General Gaming News

[Sithborg]

Yeah, it sucks. But, I do think Unity is a dead company walking. No one wants to risk them pulling that **** with the engine again.

 

[Mani-Man]

Unity Software to lay off 1,800 employees, or 25% of staff

Unity Software is slashing about 25% of its workforce just eight months after announcing its prior round of layoffs.

www.cnbc.com

Looks like Unity has to punish its workforce for the board killing the company.

A tale as old as time.
If only the rest of the employees could afford to quit out of solidarity...that would be so cool.
But thats a dream that will never come true.

As it is, people need to work for unity and weather the storm of the boards dumb decisions, hoping they will not do something dumb for a while.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

SAG-AFTRA Signs Deal With Voiceover Studio for AI Use in Video Games

SAG-AFTRA signed an agreement on Tuesday with Replica Studios, setting out terms for the use of AI voices in video games.

variety.com

 

[Teelie]

 

[Mani-Man]

SAG-AFTRA Signs Deal With Voiceover Studio for AI Use in Video Games

SAG-AFTRA signed an agreement on Tuesday with Replica Studios, setting out terms for the use of AI voices in video games.

variety.com

Thats one way to spit in the face of every Member, destroy any goodwill the public had...and help greedy studios destroy the profession.

The way the Sag-aftra betrayed the people, has to be studied.

 

[Iceman]

Did they forget the part where they’re supposed to help their own members?

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

SAG-AFTRA Signs Deal With Voiceover Studio for AI Use in Video Games

SAG-AFTRA signed an agreement on Tuesday with Replica Studios, setting out terms for the use of AI voices in video games.

variety.com

Video game actors speak out after union announces AI voice deal | VGC

SAG AFTRA claims 80% of its members approved the terms…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Video Game Voice Actors Express Worry and Confusion After SAG-AFTRA Deal With AI Studio - IGN

Today, the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced a deal with AI technology company Replica Studios regarding the licensure and use of AI digital replicas of actors' voices in video games. But not all impacted voice actors are happy about it.

www.ign.com

 

[Iceman]

Very worrying development. The union should be a lot more transparent with its members. It’s already a stressful time for voice actors without having to worry if their union is acting in their best interests.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Google may delete (purchased) apps from your Android devices - gHacks Tech News

Android owners of the game Wayward Souls noticed recently that the game has been pulled from their devices. No word or notification from Google on the matter.

www.ghacks.net

 

[Teelie]

Google may delete (purchased) apps from your Android devices - gHacks Tech News

Android owners of the game Wayward Souls noticed recently that the game has been pulled from their devices. No word or notification from Google on the matter.

www.ghacks.net

Another of the many reminders you don't own digital, you only rent it until someone decides to remove it from your device.

 

[Gee]

Another of the many reminders you don't own digital, you only rent it until someone decides to remove it from your device.

This is why I buy DRM-free digital goods as much as possible. Games (GOG, itch.io), music (Bandcamp), comics (Humble Bundle)... Never had any issues regarding my stuff being removed from my computers and mobile devices. Funnily, I only see this happening on console or mobile space (or some other walled garden)...

In this case for Android users, they can always download the APK from a third-party store and simply re-install the game.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Who the eff wants to pay $18 a month ($216 a year) just to play Ubisoft games.

Ubisoft Exec Says Gamers Need to Get 'Comfortable' Not Owning Their Games for Subscriptions to Take Off - IGN

An executive at Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft has said gamers will need to get “comfortable” not owning their games before video game subscriptions truly take off.

www.ign.com

Ubisoft Says Gamers Should Get More Comfortable Not Owning Their Games

The newly reconfigured Ubisoft+ pushes the subscription model hard, but Baldur’s Gate III’s lead dev said these models worsen gaming.

gizmodo.com

And you don’t have to look far for examples. Digital streaming has already broken many of its initial promises, offering customers an easier, cheaper, ad-free alternative to the days of cable boxes and movie rentals. The price of streaming has risen dramatically across the board, especially for folks who have multiple accounts to watch everything they want, and practically every streaming service save for Apple TV+ is pushing an ad-based streaming tier. The same kind of ‘en****tification’ could easily happen to game streaming, and it will come at a much faster clip than what happened with movies and TV.

Everything becoming subscription would be bad and costly for customers. We’ve known for a long time all the big companies have all had Netflix-envy.

Unfortunately for David like 99% of indie and PC games don’t have physical editions, you can pay a digital license per game. Even in the console space the huge budget games don’t have physical editions for all versions that appear in the various online stores.

Larian boss Swen Vincke says subscription-based future could be "savage"

The studio founder believes that bringing Baldur's Gate 3 and other Larian titles to subscription services could result in a critical failure.

www.gamedeveloper.com

Streaming has already been a money pit for the motion picture and television industries.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Rocksteady’s co-founders have established a new studio in London | VGC

Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker left the Batman Arkham studio in…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

Who the eff wants to pay $18 a month ($216 a year) just to play Ubisoft games.

Ubisoft Exec Says Gamers Need to Get 'Comfortable' Not Owning Their Games for Subscriptions to Take Off - IGN

An executive at Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft has said gamers will need to get “comfortable” not owning their games before video game subscriptions truly take off.

www.ign.com

Ubisoft Says Gamers Should Get More Comfortable Not Owning Their Games

The newly reconfigured Ubisoft+ pushes the subscription model hard, but Baldur’s Gate III’s lead dev said these models worsen gaming.

gizmodo.com

Everything becoming subscription would be bad and costly for customers. We’ve known for a long time all the big companies have all had Netflix-envy.

Unfortunately for David like 99% of indie and PC games don’t have physical editions, you can pay a digital license per game. Even in the console space the huge budget games don’t have physical editions for all versions that appear in the various online stores.

Larian boss Swen Vincke says subscription-based future could be "savage"

The studio founder believes that bringing Baldur's Gate 3 and other Larian titles to subscription services could result in a critical failure.

www.gamedeveloper.com

Streaming has already been a money pit for the motion picture and television industries.

Perhaps Ubisoft execs should get comfortable with customers not wanting Ubisoft games.

 

[Teelie]

I'm already quite comfortable not wanting any of their games.

 

[Iceman]

Perhaps Ubisoft execs should get comfortable with customers not wanting Ubisoft games.

There’s no way this thing can be a big success at that price for only Ubisoft games. It’s priced like Game Pass Ultimate with pc game pass and all Xbox studios, Activision Blizzard, Zenimax games day and date and EA’s back catalogue. I can see people subbing for a month or 2 to steam through all the Assassin’s Creeds and whatever else they’ve missed (including DLCs) and then unsubbing.

 

[Mani-Man]

Perhaps Ubisoft execs should get comfortable with customers not wanting Ubisoft games.

You can tell they know that they have IPs that will always sell...otherwise they wouldnt be as arrogant...but then, its ubisoft, arrogance is kind of their thing.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Game developer survey: 50% work at a studio already using generative AI tools

But 84% of devs are at least somewhat concerned about ethical use of those tools.

arstechnica.com

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

After it kicked a bunch of JRPGs out the door with near-zero hype, Square Enix president admits the company needs to get better at marketing

Who remembers Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai?

www.gamesradar.com

 

[blueharvest]

Valve Made $1 Billion From CS Cases Last Year, Data Claims

It has been claimed in a report that Valve earned almost $1 billion from Counter-Strike case openings in 2023.

insider-gaming.com

 

[Iceman]

Valve Made $1 Billion From CS Cases Last Year, Data Claims

It has been claimed in a report that Valve earned almost $1 billion from Counter-Strike case openings in 2023.

insider-gaming.com

Counterstrike is so ridiculously big. Always a clear no.1 in the charts for Steam active players when I look, even against big new releases.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

China issues draft rules for online game management

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-issues-draft-rules-online-game-management-2023-12-22/

The ESRB has started slapping blockchain games with Adults Only ratings, so Epic has changed its store policy to allow them

Porn games are still forbidden, but games that get an AO rating specifically because they use blockchain tech will be allowed on the storefront.

www.pcgamer.com

Their government panicked because they care more about money here than safety.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-removes-official-after-video-games-rules-spark-turmoil-sources-2024-01-02/

China quietly pulls draft gaming rules from website | TechCrunch

Beijing has quietly pulled the proposed curbs on the video game industry from the official website, weeks after the draft guidelines wiped tens of

techcrunch.com

 

[blueharvest]

An Important Update about Riot’s Future

The following is a copy of the internal message from our CEO.

www.riotgames.com

Riot Games is laying off 530 employees, or 11% of their workforce.

 

[Iceman]

An Important Update about Riot’s Future

The following is a copy of the internal message from our CEO.

www.riotgames.com

Riot Games is laying off 530 employees, or 11% of their workforce.

Again, so many in one go. That’s more layoffs than most studios have employees to start with. Tough times out there for devs at insecure studios. I wish them all the best.

 

[Sithborg]

And not the sexual harrassers at the top, I imagine.