| Game World Observer

Industry News August 30, 2023

Sea of Stars hits 100k units sold, peaking at 7,000 concurrent players on Steam

Canada-based indie developer Sabotage Studio has just released Sea of Stars, a turn-based RPG in the style of classic Japanese titles. Let’s take a look at its launch numbers.

Legal August 29, 2023

Motorsport Games loses unpaid wages lawsuits, ordered to pay two employees $24.6k

Earlier this year, Motorsport Games was accused by dozens of employees at its Russian office of not paying them for months. At least two of them have won their lawsuits against the company.

Industry News August 29, 2023

Report: Imagendary Studios lays off most of its employees due to “deep restructuring”

Imagendary Studios, led by a group of industry veterans, has reportedly been hit with mass layoffs, which affected most of its 54-person staff. The company hasn’t announced a single game in its three years of operation.

Industry News August 28, 2023

The Day Before developer Fntastic files trademark for Dayworld, potential new name for its game

The Day Before, an upcoming multiplayer survival game developed by Fntastic and published by Mytona, is still the subject of a trademark dispute. However, the companies could use the new registered brand to eventually bring the title back on Steam.

Industry News August 25, 2023

Games generated $2.6 billion for NetEase in Q2, driven by global launches of Justice Mobile and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

NetEase has released its financial report for the second quarter of 2023 ended June 30. The Chinese tech giant posted revenue and profit growth thanks to the steady performance of its gaming business.

Industry News August 25, 2023

Star Citizen hits $600 million in crowdfunding, solidifying its status as most expensive game by development costs

Star Citizen still has no approximate release date, but its developer Cloud Imperium Games continues to receive massive support from players and enthusiasts. Here is everything to know about the game’s latest milestone.

Industry News August 25, 2023

Armored Core VI peaks at over 129k concurrent players on Steam, Bandai Namco expects it to break series’ sales record

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon has just been released globally to positive reviews from critics and players. On Steam, the game is now having one of the biggest launches in the history of FromSoftware.

Deals August 24, 2023

PUBG maker Krafton partners with Ironmace Games to develop Dark and Darker Mobile

The situation around Dark and Darker has taken an unexpected turn. Although the legal fight between Ironmace Games and publisher Nexon is not yet over, PUBG maker Krafton is now considering creating a mobile game based on this IP.

Industry News August 24, 2023

BioWare lays off 50 employees, including veteran writer Mary Kirby and technical director Jon Renish

BioWare has announced a team restructuring, which includes job cuts. Although the studio ensures that this move won’t affect the development of Dragon Age and Mass Effect, some of its most experienced devs have been laid off.

Industry News August 23, 2023

Epic Games Store launches First Run program allowing devs to get 100% revenue in exchange for exclusivity

Epic Games has introduced a new program for third-party developers on its store. Its main bonus is a 100% revenue share for temporary exclusivity.

Industry News August 23, 2023

Denuvo introduces Unreal Engine Protection feature blocking access to game files and debug consoles

Developers of anti-tamper solution Denuvo have announced a new feature that would prevent users from manipulating files in games made with Unreal Engine. Branded as another way of fighting against pirates and fraudsters, it poses a real threat to modding.

Industry News August 23, 2023

Atlas Fallen launch sales fall short of expectations due to “very intense competitive environment”

Atlas Fallen, a new action RPG from German studio Deck 13, is selling below publisher Focus Entertainment’s initial forecasts. However, the companies plan to improve the game with further updates.

Industry News August 23, 2023

Immortals of Aveum peaks at only 751 concurrent players on Steam, joining cohort of poorly optimized AAA releases

Magic shooter Immortals of Aveum has just been released globally. The initial metrics for the AAA game, developed by Ascendant Studios and published under the EA Originals program, don’t look promising.

Industry News August 22, 2023

Rami Ismail on why hits like BG3 lead to fewer funded games in genre: “Everything that’s successful tightens the noose”

Consultant and experienced developer Rami Ismail has shared his thoughts on the state of the games industry, while expressing some fears and concerns. He tried to outline the issues of the existing system where funding decides what gets made.

Industry News August 22, 2023

Microsoft to transfer Activision Blizzard cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft, but CMA says “This is not a green light”

Microsoft is now trying to restructure its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard to finally get approval from the UK regulator. That’s why the company has announced a new cloud gaming agreement with Ubisoft.

Market Analysis August 21, 2023

Circana: US video game spending hit $4.1 billion in July, with Remnant II becoming best-selling game

Circana (formerly The NPD Group) has shared its monthly breakdown of the US video game market. Let’s take a look at some data on the best-selling titles and consoles of July 2023.

Events August 21, 2023

5th WN CEO Summit, event for games industry execs, to take place in Istanbul on September 20

WN Media Group has announced a new WN CEO Summit event. Over 100 game company founders and executives are expected to gather in Istanbul, Turkiye next month.

Market Analysis August 21, 2023

Total value of closed gaming deals collapsed by nearly 90% in H1, with M&A landscape down 31x

Market intelligence platform InvestGame has shared a new report on deal activity in the games industry for the first half of 2023. Here are the key findings about the turbulent and generally deteriorating landscape.

Industry News August 18, 2023

Rumor: Baldur’s Gate 3 tops 5 million units sold, according to Belgian Embassy in China

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been a massive success for Larian Studios, topping Steam charts and receiving widespread acclaim from the press. Although the company hasn’t officially disclosed sales, there is a report hinting at possible figures.

Game Development August 18, 2023

Inside enhanced Quake II: how Nightdive restored classic shooter with new models, lightning, and other improvements

The enhanced version of Quake II came out last week, offering updated graphics and even new content. Looking at all the technical and QoL improvements, it is safe to say that other companies would be better off taking a similar approach to rereleases and remasters of their old games.

All publications of the author

Sea of Stars hits 100k units sold, peaking at 7,000 concurrent players on Steam

Motorsport Games loses unpaid wages lawsuits, ordered to pay two employees $24.6k

Report: Imagendary Studios lays off most of its employees due to “deep restructuring”

The Day Before developer Fntastic files trademark for Dayworld, potential new name for its game

Games generated $2.6 billion for NetEase in Q2, driven by global launches of Justice Mobile and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Star Citizen hits $600 million in crowdfunding, solidifying its status as most expensive game by development costs

Armored Core VI peaks at over 129k concurrent players on Steam, Bandai Namco expects it to break series’ sales record

PUBG maker Krafton partners with Ironmace Games to develop Dark and Darker Mobile

BioWare lays off 50 employees, including veteran writer Mary Kirby and technical director Jon Renish

Epic Games Store launches First Run program allowing devs to get 100% revenue in exchange for exclusivity

Denuvo introduces Unreal Engine Protection feature blocking access to game files and debug consoles

Atlas Fallen launch sales fall short of expectations due to “very intense competitive environment”

Immortals of Aveum peaks at only 751 concurrent players on Steam, joining cohort of poorly optimized AAA releases

Rami Ismail on why hits like BG3 lead to fewer funded games in genre: “Everything that’s successful tightens the noose”

Microsoft to transfer Activision Blizzard cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft, but CMA says “This is not a green light”

Circana: US video game spending hit $4.1 billion in July, with Remnant II becoming best-selling game

5th WN CEO Summit, event for games industry execs, to take place in Istanbul on September 20

Total value of closed gaming deals collapsed by nearly 90% in H1, with M&A landscape down 31x

Rumor: Baldur’s Gate 3 tops 5 million units sold, according to Belgian Embassy in China

Inside enhanced Quake II: how Nightdive restored classic shooter with new models, lightning, and other improvements