The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast

Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This week, we use Devolver's unveiling of Big Fan Games - a new publishing label dedicated to indies working on licensed and other established IP - as a jumping off point to discuss the market for video game adaptations. Ranging wildly in scope and quality, there have been examples over the years that licensed games don't always print money in the way publishers might hope - we discuss the many reasons behind this, and the potential for indies who get the chance to work on major IP.

Other headlines we discuss is Epic Games' latest lawsuit against Google, the closure of Play Magazine, the death of HoloLens, and Palworld coming to mobile. Finally, in 'What Do The Numbers Mean?', Chris looks at the early performance of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This week, our main topic is Ubisoft not only delaying Assassin's Creed Shadows to February 2025, but also drop the season pass model and launch an internal review into its games strategy following softer than expected sales for Star Wars Outlaws. We discuss the implications of the delay, the toxic response to some of Ubisoft's titles from certain corners of the internet, and how Ubisoft might recover from the setbacks it has faced

Elsewhere on this episode, we discuss recent headlines such as Sony's State of Play, Xbox's growth in Asia, Stellarblade's lawsuit against Stellar Blade and the most recent layoffs. Meanwhile in 'What Do The Numbers Mean?', Chris shares insights into how EA Sports FC is faring since Electronic Arts dropped the FIFA licence and the success this year's release has seen from its special edition (which grants early access to the game).

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This week, the big story is Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are taking legal action against Pocketpair developer Palworld. We dig into why this is not the lawsuit so many consumers expected after the game was originally announced, which patents may be at the centre of this dispute, and the potential motivations behind these two major companies calling on their lawyers.

Elsewhere on this episode, we discuss recent headlines such as EA's investor day, Australia's new rules on in-game gambling imagery and loot boxes, and the return of Flappy Bird. And in What Do The Numbers Mean? we take a deeper look at how well Astro Bot has performed.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This week, we are joined by Ampere Analysis' Piers Harding-Rolls to discuss Sony's unveiling of the PS5 Pro, its potential value as a product, and its sales prospects with that divisive price tag.

Elsewhere on this episode, we discuss Ubisoft's performance over the past few years and some of the biggest challenges the company faces, while in What Do The Numbers Mean? we look at the early performance for some key recent releases, including Astro Bot and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This week, we continue our discussion of Concord's troubles with Sony pulling the shooter from sale two weeks after launch. While some have seen this stumble as a nail in the coffin for PlayStation's live services strategy, we walk about why it's important for the platform holder to continue pushing forward in this space, and for the rest of the industry to take more risks and step out of comfort zones.

Elsewhere on this episode, we ponder Hiroki Totoki's comments that Sony has not fostered enough original IP, and in What Do The Numbers Mean? we look at the initial signs of a disappointing performance for Star Wars Outlaws.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This week, we talk about the struggles of Concord, PlayStation's latest foray into the live service space, and the potential reasons behind the hero shooter's failure to pull in the number of players seen by other multiplayer outings - including Sony's own recent hit Helldivers 2.

We also talk about Remedy's deal with Annapurna and the Alan Wake studio's move towards self-publishing, while this week's What Do The Numbers Mean? takes a look at how Astro Bot might perform when the PlayStation platformer releases later this week.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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Chris and James recap their time at Gamescom and predict how Star Wars Outlaws might do next week

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For this podcast, we did something a little different: a live Q&A show recorded as part of the official Devcom 2024 Twitch stream.

Chris Dring and James Batchelor were joined by Altered Gene's Des Gayle, answering questions submitted by GamesIndustry.biz readers ahead of the show. Topics tackled in this episode included:

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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Continuing our Gamescom 2024 coverage, Chris and James look back at the biggest announcements from this year's Opening Night Live showcase.

We talk about Take-Two's packed 2025 line-up, the range of updates from Xbox's many studios, and some of the big surprises, such as the new fantasy god game Masters of Albion from veteran designer Peter Molyneux and his team at 22Cans. You can find out more about Molyneux's approach to this - potentially his final game - in his full interview with GamesIndustry.biz.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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As part of our series of daily podcasts from Devcom and Gamescom 2024, GamesIndustry.biz editor-in-chief James Batchelor is joined by Execution Labs co-founder and former IGDA Montreal executive director Jason Della Rocca.

Drawing on Della Rocca's years of experiences working with indie developers, we discuss the biggest challenges these studios face in today's market, from the impact of layoffs and studio closures to the shrinking indie publisher scene.

We also talk about what helps indies stand out in the market, why it's important to research your genre before committing to it, and what opportunities there may be for indies in the near future.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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