gaming industry

TrendTechie
February 22, 2025
1. **Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game** was removed from digital storefronts in 2014 due to copyright issues and remained inaccessible until a re-release was announced by Ubisoft in 2020. 2. **P.T.**, an interactive teaser for Silent Hill, was removed from the PlayStation Network after its cancellation by Konami, making it unplayable for those who had downloaded it, with access only for those who had not deleted it. 3. **Tekken Revolution**, a free-to-play game released in 2013, had its servers shut down in 2016, rendering it unplayable. 4. **Battlefield Heroes** was closed down after becoming inundated with pay-to-win elements, despite attempts by fans to create private servers. 5. **Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII**, released in 2004 for Japanese mobile phones, was shut down in 2018, and Square Enix stated that the original code has been lost, making it a complete loss.
AppWizard
February 22, 2025
Forza Horizon 5 features diverse gameplay modes, breathtaking visuals, and a vibrant Mexican backdrop, with an innovative EventLab for custom tracks. Dirt 5 offers a fun racing experience reminiscent of 90s games, focusing on high-speed escapism rather than realism. Need for Speed: Heat includes solid racing mechanics, police chases, and extensive car customization, featuring a unique day-and-night cycle in Palm City. Assetto Corsa EVO, launching on January 16th, 2025, provides photorealistic graphics, an expanded roster of tracks and cars, and the open-world Nürburgring region. Ridge Racer Unbounded introduces chaotic gameplay with vehicular and environmental destruction in the fictional Shatter Bay, focusing on accumulating collateral damage points for progression.
AppWizard
February 21, 2025
Brendan Greene, known for creating PUBG, is working on a new project called Prologue, which tests innovative terrain generation technology for his larger vision, Project Artemis. Prologue aims to refine machine learning algorithms that can produce over 4 billion unique map configurations. Greene acknowledges past leadership challenges but credits CTO Laurent Gorga for fostering a collaborative development approach. He estimates that achieving Project Artemis could take up to a decade and emphasizes the importance of Prologue's commercial success for securing resources. Greene envisions Project Artemis as a vast, player-driven universe, inspired by games like Minecraft and No Man's Sky, with a world measuring 10,000 square kilometers. He aims to create an environment where players can craft diverse experiences and distances himself from commercial interpretations of the Metaverse, focusing instead on genuine user-generated experiences.
AppWizard
February 21, 2025
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has achieved significant success in the gaming market following its recent PC launch, moving from rank 56 to 3 among the best-selling premium games in the United States for January, according to sales data from Circana (NPD). The Twin Pack, which includes the original Remake, also saw a rise from rank 265 to 16. The game extends the narrative of the original's first disc and offers a 100-hour journey filled with exploration and storytelling. It is available on both PC and PlayStation 5 worldwide.
AppWizard
February 21, 2025
Sony is considering expanding its PlayStation-exclusive titles to the PC platform, influenced by Shuhei Yoshida, the former President of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Yoshida argues that releasing games on PC can maximize revenue by reaching new audiences, particularly in regions like China where console gaming is less popular. He highlights that porting games to PC is less expensive than developing new titles, providing a significant financial incentive. However, he acknowledges that PC versions typically release a few years after their console counterparts, which may concern existing PlayStation owners.
AppWizard
February 20, 2025
Ubisoft has changed the birthdate of the new operator Rauora in Rainbow Six Siege from March 15 to May 11 due to backlash from players. The original date coincided with the Christchurch mosque shootings, a tragic event that resulted in 51 deaths and is now recognized as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. Rauora, whose real name is Hāpai Iwini, is from Christchurch and has a background in military service, rugby, and firefighting. The New Zealand Herald reported on the community's concerns about the character's association with this sensitive historical event. Ubisoft acknowledged the oversight and stated that the new birthdate would be updated on the game's website and in an upcoming game update.
AppWizard
February 20, 2025
Microsoft announced its latest generative AI model, Muse, developed in collaboration with Microsoft Research and Ninja Theory. Muse is described as a "world and human action model (WHAM)" trained on Ninja Theory's Bleeding Edge. Microsoft aims to enhance the gaming experience by using AI to enrich player engagement and support game developers' creative processes. The company emphasizes that AI is intended to empower human creativity rather than replace it. A report in Nature provides insights into Muse's technical aspects, highlighting the importance of human agency in the creative process and identifying key capabilities for AI development. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella envisions AI's capabilities extending to interactive environments like video games. However, some experts, like Dr. Michael Cook, caution against overhyping Muse, noting that the research focuses more on human interaction with AI tools than on generating gameplay. Despite reservations, Cook acknowledges AI's potential as a design tool. Microsoft has promised further announcements on how AI will enhance experiences for game creators and players. Muse will debut in Copilot Labs, signaling new immersive AI gaming experiences.
BetaBeacon
February 19, 2025
Niantic is discussing a deal to sell its games division for about [openai_gpt model="gpt-3.5-turbo-0125" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Niantic is discussing a deal to sell its games division for about .5 Billion Niantic, the company known for creating popular augmented reality games like Ingress and Pokémon GO, is reportedly in talks to sell its games division to Scopely for a hefty sum of around .5 Billion. While Niantic has not officially confirmed this news, sources suggest that discussions are underway for the potential acquisition of all Niantic games and related assets by Scopely. If the deal goes through, Scopely would gain ownership of games like Pokémon GO and the other titles currently under Niantic's umbrella. What does this mean for Niantic’s games going forward? At the moment, it's business as usual for Niantic's games. There are no immediate plans to shut down any of the active games, and players can continue enjoying titles like Pokémon GO and Pikmin Bloom. However, if Scopely takes over and determines that certain games are not profitable, there could be changes in the future. It's also possible that Niantic's focus may shift away from game development if the sale goes through, potentially signaling the end of an era for the company in the gaming industry." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].5 billion to Scopely.
AppWizard
February 19, 2025
Liquid Swords, a studio founded by Christofer Sundberg in 2020, has announced a reduction in its workforce due to shifting market conditions that hindered its ability to meet projected milestones. The studio, which focuses on creating open-world action experiences, is currently developing a narrative-driven, open-world AAA revenge story using Unreal Engine 5. Despite the layoffs, Sundberg reassured stakeholders that the project will continue. In 2022, NetEase Games made an undisclosed investment in Liquid Swords, which had plans to expand its workforce to 100 employees by early 2024. Sundberg previously served as Chief Creative Officer at Avalanche Studios, contributing to the Just Cause series and the 2015 Mad Max game.
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