Sherbytes: Industry News Megathread, v.1

[Valhoven]

More details and images have been made available on Capcom's recent expansion of 8500 sq. ft. Osaka, Japan mega-studio:

Features and goals:

• One of the largest mocap studios in Japan
• Film up to 10 actors at once
• "Greater efficiency in game development"
• "Working to create the world’s best content"

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[Dizzy]

Universal's Super Mario Bros. has record opening, earning 377M USD. Anyone catch it? @Law Talkin’ Guy

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I saw it this weekend with my brothers. We had a great time watching it. Pratt wasn’t nearly as bad as I was thinking going in, it was entertaining, filled to the brim with fan service, and Jack Black was a completely awesome Bowser.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Universal's Super Mario Bros. has record opening, earning 377M USD. Anyone catch it? @Law Talkin’ Guy

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Took the kids to a matinee yesterday as they had Easter Monday off of school. It was alright, the kids loved it. I thought it played it maybe played it a little too safe in that its story was the most basic, by the numbers plot you could imagine. No twists at all, but in a way appropriate given the source material. Like if someone was going to do a 1:1 recreation of the original SMB game for NES it would be about 3 minutes long.

Overall I liked it, though I think the Sonic movies are probably better.

 

[avenue94]

Universal's Super Mario Bros. has record opening, earning 377M USD. Anyone catch it? @Law Talkin’ Guy

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Good result given it's a new IP for film essentially, but as always worth pointing out inflation here. Beating Frozen 2 by only 25 million pretty much means it sold less tickets.

 

[Valhoven]

SEGA acquiring Finnish mobile outfit Rovio (775M USD) in a move understood to strengthen SEGA's mobile capabilities:

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[Valhoven]

Mortal Kombat 11 is the best selling instalment in the MK franchise, it's reported. Having made over 500M USD in profit as of 12 months ago (last confirmed figure), the game has to date sold more than 15M units.

 

[Valhoven]

2017's NieR: Automata has sold almost 8M units since launch, it's reported, and deemed a big success for Square Enix in an otherwise storied catalogue of game properties and series.

 

[Valhoven]

Super Mario Bros. film still crushing and has to date earned almost 900M USD. 1B USD rather easily within reach:

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[method115]

Was going to post this in the activision\ms merger thread but I feel it belongs here as well. Anyways it's over CMA has blocked the deal.

https://www.pcgamer.com/uk-regulators-block-microsofts-activision-acquisition-in-potentially-fatal-surprise-blow/

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has unexpectedly moved to block Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard(opens in new tab) over concerns the merger would "alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market".


In a statement made today(opens in new tab), the CMA said "The final decision to prevent the deal comes after Microsoft’s proposed solution failed to effectively address the concerns in the cloud gaming sector". Those concerns were raised in the regulator's findings last February(opens in new tab), when the CMA provisionally said it would oppose the deal over its concerns regarding cloud gaming.



I'm personally very happy about this. MS claims they will appeal but all appeals head right back to the CMA.. It will also take over a year or more for this to conclude if they do appeal.

 

[Dizzy]

Was going to post this in the activision\ms merger thread but I feel it belongs here as well. Anyways it's over CMA has blocked the deal.

https://www.pcgamer.com/uk-regulators-block-microsofts-activision-acquisition-in-potentially-fatal-surprise-blow/

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has unexpectedly moved to block Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard(opens in new tab) over concerns the merger would "alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market".


In a statement made today(opens in new tab), the CMA said "The final decision to prevent the deal comes after Microsoft’s proposed solution failed to effectively address the concerns in the cloud gaming sector". Those concerns were raised in the regulator's findings last February(opens in new tab), when the CMA provisionally said it would oppose the deal over its concerns regarding cloud gaming.



I'm personally very happy about this. MS claims they will appeal but all appeals head right back the CMA.. It will also take over a year or more for this to conclude if they do appeal.

 

[avenue94]

I'm personally very happy about this. MS claims they will appeal but all appeals head right back to the CMA.. It will also take over a year or more for this to conclude if they do appeal.

Activision's statement is just...not the time to be headstrong and try to get in a pissing match.
"“The CMA’s report contradicts the ambitions of the UK to become an attractive country to build technology businesses,” said spokesperson Joe Christinat. “We will work aggressively with Microsoft to reverse this on appeal. The report’s conclusions are a disservice to UK citizens, who face increasingly dire economic prospects. We will reassess our growth plans for the UK. Global innovators large and small will take note that — despite all its rhetoric — the UK is clearly closed for business.”"

 

[method115]

Activision's statement is just...not the time to be headstrong and try to get in a pissing match.
"“The CMA’s report contradicts the ambitions of the UK to become an attractive country to build technology businesses,” said spokesperson Joe Christinat. “We will work aggressively with Microsoft to reverse this on appeal. The report’s conclusions are a disservice to UK citizens, who face increasingly dire economic prospects. We will reassess our growth plans for the UK. Global innovators large and small will take note that — despite all its rhetoric — the UK is clearly closed for business.”"

They've been that way since this thing has started (Activision). Bobby made similar threats before when it just wasn't looking good in the UK.

 

[avenue94]

They've been that way since this thing has started (Activision). Bobby made similar threats before when it just wasn't looking good in the UK.

Exhibit 12397821093 in failing upwards once you've made it to that level of leadership lol. I can't wait to see what gems their PR hack/head turns out, she's always good for it.

 

[method115]

Exhibit 12397821093 in failing upwards once you've made it to that level of leadership lol. I can't wait to see what gems their PR hack/head turns out, she's always good for it.

It amazes that MS never once called them and said "Hey can you guys shut the fuck up?".

 

[avenue94]

It amazes that MS never once called them and said "Hey can you guys shut the fuck up?".

Yup. I understand the desperation from Bobby given he's screwed if the deal doesn't go through (he at least can get a golden parachute if it does). But it's not helping.

 

[SwamiLeoni]

June is a busy month! D4, SF6 and now SMB4.

 

[Valhoven]

Kiwi Karl Urban (The Boys) is in final talks to play Johnny Cage in upcoming big-budget Mortal Kombat 2 from New Line.

Full read here. (External)

 

[Valhoven]

Pokémon's Game Freak has new action-adventure IP underway with Take-Two publishing. Official concept art released:

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[Valhoven]

Capcom's recent successes have resulted in fiscal year record and share price all-time high:

In its end-year financial results published on Wednesday, which cover the year ended March 31, 2023, the Resident Evil publisher said it had sold 41.7 million games during the 12-month period.

That’s up from 32.6 million games the previous fiscal year and breaks its record for the most games sold in a business year.

The company said its game sales helped it achieve a sixth consecutive year of record-high profit “at all levels” and its tenth consecutive year of operating income growth.​

 

[Valhoven]

Weird flex from EA but really IMO just playing the field, reports VGC:

“Again, we continue to be Microsoft’s biggest partner – I think we’re the number one publisher on their platform – so whether that deal goes through or not is not really material to us broadly.

“We think we have the scale [with] our network, our IP and our talent to continue to navigate the future and lead the future of entertainment, and compete in a marketplace regardless of whether that deal goes through or not.”

Wilson also suggested that further industry mergers are inevitable and that he wants EA to be in a good position should it ever be involved in one.​