Approximately one third of game developers were affected by layoffs last year
Game Developer
JANUARY 22, 2024
According to the GDC 2024 State of the Game Industry report, about a third of game developers were affected by a layoff in 2023.
Sat.Jan 20, 2024 - Fri.Jan 26, 2024
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Solo developer Csaba Putnai of Bob: A Thousand Lives “My life is filled with many challenges”
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 22, 2024
All of his life Csaba Putnai has had a fascination for games, but he was well in his forties when he took the step to actually develop a game himself. His debut game Bob: A Thousand Lives , a dark themed action game about a boy that has to escape his all-consuming past, was released last year. “After the loss of my father, I began working on the Bob project and realized that the story and concept had been with me for years”, he says.
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Riot and Microsoft layoffs the same, but different | This Week in Business
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 26, 2024
This Week in Business is our weekly recap column , a collection of stats and quotes from recent stories presented with a dash of opinion (sometimes more than a dash) and intended to shed light on various trends. Check every Friday for a new entry. It was another brutal week in the industry right from the start, with Riot Games laying off about 530 people on Monday while reciting a lot of the familiar lines we've been hearing for the past year.
Apple Introduce New Run-Time Fee
Game From Scratch
JANUARY 26, 2024
GameFromScratch.com Apple Introduce New Run-Time Fee In response to the EU’s newly instated Digital Markets Act, Apple have just implemented a new Unity-like run-time fee for developers that wish to take advantage of the laws new provisions. The DMA or Digital Markets Act aims to provide the following benefits: In what can only be described as … Apple Introduce New Run-Time Fee Read More The post Apple Introduce New Run-Time Fee appeared first on GameFromScratch.com.
Former Bungie general counsel says the game industry must unionize
Game Developer
JANUARY 25, 2024
Don McGowan, the former Bungie CLO who pursued Destiny 2 cheaters and players that threatened his coworkers, wants developers to fight for their rights.
The gorgeous visuals of Bionic Bay that Juhana Myllys calls Painterly Pixel Art
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 24, 2024
Physics-based 2D platformer Bionic Bay is a collaboration between the Finnish one-man-studio Mureena and Taiwanese indie game company Psychoflow Studio. The game started as a demo shown on Reddit, but picked up momentum when Badland art director Juhana Myllys offered to mix and match his distinct artwork with the gameplay. “Back in 2019, I was wasting time on Reddit and came across a short clip from a demo in r/indiegaming”, says Myllys.
Games industry leaders braced 'for up to two years of pain'
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 22, 2024
The current turmoil in the video games industry will continue all year and likely into 2025, games industry leaders have told GamesIndustry.biz. Speaking to us privately, publishing, development and investment heads have said that continued high interest rates, oversaturated video game stores and cautious investors will result in more restructures, layoffs and closures.
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Devs claim Apple has pulled a Unity in the EU with new Core Technology Fee
Game Developer
JANUARY 26, 2024
App Store devs interested in using third-party services in the EU will need to agree to new terms, and a fee that could eventually cost them €0.50 per install.
Bukola Akingbade of Kucheza Gaming on nurturing dreams and shaping industries
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 26, 2024
Bukola Akingbade is many things. She is a mother to three. A role that she holds dear and that inspired her to establish her company Kucheza Gaming. She is also a marketer, entrepreneur and trained architect. In 2020 she decided to channel her decade-plus entrepreneurial experience into her current venture leaving everything behind to focus on gaming.
CWA says Microsoft's job cuts did not impact the staffers it represents
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 25, 2024
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Following news that Microsoft laid off 1,900 staffers from its games division, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) said that the move has not impacted any of the staffers it represents. The CWA represents some employees from Microsoft divisions, including ZeniMax Studios and Activision Blizzard.
Top 4 Scheduling Strategies for Indie Filmmaking on a Tight Timeline
Filmustage
JANUARY 22, 2024
For Indie Filmmaking, the magic of crafting a cinematic vision often clashes with the harsh reality of limited resources and tight timeline production. Budgets are lean, teams are compact, and every minute counts. Time is not merely a metric; it's a precious commodity, demanding strategic allocation and unrelenting efficiency. Resourcefulness becomes a badge of honor, as filmmakers explore innovative solutions to achieve cinematic alchemy within budgetary and temporal constraints.
Report: Microsoft follows Activision Blizzard merger with 1,900 layoffs
Game Developer
JANUARY 25, 2024
The company spent $68.7 billion on its merger with Activision Blizzard but claims it must now implement a "sustainable cost structure.
Powell Group and Representing Games join forces to create an allround agency
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 23, 2024
The Powell Group , a full-service game consultancy, and Representing Games , the agency label of game industry matchmaker MeetToMatch, are collaborating. By joining forces the two companies will leverage their complementary strengths to create an allround agency for publishers and developers alike. The collaboration between The Powell Group and Representing Games will focus on providing support for developers and publishers, assisting them in growing their company.
2025 could very well be the best year in video games sales to date | Opinion
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 24, 2024
It is beginning to look like 2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in video games, if not the biggest. Let us start with the obvious: the release of GTA 6. When it comes to the most successful video entertainment products of all time, for many franchises like Star Wars, the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Avatar or maybe Mario come to mind.
6 x Operative Changes That Kept SciPlay Growing Despite the Market Headwinds
Deconstructor of Fun
JANUARY 22, 2024
The story behind SciPlay's evolution in the realm of social casino gaming is guided by a commitment to player-centric experiences and a pioneering spirit. In the recent podcast, Mishka has a chat with the CEO of SciPlay, Josh Wilson , tackling the intriguing question of how the company achieved substantial growth in the social casino market amidst an industry decline and post privacy changes.
About 1,600 women received payments from Riot Games after discrimination suit
Game Developer
JANUARY 23, 2024
Riot's women staff saw the majority of its $104 million settlement, which arose from a 2018 lawsuit alleging the studio's yearslong culture of sexism.
Find the right AI model for your game with Unity and Hugging Face
Unity Blog
JANUARY 25, 2024
Our neural engine for bring AI models to Unity – Unity Sentis – announces a new integration with Hugging Face, plus some product updates for the tool.
Black Forest Games reportedly cuts 50% of employees
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 25, 2024
THQ Nordic and Embracer subsidiary Black Forest Games has reportedly cut 50% of its workforce. As reported by Kotaku , the layoffs were announced yesterday with a source alleging that the developer's creative directors and "if not all" managers will keep their positions. GamesIndustry.biz has reached out to Black Forest Games and Embracer Group for more information regarding the layoffs.
Godot Gets Free Nintendo Switch Port
Game From Scratch
JANUARY 24, 2024
GameFromScratch.com Godot Gets Free Nintendo Switch Port Until now, if you wanted to port your Godot game engine developed game over to the Nintendo Switch, you either did the work yourself or broke out your credit card and either subscribed to W4Games Consoles or used a porting service such as Lone Wolf Technologies or Pineapple Works. Thankfully, … Godot Gets Free Nintendo Switch Port Read More The post Godot Gets Free Nintendo Switch Port appeared first on GameFromScratch.com.
Fortnite is landing back on iOS in Europe, but Epic still thinks Apple is breaking the law
Game Developer
JANUARY 26, 2024
The EU's Digital Markets Act will let Epic sell Fortnite on iOS through its own marketplace, but the way Apple has engaged with the new law has the company riled up.
What Is IEC 81001-5-1?
Perforce
JANUARY 23, 2024
IEC 81001-5-1 is a healthcare standard that goes beyond covering medical devices, addressing cybersecurity at every phase of the SDLC for various types of health software. From medical diagnosis software to yoga apps, IEC 81001-5-1 helps organizations ensure software security.
Focus Entertainment's Q3 revenue dips 43% and it announces a rebrand
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 23, 2024
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Focus Entertainment released its third-quarter earnings report, posting a 43% decrease; this was partly attributed to no major releases during the three months ending December 31. The games firm also announced that on April 1, it will be rebranding to Pullup Entertainment.
Revive & Prosper - Chemical Age
Indie DB
JANUARY 21, 2024
The Chemical Age brings Petroleum Refinery, Chemical plant, and new resources such as Ethylene, Alcohol, and good ol'toxic into the game. And 20 % off this week on Steam and Epic!
Outriders studio People Can Fly is laying off Project Gemini developers
Game Developer
JANUARY 25, 2024
"To those individuals transitioning out of the studio due to these changes, we extend our sincere appreciation for the skills and expertise you brought to the team.
Tomas Sala on building an indie IP with award-winning Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
Unity Blog
JANUARY 24, 2024
BAFTA-winning indie developer Tomas Sala, winner of the CommUnity Choice Award at gamescom 2023, shares the development process behind his new game, Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles.
Palworld sales hit 4m and boasts the fifth highest concurrent Steam players ever
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 22, 2024
Survival game Palworld has had a sensational launch at the weekend, and has sold over four million units in just three days. The game, which is still in Early Access, is also available via Xbox Game Pass. Developer PocketPair said yesterday that it was selling 86,000 copies every hour. Palworld had a peak concurrent Steam player count of 1.29 million over the weekend, which is the fifth highest number in Steam history, according to SteamDB.
Moving FROM and TO The Unity Game Engine
Game From Scratch
JANUARY 22, 2024
GameFromScratch.com Moving FROM and TO The Unity Game Engine Moving your game assets to and from the Unity game engine has become easier thanks to a pair of “new” addons supporting popular open formats. The first add-on is gltFAST and it supports important and exporting using the gltf open standard. The second add-on is OpenUSD, supporting the USD open … Moving FROM and TO The Unity Game Engine Read More The post Moving FROM and TO The Unity Game Engine appeared first on GameFr
Don't worry, The Pokemon Company is looking into the whole Palworld thing
Game Developer
JANUARY 25, 2024
"We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon.
Tales of Old: Dominus - New area
Indie DB
JANUARY 23, 2024
Showcase of a new area: Hillstowe Abbey - A hamlet rests near, where inhabitants lend a helping hand to pilgrims - "The Name of the Rose" vibes here.
Playdemic founders' new studio ForthStar Games will "test and kill" to find its next Golf Clash
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 22, 2024
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Paul Gouge and Alex Rigby have quite the track record. The pair set up their first mobile games studio, BattleMail, in 2001 and sold it to (M)Forma a year later. Shortly after, they formed Rockpool Games, made the J2ME edition of Worms, and sold the developer to Eidos/Square Enix in 2007.
Dev snapshot: Godot 3.6 beta 4
Mircosoft Game Dev
JANUARY 25, 2024
Godot 3.6 is still in development, slowly but steadily! This snapshot updates toolchains for official builds and adds official Linux ARM binaries, among other improvements.
Ruiner dev Reikon Games reportedly lays off 80% of staff
Game Developer
JANUARY 25, 2024
January 2024's layoffs continue with alleged cuts at Reikon, which released its debut game Ruiner in 2017.
Obscurity: Unknown Threat update
Indie DB
JANUARY 22, 2024
Details and accompanying videos from the recent interview that Valentin the Mad from Random Madness had with us about Obscurity: Unknown Threat and its development.
An arms race for games industry tax breaks
GamesIndustry.biz
JANUARY 23, 2024
Consulting firm Nordicity is well-versed on the subject of tax credits for the games industry. It has worked with trade groups around the world, helping them explain to legislators how tax breaks can help make their regions more competitive. It has also worked on the other side of the equation, helping governments that are either exploring the idea, or have already settled on tax breaks but need help with the logistics of implementing them.
Knowledge unboxed: The top learning tools of 2023
Unity Blog
JANUARY 22, 2024
Unwrap the best of Unity Learn in 2023. This blog is a celebration of how creators – beginner or expert, hobbyist or pro – learned and honed their craft, and brought their visions to life, over the last year.
Destroy All Humans dev Black Forest Games reportedly cuts 50% of staff
Game Developer
JANUARY 25, 2024
Known for remaking the Destroy All Humans games, Black Forest may be the next studio to get hit hard with reductions.
Madrigal - Wraith combat test
Indie DB
JANUARY 23, 2024
Madrigal Wraith combat test, the scythe weapon ground strike was a lot of tricky work using animation events to trigger all the fx etc, it also has a damage collider attached to the prefab projectile trail which follows the trajectory to damage the player.
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