The Gamebiz Podcast

It sure has taken some time before I decided to cover the Activision Blizzard lawsuit since there were so many new reports coming out what seemed like daily since the lawsuit was made public. This week's topic, I will be covering events that have transpired since the lawsuit came out and give my opinion on what seems likely to have a positive impact on the company's future workplace and what does not. It's a long topic this week, therefore, news quickies will replace the regular news segment.

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News Quickies

(0:43) - GTA remastered trilogy appears to be real and coming to all consoles

(2:01) - July 2021 NPD sales numbers

(3:05) - Amazon Drops ‘Draconian’ Policy on Making Games After Work Hours 

(4:48) - Topic of the week

show notes

GTA remasters - https://kotaku.com/the-gta-remastered-trilogy-appears-to-be-real-and-comi-1847474620

Amazon drop bad policy - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-12/amazon-drops-company-policies-on-game-development-after-backlash

Most things on Activision Blizzard - https://kotaku.com/jesse-mcree-diablo-4-director-no-longer-at-activision-1847469113

https://kotaku.com/everything-that-has-happened-since-the-activision-blizz-1847401161

Everyone, the Vita died prematurely and I am sad that it did because we are now seeing all sorts of handheld gaming devices come back. Not just the OG Switch, but Switch Lite, Steam Deck and the Playdate. So let's bring back the topic of why really the Vita suffered its fate so soon.

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News

(0:29) - Embracer groups buys even more studios

(3:42) - New PSVR2 reports

(6:.03) - Financial reporting from Sony, Nintendo, Square Enix and EA conference call

(13:58) - Topic of the Week - Vita died too young

show notes

Embracer acquisitions - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-08-05-embracer-acquires-eight-studios-including-crazy-labs-ghost-ship-games-digixart

PSVR2 news - https://uploadvr.com/ps5-vr-headset-hdr-oled-aaa

Sony financials - https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/1422912387775074306

Nintendo - https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/1423353986317496323

Square's - https://twitter.com/DomsPlaying/status/1423260857744625678

EA - https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/1423029272764198915

Here's another chill story time. This time, I wanna tell you about IO interactive and how they made their comeback from Absolution with Hitman 2016 but also navigating through being sold off by their ex-parent company, Square Enix. 

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News

(1:02) - Xbox FY 2021 financial report

(2:52) - PlayStation 5 sold 10m units

(3:46) - Horizon Forbidden west delayed

(5:32) - PS5 Beta update adds SSD support and more

(7:36) - IO Interactive story

show notes

Microsoft - https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/27/22596578/microsoft-q4-2021-earnings-revenue-xbox-cloud-services-surface-gaming

PlayStation - https://www.sie.com/en/corporate/release/2021/210728.html

https://www.ign.com/articles/ps5-system-update-beta-3d-audio-tv-speakers-trophy-tracking

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-30/playstation-video-game-horizon-forbidden-west-delayed-to-2022

IO interactive - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_stW6JvB4SI&t=1s

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-05-07-podcast-ios-independence-with-hakan-abrak-gi-live-online

The Steam Deck was announced last week and as you'd expect, lots of people bringing it up as a Switch killer. It's not, and I'll tell you why if you listen to this week's episode.

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News updates

(0:25) - Nintendo Switch’s Big Price Hike Takes Gamers Into New Territory

(2:29) - Netflix going into video games and will they partner with PlayStation?

News Quickie

(6:21) - Epic wins appeal against Apple in Austrailia

(7:26) - Stadia introducing 70% revenue share for Pro subscription

(9:52) - Topic of the Week - Steam Deck

Show Notes

Nintendo - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-14/nintendo-switch-s-big-price-hike-takes-gamers-into-new-territory

Netflix - https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-and-netflix-game-imagery-found-in-the-netflix-apps-data/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-14/netflix-plans-to-offer-video-games-in-expansion-beyond-films-tv?sref=9hGJlFio

Epic v Apple - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-07-12-epic-games-wins-appeal-against-apple-in-australia

Stadia - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-07-13-stadia-introducing-70-percent-revenue-share-for-pro-subscription

Steam Deck - https://www.ign.com/articles/steam-deck-all-our-new-exclusive-info-ign-first-valve?utm_source=facebook,twitter

If you like Assassin's Creed then you will want to listen to this week's topic citing what the future of Assassin's Creed will be...Infinity...dun dun DUN. If you don't like Assassin's Creed then listen to it for other news.

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News updates

(0:31) - Switch (OLED Model) announced Oct 8th

(7:51) - PlayStation State of Play recap

(14:18) - Topic of the Week: AC Infinity is the future

Show Notes

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-07/assassin-s-creed-infinity-to-offer-live-online-game-service?

https://news.ubisoft.com/en-us/article/GZi5hT4dBeM8YITOsJeCn/an-update-on-assassins-creed-infinity-and-the-future-of-the-assassins-creed-franchise

Lots of talking about acquisition wars and what not. Just last week we had PlayStation announced 3 acquisitions. This week's topic of the week, I want to talk about acquisitions, partnerships and consolidations, what are they and why they matter.

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News

(0:51) - Microsoft’s xCloud game streaming is now widely available on iOS and PC

(2:17) - Phil Spencer comments on acquisitions

(4:18) - PlayStation acquiring Housemarque, Bluepoint and Nixxes Software 

(5:54) - Rachet and Clank Rift apart 40FPS Quality mode update, Ghost of Tsushima Director's cut announced.

(8:30) - Indies are frustrated working with PlayStations

News Quickies

(11:42) - Konami and Bloober Team announce partnership

(12:54) - Dead Space remake is in the works at Motive

(13:55) - Topic of the week

Show notes

Microsoft Xcloud - https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/28/22554267/microsoft-xcloud-game-streaming-xbox-pass-ios-iphone-ipad-pc

Phil Spencer - https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xboxs-phil-spencer-explains-why-he-believes-studio-buyouts-are-good-for-gaming/

Rachet and Clank Rift Apart - https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/06/sony-updates-ps5-game-with-rare-40-fps-mode-and-its-a-great-4k-option/

Ghost of Tsushima - https://blog.playstation.com/2021/07/01/ghost-of-tsushima-directors-cut-arrives-on-ps5-and-ps4-consoles-on-august-20/

Indies mad at PlayStation - https://www.ign.com/articles/why-indie-publishers-fed-up-playstation

https://venturebeat.com/2021/06/30/small-game-publishers-imply-its-difficult-to-succeed-on-playstation/

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-30-indies-criticize-sony-over-discount-policies-poor-communication-more

Konami and Bloober - https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/konami-and-bloober-team-announce-partnership-amid-silent-hill-links/

Dead Space remake - https://venturebeat.com/2021/07/01/dead-space-remake-is-in-the-works-at-motive/

I talk about Game Pass so much since starting this podcast but I have never actually tried it myself. I don't own any Xbox console but I do own a PC so I got Game Pass for PC. After a month of using it, I'm here to share with you my experience on the PC. 

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News

(0:30) - U.S. Healthcare Is So Trash This Game’s Localization Needed Changing

(3:50) - EA acquires Playdemic for $1.4bn

News Quickie

(5:45) - Dreams and Mercedes-Benz collaboration on a game

(6:45) - Valve reportedly limits region switching to combat Steam price exploitation

Topic of the Week

(8:00) - Xbox Game pass experience

Show notes

Cozy Grove Localiztion - https://kotaku.com/u-s-healthcare-is-so-trash-this-game-s-localization-ne-1847169929?utm_campaign=Kotaku&utm_content

EA Acquires Playdemic - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-23-ea-acquires-playdemic-for-usd1-4bn

Dreams and Mercedes Collab - https://www.gamesradar.com/dreams-and-mercedes-benz-made-a-2d-narrative-platformer-where-you-imagine-the-future/

Valve - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-24-valve-reportedly-limits-region-switching-to-combat-steam-price-exploitation

E3 has finally ended and you were probably overall disappointed with it. Well, you aren't alone there. Sigh. I go through some of my thoughts on the final 2 days of E3 as well as answering the question of "was E3 worth it this year?"

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News

(1:02) - Cyberpunk 2077 is returning to PS store, PS4 vers still busted

(3:03) - More Elden Ring news from Miyazaki's interview

(5:46) - Deviation Games interview sheds light on their partnership with PlayStation

(11:36) - E3 Wrap Up and thoughts

Show notes

Cyberpunk 2077 - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-15-cyberpunk-2077-returns-to-playstation-store-next-week

Elden Ring Interview - https://www.ign.com/articles/elden-ring-interview-largest-open-world-map-summer-of-gaming

Deviation Games interview - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-14-deviation-games-playstation-has-a-culture-where-its-fearless-to-create

E3 Wrap up - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-10-gi-e3-all-the-announcements

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/06/17/xbox-games-showcase-extended-recap/

We kick off E3/Summer Game Fest 2021 this Thursday. This week and next, I'll be replacing topic of the week in order to report on E3 news. For this episode, I covered the outstanding showcase from Xbox and Devolver, midtier Ubisoft forward and the bad that is Gearbox and Square Enix's showcases.

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News

(0:19) - Embracer's Gearbox acquisition appears to have blocked Homeworld 3's Fig investment scheme

(3:54) - Xbox is going to be offering xbox gaming on TVs without the box itself now

(6:12) - E3/Summer game fest segment

Show notes

Embracer/Gearbox - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-08-embracers-gearbox-acquisition-appears-to-have-blocked-homeworld-3s-fig-investment-scheme

Xbox going box-less on TVs - https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/06/10/satya-nadella-and-phil-spencer-on-gaming-at-microsoft/

E3/Summer Game Fest summary - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-06-10-gi-e3-all-the-announcements

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/06/10/deviation-games-signs-with-playstation-to-develop-a-new-original-ip/

Spend some chill story time with me as I tell you the story of Starbreeze Studio and how they went from stardom to almost filing for bankrupty due to their irresponsible spending on head scratching projects, virtual reality companies, unusable game engines and an overall incompetent management team. And of course, how they have made a return from the brink death. Story divided into chapters below.

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News

(0:18) - Playstation's Herman Hulst had a Q&A also, Horizon 2 cross-platform differences

(5:58) - PixelOpus is hiring for a Sony Pictures Animations game which could be Mitchell's VS. the Machines 

(8:16) - Starbreeze story

(9:27) - Chapter 1: Getting to know Starbreeze

(12:44) - Chapter 2: The price of hubris

(19:22) - Chapter 3: The Repair and Rebirth

Show notes

Playstation - https://blog.playstation.com/2021/06/02/hermen-hulst-qa-whats-next-for-playstation-studios/#sf246401757

https://www.ign.com/articles/horizon-forbidden-west-ps4-ps5-difference-graphics-lighting-water?

PixelOpus - https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/concrete-genie-studio-pixelopus-is-making-a-new-ps5-game-with-sony-pictures-animation/

Starbreeze - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-12-03-starbreeze-facing-insolvency-ceo-steps-down

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-12-04-starbreeze-has-paid-off-most-of-its-creditors

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-12-06-starbreeze-completes-reconstruction-process-after-12-months

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-02-16-starbreeze-losses-shrink-to-as-payday-continues-to-grow

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-05-11-starbreezes-q1-losses-shrink-95-percent-to-usd505-000

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-05-19-starbreeze-4-0-how-the-payday-studio-escaped-the-brink-of-insolvency

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-01-28-the-fall-of-swedish-game-wonder-starbreeze