studios

AppWizard
August 11, 2025
John Romero revealed on Nightdive Studios' Deep Dive podcast that Paul Neurath, founder of Looking Glass Studios, invited him to co-found the company, but he declined due to a prior commitment. Romero began his career at Origin Systems in 1987, where he initially worked on porting 2400 AD from the Apple 2 to the Commodore 64, but the project was canceled, leading him to collaborate with Neurath on Space Rogue.
BetaBeacon
August 10, 2025
Dead Trigger is a single-player, story-driven first-person zombie shooter game that offers a fairly pure experience without pushing micro-transactions for upgrades. The game was optimized for Tegra chipsets and had stunning graphics for its time. It remains playable despite looking a bit dated and offers bite-sized missions for players.
AppWizard
August 10, 2025
Developer SlugGlove and publisher Yogscast Games announced their upcoming semi-open world puzzle adventure game, Rhell: Warped Worlds & Troubled Times, set to launch on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation in early 2026. Players will craft spells by combining magical runes to solve environmental puzzles across 14 main areas, with over 102 million possible spell combinations. The game features a narrative-driven experience where players guide Rhell, a mage, and her companion Beesle, as they uncover clues and interact with various characters. Rhell will be showcased at the Tiny Teams festival from August 7-14, and a demo is available on Steam.
AppWizard
August 9, 2025
Marc LeBlanc, a programmer from Looking Glass Studios, discussed the innovative design of audio logs in the game System Shock during a Nightdive podcast episode. The team aimed to move away from traditional RPG mechanics, avoiding the limitations of D&D-style stats and skills that could frustrate players. They rejected the idea of conversation trees with NPCs, seeking a more immersive narrative delivery. Designer Austin Grossman suggested using audio logs by having all characters dead, allowing players to access their diaries. This approach streamlined storytelling and enhanced player engagement. LeBlanc acknowledged that while audio logs can be overused today, they remain effective for narrative delivery, offering players choices in how they engage with the story.
AppWizard
August 8, 2025
Warner Bros. Discovery is experiencing a divergence in performance across its segments, with improvements in streaming operations and production studios, while traditional television networks face challenges. The company plans to split its operations into two entities: one focusing on production and streaming assets, and the other on cable networks. In a recent quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery added 3.4 million global streaming subscribers and reported a profit of .58 billion on total revenue of .81 billion, a turnaround from a loss of [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" 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: The narrative surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery is evolving into a compelling story of duality, a theme that executives are keen to communicate to Wall Street. The company, which encompasses the iconic Warner Bros. studio, the HBO Max streaming platform, and a variety of cable networks such as CNN and HGTV, is witnessing a notable divergence in performance across its different segments. While its streaming operations and production studios are showing signs of improvement, the landscape for traditional television networks appears increasingly challenging. This dynamic has undoubtedly influenced the company’s recent strategic decision to bifurcate its operations. One entity will focus on the production and streaming assets, while the other, burdened with debt, will concentrate on navigating the future of its cable networks. Related Stories In a recent letter to shareholders, Warner Bros. Discovery highlighted the success of various projects, including the films “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners,” as well as popular television properties like “The Last of Us” and its coverage of significant sports events such as the French Open. Despite these successes, the company reported only a modest revenue increase for the quarter, transitioning from a loss in the previous year to a profit this time around. During the quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery added 3.4 million global streaming subscribers, a growth attributed in part to the international expansion of its streaming service. However, the company acknowledges that it still faces considerable challenges in the current operating environment. “Our Studios are performing well and are making progress,” the company stated in its shareholder letter, while also noting that “secular headwinds persist in the network television environment.” The reported profit for the quarter reached .58 billion, with total revenue amounting to .81 billion. This marks a significant turnaround from a loss of .99 billion in the same quarter last year. Earnings per share were reported at 63 cents, a stark contrast to the loss of .07 per share recorded in the previous year. These results reflect various financial factors, including .7 billion in pre-tax acquisition-related amortization of intangibles, content fair value step-up, and restructuring expenses, alongside a billion pretax gain from debt extinguishment. Distribution revenues remained stable at .89 billion, consistent with the previous year, although advertising revenue experienced a 9% decline overall. More to come…" max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].99 billion in the same quarter last year. Earnings per share were 63 cents, compared to a loss of [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" 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: The narrative surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery is evolving into a compelling story of duality, a theme that executives are keen to communicate to Wall Street. The company, which encompasses the iconic Warner Bros. studio, the HBO Max streaming platform, and a variety of cable networks such as CNN and HGTV, is witnessing a notable divergence in performance across its different segments. While its streaming operations and production studios are showing signs of improvement, the landscape for traditional television networks appears increasingly challenging. This dynamic has undoubtedly influenced the company’s recent strategic decision to bifurcate its operations. One entity will focus on the production and streaming assets, while the other, burdened with debt, will concentrate on navigating the future of its cable networks. Related Stories In a recent letter to shareholders, Warner Bros. Discovery highlighted the success of various projects, including the films “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners,” as well as popular television properties like “The Last of Us” and its coverage of significant sports events such as the French Open. Despite these successes, the company reported only a modest revenue increase for the quarter, transitioning from a loss in the previous year to a profit this time around. During the quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery added 3.4 million global streaming subscribers, a growth attributed in part to the international expansion of its streaming service. However, the company acknowledges that it still faces considerable challenges in the current operating environment. “Our Studios are performing well and are making progress,” the company stated in its shareholder letter, while also noting that “secular headwinds persist in the network television environment.” The reported profit for the quarter reached .58 billion, with total revenue amounting to .81 billion. This marks a significant turnaround from a loss of .99 billion in the same quarter last year. Earnings per share were reported at 63 cents, a stark contrast to the loss of .07 per share recorded in the previous year. These results reflect various financial factors, including .7 billion in pre-tax acquisition-related amortization of intangibles, content fair value step-up, and restructuring expenses, alongside a billion pretax gain from debt extinguishment. Distribution revenues remained stable at .89 billion, consistent with the previous year, although advertising revenue experienced a 9% decline overall. More to come…" max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].07 per share the previous year. Distribution revenues remained stable at .89 billion, but advertising revenue declined by 9%.
AppWizard
August 8, 2025
Sony Interactive Entertainment's CEO and CFO, Lin Tao, discussed challenges in the company's live-service gaming strategy, acknowledging difficulties in transitioning to a service-oriented portfolio. This includes the cancellation of the game Concord shortly after its release and the postponement of Bungie's title, Marathon, along with several other shelved projects. Tao noted that live-service games were almost non-existent for PlayStation Studios five years ago, but now contribute significantly to sales and profit through titles like Helldivers 2, MLB, Gran Turismo 7, and Destiny 2. The live-service ratio for Q1 was approximately 40 percent, with projections for the full year estimating between 20 to 30 percent. He recognized ongoing issues that need addressing to improve the introduction of live service content. Regarding Marathon, Tao mentioned it was delayed from its original September release due to an unsatisfactory alpha test, with an optimistic aim for completion by March 2026, though no official launch date has been set. He also discussed Bungie's integration into PlayStation Studios, indicating a shift from its initial independent operation towards becoming more integrated into the studio's structure.
AppWizard
August 8, 2025
The Epic Games Store is offering two free PC games until August 14. The first game is Road Redemption, an action racing game developed by Redemption Road and Pixel Dash Studios, published by Tripwire Presents, released in 2019, and typically retails for .99. It has an 82% approval rating from over 10,000 user reviews on Steam. The second game is 112 Operator, a simulation and strategy game developed by Jutsu Games and published by Games Operators, released in 2020, and normally costs .99. It has an 89% approval rating from over 5,000 user reviews on Steam.
AppWizard
August 8, 2025
Warner Bros. Discovery reported second-quarter earnings with a revenue of .8 billion, a slight increase from the previous year. Net income rose to .6 billion, a recovery from last year's loss, while adjusted EBITDA increased by 9% to billion. The studio segment generated .8 billion in revenue, a 55% year-over-year increase, driven by successful films like Minecraft and Sinners. The company plans to release 12 to 14 new films annually, including major tentpole films and titles from DC Studios and New Line. Streaming growth included the addition of 3.4 million subscribers, leading to an 8% revenue increase to .8 billion. The linear TV segment faced challenges, with revenue down 9% to .8 billion and adjusted EBITDA declining by 24% to .5 billion. WBD completed six major carriage renewals and is preparing for a strategic split, creating a new entity for its studios and HBO, while linear networks will become a separate company named Discovery. CEO David Zaslav emphasized limiting library content licensing to enhance HBO Max's appeal and highlighted ongoing efforts to revive franchises like Superman and Lord of the Rings. The company is also expanding into gaming and theme parks, with Bruce Campbell leading these initiatives. Zaslav discussed plans for bundling streaming services to improve consumer experience and noted the resilience of the TV advertising market despite economic pressures.
AppWizard
August 8, 2025
Microsoft has halted development on Avalanche Studios' game, Contraband, which was originally unveiled in 2021. After five years of development, the project is now "on hold," and Avalanche Studios has confirmed that active development has stopped while they evaluate the project's future. This decision reflects broader challenges within Microsoft's Xbox division, which has experienced layoffs, project cancellations, and studio closures, including Avalanche Studios shutting down its locations in New York and Montreal in 2024.
AppWizard
August 8, 2025
id Software and Nightdive Studios released the Heretic + Hexen bundle, which includes the original games Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, and Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel, along with two new episodes: Heretic: Faith Renewed and Hexen: Vestiges of Grandeur. The bundle features a total of 117 campaign maps and 120 deathmatch maps, performance improvements, an enhanced soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult, local and online multiplayer options, and built-in mod support. It is available on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch for £13.49 / €15 on Steam and GOG. Players who own the original games can upgrade for free. GOG announced a temporary two-hour unavailability for purchase prior to the launch.
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