic about playing their 'owned' games outside of the main consoled) Boost games as a service and subscription gaming. Sony has been investing heavily in games-as-a-service (GaaS) and Microsoft has committed to all things Game Pass. Both services could benefit somewhat from a handheld console. GaaS titles are social in nature, so taking your console anywhere where your friends are is very appealing. There have been many a time when my young son would take his Switch to his friends house and play Minecraft, Rocket League or Fortnite. Although Sony has recently reduced the number of GaaS projects in intends to release, the Gamesindustry.biz headline 'Report: 95% of studios are working on or aim to release a live service game' highlights a ramping up of investment into GaaS. Apart from GaaS, the subscription services can find a home on console handhelds. For example, Phil Spencers dream of making GamePass a video-game Netflix, a service that is somewhat omnipresent like video-on-demand, would be an ideal fit on a system that is free from the confines of the living room. Its biggest challenge will be latency and finding a strong wifi signal, a problem that is fortunately becoming less relevant with every year.e) Can tap into an established library of games. When this very topic was put to video game analyst, Michael Pachter from Wedbush Equity Research in the videocast SIFTD Games Is the Xbox handheld a good idea?, Pachter threw cold water on the idea of a successful dedicated handheld console because history has not been kind on the format, especially from Sony. Citing the failure of the PSP and the PS Vita as examples of how good technology failed to find a market, the prospects of history repeating itself feels high, as Sony has struggled to fully support its handhelds with software alongside investing in its (more lucrative) console platforms. I would surmise that this will not be the case with a handheld console that can already access a gamers extensive library. The only limitation being is that the existing library will have to be digital (more on that later). We have seen that accessibility of a library of games has generated instant success (albeit with the day one buyer) with the Steam Deck. The strong sell through of the PS Portal is also testament that gamers are enthusiastic about playing their 'owned' games on systems other than their main console, depending that the handheld is affordable. When you factor in access to additional games available on the PS Plus subscription or Game Pass, creates another incentive why a console handheld is a compelling proposition.A fragmented hardware market between handhelds and mainstream consoles could force the industry to make hard choicesThe Challenges:i) Graphic compromises and price. Putting aside some of the technical challenges like controller drifting, screen damage and weight, Gamesindustry.biz sister website, Eurogamer, published an article last year with the headline Can Steam Deck handle a range of PC's most challenging games? The answer for most was yes, but with significant limitations. Quite often a compromise on graphics or frames per second is needed to run the latest PC games on the Steam Deck. One could argue that these compromises are a necessity given you can hold a powerful gaming device in your hand. For the passionate Steam Deck user, who may have bought Steam Deck to complement their existing gaming PC, this is likely acceptable. But if a dedicated console handheld comes at a price north of $500 in other words, a higher price tag than their more tethered counterparts - then more mainstream consumers may expect a device that at least matches that of the other models in terms of performance. If these machines need to make compromises compared to their living-room sister machines (which seems inevitable), then value for money will become forefront of handheld buyers mind. If too many compromises are forthcoming, then buyers regret may soon kick in especially if the new handheld is competing directly with older and cheaper consoles that can do the job (of playing games) better. For example, there was consumer backlash when Mortal Kombat 1 released on the Switch with a sub-par experience. However, in this case, the Switch is at least a cheaper alternative to the Xbox Series and the Playstation platforms.ii) A fragmented hardware market between handhelds and mainstream consoles could force the industry to make hard choices . One of the criticisms levelled at the Xbox Series S is that the console is not as powerful as its bigger brother, the Xbox Series X. and that has led to comprimises. As a consequence of the two models, we have defragmented Xbox Series ecosystem, burgeoning Microsoft with a problem on how best to satisfy the markets for both consoles. It is an issue that is also affecting third-party publishers. Another Eurogamer headline from September 2024 summed it best: Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered: Series S suffers, with PS5 and Series X faring better. If, for example, Sonys new console handheld sells in high numbers, this could somewhat force the hand of the publisher to earmark more games to be made with the handheld in mind at the expense of pushing power and graphical excellence for the PS5 Pro. Given the selling point of the PS5 Pro is all about that extra power, a dedicated handheld console could potentially hold back the advancement in game technology if consumers end up buying more handhelds than the Pro. After all, companies follow the money and if the money says 'we want more handhelds and less Pros' - it will not be a stretch in the imagination to think games will be made to cater for the handheld specifications. Steam Deck has primarily been targeting existing Steam usersDevelopers are getting smarter at creating assets that can work on a spectrum of console devices, but if they need to create games for lower-end hardware, it will inevitably impact what they may be willing to do in terms of size of game worlds, enemies on screen, and other such benefits of more powerful devices. PlayStation and Xbox are known today for their high-end capabilities, and a popular handheld alternative might negatively impact that perception.iii) Gamers could be forced to buy digital. In an ideal world publishers would love to sell all their games on the digital format. The companies would earn higher revenues with every game sold while simultaneously driving down the cost of goods. It would not be unimaginable to think that these future console handhelds from Sony and Microsoft will scrap any physical media player, whether via a cartridge or micro SD, in favour for digital software. The idea is to force consumers to purchase games from the PSN or Xbox Live stores. These stores are walled gardens where the option to shop around for better prices are practically non-existent unless one where to buy from the 'grey' market of key-sellers. The win for Sony and Microsoft (and third-party publishers) would be significant. It will be physical retail that will suffer the most. This would be a great shame because the physical market still plays a fundamental role in the games industry. According to tracked Games Sales Data (Video Games Europe / Sparkers) one third of UK spending on PlayStation and Xbox (full priced) games (which released on both the digital or physical format), during 2023, were for the physical format. During the holiday period of Q4 that figure surpassed 40% thanks to gifting. That one-third physical spending would have no option but to buy digital. All game purchases would have to become digital and from limited store options. *Spending on games that released on both physical and digital platforms.Source: Games Sales DataI suspect that a good portion of the physical spending is done by people who continue to prefer the physical format, who do not wish to buy digitally or, more importantly, for younger or less affluent gamers, who cannot buy digitally. Even Nintendo, with the imminent release of the Switch 2, is aware of risks of embracing an all-digital world as a large proportion of sales remain physical on this format. Source: Nintendo Financial Results Fiscal Q225By all accounts the Switch 2 will continue with supporting physical media. This would mean a handheld console that is more Steam Deck (all digital software) then Switch (physical and digital software) is a bold move especially given the number of physical PS5 and Xbox console games already in circulation. Throw in thenews that the disc drive peripheral for the discless PS5 Pro has almost sold out everywhere, a digital-only handheld solution may not appeal to all forms of PlayStation and Xbox users.To conclude, the appeal of handheld gaming machines by publishers and manufacturers is understandable. The runaway success of the Switch, the Steam Deck and the PS Portal all point in the same direction. It indicates that gamers want to play with greater freedom. The appeal of taking your games with you wherever you go is clearly there.It solves so many problems about physicality and it opens more doors to cloud streaming and video game subscriptions services. It is an opportunity just waiting for Sony and Microsoft to hop on. The problem is that the market indicators for these devices came from a machine that has a physical format solution (and one marketed to families and younger gamers who desire portability) and a machine built for Steam owners who arguably use it as a secondary device, but more importantly who already own an intensive digital library. These are all handheld devices that were all made to answer a specific gap in the market. Does that gap exist for a dedicated handheld in the PlayStation and Xbox ecosystem? At this moment in time, we do not know much about what Sony and Microsoft have planned. Ultimately the goal could be to develop devices that replicate the same service delivery as the Steam Deck, namely complementary devices to existing console platforms. It is a strategy worth pursuing, but the market for such a device has not been fully tested and the opportunity may be smaller on console than it is on PC.To conclude there a lot of variables when it comes to the commercial success of handheld consoles. Technology has solved a lot of the issues that once plagued older systems, especially when it comes to software. I think the ultimate variable will come down to price and what gamers want from these systems. Consumer behaviour changes all the time. Maybe it is time for a PS5 or Xbox Series handheld?Sam Naji is founder of video game analytics and consultancy firm SJN Insight

EA Sports College Football is now the US' best-selling sports game of all time | US Monthly ChartsBut video games spending drops 7% to $5.8bn in CODless November, PS5 Pro sells fewer units but generates more dollars than PS4 ProImage credit: Electronic Arts News by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 18, 2024 Electronic Arts' college football game is now the biggest selling sports video game in US history when it comes to dollar sales.That's according to the November report from Circana, which also reports EA Sports College Football 25 is among the top 50 best-selling games of all time by the same metric. It is also the biggest selling game of the year so far in the US.Price promotions drove the title back into the Top Ten of the monthly charts, beaten only by Madden NFL 25 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.The latter was cited as a key factor behind the year-on-year decline in spending last month, down 7% to $5.8 billion. November 2024 was up against the comparison with the launch month of Modern Warfare 3, while Black Ops 6 launched in October. This year's Call of Duty is the second biggest-selling title of 2024 so far.Instead, the biggest new release was Mario & Luigi: Brothership at No.7 (although this does not include digital sales, as Nintendo does not share this data). The only other new releases in the Top 20 were the HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest 3 at No.12 and EA's My Sims: Cozy Bundle at No.19.Spending on video games content including software, subscriptions and so on dropped 9% year-on-year to $4.5 billion, with console content being the biggest source of decline, down 29% compared to November 2023.Hardware spending was flat at $927 million, with a 15% growth for PlayStation 5 helping to counter the 29% drop on Xbox and 3% on Switch.The new PS5 Pro console accounted for 19% of all units sold for Sony. Dollar sales for the upgraded console were over 50% higher than the launch sales of PS4 Pro, which launched in November 2016, but unit sales were 12% lower.Overall, 2.4 million consoles were sold in November 2024, up 4% from the same month last year. Year-to-date, hardware sales are tracking behind at 9.4 million units compared to 11.8 million.Here are the top 20 selling games from November 3 to 30, 2024 data courtesy of Circana:RankLast month rankTitle11Call of Duty: Black Ops 628Madden NFL 25310EA Sports FC 25411EA Sports College Football 2552Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero 67Super Mario Party Jamboree* 7NEWMario & Luigi: Brothership89Sonic X Shadow Generations917NBA 2K25*106Dragon Age: The Veilguard1113Hogwarts Legacy12NEWDragon Quest 31315Astro Bot14RE-ENTRYMarvel's Spider-Man 2153Silent Hill (2024)164Undisputed175Metaphor: ReFantazio1816Minecraft^^19NEWMy Sims: Cozy Bundle20RE-ENTRYMarvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics*Digital sales not included, ^^Digital sales on Nintendo platforms not included.

The Game Awards live-streams jump 31% year-on-year2024 show achieved four million peak concurrent viewers across Western platforms News by Christopher Dring Head of Games B2B Published on Dec. 18, 2024 The Game Awards 2024 achieved an estimated 154 million global livestreams, the organisers have announced.This is a jump of nearly 31% compared with 2023's 118 million livestrems, which was the previous record-holder for the event.The data combines results across YouTube, Twitch, Steam, TikTok Live, X, Instagram Live and Facebook. According to StreamCharts, the event attracted more than four million peak concurrent viewers across Western platforms including Twitch and YouTube, a 10% rise over the year before. The Game Awards 4K feed also saw a 35% jump in peak concurrent users on YouTube, with 1.3 million viewers. If we include co-streams, YouTube viewership was up 28% to 2.17 million.The statistics follow a strong tenth anniversary event for The Game Awards, which saw the reveal of some high profile titles, including CD Projekt's The Witcher 4, Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, FromSoftware's Elden Ring: Nightreign, Hazelight's Split Fiction and Sega's Sonic Racing Crossworlds. The event also saw the return of classic franchises, including Onimusha, Virtua Fighter, Okami and Turok.The big winner of the awards was Team Asobi's Astro Bot, which collected four prizes including the Game of the Year Award. Other big winners included indie hit Balatro, Metaphor: ReFantanzi, Black Myth: Wukong and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2.

Investigation claims "network of illegal casinos" lets children gamble with their Roblox account detailsRoblox says it's working "collaboratively with law enforcement to pursue the owners of such websites"Image credit: Roblox News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 17, 2024 A "network of illegal casinos" is allegedly permitting children to gamble using their Roblox currency.According to an investigation by Sky News, children as young as 12 have reportedly been able to gamble using their Roblox accounts on sites and unlicensed casinos that run outside of Roblox's ecosystem.Although the casinos are not published on Roblox itself and the company has attempted to deter the illegal sites, children can reportedly use their Roblox login credentials and Roblox's currency, Robux, to access gambling on "robux casinos" like BloxFlip, RBLXWild, and Bloxmoon. The latter - which acquired RBLXWild earlier this year - has taken "a total of $11.4m (8.9m) [...] since it launched in late 2022."Whilst some casinos ask the players to provide a date of birth or tick a box confirming they are over 18, "they do not attempt to verify the users age."One respondent told Sky News that he began gambling at the age of 14, and has gambled away around 15 million Robux - the equivalent of around $190,700 (150,000). Even though his mother "tried to get [him] to stop," he "just liked the adrenaline of doing bigger and bigger bets.""I just thought it was something you could do to make extra money," he said. "I didn't even know what gambling was."A friend of the child reportedly threatened to take his own life after he lost 20,000 Robux - the equivalent of about $250/200 - "on a single roulette spin."Sky News said the boy's friends weren't sure "if he was serious, but the group didn't want to get adults involved for fear of revealing their gambling habits.""We just tried to calm him down ourselves," the respondent added.In response to the investigation, chief executive of the Gambling Commission, Andrew Rhodes, said: "At the end of the day, illegal casino operators are criminals. They're supported by criminal gangs and are part of the criminal underworld. It's important all of us play our part in trying to frustrate them."Commenting that all partners, including parents, should be "vigilant" about what their children are doing online, Rhodes added parents "have to remember that criminals are always trying to find ways to exploit children and others and be alive to that risk."BloxFlip went offline shortly after Sky News approached the site with its findings. Bloxmoon and RBLXWild have also disappeared, with notices on their websites saying they have "ceased operations."However, site moderators have been caught encouraging players to circumvent regional bans by using VPNs, and both Bloxmoon and RBLXWild have previously moved operations to slightly different URLs.Roblox was reportedly suing some of the illegal casinos for copyright infringement and breaking its terms of service."We have a dedicated group focused on identifying potentially fraudulent activity on Roblox and we work collaboratively with law enforcement authorities where possible to pursue the owners of such websites," a Roblox spokesperson told Sky News."Our efforts have met with some success, but we would welcome further law enforcement action and vigilance from web hosting providers to shut down sites like this."GamesIndustry.biz has also independently reached out to Roblox for comment.Roblox recently announced significant changes to its safety systems and parental controls to protect children under 13.

James Wan is adapting indie horror Pacific Drive for TVNoted horror filmmaker Wan secures rights to turn the driving game into a TV showImage credit: Ironwood Studios News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 17, 2024 Pacific Drive is the latest game getting the Hollywood treatment.As reported by Variety, notable horror filmmaker James Wan has secured the rights to turn the driving game into a TV series via his Atomic Monster production company.Wan will executively produce the show alongside Atomic Monsters Michael Clear and Rob Hackett, as well as The Menagerie Productions' Jeff Ludwig.As of the time of writing, the series has yet to be attached to a particular streaming service.Ironwood Studio's indie survival horror hit, Pacific Drive, has sold over 600,000 copies globally.Developer Red Barrels has also recently signed a deal with Lionsgate Studios and It and Strange Darling producer Roy Lee to create a movie based on the Outlast franchise.

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance servers close next February | News-in-briefThe base game and DLC will still be available to play offline in single-playerImage credit: Wizards of the Coast News by GamesIndustry.biz Staff Contributor Published on Dec. 17, 2024 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance servers close next February

Alan Wake 2 - Night Springs & The Lake House | Games of the Year 2024Unsurprisingly, Sophie McEvoy found herself caught in another endless time loop Feature by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 17, 2024 It's been over a year since I fell down the Remedy rabbit hole, and I'm happy to report there's no end in sight.Since the launch of Alan Wake 2 in October 2023, I've played nearly every game in Remedy's catalogue, in some cases more than once (I'm lovingly looking at you, Control and Max Payne 2). All those wonderful games left almost no space for anything else this year.That's not to say I haven't experienced any new releases in 2024. Little Kitty, Big City stole my heart, Thank Goodness You're Here had me in stitches, and Star Wars Outlaws gave me a much-needed dose of nostalgia. Baldur's Gate 3 is also a fresh experience that I've managed to put in over 120 hours in 20 days."The absurdity is off the charts, from Alan communicating as a mounted bass ornament to a motorcycle turning into a werewolf (yes, really)"Alas, Remedy just had to continue releasing content for Alan Wake 2, which came in the form of two expansions: Night Springs and The Lake House.Night Springs arrived on June 8, consisting of three episodes centered around characters from Remedy's connected universe. Night Springs itself is a homage to The Twilight Zone, and appears as an actual TV show throughout 2010's Alan Wake.This was expanded in 2012 with Alan Wake's American Nightmare, which is framed as a Night Springs episode written by Alan as a means to escape The Dark Place an alternate nightmare dimension he's been trapped in for 13 years.The Night Springs expansion follows the same premise, with Alan using characters from Remedy games as a means to escape.One is based on the overarching plot of 2019's Control, following its protagonist Jesse Faden the director of a secret government agency called the Federal Bureau of Control. In Night Springs, she is simply known as The Sibling and is looking for her brother at a theme park that appears in Alan Wake 2.The other is a head-spinning trip through parallel universes, where players take on the role of actual actor Shawn Ashmore. He portrays Sheriff Tim Breaker in Alan Wake 2 as well as protagonist Jack Joyce in 2016's Quantum Break. But in this episode, he plays an unnamed hero in a game called Time Breaker developed by Poison Pill Entertainment (likely because Microsoft still owns the Quantum Break IP).But what captivated me immediately was the first episode of Night Springs, Number One Fan.This instalment is centered around Rose Marigold, a waitress from the game's fictional diner. In Alan Wake, she was an endearing but stereotypical fangirl. Thankfully, her character was fleshed out in Alan Wake 2, and even more so in Number One Fan.Rose is tasked with saving her beloved writer Alan from the clutches of his jealous twin brother, Scratch (in the main games, Scratch is a manifestation of a supernatural entity called the Dark Presence, which takes on Alan's appearance). Number One Fan hinges on Rose's dedication to Alan, but not in a derogatory way. The episode doesn't make fun of how dedicated she is to the writer she loves; it embraces it.Since falling for Alan Wake, I've become known as "the Alan Wake writer" it doesn't take long to see why if you follow me on social media. But as a neurodivergent person who hyperfixates on things, I've often been made fun of for loving a game or TV show "too much."But the Remedy community has accepted me with open arms, and I'm often referred to as Rose by my close friends... although, that was very much my own doing after I followed in her footsteps and managed to procure a life-size cutout of Alan.Rose being the center of attention and the overall hero of Number One Fan made me feel seen. It's a token of appreciation to Alan Wake fans, which game director Kyle Rowley emphasised when I spoke to Remedy's dev team about the expansion earlier this year. Don't worry Alan, your cutout is safe with meAfter pouring over 100 hours into replaying Alan Wake 2, I really wanted to see Remedy's kookiness take centre stage and it does so exponentially here. The absurdity is off the charts, from Alan communicating to Rose as a mounted bass ornament and a deer to a motorcycle turning into a werewolf (yes, really).On top of that, Jessica Preddy's fantastic portrayal of Rose and the unbeatable duo that is Matthew Porretta and Ilkka Villi (as both Alan and Scratch) cemented the first expansion as my game of the year right off the bat.And then came The Lake House.Released on October 22, the game's second DLC amplified the survival horror all the way up to 11, but in a truly Remedy way.Set up as a Control crossover event, you play as Kiran Estevez an agent from the Federal Bureau of Control. She's been tasked with investigating the situation unfolding in the game's fictional town of Bright Falls. Estevez appears mid-way through Alan Wake 2, during which she refers to an incident that occurs during this expansion. This incident takes place at The Lake House: a research facility set up to monitor paranatural occurrences at Cauldron Lake near Bright Falls. Cauldron Lake just so happens to be a portal to The Dark Place.Estevez arrives at an abandoned Lake House, only to discover that horrific supernatural entities have been unleashed through an unlikely source: abstract paintings. It's down to her to find out why, and more importantly, how to stop them.Playing as Estevez reminded me of how I connected to Jesse in Control. Not only was I experiencing the world as a strong female protagonist, but both characters are brilliantly sarcastic and unphased by the weirdness transpiring around them."[Estevez] uses a grounding technique of taking six deep breaths when overwhelmed, which was refreshing to see as with anxiety"Although, that's what it seems like with Estevez. Once you start diving deeper into the horrors unfolding within The Lake House, her seemingly calm demeanor starts to falter. She uses a grounding technique of taking six deep breaths when things get overwhelming, which was refreshing to see as someone who suffers with anxiety. It gave me a new coping mechanism that I've gone on to use a few times since.There's also a new song for the DLC centered around this theme, written by singer-songwriter Poe. She contributed the song 'This Road' for the main game, which appears in segments after you finish chapters in Alan's section. That song became an important mantra for me, as has this one. '6 Deep Breaths' reminds me to stop, take a step back, breathe, and face your fears.With that in mind, I often found myself reacting to situations in the same way as Estevez does, much like I did with Jesse in Control. There were countless times where I would say the exact same thing Estevez would say in reaction to what was being uncovered.For example, there's an entire floor of the facility housing rows upon rows of typewriters, eerily clacking and pinging away on their own. A system has been created to automate Alan's writing style to mimic his ability to make fiction become reality. As soon as it dawned on me what the researchers were trying to do, I audibly groaned and said to myself this is such a stupid idea as did Estevez. It's also a really interesting commentary on the future of AI, something I was not expecting to appear in this survival horror experience. Alan's writing is unique to him via his tone, use of metaphors, and the way he sets a scene. The prose these typewriters are pumping out can't match that at all, which is further proven by the experiment being unable to replicate Alan's power since he's not there to fuel it.As a massive fan of Remedy's games, I found how The Lake House combined Control and Alan Wake to be joyous. From the questionable experiments to the weird and wonderful moments mixed with pure horror, this expansion was the perfect endnote to Alan Wake 2.Of course, it left me wanting more not only from Alan Wake but also Control 2, as a sneaky teaser was hidden towards the end. Hopefully, it's not going to be that long a wait to see what Remedy has in store for its ever-expanding connected universe, and I can't wait to experience it.

Jingle Jam raises 2.7 million after impressive 2024 fundraising eventOver 800 creators raised money for the likes of War Child, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), Autistica, and Sarcoma UK News by Christopher Dring Head of Games B2B Published on Dec. 17, 2024 The Jingle Jam livestreaming event has raised an impressive 2.7 million over two weeks, the charity has announced.The money was raised by a series of fundraising livestreams hosted by more than 800 creators, including high profile names such as TommyInnit, The Spiffing Brit and Smosh Games, alongside The Yogscast, which founded the Jingle Jam in 2011 (you can read more about it here).The money has been received by eight charities this year, with 314,000 going to Autistica, 470,000 to Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), 280,000 for Cool Earth, 269,000 for Sarcoma UK, 305,000 for The Trevor Project, 396,000 for Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal, 300,000 for War Child and 339,000 for Whale and Dolphin Conservation.During the fundraising project, anyone who donated 35 or more would receive a collection of games, including Two Point Campus, For The King 2, Shadows of Doubt and Wildfrost.Events that took place between December 1st - December 14th included Tommyinnit playing Minecraft alongside Technodad to raise money for Sarcoma UK. Technodad is the father of creator Technoblade who died in 2022 from sarcoma cancer. The event also saw the Smosh Games cast singing karaoke to raise funds for The Trevor Project, and The Spiffing Brit playing Skyrim to support Wallace & Gromits Grand Appeal.A huge thank you to all the viewers who donated generously to such wonderful causes, the developers and publishers who gave their games to the Collection for free and to all the creators who took part in this years Jingle Jam, putting together some of the most entertaining streams weve seen to date, said Jingle Jam chair Rich Keith.

What impact have layoffs had on the games industry over the past two years?InGame Job CEO Katya Sabirova shares the key takeaways from the Big Games Industry Employment Survey 2024Image credit: Big Games Industry Employment Survey, Values Value, InGame Job Feature by Katya Sabirova Contributor Published on Dec. 16, 2024 Mass layoffs have been the defining theme of the past two years and they're not over yet. The industry is still feeling the effects of this crisis, even though many players are starting to see signs of stabilization.Let's take a closer look at the layoffs of 2023-2024 in Europe to understand who was hit the hardest, how long it took professionals to find new jobs, and how their incomes and working conditions were impacted.Our main source of data is the Big Games Industry Employment Survey 2024, conducted in Spring 2024 and presented at the Devcom conference in August 2024. GamesIndustry.biz previously covered a talk by Tanja Loktionova, one of the survey's organizers, where she shared its initial findings. Now, the full report is available for free on the InGame Job portal.In this article, we'll dig deeper into the wave of mass layoffs in the industry, which was a key focus of the Big Games Industry Employment Survey 2024.Who suffered the most?Let's recap: the anonymous survey gathered over 1,800 responses from game industry professionals. The majority were mid-level or higher specialists (9% Junior, 29% Middle, 30% Senior, 28% Lead/Top). Katya Sabirova, InGame Job & Values Value | Image credit: Values ValueAdditionally, 19% of respondents had over ten years of experience in games. In short, these were mostly seasoned professionals who might have been expected to be safe from layoffs.However, even among them, some were affected: 15% reported being laid off in 2023-2024 but had already found new jobs by the time of the survey. Another 6.2% said they were laid off and remained unemployed at the time of the survey.Altogether, 21.6% of respondents reported experiencing layoffs. So, who are these professionals who found themselves out of work?When it comes to seniority levels, the survey shows that layoffs impacted professionals across the board, regardless of expertise. Between 23% and 26% of juniors, mid-levels, and seniors reported being laid off. At the Lead/Top level, the percentage was slightly lower, at 15-16%.However, the recovery process varied by seniority. Senior+ professionals tended to find new jobs relatively quickly, while mid-levels and juniors faced more challenges. By the time of the survey, 10% of mid-levels and 9% of juniors were still unemployed after being laid off. In contrast, only 3-5% of seniors, leads, and top-level professionals remained out of work. Image credit: Values ValueAmong the specializations most affected by layoffs, artists (28%), QA specialists (27%), and HR/recruitment professionals (25%) were hit the hardest. Artists and testers, in particular, struggled to find new jobs quickly 10% of artists and 11% of testers were still unemployed at the time of the survey. Image credit: Values ValueSalaries for QA and HR/recruitment professionals also declined in 2024 compared to 2023. This drop appears closely tied to layoffs, as professionals in these fields faced limited job opportunities and often had to accept less favorable offers to reduce the length of their job search. Image credit: Values ValueHow long did professionals take to find new jobs after layoffs?Looking at the full sample of respondents who changed jobs in 2023-2024, more than half managed to find a new position in less than three months. We assume that this group largely includes those who left their previous roles voluntarily.The concerning figures are those representing longer job search periods: 12.3% took between six months and a year to find a new job, while 8.1% reported searching for over a year. Image credit: Values ValueWhen looking at seniority levels, juniors emerge as the most vulnerable group nearly half of all junior respondents reported taking more than six months to find a new job. Mid-levels and seniors had similar timelines, with mid-levels trailing slightly behind seniors in speed. Only 5-6% of mid-levels and seniors spent over a year searching for a new role.Top-level experts and senior leaders demonstrated faster job searches, with 62% finding a new role in under three months. However, 25% of them reported that it took over six months to secure their next position. We believe this is because professionals at this level have more time and flexibility to carefully select roles that meet their expectations and requirements. Image credit: Values ValueThe next slide, breaking down results by professional fields, highlights how challenging the job search was for QA specialists, artists, and, to some extent, HR managers and recruiters.QA specialists had the hardest time; nearly half of respondents in this group spent over six months looking for a new job, with 26% searching for more than a year. Similarly, 10% of artists and HR/recruitment professionals also reported spending over a year finding their next role. Image credit: Values ValueSasha Kononenko, recruitment lead and partner at Values Value told me: "There's an interesting trend with UA managers: from late winter to mid-summer 2024, there was a noticeable influx of candidates actively job hunting. However, by fall, most had already secured new roles, and those who have been with their current companies for a while are now highly reluctant to consider any changes."Artists are facing a tough time those entering the job market are struggling to find new opportunities due to high competition and a limited number of openings."Who had to switch industries?A total of 10% of respondents left the gaming industry during the wave of mass layoffs.The highest percentage of those who left after failing to find a role was among juniors at 31%. That's significant. Imagine: nearly one-third of entry-level professionals in the gaming industry (the potential mid-level specialists of tomorrow) exited the field after being unable to secure a position. This ongoing crisis is driving young talent away, slowing the industry's growth and hindering its ability to benefit from the fresh, innovative ideas that these professionals often bring.Other groups also experienced departures during this period: 11% of mid-levels, 8% of seniors, 5% of team leads, and 11% of top-level experts left the industry.By specialization, 28% of QA specialists, 32% of HR managers and recruiters, 15% of analysts, 14% of product and project managers, 9% of marketers, and 5% of programmers transitioned out of gaming. As for game designers, the destination for the 10% who left the industry remains unclear, but this is the share of respondents who reported being forced to switch fields.How did working conditions change for those who switched jobs during the layoffs?According to the survey:44% of specialists who changed jobs in 2023-2024 saw an increase in salary and/or career advancement.24% ended up in lower positions and/or with reduced salaries.21% found that their salary and position stayed the same.And, as was mentioned above, 10% had to switch other industries.Before the crisis, job changes were often a reliable trigger for salary increases and career growth. However, the new data reveals that mass layoffs have disrupted this trend.In 2023-2024, 25% of mid-levels and 26% of seniors reported accepting lower salaries and/or positions at their new jobs. Similarly, 15% of team leads and 10% of top-level experts experienced the same.Additionally, nearly a quarter of respondents across all seniority levels (except juniors) indicated that their income and position remained about the same after changing jobs.Juniors, however, faced unique challenges. A significant 36% of entry-level professionals accepted less favorable conditions (lower salary or position) after switching jobs, while only 11% reported maintaining the same terms.When it comes to professional fields, there's no surprise QA specialists and HR professionals were hit the hardest. Additionally, many game designers (25%), artists (31%), and programmers (27%) experienced a decline in earnings and/or career progression after switching jobs last year. Image credit: Values ValueFor this article, we spoke anonymously with a laid-off employee from one of the largest game studios. Here's their comment:"It took me about six months to find a new job. I should mention that during the first few months, I wasn't very active in my job search my priority was dealing with my work visa, which was tied to my previous employment, and I needed to sort that out. Unfortunately, besides finding new employment, those laid off often have to deal with a lot of additional issues. One of them is handling emotional breakdowns, because being laid off is always painful, especially when you don't expect it and feel secure in your position."Job hunting is a full-time job. I woke up in the morning and opened LinkedIn. It's recommended to tailor your resume for every job you apply to, and that's good advice, but I didn't have the energy for that. What helped was that I was mainly looking for similar roles. The most effective way to find a job is still through networking. So working on your personal brand is a great idea. People should be able to associate your name with your field when someone is looking for a specialist like you."Now I'm working at a company of a completely different scale, so my conditions have changed: I earn less, and the usual corporate benefits like health insurance, company events, and so on are gone. But I view it with calm understanding: now I have more opportunities to see the results of my work and my contribution to the overall mission.What's happening in the job market now?How have companies' hiring approaches changed? How have candidates' negotiation strategies evolved when seeking employment? What should we expect from the job market in the future? Sasha Kononenko, Values Value | Image credit: Values ValueSasha Kononenko shares her observations: "As for companies' hiring approaches, they continue to set high standards and expect finalists to meet those requirements 100%, all while keeping salary expectations reasonable. It feels like companies are leaving less room for compromise for example, considering candidates with potential who might need time to build missing skills. Employers seem less willing to provide a ramp-up period, expecting new hires to hit the ground running and deliver results immediately."Candidates, in turn, are concerned about the stability of potential employers: they want to know about flagship projects in the company's portfolio, what's already generating profit, or if there are investments from venture funds or other sources that indicate the company isn't likely to shut down overnight. These guarantees are now a key focus for candidates."If you're affected by layoffs and struggle to find the right job, how can you protect yourself from endless job searching? Kononenko suggests focusing on personal branding. There are many webinars now on building and developing a personal brand, regardless of whether you're in PR, bizdev, or a 2D artist. Being present on professional social networks is essential for everyone it's a valuable asset in case of layoffs.With a personal brand and a broad network, the chances of finding a new job quickly are much higher. So, now is the time to shed shyness and introversion, and start sharing your successful and unsuccessful cases, your experience, industry insights, start discussions, and exchange opinions. Build a network of potential hiring managers, industry experts, and interesting people who can offer expert advice or connect you to the right contacts.Sasha suggests asking yourself: "If I were laid off tomorrow, which companies would I want to work for?" Make a list, check if there are relevant job openings, connect with a recruiter or Talent Manager from that company. Even if you don't need it right away, you'll be prepared for worst-case scenarios.Katya Sabirova is CEO at InGame Job, and PR and comms adviser at Values Value

Reflecting on The Game Awards 2024 | GI MicrocastLatest episode available to download now News by GamesIndustry.biz Staff Contributor Published on Dec. 16, 2024 The latest episode of The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast is available to download now.This week, our show focuses on The Game Awards 2024. Chris reports on his experiences from attending the event, we discuss some of the big winners, and (inevitably) dive deeper into the big announcements from the night, as well as what they indicate about the state of games in the year ahead.We also have the usual What Do The Numbers Mean? segment, in which we take a look at the initial performance of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.You can listen via the player below, download the audio file directly here, or subscribe to our podcast feed, available via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, CastBox, Player FM, TuneIn and other widely-used podcast platforms.Episode edited by Alix Attenborough.To see this content please enable targeting cookies.

Capcom exploring further IP revivals following Okami, Onimusha revealsPublisher tells investors it will focus on "reactivating dormant IPs" in addition to new launchesImage credit: Capcom News by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 16, 2024 Capcom is planning to revive more of its dormant franchises following the reveal of an Okami sequel and the return of Onimusha last week.In a press release for Onimusha: Way of the Sword on the company's investor relations site, the publisher hinted that more of its classic IP will return in the coming years, although it stopped short of naming specific properties."In addition to regularly releasing major new titles each year, Capcom is focusing on re-activating dormant IPs that havent had a new title launch recently," the publisher wrote."The company is working to further enhance corporate value by leveraging its rich library of content, which includes reviving past IPs like the two titles announced above, in order to continuously produce highly efficient, high-quality titles."Capcom announced both Onimusha: Way of the Sword and an untitled Okami sequel during The Game Awards last week.While both series have received remasters in recent years, there has not been new Okami since 2010's Nintendo DS spin-off Okamiden. And while Onimusha received a browser game, Onimusha Soul, in 2012 and a virtual reality title Shadow Team earlier this year, there has not been a new fully-fledged Onimusha since 2006's Dawn of Dreams.The announcement of the Okami sequel was paired with another notable return, namely bringing the game's creator Hideki Kamiya back into the fold at the head of a brand new studio, Clovers.

Astro Bot takes home Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024Breakout hit Balatro won three awards, including Best Independent GameImage credit: Team Asobi News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 13, 2024 Team Asobi swept The Game Awards last night, with Astro Bot winning four awards including Game of the Year.Astro Bot also took home Best Game Direction, Best Family Game, and Best Action/Adventure Game.Studio Zen's Metaphor: ReFantazio and LocalThunk's Balatro followed close behind, with both winning awards in three categories.Metaphor: ReFantazio was awarded Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, and Best RPG, while Balatro won Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Mobile Game.The night was full of announcements and reveal trailers. This included a first look at CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 4, Naughty Dog's latest project Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and news that a sequel to 2006's Okami is finally in the works.This year's event also introduced a new category the Game Changers Award. The accolade was given to Tencent business development director Amir Satvat for his work helping developers affected by layoffs and studio closures.Here are the full list of winners:Game of the Year 2023: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)Best Game Direction: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)Best Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)Best Art Direction: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)Best Score and Music: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (Square Enix)Best Audio Design: Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Ninja Theory)Best Performance: Melina Juergens Semua's Saga: Hellblade 2Best Adaptation: Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)Best Ongoing Game: Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios)Best Independent Game: Balatro (LocalThunk)Best Debut Indie Game: Balatro (LocalThunk)Best Mobile Game: Balatro (LocalThunk)Best VR/AR Game: Batman: Arkham Shadow (Camouflaj)Best Action Game: Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)Best Action/Adventure Game: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)Best RPG: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)Best Fighting Game: Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco, Arika)Best Family Game: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)Best Sim/Strategy Game: Frostpunk 2 (11 Bit Studios)Best Sports/Racing: EA Sports FC 25 (EA Canada)Innovation in Accessibility: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Ubisoft)Games for Impact: Neva (Nmada Studio)Best Community Support: Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)Best Multiplayer: Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios)Players Voice: Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto 6 (Rockstar Games)Content Creator of the Year: CaseOhBest Esports Game: League of Legends (Riot Games)Best Esports Athlete: FakerBest Esports Team: T1, League of Legends

Why Krafton "made a sizeable bet" on IndiaKrafton India CEO Sean (Hyunil) Sohn discusses the impact of BGMI on the local market, the support the company is offering startups, and prospects for Palworld Mobile Feature by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 13, 2024 The launch of PUBG Mobile, later redeveloped into Battlegrounds Mobile India after it was banned by the government, was a turning point for that nation's games industry.Still one of the nation's most popular games, BGMI is handled by Krafton India the Korean publisher's subsidiary dedicated to this region and continues to drive the company's strategy in the area.During my time at India Game Developer Conference, I caught up with Krafton India CEO Sean (Hyunil) Sohn, who is also in charge of operations in MENA and previously worked at the company's headquarters.Our conversation explored how the PUBG firm approaches this market, the opportunities that lie ahead, and how India fits into Krafton's global strategy. The interview below has been edited for brevity and clarity.How big a market is India for Krafton?So it's been three and a half years since we started the operation in India. The main product that we are servicing is BGMI Battlegrounds Mobile India which is the Indian version of PUBG Mobile. That accounts for more than 95% of our revenue from India. Sean (Hyunil) Sohn, Krafton IndiaWe also have a corporate development team which has invested roughly $170 million into India's startup ecosystem, including gaming, esports and also digital content platforms. So that's a quick summary of what we are doing in India.When it comes to global revenues, India accounts for roughly 10%, give or take. Not as big as Korea, China or the US, but the market is growing at double digits while the global gaming market especially more mature markets like China or the US grows only maybe 3% or 4% per year.Compared to other global gaming companies, we made a sizable bet on the India market, and we have a sizable team based out of Bangalore.What have been the biggest lessons you've learned since setting up in India?For the publishing side, one of the lessons that we learned I mean, we kind of knew it before, but now we know it much more clearly is that India is still yet to develop a more [varied taste for games]."We are very lucky that we have a good, sizable cash cow [in BGMI]"Obviously shooter games like BGMI are super popular here, as well as card games and old board games like Ludo or Rummy these are big in India, but other genres like strategy, MOBA, and sports, are still much smaller than in the global market. We've launched new strategy games, we've also invested in a sports game company called Nautilus Mobile [developer of Real Cricket] but it's not very sizable. So you need to be a little patient and you need to bring something very specific for local tastes. Otherwise the ROI might not be as good as other, bigger markets.How do you make games that specifically target the Indian market effectively?We are very lucky that we have a good, sizable cash cow [in BGMI] which can sustain the team and also we can use those financial resources to bring more titles to the market. We have that strength. But you need to have a local team on the ground.It's a chicken and egg issue of whether you have big enough revenue from the market to justify your investment in setting a team or allocating a lot of your time to managing the market but we have a chicken anyway, so we can try to lay more eggs.How have you approached BGMI differently to PUBG Mobile?The core gameplay is the same but there are negative perceptions towards gaming [in India] in general and also shooter games like BGMI. So we tried to bring in some safeguards or solutions to the concerns that the government or general public might have. Also, we tried to make it more localised so that people don't feel too uncomfortable, so we tried to change or remove certain global features for the local market.[Editor's note: Examples include changing 'Kills' to 'Finishers', removing blood effects, and the addition of a warning before each match that this is a virtual simulation not based on the real world. There are also age restrictions, time limits for younger players, and BGMI players are only able to be matched with other users in India.]BGMI has been credited for driving a shift in India, encouraging players to spend less time on real-money games and more on midcore titles. We've even seen a bunch of India-developed rivals to BGMI emerging. What is it about the game that's making midcore more popular, and what can companies do to capitalise on this?Indian gamers have a very sophisticated demand for good quality gaming content and there are not many local game developers who can actually make a game to satisfy that level of demand. There are quite a few good gaming studios from India, but what they are producing might not be good enough or large enough to cater to the local demands.Indian gamers are still trying to play global games more but global game companies don't really pay too much attention to the local taste of the market. I believe there are not many global gaming companies like us to have a local team and to do some differentiated marketing for the consumers.And while there are more gamers who are enjoying midcore games, that doesn't necessarily mean that there [aren't] many more games which are actually successful today. Sports games like FC Mobile and eFootball, some of the racing games like Asphalt 9 and Need for Speed, they are actually doing better and better. So we can see that gamers are actually wanting that kind of game now. Battlegrounds Mobile India accounts for the vast majority of Krafton's revenue from that market, but the company is exploring other projects | Image credit: KraftonWhy is Krafton investing so much in an emerging market like India?The emerging gaming markets, like India, Latin America and Southeast Asia, are more significant than before in terms of economy. And there are a lot of different cultural or economical backgrounds between these emerging markets and global mature gaming markets. India and MENA, or even including Latin America or some parts of Southeast Asia, have a significance in showing that there could be some different trends in the gaming industry.I used to read GamesIndustry.biz for many, many years, but now I'm spending less time on your newsletter and site because gaming journalists from mature markets do not really look at the emerging markets with the same level of detail. I mean that's very natural, but these markets are becoming bigger and growing faster.We want to build a good model case for emerging markets so that we can apply a similar way of setting up an organisation and expanding the market, doing something with a more localised approach which appeals to the local taste and so on. That's what we are trying to do in India and MENA. Hopefully, we can learn and build a case from here and apply that in other emerging markets so that Krafton's global presence can become more universal. We are currently more centered in North America, China and Korea those are our key core markets but the other markets are also growing.How does Krafton acquiring studios like Tango Gameworks benefit regional operations like Krafton India?In general, acquiring good studios who are able to create new IPs is a big plus for Krafton. Tango Gameworks showed they have the capacity... Hi-Fi Rush may not be a blockbuster success, but there are some core fans who like the art style and the gameplay, so maybe that's why our HQ team saw the potential and did the acquisition. That will strengthen our capacity for generating new IP.We also have other projects which are converting IPs from PC and console to mobile. That's another area where we see big potential."The emerging gaming markets, like India, Latin America and Southeast Asia, are more significant than before in terms of economy"How does India factor into Krafton's M&A strategy?In India, there are a few studios that are quite good but they are now either very self sustainable or they have been acquired by a bigger European company like Stillfront. So there are not that many studios which you can or would want to acquire.But obviously we are trying to see what's in the market. Maybe there are very early stage companies with some experience on their team, but we are trying to help them to build something on their own with our incubation program or equity investments. We are continuously doing that.Krafton recently signed a deal with Pocketpair to bring Palworld to mobile. Given how popular anime and some Japanese media is in India, do you expect that to perform well here?I believe so. Pokmon might not be that big in India compared to Korea, Japan or the US, but it's a common psychology that gamers or young people generally like to have some sort of virtual pet on their phone or in games. So it has that universal appeal for gamers. I mean, there are a lot of other reasons why Palworld on PC was so successful, but that's also one of the core things which people liked. If you can transfer that well to a mobile platform, more customized for mobile gameplay, then obviously that will work.

Zenimax Online Studios workers unioniseUnion of 461 workers has been recognised by Microsoft News by Marie Dealessandri Deputy Editor Published on Dec. 13, 2024 Workers at Elder Scrolls Online developer Zenimax Online Studios have unionised, Communications Workers of America has announced.The union, called ZOS United-CWA, has been recognised by parent company Microsoft and is made of 461 members, including "web developers, designers, engineers, and graphic artists," the announcement said.A majority of the unionised workers are based in Maryland, but they are also located across the US in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin.This is the latest union to be created via CWA's Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA), which the organisation says has seen over 6,000 workers unionise since 2020.Senior motion graphics artist and ZOS United-CWA member Alyssa Gobelle commented: "By coming together and forming a union, we're able to take a powerful step forward in ensuring a better future for ourselves and for our families, to create protections against layoffs and workplace exploitation, and to provide additional layers of support for workers beyond what FMLA and workplace policies already provide."Principal economy designer and ZOS United-CWA member John Hartzell added: "Regardless of your studio, your title, or where you're from, unions work to benefit us all."Hundreds of staff at sister company Bethesda Game Studios also unionised earlier this year.

Marvel Rivals is a bright spot in a dark year for live service | OpinionWith so many expensive, high-profile live service games failing, the early success of NetEases title is a welcome relief but the risks of this model have never been more clearImage credit: NetEase Opinion by Rob Fahey Contributing Editor Published on Dec. 13, 2024 Turning points are tricky things: they seem so obvious in hindsight, but are tough to spot when theyre actually happening. False positives are common, because all manner of things can seem pivotal in the moment, but transpire to be far less important in the long term.This probably speaks to a general tendency to underestimate the sheer power of inertia. Especially in an industry like video games, where product development cycles now run for many years, changing course is rather like steering an oil tanker and even very consequential-seeming events can have little real impact on the direction of publishers and studios.All of which is to say that Im cautious about declaring that 2024 has been a pivotal year for the industrys obsession with live service models. I know how many projects are still lumbering forward fuelled by a dangerous cocktail of inertia and sunk-cost fallacy, sweetened by a dash of hope (and a lot of cope).Nonetheless, theres undoubtedly change in the air discussions about the merits of live service models are more rational and grounded, and executives who have spent the past few years frothing at the notion that every IP in their companys back catalogue is the next Fortnite just waiting to happen have finally stopped getting quite so high on their own supply. If this hasnt been an actual turning point of a year, then at least it might herald a 2025 when product planning meetings can consider the merits and drawbacks of live service models objectively, rather than acting like wild-eyed prospectors in a gold rush.The reason for the sudden onset of sobriety over live service games is, of course, that 2024 has really been a brutal year for so many high-profile titles. Sonys Concord is the new poster child for failed live service games shutting down after only a matter of weeks, and unfortunately taking its studio with it but as dramatic as that may have been, its on-theme for the year. Concord never looked destined for success, having failed to stir consumer interest right from the outset.Executives who spent the past few years frothing at the notion that every IP in their back catalogue is the next Fortnite have finally stopped getting quite so high on their own supplyWeve also recently seen what are effectively end-of-life announcements for titles whose failures were arguably much harder to forecast, though. Warner Bros Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Ubisofts XDefiant are both on their way out; the former based on a well-known DC Comics IP and developed by Arkham series veterans Rocksteady, and the latter being launched in May to much fanfare about achieving millions of players in a very short space of time.There are, of course, specific reasons for the failures of each of these titles. You can take them on a case-by-case basis and pick apart their issues. Concord was a hero shooter with an astonishingly uninspired and boring roster of characters (the design of which, both visually and in terms of abilities, is arguably the single most important aspect of a hero shooter), Suicide Squad made the frankly baffling decision to have you tasked with killing the characters people actually want to play as, and XDefiant, though far more competent overall than the other two, was competing directly with Call of Duty (and slightly less directly with Apex Legends) and simply couldnt maintain its momentum in the face of that juggernaut.The specifics of each case, though, dont change the existence of the trend; expensively developed service based games were an insanely risky prospect in 2024. The trend goes far beyond the games mentioned; Square Enix effectively sunset Marvels Avengers last year and cancelling plans for further Foamstars development (despite it only launching in February), while Ubisofts long-delayed Skull & Bones flopped at launch, to name but a few more. Marvel Rivals' success is partly due to well executed designs for a hero roster that combines fan-favourites with some real deep cuts from comics | Image credit: NetEaseSome publishers have already started to sense that risk and pull back, such as Sega, who cancelled Creative Assemblys extraction shooter Hyenas before it even got to market. This isnt a new trend, after all you can go all the way back to the likes of Biowares ill-fated Anthem to find cases of successful, well-established developers getting badly tangled up in the nets of their efforts to launch live service games.There is important nuance here, however. Live service games are difficult, demanding, and extremely risky, but the baby shouldnt go out with the bathwater even if consumers have become much more cynical and negative about these games in recent years (with good reason), that doesnt preclude major success in this field.2024 will probably be remembered for its live service failures, but the year was also bookended with successes. Helldivers 2 was the surprise hit of the first half of the year; meanwhile, NetEase may have cracked the code for making a successful live service game with the Marvel IP, with its hero shooter Marvel Rivals generally getting a very positive response from players in its first week or so on the market.The things that these successful (thus far) games do need to be considered alongside the factors that drove other titles to failure. Both of them have a very clear, memorable personality the Starship Troopers-style satirical tone of Helldivers 2 immediately sets it apart from almost everything else on the market (another of the years hits, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, notwithstanding), while Marvel Rivals sets out its stall with fantastically executed designs for a hero roster that combines fan-favourites with some real deep cuts from Marvels comics.2024 will probably be remembered for its live service failures, but the year was also bookended with successesThese games instantly have a hook; theyre visually and thematically distinct, easy to remember and reference, and immediately recognisable when someone posts a short gameplay clip from them on social media.Theyre also, of course, good games. When we talk about trends and monetisation models and various other factors around games, we sometimes just take the question of game quality as a given not least because some people on the business side of the industry arent all that comfortable with talking about game quality, especially since frustratingly, it doesnt seem to be something that you can easily improve just by throwing money at it. Its a source of annoyance and mystery to them that there can be games developed on a shoestring that are hailed as brilliant, and games with hundreds of millions of dollars thrown into their development that are considered to be absolutely terrible.One of the great risks of live service games, and one thats consistently underestimated precisely because so many people are discomfited by these seemingly subjective discussions of game quality, is that live service monetisation generally gets in the way of making a game enjoyable, fun to play, and generally good. Its not impossible to do, as successful games in this space show, but its an extra design challenge; making a live service game good is objectively a harder task, and there are actually very few game designers and directors out there who have practical experience of doing so (for the simple reason that there have been relatively few successful live service games). Concord has become the poster child for live service failures in 2024, and other such games have struggled, but there have still been success stories | Image credit: Concord, by Firewalk Studios and Sony Interactive EntertainmentMarvel Rivals, assuming its success lasts and at the moment it does seem to be building a solid foundation for ongoing success and Helldivers 2 are the silver lining to this years cloud. They, along with other ongoing live service success stories like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, etc., show that good, fun games can still work in a live service paradigm, even as consumer cynicism has intensified over the whole idea.Yet the field of corpses through which these successful games stride cannot be ignored. Adding up the costs incurred in development, marketing, and operation for all the live service games which have failed or announced their sunsetting this year probably gets you past $1 billion dollars and those are just the projects we know about. Thats an astonishing amount of money thrown away on disastrous projects, which rankles especially in an industry thats still reeling from a couple of extremely rough years of layoffs and studio closures.Live service isnt going away the sheer amount of money being generated by the big success stories in this space ensures that but perhaps 2024s failures, and some careful analysis of the rather more limited roster of 2024s successes, will really make this into a pivotal year; the point where the tide turned and ebbed, and this business model started being applied judiciously and smartly, rather than being treated as the Holy Grail that would cure all the industrys ills.

Sounds disruptive: How video games are resetting the music medium's conventions | Playable FuturesGames have become destinations to host concerts, share singles, and support stars but the potential impact on music is only just getting started Feature by Will Freeman Contributor Published on Dec. 13, 2024 This series of Playable Futures articles considers how the design, technology, people, and theory of video games are informing and influencing the wider world.The snowballing intersection of music and video games has been a near-obsessive talking point across both sectors over recent years. From famed musicians taking starring roles in triple-A titles, to placement on FIFA playlists starting to rival Spotify for gathering new fans, opportunities abound.At the same time, the music industry is still guided by concepts established decades ago, from the dominant licensing model, to the album and single release framework. The potential for even more happenings around music and games coming together is profound, and yet until recently, the former's legacy conventions have arguably held things back.That was something very much on the minds of Alex Tarrand and Oleg Butenko as they began to concoct their concept for Styngr, a gaming-focused blend of music industry joint venture and technology platform. The duo of co-founders saw an opportunity to modernise the ecosystem that connects music and games."Music [has] this legal architecture that's been in place for a long time and it doesn't really match the speed or requirements of game companies""We were looking at how the potential crossover of music and games wasn't being fully realised, and we saw that this old model of music licensing didn't really work for most games," offers Tarrand, Styngr COO. "That's how it was, and how it still is to a degree. But things are changing, and they have to."Video game companies, essentially, are software companies. Software companies want to be able to move fast, socket into APIs, or take a code library like an SDK for advertising or analytics. They keep moving, are used to immediate integrations, needing to move fast and iterate. And then when it comes to music, there's this legal architecture that's been in place for a long time some of it from the Motown era and it doesn't really match the speed or requirements of game companies. We wanted to change that."By 2020 the same year that 12 million fans turned up at a Travis Scott show hosted in Fortnite Tarrand and CEO Butenko had established Styngr, which self-identifies as the gaming tech and development arm of the major and indie music labels.Styngr ultimately provides game developers and studios with an effective, efficient way to bring both major label and top indie music into games, while presenting artists and labels with increasingly dynamic, even personalised ways to connect with fans. It operates as a joint venture between major rights holders from the world of music, with a focus on passthrough licensing via a bespoke technology platform, over traditional sync and licensing models."If you're a game maker, we probably look like ad tech to you, at least in principle," Tarrand explains. "But instead of sending you ads, we send you music. On the back end, our guts look very similar to a DSP. You get the same granularity of usage reporting, and marketing reports and also royalty payments and structures that are broken down. And then on top of that, we have a blanket license structure. So if you are a platform probably an enterprise platform or platform-like game, and you want to cut tonnes of licenses, you can just leverage what we have, keeping it really simple."And then with the passthrough licensing model, you can import anything from radio feeds and playlists to tones and snippets into an environment in your game, and offer them as micro transactions, subscriptions, or have brands fund them for uses We've built a lot of stuff that's really, really tailored for games, and really focused on surfacing music in a way that works for games and their players." Styngr has worked with Motown Records to create music-led experiences in Second Life | Image credit: StyngrTarrand is full of enthusiasm and insight when it comes to looking at a future where music enjoys a new freedom in terms of its presentation in games. He sees a world where games' sonic elements are increasingly personalised, and where music extends the very modern phenomena of people putting as much effort into expressing identity, individuality, and personal brand in games as they do in reality.For years, music has guided popular culture. Decades worth of young people have built their identity, style, ethos, and presentation around music-led subculture, from punks and mods to ravers and goths. That phenomenon now very much exists in games, albeit without music playing such a present role. A change is coming there, however, and it may completely reinvent the conventions of the music medium."Until recently we haven't seen a lot of sonic equivalent to people using the likes of skins to express their online identity." Tarrand confirms. "There has always been a lot of great music in games and games often served as this platform for music discoverability. So games like the original Tony Hawk titles way back, and now we see games like NBA2K doing a phenomenal job of that. But personalisation of connecting players with music will bring so much more."What do you want to listen to in a game? What do you want other players to hear around you? We already see audio emotes proving increasingly popular. They sell, and now they are part of this movement of people expressing their identity in games. If suddenly those emotes might be a little snippet of Post Malone saying 'goodbye, goodbye, goodbye', or you play a snippet of Lizzo loudly saying 'It's thick 30', that's the start of a big change for music.""Perhaps the ultimate influence of games here is changing how music is seen and interacted with by consumers, and the forms in which it's delivered"The Styngr team has recently launched their latest product for Roblox, Boombox. Inspired by nostalgic memories from the 1990s of people sitting on their stoops with a cassette player thumping, drawing in neighbours, expressively sharing their latest music discoveries, Boombox's powers the same experience in Roblox. Players can carry a digital ghetto blaster with them, unleashing a feed of tunes as they go.It's an example of a pivotal shift: where once music was thrust upon players, and limited by games' once offline nature, today users can choose music, share music, use it for the likes of emotes, and be proactive in the soundscape of the titles they love.Music as a means to express identity, then, is increasingly moving from the high street to the live video game and increasingly, games are starting to take a share of music's status as a cultural speartip."Music has always been really good at leading culture, setting style, and almost distilling what's going on in the world and synthesising it into something that's accessible, and that you can hear and feel and form a personal connection with," Tarrand enthuses. "And in games right now we see how into skins people are, and those skins are almost a simulacrum of how we use fashion and style in the real world or maybe they are a play on that."But thinking about how for decades music has led culture, and thinking about music personalisation in games, it's mainlining what's happening at a cultural level. And the more people can personalise it, the more social it becomes." Styngr's Boombox for Roblox allows players to play tunes wherever they go via a digital ghetto blaster | Image credit: StyngrPlayers, Tarrand believes, will increasingly contribute more to the in-game music ecosystem, giving more genres a slice of the gaming pie. And increasingly, games are where younger demographics are going for their music. Soon they will be subscribing to in-game radio services, or finding potential for new game-exclusive streaming platforms, or want ultra short form music they can deploy as emotes. Creators in the likes of Minecraft and Roblox increasingly want music to fit around the experiences they build, rather than fit their creations around old conventions of three-minute linear songs.Tarrand even speculates that where once fans might meet at a concert, form a band and practise in their garage, they could now discover music, connect with one another, for acts, and even produce music in games. For now, we are seeing an emergence of digital-first bands more concerned with their presence in the likes of games, but soon bands may form, exist, and create exclusively inside titles like Roblox."I think soon we'll see Gen Alpha and Gen Z going to games as their first place to find and consume music, and that means interacting with music in new ways," Tarrand continues. "So perhaps the ultimate influence of games here is changing how music is seen and interacted with by consumers, and the forms in which it's delivered. The focus isn't as much about physical concerts and bars and radio plays anymore, and traditional streaming has proven hard. And now in games we're seeing this shift away from labels and artists focusing only on placement. Now they're thinking about engagement.""I think soon we'll see Gen Alpha and Gen Z going to games as their first place to find and consume music"In fact, we are already seeing early signs of artists and labels looking more like game companies, including when they are focusing on Discord for fan engagement, as seen with Coldplay. Increasingly, musicians could be seen to start thinking with an acquisition and retention mindset, starting to provide something like updated, maintained, 'liveops albums'. Others might start producing micro tracks made for emotes.Over in stand-up comedy, TikTok's dominance has seen routines restructured with something of a focus on less intertwined, elaborately structured gags, so they are more readily plunderable for clips. Video game emotes might soon have a similar impact on the way individual tracks are made."We really might soon see the definitions of what music is, and what performance is," Tarrand concludes. "The motivations of artists, what their aims are, and how they manifest their art and brand might also change. How they present themselves as digital entities over physical ones is really interesting. Then you add the ability through things like AI to completely and constantly rework your visual identity, maybe even personalising your brand and sound for different fans it's a really exciting space."None of those things are certain, but they are looking increasingly likely. And with games continual rise as a guiding force of popular culture, the chance that music will have to change to share its kingdom with its new bedfellow is increasingly likely.Playable Futures is a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry will go next. This article series has been brought to you by GamesIndustry.biz, Ukie, and Diva. You can find previous Playable Futures articles and podcasts here.

Ex-Bungie dev Chris Barrett sues Bungie and Sony for "falsely destroying his reputation"Lawsuit asserts Barrett was terminated to avoid $45m paymentImage credit: Bungie News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 12, 2024 Former Marathon reboot director Chris Barrett has filed a lawsuit against Bungie and Sony for "deliberately destroy[ing his] reputation by falsely, and publicly, insinuating they had 'investigated' Barrett and 'found' he had engaged in sexual misconduct," and to avoid paying him a $45 million payment.Barrett was reportedly fired by Bungie earlier this year following an internal investigation into inappropriate behaviour against female colleagues. In court papers, Barrett's lawyers suggest his former employer "did not care that none of it was true; they had blatant motivations for their brazen scheme," only wanting to "shift blame for and deflect attention away from their massive business failures."And to achieve those corporate objectives, they were willing to sacrifice Barrett," the papers asserted (thanks, VentureBeat)."Barrett was never asked whether he had ever engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct, whether he ever sent inappropriate sexual or pornographic materials to a co-worker, or whether he ever retaliated against a co-worker for rebuffing his advances or discriminated against a female colleague on the basis of her sex."Barrett was not asked those questions because Barrett did not engage in, and has not been accused of, any such conduct," the papers added. Three weeks after the investigation, Barrett alleged he was let go via Microsoft Teams for gross misconduct."They then completed the Machiavellian trifecta by providing wildly misleading statements to Bloomberg designed to: (i) deflect blame for Sony's poorly performing $3.6 Billion acquisition of Bungie and delays in video game production by casting shade on Barrett for his role on Marathon and (ii) shift blame for their own public #MeToo problems by falsely insinuating that the accusations of severe misconduct had been directed at Barrett, when they had not," the lawsuit added."[Barrett] has been the subject of harassment and public ridicule, has lost friends and professional opportunities, and has seen relationships with family strained," the papers explained. "His lifelong dream of launching his own video game company (once within reach for a respected designer of multiple legendary games) has been crushed."

99 jobs cut at Warner Bros Games Montreal"I feel like the company just ruined 99 lives," said one of those affected by the layoffs News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 12, 2024 Almost 100 developers have been laid off from Warner Games Montreal.As reported by Radio-Canada (thanks, Game Developer), on the same day Rocksteady Studios confirmed it was ending support for Suicide Squad less than a year after its debut (December 9), staff were invited to a video conference after which 99 people at WB Games Montreal were informed they'd been laid off with eight weeks notice.It's thought the layoffs primarily impact subcontractors working in the Keywords QA team, with those affected invited to choose between being placed on a register to be recalled for work - which reportedly would not happen until 2026 - or meet with a counsellor for help locating another job."I feel stressed and depressed. I feel like the company just ruined 99 lives," an anonymous source told Radio-Canada.Others stressed that at the company's recent biannual meeting in the summer there was no mention of redundancies, and management had insisted the studio had enough work.As at the time of writing, neither WB Games Montreal nor Keywords have responded publicly about the layoffs.

Balatro and AFK Journey among 2024 App Store Award winners"The remarkable achievements of this year's winners demonstrate the incredible ingenuity that can be unlocked through apps" News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 11, 2024 AFK Journey, What If? An Immersive Story, Squad Busters, Thank Goodness You're Here!, and Balatro+ have all made it to Apple's 2024 app Store Award winner list."Honouring 17 apps and games that helped users ignite their creativity, achieve new milestones, and cherish everyday moments with family and friends," Apple said "this years winning developers have created apps and games that improved users' lives and impacted culture around the world."Balatro+ won Apple Arcade game of the year, whilst AFK Journey, Squad Busters, and Thank Goodness You're Here! took home the prize for iPhone game of the year, iPad game of the year, and Mac game of the year, respectively.Thrasher: Arcade Odyssey secured Apple Vision Pro game of the year, whilst Wordle's NYT Games and The Wreck each received recognition for their cultural impact "in users' lives and communities.""We are thrilled to honour this impressive group of developers who are harnessing the power of Apple devices and technology to deliver experiences that enrich the lives of users and have a profound impact on their communities," said Tim Cook, Apple CEO. "The remarkable achievements of this years winners demonstrate the incredible ingenuity that can be unlocked through apps."Last month, AFK Journey was also declared the best game of the year on Google Play by the store's editorial team.

Pokmon and Aardman partner up for "exciting" 2027 collaboration | News-in-briefAardman is bringing its "unique style of storytelling" to the Pokmon universeImage credit: Pokmon / Aardman News by GamesIndustry.biz Staff Contributor Published on Dec. 11, 2024 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Pokmon & Aardman partner up for "exciting" 2027 collaboration

Why gaming is India's "new entertainment frontier"Developers and other experts take us through the challenges they face, and how rising player spending is fuelling more ambitious gamesImage credit: Battlegrounds Mobile India by Krafton Feature by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Dec. 10, 2024 2018 was a pivotal year for the video games industry in India. Smartphones had already been moving towards the ubiquity they enjoy in the West but the launch of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds marked a significant shift for the market.Real-money gaming titles have dominated the Indian gaming market for well over a decade, and continue to do so, but Krafton's multiplayer shooter demonstrated an appetite for different experiences that went beyond the gambling and casual games that typically rule the roost on mobile."That game really changed perceptions and even the market entirely because before that, gaming had been very polarising," explains independent consultant Sameer Desai, whose previous roles include editor of MCV India and country head for THQ Nordic. "For one thing, it was seen as for kids, but on the other hand it was seen as too violent for kids to play. There were games that were popular before Angry Birds, Temple Run, and so on but PUBG came in and suddenly blew up on mobile."That happened around the same time that smartphones and data became cheaper, so that really helped. All of this created the perfect storm. You also had influencers playing PUBG, creating videos in Indian languages, which hadn't really happened before. All that came together, and PUBG became this poster child for what gaming can be in India." Sameer Desai, consultantPre-2018, gaming was "like the Wild West" in India, Desai continues. PC and consoles were available but the cost of entry for consumers was high, which led most to piracy ("You could just browse PS2 games in a store like vinyl records," he says). The arrival of Steam helped somewhat, but the market never grew to the size seen in other markets."It was also a very urban phenomenon because only people who had the disposable income could get into gaming," Desai adds. "It was a luxury, but now gaming is becoming a hobby and people are even looking to make careers out of it."Sharmilee Daru founder of 4WD Gaming, a leading PR agency in India describes the country as "a mobile-first market" but an emerging one with a taste for Western-developed games."A lot of international titles do work here as well, but local developers are now coming up with their own titles, whether they're AAA, casual, or across various categories," she says."There is no doubt the market here is growing. The games industry, the esports industry they're all booming. Gaming is India's new entertainment frontier. I believe revenues will keep building, the number of gamers will keep growing, and we'll see more companies making more games."Daru cites two reports exploring the potential growth for games in India. First, Niko Partners predicts the Indian games market will cross the $1 billion revenue mark next year. Secondly, a recent Lumiaki report forecasts that Indian games revenues will reach $9.2 billion by FY 2029, indicating rapid growth in spending."There is no doubt the market here is growing. The games industry, the esports industry they're all booming. Gaming is India's new entertainment frontier"Sharmilee Daru, 4WD GamingThis has been largely enabled by the introduction of the Unified Payments Interface in 2016. This mobile payment system links directly to the users bank account, and can be integrated into all apps, including games."The openness [to spend] was always there, but it was the modes of payment. Indians are not very comfortable using their credit or debit cards online," Desai explains. "The moment we had UPI, it made it much simpler. Even Western games like Valorant allow you to easily buy in-game using UPI you barely leave the game, it's very seamless. Valorant is now said to be making $2 million a month in India which might not sound like much, but here that's a lot."It still remains an issue on consoles, you can still only pay on card on those, whereas Steam also has UPI built in now. [But] the player counts were there even though the revenues were not. The moment that changes is when India will really start propelling the industry."What do Indian gamers play?While player spending is expected to rise, little of that revenue is expected to go directly to Indian games companies. The vast majority of popular games are from overseas titles like Valorant, Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, and Free Fire by Singaporean dev Garena. Sharmilee Daru, 4WD GamingBut the success of PUBG or Battlegrounds Mobile India, the version developed specifically for this market has inspired a wave of developers to make their own midcore shooters, such as the upcoming FAU-G Domination a deathmatch game set in India and developed by Mumbai studio Dot9 Games. And Daru is confident that a domestic game will make its way to the upper echelons of the charts."There are great numbers of gamers, but the real revenue percentage increase will happen when there are local games getting in there and users start spending on these games," she says."I hope there's going to be a local game that does well soon. India is nearly there. You never know which game it could be, but once a great game makes it to the top, the entire ecosystem will benefit."Indian gamers' tastes are varied. Anime is hugely popular across the nation, so naturally Genshin Impact and MiHoYo's other titles have been a hit. On the other hand, Japanese RPGs are less popular and genre flagship Final Fantasy didn't really take off in India until it moved to real-time combat. Cricket video games are also massive even more so than in Australia, according to one panelist at India GDC 2024.India's console and PC players are significantly fewer than mobile users. Indie developer and analyst Rishi Alwani says the "numbers aren't where they should be based on the population" and estimates console and PC only represent 10% of the Indian market. But this crowd is increasingly aware of what is popular in other markets and seeks out those titles; for example, Black Myth: Wukong was popular among console and PC players in India."PUBG became this poster child for what gaming can be in India"Sameer Desai, consultantDesai adds: "Any games that are not heavily into narrative will do just fine in India without localising it. That's why PUBG, Valorant, and Fortnite do so well. Even games like God of War, you'll see YouTubers translating the story into Hindi for those who want to play it, so some IPs still do well even though they're story-based games."Real-money gaming such as casino-type games where players hope to win cash prizes still dominates the market. However, there has been a noticeable shift towards midcore and action games like the aforementioned shooters. Alwani says there are two factors behind the rise of midcore games."First, we have cheap data," he says, referring to how costly it used to be to download larger games. "It's relatively easy for someone to download a 1GB file because data prices are relatively low."Secondly, smartphone prices have trended lower and even if you're spending the same amount, you're getting more bang for buck. We're seeing a lot of devices [where] you have enough storage. If you look at a game like BGMI or Free Fire, which are at least 1GB downloads, you don't have a problem with that."Despite the small audience for console and PC players in India, many indies still target these devices in the hopes of reaching a global audience. Chirag Chopra is founder of Lucid Labs, a studio that has previously specialised in premium mobile games but is now moving towards console, PC, and even virtual reality. Western games light on narrative, such as Valorant, have proven to be popular in IndiaWhile it is much easier to make games for these platforms today, he notes that getting attention for them is increasingly tough especially as there isn't much of a traditional games media scene in India."It's all about cold emailing [global sites], getting in touch with folks like you and just asking, 'Hey, would you like to write about us?'" he says.This also increases the pressure for Indian indies to attend international events like GDC and Gamescom, but the costs of doing so can be prohibitive."As an indie, bootstrapped studio with hardcore frugal values behind us, we don't visit a lot of events," Chopra says. "We only visit them when we have a set agenda, like meeting publishers or platform holders. If it's just to showcase [the game], for us it doesn't make sense because we can't afford to be at the event just for those purposes."Finding the fundsChopra adds that securing finance from Indian investors and funding programs can be difficult because most of them "don't get games.""The challenge is to tell them why this is a multi-billion industry, and that's been going on for three, four years. It has been improving, but not at a rate you would expect." Chirag Chopra, Lucid LabsSimilarly, there is little in the way of government support for games companies compared to other markets, with Chopra reporting there are no "direct channels between your studio and government." But various Indian games developers are working to change that."We've realised that the problem is not that the government doesn't want to support us, but [that] they don't know how this industry functions," he explains. "We need people working directly with them, not only bridging the gap but translating all the jargon into a language they understand."That's why progress has been slow. It's not like Europe where you can show a prototype to Creative Europe and get a grant. Those kinds of things don't exist here, but chances are they might very soon."Chopra also observes there aren't many Indian success stories for studios to learn from. Alwani adds that developers who do produce a hit are known to share their lessons, either via LinkedIn or local events such as India GDC, but by and large there's a lack of deeper knowledge to help grow the development scene."If you gave everyone $10 million, or even $50 million, chances are they wouldn't know what to do with it," says Chopra. "Just getting the money is not the only thing we lack. There are no AAA studios here, there are no AA studios. The ones we have are mostly into mobile, live ops, and all that. How do you even make a AAA open-world game? It's not as simple as just setting up enough people."Desai notes that major games publishers do have some presence in India. EA has premises in Hyderabad, but it's mostly for testing and live operations. Rockstar's studio in Bengaluru is said to provide much of the GTA developer's art assets, while Zynga's office in the same city handles both art and live ops."The challenge is to tell [the government] why this is a multi-billion industry, and that's been going on for three, four years. It has been improving, but not at a rate you would expect"Chirag Chopra, Lucid LabsUbisoft, meanwhile, has two studios in Mumbai and Pune which handle a mix of production, quality control, and business support, as well as auditions and filming of dancers for the Just Dance series.And Desai believes these companies lay the foundation for future growth in India's development scene."Eventually, I think people who work in these studios will branch out and create their own games, like what has happened in other markets," he says. "We're probably five or so years away from that happening."Another challenge India's games industry faces concerns the talent pipeline. Various developers tell us there's little to no universities or colleges that offer games-specific courses. Those who can afford such an education often study abroad, and those that can't are self-taught thanks to the abundance of tutorials for Unity, Unreal, and so on.There is also increasing support from ID@Xbox and PlayStation's India Hero Project means indies have more opportunities to work directly with platform holdersTargeting IndiaWhen it comes to releasing games in India, there are several things publishers need to know. Firstly, as we highlighted, this is a mobile-dominated market with a very small console/PC presence. Secondly, pricing requires a very different approach."A $5 purchase for someone in London is not the same as for someone in India," says Chopra. "For us, a $5 purchase probably means the entire game. Localised pricing is a no brainer. There's a reason why both Apple and Google came up with a three rupee purchase ($0.03) [for in-game transactions]." Rishi Alwani, Masala GamesDesai agrees, noting that games that are $70 in the West are more likely to be $40 in India."That's important to follow," he adds. "A lot of publishers don't follow that, they use the same pricing for the whole world. That's an easy thing to fix."With 23 languages spoken across India, localisation might seem like a daunting task but all the developers we spoke to assure us that English penetration is so high that this is not essential. Nor is culturalisation, although it is appreciated.India is considered to be a country within Asia-Pacific, but Desai warns publishers that the market is so diverse and different to other APAC nations that any strategy they typically apply to the whole region won't necessarily work. Instead, he advises adopting India-specific policies."We have 28 states," he says. "When you cross borders from one state to another, often the language changes, the cuisine changes, the way people dress, what festivals they celebrate it really is like multiple countries. But we've all been bundled into one and companies are like 'Well, this is India.' Actually, there's a lot of diversity within the country. Which is why India can't fall under APAC, because there are at least five cultures here so it does require a different approach."Correction: This article previously quoted Desai as saying Valorant was generating $2 million per year in India. This has been corrected to per month

Clear Angle Studios opens new location in Los AngelesCulver City studio has already provided its services for three games industry projectsImage credit: Clear Angle Studios News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 10, 2024 3D capture and processing company Clear Angle Studios has opened a new location in Culver City, Los Angeles.Clear Angle, headquartered in Pinewood Studios, provides character scanning, digital facial and environment capture, prop and costume scanning, and other services.It has been supplying studios with its portable scanning units in Los Angeles for some time, and has now established a permanent space in partnership with the Creative Artists Agency Vault a project that uses the firm's capture solutions.This newly established studio has already provided its services for three games industry projects and five film productions."We have seen an increase in demand for our services in LA, in particular to make face and full body scanning more convenient for locally based talent, so it made sense for us to open a permanent hub here," said Clear Angle Studios co-founder and CEO Dominic Ridley."We already have some interesting projects underway from the short time we've been in Culver City, and we're excited for further projects in 2025 and beyond."

Marvel Rivals tops 10m players in 72 hours | News-in-briefNetEase's Hero team-based shooter hits the ground running on opening weekendImage credit: NetEase News by GamesIndustry.biz Staff Contributor Published on Dec. 9, 2024 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Marvel Rivals tops 10m players in 72 hours

Xsolla teams with StarNest to establish new game development academyXsolla SVP says this "partnership represents a significant milestone"Image credit: Xsolla News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 9, 2024 Xsolla has partnered with telecommunications firm StarNest to create a new game development academy.The academy and incubator program established with Azerbaijan's Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) will train 90 young designers, as well as offer mentorship, financial support, and opportunities to exhibit their games worldwide.Xsolla is also hoping to establish a regional hub in Baku and dedicated facilities that will, according to PocketGamer, "act as a technology hub for central Asia.""This partnership represents a significant milestone for Xsolla as we collaborate with Azerbaijani leaders to unlock the region's potential," said Xsolla SVP of global strategic partnerships Rytis Joseph Jan."By combining our global expertise with the visionary leadership of our partners, we aim to empower the next generation of talent in Azerbaijan and drive meaningful innovation with global impact."Xsolla has predicted that mobile gaming will produce $98.7 billion in total revenue in 2024, with China forecast to lead the market by generating $34.6 billion.This is according to its recent Autumn 2024 State of Play report, which has also estimated that the compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2027 will grow by 6.4%, with the market expected to reach $118.9 billion by 2027.

Deck Nine Games lays off more staffIt's unclear how many employees were impacted News by Marie Dealessandri Deputy Editor Published on Dec. 9, 2024 Life is Strange: True Colors developer Deck Nine has made an unspecified number of layoffs.The redundancies were announced over the weekend in a message shared on the studio's social media by CEO Mark Lyons.He said: "Today, we are sad to share the news that we must say goodbye to some of our talented team members. This was an extremely difficult decision and reflects the challenging times many companies in our industry are currently facing. We are extremely grateful to every individual who has dedicated their hard work, passion and commitment to making transformative entertainment with us."He didn't share further details about how many staff members were affected by the layoffs. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out for comment.This is the second round of layoffs at the Life is Strange developer this year, with Deck Nine cutting 20% of its staff in February.An IGN investigation into the studio in April saw staff raise concerns about the firm's culture, with allegations of hate speech, crunch, toxic behavior and management.

Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact banned in AustraliaUpcoming fighting game refused classification for scenes of "implied sexual violence"Image credit: Arc System Works News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 9, 2024 The Australian Classification Board has banned Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact due to "implied sexual violence."As reported by Polygon, the Arc System Works title was refused classification due to it containing "a scene of a visual depiction of implied sexual violence, where an adult male exposes himself to persons under the age of 18 years."The game, which has been delayed until 2025, is set to launch on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.In October, Sony apologised after Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number was accessible in Australia for a year after being banned in 2015 due to themes of sexual violence.Sony was made aware that Hotline Miami 2 had not received "a proper rating from the Australian Classification Board" and refunded customers who purchased the game during that period.

Stories from 30 years of PlayStationFormer UK and European PlayStation veterans share stories from their time working on PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4 Feature by Christopher Dring Head of Games B2B Published on Dec. 6, 2024 During EGX in London, PlayStation veterans Chris Deering, David Wilson, Geoff Glendenning, David Ranyard and Masami Kochi took to the stage to share stories from the history of PlayStation.I hosted the special session and there were some fascinating little insights into working on PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4. To mark the 30th anniversary of the PlayStation brand, here are some of the key anecdotes from that very session.Sony Europe's target was to sell just 3m PS1s in three years"I had worked in the industry way before PlayStation at Atari in the mid-80s," began Chris Deering, who ran the PlayStation European business up until the launch of PS3."Since that time, Nintendo and Sega were the dominant factions on console. I was happy to get involved with Sony's entry because I thought it would legitimatise console gaming in some countries where it was seen as very downmarket, or even criminal like the arcades down by the train station."I knew that the Sony name would legitimise the concept. But what excited me the most was the disc, which would allow us to get games that were selling fast into store a lot faster than eight weeks, which was the time it would take to order new discs from Japan."So I was optimistic, but not too optimistic to think it wasn't going to be a fight. What we set out to sell in the first three years of the European division was three million units and 14 million games. It ended up being ten million units and 40 million games. We were very conservative in setting the objectives, but we had the ability to scale up. Then we had a lot of fun with the marketing, and developers coming in with new games and super better looking versions of old games, and that all helped to make the phenomenon happen. And it's been here ever since.""I was optimistic about PS2, but not too optimistic to think it wasn't going to be a fight."Chris DeeringPlayStation UK gave away loads of PS1s to 'cool' peopleThe UK PlayStation team was determined to make this new console a desirable, cool product for adults. And to do so, it tapped into the club and rave scene of the mid 1990s."There was this revolution in youth culture at the time," revealed former UK marketing boss Geoff Glendenning. "So we positioned PlayStation in the UK to an 18 to 30-year old market. We made the brand edgy. We made it cool. We didn't pay for any endorsement. We gave hundreds upon hundreds of PlayStations away to very cool people. I didn't say they had to talk about it. There was no social media then. It was truly word of mouth. And that word of mouth was a spark that spread amongst youth tribes and friendships groups. It was very underground."I knew that giving a PlayStation to a top DJ that they'd love it. And they're cool amongst their friends, they'd have their friends round, they'd play it, and they'd effectively become an ambassador for it. We created an army of ambassadors. It wasn't a cool brand because the advertising was cool, it was cool because the movers and shakers and influencers of youth culture were out there saying that Sony really knew it stuff. I employed culturally connected people, who worked in music and fashion and taught them marketing. Because you can't teach a corporate marketer youth culture."It wasn't just club culture. It was also snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, graffiti, hip hop, breakdancing... we were in the underground, supporting culture. I wasn't interested in football or F1."The Crash Bandicoot marketing campaign saw a man attacked by pimps PlayStation's slightly unorthodox approach to marketing extended to the launch campaign of Crash Bandicoot saw them create fake Bandicoot road signs and lost pet posters. But one slightly edgier idea may have resulted in a real life assault."We had slightly controversial postcards that went into phone boxes in Soho," Glendenning remembered. "It's where you'd get a lot of postcards featuring... well, ladies who wanted to date people. The guy who was putting these [Bandicoot postcards] up in the phone boxes... well, we found out that all the pimps owned these phone boxes. It was their phone box. We only found out when the guy who was putting those postcards out got beaten up. Which was a shame. Lesson learned."Recollections over whether the assault actually took place, or whether it merely nearly took place, differed amongst the panellists. Either way, they didn't repeat the idea again.Chris Deering beat Richard Branson at Tekken PlayStation rooms featuring consoles connected to the TVs cropped up in all sorts of places, including clubs and retailers. It also featured during the relaunch of Virgin Megastores in London."We created a room full of PlayStations and TVs," Glendenning remembered. "And I just went up to [Virgin boss] Richard Branson and said, 'Hey, would you like to play PlayStation'. And that picture is of [Richard and Chris Deering] playing Tekken against each other."Deering quips: "And I won, thankfully. It would have been embarrassing if I didn't."Rayman was the best-selling game on PS1 in the UKWhat was the best-selling game on PS1 in the UK? Tomb Raider perhaps? Gran Turismo?Nope. It was the original Rayman. The game found its way to the summit due to various bundles and pricing activity. Here's the full Top Ten courtesy of Nielsen.UK Best-Selling PS1 Games (Nielsen)PositionTitle1Rayman (Ubisoft)2Gran Turismo (Sony)3Tomb Raider 2 (Eidos)4Driver (Atari)5Tomb Raider (Eidos)6Gran Turismo 2 (Sony)7Colin Mcrae Rally (Codemasters)8Crash Bandicoot (Sony)9Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (EA)10Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (Eidos)The trade media were sceptical about PS2 ahead of launchPS2 would go on to become the most successful games console of all time. But the trade media at the time was somewhat sceptical about its chances."The popular consensus was that the same platform holder had never maintained dominance over two generations," recalled former PlayStation UK and European PR leader David Wilson. "There was a lot of naysayers. I remember someone at Sega saying on the front page of one of the trade titles, 'We'll kick their asses, they're running away'. So there was negativity about it. But we felt we had a great product. A great heritage. We didn't launch with a great line-up. But you could tell by the anticipation that we had something special."But the stock shortages, which the panellists insisted was not manufactured, caused a real headache."It was tough because there was a special chip in it that was slow to produce. We had supply chain-related issues. The demand was there, but there just wasn't enough machines," Deering said."It was also financially difficult because the publishers had all made games to come out at a certain time, and they couldn't work on anything. So the part of the industry that was involved in PlayStation did have a punch to the gut in 2001. But it all passed."PlayStation took huge financial risks on EyeToy and SingStar Two of the most innovative and successful products on PS2 came out of Sony's London Studio: SingStar and EyeToy. And both of them saw PlayStation Europe take a real gamble that they would take off due to the fact both involved expensive to produce hardware."The EyeToy team went next door to the corporate headquarters," said Dave Ranyard, who held numerous roles at London Studio, including studio director."The team asked them, 'We don't know how many cameras to order, should we order 30,000 or 50,000?' and Chris [Deering] said: 'Order 500,000'. It was a big bet, and it paid off."Deering observed: "Well, we ended up selling six million.""I had Russians having sex on the PlayStation Network"David WilsonIt wasn't the only time Deering backed the London development team."There was another big decision around SingStar," Ranyard added. "Karaoke was huge in Asia, but it wasn't so much in Europe. How do you get people who have never sung in front of their friends or a TV to do that? It's quite a behavioural shift. So the dev team suggested we ship the game with two microphones. Which is double the cost of goods. If you go to any business school, they'd say that was nuts. Ship it with one and sell the other. But we went to Chris Deering, and asked and he said yes. And it worked. It gave people the confidence to play it. They were always with someone else doing this new thing."EyeToy caused some X-rated PR headachesEyeToy did create some unexpended challenges."The games were amazing," Wilson shared. "SingStar and Eyetoy expanded the audience. It was really incredible. But there were a few headaches on the comms side. The ability to broadcast your own content... I had Russians having sex on the PlayStation Network."Ranyard laughed: "We had pioneered user-generated content with video... which yes, had some issues. But it was on a par with YouTube at the time with content creator."The GTA exclusivity deal was partially a reaction to Xbox"We were worried when we saw Xbox coming," Deering remembered. "We knew exclusivity was the name of the game in a lot of fields, like Sky TV with sports. Just as Christmas was approaching when Xbox would launch, a few of us went out to our favourite third-party publishers and developers, and we asked them, 'How would you like a special deal if you keep your next generation game on PlayStation exclusive for a two-year period?' And one of the deals we made was with Take-Two for the next three Grand Theft Auto games. At the time, it wasn't clear that Grand Theft Auto 3 was going to be as huge as it was, because it used to be a top down game."It was very lucky for us. And actually lucky for them, because they got a discount on the royalty they paid. Those deals aren't uncommon in industries with platforms. Including today with things like social media."God of War 2 was a challenge for PS3 David Wilson said that the PlayStation PR team knew that PS3 was going to be a challenge "straight out of the box.""It was our difficult third album. We had a terrible E3. We had a higher price point. We were late to market. It was a challenge."And what made matters worse, the PS2 was still going strong with games that were on par with the PS3 launch line-up."We were launching God of War 2 on PS2, and it looked amazing," Wilson lamented. "And I was like, 'Oh my god, we are trying to push this super expensive machine against our existing machine that had a huge install base and had games that looked this amazing'."Yet things improved. "The PS3 was a game of two halves. In the latter half we had some amazing properties.""We had built up all this technology around camera tracking thinking we had this whole new market, but we didn't"David RanyardThe PS4 was great for developers except for oneThe PS3 was notoriously hard to develop for, while the PS4 was, by comparison, a dream. But when we asked London Studio how they found the PS4, they had one pretty major complaint."London Studio used to work on camera games," Ranyard pointed out. "Even SingStar was considered a camera game as you could use it. And the camera was going to be bundled with the PS4."Usually only about 10% of PlayStation players are going to have a camera. And we thought, 'Wow, this console is going to have a camera in the box'. But then Xbox announced it was going to have Kinect in the box and it became this battle around cameras and price. And the PlayStation Camera was doing this Hokey Cokey, it was in the box, then it was out of the box, then it was in again... but eventually it wasn't in the box. And we had built up all this technology around camera tracking thinking we had this whole new market, but we didn't. So it was a bit challenging for us. And that is what led us towards VR."The UK PS4 launch happened early to compete with Xbox PlayStation was notoriously aggressive against Xbox during the battle between Xbox One and PS4, with the infamous Sony video mocking Xbox's (eventually scrapped) policy around sharing games.Xbox was having a tough time and PlayStation was eager to press the advantage. In the UK, PS4 unlike in the US was launch after the Xbox One release. The UK team's response? Throw a launch party early."We just went early to get out ahead of Xbox," Wilson revealed. "We had the OXO tower [PR stunt in London] at the same time, and a massive party on the night of the US launch so we went a week early to try and get ahead of things."

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75% of UK students in favour of esports education in schools58% of those surveyed found esports to be more accessible as a career than law or engineering News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Dec. 6, 2024 75% of UK students advocate the integration of esports into the school curriculum, with 64% already engaged in esports-related academic activities.This is according to new research commissioned by Tencent in collaboration with the British Esports Federation and Ukie.Conducted by Censuswide, the report surveyed 2,000 respondents aged between 16 and 27 who were interested in the creative and entertainment industry.Of those surveyed, 40% are considering video game related fields with 58% believing that esports is more accessible as a career than fields such as law and engineering.Despite 16 higher education institutions in the UK offering degree programs relating to esports, 36% of respondents found there were financial barriers in pursuing further education. 33% said career pathways were unclear."Esports in curricula in secondary, further, and higher education [...] is equipping young people with the skills needed for careers in esports, gaming, and the wider digital, creative, and STEM sectors," said British Esports Federation VP Tom Dore."However, support and recognition from video game publishers and industry stakeholders are crucial to driving sustainable growth, grassroots development and clear career pathways within the esports ecosystem."Ukie CEO Nick Poole added: "Esports plays a key role in shaping the future of work and creativity, offering young people opportunities to develop skills and pursue careers at the intersection of technology, media, and interactive entertainment."The UK is uniquely positioned for growth in this sector, with its strong track record of hosting major global tournaments and home to Europe's largest community of student esports players. To build on this momentum, we must continue to invest in education, infrastructure, and cross-industry collaboration."

UK specialist media publisher Future signs strategic partnership with OpenAIFuture will be using OpenAI's tools across sales, marketing, and editorialImage credit: OpenAI News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 5, 2024 Specialist media distributor and publisher Future has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI and its ChatGPT tool.Future publishes a range of specialist lifestyle magazines and websites, most notably for the games industry, Edge magazine, PC Gamer, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, and GamesRadar+.The firm - headquartered in the UK - said the initiative "brings Futures journalism to new audiences while also enhancing the ChatGPT experience," with ChatGPT users "able to access content from across Futures portfolio, with attribution and links to the full original articles for transparency and further information."The publisher has also developed chatbots "so users can engage more deeply with content from Toms Hardware and Who What Wear."Future also revealed it would be using OpenAI's tools across multiple functions across its business, including sales, marketing, and editorial, "to boost productivity.""Across Future's brands, we are focused on growing our engaged audience and building global communities. Our partnership with OpenAI helps us achieve this goal by expanding the range of platforms where our content is distributed," said Future CEO Jon Steinberg."ChatGPT provides a whole new avenue for people to discover our incredible specialist content. Future is proud to be at the forefront of deploying AI, both in building new ways for users to engage with our content but also to support our staff and enhance their productivity."Future's Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) was retired after 25 years in May 2021 and replaced with Play, a new publication with the same editorial team but without the official Sony branding. However, in October 2024, Play too was shuttered.

Google's Genie 2 AI tool can generate a playable 3D world from a "single prompt image"It can also create different perspectives and interactive objects like doors and explosive barrelsImage credit: Google News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Dec. 5, 2024 Google's AI tool Genie 2 is a "large-scale foundation world model" capable of generating "an endless variety of action-controllable, playable 3D environments" from a single image prompt.Genie 2 can create different perspectives, such as first-person view, isometric views, or third person driving videos, as well as "complex 3D visual scenes," with interactive objects like doors and explosive barrels.Physics effects include smoke, gravity, lighting, and reflections can also be "rapidly" prototyped and played by human or "AI agent" using keyboard and mouse. According to a report detailing the advanced tech, this enables artists and designers to prototype quickly, "which can bootstrap the creative process for environment design, further accelerating research.""Thanks to Genie 2's out-of-distribution generalisation capabilities, concept art and drawings can be turned into fully interactive environments," the report explained. "This enables artists and designers to prototype quickly, which can bootstrap the creative process for environment design, further accelerating research."While this research is still in its early stage with substantial room for improvement on both agent and environment generation capabilities, we believe Genie 2 is the path to solving a structural problem of training embodied agents safely while achieving the breadth and generality required to progress towards AGI."The full report, including examples, is available on Google's Deepmind sub-site.Earlier today, UK specialist media publisher Future signed a strategic partnership with OpenAI to use its ChatGPT tool across its sales, marketing, and editorial businesses.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 to release a week early | News-in-briefDeveloper Warhorse Studios and publisher Deep Silver bring release date forward one week to February 4, 2025Image credit: Deep Silver/Warhorse Studios, Embracer Group News by GamesIndustry.biz Staff Contributor Published on Dec. 5, 2024 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below:Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 to release a week early