Tag: Industry - Page 17
News EB Games Canada To Rebrand To GameStop By The End Of This Year
Decision based on feedback from customers and stockholders
If you're tired of hearing about "GameStop exclusives" that don't apply to your region and happen to be located in Canada, we've got some exciting news to share that might potentially make a difference in the future. EB Games' parent company GameStop has announced it will rebrand every EB...
News Activision Blizzard Sued Over Culture Of Harassment And Discrimination
Allegations of "sexual harassment with no repercussion"
Content warning: Please be aware that the following article and the sources linked within touch on topics including discrimination, sexual harassment and assault, and suicide. A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard, Inc., owners of Diablo, Overwatch, and MMORPG World of Warcraft...
News Nintendo's Directors Receive Increased Pay After The Past Year's Success
Still modest executive income compared to Western contemporaries
Nintendo has enjoyed a very successful year, with the Switch and various key titles excelling in 2020 and so far in 2021 - the company was able to maintain strong production of hardware, while titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold huge numbers as increasing numbers of players...
New Nintendo statement addresses fans and investors
Nintendo has issued a statement regarding claims that it's set to make an increased profit with Switch OLED when compared to the standard model, describing them as "incorrect". The post, addressed to investors and customers on social media this morning, references a Bloomberg report which claimed...
News Gabe Newell: Pricing Valve's Switch-Like Steam Deck Was "Painful"
Cheapest model will be $50 more than the OLED Switch
In case you missed it, Valve's rumoured "Switch-like" handheld device has now been officially revealed as the Steam Deck. While the American company best-known for its digital games platform on PC hasn't drawn any comparisons to Nintendo's hybrid system itself, it's sort of hard to ignore certain...
Sony reportedly monitoring Nintendo's strategy
The upcoming Nintendo Switch OLED, a revised version of Nintendo's hybrid system with an upgraded screen and other minor adjustments, will be a particularly interesting hardware launch for companies across the industry. As has already been well documented, the Switch OLED will retail at a price point...
News Nintendo's Record On Conflict Minerals Is Praised, But With An Important Catch
Avoids rather than confronts problem areas
Just recently Nintendo released its corporate social responsibility report; there were various positives in its various policies, albeit there is always room for improvement. One area that's tackled, in manufacturing, is the sourcing of key resources with the desire to avoid 'conflict minerals' from mines...
News Xenoblade Chronicles Developer Monolith Soft Reports Huge Profits, Up By 138.2%
Shulk's return has likely helped
Monolith Soft - best known for the Xenoblade Chronicles series in recent years - has become one of Nintendo's top developers. It's also supported some key projects like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Following on from its release of
News Industry Veteran "Zoid" Retires And Reminisces About A Conference Call With Miyamoto
Call me by my (nick)name
Blizzard's most senior software engineer David "Zoid" Kirsch has announced his retirement from the company and the games business. The industry veteran has an enviable list of credits to his name, having worked for some of the biggest companies in the business and some of the biggest games of the last 20 years, including...
News Nintendo President Quizzed By Shareholders On Switch 'Pro' And Classic Mini Consoles
NSO improvements and more serious topics, too
Nintendo has published the transcript of its latest shareholder Q&A, part of the company's 81st Annual General Meeting which took place on yesterday, Tuesday 29th June, 2021. While the official English translation is yet to be published on Nintendo's Japanese website, that hasn't stopped people like...
News Nintendo Underlines Its Commitment To Diversity And Inclusivity
And details its new Partnership System
As part of its newly-published Corporate Social Responsibility report, Nintendo has clarified its stance on diversity and inclusivity, detailing the ways in which it aims to "create a work environment that supports and empowers each and every one" of its employees. A two-page spread in the annual report...
News Nintendo Offers A Snapshot Of Its Global Employee Numbers In New Report
Where does your uncle work?
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility report, Nintendo has given an overview of its global operations and staff numbers in a handy infographic. Page three of this annual report shows a world map with all of Nintendo's global offices and staff numbers as of the end of March 2021, as well as a percentage breakdown...
Rumour EA Is Planning On Reviving An "Established IP"
Official reveal expected next month
Over the past few days, there's been a rumour circulating about how EA has plans to announce a new game based on an "established IP" at its upcoming live event next month. After the combined efforts of insiders and a number of websites, it seems the revival has been narrowed down to the sci-fi horror series, Dead...
News Nintendo's Share Price Drops 6% Following E3 2021 Direct Broadcast And Switch Pro No-Show
It's not all doom and gloom, though
Despite a strong showing at E3 2021, Nintendo's share price has dipped 6% over the last five days. Nintendo's E3 2021 Direct broadcast gave us our first look at games such as Metroid Dread, Mario Party Superstars and W
News Electronic Arts Hit By Cyber Attack, Hackers Take Source Code And Tools
And claim to have stolen 780GB of data
It seems another high-profile video game company has been hacked. This time it is the third-party giant Electronic Arts. The data breach was originally reported on by VICE Motherboard, which reveals hackers have stolen "a wealth of game source code and related tools" for the Frostbite engine (known for...
E3 2021 Dates, Conference Times, How To Watch, Badges, Everything You Need To Know
E3 2021: All the publisher times and details
Following a year off in 2020 due to restrictions brought about by COVID-19, E3 is back in 2021 in all-digital form with four days of streams, conferences, reveals — all the things you'd expect from the Electronic Entertainment Expo, only this year as an online event rather than the traditional...
Rumour 2K Set To Announce XCOM-Style Avengers Game
And much more...
We're now a week out from E3 Expo 2021 and it seems 2K's major announcements might have already been leaked. The publisher is apparently set to reveal a brand new Marvel game by the Civilization studio Firaxis. Industry insider and GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb says it's "real" and has described it as an "XCOM style" take on the...
News Move Aside Nintendo, Devolver Digital's Broadcast Returns On 12th June
An E3 show like no other
Sure, Nintendo has announced it will be airing its E3 presentation on 15th June, but have you ever watched one of Devolver Digital's broadcasts? It's one hell of a ride - with plenty of action, drama, swearing, a lot of blood and of course many video game announcements. Hmm, that does sound a bit unusual but for Devolver...
News Sega Might Be Reviving Its Theme Park Business In The West
And the UK appears to be first in line...
Sonic has now become a successful live-action movie star, and just last week, Sega teased its plans for the blue blur's 30th-anniversary celebrations with the return of Sonic Colors, Sonic Origins and the announcement of a completely new game.
News A Resident Evil Producer Is Leaving Capcom For Bungie
"Thanks to everyone both in and outside the studio"
Capcom producer Peter Fabiano has announced his departure from the third-party Japanese company after 13 years. He's described as one of the "most senior figures" involved with recent Resident Evil games. He oversaw the development of Resident Evil Village and the Resident Evil 3 remake, and...
News Netflix Is Reportedly Eager To Expand Into Video Games
"we’re excited to do more with interactive entertainment"
Streaming giant Netflix is reportedly eager to go beyond the film and television industry. This is according to a report from The Information, which cites sources who are "familiar with the situation". The site says Netflix is seeking a video game executive and has supposedly already...
News TimeSplitters Fans Rejoice - Work On A New Game To Begin In The "Coming Months"
Free Radical returns with key original team members
Publisher Deep Silver has announced the return of Free Radical Design - which will be responsible for reviving the much-loved TimeSplitters IP. The developer will be made up of key members of the original Free Radical team, including the founders and former Rareware employees, Steve Ellis and David...
News EA Insists It Won't Turn Codemasters Into "Another Electronic Arts Studio"
Will be similar to how it works with Respawn Entertainment
Back in February this year, EA announced it had acquired the British racing specialist, Codemasters. The deal was valued at $1.2 billion and adds IP such as Formula 1, DIRT, Project CARS and GRID to the EA family. Naturally, some fans are concerned about the future of the company und
News Crash Bandicoot 4 Voice Actors Tease "Fun New Project"
Could it be another Crash game?
At the start of this month, Crash Bandicoot's resurgence was thought to be over, and then an Activision spokesperson denied a report about "layoffs" at Toys for Bob - stating how the studio would continue to support Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Now, just a week later, the voice actors of Crash and Dr. Neo...
News Sega Wants To Release Atlus Games Simultaneously Worldwide
Yakuza: Like A Dragon paid off
Sega's Yakuza: Like A Dragon has become the most successful title in the series' history, and it's apparently thanks to its global launch. As a result, Sega is now keen to see its subsidiary, Atlus - best known for series like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, release its games simultaneously around the world, rather...
News This Year's Guerrilla Collective Indie Showcase Will Feature Over 80 Games
Kicks off this June
Although E3 is back this year, last year's indie showcase Guerrilla Collective will also be making a return over three days. This year's showcase will take place on the 5th, 6th and 12th June at 8 AM Pacific / 11am Eastern / 4pm UK. There'll be more than 80 games featured - with developers such as tinyBuild, Innersloth, Humble...
News EA Play Live Returns Later This Year On July 22nd
"Save the date"
2021 sure is going fast, and now that it's May, it means E3 is just around the corner. The main all-digital event is scheduled to take place between 12th-15th of June, but not every publisher and developer is necessarily participating in the main show. One company that will be doing its own thing again is Electronic Arts. This year...
News 505 Publishing New Game From Metroid And Castlevania Developer MercurySteam
What could it be?
It has been discovered the Spanish-based developer MercurySteam is working on a "brand-new" game for consoles and PC. This information was found within a Digital Bros. financial results PR - with its subsidiary 505 Games acting as the publisher. Digital Bros S.p.A. announces the contract between its subsidiary 505 Games and...
Anniversary Inti Creates Is 25 Years Old
That went fast
This week marks Inti Creates' 25th anniversary. Yes, the Japanese video game company was founded on 8th May 1996. Over the past 25 years, it's worked on games like Mega Man Zero, Mega Man ZX, Gal Gun, Azure Striker Gunvolt, Mighty Gunvolt
But thought a deal with Nintendo would be a "moonshot"
Take this with a grain of salt, but at some stage, the Fortnite creator Epic Games was apparently eager to get Sony, Microsoft and even Nintendo's first-party titles on its digital storefront - and for all we know, it could still be interested in making this happen one day. According to yet...
News E3 2021 Bolsters Its Line-Up With Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco And More
"All-virtual" event kicks-off this June
E3 might have skipped last year, but in 2021 it's making a comeback as an all-virtual event. In the latest update, several high-profile publishers and developers have been officially locked in. This includes tech, hardware, and streaming companies, too. So, who are they? There's Square Enix, Bandai Namco...
News EA Has Acquired The Super Mega Baseball Developer Metalhead Software
Fan favourite franchise joins the EA Sports line-up
Third-party video game giant EA - known for blockbuster AAA series such as Battlefield, Need for Speed and the Mass Effect series - has bolstered its sports line-up, with the acquisition of the Canada-based developer Metalhead Software. This is the same studio behind the Super Mega Baseball series...
News Toys For Bob Is Now A Support Developer For Call Of Duty: Warzone
Update: Activision says studio will continue to support Crash 4
Update: [Wed 5th May, 2021 00:45 BST]: In a response to VGC, an Activision spokesperson has denied reports about "layoffs" at Toys for Bob and says the studio will "continue supporting" Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time while providing additional support to Call of Duty Warzone...
News Konami Won't Be Attending E3 2021 But Still Has A Number Of Projects To Reveal
"stay tuned for some updates in the coming months"
Japanese games company Konami - known for titles such as Metal Gear Solid - has announced it won't be attending E3 2021. In a statement on social media, the company said it still had "great respect" for the ESA and would continue to support it in the future. It's also taken this opportunity to...
News Activision Blizzard CEO Agrees To Cut Huge Salary And Bonuses Following Industry Backlash
A direct response to shareholder feedback
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has agreed to a major pay cut to both his base salary and bonuses following feedback from shareholders. Over the past few years, the stark contrast between Kotick's monumental earnings and the way in which Activision staff have been treated has caused more than its fair...
News E3 Announces Its Digital Event Hosts For 2021
Here are your hosts for E3's four-day event
After its break last year, E3 is really starting to feel like an actual thing again this year. We've already heard about a growing list of game publishers that are going to be on board, and now more details are being set in stone thanks to a new host reveal. E3 2021 will be an all-virtual global event...
News Street Fighter Producer Yoshinori Ono Is Leaving Capcom To Join Another Studio
"I may be away from the FGC for a while"
Yoshinori Ono, best known as the producer of the Street Fighter series, has shared more information on his upcoming move away from Capcom – a studio for which he's been an important part of for almost 30 years. Ono originally announced that he would be stepping away from Capcom last summer, thanking fans...
News GameStop CEO Reportedly In Line For A $179m 'Goodbye' Deal This Summer
Shares linked to tenure, not performance
The GameStop stock market drama from the beginning of the year certainly had its share of dramatic ups and equally dramatic downs, but it's fair to say that prospects for the video game retailer have been gloomy for several years now. The rise in digital purchases and alternative online retailers over the...
News Overwatch Director Jeff Kaplan Leaves Blizzard After Almost 20 Years
His watch is over
Jeff Kaplan has a lot of strings to his bow, but now he's bowing out. As the Vice President of Blizzard Entertainment and the Director and public face of Overwatch, he's quite the well-known figure, but in an announcement today, he announced that he's leaving the company after almost two decades of service. Here's his letter, in...
News Square Enix Says It's Not For Sale, Shoots Down Acquisition Rumours
Update: Square Enix responds
Update: Square Enix has now responded to Bloomberg Japan's report, shutting down claims that it could be on the brink of being bought out. In a new statement released to press, Square Enix explains that it isn't considering selling off the company, and hasn't received any offers. You can read the full statement below...
News Epic Secures $1 Billion In Funding, With Sony Investing Another $200 Million
Will allow Epic Games to "support future growth opportunities"
Nintendo's industry pal Sony has just invested another $200 million in the Fortnite creator Epic Games. Epic's $1 billion in funding from Sony and various other companies will allow it to support future growth opportunities, including its "Metaverse". This now also puts the company's...
News Nintendo's Future Is Focused On New IP And "Staple Series"
"We are constantly looking out for new ideas"
Would you like to see Nintendo revive some of its older and perhaps lesser-known IPs for the Switch generation? Well, if Shuntaro Furukawa's latest comments are anything to go by, it's probably best not to get your hopes up too much. During an interview with Nikkei earlier this week, the Nintendo...
Talking Point A Digital-Only E3 Makes Sense, But In-Person Events Are The Goal
Games are born at events like these
When E3 revealed that it would run a digital event this year, it drew interest because of some notable participants – in particular, Nintendo and Xbox – but also plenty of weary sarcasm to match the buzz. E3 as an event arguably only has itself to blame if some feel jaded or downright indifferent to it, as it...
News Nintendo's Doug Bowser Excited To Get Games Industry "Back Together" For E3
"We’ll make the virtual format fun and engaging"
Earlier this week, the Entertainment Software Association announced its plans for this year's E3 event - revealing several major publishers, including Nintendo, would be participating in this "all-virtual" show. Following this announcement, Nintendo of America's president Doug Bowser shared his own...
News The Summer Game Fest Returns This June
Day of the Devs is also back
As we get closer to the halfway mark of 2021, more video game events are beginning to get underway. We've already had a Nintendo Direct and a few other third-party events, and later this year E3 will be returning in an all-digital format. Now, to add to this, it's been announced Summer Game Fest is back. As highlighted...
News Don't Worry, E3 2021 Won't Be Locked Behind A Paywall
It's the same as usual, according to the ESA
Yesterday, VGC published a story suggesting E3 could potentially be locking some elements of this year's digital E3 event behind a paywall. The plan, according to "multiple publishing sources" was to apparently charge a fee for some of this year's content. This would include demos and a "premium" package...
News Xbox Says It's "More Important Than Ever" To Preserve Gaming Icons And Classics
You hear that, Nintendo?
The digital era of gaming should have made video game preservation easier than ever, but as we've slowly been learning over the past decade, it appears to come with a number of setbacks. Some companies aren't interested in reviving older libraries of games, others put odd restrictions and limitations in place, and then...
News Final Fantasy Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi Says Latest Project Could Be His Last
"I think it is certainly possible"
A few weeks ago, we heard how Japanese video game composer, Nobuo Uematsu - who has worked on most Final Fantasy games in some capacity and other RPG hits like Chrono Trigger - might be calling it a day due to health issues. Now, in a bit of an update, Final Fantasy creator and veteran designer, Hironobu
News Former Nintendo Of America President Reggie To Step Down From GameStop's Board Of Directors
One of eight members expected to depart
Last March, Reggie Fils-Aimé joined GameStop's board of directors. Now, just over a year later, it's been announced the former Nintendo of America president is one of eight members expected to leave the company after its annual meeting in June. This information comes via a GameStop filing, which also reveals...
News Qualcomm Is Reportedly Working On A "Knockoff" Switch, Powered By Android
Will feature "detachable joycon style" controllers
The Nintendo Switch is one of the most innovative devices in recent history - blending portable and console gaming into one. There have been a lot of tech companies attempting to recreate Nintendo's success over the past four years with their own similar but slightly different creations, and...
