Valve has added new discoverability features to Steam for studios. These changes, according to Valve, were made based on explicit feedback provided by developers, some during Gamescom earlier in August.Both changes give studios control of what related items appear on a title's store page. Now, they can choose what studio, franchise, or publisher gets highlighted underneath a written description.For example, PlayStation could opt to put Assassin's Creed Shadows in the "More Like This" tab under Ghost of Tsushima. Conversely, Ubisoft could do the same with God of War (2018) for Assassin's Creed Valhalla.This marks the newest (and final) series of tweaks to Steam for August. Over the past month, the storefront has seen changes to its store page descriptions and player…
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ended its investigation into Apple over the company's in-app payment system, as it "no longer constitutes an administrative priority."The UK regulator first began its examination of how apps were distributed on the UK iOS platform in 2021. At the time, it believed Apple was in potential violation of the Competition Act.In 2022, the CMA proposed and then launched a full investigation into Apple and Google over their alleged mobile market dominance. At the time, it claimed the two companies created a duopoly that limited choice for UK players.Despite this verdict, the CMA affirmed this is not case closed. In fact, it stressed that it would "continue to monitor Apple's conduct on the market," and may open another in…
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa doesn't believe the company's next console will be impacted by production issues.Consumers in some regions might have found it difficult to get their hands on a Switch over the years due to component shortages that also impacted other console makers.Despite those speed bumps, the Switch has sold over 141 million units worldwide, and Nintendo has confirmed it will unveil its successor during the current fiscal year (ending on March 31, 2025).Although nobody knows when the mysterious console—rumored to be another hybrid handheld like the Switch—will actually hit shelves, Furukawa has reassured investors it isn't anticipating production issues."Although we were unable to produce sufficient quantities of Nintendo Switch hardware last…
Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty has described the closure of Hi-Fi Rush developer as a "forward-thinking" decision.Speaking on Variety's Strictly Business podcast (as spotted by Kotaku senior reporter Ethan Gach), Booty said Hi-Fi Rush "did well" for Microsoft and Xbox, but implied leadership changes within Tango Gameworks were a factor when deciding to shutter the studio."There are a lot of people and processes and oversight to make sure we're making a good decision [to close a studio]," said Booty. "I won't get into the real nitty gritty details of what went into the decision, mostly out of respect for the people there. Just because there was a lot of work that went into delivering Hi-Fi Rush, which was a great game and did well for us.…
The original version of this story referenced a quote that CWA sent out in error referencing an individual's experience. We've updated the story to reflect the corrected CWA press release.U.S. labor union the Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against Lionbridge Technologies for allegedly laying off 160 people after they attempted to organize.Lionbridge is a Microsoft supplier that has provided QA services to Activision. The CWA previously helped workers at both Activision Blizzard and Microsoft unionize.Now, the union has filed ULP charges with the National Labor Relations board and claims Lionbridge laid off its entire team in Boise, Idaho, after they engaged in "protected organizing activities and protected speech" w…
FromSoftware has revealed that Elden Ring has crossed a new sales milestone of over 25 million copies. Just a few months ago, in February, on the day of its two-year anniversary, it had sold 23 million units.The fantasy RPG has been a consistently strong seller since its launch in 2022. But the new number takes on extra significance due to the launch of its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion on June 21.Similarly, Elden Ring's player count has now reached 25 million players across all systems. To this, FromSoftware thanked players "for your passion and support. We have come a long way together."Erdtree will be the game's one and only expansion, and its release will likely grow its already larger player base and sales. But in February, FromSoftware said it'd keep making…
A new report from PCGamer digs into the ongoing troubles at ZA/UM. The report follows on from studio layoffs and the cancellation of several projects in February, with the most notable being one codenamed "Project X7."Per the outlet, this project was planned as a spinoff to the studio's debut game, Disco Elysium. It would've starred "one of [its] most beloved characters," in the vein of a game like Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.Current and former ZA/UM staff claim "X7" had a largely positive internal reaction. One developer went so far as to call it "exactly the sort of game ZA/UM needs to put out," as it would've improved the studio's perception after the February layoffs and previous controversies.A second developer be…
GameStop is laying off an unknown number of staff but admits the cuts might "strain" its existing resources. The video game retailer shared the news annual 10-K report."As part of our strategic plan to achieve profitability, we have recently undertaken cost reduction measures and other initiatives to improve the efficiency of our operations, including initiatives to reduce headcount," it wrote."These initiatives could strain our existing resources, and we could experience operating difficulties in managing our business, including difficulties in hiring, managing and retaining employees. If we do not adapt, we may experience erosion to our brand, the quality of our products and services may suffer and our operating results may be negatively impacted."GameStop n…