Update (4/24/24): In an email to Game Developer, the ESA called claims of the game industry shutting down libraries' preservation attempts as "simply not accurate.""[We] have long been committed to the preservation of video games and support efforts by cultural institutions to build physical video game collections," it wrote. "It’s important to note that ESA and its members are committed to the historical preservation of games."Pointing to the Copyright Office already allowing "legitimate" libraries and institutions archiving rights, the ESA stressed it's in favor of preservation, so long as it doesn't violate developers' rights under copyright law."The industry’s creative and economic vitality depend on strong copyright …
Persona developer Atlus has recently lost studio veteran Kazuma Kaneko. The artist has jumped ship over to COLOPL, as revealed in a translated interview from his new employer.Oft known as the Demon Artist, Kaneko joined Atlus in 1988, with one of his first projects being King of Kings. Since then, he's designed characters and monsters for plenty of games, including Devil May Cry 3, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and nearly every mainline Persona entry.Having been so deep in the Atlus system for so long, his final game with the company is Persona 3 Reload.Older developers leaving their studio draws attention, especially when their work is synonymous with its output. Kaneko's art has helped define both Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, particularly with their rising popularity in the West.A sp…
Casual game developer Arkadium is taking a page out of Epic Games' book and launching its own platform for creators of browser-based games.Under the Arkadium for Developers program, third-party developers can submit their works to Arkadium's distribution network. If accepted, the developer gets 75 percent of the revenue.Additionally, approved games will launch with ads and possible microtransactions already integrated.As the FAQ notes, Arkadium has a global network of over 300 partners. Under its umbrella, a game's visibility "significantly increases," especially since their games are in outlets like the Washington Post and AARP.Arkadium hopes its program results in 30 new games launched on the platform by year's end. Already, the studio has 75 games actively …
Chilling survival title Frostpunk has sold over 5 million copies in six years. That's according to developer 11 Bit Studios, which shared the news on Steam.The studio said the milestone comprises sales across all platforms. It also divulged a number of playtime metrics, and revealed that on average people play Frostpunk for 24 hours.Around 3 percent of players currently have over 100 hours of playtime on record, and the rarest achievement—an accolade called 'The City Must Survive' that can only be earned when all other settlements distrust you—has only been unlocked by 0.6 percent of Steam players.Frostpunk launched on April 24, 2018, to critical acclaim and enjoyed years of support, with 11 Bit releasing a number of substantial add-ons and updates to deliver new feature…
Another shakeup has hit Ubisoft, as chief portfolio officer Sandrine Caloiaro has left the French developer.Per Ethan Gach's Dead Game, Caloiaro left two years into her most recent position. She'd been with Ubisoft for a decade, first starting out as a VP for its consumer and market knowledge team.As Gach noted, her leadership resulted in a "player-first" focus that dictated the direction of Ubisoft's big franchises. This led to an alleged "power struggle" over their creative direction and monetization.It's not clear as to why Caloiaro left, or her future prospects, but Ubisoft claims it was her choice. Its statement called her "instrumental in building…[our] consumer and market knowledge practice, and in accelerating the development of our po…
EA is increasing the price of its EA Play subscriptions. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the company is raising the price of both its standard EA Play and EA Play Pro subscriptions across the board.Subscribing to the standard EA Play tier will now cost $5.99 / £5.99 per month, an increase on the previous fee of $4.99 / £3.99 per month. The cost of the annual subscription will increase to $39.99 / £35.99 per year from $29.99 / £19.99 per year.
EA Play Pro
As for EA Play Pro, accessing the premium option–which grants access to more EA titles including premium editions of new releases–will now set subscribers back $16.99 / £16.99 per month. It previously went for $14…
Epic's battle royale shooter Fortnite has transcended its humble origins to become a leading example of what the 'metaverse' could be. Headline-making collaborations with global brands. Iconic skins that unite characters from movies, television shows, video games, and more under one roof. A perpetually evolving narrative that keeps players in orbit. In-game concerts and comedy shows with major artists. User generated content in spades.Yes, the early pitch of a live-service shooter has now morphed into something far greater (and perhaps more lucrative) than was initially envisioned, and Epic is acutely aware of how potential partners view Fortnite within the current entertainment landscape.Just look at Disney. The Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel Cinematic Universe owner recently…
Sales for Toys for Bob's Crash 4: It's About Time managed to surpass 5 million copies in its life…time.That's according to design director Toby Schadt, who revealed the milestone for the "well-received sequel" on his LinkedIn. It marks the first real indicator of how the platformer's done, sales-wise.Crash 4 released in 2020 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It was the first new entry since 2008's Crash: Mind Over Mutant and eventually came to PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
Toys for Bob, Crash, and Spyro
With this news, it's quite clear that Toys for Bob was successful in reviving both Crash…
The Fallout games are becoming popular again, thanks to the new TV adaptation. Per SteamDB, individual player counts for Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 all doubled days before its April 11 premiere, then during the weekend.Of the three, Fallout 4 had the most players at a peak of near-83,500 players on April 14, then Fallout 76 (39,455) and New Vegas (19,300). As of April 15 (today), Fallout 4 has nearly 68,000 players.Fallout 76's April 14 count is actually its highest ever on Steam. It came to the platform in April 2020, nearly two years after its PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One release in 2018.By comparison, Fallout 4 and New Vegas' numbers are well behind their all-time peaks. The former opened to nearly 473,000 players on Steam in 2015, and the latter just ove…
A new survey from the Game Developer Collective shows concerns over video games' monetization methods, particularly as it pertains to live-service games.600 developers were interviewed between February and March 2024. The live service label, according to a respective 67 percent and 53 percent of devs, are defined by their frequent updates and in-app purchases.39 percent of participants had mild worries over current live-service business models. 31 percent were "very" concerned, while a combined 29 percent either had no fears or were unsure.