Industry News Today 19:01 Diablo Immortal not being released in Belgium and Netherlands due to local laws banning loot boxes Activision Blizzard won’t release its upcoming mobile title, Diablo Immortal, in Belgium and Netherlands. The reason is these countries’ laws on loot boxes.
Industry News Today 17:21 PlayStation expects to almost quadruple its PC revenue this year, investing more in mobile and live service titles PlayStation has shared its plans and growth strategy during its latest business briefing. The company plans to significantly increase its PC and mobile revenue, while also investing more in live service games.
Industry News Today 15:59 Halo Infinite head of design Jerry Hook leaves 343 Industries following other high-profile departures Jerry Hook, who has two decades of experience both at 343 Industries and Microsoft, has announced his departure from his role as Halo Infinite design lead. This follows a couple of other high-profile devs leaving the studio earlier this year.
Industry News Yesterday CD Projekt used Coca-Cola as reference when choosing yellow color for Cyberpunk 2077 When it comes to a brand identity, it is hard to argue that Cyberpunk 2077 has very eye-catching visuals. CD Projekt RED has now finally explained why it chose this specific shade of yellow for its latest game.
Industry News May 24 Analysts recommend selling CD Projekt shares, lowering target price to 2017 levels CD Projekt has been struggling to recover from Cyberpunk 2077’s botched launch. Analysts have once again lowered their recommendations on the company’s share price, taking into account the Polish developer’s latest actions.
Industry News May 24 Call of Duty testers at Raven form first union at major US game company despite Activision’s pressure Members of Raven Software’s QA team have voted to unionize following pressure from Activision Blizzard and a wave of layoffs. This will be the first official union formed at a US-listed game company.
Industry News May 23 Ubisoft unlikely to sell until its price reaches at least €60 per share, latest report claims The talks about a Ubisoft buyout continue. A new report claims that the company’s stockholders will wait until its share price increases to accept a potential deal.
Industry News May 23 Report: Tencent employees facing mass layoffs as latest lockdowns affect Chinese tech giants’ earnings Chinese tech companies have been conducting staff cuts, according to the latest reports. Tencent is one of the firms to lay off employees at several departments amid regulatory pressure and the impact of the latest lockdowns.
Industry News May 20 Take-Two stockholders approve acquisition of Zynga, deal expected to close next week Take-Two has announced that its stockholders have finally approved the proposed $12.7 billion acquisition of Zynga. As a result, the mobile publisher’s shares will stop trading on the stock market today.
Industry News May 19 Report: TikTok to boost its gaming ambitions by starting tests in Vietnam ByteDance has plans to launch more mobile titles on TikTok. The Chinese tech giant will reportedly roll out gaming in Southeast Asia later this year.
Industry News May 19 Activision Blizzard acquisition moving fast and entering its middle phase, Microsoft says Microsoft has commented on its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The $68.7 billion deal is moving fast and now entering its middle phase, the company said.
Industry News May 19 Electronic Arts lays off up to 100 customer service staff involved in supporting FIFA 22 Mass layoffs have reportedly happened at Electronic Arts. The company fired up to 100 customer support staff, many of whom worked on FIFA 22.
Industry News May 19 Embracer Group reports annual net sales of $1.7 billion, seeing great potential in IPs like Deus Ex and Thief Embracer Group has released a financial report for the year ended March 31, 2022. The Swedish holding company recorded revenue growth, while also sharing its further M&A plans and saying that it now has over 200 titles in its pipeline.
Industry News May 18 Andreessen Horowitz launches $600 million fund to invest in video games and metaverse Private VC firm Andreessen Horowitz has established Games Fund One, a $600 million fund aimed solely at video games. The company will invest in developers to contribute to building the future around the metaverse.
Industry News May 18 Tencent reports no revenue growth, as gaming crackdown in China affects active player base Tencent has released its financial report for the first quarter of 2022 (ended March 31). The Chinese tech giant recorded no revenue growth, citing a decrease in its domestic player base due to the latest game-related restrictions in the country.
Industry News May 18 Sony to join metaverse buzz by offering more live service games and adopting cross-platform strategy Sony might be the next tech giant to offer its own approach to the metaverse. The company plans to evolve its gaming business and adopt a cross-platform strategy ahead of potential changes in the market.
Industry News May 17 Report: Wargaming plans to relocate up to 30% of its Belarusian staff, with others facing layoffs A few Wargaming employees have shared new details about the ongoing liquidation of the company’s office in Minsk. The answers varied from talks about mass layoffs to Minsk-based devs being offered to keep working under another legal entity.
Industry News May 17 Techland hiring for AAA next-gen RPG based on new IP and led by former CD Projekt devs Techland has opened up about its upcoming AAA open-world action RPG based on a new IP. The untitled game’s development is led by former CD Projekt RED staff, with the company now having dozens of open positions.
Industry News May 17 Anita Sarkeesian seemingly inspired Activision Blizzard’s controversial diversity tool New details about Activision Blizzard’s Diversity Space Tool have appeared online. One of the creators of this software opened up about the initial idea behind it.
Industry News May 17 Apple to let developers increase subscription prices without notifying users under certain conditions Apple has made a few changes to its App Store policy regarding subscription prices. From now on, iOS developers will now be able to charge users more money without notifying them.