Sherbytes: Industry News Megathread, v.1

[rikwebb]

Not surprising given how rapidly they overreached, but it's concerning they are selling off one of their most competent studios first. I'm guessing the Embracer wants to end up more a holding company of IP rights and get out of active video game development for the most part.

They were banking on a $2bn deal with the Saudi Game fund but that fell through, so that's when they started with the layoffs shutting Volition and now possibly selling Gearbox.

 

[avenue94]

They were banking on a $2bn deal with the Saudi Game fund but that fell through, so that's when they started with the layoffs shutting Volition and now possibly selling Gearbox.

That's part of it, but Saints Row and Dead Island also heavily underperformed. If your entire business is predicated on a $2 billion lifeline, you made several bad decisions beforehand. The bottom line is Embracer hasn't made very good games recently, amd that's their core business model.

 

[Valhoven]

Embracer are possibly looking at selling Gearbox Entertainment off

Is this Gearbox as in owner of Remnant series property? Because Remnant II did very well and all the momentum is there for a third instalment. I want Sony to pick them up then; Remnant well complements the PS platform’s darker fantasy brand of higher difficulty games.

 

[rikwebb]

Is this Gearbox as in owner of Remnant series property? Because Remnant II did very well and all the momentum is there for a third instalment. I want Sony to pick them up then; Remnant well complements the PS platform’s darker fantasy brand of higher difficulty games.

Yeah it is.

They are looking at possibly going back to being independent. But if there is a buyer i reckon it could be Take2 given the long standing relationship they've had for the Borderlands series as 2K have published all of the entries apart from the Telltale game.

All depends on how much they'd want to deal with Randy Pitchford on a daily basis too.

 

[Valhoven]

View attachment 999722

XDefiant dev Ubi San Francisco has been teasing launching this month; grapevine at time of writing is 17 Sep. Clancy fans with CoD or Apex fatigue should ready their trigger fingers and check out the incoming arena shooter looking to bring back OG game movement.

Title will be F2P.

So, surprise XDefiant September launch (^) has been delayed until next month after game certification was rejected by PlayStation and Xbox platforms. An official statement from Mark Rubin has been made here on the matter; it's more or less a pat-on-back for their being so transparent about production of the title etc and this being an everyday prelaunch occurrence in the biz.

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[method115]

Yeah it is.

They are looking at possibly going back to being independent. But if there is a buyer i reckon it could be Take2 given the long standing relationship they've had for the Borderlands series as 2K have published all of the entries apart from the Telltale game.

All depends on how much they'd want to deal with Randy Pitchford on a daily basis too.

I hope 2k picks them up or they go independent. I don't want anyone locking down Remnant behind an ecosystem. I could honestly see MS stepping in here because they seem like the perfect team for that.

 

[Valhoven]

Crazy fact of the day courtesy of Unity CEO Riccitielo:

Unity CEO John Riccitiello was EA CEO when FIFA 09 launched with loot boxes. Last year he said devs making games without monetization in mind are “fucking idiots.” In an EA stockholder meeting he entertained the idea of charging $1 to reload an ammo clip in Battlefield.​

 

[avenue94]

Crazy fact of the day courtesy of Unity CEO Riccitielo:

Unity CEO John Riccitiello was EA CEO when FIFA 09 launched with loot boxes. Last year he said devs making games without monetization in mind are “fucking idiots.” In an EA stockholder meeting he entertained the idea of charging $1 to reload an ammo clip in Battlefield.​

It's honestly incredible how unprofitable unity has been for years. It's the growth at all costs mentality on steroids and they're reaping what they've sown

 

[method115]

Crazy fact of the day courtesy of Unity CEO Riccitielo:

Unity CEO John Riccitiello was EA CEO when FIFA 09 launched with loot boxes. Last year he said devs making games without monetization in mind are “fucking idiots.” In an EA stockholder meeting he entertained the idea of charging $1 to reload an ammo clip in Battlefield.​

Crazy. I saw the Cult of the Lamb said they are deleting their game on January 1st.

 

[rikwebb]

EA's reportedly going to end the support for Wild Hearts already after only 7 months

https://insider-gaming.com/ea-reportedly-ending-support-for-wild-hearts-seven-months-after-launch/

 

[method115]

EA's reportedly going to end the support for Wild Hearts already after only 7 months

https://insider-gaming.com/ea-reportedly-ending-support-for-wild-hearts-seven-months-after-launch/

It seems like these companies are ending support for GAAS very quickly if it doesn't catch on right away. It seemed to have started with Ubisoft and their first BR game (I forget the name) after that seems they all pull the plug on these projects quickly.

 

[Valhoven]

It seems like these companies are ending support for GAAS very quickly if it doesn't catch on right away. It seemed to have started with Ubisoft and their first BR game (I forget the name) after that seems they all pull the plug on these projects quickly.

Agree. Remember Godfall? Devs ghosted playerbase hard and quietly moved into development for their next game. Trend or die space, GaaS.

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[method115]

Agree. Remember Godfall? Devs ghosted playerbase hard and quietly moved into development for their next game. Trend or die space, GaaS.

​

Completely forgot about that one.

 

[Valhoven]

IGN reports on what's become a long-time-coming implosion for Ubi internally – the Montréal subsidiary specifically:

Since Ubisoft Montreal announced that employees would be returning to the office beginning September 11, the studio’s intranet has been lighting up with posts ranging from mild concern to outright anger. IGN has viewed a number of comments on the situation across multiple Ubisoft internal postings, including over 270 comments on the announcement post alone - almost all of which were negative.

Many of the comments list numerous issues employees have historically had working from the office before as reasons not to return: noisy calls in an open office, increased expenses, and a lack of sufficient equipment or accommodations. But the anger also runs deeper than the inherent problems with returning to the office. Amid a wider company culture of layoffs, game cancellations, and abuse allegations, this mandated office return seems to be the final straw for a number of employees who feel that Ubisoft management’s indifference to its workers has gone on long enough.

...
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Full read here. (External)

 

[Valhoven]

Apple continuing breach of gamerverse with arrival of iPhone 15 Pro:

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Below IGN Apple interview direct read here – enjoy:

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[Flower2dPeople]

 

[Valhoven]

Ratioed to Bolivia.

 

[rikwebb]

Support / Future Development for The Evil Dead game has finished

 

[rikwebb]

Glen Schofield is leaving Striking Distance Studios, the studio he founded

Video-game developer Striking Distance Studios, a subsidiary of Korean publisher Krafton Inc., is appointing new management several months after the commercial flop of its first game.

Chief Executive Officer Glen Schofield is leaving, a Krafton representative confirmed Wednesday, saying he has "decided to pursue new opportunities." Striking Distance's chief operating officer and chief financial officer are also leaving. Krafton said all three departures were voluntary.

Chief Development Officer Steve Papoutsis will take over as CEO. In a statement, Schofield said his departure was "bittersweet, but I know the studio is in excellent hands."

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Glen Schofield is leaving Striking Distance Studios, the studio he founded

Simultaneous departures of the CEO, COO and CFO… “voluntary”