Tag: Business
News Ubisoft Opens New Subsidiary Backed By Tencent For Assassin's Creed And Other IP
"A new chapter in its history"
Nintendo has shared all sorts of new and exciting reveals for the Switch this week, but it's not the only company that's been busy. Third-party developer and publisher Ubisoft has announced it will be "accelerating its transformation" with a new dedicated subsidiary for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and the Tom Clancy's...
News Game Informer Revived By Blockchain Firm Gunzilla Games
The "entire team" is back less than a year after the closure
As you might recall, last week the US publication Game Informer was spotted teasing a possible return less than a year after its closure and today it's been made official with the "entire team" back. The outlet is now backed by the blockchain developer Gunzilla Games after GameStop ended...
News Nintendo Switch 2 Logo Will Adorn The Seattle Mariners Jersey This MLB Season
Play ball!
Nintendo and professional MLB team Seattle Mariners have had a longstanding connection for a while now, with ex-CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi owning nearly 50% of shares when Nintendo of America bought the team back in 1992. Though ownership hasn't sat with Nintendo since 2016 (with the firm retaining a 10% share following the sale), the pair...
News Eight Months After GameStop Shut It Down, Game Informer Is Teasing A Comeback
Continue?
After 33 years in the biz, the iconic publication Game Informer closed its doors last August with all of its staff laid off in the process. But now, eight months on, it seems that a comeback may be on the cards. At least, that's what is being teased by a recent video from the outlet. The short clip slowly zooms in on the site's final...
News Nintendo San Francisco Is Getting A "Grand Opening" In May
Grab your scissors, Mario
First announced back in May 2024, the second Nintendo Store in the US is scheduled to open on 15th May 2025. Nintendo San Francisco (sorry, Nintendo SAN FRANCISCO) will join the firm's flagship store in New York and give West Coast fans somewhere to pick up Ninty-related swag, clothes, and other merch. Plus, you know,...
News "I Couldn’t Allow Myself To Kill My Soul" - Kamiya Dives Deeper On Why He Left PlatinumGames
Says Clovers offers a "fresh start"
Hideki Kamiya has spoken pretty openly about his decision to leave PlatinumGames in late 2023, but in a new interview with Japanese outlet Game*Spark, he dived even deeper into what prompted his departure from the Bayonetta studio. Kamiya cut his teeth in the games industry at Capcom's Studio 4, where he worked...
News Inside Dev Threatens Legal Action Against Studio Co-Founder As "Bullying" Allegations Arise
"I will not stop being who I am"
Playdead, the studio behind indie hits Limbo and Inside, has demanded compensation and reimbursement from studio co-founder Dino Patti on claims of copyright infringement — an act that Patti describes as "bullying" from fellow co-founder Arnt Jensen (thanks for the heads up, Game Developer). The pair split shortly...
News LEGO Is Apparently "Building Up" To In-House Game Development
Spilling the TT
For years, LEGO has found great success in teaming up with third-party studios to develop its tie-in game titles. However, it seems that collaborations with the likes of TT Games, 2K and Epic may soon come to an end, as a LEGO executive has suggested that the company wants to take things in-house in the future. In a recent interview...
News Analyst Fears U.S. Tariffs Could Spell Disaster For Physical Games
"What a mess"
Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has implemented a range of tariffs on goods being imported into the country. The introductions, which came into effect yesterday, include a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and a 20% tariff on goods from China (an additional 10% on what was initially implemented on 4th...
News SEGA Wants To "Reinforce" Its Core Studios, But Don't Expect New Games Soon
Sonic, ATLUS and Like A Dragon all name dropped
SEGA has just released its latest financial report for Q3 of the current fiscal year, and the accompanying Q&A with company vice president Makoto Takahashi and director Nobuaki Yoshii gives a neat little insight about what the team has planned for the future (thanks,
News Analyst Expects Switch 2 To Sell Like Hot Cakes In Its First Quarter
Pre-empting a battle with the PS6
As it enters its ninth year, it's fair to say that the Nintendo Switch has been quite the sales hit. Like, 150 million units, third best-selling console of all time, kind of a hit. We've previously heard analysts make the low-hanging fruit prediction that Switch 2's sales numbers might not live up to that of its...
News 20 Years After Its Demise, Publisher 'Acclaim' Is Being Resurrected
Will look to "support indie developers and reignite classic franchises"
Back in the day, Acclaim Entertainment was a pretty formidable force in the games industry. It has dozens upon dozens of games under its belt, including the first two Burnout titles, the Turok series, NBA Jam, and of course, Mary-Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16 - License to Drive...
News Indie Publisher Secret Mode Is Going Solo Following Sumo Group Split
Keeping a Secret
Investment firm Emona Capital LLP announced today that it has completed the successful buyout of Secret Mode — the publisher behind the likes of A Little To The Left, Wobbledogs, Loddlenaut, and more — from Sumo Group, a Tencent subsidiary. This isn't the firm's first foray into the gaming biz, either. Emona Capital currently...
News Nintendo's Lawsuit Win Against Major French Sharehoster Is Now Final
"Nintendo is pleased with the Court’s finding"
Nintendo has announced that the French judiciary Court has ruled that DSTORAGE SAS, who operates the sharehoster website '1fichier', is liable for failing to remove or block pirated games from the platform. Although the Paris Court of Appeals had previously ruled in favour of Nintendo in 2023, this...
News The Pokémon Company Catches A Win In Lawsuit Against Another Rip-Off App
Watch out, Palworld
While the Palworld case continues to tick away in the background, The Pokémon Company has recently won another lawsuit against a Chinese mobile app on the grounds of copyright infringement and acts of unfair competition (thanks, Eurogamer). TPC's case against 'Pocket Monster: Remake' (or, sometimes, 'Pocket Monster:...
News Nintendo "Establishing Ways To Respond" To U.S. Tariffs, Says Furukawa
Expects minimal financial impact
Earlier this month, the current U.S. administration implemented an additional 10% tariff on all goods imported into the country from China. While the full effect of this increase is yet to be seen, it poses a potential price hike for consoles and accessories developed in China, which, naturally, is a cause for...
News Nintendo's Palworld Lawsuit Might Go International As New Patents Land U.S. Approval
Update: Attorney weighs in on Nintendo's mostly-rejected patent
We have been following Nintendo's Palworld lawsuit for the best part of six months now, and while we have grown to have a better understanding of the particular patents involved, all of the infringement claims have been tied to Japan. However, in recent months, it seems that Nintendo...
News Forget Microsoft, Another Company Apparently Wanted To Buy Nintendo Back In The Day
Talk about 'What If...'
We've heard about a few companies with dreams of purchasing Nintendo over the years (*cough* Microsoft *cough*), and it turns out that there was another big ol' American conglomerate looking to snap it up back in the day, too (thanks, Gamespot). That is according to the latest episode of the
News SEGA Reports Drop In Revenues Amid Sonic Series Successes
Sonic X Shadow and Sonic 3 movie bring results
Sega Sammy has published its Q3 2024/25 financial results, which cover up to 31st December 2024, and it shows mixed results for the company (via GamesIndustry.biz). While the Entertainment sector has seen an 8.1% increase in net sales to ¥238.6 billion, its overall net sales are actually down to...
News Sumo Group Confirms "Impact" On Workforce As It Pivots To Develop Exclusively For Partners
Part of ensuring "long-term stability and success"
Sumo Group, the UK-based games studio behind Snake Pass dev Sumo Digital and publisher Secret Mode, has announced that its development team will transition to work "exclusively on development services for partners" and has warned of "an impact on our studios and people" as a result (thanks to Push...
News With Switch 2 On The Way, Investors React Calmly To Nintendo's Financial Update
Shares reach another all-time high
Nintendo recently released its latest financial update for the third quarter of FY2025 and, as most of us had probably expected, numbers are down across the board as the Switch lumbers towards its ninth year on the market. Had Nintendo released such figures several years ago – in which operating profit was down...
News Switch's Falling Sales Aren't Entirely Down To Switch 2 Hype, Says Furukawa
It was always bound to happen
Earlier today, Nintendo released its latest quarterly financial update for FY2025 and the findings were... much as you might expect. Sure, Switch crossed the big 150 million units milestone, but Nintendo also lowered its sales forecast for the second quarter in a row as interest continues to drop. Now, you might assume...
News Nintendo Switch Hardware Sales Pass 150 Million, With PS2's Record Still A Way Off
Something's waiting in the wings
Sales of Nintendo Switch have now passed the 150 million mark, according to Nintendo's latest financial results. The firm released its quarterly results today revealing that it has now sold 150.86 million Switches worldwide since the system launched in March 2017. 4.82 million Switch consoles were sold in the three...
News Capcom Is Relying On Monster Hunter To Achieve Its FY2025 Financial Goals
Otherwise, numbers are slightly down
Capcom has released its financial results for the nine months ended 31st December 2024 in FY2025 (thanks, GamesIndustry). In short, though net sales and net income are both down year-on-year, the company states that the results are currently "in-line" with its fiscal plan. Net sales fell by 16.3% to ¥88.9...
News 'Fae Farm' Developer Phoenix Labs Lays Off "The Majority Of The Studio"
Team is also responsible for 2019's Dauntless
Developer Phoenix Labs – known for its work on Fae Farm and Dauntless – has announced that it has laid off "the majority of the studio", citing "unfortunate but necessary changes to our operations". The move follows a previous round of layoffs back in May 2024, during which "about 140" employees...
News Ubisoft Confirms Another Wave Of Layoffs, With 185 Employees Affected
The "restructurings" continue
After a year plagued by layoffs at studios big and small, Ubisoft has today confirmed that its 'restructuring' efforts are continuing into 2025, with a further 185 employees laid off across the company's European studios. As reported by VGC, the layoffs come as a product of "restructurings" at Ubisoft Düsseldorf,...
News Astral Chain Director Seemingly Forms New Studio After Leaving PlatinumGames
NieR, far, wherever you are
Late last year, it was reported that several PlatinumGames veterans had seemingly left the studio. While only Bayonetta Origins' Abebe Tinari confirmed this news, it looks increasingly likely that Astral Chain director Takahisa
News EA's Share Price Plummets After Reports Of Disappointing Financial Performance
A drop of over 16%
EA's share price has taken a bit of a tumble after the publisher announced it woud be revising its financial outlook following disappointing sales of EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. In just a single day, the company's share price dropped by more than 16% from 142.35 USD to 118.58 USD. Things are levelling out...
News Team17 Group Is Rebranding, But The Iconic Name Isn't Disappearing
Welcome, everplay
Team17 Group has announced that it is rebranding the company to 'everplay group plc'. The announcement states that the change represents an "evolution" of the group following its addition to the London Stock Exchange in 2018. The name 'everplay' is designed to reflect its purpose to "never stop playing", along with its "creative...
News Nintendo's Share Price Reaches An All-Time High One Week After Switch 2 Reveal
1-Up
It was all doom and gloom last week as Nintendo's share price took a slight tumble immediately after the long-awaited Switch 2 reveal. But, ever ones to hit the rebound hard, the Big N has bounced back in style, temporarily hitting the company's highest recorded share price since listings began — mamma mia. As flagged by
News Nintendo's Average Salary Crowned The Second-Highest In Western Japan Last Year
Despite the annual salary falling a little
A new report from Japanese business journal Diamond Online has provided a rundown of companies with the highest average annual salaries in Western Japan for FY2024, and Nintendo is right up there with the best of them (thanks, Automaton). According to the report, Nintendo paid an average annual salary of...
News Nintendo's Share Price Dips Following Its Big Switch 2 Reveal
No need to panic, though
Nintendo's share price has taken a slight hit since the company officially revealed its next-gen hardware: the Nintendo Switch 2. As reported by Al Jazeera (thanks, Eurogamer), Nintendo's share price fell as much as 7.2% following the surprise reveal. It recovered slightly during the following hours, but by the day's...
News Guillemot Family And Tencent May Move Select Ubisoft Assets To New Venture
Is Ubisoft in the endgame..?
A new report from Bloomberg reveals that the Guillemot family and Tencent may currently be in talks to move select Ubisoft assets over to a brand-new venture (thanks, VGC). Following a lengthy period in which Ubisoft has struggled in the midst of a rapidly declining share price, the move is supposedl
News Ex-Annapurna Interactive Staff Reportedly Pick Up Private Division Portfolio Under New Studio
Following last year's walk-out
Last year saw the entire Annapurna Interactive workforce resign following a dispute with owner Megan Ellison. Four months on, Bloomberg has reported that the former staff members have formed a new company and have picked up the entire Private Division portfolio (thanks,
News Tencent Labelled A "Chinese Military Company" By US Government
Tencent claims there's been a "misunderstanding"
The US Department of Defense has officially added Chinese megacorp Tencent to the federal register of companies deemed to have ties to the Chinese military (thanks, Bloomberg). The addition to the list does not come with any specific sanctions for Tencent, though it may affect the company's ability...
News Crush 40 Musician Is Suing Sega Over Sonic Adventure 2 Theme, 'Live And Learn'
Never too late, eh?
Johnny Gioeli, the Crush 40 musician and singer behind the iconic Sonic Adventure 2 track 'Live and Learn', is suing SEGA of America over breach of contract for the song's repeated use throughout the Sonic series (thanks, Polygon). According to Gioeli's lawsuit (via Polygon), filed to the District Court of S
News Several PlatinumGames Veterans Have Seemingly Left The Studio
Hideki and seek
In 2023, PlatinumGames made the surprise announcement that its co-founder and vice president, Hideki Kamiya, had left the company. One year on, it looks like several other veterans may be following suit. As spotted on the r/GamingLeaksAndRumours Reddit forum by user Joseki100 (off the back of an initial post by PlatinumGamesFanboy),...
News Nintendo Now Officially Owns 100% Of Monolith Soft
The chronicle continues
The 'Company Profile' section of the Monolith Soft website has been updated and it looks like Nintendo now finally owns 100% of the company (thanks, Automaton West). The Big N first staked its claim in Monolith back in 2007, purchasing 80% of its shares from Namco before increasing its proportion to 96% in 2011. It's unclear...
News Ubisoft Reportedly Discussing Buyout Options As Talks Of Going Private Continue
Following yet another wave of staff layoffs
Back in October, it was rumoured that Ubisoft was considering going private after a rough year of releases. Two months on and it appears that the negotiations are still ongoing, with Ubisoft and Tencent apparently engaged in talks about buyout terms. That is according to the latest report from Reuters,...
News Atelier & Dynasty Warriors Publisher Looks To Expand And Focus On PC, Consoles
Plans to double employee numbers
Koei Tecmo's recent shareholders Q&A briefing, which was held in October 2024, has just been published, and it shows that the company is planning some big expansions in the long term. The publisher and developer — known best for Dynasty Warriors, the Atelier series, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Nioh —...
News Composer Grant Kirkhope Joins Davide Soliani's New Indie Studio
"There’s no way out now."
Davide Soliani, the director of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, recently revealed his new indie studio, Day 4 Night. Focused on delivering "deeply heartfelt and original games that innovate in storytelling and design", its a bold new venture for the creator who had previously spent 25...
News Palworld Dev May Have Found An Unexpected Ally In Nintendo's Lawsuit: An Old GTA 5 Mod
Trevorlution
Earlier this month, Palworld developer PocketPair detailed the patent infringement claims that make up Nintendo's ongoing lawsuit. The case itself is still underway, with both parties building their arguments, but a new prediction from a Japanese patent attorney suggests that PocketPair may be finding support in the most unlikely of...
News Mario & Luigi's Future In Doubt As A Potential Sony Acquisition Emerges
Update: Kadokawa acknowledges Sony's offer
A new report from Reuters has emerged that reveals Sony is potentially in talks to purchase Kadokawa, a Japanese media conglomerate that serves as parent to dozens of entertainment companies. In the gaming space, Kadokawa owns Spike Chunsoft, Acquire, Gotcha Gotcha Games, and FromNetworks, while also...
News Thunderful Announces Its Second Restructuring Program In One Year
Up to 100 redundancies expected
Publisher Thunderful has confirmed that it is launching another restructuring program aimed at reducing its workforce by up to 100 employees. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Thunderful is looking to “increase its focus on t
News Saudi Arabia's PIF Further Reduces Its Stake In Nintendo
Sovereign wealth fund now has a 6.3% stakehold
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has reduced its stake in Nintendo for the second time in as many months. As reported by Bloomberg (thanks, The Edge), a new filing in Japan shows that the PIF's stake in the Japanese video game firm now stands at 6.3%, down from 7.54%. This follows an earlier 1.04%...
News Nintendo Is Handed Another Lawsuit Win After Accused Switch "Pirate" Fails To Plead
Dub by default
Back in July, Nintendo dished out a handful of lawsuits in its continued clampdown on Switch piracy. Four months on, one of these legal claims has come back as another win for Nintendo after the defendant failed to plead or otherwise respond within the court's given time. The case in question was against James 'Archbox' Williams, the...
News RiME And 'Song Of Nunu' Developer Tequila Works Has Filed For Insolvency
Following "prolonged market conditions"
Tequila Works, the development studio behind the likes of RiME, GYLT, Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story and The Sexy Brutale, has announced that it has been forced to file for insolvency. The Madrid-based studio's founding members have each stood down from their respective positions, leading to Térence...
News Palworld Developer Details Patent Infringement Claims From Nintendo's Lawsuit
Nintendo and TPC seek 10m Yen in damages
News on Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair had gone quiet over the past few weeks, but a new statement from the latter studio has shed some more light on the complaint — specifically, the patents Nintendo claims have been infringed upon and the prescribed fine...
News Take-Two Sells Private Division To Undisclosed Buyer
Deal includes "existing and unreleased titles"
The video game publisher Take-Two has officially sold its smaller label Private Division to an unnamed buyer for an undisclosed sum. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told Variety how "the buyer purchased substantially all of Private Division's existing and unreleased titles". He added how this was a...
News Nintendo Would Rather "Organically Expand The Organisation" Than Rely Solely On Acquisitions
Not that any future mergers are off the table, mind
As a part of its recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing for FY2025, Nintendo has reiterated its stance on mergers and acquisitions. Namely, while future acquisitions are never off the table, it would rather "organically expand the organisation". This, the briefing note claimed, is so that new...
