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Media company AGBO has launched a new Innovation department tasked with building proprietary creative tools that can be used across "diverse platforms"Thus far, the company founded by Joe and Anthony Russo (of MCU fame) hasn't dabbled into games. But their press release notes the department covers different media and platforms, which games are becoming a key part of for companies' transmedia plans.The department is split into three teams: creative, immersive technology, and production technology. Immersive technology will be headed up by Josh Andersen, who previously worked as a lead programmer at Epic Games.During his Epic tenure, he worked on the PC and iPhone version of Fortnite, along with the Infinity Blade trilogy and Shadow Complex. His team will "support [A…

Skybound is on an executive recruitment drive and has brought in former Activision Blizzard VP of marketing Kaleb Ruel to lead its marketing efforts.Ruel will serve as VP of marketing within Skybound's in-house game studio. He most recently worked on the record-breaking launch of Diablo IV during his time at Activision Blizzard.Skybound has made seven major executive hires in 2024, bringing in a number of game industry veterans including Activision Blizzard's former VP of product Chris Paulson and EA's former head of corporate Jeff Chaiken.Paulson worked with Ruel at Activision Blizzard and believes he'll be able to accelerate Skybound's publishing capabilities."I loved working with Kaleb previously, and I'm thrilled to have him join me at Skybound. Kaleb…

Lords of the Fallen developer CI Games just delivered its "best year" in terms of revenue but is now laying off another 30 workers—having previously laid off 10 percent of its workforce in January.The company confirmed the news in a statement sent to Game Developer and explained the layoffs represent a "final, targeted round of redundancies." It said the cuts are part of the business optimization program it started earlier this year."This restructure affects approximately 30 roles across production and will help ensure maximum efficiency in delivering strategic priorities going forward," it added in a statement."Today's announcement does not affect the Hexworks team and development of 'Project 3,' the studio's next action-RPG title f…

Supergiant's Hades 2 has had such a big Early Access launch that it's ended up scaring off Evil Empire and Ubisoft's The Rogue Prince of Persia.Evil Empire's pushed back the Early Access launch of its game (which is also a roguelike) from Tuesday, May 14 to another date. The team noted the change is specifically because of Hades 2."Everyone and their mum is playing that game (including our entire team…and their mums)," it wrote. "We will still be releasing in May, and will be back with a precise date on Monday, May 13."Games get delayed to avoid clashing with other titles often. But it's not every day a specific game is explicitly listed: when Don't Nod delayed Banishers last year, for example, the studio attributed it to the deluge of fa…

Steam has a sizable number of games that openly use generative AI, according to developer Ichiro Lambe.Lambe previously worked at Valve on Steam Labs, a tool focused on discoverability. While investigating Steam games using genAI, he found 1,000 titles on the platform have disclosed using the controversial technology in some fashion.Those games include The Finals (whose genAI usage was known last year), Tribes 3, and Atman: Rebel Flame. Some of these, per their store pages, only used genAI for their human staff to have as a reference point.In January, Valve gave the green light for developers to put games made with genAI on the storefront. As long as it didn't have anything illegal or infringing, it could go to Steam, a standard the "vast majority" of titles cleared.Valve&#x…

Changes are underway within Remedy Entertainment's core management team. The most immediate change is adding Mikael Kasurinen as co-creative director for the whole studio.Previously the director on Control and its upcoming sequel, he'll work with Alan Wake 2 creative director Sami Järvi to make games "aligned with Remedy’s strategy and operational priorities."Remedy has previously indicated the Control and Alan Wake series will be key to its future, and CEO Tero Virtala welcomed Kasurinen to the management team. With him on board, Virtala said the studio now has a "needed focus" on the two franchises."Kasurinen and Järvi have worked together in a number of games," he explained. "They have complementary world class skills [and are] the right …

LucasArts veteran Matt Shell, known for his work on numerous Star Wars titles, has passed away.The news was shared on X by The Game Awards organiser Geoff Keighley and others within the industry. Keighley, who also resurfaced an interview he conducted with Shell back in 2007 for television show Game Head, described him as an "incredible person with a huge heart.""Kind, loyal, hard working and always funny. He brought a smile to every meeting," he continued. "RIP to Matt Shell, one of the truly great people in the gaming industry."Shell joined LucasArts in 2003, initially serving as an integrated marketing manager. Eventually, he was promoted to senior product marketing manager and tasked with promoting and developing the creative briefs for multiple LucasArts …

Deliver Us Mars developer KeokeN Interactive has laid off its development team after failing to bring in work."We've had to lay off our team at KeokeN because of nothing substantial materializing directly after our visit to GDC. We’ve unfortunately exhausted all our possible options for publishing, work for hire, and co-development," wrote CEO Koen Deetman and MD Paul Deetman on X."It is our utmost priority to make sure our lovely team finds a new home somewhere else, so if you have any positions available in Programming, Tech Art, Porting, Level Design, Audio, Animation, Production, Office Management, contact us, so that we can introduce you to the very best people who have been at the heart of KeokeN over the past 10 years."

Paladin Studios laying off 45 workers and shutting down

Isabella Green September 13, 2024 0

Dutch co-development studio Paladin Studios has closed its doors after 19 years.The company shared the news on its website and explained it failed to launch enough work to cover its burn-rate over the past few months.Paladin was established in 2005 and worked on a litany of console, PC, and mobile projects including Cut The Rope Remastered, My Tamagotchi Forever, Amazing Katamari Damacy, and Galaga Wars.The closure means the 45 people currently employed at the studio will be laid off. "For almost 19 years, we have poured our hearts and souls into creating games that make you smile. Starting as a bootstrapped mini studio in 2005, we followed the twists and turns of the game industry and slowly but steadily found our place in it," wrote the studio."Over these years, the studio…