It’s World Cup season and that means these intros might become unbearable for those of you who couldn’t care less about a handful of blokes attempting to pelt a ball into a net.
For better or worse, I am far too invested in their noble efforts, which is precisely why I scrambled out of bed at the crack of dawn to watch Czechia take on South Korea in a titanic clash that would have meant nothing to me two weeks ago but now has me giddier than a mouse in a cheese factory. No spoilers here, but it turned out to be a cracker.
Still, with the football itself about to take centre stage, let’s not forget just how badly FIFA fumbled the bag by failing to take the United States (one of three host nations alongside Canada and Mexico) to task for treating some participating teams and officials with all the respect and dignity you’d expect from a country led by Donald J. Trump.
The BBC has a pretty good writeup on why this year’s tournament is every bit as controversial as those held in Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022, and I implore anybody watching the tournament to give it a read. Okay, now I’ll get on with that video game news you’re feverishly craving.
via TruFin // UK investment group TruFin has sold its majority stake in Playstack to Integrated Media Company (IMC) after shareholders approved the deal earlier this week. As noted in our initial report on the proposed sale, IMC is the investment group that owns entertainment brands such as Fandom and GameSpot. The company is a subsidiary of Texas Pacific Group, a global management asset firm with over $306 billion in assets worldwide.
via Game Developer // Xbox leaders Asha Sharma and Matt Booty have told workers the division will look to “reset” in the next 100 days after becoming over extended. According to reports from Bloomberg and The Verge, that means more layoffs and possibly even a studio closure are on the horizon. Same as it ever was.
via IGN // After appearing to suggest the James Bond franchise might be yanked away from 007 First Light developer IO Interactive, Amazon’s head of gaming Jeff Gattis has attempted to set the record straight. Speaking to IGN at Summer Game Fest, Gattis explained Amazon will be “smart” about how it proceeds and indicated First Light—which has topped 3 million sales—will likely get a sequel.
via Game Developer // Hundreds of jobs are at risk of being eliminated within Ubisoft with the French publisher closing its studios in Winnipeg and Belgrade and downsizing its team in Barcelona. A source familiar with the situation informed Game Developer the company is also preparing to make cuts across its global publishing business.
via Game Developer // Xbox continues to solve perceived problems created by none other than Xbox. This week, the division confirmed it will be pivoting back towards console exclusives to give consumers a reason to purchase hardware. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will be the first titles to take up the mantle.
via The Indiana Lawyer // It’s possible that arbitration clauses included in Roblox’s terms of use could prevent those suing the company over alleged child-safety issues from having their day in court. One person who claims their child was groomed on the platform believes Roblox is attempting to resole those legal issues behind closed doors because “they don’t want everybody to know what actually is going on.”
via Game Developer // Metro Awakening developer Vertigo Studios Amsterdam has been shuttered by parent company Plaion, which you might recognize as a subdiairy of Embracer Group. It’s unclear how many people have been laid off as a result of the closure.
via GamesIndustry.biz // During a recent interview, Take-Two’s former head of AI, Luke Dicken—who was laid off earlier this year—shares some fascinating thoughts on how the dawn of generative AI technology has polluted the conversation surrounding broader AI usage in video games, which was prevalent long before the likes of OpenAI started muscling in on the conversation. This one is well worth a read.
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