Tag: Industry
News After Selling Pokémon GO For $3.5 Billion, Niantic Spatial Is Now Laying Off Employees
68 workers will lose their jobs next month
Niantic is laying off 68 employees next month, following its multi-billion dollar sale of its gaming division which includes the AR mega-hit Pokémon GO, Game Developer reports. The outlet spotted a
News A New Turn-Based Tactics Star Wars Game Has Been Announced
A collab between former XCOM devs and Respawn
Star Wars will be getting a new single-player turn-based tactics game officially titled Star Wars Zero Company. Although a Nintendo release hasn't been mentioned, there's always a chance with the Switch 2 on the horizon. This new game is being developed by the independent studio Bit Reactor (partly made...
News Rime Developer Tequila Works Is Auctioning Off Its Game Rights After Bankruptcy
Including some in-development titles
Tequila Works, the developer behind the lovely puzzler RiME, horror cinematic platformer Deadlight, and adorable League of Legends spin-off Song of Nunu, is auctioning off a number of its game rights and IPs. 19 different listings can be found on the auction website
News UK Retailer GAME Is Selling Off Goods And Fixtures As Head Office Shuts Down
Ovens and card holders are up for grabs
UK high street chain GAME is auctioning off a number of unusual items from its warehouse and head office in Basingstoke, which is closing down. Eurogamer has found a number of listings on NCM Auctions for items, ranging from standard warehouse units such as palette units, metal shelves, and fridges, and...
News Crash And Spyro Dev Wants To Partner With Team Xbox For A Crack At Banjo
"Banjo's been hibernating long enough, right?"
Having helmed well-received entries in the Spyro/Skylanders and Crash Bandicoot lines, developer Toys for Bob has form with 3D platformers featuring beloved childhood characters. Perhaps unsurprisingly, according to a new interview, the team would be interested in reviving another fan-favourite series:...
News Ex-PlayStation Boss Comments On Switch 2's "Hefty" Price Hikes
"Exclusivity kind of mitigates the sticker shock"
There has been all sorts of commentary about Nintendo's $80 price tag on Mario Kart World and how this could potentially impact the industry and consumers going forward, and now the former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has shared his thoughts. Appearing on the 'PlayerDriven' YouTube channel and...
News Nintendo's Bowser Comments On AI And Its Uses
"It's not the only method of game development"
It's one of the hottest issues in the gaming industry right now, so it was only a matter of time before Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser was asked about the rise of AI in game development in his series of Switch 2 interviews. Fortunately, his response was refreshingly pro-human. Bowser (not...
News Nintendo Shares Plummet In Wake Of Trump Tariff Action
US pre-order postponement woes
In the wake of Nintendo's decision to delay opening its Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the US following upheaval and uncertainty around newly-imposed tariffs, the company has seen a 10% drop in its Tokyo-listed shares, reports Bloomberg. Nintendo made the call to hold off on opening pre-orders in the US last week,...
News Switch 2 Support To Be Made Available Soon In Unity Game Engine
Helping developers target the launch
This isn't exactly a surprise, but it's been confirmed the game engine Unity will be providing developers with official support for Nintendo Switch 2. Here's some PR about how this platform will be "made available soon" in Unity 6 for approved Switch 2 developers targeting the launch of the platform: "Support...
News Nintendo Is (Kinda) Returning To Region-Locking With A Cheaper Japanese Switch 2
Priced 49,980 yen, which is around $333 USD
After the Switch 2 Direct wrapped up, Nintendo put out a press release announcing its pricing in different regions, including Japan. However, it appears that Japanese gamers will have an extra, cheaper option if they're happy to have a Japanese-language-only Switch 2. "The Japanese-Language System" is...
Rumour More Switch 2 Development Kit Rumours Emerge Following Report Of "3-Phase Launch Plan"
Third-party games will reportedly be the second stage
Ahead of Nintendo's Switch 2 broadcast this week, new reports and rumours about third-party access to development kits have emerged. This follows a report last week claiming the Switch 2 would have a "3-phase" launch plan, with third-party games believed to be the second stage. According to...
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's Monolith Soft Updates Its Switch Portfolio With Latest Release
It's already topping the charts
Monolith Soft has become a huge part of Nintendo's software division and this week it rolled out Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition for Switch. Now that the game is available, it's followed this up with its usual website update, where it's now added this project to its already incredible lineup of games. This...
News Nintendo Joins Cross-Industry Effort 'Accessible Games Initiative' As Founding Member
Helping more people experience the "power of play"
The Entertainment Software Association has this week announced a new "cross-industry effort" known as the Accessible Games Initiative and Nintendo of America will be one of the five founding members. Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Google and Ubisoft will be joining Nintendo, with the goal being to...
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 Pokémon GO Promises It Won't Introduce "Intrusive Ads" Or Playtime Restrictions
"No, that is not happening"
It's a new era for Niantic's mobile hit Pokémon GO now that the games division has been sold to Monopoly Go! maker Scopely for $3.5 billion. This has naturally raised some concerns about the title's future - with some players reportedly worried about "intrusive ads" and possible restrictions on playtime being introduced...
News Emio - The Smiling Man Wins Best Adventure Game At Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2024
Pokémon's next entry also got a win
Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club has won the best "adventure" game award at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards for 2024. Apart from this, the upcoming Switch release Pokémon Legends: Z-A took out the most anticipated title, the "hand-drawn 2D action-platformer" Nine Sols won best indie game, and...
Rumour Xbox Expected To Join Switch 2 With A New Handheld This Year
Microsoft could be testing the waters...
The Switch 2 is just around the corner and according to a new report it could be joined by a new Xbox handheld "later in 2025". A new 'exclusive' from Windows Central claims Microsoft is partnering with another company to deliver a PC gaming OEM "think ASUS, Lenovo, MSI, Razer, etc" and something "similar to...
News Niantic Sells Pokémon GO And Entire Gaming Division For $3.5 Billion
Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now are also going
It's official — Niantic, the developer of Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, has sold its gaming division for a staggering $3.5 billion to Scopely, "a world leader in mobile games". This acquisition comes just a few weeks after reports emerged that Niantic was in talks to sell...
News Ori Dev Goes "Fully Independent" Following Private Division Sale
Full Moon
Moon Studios, the developer behind the Ori series and the upcoming action RPG No Rest for the Wicked, has announced that it is now "fully independent" after purchasing the publishing rights to its next game from the recently sold Private Division. In a new YouTube update on No Rest for the Wicked's next patch, studio co-founders Thomas...
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 Skullgirls Dev Is Off The Game, Taking Legal Action Against Publisher
"Thank you all for everything - you deserve nothing but the best"
Hidden Variable, the LA-based developer of Skullgirls Mobile, has issued a statement revealing that the team is "no longer involved in the development of Skullgirls Mobile, 2nd Encore, or other Skullgirls IP-related efforts" since 21st January and has initiated legal proceedings...
News Rare's Original N64 Shooter Could Be Inducted Into The 2025 World Video Game Hall Of Fame
This year's finalists have been revealed
Every year, The Strong Museum announces its 'World Video Game Hall of Fame' finalists and for 2025 and after missing out in 2023, Rare's iconic Nintendo 64 first-person shooter GoldenEye 007 is back. It's up against some tough competition including the following list of games: Age of Empires (1997) Angry...
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 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 Rockstar Games Announces Acquisition Of Dev Behind GTA Trilogy Upgrades
The studio will be renamed 'Rockstar Australia'
Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar has announced its acquisition of the Australian developer Video Games Deluxe. This Sydney-based team, which worked on the upgrades to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition last year, will be renamed Rockstar Australia. The same team has previously...
News Masahiro Sakurai Receives Award From Japanese Government
For his YouTube video tutorials
Masahiro Sakurai, the legendary creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., has been recognised by the Japanese Government's Agency for Cultural Affairs. Sakurai revealed on social media platform X (spotted via VGC) has been listed as a recipient of the Cultural Affairs' annual Art Encouragement Prize for New Artist
News Nintendo Switch 2 Doesn't Need To Worry About Steam Deck Sales
Steam Deck has sold roughly 4 million units
As the Steam Deck turns three years old, and many of us laud its praises for allowing accessible PC gaming on-the-go, market research firm IDC has estimated that the handheld console has shifted roughly around 4 million units since its arrival in February 2022. The Verge spoke to the IDC, which uses...
News Warner Bros. Closes Three Studios Including Team Behind Smash-Like Brawler 'MultiVersus'
The new Wonder Woman project has also been axed
The video game industry has already experienced a lot of layoffs this year and now Warner Bros. has announced it's shutting down three studios. This includes Player First - the team behind the Smash-like brawler MultiVersus, which also announced the end of its service earlier this month and will go...
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 Netflix Lays Off Staff At 'Oxenfree' Developer
It's unclear how many have been let go
The developer of hit coming-of-age indie darlings Oxenfree and Oxenfree II, Night School Studio, has been hit by layoffs. Game Developer has reported that an "undisclosed number of employees" have been laid off at the Netflix-owned studio. This follows on from the streaming giant closing its internal triple-A...
News Pokémon GO Developer Niantic Reportedly In Talks To "Sell Games Unit"
Including the sale of Pokémon GO
A new report from Bloomberg claims Pokémon GO developer Niantic is apparently in talks to sell its video game business to the Saudi Arabia-owned company Scopely. This deal would supposedly be announced in the "coming weeks" and the sale price is expected to be around $3.5 billion. The sale would reportedly...
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 Funko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"
Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reported
A new report from Insider Gaming (thanks, Eurogamer) has revealed that multiple layoffs have occurred at studio 10:10 Games following the release of Funko Fusion in 2024. Essentially, anonymous sources have stated that the game was a "complete commercial and critical failure" and is the primary
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 Take-Two's "Longstanding Relationship" With Nintendo Seemingly Set To Continue
Civilization VII is out this month on Switch
Multiple third-party video game giants have commented on the Switch 2 since its official announcement, and now Take-Two Interactive has voiced its support. During a call with investors, the company's CEO Strauss Zelnick referenced Take-Two's "longstanding relationship with Nintendo" and while there's...
News E3's Entertainment Software Association Returns With A New Industry Event
Bringing together a "broad spectrum of sectors"
In some industry news, the Entertainment Software Association (which operated E3) has this week announced it will be returning with a new event known as the Interactive Innovation Conference. This will apparently be a "first-of-its-kind" event taking place in Las Vegas between April 27th - April 30th,...
News Bandai Namco Studios Has Reportedly Reduced Its Staff By Over 100 People
More grim figures emerge
Bandai Namco Studios has reportedly reduced its staff by more than 100 people within the last year, as reported by Automaton. The studio, known for Switch games such as New Pokémon Snap, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun!, and the upcoming Pac-Man title Shadow Labyrinth, had stated in a company
News Metroid Prime Remastered Studio 'Iron Galaxy' Confirms Lay Offs
To "enable our long-term survival"
Iron Galaxy, a studio known for its work on titles such as Metroid Prime Remastered, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Diablo III on Switch, has confirmed that it has laid off 66 development and support staff. Confirmed via a post on LinkedIn (thanks,
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 Hideki Kamiya Seemingly Confirms More Departures From PlatinumGames
Including Bayonetta 3's director
Following reports that PlatinumGames — the studio behind the Bayonetta series, Astral Chain, and who helped Square Enix on NieR:Automata — had lost several key directors and creators back in December 2024, former vice president Hideki Kamiya appears to have confirmed that at least five directors have left the...
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 Takaya Imamura On Nintendo's Future: Talented And Charismatic Devs Are "Crucial"
Relying exclusively on big IP would be a "big mistake"
Former Nintendo artist Takaya Imamura has kicked off the new year with a new blog post titled "Why I Left Nintendo" more than four years after departing from the company's Japanese headquarters. While he goes into all sorts of history about his career, he's also shared his thoughts about...
News Final Fantasy Creator’s Next Script Is Already Done
Update: He's apparently working on "part two" of his farewell note
Following the recent release of Fantasian Neo Dimension for Switch, the Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi is now focused on his future. In the same Famitsu interview with Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, Sakaguchi revealed how he won’t be calling time on his career any time...
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,...
