games industry
MMO Business Roundup: Gaming addiction, GTA6, Ubisoft layoffs, Epic v. Google, and more
Welcome back to another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news. There's been a lot this week, so we'll keep 'em brief!
Addiction: A woman...
Former Trion boss Scott Hartsman cautions studios to reconsider live service games
Former Trion Worlds CEO Scott Hartsman has a few words of advice for any studio contemplating the creation of a live service game: Maybe...
Xbox announces plans for AI-based gamedev tools that generate game dialogue and quests ‘at scale’
The invasion of generative AI text and large language model (LLM) tools like ChatGPT into game development and design has gotten the backing of...
Nitrado CEO claims ARK Survival Ascended ‘would never have existed’ without its $4M loan
The twisty, tangled, muddy mess between Nitrado, ARK: Survival Ascended publisher Snail Games, and the wider business of private server hosting continues to present...
Modders declare petition victory as ARK Survival Ascended team lifts server hosting exclusivity restrictions
Remember when ARK developer Studio Wildcard announced a seven-year partnership with Nitrado for private server rental for the just-released ARK: Survival Ascended, which ended...
Microsoft eyes October 13 completion date for its Activision-Blizzard buyout
Microsoft appears to be fairly certain that its multi-billion dollar acquisition of Activision-Blizzard will go through, as a company source reports that it's looking...
Former Ubisoft execs and employees were detained by French police over sexual misconduct allegations
It looks as if the French authorities are moving against Ubisoft employees who were among those accused in the studio's wide-reaching sexual misconduct exposé....
SAG-AFTRA members overwhelmingly vote in favor of a video game voice actors strike
Over the past few months, Hollywood has been ground to a halt as voice actors and screenwriters hit the picket lines to fight against...
Roblox sheds 30 ‘talent acquisition’ employees as part of a company plan to improve its profits
We've reported numerous times how the company that runs Roblox has continually seen revenue rise but profits plummet as it outspends those earnings to...
Unity’s runtime fee scheme sees game devs shut off Unity ads and employees turn in resignations
The tire fire of Unity's decision to impose "runtime fees" on studios that use the engine continues to burn bright and hot. Game developers...
SEC filings reveal the multi-million-dollar debt ARK Survival Evolved’s publisher owes Nitrado
In the middle of August, ARK: Survival Ascended called attention to a partnership with Nitrado that would guarantee the option for players to rent...
SAG-AFTRA union prepares for a second strike over video gaming’s use of AI and low wages
The SAG-AFTRA union has already stood up to TV and film companies with no apparent resolution in sight, and now it looks as if...
BitCraft developer releases source code for its SpacetimeDB backend engine to everyone on Github
How has the 20-person Clockwork Labs studio been able to put together its sandbox MMORPG BitCraft? With the use of its bespoke backend engine...
Unity Q2 2023: Buyout of ironSource pays off with a YOY revenue increase as net losses continue
The second quarter numbers for Unity are in, and it looks like good news for investors. The company's revenue has reached $533M - an...
Ubisoft warns inactive accounts of games library deletion as first quarter sales see a slight dip
You know what's a super great and smart method to get customers to keep coming back to your launcher and storefront? Warning them that...
World of Warcraft’s technical director departs Blizzard after almost 23 years
Blizzard has seen another pillar of the World of Warcraft team depart the studio: Technical Director Monte Krol announced his departure in a tweet this...
Workers at SEGA America officially form their own multi-department union after supermajority vote win
Yesterday saw another win for the organization efforts of video game workers as the fledgling union at SEGA America that started seeking votes in...
MMO Business Roundup: Unity clings to AI, Apple appeals again, Embracer restructures
Business doesn't take a break, and so neither must we. Except for holiday breaks. But then those also can get busy because studios sometimes...
Valve confirms blocking games featuring AI-generated assets on Steam is primarily about copyright law
Most of the time when AI art generators are heralded by game studios and publishers, one of the first questions people begin to ask...
Among Us is getting its own animated TV series sometime in the future
There isn't a lot of story to be told in the greater scheme of the multiplayer deceive-em-up Among Us, but apparently there's enough meat...
