Video game companies are bad | Microsoft wields the axe again; Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog closed

Monkey Man wrote:Everyone's playing old games -

Newzoo’s data shows that the top 10 games on each platform (ranked by their average number of monthly active users, or MAU) are filled with old, established titles. Fortnite took the crown on all platforms, including Switch and PC. The rest of the lists included titles that won’t surprise you, like Grand Theft Auto V, Counter-Strike 2, Roblox, Minecraft, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Fall Guys, Valorant, and Call of Duty. Across Xbox and Playstation consoles, only one dedicated single-player game cracked the top ten: Starfield.

To further prove that gamers are primarily focused on older games, Newzoo’s data shows that just 66 titles accounted for 80 percent of all playtime in 2023. And 60 percent of that playtime was spent in games that are six years old or older. In fact, in 2023, five old games—Fortnite, Roblox, League of Legends, Minecraft, and GTA V—accounted for 27% of all playtime in the year.

It gets worse. Of the 23 percent of playtime spent in 2023 on new games—defined as 2 years or younger—more than half was spent in big annual sequels like the latest Madden or NBA game. Only 8 percent of video game playtime was spent on new, non-annual titles like Diablo IV or Baldur’s Gate III.

https://kotaku.com/old-games-2023-playt ... 1851382474

Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO.O), opens new tab will lay off about 5% of its workforce, the publisher of the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise said on Tuesday, as the gaming industry extends its job cuts from the past two years into 2024.
The company said it would also scrap several projects that are in development as part of a cost-reduction plan, which is expected to lead to total charges of $160 million to $200 million.

The plan is expected to be largely complete by Dec. 31, 2024, it added.

Sky News wrote:Why are thousands of video game workers losing their jobs?

In the last four months alone, more than 8,000 people who make video games have lost their jobs around the world, including in the UK. At the same time, our games industry is growing - so what's going on?

"I had just woken up and I got an email that said, 'We're going to have a company-wide meeting'. I knew right away."

James, not his real name, was visiting his family earlier this year when he saw the message.

"I started thinking about everything I was set to lose."

He had worked as a game designer at one of the UK's biggest video game studios for nearly a decade. It was a job he loved and had dreamt of since he was nine years old. But recently he had been worried.

All around him, friends in the gaming industry were being let go.

"My mind was racing, what could I do? I wasn't going to be the only one job-seeking at the moment because there were so many layoffs. They all happened at the same time."

He went to the meeting, where his worst fears were confirmed. The company's chief executive said around 25% of people at the studio would be cut. James was one of them.

"It was rough," he said, shaking his head.

Gaming is an anxious world right now. There's been more than 8,000 jobs cut globally since the start of this year and in March, the number of available jobs in the UK hit a record low, according to the report Games Jobs Live.

But in London, as the BAFTA Games Awards 2024 rolled around last week, gamers could just enjoy themselves.

It was a night of glitz and glam with a black-tie dress code. The red carpet was laid along London's South Bank and hundreds of gaming's elite turned out.

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Photek wrote:

twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1787835350745842153

strawberry floating Hell.

No Hi Fi Rush 2…

Horrible banana splits!

twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1787836112460820692

Today I'm sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda and ZeniMax teams. These changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda's portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades.
To double down on these franchises and invest to build new ones requires us to look across the business to identify the opportunities that are best positioned for success. This reprioritization of titles and resources means a few teams will be realigned to others and that some of our colleagues will be leaving us.

Here are the changes going into effect:
Arkane Austin – This studio will close with some members of the team joining other studios to work on projects across Bethesda. Arkane Austin has a history of making impactful and innovative games and it is a pedigree that everyone should be proud of. Redfall's previous update will be its last as we end all development on the game. The game and its servers will remain online for players to enjoy and we will provide make-good offers to players who purchased the Hero DLC.

Alpha Dog Studios – This studio will also close. We appreciate the team's creativity in bringing Doom to new players. Mighty Doom will be sunset on August 7 and we will be turning off the ability for players to make any purchases in the game.

Tango Gameworks – Tango Gameworks will also close. We are thankful for their contributions to Bethesda and players around the world. Hi-Fi Rush will continue to be available to players on the platforms it is today.

Roundhouse Games – The team at Roundhouse Games will be joining ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS). Roundhouse has played a key role in many of our recent game launches and bringing them into ZOS to work on The Elder Scrolls Online will mean we can do even more to grow the world that millions of players call home.

With this consolidation of our Bethesda studio teams, so that we can invest more deeply in our portfolio of games and new IP, a small number of roles across select Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will also be eliminated.
Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified today, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with respect and compassion. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted in today's notifications and through their transitions, including severance benefits informed by local laws.

These changes are not a reflection of the creativity and skill of the talented individuals at these teams or the risks they took to try new things. I acknowledge that these changes are also disruptive to the various support teams across ZeniMax and Bethesda that bring our games to market. We are making these tough decisions to create capacity to increase investment in other parts of our portfolio and focus on our priority games.
Bethesda remains one of the key pillars of Xbox with a strong portfolio of amazing games and thriving communities. As we look to the future, there is an impressive line-up of games on the horizon.

In 2024 alone we have Starfield Shattered Space, Fallout 76 Skyline Valley, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, and The Elder Scrolls Online's Golden Road. As we align our plans and resources to best set ourselves up for success in this complex and changing industry, our teams across Arkane Lyon, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, MachineGames, ZeniMax Online Studios and the Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will be well-positioned to build new IP, explore new game concepts, and expand on our existing franchises.

ITSMILNER wrote:Email from Matty Booty

twitter.com/playRedfall/status/1787837762588008903

ITSMILNER wrote:Yeah, it’s a poor showing this

Wonder if any of the peeps from Tango will join Mikami at his new studio?

Photek wrote:If Xbox announce they bought Sega at this strawberry floating showcase I'll start worrying about Atlus!

ITSMILNER wrote:
So Redfall just being dropped now, feel sorry for those who bought the season pass, interested to see what the 'Make good' is on that.

Shutting Tango though, they did some great stuff, still need to play Ghostwire but them and Arkane Austin going are rubbish.

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:

ITSMILNER wrote:
So Redfall just being dropped now, feel sorry for those who bought the season pass, interested to see what the 'Make good' is on that.

Shutting Tango though, they did some great stuff, still need to play Ghostwire but them and Arkane Austin going are rubbish.

They will try not to laugh loud enough that you can hear them.