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July 2024 Archive

    1. Mobile developers describe working with Apple Arcade as a "very difficult and long process"
    2. Former Unity and Scopely developers form Outer Haven Games
    3. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn passes 500,000 players | News-in-brief
    4. Devcom Developer Conference announces new speakers
    5. Bungie lays off another 220 staff, acknowledging it was "overly ambitious"
    6. How to survive until 2025 in the games industry
    7. Warner Bros hires Bethesda studio director to lead WB Games Montreal
    8. US Senate passes online child safety bills
    9. Olympics reportedly dropped Mario and Sonic games in favour of mobile, NFTs
    10. Activison continues to boost Xbox revenues but hardware sees further decline
    11. EA Q1 results exceed its expectations despite 30% drop in income
    1. Twitch staff fear further layoffs
    2. Fable developer Playground Games appears to have opened third studio
    3. Niko Partners: East Asia games market generated $30.1bn in 2023
    4. NCsoft invests $3.5m in Moon Rover Games
    5. Dotplay obtains $1m in funding
    6. Gamescom Asia: We want to give Southeast Asian developers a platform to shine
    1. Xbox One update failure "raises awkward questions about the future prospects of console hardware"
    2. The face of Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Curator, dies aged 67
    3. CWA union says it "stands in "complete solidarity with striking members of SAG-AFTRA"
    4. My.Games sells off its DonationAlerts and Boosty platforms
    5. Capcom games sales down 44% during Q1 FY25
    6. Plaion to publish Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
    7. Over 90% of Call of Duty players play less without skills-based matchmaking
    8. GTA 6 and the PlayStation 4 problem
    9. Keywords' Lively Studio faces small number of layoffs
    10. What does the Humble restructuring say about the state of games publishing? | Microcast
    11. Games in development prior to September 2023 exempt from SAG-AFTRA strike
    12. Free guide to redundancies and how to avoid them for participants of GI's Salary Benchmarking project
    13. PS Portal launching in South East Asia | News-in-brief
    1. Look North World raises $4.5m in overall funding
    2. Arts union Equity issues guidance for UK workers following SAG-AFTRA strike
    3. Steam demo overhaul includes standalone store pages, user reviews and wishlist notifications
    4. Hasbro CEO: "We're going all in on becoming a digital play company"
    5. Netflix reduces budget for BioShock film, making a "more personal" story
    6. Elden Ring climbs to Top Five in revenue charts for June | Newzoo Charts
    7. Devil May Cry | Why I Love
    8. Unionisation leaps forward: now it's time to deliver | Opinion
    9. Paradox Interactive profits drop 90% due to Life By You cancellation
    10. Epic removes Fortnite from mobile app stores to prepare for own store launch
    11. Discuss the skills crisis at the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit
    12. PSVR 2 app to release on Steam on August 6 | News-in-brief
    1. SAG-AFTRA calls for a "video game strike", effective from tomorrow
    2. Xsolla appoints new chief financial officer, Cathleen Nilson
    3. Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon hits 3 million sales | News-in-brief
    4. Does a game being 'mobile-first' limit the amount a developer can charge on console?
    5. German games market increases 6% to €10bn in 2023
    6. Improbable achieves profitability for the first time
    7. Former Activision staff concerned about gen AI tools used in development, including Midjourney
    1. 500+ World of Warcraft developers unionise
    2. Respawn u-turns on battle pass changes following player backlash
    3. PlayCap is a "pioneering" angel investment syndicate "led by women"
    4. Twitch updates policies on sexual harassment
    5. NCSoft president: "The games industry's evolution towards acceptance and diversity is ongoing"
    6. Advisory firm Agora Gaming Partners raises $600,000 at launch
    7. Davide Soliani leaves Ubisoft
    8. Nintendo revokes win of Splatoon 3 World Championship victors Jackpot after misconduct allegations
    9. GiantX acquires AI start-up iTero Gaming in multi-million dollar deal
    10. Netflix hires former Epic exec Alain Tascan as its president of games
    1. Humble Games devs told "company is shutting down"
    2. Roblox reported over 13,000 incidents to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2023
    3. Riot Games pays tribute to League of Legends voice actor Sam Mowry, who passed away aged 64
    4. French publisher Red Art Games player data exposed in "cyberattack"
    5. Digital Extremes CEO says publishers hit "eject too soon" on live-service games
    6. EA vets' new studio Play By Play aims to revive the spirit of NBA Street
    7. Capcom aims to increase ratio of female managers to 15%
    8. Ubisoft apologises for Assassin's Creed Shadows promotional materials that "have caused concern"
    9. AppMagic secures $3m in funding round
    10. Discover how to maintain morale during troubled times at the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit
    11. LightSpeed LA opens new performance capture facility | News-in-brief
    12. 'Steam is a supermarket, and your game is beans' - A guide for reluctant marketers
    13. Xsolla opens new office in Beijing
    14. Research identifies suspicious behaviour on Steam Marketplace that may suggest money laundering
    15. Perfect World co-CEOs reportedly resigned
    16. NetherRealm to shut down Mortal Kombat: Onslaught | News-in-brief
    1. Former Pixelberry devs band together to form Candlelight Games
    2. Forte shuts down Rumble Entertainment, its second studio closure in two months
    3. Warner Bros. acquires MultiVersus developer, Player First Games
    4. 80+ Netflix Stories games in development and plans to release "about one new title per month"
    5. SAG-AFTRA is ready to strike if game companies don't "come to the table with a deal" to protect jobs against AI
    6. "It needs to feel like a roller coaster of trauma" – How The Chinese Room crafted Still Wakes The Deep
    7. Are your staff paid enough?
    8. Why there's no market for AAA mobile games | GI Microcast
    9. EA Sports College Football 25 sold 2.2m $100 copies with early access
    10. Honor of Kings surpasses 50m downloads in a month outside of China | News-in-brief
    11. Almost 250 Bethesda Game Studios developers unionise
    12. Microsoft decries FTC's "misleading" claims of "degraded" Game Pass
    13. Twitch reinstates Donald Trump's account
    1. Making Horizon: Zero Dawn suitable for eight-year-olds
    2. Japan's mobile game installs and spending rose in Q1 2024
    3. Startup raises $16m for generative AI behaviour engine
    4. FTC criticises Xbox Game Pass price increases
    5. New Develop North conference launches this November
    6. It's not just the price tag: premium games don't fit on mobile | Opinion
    7. Halo TV series cancelled after two seasons
    1. Blizzard's John Hight and former Bungie COO Holly Barbacovi join Hasbro
    2. Kickstarter's new head of games is Exploding Kittens Inc.'s Maggie Clayton
    3. Pacific Drives tops 600,000 sales globally
    4. Xsolla acquires leading LFG company, LF.Group
    5. Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm lays off mobile team
    6. Ubisoft outperform targets as back-catalogue, digital, and bookings all increase in Q1 24-25
    7. GoldenEye and Perfect Dark artist Brett Jones has died
    8. New studio Blue Scarab raises $7m in funding round
    9. How a surprise launch and fortunate timing helped Gray Zone Warfare top Steam
    10. Report: 82% of US gamers made an in-game purchase in freemium titles in 2023
    11. European game sales down just 1.6% during the first half of 2024 | European Monthly Charts
    12. EA adds further monetisation to EA Sports FC 25
    13. Sega reaches settlement against staff member's harasser
    1. Lawsuit paperwork reveals Valve employs around 350 people – and less than 100 work for Steam
    2. Koei Tecmo settles copyright dispute with Youzu out of court
    3. How can the UK games industry solve its skills shortage?
    4. IGDA challenges US Patent office over requirement for applicants' addresses
    5. Microsoft reportedly shuts down one of its DEI teams
    6. One month left to enter the 2024 UK Best Places To Work Awards
    1. New social media app Dusk plans to "reimagine social multiplayer gaming for the mobile generation"
    2. Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment "disheartened" by Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 leak
    3. Scotland's largest VFX company, Axis, shuts down
    4. Nintendo Switch moves 1m units during H1 2024 | Japan Monthly Charts
    5. Echo Chunk raises $1.4 million in funding round
    6. Report: Resident Evil 7 on iOS has earned Capcom $28,140 since launch
    7. Gfinity Digital Media affected by layoffs
    8. The GamesIndustry.biz Summer Party 2024 in pictures
    9. "I just dropped them an email" – How a small studio won over Netflix to make a Queen's Gambit game
    10. Why is Xbox increasing the price of Game Pass? | Microcast
    1. UK video game sales fall almost 30% in the first half of 2024
    2. The Finals developer apologises to Xbox players as latest patch is delayed on Microsoft consoles
    3. Murky Divers hits 100,000 sales in less than a month | News-in-brief
    4. Genshin Impact's own voice talent denounce MiHoYo's "whitewashing" portrayal of new character designs
    5. GAME reportedly ending sale of physical currency cards
    6. Gamescom Latam's plan to double in size for year two
    7. Just three weeks left to join the UK games industry salary benchmarking project
    8. Speak to 300 games industry HR professionals and leaders at this September's HR Summit
    9. Terraria has sold over 58m copies to date | News-in-brief
    10. Grand Games raises $3m in funding round
    11. The First Descendant hits 10m players | News-in-brief
    12. Inaugural Esports Olympic Games to be held in Saudi Arabia
    1. Shuhei Yoshida and Greg Rice share the secrets behind what makes a great game
    2. Nintendo accused of miscrediting external developers
    3. Techland moving "most roles" to on-site or hybrid model
    4. The First Descendant to be updated following claims of similarities with Destiny 2
    1. Embracer secures new €600m revolving credit facility
    2. Tencent is shutting down its free-to-play shooter Synced after just a year
    3. Price hike shows Xbox is determined to make Game Pass work | Opinion
    4. GAME reportedly dropping in-store pre-orders next month
    5. New indie publishing and investment firm First Break Labs forms
    6. "Small number of roles" face potential redundancies at Splash Damage
    7. Capcom, Shawn Layden confirmed for Gamescom Asia 2024
    8. Baldur's Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 lead Develop Star Awards winners
    9. Stellar Blade developer Shift Up raises $320m in IPO
    1. Microsoft relinquishes non-voting observer seat on OpenAI board
    2. Rogue Company developer removes all Dr Disrespect content
    3. Network N Media website The Loadout has shut down
    4. Series Entertainment acquires mobile game studio Pixelberry Studios
    5. Star Wars Outlaws remains IGN's most wishlisted game of 2024 | IGN June Wishlist Chart
    6. Felicity Games raises $700,000
    7. Double Fine: "Simple choices can have profound impact" on accessibility
    8. Sony Music, Aniplex, and Pocketpair form Palworld Entertainment
    9. Xbox increases Game Pass prices, introduces new tier
    10. Star Wars Outlaws began life in a café at E3
    11. ASA rules Golf Clash ad misled around loot boxes disclosure
    1. Roblox launches new range of analytical tools for developers
    2. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin tops 2m copies sold | News-in-brief
    3. Voice-controlled game developer Volley closes Series C fundraising with $55m
    4. Minecraft, Candy Crush and Goat Simulator among games that represent Sweden's cultural heritage
    5. Kristian Segerstrale: Cross-platform, not new platforms, will drive growth
    6. Elden Ring sales jump 467% on Shadow of the Erdtree release I UK Monthly Charts
    7. Pokémon Sleep earns $100m in first year revenue
    8. Trends shaping the mobile gaming industry in 2024
    9. Respawn changes Apex Legends battle pass pricing
    1. Former Piranha Bytes devs form Pithead Studio
    2. US game spending fell 6% in May | US Monthly Charts
    3. Paradox Interactive delays Cities Skylines 2 console version for a third time
    4. Zenless Zone Zero tops 50m downloads worldwide | News-in-brief
    5. Manor Lords publisher says devs should not be "forced to run on a treadmill until their mental health breaks"
    6. Embracer-owned studio Piranha Bytes has been shut down
    7. Levelling up healthcare: Understanding games' life-changing medical potential | Playable Futures
    8. Brightmine: UK games industry's gender pay gap is 17.1%
    9. Blumhouse Games is more than a year ahead of schedule
    10. Kotaku Australia to shut down
    11. Summer Games Done Quick 2024 raises $2.5m | News-in-brief
    12. Apple approves Epic Games Store for iOS after rejecting it twice
    13. Ubisoft to discuss neurodiversity at the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit
    1. Nintendo adopts wait-and-see on generative AI | Opinion
    2. Everything we learned from GI Sprint
    3. Kwalee makes minority investment in Devolver Digital
    4. Gamescom Latam and smart game delays | Microcast
    5. Sporty Group acquires Sociable Soccer
    6. Network N lays off eight from games marketing agency Project N
    7. Ubisoft's Watch Dogs film has started filming
    8. PlayStation to attend Tokyo Game Show 2024
    1. Adult Swim delists four more indie games, stating developers are "not available" to take over as publisher
    2. Nintendo says AI "can be more creative", but "also recognises that it has issues"
    3. Keywords Studios reaches £2.2bn acquisition agreement with Swedish investment company EQT
    4. Hilmar Pétursson: Making CCP tech open source will enable Eve Online to live forever
    5. Squad Busters reaches $24m in first month revenue
    6. Niko Partners: 62% of China PC players spending more on games than last year
    7. Four ways AI and cloud can make game dev easier (and one thing they can't do) | GI Sprint
    8. Gen AI platform Bitmagic raises $4m in funding round
    9. Skillz suing Voodoo for unlawful conduct and false advertising
    1. EA is "sunsetting" three last-gen Battlefield games | News-in-brief
    2. Guilty Gear Strive reaches 3m players worldwide | News-in-brief
    3. Surgent Studios cuts jobs months after launch of debut title Tales of Kenzera: Zau
    4. Nintendo sues two Switch pirates for "substantial and irreparable harm"
    5. Daybreak acquires Singularity 6
    6. It's not too late to enter the 2024 UK Best Places To Work Awards
    7. Which Not-E3 show was the most effective at showcasing games?
    8. BeReal hit with layoffs following Voodoo acquisition
    9. Cloud Imperium Games ordered to compensate former staff in disability discrimination case
    10. Gamurs Group reportedly lays off unknown number of staff
    11. SNK opens Singapore office | News-in-brief
    1. Nintendo aims to avoid scalping of Switch successor by meeting console demand
    2. Minimum Studios becomes Capcom subsidiary
    3. Life without layoffs, or why they are an avoidable part of game development | GI Sprint
    4. Indie publisher Mystic Forge raises €2m in funding
    5. Chants of Sennaar takes top prize at inaugural Gamescom Latam Awards
    6. Arc System Works opens European branch | News-in-brief
    7. World of Tanks Blitz passes $1bn in lifetime revenue | News-in-brief
    8. Why are Japanese developers not undergoing mass layoffs?
    9. Ubisoft Toronto affected by layoffs