The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast: Recent Episodes
The GI.Biz Team
Weekly news discussion show offering insight into the global video games market for industry professionals. The GI.Biz's world-leading team of experienced trade journalists, who spend each week breaking down the biggest stories, lending their thoughts on the latest trends in the market, and discussing the implications for video games as a business
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics and discuss the biggest stories of the past week. We start with a recap of Gamescom Opening Night Live before looking forward to the high-profile hits due for release in the run-up to Christmas - particularly the crowded October slate. Which titles do we expect to do well? Which ones face stiffer competition, and how will this affect their chances? And which titles are we particularly looking forward to? There's also more thoughts on the new Microsoft-Activision deal as the pair prepare to address regulator concerns about cloud gaming dominance by selling the latter's streaming rights to Ubisoft. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's GI Microcast, Chris Dring and James Batchelor discuss the latest developments in the ongoing saga that is Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This morning it was announced the CMA has fully blocked the original deal, but a modified deal is now undergoing a phase one investigation with the aim to have a final decision on the transaction by October 18. The biggest change is that this deal excludes cloud gaming rights, which have been divested to Assassin's Creed publisher Ubiosft. We discuss whether this major alteration is enough to address the CMA's cloud gaming concerns, whether the end of the deal is finally in site, and what prospects there are for further acquisitions in the market given the current economic climate. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the final episode of this series of the Playable Futures Podcast, Will Freeman chats to Mitu Khandaker, CEO and Co-Founder of mobile studio Glow Up Games, about the impact of AI on games and what they mean for the future of play. The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GI.biz, UKIE and Diva.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's Microcast, we discuss two of the biggest stories of the week. First, we debate Microsoft's newly announced Xbox enforcement system, which will issue 'strikes' to players for violations of its code of conduct ranging from cheating and profanity to harassment and hate speech. Eight strikes earns a one-year suspension, but is the system too lenient? And how effective do we think it will be at addressing the issue of toxicity in multiplayer games? Then we ponder the future of Call of Duty, with today's reveal of Modern Warfare 3 marking a shift away from Activision's tradition of rotating between sub-brands. Given the struggles of Vanguard and the abandonment of previous series, is Call of Duty becoming too reliant on the Modern Warfare name? As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After eleven and a half years at UKIE, Jo’s imminent move to the music industry, where she will be serving as CEO of the British Phonographic Industry, felt like an appropriate opportunity to pause and reflect on her tenure and the importance of play. Speaking with us at Develop in Brighton, she explained that play has always encompassed more than just games. The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GI.biz, UKIE and Diva. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
James Batchelor and Christopher Dring discuss a busy week in the ongoing saga that is Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Following the denial of the FTC's preliminary injunction, the denial of its request for an extension to the temporary restraining order, and the denial of its appeal, there is seemingly nothing to stop Microsoft completing the deal in the US before its deadline tomorrow. And with a ten-year deal signed with Sony to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation, the barriers do seem to be lowering. We discuss all of the above, plus the CMA's decision to consider proposals of a modified deal and how Nintendo might secretly be one of the biggest winners from the past week's events. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The latest episode of Playable Futures features a conversation with Deborah Mensah-Bonsu, who is the founder of dmb crew. Her flagship initiative is Games for Good, which focuses on helping studios and the wider industry harness games for social impact. Will and Deborah discuss the opportunity presented by the proliferation of games on mobile to unlock societal and behavioural change for good. “People are starting to understand that what it means to be a gamer is not what it was ten years ago,” Deborah says, adding later - “There is a potential for mobile to engage with people who didn’t consider themselves gamers. Mobile is leading on that.” Whilst the discussion touches the familiar themes of mobile gaming such as monetisation - with Deborah saying that “it’s not wrong to spend money on something that you think is bringing you value,” - and discoverability, the podcast equally focuses on the potential of the medium to effect change, with Deborah being optimistic about mobile as a platform for innovation and connection, with games offering tremendous potential to take us beyond the horizon of our ambition. The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GI.biz, UKIE and Diva. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast is back. In today's episode, James Batchelor and Chris Dring reflect on the revelations so far from the court hearing between the Federal Trade Commission and Microsoft over the latter's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As you can tell from our ongoing roundup, it's hard to gauge whether any progress is actually being made here but there are certainly some interesting tidbits coming out from the various parties involved that make for great headlines. We discuss the moments and quotes that stood out the most to us, as well as the general context around this legal clash and what (if anything) might happen next. You can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to reflect on this year's cavalcade of video game showcases. We've already shared our favourite indie titles from the likes of Summer Game Fest, Xbox Games Showcase, Day of the Devs, Wholesome Direct and more, while Chris Dring reviewed his experience of the first physical Summer Game Fest event. Now we discuss the overall line-up of the week-and-a-bit, our personal highlights, areas we'd like to see improvement, and how we think this collection of events might evolve if the central pillar of E3 does not return. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shawne Benson, Global Head of Third Party Portfolio & Acquisitions at Sony Interactive Entertainment and Laila Shabirm, Founder & CEO of Girls Make Games speak to Will Freeman for the latest instalment of our Playable Futures Series. Our eighth outing sees us tackling what continues to be a prominent talking point within the industry - women in games. For a sector often associated with toxic stereotypes around gender, this enlightening chat looks at the ways in which the industry has changed to encompass more diverse voices and the future benefits of doing so. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
James and Brendan discuss two of the biggest stories of the day in our latest GamesIndustry.biz Microcast. We start by wrapping up our coverage of the major summer games showcases, discussing the line-up at yesterday's Ubisoft Forward. The conversation touches on everything from the narrative dilemmas of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora to the more-than-a-little awkward introduction of Netflix animated series Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. Then we turn our attention to this morning's announcement that Embracer Group is embarking on a restructuring program that will result in the closure of studios, cancellation of games, and an unknown number of layoffs. We discuss the events that may have led up to this, and what happens next. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Continuing our breakdown of the biggest summer games showcases, James and Marie reflect on the line-up Microsoft showed off at last night's Xbox Games Showcase. Headlined by the likes of Fable and Star Wars: Outlaws, with a good old fashioned hardware reveal and a lot more information on the upcoming Starfield, the showcase gave a great insight into what Microsoft's first-party studios are working on as it continues to beef up its offering. We discuss our highlights of the show, but be sure to read our handy roundup to check there's nothing you have missed. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The GamesIndustry.biz microcast returns as we discuss the biggest announcements from this year's Summer Game Fest: Kickoff Live. James and Marie share their thoughts on the most promising games, as well as the tone and quality of the overall line-up. And, inevitably, the conversation shifts towards the usual 'do we need E3/Not-E3?' discourse. If you missed this year's Summer Game Fest, be sure to catch up on all the news with our handy roundup. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics to discuss the biggest stories in the business of video games. This week, we dive deeper into the potential for cloud gaming - a technology the UK competition regulator believes will become so big that it's using this as ground to block the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Following our recent conversation with analysts on the true impact cloud streaming might have on the industry, we share our own thoughts on the many, many barriers games companies will need to overcome before streaming becomes as dominant as it has in music, film and TV. We also look ahead to the string of showcases happening this month in the void where E3 once was, which kicks off on Thursday with Summer Games Fest. What do we expect to see from this year's events? (And don't worry, we're still experimenting with our new Microcast format and will likely have more for you after the showcases this month) As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to ponder the year ahead.
Rather than offering predictions on what we think will happen in the business of video games this year, we share our hopes for what we want to see.
The discussion ranges from serious concerns such as the desire to see more unionisation among developers and fewer immoral monetisation practices, to more personal wishes such as more innovative AAA games, a fresh wave of quirky indie titles and, er, the return of companion apps.
We also share our most anticipated games of the year.
You can find more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The latest of our Playable Futures series tackles the industry's foundational duo - Publisher and Developer - and looks at what the future holds for Publishing in a sector in which the rate of change is rapid and accelerating. It’s also one in which the balance between Community, Audience, Developer and Publisher has shifted irrevocably.
For Episode 5, presenter Will Freeman speaks to Jean-Paul Hardy, General Manager of Gearbox Amsterdam and Thomas Hegarty, Founder and Director of Roll7. Veterans of the publisher/developer relationship, the duo draw on their many years of experience in publishing and developing videogames and take a long view on what is in store for the future.
Hardy reflects on how things have changed since he started out, when the publisher was responsible for a game’s launch and little else.
“When I started in the industry, you just launched and left. Print was king and if you had the budget you would do TV. Then all of a sudden online was the holy grail of marketing and publishing. I’ve seen 20 holy grails come by since then and these days it’s all about data-driven things.”
Today, as Hardy explains, publishing has evolved to encompass more than “simple” awareness.
“It’s so many things and it only gets bigger and bigger. If you don’t limit yourself and focus on key areas, you’re going to get spread so thin. You won’t be able to do everything properly.”
Hegarty reflects on how specialist, nuanced and important Marketing has become, as well as the value that a Publisher’s perspective can bring.
“As we’ve grown our ambition and our budgets grow, there’s more risk attached to what we’re doing. We can’t just hope we’ve hit the right note. We’ve got to do the analysis and that’s where working with a publisher has been really good.
Interestingly, they settle on certain fundamentals that seem to characterise the publisher/developer relationship whatever the era: trust and open, frank communication.
“The publisher still has that same love of gaming that a developer has,” Hardy states. “They just look at it in a different way because we have different expertise.”
“Community is absolutely key. It always has been,” adds Hegarty, “There has been a big shift in the last couple of years where we actually see active changes within the game from people watching live on Twitch and that makes you think very differently about the game from the design point of view, which goes all the way through to how to release the game.”
Are we looking at a future where the audience, developer, publisher and community become more interwoven? One thing is for sure - this episode leaves you thinking that the future is positive and exciting, and despite the inevitable challenges - good publisher / developer relations will provide plenty of solutions.
The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GI.biz, UKIE and Diva.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics and discusses their favourite games of the year.
In addition, we discuss several of the honourable mentions, the titles we've delved deeply into throughout the course of 2022 but haven't quite established themselves as our favourites.
You can read our full thoughts on each member of the team's on the site throughout this week.
It’s a double whammy for our latest episode of the Playable Futures Podcast, with gaming communities at the centre of the discussion.
For this episode, presenter Will Freeman chats to Mark Reed, Founder of Heaven Media to reflect on gaming’s relationship with marketing and the important role that communities play in shaping its landscape.
He then interviews Romain de Waubert de Genlis, Studio Head and Chief Creative Officer at Amplitude Studios who discusses how his platform Games2Gether aims to bring the gaming community into the dev process.
Both spokespeople take a long view on the importance of community, but what becomes clear is that factoring community into marketing strategies (amongst other project milestones) early in a campaign can prove pivotal in its success – and in many ways it always has been – but as we look to the future it will be an important key to success.
As Mark Reed says: “For as long as I’ve been gaming, communities have always been at the heart of gaming and that’s still very true today.”
Having witnessed significant changes over the course of a lengthy career, Mark reflects on how studios, publishers and developers have had to adapt to put their players and, crucially, engagement with them, first. Reflecting on the '90s, when the majors ignored their player base until launch, Mark suggests that the industry has now begun to accommodate them as early as possible. After all, if publishers don’t nurture their audience, they stand a chance of falling at the first hurdle.
If communities are key to successful games marketing, what is their future with regards to the creation and making of new and exciting titles?
Romain, meanwhile, is co-founder and Creative Director of Games2Gether, a video game co-creation platform that brings the gaming community together and provides a platform for creators to swap ideas and collaborate on development. This further democratisation of the creative process puts budding developers first, enabling creators to swap ideas in a like-minded environment with no gatekeepers.
“What people usually don’t like when they try to interact with a team is they will feel that they’re not being listened to… We have one million players, so it’s hard to tell everyone to listen to everyone at any one time, but it’s all about transparency.”
And what Romain touches on here is something that is true when applied to gaming communities, dev communities and is a core principle of good games marketing to boot – with clarity, simplicity and openness the sector can maintain new and powerful channels of conversation and use the benefits thereof to build the games industry of the future.
The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GI.biz, UKIE and Diva.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics to look back at some of the biggest stories and trends of the year.
Using a recent edition of This Week In Business as a jumping off point, we discuss whether 2022 was a weak year for new video games (as some folks believe) and how well the line-up compares to previous years.
We also discuss the biggest trends, such as the wave of potentially industry-changing M&A deals that rocked the business back in January.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz
For the latest episode of the Playable Futures Podcast, games journalist Will Freeman is joined by representatives from three of the many independent and mid-size studios that are currently making waves in the games industry.
Playtonic Games business development manager Stephanie Darrah, nDreams CEO Patrick O'Luanaigh, and Nosebleed Interactive managing director Andreas Firnigl discuss how much the game space has changed in the past decade and what it means to be an indie in a world where their titles are vying for audiences’ attention alongside AAA behemoths.
With the landscape ever changing, many developers are becoming publishers themselves, taking their experiences of working with external parties to inform their own ventures into the space.
“A lot of developers like us have become publishers because we’ve been through the process ourselves,” Stephanie explains. “We’ve developed a game from start to finish. We’ve done ports ourselves. We’ve had publishing partners and we know the next steps after development, like QA and localisation… We know the pitfalls and we know the milestones.”
Community is integral to industry success too, with many publishers increasingly focusing on nurturing talent and sharing knowledge across the indie space.
“We’ve been in those shoes and we know people who are now trying to be in those shoes,” Stephanie adds. “For us, it fits the model of the industry as a whole. It’s about helping people. It’s about trying to make it a better space… You connect with people who are needing that support and suddenly you’re a consultant, or a publisher.”
The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GI.biz, UKIE and Diva.
The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast is back, as the team once again gathers around their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the week.
We start with the highs and lows of the latest Pokémon launch. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are smashing series records in key territories and are the most ambitious entries to date – but it turns out that ambition comes at a price.
With widespread complaints and viral examples of technical issues, we discuss the potential impact of Scarlet and Violet's woes on the franchise's reputation, and what Game Freak and The Pokémon Company need to do to avoid this in future generations.
We also discuss the end of Blizzard's 14-year partnership with NetEase, how the publisher might try to re-enter the lucrative Chinese market, and why NetEase is setting its sights on the Western markets.
(A quick apology about the audio quality, particularly for Jeffrey. We are investigating the issue and hope to fix this by the next episode)
For the second outing of the Playable Futures Podcast, games journalist Will Freeman chats with Tommy Palm, founder and CEO of Resolution Games to reflect on the future of virtual reality.
An industry veteran responsible for the enormous success of Candy Crush Saga, Palm has since shifted his focus to the world of virtual reality, courtesy of Ultimechs, Resolution’s new multiplayer VR gaming experience.
There are now more than ten million headsets in the market, so with VR well established as an accessible gaming platform, the barriers to entry are now significantly reduced. With the initial years of hype behind us, the format has begun to flourish on its own terms, becoming a fertile creative space for experimental games and ideas that were previously impossible to achieve.
Palm reflects on VR’s complete reinvention of the traditional gaming experience, which in many ways parallels the evolution he witnessed in the mobile gaming space.
“One of the most exciting things about mobile games in the beginning was the touchscreen. It enabled direct control. You could see it so clearly with small children. They would touch the object they wanted to move. It was so incredibly intuitive and we have a little bit of that going on with VR.”
Palm also discusses a world of creative possibilities that are only possible in VR. However wonderful and engaging the best games are, they still exist within the standard confines of gaming. VR continues to pioneer away from this, removing the need for a conventional controller-based experience in place of intuitive, responsive play that has continued to change the game.
“You want more intricate interaction with games. Visually, they are stunning, but you want more interaction with your games. In VR you have hands, eye-tracking, and voice.”
The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews, and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GI.biz, UKIE, and Diva.
"In eight years' time, I'd like to see the video games industry being the greenest industry in the world and that the players that play games are coming to it, not just to escape, but to give back as well."
The wider creative industries are increasingly looking to games for inspiration. After all, it’s probably fair to say that gaming is now bigger than the Beatles – so why wouldn’t the world of music and film be looking to video games for a steer on how to engage their audiences?
In the first episode of the Playable Futures Podcast, games journalist Will Freeman – a regular GamesIndustry.biz contributor – speaks to the UN Environment's Chief of Education, Youth & Advocacy, Sam Barratt, about the United Nation’s Playing for the Planet Alliance, and why the UN sees games as part of its mission’s future.
In this wide-ranging chat, Sam reflects on how the gaming sector can use its influence to shift the world from where we are to where it needs to be. As a medium that inspires and engages like no other, he discusses how games could encourage audiences to act and make a real difference.
The Playable Futures Podcast accompanies Playable Futures, a collection of insights, interviews, and articles from global games leaders sharing their visions of where the industry and medium will go next. A series of ten articles so far have been published on GamesIndustry.biz, with more planned. Playable Futures is a collaborative project brought to you in partnership with GamesIndustry.biz, UKIE and Diva.
Our special podcast series The Five Games Of returns with Tim Schafer, founder, CEO and president of Double Fine Productions. And the episode is available to download now.
For those who may have missed past episodes, this is a series of interviews in which we explore how the games industry has changed over the course of five games from our guest's careers: their first, their latest, and three of their choice.
In this episode, Schafer shares how he came to work at LucasFilm Games, the evolution of the adventure genre that the studio was best known for, the transition to early 3D graphics, the complexities of music licensing, and the changing attitudes towards comedy in games.
To succeed in mobile games today, you not only need to make a great game, but you need to have a strong monetisation plan from the very beginning.
In this special GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, Meta Audience Network’s Michael Bertaut discusses the state of in-game advertising, player acquisition and the future of monetisation. He reveals the latest data on where things are heading and details Meta’s view on how developers can make the most of the new opportunities.
"We’ve noticed a shift from building great games to building a great gaming business," said Bertaut. "Sure, great games are foundational, but long term-success means shifting the focus a bit. To build a strong and sustainable gaming business, one needs both great games and game monetization expertise."
As far as challenges go, there is no question that a loss of mobile ad identifiers had a significant impact on the ecosystem. Developers are facing the reality that old ad formats can no longer be relied upon and innovation solutions are required."
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories from the business of video games.
We start this week's episode with thoughts on how the industry will fare in the impending recession. The business models supporting games companies have changed dramatically since the last financial collapse, so how will economic changes affect spending on everything from free-to-play titles and in-game purchases to subscriptions?
We also discuss the recent Grand Theft Auto 6 leak and the consequenes of leaks in general on the industry in general. For one thing, it's highlighted the misconceptions that video games' graphics are finalised before the gameplay, but do consumers need to understand more about how these titles are developed?
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. For the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our daily newsletter at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories from the business of video games.
This week, we focus on Ubisoft - starting with our interview with CEO Yves Guillemot. The company has faced years of scrutiny following the wave of abuse allegations in 2020, but is it doing enough to address the issues within its workplace?
We also talk about the accountability of leadership at AAA firms, as well as Ubisoft's plans for its flagship franchises - especially Assassin's Creed - and the implications for its business going forward.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at GamesIndustry.biz.
James Batchelor is joined by VG247's Alex Donaldson to discuss the biggest reveals and announcements at Gamescom Opening Night Live.
Over the course of the episode, we discuss the breadth (or perhaps lack thereof) of games on show, the importance of giving smaller publishers the opportunity to shine in the absence of major players, and the long-awaited reveal of Everywhere - the debut game from the studio formed by ex-GTA producer Leslie Benzies.
We also share our personal highlights, and talk about the range of new IP on show.
For more news, insight and analysis, head to www.gamesindustry.biz
The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast is back, with the team once again gathering around their mics to discuss the biggest stories from the business of video games.
This week, we're taking a look at the current wave of financial results, showing each company's performance for the first quarter of the financial year (April to June 2022). Most, but not all, show some form of decline - an inevitable sign as pandemic measures ease and more people venture outside.
We discuss the implications for each of the platform holders and two AAA publishers. If you're not familiar with their most recent results, check out our coverage here:
- Activision Blizzard
- Electronic Arts
- Xbox
- PlayStation
- Nintendo
As always, you can get more news, insight and analayst at www.gamesindustry.biz
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics and discuss the biggest news of the past week.
Naturally, this episode focuses on the various showcases that filled the void left by the absence of E3. From Starfield to The Plucky Squire and beyond, we dive into the highlights, lowlights and the impressions we got about where games are headed in the next year.
From a AAA standpoint, it was a largely underwhelming week, but has that hindered the many indie games shown off over the last two weeks?
As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz. And be sure to check out our extensive roundup of everything announced this month.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics and discuss the biggest stories from the business of video games.
With the wave of livestreams and showcases that would traditionally have been grouped around E3 now upon us, we ponder the week ahead and what we can expect from each of the major events.
We also reflect on PlayStation's most recent State of Play, diving into the line-up, the prospects for PlayStation VR2 and the curiously low profile of PlayStation Plus ahead of its revamp.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz
On this episode of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, we're joined by former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé. Following the launch of his memoir, Disrupting The Game, we talk to him about his experiences at Nintendo and as one of the industry's few prominent Black gaming executives.
He also shares his thoughts on the industry's ongoing diversity issues in general, as well as thoughts on the future of games, including the use of cloud technology and how Nintendo can follow up on the success of the Switch.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. For the latest and biggest industry news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics and discuss the biggest stores from across the business of video games.
Well, we say 'team' but this week it's just Brendan and James, and we say 'stories' but there's only one topic we're diving into this time: Square Enix's sale of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal for $300 million.
We discuss the surprisingly low price tag given that the deal includes major IP such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief and Legacy of Kain, as well as the many commercial struggles Square Enix's Western studios have gone through that likely led to this sale.
We also talk about the news in context of a wider existential crisis among Japanese publishers, which you can read more about in Brendan's excellent piece from earlier this week.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news from across the business of video games.
For this episode, we start by discussing the news that both Sony and Microsoft are reportedly considering introducing in-game ads into free-to-play titles on their consoles.
While both are said to be working on inobtrusive methods, the initial reception to the news has not been positive. We discuss the rise of advertising in games, previous attempts to establish this as a model on consoles, and what limitations remain.
We also reflect on the recent news that Apple is requiring developers to update years-old apps, with the threat of removal if they don't, and what impact this will have on game preservation and more.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysts at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics to dive deeper into some of the big discussions coursing through the business of video games.
First, we explore a recent article written for us by TinyBuild CEO Alex Nichiporchik on why review scores are dead. We share our own thoughts on the relevance of both reviews and the numbers attached to them, as well as the many hurdles that have been thrown at critics as video games have evolved as a medium.
Then we discuss this week's comments from Square Enix president and CEO Yosuke Matsuda, who suggests that Japanese studios are likely to struggle if they attempt to emulate Western-developed games.
As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news from the world behind video games.
This week, we focus on the long-rumoured overhaul of PlayStation Plus, now revealed to be a three-tier system (with a fourth for regions without streaming).
The team shares their reactions to Sony's souped-up offering, and our thoughts on how benefits such as a retro library and access to PlayStation Now have been spread across the tiers.
We also discuss the (unsurprising) lack of simultaneous launches of new first-party titles, and the broader implications as the games industry expands how it uses the subscription model to engage with consumers.
GamesIndustry.biz is hosting a special episode of Video Games Real Talk, featuring former Sony PlayStation Studios chairman Shawn Layden.
During the session, Layden shares his insighs of the global video games industry, offers advice to games studios and tells us what it was like working for the founder of Sony, Akio Morita.
Hosted by Streamline Media Group CEO Alexander Fernandez and recorded just over a year ago, the session discusses topics such as industry diversity, how the games industry can expand beyond its borders, the increase in the finance industry's involvement in games and the importance of culture, leadership and disrupting your business.
This week, we start by discussing the varying responses from games companies of all sizes to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine -- with a particular focus on the many major firms who have halted all sales in the region.
We’ve since reported that these platform holders and publishers areturning their back on a $3.4 billion market -- a not insignificant move on their part -- but we also discuss the precedent the industry is setting with this show of support ahead of the next inevitable conflict.
If you haven’t already, be sure to also read our interview with a Kyiv-based developer about his experience of living in a city under siege.
Elsewhere on the podcast, we ponder the implications of Epic’s surprise acquisition of Bandcamp -- something we have explored in even further depth with music creators here.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news from the past week.
On this episode, we start with a discussion about the DICE Summit keynote from EA executive vice president and chief operating officer Laura Miele, in which she said that games company leaders who “fall short of basic standards” should be removed.
Next, we address the implications of the rumoured delay to the Call of Duty planned for 2023, which would mark the first year without a premium title in almost two decades. Has Call of Duty finally peaked, and could it be time for a new approach?
Finally, we discuss the announcement of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and Game Freak’s open-world ambitions. (Ironically, while we were recording a conversation in which some members of the team suggested the studio take a break, another member published an article about why now is not the time to do so).
We would also like to direct listeners’ attention to the industry efforts raising funds to support those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. You can find more information, including donation links, here.
As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics and discuss the biggest news of the past week. Following Team17's speedy withdrawal from its proposed NFT project, we explore the sentiments behind the backlash against this divisive technology (for more on this, be sure to read the latest This Week In Business).
We also discuss the debate around Sifu and other games about different cultures that are still developed by studios predominantly staffed by white men.
As always, you can get more news and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics and discusses the biggest news of the past week.
On this episode, we are of course delving into Sony's $3.6 billion acquisiton of Bungie, as well as our exclusive interview with PlayStation boss Jim Ryan and the Destiny studio's CEO Pete Parsons.
The discussion explores the future of Destiny (and any other properties Bungie creates), Sony's live-service ambitions, the increasing consolidation in the AAA games industry, and that hefty price tag.
You can get more news and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news of the past week.
This week, that does of course mean delving deeper into Microsoft's record-breaking plan to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7bn.
We've already spoken to analysts about, as one referred to it, "the deal that will change the industry forever" and posed our own unanswered questions about the deal.
During this episode, we discuss the wider implications of the acquisition, why the companies might be a good fit for each other, and what we might expect from the next 18 months.
As always, you can get more news and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the past week.
On this episode, we start with Take-Two's $12.7bn acquisition of mobile giant Zynga, delving into why the publisher of GTA and Borderlands might want to grow its presence in the mobile market.
We also discuss a similar topic: the rise of the Apple Arcade subscription service and how it clashes with typical free-to-play games design, following an article we ran by Seattle University's Dr Christopher A Paul.
(Please note: This episode was recorded before Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We will discuss that story on next week's episode)
The GamesIndustry.biz podcast is back, with the team gathering around their mics to discuss the year ahead.
Following our annual analysts' predictions feature, we discuss some of the more interesting topics that emerged and how we think they might develop.
Subjects include the ongoing rumours around PlayStation's subscription plans, renewed interest in virtual reality, the impressive release slate for 2022 (and potential for delays), and more.
As always you can get more insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.
For our final podcast of the year, the GamesIndustry.biz team discuss the best games we played in 2021.
Be sure to check out the website for our Games of the Year articles. We'll speak to you all in 2022.
In the first of our two year-end shows, we reflect on some of the biggest topics of the past 12 months in the games industry.
We start with a discussion about the state of the AAA market, with a particular focus on the wave of new studios we've seen emerge - and the room for improvement when it comes to diversity behind the scenes.
Then, we recap the highlights and implications of the Epic vs Apple trial from earlier this year. And we finish off with an update on our thoughts on what are undeniably the two biggest buzzwords of 2021: 'blockchain' and 'metaverse.'
We'll be back next week with our Games of the Year show. For now, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories from across the video games business.
This week, we're taking Xbox's 20th anniversary as a chance to reflect on the evolution of the brand and the impact it has had on the wider industry - something we've explored in detail here.
We also share our first and fondest memories of the original Xbox, and discuss why it's the Xbox 360 that will trigger the biggest nostalgia moment for Microsoft's console business.
And if you haven't already, be sure to check out our interview with Microsoft VP Sarah Bond about the future of Xbox and how it is still trying to change the games industry.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories from the business of video games.
This week, we start with a discussion on the wave of name-dropping for NFTs and blockchains in major publishers' recent financial results - a trend on which we have made our stance very clear.
As our contributing editor Rob Fahey observes, there is something of an agenda behind why even the execs that are somewhat skeptical about this new technology are referencing it in their earnings calls.
Then we move to the upcoming release of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition and the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, and explore why re-releases of certain titles - even those that have been made widely available over the years - continue not only to sell, but also appeal to us personally.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses some of the biggest stories of the past week, where the phrase "Surely you can do better than this" applied in various ways.
We start by discussing the changes promised by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who seeks to address the many concerns about the publisher's workplace culture with investment into diversity initiatives and recruitment as well as a voluntary paycut to his salary and compensation.
The plans have been declared as "a huge win" by the ABK Workers Alliance, but SOC Investment Group still believes more needs to be done -- at least in terms of executive pay -- and it throws into sharp relief the lack of a similar response by Ubisoft.
And speaking of Ubisoft, the direct source of this podcast's title is a marketing email in which Far Cry 6's villain goads the player for not spending more time on the game, among other things. We discuss the many perils of chasing engagement, both in terms of this email and the reaction to Brendan's tweet about it.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses the biggest stories of the past week.
First up, we discuss the ongoing dance between Electronic Arts and football association FIFA. While EA has claimed it's considering a rebrand for its best-selling football series, FIFA has suggested it's considering licensing out its brand to additional parties.
We ponder what each side has to lose or gain, or whether ultimately these are just negotiating tactics and the world's biggest-selling game will likely remain just the way it is.
Then, following complaints from Metroid Dread developers who did not receive credit in the final game, we explore what should earn a place in any project's staff roll.
This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021.
In our final episode, we speak to Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart about working with publishers.
The discussion offers advice to studios on what they should look for in a publishing partner, and also explores the road to Microsoft's acquisition of Obsidian and the interested parties that came before it.
This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021.
Today's episode is our exclusive interview with Jade Raymond, best known for her work leading studios at Ubisoft and EA and launching franchises such as Assassin's Creed.
Raymond is currently building up her new company, Haven Studios, which has already received investment from PlayStation. We speak to her about the studio's progress, forming a team of former Assassin's Creed and Stadia developers, and Raymond's hopes for the future.
This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021.
Today's episode is the keynote fireside chat between our own Christopher Dring and Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan.
The discussion explores Jim's career at PlayStation throughout its history, his thoughts on the future of PS5, and his hopes for the growth of the video games industry.
(As this is ripped from the session on the day, Chris ends with a teaser for a discussion with Warner Music. There will not be a podcast version of this session, but you can find the full video on our YouTube channel)
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics and discuss the biggest news of the past week.
First up, following an article by Kotaku's Carolyn Petit and a call from OutMakingGames, we discuss how Rockstar Games should handle the transphobic elements of Grand Theft Auto 5 as it prepares to release the best-selling title on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
OutMakingGames and Petit both call for the content's removal, or a context disclaimer decrying transphobia in today's society, but whether or not that's something Rockstar will do is another matter.
We also delve deeper into the topic of accessibility, not only following the discussions around Deathloop but also our in-depth guide on how to make your game more accessible to a wider audience and why it's important to do so.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics and discusses the biggest stories of the past week.
On this episode, we take a deeper dive into the announcements from the recent Nintendo Direct -- particularly the decision to lock N64 and Genesis/Mega Drive games to a new, more expensive tier.
We discuss Nintendo's approach to online and the subscription model, the value of making retro games available on modern platforms, and the baffling price tag for those classic controllers.
Elsewhere, we discuss other highlights of the Direct -- such as Kirby's The Last Of Us -- and the lowlights (hello, Mr Pratt).
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the past week.
First, we're joined by indie developer Shahid Ahmad to pay tribute to Sir Clive Sinclair, the inventor of the ZX Spectrum who passed away last week.
Then we reflect on the Epic vs Apple judgement and the reactions that have emerged since it was released.
Finally, we discuss the launch of Arkane's acclaimed Deathloop and how, for all the praise it has garnered from critics, it's an example of certain aspects where AAA is still lacking.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK.
In our final podcast of the week, we continue our tradition of interviewing last year's winner of the Best Boss award before this year's winner is revealed.
During this chat with GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring, Creative Assembly studio director Gareth Edmonson talks about taking over a team during a pandemic, and the lessons he's learned about being a good manager.
You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK.
For our third session, we focus on mental health and share best practices on supporting staff.
The panel features Third Kind Games' Heidi Slee, Creative Assembly's Sarah Howell and Safe In Our World's Sarah Sorrell, and is hosted by GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring.
You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK.
In today's session, a panel of professionals discuss the fight to address climate change and what more the games industry can do to aid these efforts.
The panel featurs Playing for the Planet's Deborah Mensah-Bonsu, Ustwo Games' Jane Campbell, Games London's Michael French and Sports Interactive's Miles Jacobson. It is hosted by GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring.
You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK.
Today, Amiqus' Liz Prince hosts a discussion about the importance and influence of leadership on culture and diversity.
Rather than focusing solely on why a diverse team is important for your business, this panel offers some actionable steps that leadership can take to accelerate their EDI journeys.
You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss some of the biggest stories from the past week.
First up, we discuss reactions to Fortnite's March Through Time, a scenario designed to explore the impact of Martin Luther King and educate a new generation about his work and iconic speech.
For all its good intentions, the mode quickly attracted criticism and even had to be modified to disable the use of emotes. We share our thoughts on how Epic has handled the implementation of this tribute, and the potential for educational experiences in games.
Next, we follow up on our interview with Supercell about Everdale, the Clash of Clans studio's co-operative, "peaceful" multiplayer game -- and how difficult it is to create a free-to-play, engagement-driven multiplayer title that is dominated by a certain type of player.
Finally, we use the retirement of Nintendo's Lance Barr, the man who redesigned the NES and SNES for the West, to weigh up our favourite and least favourite console designs of all time.
Title music composed by Thomas Marchant. Episode produced by Alix Attenborough.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news of the past week.
First up, we explore the current backlash Twitch is facing over increased hate raids targeting marginalised streamers, which has prompted content creators to plan a day-long strike from using the platform.
Twitch claims it is working to improve its tools, but the site's own transparency report and our exposé on the company culture aren't in its favour.
Next, we discuss the scrutiny around Roblox and its divisive monetisation model, further thrown into light by a recent investigation suggesting the company is exploiting young game developers.
Finally, we touch on the conversation around Boyfriend Dungeon, its triggering storylines, and the delicate balance between exploring sensitive subjects in games and impacting your audience in an unintended way.
Title music composed by Thomas Marchant. Episode produced by Thomas Quilfeldt.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest news from the world behind video games.
This week, Chris, Brendan and James take a deeper look at the trends seen across the most recent wave of financial reports, which represents the first quarter that can be directly compared to a period where the majority of the world was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While most major companies saw at least one key metric decline year-on-year, there's more to the numbers than other reports might have you believe.
The discussion also explores Nintendo's strategy for the remainder of the Switch's lifecycle and what it might do beyond that, as well as how Sony can reinvigorate PlayStation Plus (if it even needs to do so).
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week's episode is a little different, as we delve deeper into an issue that continues to affect people across the games industry.
Splash Damage's Cinzia Musio and Limit Break founder Anisa Sanusi join us to discuss how to deal with discrimination and harassment, not just from a company point of view, but from the position of everyone in the industry.
We talk about how reporting processes can be improved, how leaders and managers can better support their staff, how low-level staff can speak up and stand against any misconduct they witness, and how victims can find the support they need - especially if they do not believe their employer will take their story seriously.
Content warning: While we do not discuss any specific examples of harassment or abuse, the general context of the conversation is one that may bring such experiences to mind.
We'll also be publishing an article collating links to resources and support for those who are suffering from harassment and discrimination in the games industry. If you have any suggestions you would like to see added to it, email news@gamesindustry.biz.
Throughout this month, we've been taking a deeper dive into the world of video games recruitment and the challenges facing both applicants wanting to enter the industry and companies wanting to secure the best talent.
For our fourth and final 'jobscast,' we take a look at the role recruitment plays in diversifying the industry workforce and supporting staff equally - a rather fitting topic given that we recorded on the day of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit.
Our panel this week includes Creative Assembly's Emma Smith, Iron Galaxy's Rejess Marshall, Phoenix Labs' Jeanne-Marie Owens and Schell Games' Lauren Reed.
We discuss how games companies can expand where they search for new recruits, improve their job listings and interview processes to appeal to a broader range of applicants, and the importance of fair compensation.
Please note: We had a few connectivity issues during the panel, so there are some brief glitches in the audio, for which we apologise.
This series is part of our Get A Job In Games Month.
Title music composed by Thomas Marchant.
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team gathers around their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the week.
This week, the conversation returns to reports of discrimination and harassment at AAA games firms - most notably Activision Blizzard, which is facing a lawsuit from the DFEH, but also Ubisoft following the latest report of toxic elements within one of its studios.
We discuss the need for more consequences for both those directly responsible for discrimination, harassment, abuse and more, but also the companies they work for, who continue to fail to protect the rest of their staff.
During the discussion, we recommend several resources for those in the industry who need a safe space or support, as well as information for companies and recruiters that may help resolve these issues in the long term. All of these can be found below:
https://www.rainn.org/articles/sexual-harassment
https://gameshotline.org/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
https://www.takethis.org/mental-health-resources/
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-03-08-creating-a-diverse-workforce-ukie-raisethegame-report
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-09-14-level-up-on-diversity-three-changes-to-get-more-women-into-games
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-02-04-how-to-identify-and-avoid-unconscious-bias
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-02-how-to-patch-out-implicit-bias-from-your-hiring-process
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-03-08-gamesindustry-biz-academy-resources-to-champion-women-in-games
Throughout this month, we'll be taking a deeper dive into the world of video games recruitment and the challenges facing both applicants wanting to enter the industry and companies wanting to secure the best talent.
For our third 'jobscast,' we take a look at the onboarding process and how studios can better prepare recruits for their new role. We discuss the challenges involved -- both before and during the pandemic -- as well as how the process differs depending on which stage of a project you're bringing in new team members.
Our panel this week includes Jagex's Jody Zarkos, Timbre Studios' Zoë Curnoe and Geoff Coates, and Rogue Games' Chris Archer.
This series is part of our Get A Job In Games Month.
Title music composed by Thomas Marchant.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers behind their mics to discuss the biggest story of the week: the Steam Deck.
With Valve's long-rumoured Switch-like handheld gaming PC finally unveiled, we discuss our reactions to the reveal and who the audience for this device might be.
We also explore the possibilities for indie developers -- or indeed any developers -- and the potential for Steam Deck to introduce a new route into the PC games market in a way that has not been seen in years.
In the last segment of this week's show, Brendan offers a breakdown of this year's report on the use of conflict minerals in the games industry. You can find the full report here.
Title music by Thomas Marchant. Episode mastered by Thomas Quillfeldt.
Throughout this month, we'll be taking a deeper dive into the world of video games recruitment and the challenges facing both applicants wanting to enter the industry and companies wanting to secure the best talent.
For our second 'jobscast,' we take a look at the role of academia in preparing aspiring developers for a role in the industry, and how those who seek a career in games can secure the role they want.
Our panel this week includes University of Southern California's Tracy Fullerton, Carnegie Mellon University's Thomas Corbett, Staffordshire University's Nia Wearn, and Falmouth University's Nick Dixon.
This series is part of our Get A Job In Games Month.
Title music composed by Thomas Marchant.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather to discuss the biggest news of the week: A new Nintendo Switch.
Not the the Switch Pro, New Nintendo Switch or Super Switch that had been rumoured and reported on for so long, but the OLED Model with a larger screen, wider kickstand and LAN port.
We discuss the root of the disappointment around its reveal, the implications of this handheld-centric update, who the new console appeals to and the consumer mentality around hardware upgrades.
As always you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Over the next four weeks, we'll be taking a deeper dive into the world of video games recruitment and the challenges facing both applicants wanting to enter the industry and companies wanting to secure the best talent.
For our first 'jobscast,' we're joined by Square Enix Montreal recruiter Agathe Fallet, NDreams' chief people officer Tamsin O'Luanaigh and Marvelous Europe's head of production and operations Sarah Burns.
This episode looks at the biggest challenges developers and publishers encounter when recruiting, how they can stand out from the competition in appealing to potential new hires, and how the recruitment process differs across different markets and disciplines.
This series is part of our Get A Job In Games Month.
Title music composed by Thomas Marchant.
The Five Games Of is a special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast that explores the evolution of the video games business through the career of prominent developers, executives and more.
This time, we explore five games from the career of Warren Spector, industry veteran and one of the key figures crediting with defining the immersive sim.
We explore the breadth of Spector's career, starting with his time on classic Ultima RPGs and the groundbreaking Ultima Underworld.
We also exploring the origins of the acclaimed Deus Ex and the biggest commercial hit of Spector's career: Epic Mickey.
Title music by Juilan Villareal.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, Brendan and James are joined by Michael Varner, director of executive compensation research at CtW Investment Group, to discuss recent developments in the world of AAA publishing.
Earlier this month, Activision delayed its say-on-pay vote at the request of shareholders amid an ongoing campaign by CtW and other parties to persuade shareholders to vote against compensation proposals for its biggest execs, including CEO Bobby Kotick.
That vote was later passed with 54% approval -- an all-time company low -- meaning Kotick and co will continue to receive what CtW describes as "outsized equity pay"
Meanwhile, Electronic Arts recently unveiled several changes to its executive compensation program -- although CEO Andrew Wilson still stands to receive $39.2 million, an increase of 83% year-on-year.
Our guest helps us dive into all this and more as we try to better understand these companies' justification for executives' more than generous compensation.
Title music by Thomas Marchant. Episode mastered by Thomas Quillfeldt.
The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around this mics to reflect on this year's E3 (and all the other adjacent events).
Rather than go through the announcements individually - we collated all the biggest reveals and release dates on the site - we insted each choose a trend, topic or announcement we found interesting from an industry perspective.
We also select the titles we are personally most looking forward to out of the hundreds tht were unveiled and showcased last week.
In our final GI at E3 Newscast, James and Danielle are joined by indie developer Shahid Ahmad to reflect on the full week of game announcements and reveals.
During the course of the conversation, we weigh up the strategies of both Xbox and Nintendo, discuss the shortcomings of a digital-only E3, and debate the merits of Microsoft's 'everything on Game Pass' model vs PlayStation's focus on $70 blockbusters.
You can find the newscasts on our YouTube channel and you can follow all our E3 2021 coverage at GamesIndustry.biz.
Title music composed by Thomas Marchant.
Throughout the next week, we're hosting (almost) daily video newscasts on the big news from E3, Summer Games Fest et al - with handy podcast versions for those who prefer audio discussions.
Today, Chris, James and Brendan are joined by Velan Studios co-founder Guha Bala to talk about the Nintendo Direct and the end of this year's E3.
We discuss the surprises of new Metroid and old Advance Wars, the ongoing wait for Breath of the Wild's sequel, the lack of Zelda anniversary celebrations, the intricacies of cross-play and the use of celebrities at events like E3.
You can find the newscasts on our YouTube channel and you can follow all our E3 2021 coverage at GamesIndustry.biz.
Throughout the next week, we're hosting (almost) daily video newscasts on the big news from E3, Summer Games Fest et al - with handy podcast versions for those who prefer audio discussions.
Today, James and Marie are joined by Cassia Curran of Wings Interactive to talk about some of the biggest news from the Xbox & Bethesda showcase and Square Enix Presents.
We also spend a good amount of the episode talking about the presence of indies at E3, the difference between riskier, more creative games and safer AAA bets, and the balance (or lack thereof) between violent and non-violent games.
You can find the newscasts on our YouTube channel and you can follow all our E3 2021 coverage at GamesIndustry.biz.
Throughout the next week, we're hosting (almost) daily video newscasts on the big news from E3, Summer Games Fest et al - with handy podcast versions for those who prefer audio discussions.
Today, Chris and James are joined by the first of our special industry guests: Grant Kirkhope, composer of Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye 64, Perfect Dark, Yooka-Laylee... and the newly-announced Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
Grant joins us to share a little more on his role on the upcoming strategy game, as well as his thoughts on the Ubisoft line-up and a LOT of insight into what it's like both working on these projects and working at a typical E3.
You can find the newscasts on our YouTube channel and you can follow all our E3 2021 coverage at GamesIndustry.biz.
Throughout E3, we'll be running several video podcasts collecting our thoughts on the big announcements - and we'll be joined by some surprise industry guests to get their take, too.
For this first edition, Chris, James and Danielle discuss the first wave of news from Summer Games Fest Kickoff Live and the Battlefield 2042 reveal, as well as our expectations and hopes for the week ahead.
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team gather around their mics to discuss the oncoming storm that is E3 2021.
This year's show will be, to say the least, unusual. In the absence of a physical event, the ESA has endeavoured to get as many of the usual publishers and platform holders on board as it can.
Some of the outliers -- such as Ubisoft -- are hosting their own digital events independently of E3, but still running them within the usual window in order to capitalise on the interest around video games announcements. And then there's Summer Games Fest, Geoff Keighley's attempt to bring E3 and all related-but-not-related events under one umbrella.
There's also the ever-present shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, and the fact it's almost impossible to know what impact lockdowns and remote working have had on planned game announcements, even after a year of adapting to these new circumstances.
In the face of all this, we discuss what we expect from each of the major platform holders, as well as some of the biggest publishers. We ponder the plausibility of recent rumours and leaks, and inevitably once again discuss what the future holds for E3 in an age when companies can just broadcast their big news to consumers directly.
As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.
For the past few weeks, we've be delivering audio versions of some of the best sessions from our recent GI Live: Online event.
In our final week, our head of games B2B Chris Dring speaks to Peter Moore, currently heading up Sports & Live Entertainment at Unity and serving on the board of directors at sports-centric mobile publisher Nifty Games.
Moore is, of course, best known for his tenures at Xbox and Electronic Arts. Having now returned to games after a stint as CEO of Liverpool FC, he discusses the crossover between the worlds of sports and video games, as well as a few hints at what he might be working on at Unity.
You can also watch the full session on our YouTube channel.
For more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games, visit www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses the high-profile anti-trust case between Epic Games and Apple, joined by special guest Thomas Buscaglia of law firm The Game Attorney.
Buscaglia -- who has previously contributed to our weekly 'in review' roundups of the trial -- gives us insight into some of more interesting aspects of the court proceedings and the arguments both sides makes.
The conversation covers the long wait for a ruling and why that ruling will be far from final, the impact this case will have had on Epic's similar fight against Google, and the contention around the long-standing 30% commission fee.
You can find all our coverage of Epic vs Apple here, as well as our definitive roundup here.
And, of course, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team discuss the biggest news of the past week – including the future of Warner Bros' games studios, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick's skepticism about the metaverse, Embracer's plans for even more acquisitions, and the return of TimeSplitters.
With AT&T forming a joint venture with Discovery, it's been reported that not all of the Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment development teams will be moved over to the new company. We discuss what this means for the publisher's portfolio, and whether this could lead to studio closures.
Next, we discuss Strauss Zelnick's comments about the metaverse and his allergy to buzzwords from a recent investor call. The conversation expands beyond this to the future of Grand Theft Auto Online and the challenges facing GTA 6.
Then we take a look at Embracer Group's revelation that it has been speaking to more than 150 acquisition targets, including 20 with which is hosting late-stage talks. Given the company's reputation for absorbing a wide variety of studios, we ponder how much larger the group can grow and what's sustaining this strategy.
Finally, with news of Free Radical's revival and a new TimeSplitters in the works, we explore why the series remains so popular (at least, James tries to explain this to a justifiably skeptical Brendan and Danielle).
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
For the next few weeks, we'll be delivering audio versions of some of the best sessions from our recent GI Live: Online event.
This week, our head of games B2B Chris Dring speaks to Jon M. Gibson, founder of specialist merchandise provider Iam8bit.
The interview explores the company's origins, some of its biggest successes in bringing collectors' items and even special boxed editions to indie games, and what motivates fans to invest in everything from vinyl soundtracks to art prints.
You can also watch the full session on our YouTube channel.
For more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games, visit www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses the biggest stories of the past week -- and lays out some simple demands for PlayStation's future.
First up, we discuss Ubisoft's revelation that it will be investing more in high-quality free-to-play experiences based on its biggest brands. We touch on whether this is likely to become the norm for AAA publishers (if it isn't already) and whether free-to-play games might cannibalise their full price counterparts (hint: it's unlikely).
After that, we ponder the news that PlayStation has 25 first-party titles in the works, half of which are said to be new IP. Which Sony properties do we want to see continue, and what are the gaps in their portfolio we believe they need to fill?
Finally, we discuss the issue of scalpers -- or rather how the issue may actually be exaggerated (keep your eyes on the site for more on this topic later this week).
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
For the next few weeks, we'll be delivering audio versions of some of the best sessions from our recent GI Live: Online event.
This week, our head of games B2B Chris Dring speaks Tomas Sakalauskas from No Brakes Games and Curve's VP of Franchise Publishing Gary Rowe about the smash hit indie title Human Fall Flat.
The discussion explores why the physics-based platformer has such broad appeal, how it reached sales levels rarely achieved by indie games, why the developers continue to produce new content for free, and why there's more overlap betwen Human Fall Flat and PUBG than you might think.
You can also watch the full session on our YouTube channel.
For more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games, visit www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discuss the biggest stories of the week -- which, of course, means Epic's ongoing antitrust trial against Apple.
We reflect on the first week's events and relevations, and share our thoughts on which side has the stronger argument. We also discuss the potential ramifications for the rest of the industry, and the impact it is already having on other major games firms.
For example, Sony's crossplay strategy was called into question when Epic revealed it agreed to pay an additional royalty in order to allows PS4 Fortnite players to connect with those on other platforms. We discuss Sony's decision and the importance of crossplay.
Finally, with E3 less than a month away, we discuss expectations for this year's digital-only show. Can the show cope with the absence of a few key players, and the continuing onslaught of other digital events?
As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.
For the next few weeks, we'll be delivering audio versions of some of the best sessions from our recent GI Live: Online event.
This week, our head of games B2B Chris Dring speaks to IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak about the rollercoaster journey the Hitman studio has been on for the past few years.
The conversation covers everything from IO's split with former publisher and parent Square Enix, through the risky period of supporting Hitman 2016 alone, charting the rise of the World of Assassination trilogy with Hitman 2, and culminating in full independence and self-publishing for this year's Hitman 3.
You can also watch the full session on our YouTube channel.
For more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games, visit www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team discuss the biggest stories of the past week, starting with the inevitable discourse around Returnal and difficulty in AAA games.
The PlayStation 5 exclusive released to critical acclaim last Friday, but while it's designed to be a challenging experience, it has prompted a discussion as to whether intentionally challenging gameplay is viable at the level of $70 AAA releases.
We share our thoughts on the alternatives to punishing difficulty, the importance of accessibility and why it is separate from the difficulty discussion, and how indie title Hades has changed expectations for the genre.
Next, we reflect on the results of the recent Accenture survey, which showed 66% of gamers are keen to see more titles from socially responsible developers and discuss how to better drown out the 9% that actively don't.
Finally, we look at the recent changes at Toys For Bob, the Crash Bandicoot developer that has become yet another Call of Duty support studio. Are Activision's eggs all in this single (admittedly best-selling) basket?
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
For the next few weeks, we'll be delivering audio versions of some of the best sessions from our recent GI Live: Online event.
This week, our head of games B2B Chris Dring speaks to Guha Bala, co-founder of Vicarious Visions and Velan Studios, the team behind Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and the upcoming dodgeball multiplayer outing Knockout City.
The episode explores Bala's career and journey from indie developer to AAA and back again, as well as his advice on finding the magic in your game concept.
You can also watch the full session on our YouTube channel.
For more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games, visit www.gamesindustry.biz.
The entire GamesIndustry.biz team is on hand to discuss the biggest stories of the past week.
We start with unpacking the discourse and the original comments around an interview with Days Gone director Jon Garvin, in which he stated that those wanting a sequel should have bought the game at full price when it launched.
We discuss the many ways the industry has changed and why most titles are no longer reliant on strong early sales, as well as the disparity between demand for a sequel and whether people will actually buy one.
We also look at the implications of Epic adding Itch.io's marketplace to the Epic Games Store and weigh in on Epic vs Apple with our predictions (and concerns) about how the upcoming trial will pan out.
Finally, we also touch on Ubisoft's perhaps ill-advised decision to state that the Assassin's Creed-themed Mr Men books are aimed at young readers as well as adults, and why that's probably not a good idea.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses the biggest stories of the past week.
First up, we take a look at reports that the Epic Games Store is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in its efforts to rival Steam, where that data comes from, Tim Sweeney's cheerful response and why he might be right.
Then, we discuss comments by Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa about how the platform holder may focus more on original IP, and how rarely the company has produced new properties in recent generations.
Finally, we share our thoughts on points made in a recent article on GamesIndustry.biz around how design decisions made to improve the user experience can ultimately be twisted to exploit and monetise users.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The Five Games Of is a special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast that explores the evolution of the video games business through the career of prominent developers, executives and more.
This time, we explore five games from the career of Brenda Romero, one of longest-running developers in the industry.
With a career spanning almost 40 years, we look at how Brenda found her start working on the Wizardy RPG series at the age of 15 and followed its evolution as the games industry matured around it.
The discussion that follows encompasses social games, modding, the long-awaited fifth episode of Doom, the Prohibition Era as inspiration, and supporting a budding young game designer in the family as they achieved their first hit.
Title music by Juilan Villareal.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast talks to developers about the titles that influenced their careers.
This time, our guest is Jean Leggett -- CEO of One More Story Games, leadership and career coach, and host of the Games, Grit & Graditude: Real Talk podcast.
Leggett discusses the impact of the Tex Murphy adventure games on her career, her studio, and even her company's game engine, as well as the importance of story and dark humour in taking games forward as a medium.
Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favorite games. You can find these articles here.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
[Please note: This episode was recorded a few months ago, hosted by our then-senior staff writer, Rebekah Valentine]
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team discuss the biggest stories of the past week from across the business of video games.
This week, Matt, Brendan, Marie and James elaborate on our recent stance concerning stories about blockchain and non-fungible tokens, and why GamesIndustry.biz will be more cautious about covering this going forward.
We discuss the potential benefits and the many, many downsides of this technology as it currently stands.
We also reflect of Techland's decision to include abusive tweets in a video update about Dying Light 2, and whether games companies should be doing more to discourage these attitudes and behaviours among their "devoted fans."
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team discusses the biggest stories of the past week.
This week, we start with the recent wave of new indie publishers emerging, including new publishing arms for Sumo Group, Playtonic Games and Fundamentally Games.
We talk about the challenges new publishers face, whether the market is becoming overserved, and whether publishers need a distinct identity or speciality to succeed.
Then we expand on our recent 10 Years Ago This Month column, looking back at a period where the games industry was anxious about the rise of social, mobile and free-to-play games.
We reflect on the impact the growth of mobile games had on the industry and whether the fears and concerns expressed by veteran developers at GDC 2011 eventually came true.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discuss the biggest stories from the past week in the business of video games.
This week, we start with EA's response to a FIFA Ultimate Team player that racially abused ex-footballer Ian Wright, blaming his in-game counterpart for losing a match. The player has been issued a lifetime ban, a response Wright commended.
We also explore Twitch's first transparency report and dive deeper into the missing numbers in order to illustrate the disparity between how the streaming site handles community infractions when compared to abuse, harassment or hateful conduct.
Finally, we discuss the most recent reports of a 4K-ready Nintendo Switch and why the platform holder needs to carefully consider its hardware strategy if it wishes to extend the Switch's lifecycle beyond that of its predecessors.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses the biggest stories of the past week, starting with news of Sony revitalising PlayStation VR.
With a new headset now in development for PlayStation 5, we reflect on Sony's impact on the wider virtual reality landscape and its strategy with the original PlayStation VR over the past four years.
We also debate the importance of software and whether Sony's first-party offering can provide any system-selling experiences -- especially as the platform holder continues to close its most experimental studios -- and what the haptic feedback of the DualSense controller might add to the immersion of virtual reality.
After that, we turn to the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, exploring its ongoing and cross-generational success as well as sharing our thoughts on the announcements from the recent Pokémon Presents broadcast.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team discusses the most controversial game announcement of the year so far and weigh up whether developers can handle a topic as sensitive as war.
Following our interview with the company behind upcoming shooter Six Days In Fallujah, we explore the reaction to the game's existence -- both in 2021 and back in 2009 when the title was dropped by its publisher -- and the mistakes it already seems to be making.
We also discuss whether Victura's stated intention is appropriate for a conflict like the Siege of Fallujah.
Towards the end of the episode, we shift towards the announcement of the most recent Nintendo Direct, the 35th anniversary of Zelda, and the strange disconnect between Skyward Sword's high review scores but low reputation among many series fans.
You can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The GamesIndustry.biz team takes a deeper look at one of the biggest stories of the past week -- namely, Warner Bros securing a patent for Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system.
For this episode, we're joined by Kostya Lobov of law firm Harbottle & Lewis to look at the intricacies of patents and the implications for any other developers hoping to build games around a similar mechanic to the Nemesis system.
In case you missed the news, it was revealed last week that Warner Bros has finally secured a patent after repeated attempts to protect its method of creating a heirarchy for NPCs that changes based on player actions.
The move was widely criticised by developers, claiming it will stifle innovation in this space -- but is that the case? We discuss on this week's podcast.
If you'd like to find more about how developers can protect their intellectual property, check out our in-depth guide on the GamesIndustry.biz Academy.
On our latest podcast, Matt, Brendan and James discuss two of the biggest games industry stories of the past two weeks.
First up, we discuss Embracer Group's acquisition of Gearbox Software -- a deal potentially worth close to $1.4 billion, but with some very notable caveats.
We use this as a jumping off point to explore Embracer's overall mergers and acquisitions strategy, and ponder the wider trends in the M&A space -- something further analysed in this article by GameDiscoverCo's Simon Carless.
In the second half, we talk about Google's decision to close its internal Stadia Games and Entertainment and the broader implications for the internet giant's cloud streaming games service.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz
The GamesIndustry.biz editorial team looks optimistically forward and starts to ponder the future of video games when the COVID-19 pandemic eventually comes to an end.
Following on an editorial by our Head of B2B Chris Dring, James, Brendan, Marie and Chris discuss the implications of 2020's rapid growth in terms of new customers, and the perhaps inevitable industry contraction when those consumers drop their newfound hobby as life returns to normal (or at least closer to it).
We talk about the challenges Microsoft and Sony face in pushing their new consoles while still trying to engage the swathes of people who only purchased the old ones in the last nine months, as well as the pressure on Nintendo to continue Switch's incredible mometum.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The Five Games Of is a special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast that explores the evolution of the video games business through the career of prominent developers, executives and more.
This time, we explore five games from the career of Jesper Kyd, one of the industry's most prolific composers.
We talk to Kyd about his start in the industry, working with a group of friends that went on to found a fairly well-known Danish studio, before looking at some of the biggest games he worked on.
Naturally, this includes how he defined the sound of Assassin's Creed -- plus the evolution of Ezio's Theme, which has since become the most iconic cue in Ubisoft's biggest franchise.
Title music by Juilan Villareal.
On this week's podcast, the GamesIndustry.biz editorial team takes a look at some of the biggest challenges facing indie developers.
Our discussion begins with the recent reveal of Moonrise Fund, which focuses on financing teams working on gameplay that hasn't been seen before. We recently spoke to the fund's creator Evva Karr about their ambitions for the project.
We then talk about the gaps in funding and even gaps in knowledge that form barriers to experimental games developers from bringing more unorthodox projects to market.
We also touch on the hurdles indies face when trying to market their game or secure press and media coverage ahead of release.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, GamesIndustry.biz team members Matt, Rebekah and James are joined by PCMag's Mike Williams to discuss the biggest news of the past week.
Following a slew of LucasFilm Games announcements -- including the revival of the brand, Bethesda's Indiana Jones game, and Ubisoft's open-world Star Wars project -- we discuss licensed games.
It wasn't so long ago that licensed games were often hastily-developed merchandise created to tie in with a film release or ensure a publisher got the most out of its licensing agreement. But in the wake of titles like Marvel's Spider-Man by Insomniac Games, it's easier to be optimistic about the aforementioned announcements.
We discuss our expectations for these games and more, as well as changing attitudes towards the use of blockbuster IP in video games from the perspectives of developers, publishers and rights holders.
For more news, analysis and insight, head over to www.gamesindustry.biz.
In our first weekly episode of 2021, the GamesIndustry.biz team discuss the biggest news of the past week – and slightly further back.
Matt, Brendan, Rebekah, James and Chris unpack the implications and build-up to Nintendo's acquisition of Next Level Games, the team behind Switch hit Luigi's Mansion 3.
And in the first instalment of a new monthly discussion, we expand on the most recent 10 Years Ago column to look at how things have changed in the past decade.
This month, we look at the rise and fall of the last dedicated games handhelds: PlayStation Vita and 3DS, two devices launched as smartphone gaming began to take off. Both Sony and Nintendo handled this difficult situation differently, but what did the industry learn from their strategies?
As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
In this special sponsored GamesIndustry.biz podcast, we speak with Facebook Audience Network’s Imran Khan to discuss mobile game monetisation methods and in-game advertising.
This week’s podcast discusses all forms of monetisation and provides ideas and guidance on how to maximise revenue for game developers. Khan will reveal why the games industry needs to look beyond in-app purchases as the de facto monetisation model for mobile games.
You can find more information on ad monetisation and how app bidding is transforming businesses here.
This special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast talks to developers about the titles that influenced their careers.
This time, we have Xalavier Nelson Jr., the creator of An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs as well as an award-nominated narrative mind behind Hypnospace Outlaw, Reigns: Beyond, Skatebird, and more.
Nelson Jr. is here to chat about The Evil Within 2, specifically its modular design. He describes the game as a "puzzle box" where pushing and prodding one element can impact the whole, and discusses its influence on his own thinking about game development and specifically his work on Dog Airport Game.
Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favorite games. You can find these articles here.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
The weekly news show will be back on Monday, and you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
In our last podcast of the year, the GamesIndustry.biz editorial team gather around the mics to share their favourite games of 2020.
Matt, Brendan, Rebekah, Marie and James each share some honourable mentions and key highlights before delving into to their pick for the best game that they've played this year.
Note the 'that they've played' caveat, as not all choices are in fact from 2020.
You'll be able to read more about our Games of the Year at GamesIndustry.biz throughout this week.
As always, you get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz
On this special episode of the podcast, we look at the challenges journalists and the games media have faced in 2020.
For this discussion, we're joined by USGamer editor-in-chief Kat Bailey, VideoGamesChronicle editor-in-chief Andy Robinson, VG247 assistant editor Alex Donaldson, and Kotaku staff writer Ethan Gach.
Together, the panel reflects on the impact of event closures, the unorthodox build-up to the next-gen consoles, the lack of networking, limitations when interviewing developers or previewing games, and more.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Matthew, Rebekah, and James are joined by Mike Williams to discuss the biggest stories of the week.
Following the revelation that BioWare general manager Casey Hudson and Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah are leaving the studio -- for the second time, in Hudson's case -- we discuss the impact this could have on the company.
The conversation expands into exploring the 'wilderness period' BioWare has been in for some years now, and comparing it with other studios that have lost key talent but retained high expectations from fans.
We also look at the value of the Dragon Age and Mass Effect IP, the increasing competition the developer faces compared to its heyday, and our hopes for the future of BioWare.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast talks to developers about the titles that influenced their careers.
This time, we have Fred Horgan, senior ideation designer at Bossa Studios, here to discuss how Sega's 2000 online console RPG shaped his understanding of social and cooperative gameplay.
Horgan talks about his experiences playing with friends, and how unique design elements of Phantasy Star Online inspired him to think differently about how players encounter one another in virtual spaces, and what kinds of challenges will encourage teamwork rather than competition.
Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favorite games. You can find these articles here.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
The weekly news show will be back on Monday, and you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Matt, Brendan and James gather behind their respective mics to discuss the biggest stories of the week.
This week, we explore Square Enix's decision to make remote working permanent for more of its Japanese staff, and the implications this has for any couple that adopts such a model.
It's a topic our contributing editor Rob Fahey delved into with his latest column, and now the podcast explores the wider ramifications of going remote.
We discuss whether its viable, what it means for the future of offices, the benefits for both companies and their staff, and the challenges it creates.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, we have a special bumper-length podcast as the team takes a look back at the previous generation of consoles.
With Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 now on shelves around the world, we reflect on the seven years of games and innovations offered by their forebears.
Rather than just focusing on our favourite games (although we do discuss this as well), we take a broader approach by offering our takes on the most important and impactful games of the last generation.
We also share our biggest disappointments, from individual titles to key studios and even entire trends.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The Five Games Of is a special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast which explores the evolution of the video games business through the career of prominent developers, executives and more.
This time, we explore five games from Mikael Kasurinen of Remedy Entertainment, who most recently served as game director for last year's acclaimed new IP Control.
In addition to this game, we talk about his work on Max Payne 2, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and the Battlefield 4 campaign.
The conversation touches on the expectations for sequels, the role of single-player in first-person shooters, experiments with the crossover between television and games, and the various attempts to explore an episodic structure for games.
Title music by Julian Villareal
The latest episode of our podcast is available to download now, and somehow, we're not talking about next-gen consoles.
Instead, FIFA is on the mind, following yet another lawsuit filed complaining of Ultimate Team loot boxes, and news of a new FIFA spend tracking tool allowing players to limit how many matches they play or how much money they can spend in the game.
In response to that, Brendan has published an editorial exploring EA's refusal to admit its games dabble in gambling while it simultaneously struggles to make its game acceptable to potental regulators. It's this editorial that Brendan, Matt, Chris, and Rebekah unpack, alongside discussion of the FIFA franchise's steadily dwindling approval from critics and players alike.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
In this special bonus episode of The Game Developer's Playlist, we take a look at Hideo Kojima's final outing with Metal Gear Solid.
Brendan takes over hosting duties from Rebekah as he's joined by Jeffery Thompson Jr to talk about the mix of gritty stealth and goofy balloon extractions, with horror elements and more poignant messaging all woven into the mix.
Thompson Jr is one of the founder of Polish start-up Epoch Media, currently part of the ReactorX Polish accelerator program.
He shares the impact Metal Gear Sold 5: The Phantom Pain had on his career, as well as the inspiration he has drawn for upcoming steal action game Pensions.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
Chris, Brendan and James are on hand to share their early impressions of the new consoles.
Having recieved a mix of PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S units, the team has had a couple of weeks to get to grips with them, so what do we think of the next generaiton?
We discuss the most interesting features, from both a user and business perspective, as well as touching on performance, visuals, loading times and more.
We also look at the new devices through the lens of each platform holder's strategy and how they set Sony and Microsoft up for the years to come.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast talks to developers about the titles that influenced their careers.
This time, we have Chandana 'Eka' Ekanayake, co-founder of Falcon Age studio Outerloop Games, here to discuss how 1995 biker adventure game Full Throttle inspired him to join the games industry..
Ekanayake discusses how the film-like elements of the game spurred his interest in joining in the industry, and the ways in which the game's pacing and visual techniques are still examples of how games embrace and iterate on storytelling techniques used in movies.
Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favorite games. You can find these articles here.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
The weekly news show will be back on Monday, and you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
On the latest GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, Rebekah and Marie are joined by USGamer's Mike Williams, as well as three special guests: freelance writer Aaron Lee, I Need Diverse Games founder Tanya DePass, and Melanin Gamers founder Annabel Ashalley-Anthony.
Mike, Aaron, Tanya, and Annabel discuss being Black in the games industry, from issues of representation in games themselves to representation in the workplace, and the barriers facing Black professionals who wish to both enter and thrive in games.
As a springboard for the discussion, the group referenced two recent articles: one on lifting the barriers faced by Black professionals in the games industry by Marie, and another specifically focused on representation in the UK games business by Aaron, both including interviews and insight from a number of Black professionals around the industry.
You can find Marie's article here: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-10-27-lifting-the-barriers-for-black-professionals-in-the-games-industry
And Aaron's here: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-10-22-we-need-a-real-shift-in-the-tide-black-professionals-talk-representation-in-the-uk-games-business
As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, three members of the team -- Matt, Marie, and Rebekah -- chat with Digital Foundry's John Linneman about the impending next generation of consoles, especially the Xbox Series X.
With just a few weeks remaining before the launch of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, we reflect on the marketing and announcement cycles of both over the last year, as well as do a bit of deep-diving into what the hardware improvements of the Xbox Series X and S will mean for average users.
We also dip into pricing, both hardware and software, as well as the recent addition and subsequent removal of unskippable ads in NBA 2K21 and UFC 4.
One note: this episode was recorded on Friday, October 23, and in the episode we mention that Destruction All-Stars is a PlayStation 5 launch title. Shortly before we published the episode, Sony announced the game was being delayed to February, and thus is no longer a launch title.
As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The Five Games Of is a special spin-off series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast that charts the evolution of the industry through the careers and games of prominent developers and more.
This month's guest is Guha Bala, co-founder and president of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit developer Velan Studios, perhaps best known for the work he and his team accomplished at Vicarious Visions -- another studio he co-founded.
Bala's career stretches back as far as 1996 point-and-click adventure Synnergist and cover a variety of often experimental play patterns, such as instrument-based rhythm action games and toys-to-life.
Join us as well look at the rise of fall of dedicated gaming handhelds, plastic guitars, toys-to-life, augmented reality and more.
The weekly news show will be back on Monday, and you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Title music by Juilan Villareal.
Matt, Brendan, Chris and James gather behind their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the past week.
Our main discussion for this episode is the partnership between Microsoft and GameStop, which offers the retailer a share of all digital revenues generated by users of Xbox Series consoles the retail chain has sold.
We debate whether this is a way for the platform holder to sustain a valuable retail partner or an attempt to seem charitable as it pushes its digital ecosystem.
Continuing the Xbox theme, we discuss the day one launch line-up for Series X and S, which features 31 titles but no next-gen exclusives.
As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Matt, Brendan, Rebekah and James are on hand to discuss the biggest stories of the week -- or, in this instance, story.
We delve deeper into Brendan's extensive exposé on the toxic culture at Twitch, which extends across both the office and the site itself.
The team explores a story that ranges from allegations of sexual assault and racism to defaction on the walls and a relaxed attitude to the Klu Klux Klan, as we debate how other companies can learn from Twitch's mistakes.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The Game Developers' Playlist is a special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast in which we talk with developers about the titles that influenced their careers.
This time, we have Megan Fox -- founder of Skatebird developer Glass Bottom Games -- discussing the impact of Ultima 7, the 1992 systems-driven RPG.
Fox reflects on how the use of the game's systems opened up player freedom, and the evolution of similar mechanics in genres such as survival games.
The Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favourite games.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
Rebekah, Marie and James are on hand to discuss the biggest stories of the past week.
We start with the disappointing but perhaps inevitable news that -- despite promises of 'non-obligatory crunch' and multiple delays to the game - CD Projekt Red is forcing the Cyberpunk 2077 developers to work six-day weeks in the run-up to its November 19 launch.
Then we're joined by Eurogamer's Lottie Lynn to discuss the impact of changes Niantic made to Pokémon Go to account for the pandemic -- and how it will likely affect the game now many of these are becoming permanent.
Finally, we take a look at the early success of Chinese-developed free-to-play epic Genshim Impact, as well as sharing our initial impressions of the game widely described as a Breath of the Wild clone.
As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Rebekah, Brendan and Marie are on hand to discuss the biggest stories of the week -- which, of course, means Microsoft's acquistion of Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media.
The platform holder splashed $7.5 billion on the Fallout and Elder Scrolls publisher, but what wider implications does this deal have? We discuss the impact on Game Pass, on the Bethesda IP that struggled at retail but may now have renewed hope, how this affects Microsoft's ability to compete with Sony, and the consequences of industry consolidation.
Then we turn our attention to the surprise announcement (despite long-running rumours) of Amazon's Luna cloud gaming service. We weigh up whether Amazon can compete with Xbox, PlayStation and Google in the games streaming space, and question the lack of hype in the run-up to its unveiling.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The Five Games Of is a special spin-off series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast that charts the evolution of the industry through the careers and games of prominent developers and more.
This month's guest is Debbie Bestwick, CEO and owner of UK-based indie label Team17, whose first game was released in 1991.
On the show we discuss this and other formative titles, the changing opportunities for indie developers over the years, shifting attitudes at publishers, and how the very first Worms game was developed on a calculator.
The weekly news show will be back on Monday, and you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Matt, Rebekah, Brendan and USGamer's Mike Williams discuss the biggest news of the past week.
We start with the PS5 launch plans and confusion over pre-orders, and move on to our wider thoughts about the next console generation.
With both platform holders offering digital-only consoles, what does this mean for the concept of ownership during the upcoming generation? And how does the rise of subscriptions factor into this?
Finally, we go round the table and share which next-gen machine most appeals to us.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, James, Brendan, Rebekah and Chris discuss the biggest news of the past week, which is, unsurprisingly, Xbox.
The platform holder announced its long-rumoured Xbox Series S model at $299, priced the Xbox Series X at $499, detailed the Xbox All Access payment plan for both models, gave a November 10 launch date, and revealed that the EA Play library will be added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate later this year.
With all the pieces in place for the launch of Microsoft's fourth console generation, we discuss how the platform holder is trying to reshape the business, who the audience for the Series S might be, and whether Sony might respond to the EA Play deal, among other things.
And then we somehow masterfully manage to steer the last third of the episode to talking about Nintendo.
As always, you can get the latest news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
The Game Developers' Playlist returns with a look at RPG Maker.
In this new monthly show, developers join us to discuss the games that influenced their careers.
This episode features Davionne Gooden, the indie developer behind the upcoming She Dreams Elsewhere, talking about how tinkering with RPG Maker motivated him to make a living making games.
The Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favourite games. You can find these articles here.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Matt, Brendan, James and USGamer's Mike Williams gather around their mics to discuss the biggest industry news of the past week.
Our first big discussion this week is Unity's long-awaited IPO. Having delved deeply into the filing, Brendan discovered some little known and surprising facts about the company behind the widely-used engine.
We discuss these revelations and ponder the future of Unity as it targets a potential growth area of £29 billion - but has its biggest competitor got there first?
Then we discuss the recent statement of support from 2K Games following the NBA's protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Major publishers already made similar statements and accompanying charity donations in the wake of George Floyd's murder earlier this year, but what more can the industry do to make an impact and drive positive change?
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This is the first episode in a new spin-off series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, charting the evolution of the industry through the games and careers of prominent professionals.
In this monthly show, we'll be joined by developers, composers, writers, publishers and other members of the games industry to discuss five games they have worked on: their first, their last, and three of their choice.
Around each title, we'll be exploring how the business of video games has changed, the lessons that have been learned and areas that still need improvement.
To kick off this series, we're joined by indie developer Mike Bithell, best known for Thomas Was Alone and his most recent hit John Wick Hex.
Don't forget to download our weekly news discussion show every Monday, as well as our other spin-off The Games Developers' Playlist, in which game creators discuss the titles that had the biggest impact on them.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Brendan, Marie, Chris and James discuss the biggest stories of the past week, starting with the allegations of inaction against abuse at Rocksteady.
The Batman: Arkham Knight studio has been accused of doing little to nothing to address the issues with toxicity and harassment raised by female employees back in 2018.
It's worth noting the studio has since released an updated statement that was not available at the time of recording.
After this, we discuss the first PlayStation 5 ad and the challenges of promoting a physical next-generation experience when the pandemic has cut off all the usual event marketing opportunities.
And with Bossa adopting a hybrid remote-office model, we debate whether a mix of the two can really work for games teams going forward.
As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Matt, Rebekah, Chris and James gather round their microphones to discuss the biggest news of the past week -- starting, of course, with Epic versus Apple and Google.
In case you missed the news, the Fortnite firm skillfully goaded Apple into removing the world's biggest game from its App Store then followed up with a pre-prepared lawsuit and a conveniently-ready-to-go parody video.
Google later removed the game as well and found itself facing a similar lawsuit.
Rebekah has already discussed the messaging around this video in her opinion piece on why it was an irresponsible piece of corporate propaganda, but we delve deeper on the podcast into the many nuances around what Epic is attempting to do.
We discuss the way it is mobilising its audience -- and whether the audience has any place in this fight -- as well as the ongoing and related investigations into big tech firms both in Congress and the European Commission, and whether Epic is right in its motivations.
We also discuss the delay to Halo Infinite, and the impact this will have on the launch of Xbox Series X, the all-but-confirmed Xbox Series S, and Xbox Game Pass.
As always, you can get the latest news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
Presenting the debut episode of a new spin-off from The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast: The Game Developer's Playlist
In this new monthly show, developers join us to discuss the games that influenced their careers.
Kicking off this series is Aaron Linde, lead narrative designer at Halo developer 343 Industries, who shares his love of SNES RPG Earthbound.
This podcast is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favourite games. You can find these articles here.
Title music by Julian Villareal.
As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.
James, Marie, Chris and USGamer's Mike Williams weigh in on the big debate of the week: does the games industry need E3?
Studies from both Fancensus and SuperData show that this summer's big game reveals didn't suffer from the absence of the annual showcase -- certainly not when it comes to the platform holders and big publishers.
But there are many other aspects of E3 that aren't as easily recreated online and benefits that might be overlooked when focused purely on data -- something Chris discussed in detail last week.
We weigh up all these points and more, before turning our attention to the ongoing scrutiny around Apple's 30% share of all App Store revenues.
With big tech firms facing antitrust enquiries on both sides of the Atlantic, we debate whether 30% is too high a payment and, building on Rob Fahey's latest column, what the alternative might be.
As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
James, Matt, Brendan, Rebekah and USGamer's Mike Williams reflect on the titles shown at this week's Xbox Games Showcase.
There was a diverse line-up of internally-developed titles, with the first look at Halo Infinite's gameplay and the long-awaited reveal of the Playground-developed Fable revival.
But the presentation did leave us with questions. After multiple instances of Xbox assuring that all title for Xbox Series X will run on Xbox One, the showcase announced several games that appear to be exclusive to the next-generation console (and PC, of course).
We delve into the possible reasons for the confusion in Xbox's communications, such as the practicalities of supporting a seven-year-old console while trying to sell the next one.
We also discuss the prominence of Game Pass throughout the presentation, and share our highlights from the line-up.
As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
This week, Rebekah, Matt, Brendan and James dive deeper into Rebekah's recent investigation into GlobalStep.
For those who haven't read the full article yet, we explore some of the accusations the UK-based QA company -- formerly known as Testology -- faces.
Claims include the "culling" and "ghosting" of staff, incorrect pay, and a stifling culture built on fear and zero-hour contracts.
We discuss the full findings of the investigation, as well as how such a culture has been sustained, and what other companies might learn from GlobalStep's mistakes.
As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.
We have a double episode of the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast today, following developments over the weekend at Ubisoft as the publisher attempts to reign in its abuse problems.
James. Matt and Haydn take a deep dive into the situation at Ubisoft, after several high-level staffers departed the company amid mounting abuse allegations.
CEO Yves Guillemot, previously lauded for steering Ubisoft away from a hostile takeover by Vivendi, now finds himself heading a company which faces one of the largest abuse scandals in games industry history.
After that Rebekah, Matt, Marie, and Mike tackle the wider issue of systemic abuse in the games industry. The discussion springboarded from an article by narrative designer Kim Belair, which addressed the need for a movement, rather than a moment, in the wake of these allegations.