| Game World Observer

Industry News July 21, 2021

Epic Games buys 3D model sharing platform Sketchfab for undisclosed sum

Sketchfab, a platform for selling and sharing 3D assets, has joined the Epic Games family. The company will now reduce its store fees and make some of its features free. The terms of the deal, however, remain undisclosed.

Featured July 21, 2021

Utopia Analytics’ Sharon Fisher on Discord’s Sentropy acquisition: “Using human moderators just can’t address the scale of the challenge we are seeing”

Sharon Fisher, a veteran in the games moderation space, comments on Discord’s Sentropy acquisition, as well as the role of human-based and AI moderation in the video games industry.

Industry News July 21, 2021

Genshin Impact towers over other mobile action games in US, generating over $170 million in 6 months

Mobile action games are on the rise, and it’s no surprise that Genshin Impact is the leader in this genre. During the first half of the year, miHoYo’s game generated around $174 million in the US stores.

Industry News July 21, 2021

Ubisoft to create ‘virtuous circle’ encompassing players of F2P and premium games amid 17% sales drop

The first quarter of 2021 wasn’t the best for Ubisoft in terms of sales. However, the company has plans to reach a new audience by creating a bridge between premium and free-to-play games.

Industry News July 21, 2021

Netflix to focus on mobile games initially, names Epic Games among its competitors

During an earnings interview with investors, Netflix has shared more details about its gaming ambitions. The company will add video games (mostly mobile) to its streaming service at no additional price.

Industry News July 21, 2021

District 9 director Neill Blomkamp joins Gunzilla Games to work on AAA multiplayer shooter

Neill Blomkamp, the director of District 9, Elysium, and Chappie, has joined developer Gunzilla Games. Blomkamp, who has stepped in as Chief Visionary Officer, is working on the studio’s unannounced AAA multiplayer shooter with narrative elements.

Industry News July 20, 2021

Castlevania’s Adi Shankar to create PUBG animated show

PUBG company KRAFTON announced it it has signed Adi Shankar to create and showrun an animated project based on its hit franchise.

Industry News July 20, 2021

Ubisoft removes Chinese singer Kris Wu’s song from Just Dance amid abuse allegations

Kris Wu, a 30-year-old singer and a former member of boyband EXO, has been accused of sexually assaulting young girls. Many brands cut ties with him, including the Chinese division of Ubisoft. The company removed his song from Just Dance.

Industry News July 20, 2021

Damion Schubert on Kotaku’s XCOM Legends post: “The ENTIRE gaming press treats mobile gaming like a black sheep”

“2K very quietly launches new XCOM game that looks like shit” was the headline of Kotaku’s article on new mobile game XCOM Legends.

Industry News July 20, 2021

Nintendo directors get total payout of $6.9 million, which is still modest compared to Western executives

Nintendo had a successful financial year, thanks to strong performance of Nintendo Switch and games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Of course, the company’s three directors got huge bonuses, which are still quite small compared to the ones received by Western top managers.

Events July 20, 2021

Last chance to apply for XDC Contest for LATAM devs. Submissions closing July 21

If your studio is based in Latin America, you can enter the XDC Contest for LATAM Developers for a chance to win prizes worth $150,000. Games for all platforms are eligible, including mobile, PC, console, browser, and VR.

Industry News July 19, 2021

Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs releases its first video game inspired by country’s heritage

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now also a game publisher, as it has released its first game. ITALY. Land of Wonders is a mobile puzzle adventure, which lets people explore the country’s art and culture.

Industry News July 19, 2021

GDC 2022 to be held as physical conference

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2021, the 35th edition of event, is launching today. It will feature over 550 virtual talks.

Industry News July 19, 2021

Tencent makes another M&A deal, investing in Swedish indie developer Stunlock Studios

Soon after announcing the $1.27 billion Sumo Group deal, Tencent has revealed another investment. The Chinese tech giant became a major shareholder of Stunlock Studios, a Swedish indie company known for its popular arena brawler Battlerite.

Industry News July 19, 2021

Cyberpunk 2077 quest designer on CD Projekt going radio silent: “We hadn’t been in a situation like this before”

Paweł Sasko, a lead quest designer for Cyberpunk 2077, has answered a few questions from fans. He confirmed that free DLCs are on the way and also shared his thoughts on CD Projekt’s problems with community work and being transparent with fans.

Industry News July 19, 2021

Tencent continues its shopping spree and agrees to acquire all of Sumo Group and its 14 studios

Tencent has agreed to buy UK developer Sumo Group for £919 million ($1.27 billion). This will be paid in cash through Tencent’s Sixjoy Hong Kong Limited subsidiary.

Industry News July 19, 2021

Steam Deck breaks into top 3 of Steam weekly top sellers chart

It’s been only a few days since the announcement of Steam Deck, but the upcoming handheld PC has already become one of Steam’s top sellers. It landed in third place in the store’s weekly chart.

Industry News July 16, 2021

Free Fire becomes first mobile battle royale to hit over 1 billion downloads on Google Play

Garena’s mobile battle royale Free Fire has surpassed 1 billion in lifetime downloads on Google Play alone. It’s worth noting that it’s the first game in this genre to reach this milestone.

Industry News July 16, 2021

Game developers on research and work travels being “exhausting” rather than vacation-like

Sledgehammer Games game director Glen Schofield’s take on how much work goes into making Call of Duty has caused heated debate online. A lot of developers supported his point of view, saying that work travels and the research process might be really “exhausting.”

Industry News July 16, 2021

Internet and industry experts react to Steam Deck: “The largest day-1 library for a dedicated gaming device”

Steam Deck, a new handheld PC from Valve, drew a lot of attention from the games industry professionals. People are now making memes, comparing the device with Nintendo Switch, and praising its concept and hardware. However, the question is whether it will be able to compete in the market?

All publications of the author

Epic Games buys 3D model sharing platform Sketchfab for undisclosed sum

Utopia Analytics’ Sharon Fisher on Discord’s Sentropy acquisition: “Using human moderators just can’t address the scale of the challenge we are seeing”

Genshin Impact towers over other mobile action games in US, generating over $170 million in 6 months

Ubisoft to create ‘virtuous circle’ encompassing players of F2P and premium games amid 17% sales drop

Netflix to focus on mobile games initially, names Epic Games among its competitors

District 9 director Neill Blomkamp joins Gunzilla Games to work on AAA multiplayer shooter

Castlevania’s Adi Shankar to create PUBG animated show

Ubisoft removes Chinese singer Kris Wu’s song from Just Dance amid abuse allegations

Damion Schubert on Kotaku’s XCOM Legends post: “The ENTIRE gaming press treats mobile gaming like a black sheep”

Nintendo directors get total payout of $6.9 million, which is still modest compared to Western executives

Last chance to apply for XDC Contest for LATAM devs. Submissions closing July 21

Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs releases its first video game inspired by country’s heritage

GDC 2022 to be held as physical conference

Tencent makes another M&A deal, investing in Swedish indie developer Stunlock Studios

Cyberpunk 2077 quest designer on CD Projekt going radio silent: “We hadn’t been in a situation like this before”

Tencent continues its shopping spree and agrees to acquire all of Sumo Group and its 14 studios

Steam Deck breaks into top 3 of Steam weekly top sellers chart

Free Fire becomes first mobile battle royale to hit over 1 billion downloads on Google Play

Game developers on research and work travels being “exhausting” rather than vacation-like

Internet and industry experts react to Steam Deck: “The largest day-1 library for a dedicated gaming device”