Last week in Games Industry: Unknown 9: Awakening, a AAA game by Bandai Namco commercially failed at launch. It was also the last game advised by SweetBabyInc. https://lnkd.in/dguiihrh This is important because it's becoming harder to rely on game journalists and reviews. And gamers are forming groups to avoid bad games, like: https://lnkd.in/dXkai9Kh ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dragon Age: Veilguard Context: Past Bioware games like Anthem and Andromeda were failures. People pile on to criticize the game, as it's release is soon. Most criticisms are valid. Player choice was core of Dragon Age franchise. Taking that away is main criticism. But the company does not make changes, trainwreck incoming on 31st October. Here's a good, balanced take from a fan of the franchise: https://lnkd.in/dgX8tVGP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asmongold got banned from Twitch. Context: Asmongold, a streamer with a huge community of gamers, talked about Palestine on stream. Got removed from Starforge company for PR reasons. The overall situation is a mess, but here's a good take: https://lnkd.in/dv6h_kXm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GODOT is a game engine, favoured by indie devs. It had a PR disaster. Context: A discord moderator for the game engine went on a banning spree. GODOT claimed they are "Woke" on their twitter. People said "Please focus on engine, not politics" and were banned. Bans were random and targeted even platinum members. What's new? Turns out it was a fan discord server, and the moderator wasn't affiliated, or at least GODOT cut ties. And the amount of backlash over this overwhelmed their official social media. Here's a good take: https://lnkd.in/dbcTSdPH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ubisoft is still falling down the stairs. Context: Ubisoft Employees are leaving. Xdefiant has poor reception. Ubisoft is getting sued again. Some devs are speaking out, and the token hire culture is really killing the efficiency and creativity. Here's some insider info: https://lnkd.in/d-VxNiAe We also remember that Ubisoft hired Sensitivity Readers, who did the most Insensitive marketing/merch campaign for Japan that made them pull out of the biggest game expo of that market. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #GameDev #Ubisoft #Bioware #Unknown9 #DragonAge #Godot #Woke #GamesIndustry #Asmongold #BandaiNamco #Sweetbabyinc #DEI #VideoGames #1D3 #AAA #GameNews #News
Raul Padron
1mo
here's the deal with every influencer saying things they should not have...of all stripes. None of it matters. They are removed from things, they make a mea culpa(or dont), they return in six months to very little loss of popularity. Dr Disrespect? Same exact thing. Only being revealed to have sent the further material he did that Twitch banned him for put the nail in the coffin...before? funded a nft/crypto game entirely to tens of millions from fanbase. Mr beast? further in the process than asmongold, but will follow the exact same pattern.
Daniel Jung
1mo
To add further context to the GODOT part: GODOT cafe, the“fan Discord server” has been promoted on the official GODOT website for some time and at least 4 mods on that server are the same mods of the official GODOT Discord server. There is evidence in the video I’ve seen before at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5oh_AZ64k4. You can go to 3:26 part if short in time.
I miss the times when game news was about, you know... games. Cool features, mechanics, etc. :')
Petru Matei
1mo
I led the QA on Mass Effect Andromeda :)
Unkown 9 with little to no marketing, but looks amazing conceptually.
River Boudreaux
1mo
I'd like to add a ton of Life is Strange fans are going after Deck Nine for a plot point revealed in the first two episodes of the newly released Double Exposure.
Amaury Français
1mo
Your post made me discover Unknown 9 exists. Just shows how hard it is to market games nowadays
The times of agreeing to disagree are gone. It's only "you are so right" or "you are the enemy within", so anyone who talks about politics or events happening in the world is at the mercy of the folks who decide whether you get to continue your livelihood.
Community Management & Marketing 👨💼 | Gaming 🎮
1moThanks for all the great information, but saying that "people are forming groups to avoid BAD games" is just not it, mate. They are forming groups to avoid games with any themes of race, sexuality, inequality, gender or any social issue that doesn't align with their beliefs or biases. Would you say that Silent Hill 2 Remake is bad? Cuz they certainly don't recommend it on their Curator page :) Everybody can have an opinion about anything, even controversies so I understand how Sweet Baby Inc has been the hot topic for a while, but... is it productive AT ALL to mention that when talking about a game's failure or win? Nobody is talking about God of War: Ragnarok, Sable or Alan Wake 2 in those terms, even though Sweet Baby Inc consulted on those titles. Why? Because it's easier to find a non-related issue to an already commercially failing game and making it fit your perspective and your ideas. Again, great recap of past week's topic, I just am tired of trying to attach Sweet Baby Inc to any game failure in the last couple of months as in consultants have any real say of how the game development looks like.