Deciding whether to work with a publisher—and then finding the right partner—is a huge decision, so how can developers make the right call? Tim Bender, co-founder and CEO of Manor Lords publisher Hooded Horse, believes it's imperative to avoid becoming wrapped up in another company's success. Instead, look at how publishers treat projects that perhaps underperformed.It's pretty bold advice coming from Bender, whose own company recently delivered huge results with Manor Lords. The strategic medieval city builder amassed over 3.2 million Steam wishlists and topped 2 million sales in under three weeks with Hooded Horse at the wheel, but Bender emphasized that project is a clear outlier–not the norm."When I talk to [developers] I tell them it's a little unfair to…
Bungie has won its lawsuit against Destiny 2 cheat maker Aimjunkies.As noted by Game File reporter Stephen Totilo, a jury awarded the PlayStation-owned studio $63,210 in damages and rejected a counterclaim from Aimjunkies that alleged Bungie illegally accessed one of its computers.David Schaefer, founder of Aimjunkies parent company Phoenix Digital, said the company intends to fight the ruling and will move to dismiss the verdict before pursuing an appeal.Bungie, however, claims the result is a win for both the studio and its players. "We are grateful for the diligence, professionalism, and care exercised by the Judge, his staff, and the Jury," said Bungie lawyer James Barker. "We're committed to our players and will continue to protect them against cheats, including ta…
Final Fantasy developer Square Enix has unveiled a new medium-term business plan centered around creating "unforgettable experiences" capable of "moving people's heart." Notably, the company is also going all-in on multi-platform development to expand its consumer base.The Japanese publisher has ditched its previous medium-term plan after acknowledging that many titles, including some outsourced projects and triple-A releases, failed to live up to profit expectations.It cited other issues with its old plan, including the cannibalisation of newer releases due to a crowded launch schedule, gaps in management infrastructure, and aging legacy titles.Broadly speaking, the company had previously hoped to find success by rebuilding its HD Game and Smart Devices/PC Browser…
Unity executive Marc Whitten is stepping down on June 1, 2024, less than a year after becoming entangled in the company's Runtime Fee fiasco.Whitten currently serves as Unity Create chief product and technology officer. It's unclear why he's resigning from the role, but an SEC filing notes he will continue to serve as an employee until December 31, 2024, to "assist with the transition of his responsibilities."Not too long ago, those responsibilities included persuading developers to accept the introduction of a new Runtime Fee policy, which ultimately went down like a lead balloon.
A brief history of the Unity Runtime Fee
Sega has attributed a downturn in profits to "challenging conditions" within its European consumer (games) business, but feels a recent spate of layoffs and project cancellations will help steady the ship.The Japanese company shared those sentiments in its fiscal report for the year ended March 31, 2024, where it revealed that net sales in its Entertainment Contents segment (home to its game business) increased by 12.4 percent year-on-year to 318 billion yen ($2.05 billion). Ordinary income fell by 25.3 percent year-on-year to 30.7 billion yen ($197.5 million) over that same period.Sega explained sales increased due to the "steady performance" of the consumer area in Japan and Asia, as well as Rovio's entry into the group. It said profit decreased due to those afor…
French publisher Ubisoft has shared its latest fiscal report, and there are some interesting musings buried within.The company delivered record net bookings of €2.3 billion during FY24 and confirmed it has reduced its headcount by 1,700 since September 2022 as part of a cost reduction program.It has also "sharpened" its strategic focus around two core verticals: open world adventure projects like Assassin's Creed and The Division and 'GaaS-native experiences' (live service titles) such as xDefiant and Rainbow Six Siege.
Ubisoft's big bets: Open worlds and live service games
Notably, the company c…
Nonprofit Global Game Jam (GGJ) announced Maria Burns Ortiz has been confirmed as the organization's new executive director. Director of partnerships Charly Harboard is leaving the group, after serving as the interim leader since former executive director Tim Cullings stepped down in February.Burns Ortiz comes to the group with plenty of accolades: she was a co-founder and CEO at 7 Generation Games, has extensive experience in the educational game space, and has taught at universities such as Tufts and Emerson College in Boston, and the Loft Literary Center.“I deeply believe in the transformative power of video games and that game development should be accessible to anyone anywhere,” Burns Ortiz said. “It is an honor to lead Global Game Jam, an organization that embodies that mi…
Call of Duty is coming to Game Pass after all, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal (spotted via Kotaku). That's brand new for the series, which was part of Microsoft's major acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year.Microsoft was reportedly planning to reveal the news at its June showcase, but the cat is now out of the bag. There are no details available yet whether the games will only be available on certain tiers of Game Pass, or whether the price of the service could increase again, after a hike in July of last year.It's also unclear what, exactly, caused the decision at this time, as the question has been high on the minds of Microsoft leadership for quite some time. Reporting at the Verge claimed there was uncertainty at Microsoft about putting the s…
The Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu may be no more, but that hasn't stopped Nintendo from going after those holding onto its code.As spotted by GamesIndustry, the console maker filed DMCA takedowns against 8,535 repositories on Github that held the emulator's code. In its takedown notice, Github said it contacted owners to "give them an opportunity to make changes."In March, Yuzu was forced to shut down following a $2.4 million settlement with Nintendo after a lawsuit was filed. As part of the agreement with developer Tropic Haze, everyhing Yuzu was shut down: repositories, Patreon, Discord, and websites.Github's notice also provided a list of URLs being taken down, one of which was explicitly titled "Yuzu will live." Others had names like "Yuzu mirror…
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…