GameWorldObserver.com: online magazine about video games industry

Blizzard lays off 10 people from Hearthstone team, while game revenue continues to plummet after exit from China

Cyberpunk 2077 peaks at over 200k CCU for first time since launch, topping Steam’s highest-grossing games chart

Inside Embracer’s plans and strategy: game revenues, “notably lower margins” in PC & Console segment, and further divestments

Deals Yesterday

Zakazane, new studio by CD Projekt and 11 bit studios veterans, raises $1 million to make “triple i” games

Zakazane is a new studio founded in 2022 by games industry veterans aiming to make what they define as “triple i” games. They previously worked on titles like The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and Frostpunk.

Deals Yesterday

Appodeal and Pollen VC announce strategic partnership

There is a new deal on the mobile services market landscape. Marketing growth platform Appodeal has announced a partnership with velocity capital firm Pollen VC.

Industry News September 28

Why Epic Games laying off 16% of employees: lower margins from Fortnite’s UGC content led to financial unsustainability

Epic Games is another game company conducting layoffs this year. The Fortnite and Unreal maker has explained the reasons for cutting around 16% of its employees.

Market Analysis September 28

League of Legends: Wild Rift tops $1 billion in revenue, joining club of 100+ games that hit this milestone

League of Legends: Wild Rift, the mobile version of Riot Games’ hit MOBA title, has reached an important milestone. The game has surpassed $1 billion in lifetime player spending.

Industry News September 28

[UPD] Creative Assembly to become victim of Sega’s “structural reforms” expected to result in losses of over $95 million

Sega Sammy announced a restructuring at its gaming divisions in Europe, which is expected to result in losses for the Japanese company. As part of the process, some games currently in development will be canceled.

Industry News September 28

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan to retire in 2024: look back at his nearly 30-year journey at Sony Interactive Entertainment

Jim Ryan, who has been running Sony’s gaming business since 2019, has announced his retirement from the Japanese company. Let’s take a look back at his career journey and key achievements.

Events September 27

WN CEO Summit Istanbul’23 brought together 100 execs from Microsoft, Rollic, Azur Games, and other companies

The latest WN CEO Summit took place in Istanbul, Turkey on September 20. 100 executives and top managers of game companies from 16 countries came together to discuss industry-related topics.

Industry News September 27

Blizzard lays off 10 people from Hearthstone team, while game revenue continues to plummet after exit from China

Blizzard has laid off some staff from the Hearthstone team, describing the process as organizational changes. But let’s also look at the game’s performance in the mobile market this year and see how the company’s exit from China has affected its revenues.

Industry News September 27

[UPD] Candy Crush Saga hits $20 billion in lifetime revenue, King says “the bar is very high” to launch new game

Candy Crush Saga remains at the top of the mobile charts even more than a decade after its launch. King has now revealed that the game has reached a new milestone.

Market Analysis September 26

Baldur’s Gate 3 topped revenue charts in US and UK in August, with top markets by MAU including US, Russia, and UK

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a massive success for Larian Studios, and the latest report from Newzoo serves as further proof of that. Here is some data about the game and its performance.

Industry News September 26

Cyberpunk 2077 peaks at over 200k CCU for first time since launch, topping Steam’s highest-grossing games chart

The hype around patch 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion has boosted the sales of Cyberpunk 2077. This has helped the game top the top-selling charts on Steam, with its concurrent player count also skyrocketting.

Industry News September 26

Supercell and Tripledot discuss challenges of making new mobile hits on Games and Names podcast

Do big companies struggle with making new hits and why can having successful games in their portfolio affect creativity? These are the main topics of the new episode of Games and Names, a games industry podcast launched by AppMagic in partnership with WN Media Group.

Industry News September 26

SAG-AFTRA unanimously approves video game strike, demanding AI regulation and wage increases

SAG-AFTRA has unanimously voted for a strike against several game companies. Union members are demanding regulations on the use of AI, on-set safety, and retroactive wage increases.

Industry News September 25

Capcom eyes mobile expansion with more AAA games, as Monster Hunter Now tops $10 million in revenue

Capcom has big plans to strengthen its position in the mobile games market. The Japanese publisher believes that making more AAA-type titles for the platform could benefit its sales and revenues in the long run.

Industry News September 25

Devolver Digital says no to subscription deals that undervalue its games’ long-term value and revenue

Devolver Digital has released its report for the first half of 2023 ended June 30. The company posted a decline in both revenue and profit, also outlining its outlook and strategy for the future.

Industry News September 25

Hideki Kamiya makes difficult decision to leave PlatinumGames: “I will continue to create in my Hideki Kamiya way”

Hideki Kamiya, Japanese game designer and one of the creators of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, is leaving PlatinumGames. He noted that it “was by no means an easy decision to make.”

Industry News September 22

Unity revamps Runtime Fee, allowing devs to choose either 2.5% revenue share or fees based on self-reported installs

Unity has finally shared an update to its controversial Runtime Fee model. Following massive backlash from game developers, the company has changed key aspects of the policy, exempting a large portion of customers from any fees and giving others options to choose from.

Featured September 22

Inside Embracer’s plans and strategy: game revenues, “notably lower margins” in PC & Console segment, and further divestments

Embracer Group held its annual general meeting on September 21. The Swedish holding company shared some insights into its financial performance, specific game sales and revenues, as well as its restructuring program and strategy going forward.

Industry News September 22

Payday 3 peaks at over 77k CCU despite server issues, with Starbreeze and Embracer betting on its success

Starbreeze Studios has launched Payday 3, a sequel to its successful multiplayer shooter. This comes amid ongoing restructuring at Embracer Group, whose division Plaion acted as the game’s investor and publisher.

Marketing September 22

What is Marketability and why Engagement matters in your first CPI test — explained by ByteBrew

When testing ads and creatives, a prototype’s marketability is a thing that shouldn’t be underestimated. In a new column for Game World Observer, ByteBrew Chief Strategy Officer Christopher Lefebvre explains what marketability is and what metrics developers should pay attention to.

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