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New Post: Remedy acquires full Control rights from 505 Games for €17m -Remedy has reacquired the rights to its hit action game Control from 505 Games. The Finnish video game developer now owns the rights to the hit 2019 action game, alongside its upcoming sequel and the multiplayer co-operative spin-off game Condor. 505 Games will continue as the publisher of the original Control until December 31, 2024.... Remedy has reacquired the rights to its hit action game Control from 505 Games. The Finnish video game developer now owns the rights to the hit 2019 action game, alongside its upcoming sequel and the multiplayer co-operative spin-off game Condor. 505 Games will continue as the publisher of the original Control until December 31, 2024. The cost of the deal is €17 million, which is the amount that 505 Games had invested in the development of Control 2 and Condor. Remedy notes that due to 'certain receivables', the actual amount it will pay will be less than that. Remedy says that it will weigh-up whether to self-publish or find a new publishing partner for the Control titles. Digital Bros, which owns 505 Games, is shifting its strategy to focus on fewer titles and on IP that it owns with 'long-term value creation'. Control has been a hit for Remedy, shifting over four million units worldwide and generating over €100 million in revenue. The game also connects to the Alan Wake series as part of the Remedy Connective Universe. Alan Wake 2 launched in October last year and has sold 1.3 million units. It was published by Epic Games. “As part of Remedy’s long-term strategy to have more ownership over our business and the IPs we have created, we have gotten back all rights for Control and the in-development Condor and Control," said Remedy CEO Tero Virtala "Having complete ownership over the Control franchise gives us the freedom to decide the best path forward. We will consider our options carefully, knowing that Control is considered an attractive franchise by many partners. Condor and Control 2 have both progressed well in recent months and we expect these projects to reach their next development stages during the first half of 2024. The development of Condor and Control 2 will continue normally when we consider the best publishing, distribution and financing model for these projects.” He added: “As we amicably part ways, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the 505 Games team for our partnership over the years and for helping to establish Control as a gaming franchise with a lot of future potential.” function appendFacebookPixels() { if (window.facebookPixelsDone) return; !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f.fbq)f.fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElem

New Post: Remedy acquires full Control rights from 505 Games for €17m -Remedy has reacquired the rights to its hit action game Control from 505 Games. The Finnish video game developer now owns the rights to the hit 2019 action game, alongside its upcoming sequel and the multiplayer co-operative spin-off game Condor. 505 Games will continue as the publisher of the original Control until December 31, 2024.... Remedy has reacquired the rights to its hit action game Control from 505 Games. The Finnish video game developer now owns the rights to the hit 2019 action game, alongside its upcoming sequel and the multiplayer co-operative spin-off game Condor. 505 Games will continue as the publisher of the original Control until December 31, 2024. The cost of the deal is €17 million, which is the amount that 505 Games had invested in the development of Control 2 and Condor. Remedy notes that due to 'certain receivables', the actual amount it will pay will be less than that. Remedy says that it will weigh-up whether to self-publish or find a new publishing partner for the Control titles. Digital Bros, which owns 505 Games, is shifting its strategy to focus on fewer titles and on IP that it owns with 'long-term value creation'. Control has been a hit for Remedy, shifting over four million units worldwide and generating over €100 million in revenue. The game also connects to the Alan Wake series as part of the Remedy Connective Universe. Alan Wake 2 launched in October last year and has sold 1.3 million units. It was published by Epic Games. “As part of Remedy’s long-term strategy to have more ownership over our business and the IPs we have created, we have gotten back all rights for Control and the in-development Condor and Control," said Remedy CEO Tero Virtala "Having complete ownership over the Control franchise gives us the freedom to decide the best path forward. We will consider our options carefully, knowing that Control is considered an attractive franchise by many partners. Condor and Control 2 have both progressed well in recent months and we expect these projects to reach their next development stages during the first half of 2024. The development of Condor and Control 2 will continue normally when we consider the best publishing, distribution and financing model for these projects.” He added: “As we amicably part ways, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the 505 Games team for our partnership over the years and for helping to establish Control as a gaming franchise with a lot of future potential.” function appendFacebookPixels() { if (window.facebookPixelsDone) return; !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f.fbq)f.fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElem

New Post: Remedy acquires full Control rights from 505 Games for €17m -Remedy has reacquired the rights to its hit action game Control from 505 Games. The Finnish video game developer now owns the rights to the hit 2019 action game, alongside its upcoming sequel and the multiplayer co-operative spin-off game Condor. 505 Games will continue as the publisher of the original Control until December 31, 2024.... Remedy has reacquired the rights to its hit action game Control from 505 Games. The Finnish video game developer now owns the rights to the hit 2019 action game, alongside its upcoming sequel and the multiplayer co-operative spin-off game Condor. 505 Games will continue as the publisher of the original Control until December 31, 2024. The cost of the deal is €17 million, which is the amount that 505 Games had invested in the development of Control 2 and Condor. Remedy notes that due to 'certain receivables', the actual amount it will pay will be less than that. Remedy says that it will weigh-up whether to self-publish or find a new publishing partner for the Control titles. Digital Bros, which owns 505 Games, is shifting its strategy to focus on fewer titles and on IP that it owns with 'long-term value creation'. Control has been a hit for Remedy, shifting over four million units worldwide and generating over €100 million in revenue. The game also connects to the Alan Wake series as part of the Remedy Connective Universe. Alan Wake 2 launched in October last year and has sold 1.3 million units. It was published by Epic Games. “As part of Remedy’s long-term strategy to have more ownership over our business and the IPs we have created, we have gotten back all rights for Control and the in-development Condor and Control," said Remedy CEO Tero Virtala "Having complete ownership over the Control franchise gives us the freedom to decide the best path forward. We will consider our options carefully, knowing that Control is considered an attractive franchise by many partners. Condor and Control 2 have both progressed well in recent months and we expect these projects to reach their next development stages during the first half of 2024. The development of Condor and Control 2 will continue normally when we consider the best publishing, distribution and financing model for these projects.” He added: “As we amicably part ways, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the 505 Games team for our partnership over the years and for helping to establish Control as a gaming franchise with a lot of future potential.” function appendFacebookPixels() { if (window.facebookPixelsDone) return; !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f.fbq)f.fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElem

Ubisoft has destroyed their new Starwars game with a price tag of $130. Here's how Ubisoft is losing while smaller studios are on the rise: On 13 January 2021, Ubisoft announced that a Star Wars game was in development with a planned release on 30 August 2024. This month we have finally got more information regarding the price of the game and it has become a huge controversy. The pricing that was released is spanning depending on the beneifts of each tier between $69.99 up to $129.99! These price tags are some of the largest in the game industry and if they were not enough, there is also a subscription option on top of everything for $17.99. It was not unusual for AAA games with the highest standards in the industry to cost upward of $70 but nearly doubling the price of the game with additional content on release date is definitely raising questions. It is even more concerning as it is likely that all the content in those higher price brackets will be exclusive and players will not be able to unlock them otherwise. There are a lot of people that are wondering if the game is even worth purchasing and even long term fans considering piracy in order to still be able to enjoy their favorite franchise. When all of this information was released, most of the gaming community was already comparing the game to Helldivers 2, one of the if not the most popular games of the moment. This game comes at a price tag of only $40 with an additional $60 option if you want to unlock some content faster which you can still unlock even if you don't get the higher priced option. Helldivers 2 has been developed by a smaller studio and they have managed to provide a far better experience than most giants of the industry and their triple A games. It might be one of the most successful examples of a David and Goliath fight and it might force the entire industry to rethink their approach if the want to remain relevant. Anyone can take an example of this situation, whether you are in game development or in another industry. I have taken a lot of notes about this situation and I'm planning to continue to research and document other inspiring stories going forward. --- ✍️ What are your thoughts? ♻️ Reshare if this is helpful. If we've never talked before: Hi! I'm Alin and I'm a creator talking about entrepreneurship, investing and the creator economy. I'm currently documenting my journey launching products and I create content based on rising startups, product launches, content creators and the latest events going on in the world. If you're interested in those topics, let's connect and discuss more! #gamedevelopment #starwars #gamestudio #pricing

Ermmmm .... isn't the Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League a AAA live service game that sucked because of its bad live service experience? "Perrette said Warner wants to take a more "holistic approach" with its four core franchises—Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC—with a particular focus on "expanding into the mobile and multi-platform free-to-play space, which could give us a much better and more consistent set of revenue." To that end, Warner has a number of free-to-play mobile games set to roll out later this year." Okay, but hey, wasn't SS:KtJL a AAA live service game that bombed? What lessons were learnt there? "Despite the growing exhaustion in some quarters with the live-service model, it also figures prominently in Warner's plans: "Rather than just launching a one-and-done console game, how do we develop a game around, for example, Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter, that is a live service, where people can come in and live and work and build and play in that world on an ongoing basis?" Nope, they learnt nothing. "Speaking at the recent Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference, Warner Bros Discovery executive JB Perrette said the company wants to expand more into free-to-play and live service games in order to avoid the "volatile" ups and downs of big-budget game releases." Baldur's Gate 3: Strong writing, thousands of possible endings. SS:KtJL is linear as hell. Helldivers 2: How to make live service co-op work. (I mean like have you seen it???? SS:KtJL is also strong graphically, with okay game play .... when it works, when you get in and doesn't crash on you) So WB is put off by the price tag of putting in AAA effort vs just putting in AAA money; and has a knee jerk reaction by putting their faith in Freemium, Pay2win, Microtransactions games with low cost, low risk - and probably very low quality of engagement. Now this is not a bad overall approach, Games Workshop used this approach to their portfolio of assets. And they had some good hits, AND many duds. And it is usually the AA games that make it.

CD Projekt Red, the RPG giant, has exciting news for its fans. The company announced in its recent financial meeting that it plans to release AAA games at a faster pace. This news will be music to the ears of fans of the company's two beloved franchises, The Witcher and Cyberpunk, who have been waiting for new titles for years. According to CD Projekt officials, the studio's main focus is currently on developing sequels to The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2077. However, the company does not intend to wait several years between releases as it has in the past. "You can expect more games from us," said the company's CEO. "We intend to increase the pace of releases of our next games." One of the secrets to this new speed is CD Projekt's new approach to game development. Instead of focusing on one project at a time, the company is working on several games simultaneously. For example, while one team was working on the Phantom Liberty expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, other teams were busy developing The Witcher 4 and the Cyberpunk sequel. This new approach allows CD Projekt to significantly reduce the time between releases. In addition to The Witcher 4 and the Cyberpunk sequel, CD Projekt is also working on other projects such as Sirius and a new game from The Molasses Flood studio. There is also the possibility of a remake of The Witcher 1. So it looks like we're in for a storm of AAA games from CD Projekt Red in the coming decade. The company's CEO has not yet given an exact release date for the new games, but based on the new plans, we can expect to see at least one major release from the company each year. Without a doubt, this news will be very exciting for fans of video games, especially fans of RPGs.

Disturbance in the Force: FishLabs (Embracer) (Nov 2023) More details of the layoffs, project cancellations and studio closures are coming out. And Embracer is seeming sketchier and sketchier. Here's the thing, Embracer had Volition, creator of both Saints Row and Red faction. You don't as a game publisher, give one studio's IP to another studio without that first studio being extremely busy and then with the first and second studio coordinating. The second studio needs guidance to understand the soul of the IP. Unless of course the game publisher is incompetent and utterly indifferent to eventual quality of product. It is not a question of territorial possessiveness. It is a process of explaining IP, worldbuilding, gameplay, and audience in a proper handoff with steady continued coordination. this article is describing Embracer doing none of that. ----- GameDeveloper: "Red Faction game from Chorus dev Fishlabs among cancelled Embracer projects. Under Fishlabs' direction, the Red Faction series would've returned with a goal of evoking the cult classic, Red Faction: Guerrilla." (June 21, 2024) German developer Fishlabs was developing a new Red Faction game—at least until parent company Embracer canceled the project. According to a new report from RockPaperShotgun, the Chorus studio was looking to revive the destructive open-world franchise. It was one of two projects Fishlabs was making, with the first being an original sci-fi game canceled months prior. This new Red Faction game was apparently in the works in the same proximity as Embracer shutting down series creator Volition last year. Sources called this a "ghoulish" move to the outlet, but Fishlabs reportedly had a genuine interest in its sci-fi setting. Staff from the scrapped original game ("Project Black") moved over to Red Faction, then-codenamed "Project White" and dubbed a "side hustle" since its team was tasked with pitching games based on Embracer IP. Ultimately, Fishlabs wanted to make a "safe sequel" in line with 2009's Red Faction: Guerrilla. Despite this, it's also claimed the team looked at incorporating immersive sim elements like open-ended play styles and pitched the game to Embracer label Plaion via fake in-world trailers and cosplay. Fishlabs' Red Faction project shattered the studio Morale on "Project White" was said to be fairly good, and Plaion liked the pitches presented. But a 50/50 internal vote led to the project being canceled immediately, and it's claimed Fishlabs leadership was told to lay off "almost everyone" not working on a project actively in development. The following weekend, 50 Fishlabs staffers were fired, with Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors attributing the move to a "lack of approval and financing." GameDeveloper: https://lnkd.in/ghwpj2Ys ----- "New victims of Embracer’s restructuring: 50 Fishlabs employees to be laid off, Free Radical Design might be closed" GameWorldObserver: https://lnkd.in/gWvnsfHH #gameindustry #embracer #gamelayoffs

This is the future of AAA games from my perspective without some technological or reduced labor cost intervention. I think 3-5 Key franchises depending on the size of the publisher is what will be mainstay. There aren’t that many publishers anymore, so that means a lot less ‘big’ experiences. If you think about it, that’s not all that different from what Activision or Ubisoft have been doing for many years. With less publishers there will be less games but also with the rising costs there can be less risk, so games will start to look more and more like what Hollywood looks like. I don’t think gamers will care as much as game creators really. Having said that, I think we lose a lot of the magic of videogames. The big publishers, especially Sony were always known for their expansive IP portfolio I just don’t think with today’s risk/ returns that it’s possible in the current model to see that kind if variety anymore. AAA for me isn’t just a budget number, although it is a factor. The real AAA is just the experience and execution of the people making the product. Lucas Pope single handedly created ‘Return of the Obra Dinn’ the award winning, acclaimed indie title from 2018 but did so with the experience of making Naughty Dog games like Uncharted 2. Maybe a councidence, maybe not. Either way, I believe the future of games is from ex-establishment creators like Lucas Pope enabled by tools to do 10x more effort with 1/10th the team. How is that a bad thing for the future of high quality (blockbuster) games? Once, many many years ago, I challenged Shuhei Yoshida about not pursuing annual releases or more frequent franchise deployments. Me: Why don’t we let other developers take on Uncharted or God of War. Let then take our franchises and grow them like they do in film. Shu: “I find it interesting that I need to tell you how our company works” His response was similar to what he publicly said here alongside another one if my industry idols, Lorne Lanning, so no shocking revelations! https://lnkd.in/gCfKer22 I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this era in gaming. I believe wholeheartedly that it can and will come back. As a rebel,(clearly if I was such a pain to Shuhei)… 😆 and techno-junkie; I’m certain AI will be a big part of this return. I want to be a part of that to help bring back what I once gave Yoshida-san so much crap for. He was brutally honest, always had the gamers and game developers best interests at heart and he still does, frankly. I actually still haven’t changed my postion though… Not annual Uncharted but one from Lucas Pope, Amy Hennig, Bleszinski and Hironobu Sakaguchi will do.

Why did we choose NetEase Games, what does stepping out of our comfort zone mean, what kind of game are we making, what are our plans for the studio to grow? In case you missed it, last week David Vonderhaar sat down with GamesIndustry.Biz to answer all these questions, and more.   https://lnkd.in/grm8RbMj   🗣 "I was really, really impressed by the NetEase ecosystem, the totality of everything behind you that supports you.” 🗣 "Running a studio is not the same thing as designing one part of a video game. You have to think about everything all the time." 🗣 “[Our game] is a co-op first-person shooter, and it's not going to be about killing a lot of people all the time. It's more nuanced than that." 🗣 "I feel like the pressure should be on the people who are not trying to innovate, not the people that are trying to."    #BulletFarm #NetEaseGames #Gaming

⤴️ Stand Out in the Crowded Roguelite Market Last time, we discussed how the Roguelite market is becoming increasingly crowded and competitive. While the gold rush might be slowing down, there are still untapped opportunities. We analyzed different tags and game types to identify where demand is still strong and where game developers and publishers can find opportunities to secure their investments. Here are four promising tag combinations for the Steam market: 🏰Base-building Roguelites Titles like Cult of the Lamb, Kingdom: New Lands and Tribes of Midgard stand out. Among the 98 games released since 2023, the median revenue is $3.5k, with 28.6% of these games generating between $50k and $1M+. This category has potential, especially due to the lack of major competitors and few new releases. ♟️Board Game Roguelites With games like For the King and Hand of Fate, this category reaches a high median revenue of $115k when combining RPG, board game, and Roguelite tags. Since 2023, the top 15% of these games have earned around $144k, despite a decline in new franchises. 🔫 FPS Roguelites Warhammer: Vermintide and Deathloop are prime examples. Despite only 67 games released since 2023, this category has a strong median revenue of $2.9k. Notably, 7.5% of these games earn over $1M, making it a lucrative niche, even for indie developers. 🏹 Turn-based Roguelites Darkest Dungeon and Slay the Spire lead this genre, which remains a powerhouse. Since 2023, 11% of turn-based roguelites have earned over $1M. With just 91 games released, this tag has generated a collective $74M, making it one of the most profitable categories. It becomes even clearer that this tag is a game changer when we realize that the gross revenue for the top 20% is around $330k. View our full Analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eiFKuBj4 We hope you find this information valuable! Share your feedback in the comments to help us refine future analyses.