Netflix recently discussed its long-term game plans, and Amazon has now followed suit in an interview with Variety.Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann spoke with the outlet about the retail giant's goals for the medium, which effectively boil down to being the reverse Netflix. Where the streamer is taking its steps into games with mobile titles, Amazon is diving first into the PC and console market."It’s just much more opportunities for the market to be on the PC market, on the console market," said Hartmann. Not only does it best fit his past tenure at 2K and Rockstar, he offered that PC and console players take those titles more seriously than the mobile crowd."If the company would say, Christoph, let’s do mobile games, I would have to hire someone," he contin…
As it turns out, Marvel's Iron Man had another canceled video game that predates the would-be project from Just Cause studio Avalanche.This newly revealed project would have come courtesy of the now-defunct studio Genepool Software. According to then-programmer Kevin Edwards, the developer was working on the title following the release of X2: Wolverine's Revenge in 2003.Interestingly, this game's primary armor was based on Iron Man's suit from the Ultimate Marvel comics. Had it come out, it would've joined 2005's Ultimate Spider-Man in bringing Marvel's alternate reality to a wider audience.To Edwards' knowledge, what was then The Invincible Iron Man was never shown before this point in time. Along with his screenshots of the project, he explained th…
Remedy has cancelled its upcoming multiplayer project codenamed 'Kestrel' to rally around existing franchises.The Alan Wake and Control developer said Kestrel "showed early promise" at the early concept stage after being rebooted from an earlier project codenamed 'Vanguard' in 2023.Despite those positive signs, the studio added that "other projects have advanced well" and would perhaps be a safer bet in the long-term.Kestrel was billed as a "premium cooperative multiplayer game" that leaned into Remedy's "core strengths." Tencent had agreed to co-finance and co-publish the project, which was initially announced as a freemium title but eventually ditched that model over perceived market risks."Codename Kestrel showed earl…
Screen Australia has launched a new Game Festivals and Events Fund to support the production, organization, and presentation of video game festivals and events in the region.The government-backed funding body said the new initiative is about enabling events that "significantly benefit the Australian gamemaking community."The Game Festivals and Events Fund will permit applicants to request up to $100,000 to finance their proposed festivals, conferences, workshops, and events. A minimum of $10,000 must be requested. Applications will remain open until the funding pool has been depleted.Those who apply will be told whether they have been successful within four to six weeks of submission. Screen Australia explained eligible applicants must be able to discuss the vision, scope, and ou…
Amazon has renewed its live-action Fallout show for a second season after branding the series a "hit."The show premiered on April 10 in over 240 countries and looks to have won over both critics and audiences around the world."In its first four days, the high-octane fueled series has become a hit with its global audience, ranking among the service’s top three most-watched titles ever and the most-watched season globally since Rings of Power," reads an Amazon press release.The news means the transmedia wheel will keep on turning for the foreseeable future, with Fallout adding to the success of other high-profile video game adaptations based on The Last of Us, Cyberpunk, Super Mario Bros., and Sonic the Hedgehog.Fallout was executive produced by Westworld showrun…
Riot Games revealed its still-untitled (and unannounced) League of Legends MMO has restarted development.In a lengthy Twitter thread, co-founder Marc Merill said the redirection took place "some time ago." That choice was made, he said, because the MMO felt too much like the mothership game.Riot first revealed it was doing a League MMO in 2020, but has otherwise been quiet on its progress. Merill said it can't just be a standard MMO with a "Runeterra coat of paint," it has to feel like a "significant evolution of the genre."Heading up this new endeavor will be Fabrice Condominas as executive producer. Previously a producer on Star Wars: Squadrons and Mass Effect: Andromeda at EA, Condominas has been at Riot since 2021.He'll be joined by technical dir…