Tag: Industry - Page 2
News PlayStation Studio & Former Halo Dev Bungie Cuts Staff After Game Delays
Update: 8% of staff reportedly gone
Update [Wed 1st Nov, 2023 00:00 GMT]: Following the initial announcement of layoffs at Bungie, a new report by Bloomberg has now revealed the the decisio
News Here's A Look At Microsoft And Xbox's New Gaming Leadership Structure
See for yourself
It's been another big week for team Xbox with the latest announcement of a Microsoft reshuffle which sees some familiar faces promoted. Perhaps the biggest changes apart from Activision Blizzard, are the promotions of two execs. As noted in the initial announcement, Matt Booty is now 'president of game content and studios'...
News Phil Spencer Thanks PlayStation Boss For His Contribution To The Video Game Industry
Jim Ryan will step down from his role in March 2024
In some industry news today, Sony has announced PlayStation boss Jim Ryan will be retiring from his role in March next year. In response to this news, the head of Xbox Phil Spencer has now issued a message on social media thanking Ryan for his efforts within the video game industry over the past...
News Saints Row Developer Volition Has Been Shut Down By Embracer Group
"Effective immediately"
Following reports of the Saints Row reboot underperforming earlier this year, developer Volition Games has now announced it is shutting down, effective immediately. It shared this update via a post on LinkedIn - mentioning how the closure was part of Embracer Group's "restructuring program". As also noted, the company is p
News Microsoft Acquired Hellblade Creator Ninja Theory For Just $117 Million
Chump change
Some more information that was never meant to be made public has been revealed in the Microsoft v FTC court battle. In the same email and documents revealing Xbox had a huge list of companies it was considering acquiring, page 10 reveals Ninja Theory was purchased for the sum of $117 million USD. Again, what's interesting about this...
News Electronic Arts Restructures Its Studios Into Two Organisations
"EA Entertainment" and "EA Sports"
Third-party video game giant Electronic Arts, known for IPs such as Battlefield and Apex Legends, has today announced a massive company restructure. According to CEO Andrew Wilson, EA Games will be split into two organisations - EA Entertainment and EA Sports. This is described as a "next step" in the company's...
News Embracer Likely To Cancel Games And Close Studios As Part Of Major Restructuring Program
Crystal Dynamics issues a statement
Embracer Group has announced today that it's embarking upon a restructuring program that will have a major effect throughout the company, with job losses, cancelled games and studio closures expected. In a statement, Embracer's CEO explained the move will "make us a leaner, stronger and a more focused,...
News Halo Veteran Joseph Staten Has Announced He Is Leaving Microsoft
"I'll have more info to share soon"
We've got some breaking news coming out of Microsoft about Joseph Staten. After recently exiting Halo Infinite and moving back to Xbox Game Studios Publishing, the Halo veteran has now announced he'll be leaving the tech giant. Microsoft didn't reveal where exactly Joe is off to but thanked him for his...
News Paradox Interactive Teases 'Big News' Ahead Of Xbox Sponsored Showcase
The Paradox announcement show airs March 6th
Publisher Paradox Interactive has revealed it will be hosting an "announcement show" next week in partnership with Xbox. It'll air on Monday, March 6th at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT. So, what can we expect? Paradox is teasing "big news" - with 3 new games, 4 new expansions, gameplay reveals and updates...
News Ex-Apex Legends Director Forms New Studio Wildlight Entertainment
Loaded with FPS developer talent
A new game studio called Wildlight Entertainment has been formed. While the name may not immediately grab your attention, some of the people at the studio might! It's led by former Apex Legends game director, Chad Grenier - also known for his work on the Titanfall series and his past development history with Call of...
News Sony Joins Xbox's Accessibility Mission With 'Project Leonardo'
But will it be compatible with other platforms?
Microsoft has been a market leader when it comes to accessibility in gaming, and has often called on other video game companies around the world to help make gaming more accessible to the masses. Well, in a surprise announcement today at Sony's CES 2023 press conference, the creator of PlayStation has...
News Gears Of War Creator On Sale To Xbox: 'Epic Didn't Really Know What To Do With The Franchise'
So Microsoft took charge
Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski recently chatted with IGN about his new book 'Control Freak', and as usual, Gears was a major talking point. In one segment, he touched on the sale of the franchise to Microsoft in 2014 - mentioning how Epic didn't really seem to know what to do with the series after he left alongside...
News Microsoft Invests In Korean Blockchain Game Developer
Wemade makes the MMORPG series 'Legend of Mir'
Xbox's parent Microsoft is always seeking new tech and gaming avenues, and the latest news doing the rounds is that it's invested in the Korean game company Wemade, which specialises in blockchain technology. According to an official PR by Wemade (via a story on VGC), the developer has received an...
News EA Announces 'Multi-Title' Action Adventure Game Deal With Marvel
Iron Man is first up
There's big news coming out of Electronic Arts today with the company announcing it's committing to a "long-term deal" with comicbook giant Marvel (known for Spider-Man, X-Men and more) to develop "at least three" brand new action-adventure games. These games will be available for both "consoles and PC", and each will have an...
News Founders Of Batman Arkham Studio Rocksteady Announce Departure
Suicide Squad is due to arrive in 2023
Well, here's some surprising news, the co-founders of Rocksteady - the British studio behind the Batman: Arkham series - have announced they'll be leaving the company at the end of 2022. In an official message from Jamie Walker and Sefton Hill, the pair said the studio had been their "life and soul" -...
News Take-Two CEO Backs Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
"It's a good thing for Microsoft and for the industry"
We're hearing a lot of discourse online about Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard and whether it's a good or bad thing for the industry. In a recent video interview with The Grill, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick was asked about his own thoughts, and mentioned how he's "in favour" and...
News Electronic Arts And Koei Tecmo Are Working On A Monster Hunter Rival
"The next great hunting game"
The Monster Hunter series has become an absolute goldmine for Capcom over the years, with each game normally shifting millions of units around the globe. It's got plenty of other companies thinking about how they could join the hunt, and with this in mind, EA and Koei Tecmo are teaming up in a new partnership to make...
News Aaron Greenberg Promoted To Xbox's VP Of Games Marketing
Congratulations!
If you're a close follower of the Xbox team, you'll be well aware of Aaron Greenberg. He's a really nice guy who is always busy promoting the latest game and hardware. It seems he's recently been promoted - with his LinkedIn profile revealing how he's gone from Xbox Games Marketing General Manager to Xbox Games Marketing Vice...
News Microsoft, Xbox & Halo Veteran Opens New Studio Backed By NetEase
Introducing 'Jar of Sparks'
Earlier this year in May, Microsoft, Xbox and Halo veteran Jerry Hook announced his departure from 343 Industries. While it wasn't clear at the time what he was moving onto, he's now revealed his new studio 'Jar of Sparks'. It's a new developer backed by Chinese gaming giant NetEase, with Hook taking up the role of...
News EA Teases 'Some Surprises' You Won't Want To Miss Out On
What could it be for?
Electronic Arts might not be hosting its 'EA Play Live' event this year, but apparently, it's got some surprises up its sleeve. According to the company's official Twitter account, you won't want to miss out on these surprises. It's not specified when exactly they'll be revealed. Here's the tweet in full: "We have some...
News EA Reportedly Keen To Sell Or Merge
Was allegedly in negotiations with Comcast
Mergers and sales of big third-party video game companies have become all the rage in recent years, and according to a new report by the news website Puck, Electronic Arts could be next in line. Following on from Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, EA has reportedly "been persistent in pursuing...
News EA Announces It's Making Lord Of The Rings Games Again
One title has been announced, but it's for mobile
EA has officially renewed its partnership with Middle-Earth Enterprises - the exclusive rights holders of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, created by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's somewhat exciting news, but unfortunately, the only game announced (at least right now) is a new mobile title called The...
News Former Xbox Employee Joins Bungie As 'Project Lead' For Destiny 2 Expansions
Phil Spencer: "Congrats Catarina"
Earlier this year, Sony shared some surprising news - revealing it had acquired the former Halo developer Bungie for $3.6 billion. It seems it's not the only former team Xbox member jumping ship to PlayStation. Former senior program manager at Xbox's research and development division, Catarina Macedo, has now...
News Former Nintendo Boss Applauds Xbox's 'Fantastic' Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
Phil's the man
Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé has been on rather good terms with the team over at Xbox, and during a recent appearance at SXSW 2022 to discuss all things gaming and promote his new book 'Disrupting the Game', he was asked to share his thoughts the acquisitions currently taking place. In terms of the purchase...
News Report Suggests Ubisoft Could Be 'The Next Big Gaming Acquisition'
Are you seeing this, Microsoft?
Ubisoft could potentially be the next big third-party video game company to be bought out. According to a report on Bloomberg, the French publisher and developer known for franchises such as Assassin's Creed and Just Dance could be gearing up for a sale. Private equity firms Blackstone Inc. and KKR & Co are...
News Xbox Series X|S UK Sales Have Surpassed The Nintendo GameCube
It happened a few months ago
This next generation of consoles has been defined by stock issues thus far, but even so, Microsoft has reportedly sold more Xbox Series X and S systems in the UK than Nintendo managed with the GameCube throughout its entire lifespan. This is according to GamesIndustry's Chris Dring, who pointed out that the milestone...
News Microsoft Is Giving You A Chance To Join The Xbox Mentoring Program
Kickstart your gaming career
Interested in a career in gaming? Xbox has kickstarted a new mentoring program today in which you can apply to "access valuable 1:1 coaching sessions" with key female leaders throughout Xbox, with eight people to be chosen in all. The leaders include the likes of Everwild Executive Producer Louise O' Connor, The...
Rumour PlayStation Could Have A 'Really Big' Acquisition To Announce Soon
But details are very thin on the ground
You may have heard some rumblings throughout the week about a potentially huge PlayStation announcement that has yet to surface. Even though we haven't seen it yet, there are suggestions from high-profile journalists in the industry that PlayStation could have a "really big" acquisition to announce in the near...
News It's Official, E3 2022 Has Been Cancelled
Showcase will return in 2023
We've got an update on this year's E3, and it appears the entire event has now been cancelled. Following on from the news that the showcase could still potentially go ahead earlier this month, IGN was able to confirm the annual event had been axed. ESA also shared an official statement with IGN, revealing how the show...
News Electronic Arts' EA Play Live Event Won't Be Taking Place This Year
EA is waiting for "when the time is right"
Although a number of live events and streams are set to return this year, one that we won't be seeing is EA Play Live. According to a story on IGN, EA has made the decision to skip this year, and instead reveal its next batch of games when the "time is right". Here's exactly what an EA representative had...
News Xbox Boss Asks Gamers To 'Respect Creators' And Avoid Toxicity
Key words from Phil Spencer
Xbox boss and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer was the recipient of the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony last week, and he had some key words for gamers in a post-awards interview. As highlighted by IGN, Spencer was asked if he had a message to share to the players, and he used...
News Ex-CDPR Devs Working On 'AAA, Dark Fantasy RPG' At New Studio
Introducing Rebel Wolves
A team of ex-CD Projekt Red developers have formed a brand new studio known as Rebel Wolves. What's perhaps even more exciting is that the team is already working on "AAA, story-driven dark fantasy RPG saga" for both PC and next-generation consoles (aka Xbox Series X|S and PS5). This studio is comprised of seven industry...
News Sony Explains Why Bungie Joined PlayStation Studios
Bungie wants its IP to "grow big", potentially beyond games
Sony's recent announcement that it would be acquiring Destiny 2 developer Bungie has left a lot scratching their heads. The developer moved away from Microsoft and eventually did the same thing with Activision - reclaiming its independence, and yet now it's signed on with Sony. While...
News Xbox Boss 'Trusts' Nintendo & PlayStation, More Concerned About 'Other Tech Competitors'
"They won't do anything that damages gaming..."
While there's a lot of focus on how certain video game companies like PlayStation will respond to Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard (valued at close to $70 billion), it seems Xbox might be focused on much bigger threats. According to The Washington Post, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer...
News E3 2022's 'In Person' Event Has Been Axed
And ESA hasn't confirmed a digital show yet
The ESA has announced this year's E3 will no longer go ahead "in person" due to the pandemic. Here's the full statement via IGN: “Due to the ongoing health risks surrounding COVID-19 and its potential impact on the safety of exhibitors and attendees, E3 will not be held in person in 2022. We remain...
News Bungie Appears To Be Hiring For Its Unannounced Project
What could it be?
Last year, you might recall how the Destiny and former Halo developer Bungie was teasing something, that appeared to be tied to an unannounced project. While it seems nobody really knows exactly what is going on behind the scenes at Bungie, it's still recruiting for this new project, with a former Guild Wars 2 team member signing...
News NFL Legend John Madden Has Passed Away, Aged 85
"He will be greatly missed"
John Madden - the voice, face and name of EA's long-running Madden NFL series has passed away, aged 85. While he was known mostly as a legendary coach and broadcaster, he had a huge impact on the video game industry as well. EA's series was around on Xbox's original platform and initially got its start on the Apple II in...
News Microsoft Considering Offering Xbox Owners 'Right To Repair' Their Own Systems
Study findings will be shared next May
Microsoft will investigate the possibility of allowing consumers - including Xbox owners - to repair their own hardware. Grist reports the American tech giant has reached an agreement with the non-profit investor group 'As You Sow' - who asked the Xbox manufacturer to study the "environmental and social...
News Obsidian Was Approached By 'Another Major Publisher' Before The Microsoft Acquisition
But it wasn't the right "cultural fit" in the end
Obsidian Entertainment - known in recent years for titles like Grounded, The Outer Worlds - recently revealed the studio was approached by another publisher, prior to joining Microsoft. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Obsidian's studio head, Feargus Urquhart, revealed how "another major publisher"...
News Global Chip Shortage Could Last Until 2023, Says Japanese Tech Giant
It's not good news for console makers or fans
Since the global pandemic began, there have been ongoing supply shortages in the tech industry. On the video game front, companies like Microsoft have struggled to keep up with customer demand and scalpers haven't helped, either. Even after last year's launch, the Xbox Series X is still hard to get hold...
News Electronic Arts Has Been Hit By A Cyber Attack, 780GB Of Data Allegedly Stolen
And the hackers are now trying to sell it
The third-party video game giant Electronic Arts is reportedly the latest victim of a major cyber attack. According to VICE Motherboard, hackers have managed to obtain source code and related tools used in the company's games. It's alleged 780GB of data has been taken from EA. This includes Frostbite source...
News Surprise! Free Radical Is Making A New TimeSplitters Game
Development will begin in the "coming months"
Well, here's something you probably weren't expecting to hear today - work on the next entry in the TimeSplitters series will commence in the coming months. Yes, Deep Silver has announced the formation - or should we say, reformation, of Free Radical Design to bring the "much-loved" TimeSplitters IP...
News Konami Isn't Attending E3 2021 But Has Some Key Projects In The Works
Expect an update in the coming months
Japanese company Konami - known for series such as Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Contra and Castlevania - has announced it won't be making an appearance at this year's E3. While it's not "ready" to present this year, it wishes the ESA all the best and intends to update its fans on a number of "key projects",...
News Square Enix Responds To Acquisition Rumours, Says It's Not For Sale
"We do not consider selling off the company"
Update: In response to Bloomberg's report, Square Enix has issued a statement to confirm that it "does not consider selling off the company or any part of its businesses," and has not received an offer from any third party. "Bloomberg has reported today that there is interest from several buyers to...
News Double Fine And iam8bit's Day Of The Devs Showcase Returning This June
As part of the Summer Game Fest
Summer Game Fest is returning this June, and will also include the 'Day of the Devs' showcase - presented by Xbox Game Studios developer Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts 2) and collectibles and production company, iam8bit. According to Geoff Keighley, it will be a "spectacular, concentrated global showcase"...
News Former Tango Gameworks Creative Director Opens Small Indie Studio
One to watch
Former Tango Gameworks creative director and art director, Ikumi Nakamura, has finally revealed her future within the video game industry now that she's moved on from the GhostWire: Tokyo developer. Her departure, as you might recall, followed just three months after her famous appearance at E3 2019. During a mini-documentary, where...
News Bungie's Employees Seem To Be Really Excited About Something
"Don’t think I have ever left a company meeting more hyped"
Odd behaviour from Bungie staff on social media over the past week has caught the attention of many fans of the company. A number of employees are simply tweeting the word "Bungie" with no context attached. Here's just one example, from Christopher Barrett - the director of an...
News 343 Strengthens Marketing Team With Halo: Point Of Light Cover Artist
Will help "promote the future of Halo"
Since the delay of Halo Infinite, 343 Industries has called on some support. It was recently discovered how The Coalition might have been helping out and last year a Bungie veteran was appointed as a project lead for the game's campaign. In the latest update, the studio has now hired
News Microsoft To Merge ZeniMax Into New Subsidiary Called 'Vault', But Only Temporarily
Update: The 'Vault' name won't be sticking around
Update: Well, this has been a confusing day. Following the discovery of the below document, another has been highlighted by UESP on Twitter (thanks RPS), this time detailing that 'Vault' won't be the permanent name for ZeniMax Media and Bethesda games under Microsoft, and that the ZeniMax name will...
News Chinese Publisher Tencent Acquires 'Minority Stake' In Dev Behind Xbox Exclusive Tell Me Why
Also known for Life is Strange
The Chinese video game giant Tencent has acquired a "minority stake" in the French studio Dontnod Entertainment. This is the same developer responsible for the Xbox and Microsoft Windows exclusive, Tell Me Why - which was published by Xbox Game Studios last year. It's also perhaps more widely known outside of this...
