The state of the industry does not look good, especially in the AAA world.
Gearbox started firing people as soon as it was bought by Embracer
Nintendo restructures it's testing department
Skull and Bones is slashed by $25 after three weeks on sail
Relic entertainment sold by SEGA
_B: EA Losses
EA drops star wars games and fires 650
EA is looking away from licensed games
_B: Saber Sold
Embracer sells Saber interactive along with other companies. This includes Metro series and new Warhammer 40k Space marine game
Space Marine is still being made
It's being delayed though
They don't seem to care either.
Valve created an orb for video making using steam decks they had lying around. Half Life 3 is still not released.
Activision QA has a large union now
_B: Warner Bros keeps on losing path
Warner Bros Gaming would rather commit suicide squad than make another successful Harry Potter game.
They really want that Fortnite style money
This has made them lean into the DEI money like Sweet Baby Inc
How Sweet Baby Inc ruined a game called Flintlock
Interview with women who work at Mojang. Buzzfeed article says diversity will help us all.
It also means companies leaning into milking the existing player base Instead of trying to grow it.
A lawsuit is coming for game makers that accuses them of making addictive practices to make more money. The response has been, “you can't sue us for making good games”.
Why I stopped being a framerate snob… advert for Steam deck
A business model designed to milk small amounts of players, rather than selling well overall. Comparison to the Cable channel model.
This has meant the Game Developer Conference has some awkwardness.
_GDC: AAA and Creativity
It costs too much to be creative in the AAA field.
Maybe AAA deserves to die. Corporations are greedy! Become an indie!
_GDC: Scream
A group go together to start
Screaming in a park
Meanwhile Monopoly Go has a huge publicity budget.
Monopoly Go had a nearly half a billion promotional budget.
And Toys for Bob is finally making their own game
Toys for Bob is making their own game. They usually make them by assignment, and have been very successful at it. The NFC toy games were started by them, and they created Tony Hawk Downhill Jam.
Also, Capcom has raised the pay of their employees.
Capcom raises salaries in tough times
So there is a silver lining.
The new 3D Kirby is a joy. It's on the east side, but the level design and story through that design is wonderful.
The one where he eats cars? I haven't kept up too closely.
Do you know if they ever made New Horizons as good as New Leaf?
I found NH to be extremely disappointing, ultimately. All your tools, EVEN THE GOLDEN ONES, have durability now, and break after a certain number of uses. You must now always carry around sticks and stones to remake your items as you go about your day. You have to fill your inventory with shovels, nets, or fishing rods if you want to grind out stuff to sell or donate.
There is a point system called Nook Miles in the game where you have to complete infinitely repeating "quests" to earn them, and then can buy things from Tom Nook like upgrades, hairstyles, crafting recipes (oh yea, you craft 90% of your furniture, say goodbye to sets).
You still can't kick out the villagers you don't want, you have to wait for them to randomly decide they want to move, then wait 1-2 days for them to pack up and GTFO.
I also remember the inventory and menu-ing feeling very sluggish, especially compared to PC games I was playing at the time like FF14. That's a game that can run on the PS3, and it's faster to open and close windows than a modern day Switch title.
The island customization and terraforming is excellent, but a bit finicky when it comes to corners and edges. Things you think you should be bale to change simply won't budge.
6/10, not what it could have been, and definitely not what it should have been. Watch a youtuber play it instead and try to enjoy that.
Yes, the one where he eats cars and takes on an apocalyptic wasteland that should be in the book Akira.
I haven't played the new Animal Crossing, but I am told it's very good by those who play.
Ahh, gotcha.
Thanks! I'll look into it.