This Week in Games: Recent Episodes
Eric McConnell
Ubisoft axes 3 more executives. Sony makes a massive investment into Epic. I will be sharing my learnings over the last 2 ½ years.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/comsite_common/en-US/images/pressrelease_downloadablemm_20200711_103822_20200711_pressreleaseen_tcm99-362812_tcm99-196733-32.pdf https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-08-manticore-games-launches-usd1m-creator-payout-pilot-program-for-propriety-game-dev-platform https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-09-electronic-arts-addicted-to-overpaying-executives-says-investment-group https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/technology/ninja-fortnite-youtube.html https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/9/21318965/sony-epic-games-investment-fortnite-unreal-engine https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/epic-games-2#section-funding-rounds https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0710/2020071000536.pdf https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-10/tencent-is-said-in-talks-for-hong-kong-listed-gaming-firm-leyou https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/73862/traplight-9-million-usd-funding-launches-battle-legion/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/traplight-games#section-funding-rounds
Kongregate effectively ends its web portal. Sexual assault allegations hit the fighting game industry. Amazon Game Studios pulls down it’s only live game.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365842/COVID19_and_pivot_towards_game_development_lead_to_layoffs_at_Kongregate.php https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365787/Kongregate_shuts_off_game_submissions_as_Flashs_final_days_approach.php https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/2/21311251/nba-2k21-price-ps5-xbox-series-x-cover-athletes-special-editions https://kotaku.com/amazons-crucible-flopped-so-hard-its-being-un-released-1844222299 https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365769/The_Ubisoft_paradox_How_the_publisher_enabled_a_culture_of_abuse_and_control.php https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365922/Ubisoft_exec_Maxime_Beland_has_resigned_after_harassment_and_assault_allegations.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-04-ubisofts-maxime-b-land-resigns-amid-allegations-of-misconduct https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-03-nintendo-condemns-abuse-as-allegations-spread-across-smash-bros-community https://screenrant.com/smash-bros-pros-accused-sexual-assault-pedophilia/ https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2020/jul/02/joey-mr-wizard-cuellar-placed-administrative-leave-evo-staff-following-misconduct-accusations/ https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2020/jul/02/evo-2020-online-canceled-joey-cuellar-removed-ceo/ https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/gambling-committee/news-parliament-2019/lords-gambling-report-published/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2020/06/30/discord-was-once-the-alt-rights-favorite-chat-app-now-its-gone-mainstream-and-scored-a-new-35-billion-valuation/#9b50c76b6b2e https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/discord#section-funding-rounds
A large wave of allegations send ripples through the game industry. Twitch makes sweeping bans including one of their biggest streamers. Facebook acquires another top Oculus developer.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365581/Report_Ubisoft_has_suspended_two_executives_accused_of_sexual_and_physical_abuse.php https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/365316/Ubisoft_deeply_concerned_with_sexual_assault_allegations_against_multiple_employees.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-24-ubisoft-and-insomniac-face-dozens-of-allegations-over-mistreatment-of-women https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/24/21302033/assassins-creed-valhalla-creative-director-steps-down-ubisoft https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365416/Insomniac_responds_to_allegations_from_former_staff_about_culture_of_harassment.php https://kotaku.com/multiple-women-accuse-games-writer-chris-avellone-of-se-1844135498 https://kotaku.com/wizards-of-the-coast-cut-ties-with-sexual-predator-1844140031 https://kotaku.com/cards-against-humanity-co-founder-quits-after-complaint-1844139756 https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/22/21299032/microsoft-mixer-closing-facebook-gaming-partnership-xcloud-features https://kotaku.com/twitch-bans-dr-disrespect-1844182541 https://kotaku.com/twitch-finally-starts-banning-streamers-accused-of-sexu-1844164469 https://kotaku.com/a-wave-of-sexual-abuse-stories-is-causing-a-reckoning-i-1844122735 https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2020/06/24/an-update-to-our-community/ https://blogs.unity3d.com/2020/06/23/learn-premium-is-now-available-to-everyone-at-no-cost-forever/ https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/22/21299814/apple-app-store-policies-ios-bug-fixes-approval-dispute-appeal https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/22/facebook-acquires-lone-echo-vr-game-maker-ready-at-dawn/ https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/22/overwolf-acquires-mod-repository-curseforge-from-twitch/ https://www.overwolf.com/curseforge/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/treehouse-games#section-lists-featuring-this-company https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365510/Focus_Home_Interactive_acquires_Lords_of_the_Fallen_dev_Deck13_for_79M.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-26-admix-raises-USD7m-in-funding-for-non-intrusive-ads https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/advir#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-24-treehouse-games-lands-usd2-6-million-for-collaborative-games https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/treehouse-games#section-lists-featuring-this-company
Apple is in hot water with loot box lawsuits and app store policies. Stadia hopes a reprice reinvigorates Stadia interest. Epic Games is fundraising again but for what?
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/06/13/apple-sued-for-allowing-apps-with-loot-boxes-onto-app-store https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/technology/apple-ios-facebook-gaming-app.html https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/18/21296180/apple-hey-email-app-basecamp-rejection-response-controversy-antitrust-regulation https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/google-stadia-premiere-edition-price-cut/#:~:text=Google%20has%20slashed%20the%20price,online%20in%20Google's%20Chrome%20browser. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-15/fortnite-maker-epic-is-said-to-near-funding-at-17-billion-value https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/epic-games-2#section-funding-rounds https://www.pcgamer.com/star-citizen-has-raised-over-dollar300-million-now/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-15-ziggurat-interactive-acquires-bloodrayne-and-other-majesco-licenses https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ziggurat-interactive#section-overview
Sony drops a massive PS5 reveal. The Last of Us 2 makes us question modern game design. WB Games is reportedly looking for buyers at a pricy $4 billion.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NH4csfipes https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/11/21288494/sony-ps5-playstation-5-hd-camera-dualsense-charging-dock-pulse-accessories https://www.polygon.com/reviews/2020/6/12/21288535/the-last-of-us-part-2-review-ps4-naughty-dog-ellie-joel-violence https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=468&v=GB20A8CitRU&feature=emb_title https://www.shacknews.com/article/118614/exec-ron-johnson-no-longer-with-riot-games-following-comments-about-george-floyd https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/att-seeks-sale-for-warner-gaming-unit-could-fetch-4-billion.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros._Interactive_Entertainment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._Interactive_Entertainment_video_games https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/10/wave-raises-30-million-for-superstars-to-stage-virtual-concerts/#:~:text=Wave%2C%20the%20virtual%20concert%20company,animated%20characters%20in%20virtual%20worlds. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/thewave#section-funding-rounds https://www.playableworlds.com/news/playable-worlds-raises-dollar10m-for-the-creation-of-its-cloud-native-sandbox-mmo/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/playable-worlds#section-funding-rounds https://boom.tv/about https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-09-boom-tv-raises-USD10m-in-series-a-funding https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/boom-tv#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-11-luckbox-closes-usd3-8m-investment-round
Director of Product at Jam City Jenny Tai is here to co-host. Zynga acquires Peak Games. Playtika plans a $10 billion IPO. Playrix acquires a PC game studio.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Guest-host Jenny Tai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennywtai/
Show Notes: https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/01/zynga-acquires-turkeys-peak-games-for-1-8b-after-buying-its-card-games-studio-for-100m-in-2017/#:~:text=Social%20gaming%20company%20Zynga%20confirmed,%24900%20million%20in%20Zynga%20shares. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/peak-games#section-funding-rounds https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-playtika-plans-wall-street-ipo-at-10b-valuation-report-1001331200 https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/playtika#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-04-playrix-acquires-croatian-pc-developer-cateia-games https://www.cateia.com/games/games.php
Twitch signs more exclusivity deals, but from who. League of Legends is introducing in-game veiwerside advertisements. Tencent takes a large stake in a Japanese publisher.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/05/26/popular-streamers-summit1g-dakotaz-joshog-re-sign-with-twitch/ https://loaded.gg/ https://www.pcgamer.com/league-of-legends-is-about-to-get-in-game-ads-during-official-matches/ https://watch.lolesports.com/article/introducing-summoner%E2%80%99s-rift-arena-banners/bltfed23f2200f71ae7 https://venturebeat.com/2020/05/28/magic-leap-ceo-rony-abovitz-is-stepping-down/ https://www.magicleap.com/en-us/news/news/a-message-from-rony https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/28/21270647/madden-nfl-ea-renew-contract-license-football https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-25/tencent-to-become-largest-shareholder-in-japan-s-marvelous https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/marvelous-japan#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-29-netease-to-open-secondary-listing-on-hong-kong-stock-exchange https://www1.hkexnews.hk/app/sehk/2020/101923/documents/sehk20052900324.pdf https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/05/stockmultipleexchanges.asp https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-28-african-mobile-startup-carry1st-raises-usd2-5m https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/adg-technology-inc#section-funding-rounds
Amazon Game Studios abruptly releases a game. Take-two claims nearly 100 new game to be released by 2025. Magic Leap somehow raises a $350 million lifeline.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://www.reuters.com/article/esports-business-amazon-crucible/amazon-launches-first-big-budget-game-title-crucible-idUSFLM13S4tM https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-20-take-two-plans-to-release-93-full-titles-in-the-next-five-years https://igda.org/resources/game-industry-standards/ https://igda.org/resources/event-diversity/ https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2020/05/20/stadia-exclusivity-will-keep-serious-sam-4-off-ps4-and-xbox-until-2021 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/interview-platinumgames-on-next-gen-and-its-next-steps/ https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3085074/tencent-hires-big-names-including-ken-ichiro-imaizumi-scott-warner https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/news/development-update-self-refund-keyless-partner-integration-and-changes-to-ownership-authorization https://gamasutra.com/view/news/363410/G2A_to_pay_Factorio_dev_39600_after_allowing_illegal_game_key_sales.php https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/8879ae https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/magic-leap#section-funding-rounds https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/21/magic-leap-has-apparently-raised-another-350-million-in-spite-of-itself/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-20-amplifier-game-invest-acquires-destinybit
Epic unveils the next generation of their famed game engine. Marking platform AppLovin swoops up mobile. Keywords Studios positions itself discounted acquisitions.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5KtatMcUw https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/a-first-look-at-unreal-engine-5 https://gadgets.ndtv.com/games/news/gta-v-free-epic-games-store-crashes-upcoming-games-leaked-2229322 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-15/applovin-is-said-to-value-machine-zone-at-around-500-million https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/machine-zone https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/applovin#section-funding-rounds https://www.sumo-digital.com/sumo-group-announces-the-acquisition-of-lab42-limited/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-15-keywords-eyes-acquisition-of-firms-less-able-to-weather-the-disruption-of-covid-19 https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-13-maze-theory-raises-1-4-million-for-doctor-who-vr-trilogy https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/maze-theory#section-funding-rounds https://a16z.com/2020/05/12/sleeper/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sleeper#section-funding-rounds https://parsecgaming.com/features/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-12-streaming-startup-parsec-raises-usd7m-in-funding https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/parsec-2#section-funding-rounds
XBox shows off first gameplay footage of the Series X. YouTube signs one of gaming’s biggest content creators. Sensor Tower gets a massive cash injection from the private equity space.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REwzQraW7K4 https://www.polygon.com/speedrun-quibi/2020/5/8/21252025/inside-xbox-series-x-assassins-creed-valhalla-halo-infinite https://gamasutra.com/view/news/362666/Tokyo_Game_Show_2020_cancelled_amid_coronavirus_pandemic.php https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/4/21246658/pewdiepie-youtube-deal-exclusive-streaming-dlive https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-05-rektglobal-launches-talent-agency-for-esports-athletes-and-influencers https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-07-activision-blizzard-brings-in-anti-betting-firm-to-monitor-its-esports https://gamasutra.com/view/news/362588/Capybara_Games_cofounder_Nathan_Vella_is_now_at_Annapurna_Interactive.php https://sensortower.com/blog/sensor-tower-riverwood-capital-announcement https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sensor-tower#section-funding-rounds https://venturebeat.com/2020/05/05/dazzle-rocks-raises-6-8-million-for-minecraft-like-mobile-mmo/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/dazzle-rocks#section-funding-rounds https://ludiq.io/blog/unity-acquires-bolt https://blog.applovin.com/applovin-welcomes-redemption-games/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-08-rogue-games-raises-usd2m-toward-expanding-its-publishing-business
Tencent makes its move to consolidate game streaming in China. A number of major eSports events have been delayed or canceled. Jagex, developers behind the long running MMO Runescape, has a new home.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://twitter.com/EVO/status/1256308529163452416 https://twitter.com/FNCompetitive/status/1255927727141593091 http://blog.dota2.com/2020/04/the-international-2/ https://gdconf.com/ https://www.egx.net/rezzed https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-27-jens-begemann-steps-down-from-wooga-after-11-years https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/04/09/tencent-gains-control-of-huya-what-does-this-mean.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/12/08/which-esports-stock-to-buy-huya-or-douyu.aspx https://gamasutra.com/view/news/361945/Macarthur_Fortune_Holding_acquires_Runescape_dev_Jagex_for_530_million.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-28-bohemia-interactive-shuts-down-dayz-studio https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-29-bublar-group-to-acquire-goodbye-kansas-for-approximately-usd5-7m-in-shares https://goodbyekansasstudios.com/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/01/guilded-raises-7-million-for-its-competitive-gaming-focused-chat-app/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/guilded#section-funding-rounds
Is Nintendo poised to take on Disney or Netflix, one hedge fund seems to think so. Epic concedes to the Google Play Store. Facebook aims at Twitch as it spinoffs Gaming into a separate App. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nintendo-valueact-exclusive/exclusive-valueact-eyes-nintendo-with-stake-of-over-1-1-billion-letter-idUSKCN2232VT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ValueAct_Capital https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/21/21229930/fortnite-available-on-google-play-android-mobile-devices https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-21/epic-games-is-said-to-be-fundraising-at-above-15-billion-value https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/19/technology/facebook-app-gaming.html https://kotaku.com/wwe-2k-is-skipping-2020-1843032399 https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-23-stillfront-group-acquires-candywriter-for-at-least-usd74m https://venturebeat.com/2020/04/23/transcend-fund-raises-50-million-to-invest-in-games/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-23-opera-event-raises-USD5m-to-expand-its-influencer-platform https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/opera-event#section-funding-rounds https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/73176/reworks-funding-round-redecor/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/reworks-ltd#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-23-1939-games-secures-usd1-9m-in-latest-funding-round
ESRB puts a bandaid on loot boxes. Virtual NASCAR turns into XBox Live. Animal Crossing stirs up UGC controversy.
Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Show Notes: https://www.comic-con.org/cci https://twitter.com/gamescom/status/1250815640400773120 https://www.esrb.org/blog/in-game-purchases-includes-random-items/ https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52269671 https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-17-the-curious-case-of-animal-crossing-in-china-opinion https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-17-gaming-platforms-should-take-cues-from-nascars-response-to-kyle-larson-opinion https://beta.playvalorant.com/en-us/news/dev/valorant-esports-and-community-competition/ https://nianticlabs.com/blog/mq/ https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/04/14/mathematician-john-horton-conway-magical-genius-known-inventing-game-life-dies-age https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-16-riot-acquires-hypixel https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/hypixel-studio#section-investors https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/17/republic-acquires-fig-adding-games-to-its-startup-crowdfunding-platform/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/15/nifty-games-raises-12m-to-shake-up-mobile-sports-gaming/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nifty-games https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-15-nordisk-film-invests-usd10-8m-in-nitro-games https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-15-superplus-games-raises-usd4-7m https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/superplus-games#section-funding-rounds https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/breakingwalls/away-the-survival-series-an-animal-adventure-game/posts https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/breaking-walls https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-14-unrd-raises-USD2-5m-toward-bolstering-its-interactive-story-platform https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/unrd#section-funding-rounds
Sony unveils a sleek new PS5 controller. Riot breaks Twitch records but with the help of outside forces. Sony drops $400 million for a stake in one of China’s top video platform. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://blog.us.playstation.com/2020/04/07/introducing-dualsense-the-new-wireless-game-controller-for-playstation-5/ https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21212567/valorant-riot-games-twitch-record-viewers https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-06-retro-console-amico-receives-10-000-pre-sales-in-one-week https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/04/07/project-xcloud-western-europe/ https://www.pcgamer.com/e3-2021-dates-announced-but-theres-still-no-word-about-the-2020-online-experience/ https://www.reddit.com/r/vainglorygame/comments/fqc2c1/update_from_the_lair/ https://gamasutra.com/view/news/360988/Sony_invests_400_million_in_Chinese_entertainment_platform_Bilibili.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-08-n3twork-announces-usd50m-fund-to-scale-published-mobile-games https://scale.n3twork.com/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-08-vela-games-closes-USD3-1m-seed-round https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/vela-games#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-08-embracer-group-raises-usd160m-for-acquisition-and-expansion
The BAFTA Awards held its annual award show digitally. E3 sets new dates as IGN tries to fill the 2020 void. Gearbox has been accused of withholding bonuses. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Epic makes big waves as it moves into publishing. GameStop continues to its massive decline in sales. Stadia reaches out to the indie community for content. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Indies took over the IGF and GDC Awards. Next-gen consoles hold strong to their Q4 2020 release windows. This was a week dominated by fundraising news. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
E3, the industry’s biggest conference, is officially canceled. GDC Online kicks off today on Twitch. Unity and Unreal both make critical art acquisitions. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Google pouches top talent from Sony to lead new LA studio. Australia eyes loot box regulation. GeForce Now loses another top publisher. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
COVID-19 and its impact on the game industry. An update on GDC. Roblox raises a giant fundraising round from powerful investors. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
More troubling update from Nvidia’s GeForce Now service. Kickstarter employees decide to unionize. We say goodbye to the phenomenon that was HQ Trivia.
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Tim Sweeney tells off half the game industry, in Epic fashion. Activision-Blizzard pulls the plug on GeForce Now. The most untitled game wins big at the DICE Summit Awards. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Nivida launches their bet on the cloud gaming market. The second part of the Rockstar trinity leaves as Dan Houser departs the studio. An AI startup raises a hefty seed round in hopes of disrupting gaming QA. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
It’s the 100th episode of This Week in Games. Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs gets acquired by a digital service company. Blizzard earns the lowest Metacritic user score in history. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Activision-Blizzard signs a multi-year deal with Google. Major mobile game studios acquisitions go down. The world’s most valuable startup is rumored to enter games. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Details of Nintendo’s new interactive theme park are revealed. Epic Games Store combats review bombing. The Valve Index could spark VR’s 2020 comeback. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
EA taps Respawn for new DICE studio leadership. Alienware unveils a Switch inspired PC. Tencent is injecting cash into one of Japan’s top developers. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Celebrating 2019's biggest news, acquisitions and games. 2019 had some big shifts and big whimpers and we crown the best games of the year. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
The 2010's had so much to offer from indie games, eSports, Games as a Service, art games, Twitch, Kickstarter, AR, VR and more. I'll be covering everything that made the last 10 years transformative in the game industry. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Stadia purchases its first AAA game studio. Facebook buys its way into cloud gaming. An eSports platform raises a hefty series A. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
The Year’s Biggest Award Show went down this week. Twitch goes on the offensive against rival streaming platforms. Microsoft releases the first glimpse of what Scarlett is. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Things are getting worse at AR giant Magic Leap. Rumors of Microsoft’s two console strategy surface again. Nintendo and Tencent are launching a Chinese Switch much sooner than you think. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Google poaches Ubisoft leadership for its game studio. An eSports firm plans to IPO. Facebook acquires its biggest Oculus success. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Valve lights the VR world on fire with a new VR-only Half-life game. Stadia stumbles out of the gate to no one’s surprise. The game industry loses a legend with the passing of Brad McQuid. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Microsoft holds its annual X0 conference. Google makes Stadia’s launch as lackluster as possible. And VR has a mixed reality this week as two big stories drop. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
China adds further restrictions on minor playtime. Niantic launches a creator program, but is it too late. Twitch loses another star as YouTube enters the streaming talent draft. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Ubisoft delays 3 major titles due to missed earnings. The Modern Times Group is looking to float on the US stock exchange. Value shuts down money laundering in CS:GO for a second time. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
UK’s Children’s Commissioner takes regulation aim at loot boxes. Tencent takes majority stake Supercell. Mixer pouches another Twitch top dog. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Blizzard bows to China in eSports political conduct. Riot announces new games for the first time in their 10 year history. Google decides to wake up from its Daydream and end its consumer VR hardware. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Psyonix explores a world without loot boxes. The Writers Guild Awards give the ol’ middle finger to game writers. Industry legend Raph Koster is getting back to his MMO roots. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Facebook hires digital theme park employees. Gaming VC is alive and well as LVP raising $80 million. Is 2020 the year of AR board gaming? Maybe not. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
EU takes aim are digital games reselling. Riot release League of Legends concurrent numbers, yes they are impressive. A number of acquisitions, fundraising rounds and announcements. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Apple Arcade has its big announcement. The UK’s parliament deems loot boxes as gambling. Nintendo, does Nintendo and releases an eccentric peripheral. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Shakeups at Activision as Call of Duty 2020’s lead studio is changed. Nexon’s employee union has a demonstration. Collegiate eSports consolidates with a major acquisition. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Developers speak out against sexual assault in the workplace. Playtika acquires a top grossing studio. A pair of messenger and VR fund raising rounds close. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Respawn shows us how not to do community engagement. Sony acquires one of last independent AAA studios. GameStop starts its pivot with a massive round of layoffs. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
THQ Nordic has a massive week of acquisitions. Russian publisher My.Games announces a digital storefront. Activision Blizzard has a C-suite shuffle. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
FTC holds a public event on loot box regulation. President Trump offers up the game industry as a scapegoat. China may be the future destination for eSports. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Rockstar Games comes under fire over corporate taxes. Fortnite pays out one of the most lucrative eSports events in history. We answer the question of how much an Overwatch league spot is worth. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Pokemon and Tencent team up for new titles. Rockstar skates around gambling regulation. We learn how much a League of Legends LCS spot is actually worth. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Tencent enters game streaming DouYu floats on the NY Stock Exchange A tale of two game retailers but on different continents
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Amazon announces a Lord of the Rings MMO. G2A makes absurd rebuttals to their critics. Runescape’s developer is worth $530 million, wait what? Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
G2A takes another public flogging. Triternion shoots itself in the foot. Nexon, no longer for sale, makes an acquisition. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Google and Warner Bros heads downplay a subscription model. Microsoft axes one of its rumored consoles. Nexon is no longer for sale, wait what? Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
I take a look at the equities winners and losers of E3. British MPs grill Epic and EA. Niantic acquires a board game company. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
It’s the big E3 episode with a breakdown of the big event. A major lawsuit hits Unity’s CEO. Tesla lands another dashboard game. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Google unveils all the juicy Stadia details. Nexon’s auction for controlling interest ends. GameStop is in danger of getting delisted from the stock exchanges. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Russia’s internet giant sets their eyes on global game distribution. Zynga sells it’s Headquarters but isn’t leaving. Two CEOs and a Commissioner depart their companies. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
The infamous loot box bill has been drafted and co-sponsored. Apex Legends may have seen its best days. The Ouya, the microconsole that never was, official shuts down. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
A double dose of mixed reality announcements. eSports dominates in fundraising. Epic makes a massive play by acquiring an eSports hit. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Disney rumored to make a bid for Nexon. China’s Twitch wants to float $500 million on the us stock exchange. Shakeups hit E3’s press conference schedule. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Smoking hot PS5 news. A double dipping of Microsoft announcements. Is Tencent becoming Nintendo’s best friend? Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Tencent dips its toes in global digital storefronts. YouTube wants to get into interactions. Epic Games pulls a legend out of retirement. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Snap Games is off to a great launch with 6 exclusive games. Valve accidentally leaks their VR headset specs, the Valve Index. FTC is stepping in on loot boxes with a workshop in DC. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Apple aggregates premium games. Nintendo may have two new Switches on the market. Overwatch’s Philadelphia team gets a $50 million arena. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
GDC and IGF Awards. Google’s giant Stadia announcement and what it means. A dark horse is interested in cloud gaming. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
The rumor mill is on fire with Sony rumored to acquire Take-Two. Google nabs a big time gaming exec. Call of Duty may be the most expensive eSports league ever. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
EA pulls one foot out of E3. Nintendo jumps into modern VR. Vivendi comes out ahead in their failed Ubisoft takeover. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Tencent and Intel team up to throw their hat in a crowded arena. Bidding for control of Nexon heats up as new players enter the race. A trio of bad news hits the game industry as three companies experience layoffs. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Microsoft’s double console strategy is rumored again. Microsoft Game Pass is rumored to head to Nintendo Switch? Sony is abstaining from E3 in 2019. The man, the myth, the legend, Reggie Fils-Aime officially retires. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Activision Blizzard has massive layoffs following weak financials. Apex Legends breaks another Twitch record. Rumors about Unity eyeing a 2020 IPO surface. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Apex Legends comes out of nowhere to dominate the Twitch rankings. Sweden hits up Activision-Blizzard for an almost $400 million tax. EA says nothing useful in a new subscription announcement. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Netmarble wants to put together a big for controlling interest of Nexon. Apple is looking to aggregate iOS games under a subscription service. GameStop loses a quarter of its value over its inability to find a buyer. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
China lets it's two giant publisher breathe with game license approvals. Netease introduces a wide range of restrictions. SquareEnix makes a mockey of European trademark law. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Jam City is fund raising after cutting staff and securing a monster Disney deal. Playtika is avoiding high CPIs through acquisition of card game companies. Activision-Blizzard is getting investigated by its investors and it doesn't sound pretty.
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Activision and Bungie split, but on amicable terms. Two new players enter cloud gaming but do they stand a chance? Improbable, Unity and Epic have a day of drama and everyone ends up looking bad. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
It's our 1-year anniversary! Blizzard has a double CFO shuffle, Zynga makes a Giant buy, Nexon's CEO is looking to sell it all, Niantic and Cloud Imperium fund raise and a big player in mobile passes away. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
The UK game industry decides it's time for unions. Riot Games slaps the COO on the wrist. Discord makes a joke out of revenue splitting by one upping Epic. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Epic opens a digital store to take a piece of the Valve pie. Starbreeze looks like its best days are over. A couple of December sad notes in the layoffs section. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Regulation incoming as the FTC looks to investigate look boxes. Nintendo to shut down a controversial program. Valve looks to retain the big money makers on Steam by offering tiered revenue sharing. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Shenmue 3 officially ends crowdfunding and we go over why Shenmue is important to game development history. GameStop sells off a division for cash, a division of AT&T stores that is. PlayVS wants to take eSports hype to a high school level, Friday Night Lights League of Legends anyone? Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That
Sony ditches E3 for almost no reason. Microsoft has yet another console rumor for 2019. Jam City makes a giant play in the mobile space. Blizzard outlines its mobile future.
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Microsoft acquires two more specialized games studios. Riot’s culture storm continues as the lawyers come out. Two game giants have disappointing earnings. Belgium continues their rampage against loot boxes.
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Everyone boos Blizzard at Blizzcon. EA announces a new game dev platform that offloads work in the cloud. Mixer releases new features to give Twitch some competition and lots of “exciting” earning reports
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Microsoft games Q2 earnings, Unikrn brings in a new era of eSports betting, Epic raises money for some unknown reason and Trion effectively shuts down.
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GDC 2019 registration is officially open. Discord’s store and subscription service enters global Beta. Cloud9 raises series B funding. Rockstar gets a bad rap.
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Microsoft officially announces their cloud gaming service. Two big acquisition rumors spread. A South Korean eSports giant invades North America. Sony kinda confirms a Playstation 5. The fate of Magic Leap doesn't look good.
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Nintendo rumored to release a new console, Google officially announces Cloud Gaming service, Tencent offers a restructuring, a trio of big names step down and more
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A quick dive into DApps, a series of game closures and a Facebook claims to have launched a standalone Rift.
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What does the Tokyo Game Show mean in today's Industry? Twitch is randomly blocked in China. Loot Boxes are attacked in multiple parts of the world. THQ Nordic continues some master plan of IP acquisition. 2 major studio closures :(
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It's a slow week everyone. Take-Two CEO speaks to Goldman Sachs Conference, Nintendo has a boring Direct, Twitch and Riot make key hires and more
The IOC backtracks on eSports in the Olympics. Tencent tries to get into the good graces of the Communist party. Riot doubles down on bad publicity.
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Tencent woes are new regulations are introduced in China Riot claims giant losses on eSports effort Square Enix is looking for new cash to waste
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I address the shooting in Florida Amazon screws over gamers 2 ways Microsoft wants to bundle everything including a console Keyword Studios is trying to be the Tencent of the west
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