The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast

Matt, Brendan, Rebekah and James are on hand to discuss the biggest stories of the week -- or, in this instance, story. We delve deeper into Brendan's extensive exposé on the toxic culture at Twitch, which extends across both the office and the site itself. The team explores a story that ranges from allegations of sexual assault and racism to defaction on the walls and a relaxed attitude to the Klu Klux Klan, as we debate how other companies can learn from Twitch's mistakes. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Game Developers' Playlist is a special series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast in which we talk with developers about the titles that influenced their careers. This time, we have Megan Fox -- founder of Skatebird developer Glass Bottom Games -- discussing the impact of Ultima 7, the 1992 systems-driven RPG. Fox reflects on how the use of the game's systems opened up player freedom, and the evolution of similar mechanics in genres such as survival games. The Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favourite games. Title music by Julian Villareal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebekah, Marie and James are on hand to discuss the biggest stories of the past week. We start with the disappointing but perhaps inevitable news that -- despite promises of 'non-obligatory crunch' and multiple delays to the game - CD Projekt Red is forcing the Cyberpunk 2077 developers to work six-day weeks in the run-up to its November 19 launch. Then we're joined by Eurogamer's Lottie Lynn to discuss the impact of changes Niantic made to Pokémon Go to account for the pandemic -- and how it will likely affect the game now many of these are becoming permanent. Finally, we take a look at the early success of Chinese-developed free-to-play epic Genshim Impact, as well as sharing our initial impressions of the game widely described as a Breath of the Wild clone. As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebekah, Brendan and Marie are on hand to discuss the biggest stories of the week -- which, of course, means Microsoft's acquistion of Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media. The platform holder splashed $7.5 billion on the Fallout and Elder Scrolls publisher, but what wider implications does this deal have? We discuss the impact on Game Pass, on the Bethesda IP that struggled at retail but may now have renewed hope, how this affects Microsoft's ability to compete with Sony, and the consequences of industry consolidation. Then we turn our attention to the surprise announcement (despite long-running rumours) of Amazon's Luna cloud gaming service. We weigh up whether Amazon can compete with Xbox, PlayStation and Google in the games streaming space, and question the lack of hype in the run-up to its unveiling. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Five Games Of is a special spin-off series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast that charts the evolution of the industry through the careers and games of prominent developers and more. This month's guest is Debbie Bestwick, CEO and owner of UK-based indie label Team17, whose first game was released in 1991. On the show we discuss this and other formative titles, the changing opportunities for indie developers over the years, shifting attitudes at publishers, and how the very first Worms game was developed on a calculator. The weekly news show will be back on Monday, and you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Rebekah, Brendan and USGamer's Mike Williams discuss the biggest news of the past week. We start with the PS5 launch plans and confusion over pre-orders, and move on to our wider thoughts about the next console generation. With both platform holders offering digital-only consoles, what does this mean for the concept of ownership during the upcoming generation? And how does the rise of subscriptions factor into this? Finally, we go round the table and share which next-gen machine most appeals to us. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, James, Brendan, Rebekah and Chris discuss the biggest news of the past week, which is, unsurprisingly, Xbox. The platform holder announced its long-rumoured Xbox Series S model at $299, priced the Xbox Series X at $499, detailed the Xbox All Access payment plan for both models, gave a November 10 launch date, and revealed that the EA Play library will be added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate later this year. With all the pieces in place for the launch of Microsoft's fourth console generation, we discuss how the platform holder is trying to reshape the business, who the audience for the Series S might be, and whether Sony might respond to the EA Play deal, among other things. And then we somehow masterfully manage to steer the last third of the episode to talking about Nintendo. As always, you can get the latest news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Game Developers' Playlist returns with a look at RPG Maker. In this new monthly show, developers join us to discuss the games that influenced their careers. This episode features Davionne Gooden, the indie developer behind the upcoming She Dreams Elsewhere, talking about how tinkering with RPG Maker motivated him to make a living making games. The Game Developer's Playlist is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favourite games. You can find these articles here. Title music by Julian Villareal. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Brendan, James and USGamer's Mike Williams gather around their mics to discuss the biggest industry news of the past week. Our first big discussion this week is Unity's long-awaited IPO. Having delved deeply into the filing, Brendan discovered some little known and surprising facts about the company behind the widely-used engine. We discuss these revelations and ponder the future of Unity as it targets a potential growth area of £29 billion - but has its biggest competitor got there first? Then we discuss the recent statement of support from 2K Games following the NBA's protest over the shooting of Jacob Blake. Major publishers already made similar statements and accompanying charity donations in the wake of George Floyd's murder earlier this year, but what more can the industry do to make an impact and drive positive change? As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the first episode in a new spin-off series of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, charting the evolution of the industry through the games and careers of prominent professionals. In this monthly show, we'll be joined by developers, composers, writers, publishers and other members of the games industry to discuss five games they have worked on: their first, their last, and three of their choice. Around each title, we'll be exploring how the business of video games has changed, the lessons that have been learned and areas that still need improvement. To kick off this series, we're joined by indie developer Mike Bithell, best known for Thomas Was Alone and his most recent hit John Wick Hex. Don't forget to download our weekly news discussion show every Monday, as well as our other spin-off The Games Developers' Playlist, in which game creators discuss the titles that had the biggest impact on them. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brendan, Marie, Chris and James discuss the biggest stories of the past week, starting with the allegations of inaction against abuse at Rocksteady. The Batman: Arkham Knight studio has been accused of doing little to nothing to address the issues with toxicity and harassment raised by female employees back in 2018. It's worth noting the studio has since released an updated statement that was not available at the time of recording. After this, we discuss the first PlayStation 5 ad and the challenges of promoting a physical next-generation experience when the pandemic has cut off all the usual event marketing opportunities. And with Bossa adopting a hybrid remote-office model, we debate whether a mix of the two can really work for games teams going forward. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Rebekah, Chris and James gather round their microphones to discuss the biggest news of the past week -- starting, of course, with Epic versus Apple and Google. In case you missed the news, the Fortnite firm skillfully goaded Apple into removing the world's biggest game from its App Store then followed up with a pre-prepared lawsuit and a conveniently-ready-to-go parody video. Google later removed the game as well and found itself facing a similar lawsuit. Rebekah has already discussed the messaging around this video in her opinion piece on why it was an irresponsible piece of corporate propaganda, but we delve deeper on the podcast into the many nuances around what Epic is attempting to do. We discuss the way it is mobilising its audience -- and whether the audience has any place in this fight -- as well as the ongoing and related investigations into big tech firms both in Congress and the European Commission, and whether Epic is right in its motivations. We also discuss the delay to Halo Infinite, and the impact this will have on the launch of Xbox Series X, the all-but-confirmed Xbox Series S, and Xbox Game Pass. As always, you can get the latest news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Presenting the debut episode of a new spin-off from The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast: The Game Developer's Playlist In this new monthly show, developers join us to discuss the games that influenced their careers. Kicking off this series is Aaron Linde, lead narrative designer at Halo developer 343 Industries, who shares his love of SNES RPG Earthbound. This podcast is an extension of a series we run on the site called Why I Love, in which developers explore their favourite games. You can find these articles here. Title music by Julian Villareal. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James, Marie, Chris and USGamer's Mike Williams weigh in on the big debate of the week: does the games industry need E3? Studies from both Fancensus and SuperData show that this summer's big game reveals didn't suffer from the absence of the annual showcase -- certainly not when it comes to the platform holders and big publishers. But there are many other aspects of E3 that aren't as easily recreated online and benefits that might be overlooked when focused purely on data -- something Chris discussed in detail last week. We weigh up all these points and more, before turning our attention to the ongoing scrutiny around Apple's 30% share of all App Store revenues. With big tech firms facing antitrust enquiries on both sides of the Atlantic, we debate whether 30% is too high a payment and, building on Rob Fahey's latest column, what the alternative might be. As always, you can get more news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James, Matt, Brendan, Rebekah and USGamer's Mike Williams reflect on the titles shown at this week's Xbox Games Showcase. There was a diverse line-up of internally-developed titles, with the first look at Halo Infinite's gameplay and the long-awaited reveal of the Playground-developed Fable revival. But the presentation did leave us with questions. After multiple instances of Xbox assuring that all title for Xbox Series X will run on Xbox One, the showcase announced several games that appear to be exclusive to the next-generation console (and PC, of course). We delve into the possible reasons for the confusion in Xbox's communications, such as the practicalities of supporting a seven-year-old console while trying to sell the next one. We also discuss the prominence of Game Pass throughout the presentation, and share our highlights from the line-up. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Rebekah, Matt, Brendan and James dive deeper into Rebekah's recent investigation into GlobalStep. For those who haven't read the full article yet, we explore some of the accusations the UK-based QA company -- formerly known as Testology -- faces. Claims include the "culling" and "ghosting" of staff, incorrect pay, and a stifling culture built on fear and zero-hour contracts. We discuss the full findings of the investigation, as well as how such a culture has been sustained, and what other companies might learn from GlobalStep's mistakes. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a double episode of the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast today, following developments over the weekend at Ubisoft as the publisher attempts to reign in its abuse problems. James. Matt and Haydn take a deep dive into the situation at Ubisoft, after several high-level staffers departed the company amid mounting abuse allegations. CEO Yves Guillemot, previously lauded for steering Ubisoft away from a hostile takeover by Vivendi, now finds himself heading a company which faces one of the largest abuse scandals in games industry history. After that Rebekah, Matt, Marie, and Mike tackle the wider issue of systemic abuse in the games industry. The discussion springboarded from an article by narrative designer Kim Belair, which addressed the need for a movement, rather than a moment, in the wake of these allegations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Brendan, Chris and James gather around their respective mics to discuss the biggest industry stories of the past week. Once again, we've refrained from commenting on the ongoing stories of abuse and harassment as we don't feel the podcast is the right forum for this discussion. But you can find our in-depth coverage through the links below. Ubisoft's Maxime Béland resigns amid abuse allegations Nintendo condemns abuse as allegations spread across Smash Bros. community Evo CEO dismissed, event cancelled amid accusations of misconduct and abuse Ubisoft to restructure its editorial team in wake of abuse allegations IGDA criticizes industry for ignoring harassment allegations Leaders, members, sponsors depart top WoW guild amid assault, abuse allegations EA urges employees to come forward with experiences of abuse The main discussion this week follows 2K Games' revelation that NBA 2K21 will be priced at $69.99/£64.99 -- $10/£5 more than the current gen versions. With IDG Consulting expecting more publishers to follow suit, we discuss the implications of a price hike for AAA games, whether it can be justified in a series so divisive over its use of microtransactions, and what this means for lesser-known and new IP trying to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with $70 established hits. You can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Brendan, Marie and Chris are on hand to discuss the biggest games industry topics of the week. The most prominent subject has been the latest wave of allegations concerning abuse, bullying and harassment that have emerged across the industry. As the podcast is not the best forum for such a discussion, we instead direct you to our detailed coverage on the site: Industry's abuse problem brought into focus by latest wave of allegations Abuse in the industry isn't down to a few "bad apples" | Opinion Ubisoft and Insomniac face allegations over mistreatment of women Twitch will issue permanent suspensions to abusers on its platform Assassin's Creed Valhalla creative director leaves project Ubisoft reportedly places executives on leave amid abuse investigation This episode focuses primarily on the subject of game length, following comments from former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden, who said he would "welcome the return of the 12 to 15 hour game." This has reignited the ongoing debate about whether video games are too long, particularly in the AAA space. The team offers their thoughts on whether the biggest games are too big, and whether Layden is correct in calling this model "unsustainable." We also discuss recent comments from Xbox boss Phil Spencer, who said the cellphone-style payment program All Access will be "critical" to selling Xbox Series X. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, Rebekah, Matt and Brendan are joined by new regular guest Mike Williams, of former GamesIndustry.biz and current USGamer fame. In lieu of an formal E3 event this year, Electronic Arts went ahead with its own branded online presser, EA Play. Depending on who you ask, the show was either an exciting glimpse into what the publisher has to offer in the coming years, or a lacklustre display will little of note. But the publisher, which has long held onto dreams of its own highly-lucrative and DRM-riddled digital storefront, announced it was backtracking on the idea and would return to Steam. Combined with a renewed focus on the Nintendo Switch, there’s a lot of change afoot at EA. Finally, The Last of Us Part may have been met with critical acclaim, but the discussion of the game was tainted somewhat by highly restricted review embargoes. Sony forced reviewers to remain tight-lipped on certain story elements which turned out to be a controversial move given the content and Sony’s marketing approach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team share their initial thoughts on Sony's long-awaited reveal of the PlayStation 5. Recorded mere minutes after this week's showcase ended, we share our first impressions on the line-up, the overall presentation, and (of course) the final design of Sony's next-generation console. Along the way, we discuss the diversity of the games' protagonists, question Sony's growth strategy for the next generation, and weigh up how the showcase stands compared to both Microsoft's previous effort and the E3 conferences missing from 2020. We also pick out favourite games from the line-up and debate whether we want the disc-based or digital-only edition of the console. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games from www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As you'll hear, there is no regular podcast this week. In light of the ongoing protests against racial injustice and police brutality, we recognise that our team is currently not diverse enough to contribute significantly to the discussions. Instead, we're using this week to recommend other podcasts that have already commented on the deeper issues at hand, and that you might find worth listening to on an ongoing basis. Please give a listen to: Spawn On Me: A Lesson In Blackness by Khalief Adams, Parris Lilly, Blessing Adeoye Jr, Cameron Hawkins and streamers Pikachulita and Zombaekillz (More from Khalief and Blessing on Kinda Funny Games Daily June 6, 2020) Throwndown 287: We've Been Here by Torrence David, Andre Tipton and Richard Bailey Jr Techish: #BlackLivesMatter, Profiting off Black Culture, Deleting Trumps Tweets, Space X Launch by Abadesi Osunsade and Michael Berhane EXP Podcast 575: A Conversation Only Somewhat About Games by Scott Juster and Jorge Albor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Brendan and James discuss the biggest stories of the past week, starting with speculation about the potential release window for GTA 6. Rumours circulated that a spike in marketing commitments found within Take-Two's financial documentation placed the launch of GTA 6 around 2024 -- but Brendan's ready to shatter that hope. Elaborating on his piece from last week, our North American editor explains why it's far more likely the that surge in marketing spend is more likely to coincide with a major push into sports games than a new Rockstar release. We also unpack David Braben's recent comments about how physical games could more or less go away in three years' time. We look at where physical media stands in the general world of entertainment, and what the Frontier CEO really meant about its diminishing importance. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, James, Marie and Chris are on this week's podcast to discuss the biggest stories of the past week. We start with comments from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who suggests tech and digital industries (including video games) are unlikely to adopt remote working on a permanent basis as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. On a similar note, we discuss commnets from Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick on how lockdown measures have accelerated the trends towards digital distribution, and how games have an advantage over film, TV and other forms of entertainment when it comes to producing content remotely. Finally, we look at the recent milestone announced for PlayStation Now: 2.2 million subscribers. A significant uptick over the past year, but still lagging behind Xbox Game Pass. What is it about Microsoft strategy that gives Game Pass the advantage and why, in the grand scheme of things, does it not currently matter to PlayStation? As usual, you can get your daily dose of news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Rebekah, Chris and James gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the past week - primarily Epic Games. The company debuted the first footage of Unreal Engine 5 with a technical demo that also gave us the first glimpse of gameplay on the Playstation 5. Around this unveiling was also the news that the revenue limit at which Epic will claim royalties from Unreal-powered games has been raised to $1 million, and plans for the Epic Online Services SDK, which will enable other developers to implement cross-play into their titles. Plus, Fortnite is heading to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 at launch, so we discussed the potential for current multiplayer hits on the next generation of consoles. We also touched upon the new PlayStation Studios branding and how the platform holder will create a stronger identity for its first-party titles. You can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team offer their thoughts on last week's Xbox Series X showcase. Recorded in the immediate aftermath of the presentation -- technically during some of the post-show interviews -- we offer our immediate reactions to the first glimpses of next-generation gameplay we saw. 'Glimpses' being the most appropriate word. Both Xbox and Ubisoft have since admitted it may have oversold how much insight into upcoming Series X titles the special episode of Inside Xbox would offer. During our discussion, we delved a little deeper into what people expect when companies promise to show "gameplay." We also weigh up the most promising titles in the round-up, discuss the impact this will have had on their publishers, ponder the next steps for Xbox -- beyond the planned first-party showcase in July -- and even how Sony might be able to improve on this with its first PlayStation 5 showcase. As always, you can find more news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Rebekah, Chris and James discuss the biggest news of the past week. We begin by unpacking Xbox boss Phil Spencer's comments in a recent interview, in which he talked about how Microsoft was taking care to ensure it was "not exploiting" the COVID-19 pandemic and the "big flood" of new users it has brought to gaming. Then, after a tangent about streaming services and the bizarre communications around the launch of Stadia's free version, we reflect on the ongoing success of Xbox Game Pass, which has already amassed more than 10 million subscribers. Finally, following leaks around The Last of Us: Part 2, we talk about the challenge of avoiding and preventing spoilers, not only in games but in any form of entertainment. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking a break from our usual weekly news discussion, the GamesIndustry.biz team carefully place their crystal balls next to their microphones for an unusual E3 predictions podcast. E3 is, of course, cancelled this year and the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in delays for several high-profile games -- and that's not counting all the unannounced ones lurking behind the scenes. Rumours suggest that game reveals and other news lined up for E3 will be spread out across the entire summer, with some big announcements expected in the next few weeks, so we figured we'd get in a little earlier with our predictions podcast and discuss what we expect -- or hope -- to see emerge over the summer. As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebekah, Matt, Chris and Marie gather around their mics to discuss the biggest issues of the past week. Firstly, we discuss the recent Kotaku report on Rockstar's attempts to change its internal crunch culture, with the prominent suggestion that the next Grand Theft Auto may be of a more moderate size but then expanded post-launch. Then we reflect on the mixed initiatives the games industry has launched to help raise money towards COVID-19 relief efforts. We reiterate some of the points Chris made in his editorial about how the larger players can help smaller businesses that may struggle and praise PlayStation's $10m fund for indie developers. Finally, we reflect on the ongoing success of remakes -- most recently, Final Fantasy 7 and Resident Evil 3. We also discuss whether there are any classic games left that could benefit from such treatment, and then suggest a few personal favourites we'd like to see. As always, you can get your news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of the podcast, the GamesIndustry.biz team shares our own experience of remote working. With so many countries around the world in varying stages of lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, almost the entire industry has shifted to a work-from-home model that is a far cry from the way it usually operates. We've already run a series of articles offering advice on how to adjust to this -- which you can read through the links below -- but we wanted to contribute in our own way. GamesIndustry.biz has always been run primarily from remote locations, as you might expect from a team distributed around the globe. While this means our experience may not be directly applicable to where everyone finds themselves now, there are tips, tricks and considerations we believe may be of value to those adjusting to working from home. -- PREVIOUS ARTICLES -- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-30-how-to-become-a-remote-games-studio https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-12-making-remote-work-work https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-10-building-ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-with-80-people-working-from-home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Brendan, Rebekah, Chris and James gather to discuss the latest news from the games industry - this week, focusing on the three platform holders. First up, we discuss the delay to The Last Of Us: Part II and the various factors that would have influenced this. Sony will be contending not just with the distribution logistics of a disrupted world, but also the challenging of marketing a game about living in the aftermath of a devastating virus. Next, we unpack Phil Spencer's comments about how Microsoft aims to avoid a staggered launch for Xbox Series X -- a conversation that inevitably leads to the likelihood of one or both next-generation consoles being delayed. Finally, we touch on rumours that Nintendo will release a 35th anniversary Mario collection for Switch this Christmas, and how this might prove to be a strong counter to the launch of a new Xbox and PlayStation. Throughout the episode, we also discuss how video games are helping people cope with isolation, social distancing and lockdown measures in certain countries. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bit of an unusual episode this week, taken from a livestreamed AMA-style session on YouTube. With EGX Rezzed postponed due to the spread of COVID-19, GamesIndustry.biz and a number of our sister brands ran a three-day online conference, Rezzed Digital. One of the sessions we hosted was a live edition of the podcast, where audience members were invited to ask us questions about the state of the games business in 2020 and beyond -- now presented in audio form. The discussion covered the impact of coronavirus, virtual reality after Half-Life: Alyx, the importance of killer apps in a console's launch line-up and more. (And for anyone curious about the interview with a new studio mentioned at the end, you can read the full article on Assassin's Creed actor Abubakar Salim's new venture Silver Rain Games here: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-27-from-character-to-creator-why-actor-abubakar-salim-is-trying-his-hand-at-development) As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebekah, Matt, Brendan, Chris and Marie are all on hand this week to discuss the biggest news and events in the video games industry. We kick off with reflection on the recent reveals for the technical specifications of Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Rather than getting caught up in the discussion of which machine is more powerful -- and whether that makes it 'better' than its rival -- we take a look at how they were revealed. Microsoft opted for a full breakdown via a third party, GamesIndustry.biz sister site Digital Foundry, while Sony delivered a lecture by its architect Mark Cerny that had been intended for GDC. We discuss who these reveals were aimed out, how effective they were, and what hints they gave as to the future of each console. For the rest of the episode, we turn to GameStop's stance on helping to combat the spread of coronavirus: initially labelling itself as "essential retail" before later closing its stores (note: closures occured after the recording of this podcast). This conversation takes us once again to the broader implications of coronavirus on the games industry, and particularly games retail. With the sector already under pressure from dwindling sales and the long wait for Xbox Series X and PS5, could months of shutdown be the final nail in the coffin for specialist games retail? As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James, Chris, Rebekah and Brendan join this week's podcast to discuss the biggest news from the games industry over the past seven days. Naturally, we start with the cancellation of E3 -- making 2020 the first time in 25 years the games industry has not descended on California in the summer. The team debates the impact this might have on the industry -- versus the loss of GDC, for example -- and how the cancellation may give the Entertainment Software Association the time to understand what the market really wants and needs from the future of E3. We also react to the recent reports of more crunch at Naughty Dog on The Last of Us: Part II, lamenting once again how slowly development practices are changing and how the success of these tentpole titles dissuades more drastic measures. Finally, we discuss the unexpected backlash surrounding the news that Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to PC, and suggest why Sony's decision may not be the cross-platform strategy some believe it to be. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James, Brendan, Marie and Haydn gather around their respective mics to discuss the biggest games industry news of the week. The main topic is once again the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the consequences for games businesses around the globe. Another wave of events have been cancelled -- including one that pushes the event horizon beyond E3 -- and we have even seen the first hardware delay attributed to disrupted manufacturing. We debate whether E3 2020 will survive the turmoil and run as planned in June, before taking a more in-depth look at the implications for day-to-day work processes. With Microsoft, Nintendo and Bungie among the many companies encouraging their staff to work at home, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick predicts this could shift more businesses to a remote or more flexible model. Could this be the silver lining of the coronavirus outbreak? Finally, we reflect on the influence of the world's best-selling home console, the PlayStation 2, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last week. We share our favourite titles and memories and discuss the influence Sony's device had on the industry going forwards. As always, you can get your daily dose on news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an absolutely packed episode, the team discusses the biggest stories of the week -- starting, of course, with the postponement of GDC 2020. Matt, Chris and James talk about the fallout of the event's cancellation, the tough decisions that would have been made behind the scenes, and how the organisers' optimistic plan for a summer event might manifest. We also delve into the impact the event's cancellation will have had on those who invested heavily in this trip, from developers and publishers to speakers and job-seekers. The industry has rallied around its colleagues to provide a number of relief initiatives, but with the coronavirus continuing to spread around the globe, what other events may be affected? We're then joined by Brendan to elaborate on his thoughts about TIGA's principles for protecting players and discuss what more trade bodies and the rest of the industry can do to demonstrate responsibility when it comes to the audience's finances and personal data. Finally, Rebekah takes a few moments away from PAX East to tell us more about her recent trip to GameStop's concept stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the troubled retailer is testing new models to drive footfall and sales. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew, Brendan, Rebekah and James discuss the latest headlines, predominantly focusing on the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. With Sony and Facebook -- and, since recording, Kojima Productions -- withdrawing from GDC 2020 and the cancellation of Mobile World Congress, the consequences for the event space are perhaps the most obviously felt. But there are also continuing reports of delays and disruptions to manufacturing, which could potentially see one or both next-generation consoles delayed into next year. We discuss how the industry has been coping with these developments so far, and speculate as to how plans for launching PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (among other things) might change as efforts to combat the virus continue. We also discuss the recent news that Kickstarter has unionised, and reflect on what it took for this decision to be made so soon after the tech firm was accused of union busting. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Haydn, Matt, Brendan, Chris, and Marie gather around the old GamesIndustry.biz Podcast campfire to discuss the keynote speech Tim Sweeney offered up at DICE recently. Although mainly focused on things like open platforms, the Epic Games CEO took a confusing and ill-advised detour into the world of politics and games. Crammed into the final few minutes of a half-hour speech, Sweeny made several conflicting and vague remarks, leaving the GamesIndustry.biz staff more than a little baffled. The other big news up for discussion is the state of E3, which many pundits believe is in an increasingly precarious position since Sony announced it would skip the conference for a second year running. This was compounded by the announcement that media personality Geoff Keiley will not produce the E3 Coliseum this year -- the first time he has not participated in E3 in 25 years. Finally, Disney said it was looking for developers to reimagine its IP for games, following the success of Marvel's Spider-Man and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. What iconic Disney properties would the staff like to see reimagined? You can download the podcast here to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Haydn, Brendan and Chris discuss the biggest stories of the past week, starting with Microsoft's bold claims as to who its biggest competitors are. Phil Spencer recently claimed Xbox's future will see it stand up against the likes of Amazon and Google, rather than its historical rival PlayStation. We unpack this statement, and take a closer look at Microsoft's position in the wider tech and games industry, as well as ponder the crossover between the platform holders and the infrastructure they use. We also discuss the surprise departure of Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser and debate whether this will have as significant an impact on the company as some might think. On a similar note, we take a look at Rod Fergusson's departure from the Gears of War team and what his reputation as 'the fixer' might mean for Diablo 4. Finally, we reflect on Cliff Bleszinski's suggestions for why LawBreakers failed and the role his politics played in the games design. You can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we barrel through yet another financial season, Rebekah, Brendan, and Chris ask the all important question: do numbers matter? With Microsoft posting a 21% decline in game revenue while celebrating an increase in subscriptions, the traditional metrics for success aren’t as straightforward as they used to be. Nintendo’s success last year comes with fewer caveats, however, hitting or exceeding all of its targets; Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield sold over 16 million units, while Luigi’s Mansion 3 sold over five million copies to become the fastest-selling game of the series. Finally, the recent release of Warcraft 3: Reforged has sparked a fun new mess of problems for Blizzard, after it was revealed the company holds total ownership of all custom games built with the system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James, Marie and Haydn are on hand to discuss the biggest topics of the past week, including crunch, class-action lawsuits and coins tossed to Witchers. The big topic of the week is Doom Eternal executive producer Marty Stratton's comments that the team "crunched pretty hard" for most of 2019 and, despite the four-month delay, continued to do so in the run-up to the game's completion. We once again discuss the potentially harmful attitudes towards crunch across the industry and potential solutions by which studios can reduce the pressure on their staff. Before that, we delve into the latest developments of the gender discrimination class-action lawsuit against Riot Games, and the allegations that the League of Legends developer may have been trying to minimise the amount it has to pay out (potentially up to $400 million). We also discuss Paradox Interactive's trial for a subscription to Europa Universalis 4, addressing the ongoing criticism against the studio's DLC strategy, and speculate as to whether other games and franchises could benefit from such a model. Finally, we touch on the success of Netflix's The Witcher series and weigh in contributing editor Rob Fahey's prediction that more streaming services will be tapping into games IP for future productions. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Marie and James discuss the biggest topics of the week, starting with Microsoft's plans for Xbox Series X. The platform holder recently revealed that the next-generation console will have no exclusive titles to begin with, instead allowing games to play across both Series X and the Xbox One family of devices. While this inevitably raised questions as to how the platform holder hopes to shift units without system-selling games, our contributing editor Rob Fahey observed that this is the next natural step in Microsoft's bid to create an 'evergreeen games platform.' We discuss our own thoughts on Xbox's plans for the next generation, and the potential stumbling blocks the platform holder faces as it asks the entire games industry -- and the games-buying public -- to embrace a new business model. Then we turn our attention to a little news of our own: the launch of the GamesIndustry.biz Academy. We share more about its origins, its goals and how you can get involved in expanding this ongoing and free resource. If you want to reach out, you can email [email protected]. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebekah, Chris and Brendan come together for a special edition of the podcast, discussing this week's biggest news: Sony will not be attending E3 for the second year in a row. While the platform holder has other plans to get the PlayStation 5 in front of the masses ahead of its launch this Christmas, including attendance at "hundreds" of other consumers events throughout the year, we ponder some of the reasons the company has opted out of the industry's biggest annual showcase. We also discuss why so many major publishers, such as EA, have diminished or removed their E3 presence over the past few years, and speculate as to how the ESA can transform the event in a way that wins them back. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Chris, Rebekah and James gather round their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the past week. First up, we discuss the revived conversation around Battlestate Games' Escape From Tarkov and the developer's various excuses for the lack of playable women in the game. Six years on from the Assassin's Creed Unity debacle, we explore whether reasoning such as the "huge amount of work needed with animations" still stand up (if they ever did). Next, we continue the conversation about the rumoured Switch Pro and the ongoing rumours that Nintendo will release one this year. Our contributing editor Rob Fahey questions whether such a strategy would be prudent, and the rest of the team is somewhat divided. Finally, we talk about Nintendo and Game Freak's plans to drop the traditional third/alternative/Ultra edition and follow up Sword & Shield with DLC that introduces brand new regions. We discuss why this is a step in the right direction for the future of the series, and try to understand why first content pack is modeled on the Isle of Man (of all places). As usual, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brendan, Rebekah, Chris and James kick off the year with a roundtable discussing our hopes, predictions, expectations and utter pipe dreams for the year ahead. Following our roundup of analyst predictions for 2020, we offer our own thoughts on what might be the biggest topics and trends of the year -- almost inevitably centring around the arrival of new consoles next Christmas. We also touch on what Nintendo's plans might be in a year were Sony and Microsoft will likely dominate much of the discussion, how Google Stadia can hope to improve its standing following a shaky launch, whether we'll seen any major developments in the VR space, and the potential (or perhaps lack thereof) for a new disruptive subscription service. Woven into the conversation are thoughts on some of the biggest games already announced or teased for the year, the ones we're looking forward and how we believe the launch of the next generation might affect them. As always you can find your daily dose of news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our final podcast of the year, the entire editorial team gathers around their microphones to discuss our favourite games of the year. The selection varies greatly from first-party franchise extensions and AA blockbusters to Switch ports of classic RPGs and innovative indie games. (And some members of the team may have shoehorned in namedrops for multiple other picks as well). Download now and listen to discover the games that made the biggest impact on our team this year, and be sure to keep your browsers pointed to GamesIndustry.biz all this week for full write-ups of our choices. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, and this week James, Brendan, and Rebakah are on hand to discuss all the big news while still leaving plenty of room to reminisce about the GameCube. The industry is once again overflowing with complaints regarding toxic work environments, after former Razer employees accused CEO Min-Liang Tan of abusive behaviour. These allegations were joined by two court rulings which saw Quantic Dream pay a former employee €7,000 over an offensive photoshopped image, while Riot Games shelled out $10 million to former employees in gender a discrimination settlement. The Nintendo Switch is set to arrive in China tomorrow, around seven months after it was initially cleared for distribution by the Chinese government. Analysts predicted Nintendo was in for a rough ride this year following some optimistic sales projections. But far from the Switch losing steam, Nintendo has enjoyed a bumper 2019 thanks to its burgeoning (if a little troubled) mobile strategy, Detective Pikachu, and continued success of the Switch. Finally: Fewer, bigger, better -- the strategy many big game publishers talked about ten years ago, but where has the industry landed on this? Well, EA has gone from releasing 50 games in 2009 to just ten games this year. Publishers are releasing fewer games, but most of those which had the chop likely wouldn’t stick out, as it’s predominantly licensed and shovelware games, which have become increasingly expensive to make on console, finding a new home on mobile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The industry may grind to a halt during Thanksgiving week, but there’s still plenty going as we take a look at unconscious bias, diversity, and the perceived failings of virtual reality. Following last week's articles by Rebekah (Brass Lion Entertainment and the critical business of diversity) and Haydn (Overcoming unconscious bias in the games industry), we discuss both the barriers and benefits of inclusion. From hiring and industry blind spots, to why diversity is important and how to better foster it in the industry. Then Haydn bullies VR some more while everyone else discusses its limitations, failures, and potential after Xbox boss Phil Spencer said “nobody is asking for VR.” His sentiment was echoed by Michal Nowakowski, CD Projekt's VP of business development, who said: "VR remains a... niche of the market -- like it's very, very small." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s bumper pack episode, Rebekah, Matt, and Haydn discuss the troubled Google Stadia launch, Half-Life: Alyx, and Pokémon. Google made big promises with the Stadia, and now it’s here the response has been notably muted. Plagued by fidelity and performance issues, the Stadia is struggling to fulfill its potential. As it stands, Stadia is widely considered the best game streaming platform available, but is still a long way from being complete. The long-awaited next entry to the critically-acclaimed Half-Life series was announced by Valve last week, but it’s not what fans were expecting. The VR exclusive title could be the “killer app” that virtual reality headset makers have been waiting for, or the high entry cost could just exclude many die-hard fans of the series. Finally, Nintendo and Game Freak are sitting pretty on a mountain of cash following the release of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, despite community backlash over certain Pokémon which don’t appear in the game. Petitions to Donald Trump and a Twitter frenzy weren’t enough to impact the game’s sales, which has already become the Nintendo Switch’s fastest-selling title. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A short but special episode in which James and Chris discuss the biggest announcements from Microsoft's event in London this week. Recorded on the show floor itself, this discussion actually took place a few hours ahead of the reveals, but thanks to handy pre-brief notes we were able to weigh up the highlights. Highlights included new IP from Rare and Obsidian, as well as a partnership and ambitious new protagonist from Dontnod Entertainment. We also talk about the updates from Xbox's streaming service, codenamed Project xCloud, and how this offering plays into Microsoft's wider strategy with Xbox Game Pass. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices