Australia's National Film & Sound Archive recently conducted a survey on international game preservation. The results show how dire the efforts to preserve games are worldwide and how they will hit local industry the hardest.In the NFSA's survey (conducted in 2023), respondents cited key roadblocks such as legal and technical access, a lack of dedicated staffing, and funds. Its summary further notes most groups treat preservation as part of a larger operation rather than a key focus.Like last year's survey from the Video Game History Foundation, the NFSA said the industry is facing a "significant loss of heritage," particularly as it pertains to the Australian game industry.Its website reveals over 96 percent of classic Australian games are "critically endangered," substantially worse than the US's 87 percent of pre-2010 games. And while the US has support from the Library of Congress, preservation is not a priority for every country.Even more recent games are said to be at risk, as organizations have them saved as digital titles rather than physical releases, of which they're "almost twice as likely to have."One respondent…
Author: Charlotte Thompson
Perennial spender turned layoff merchant Embracer Group says its plan to transform into three standalone businesses is on track, but feels there's room for improvement in some areas.In its fiscal report for the first quarter ended June 30, 2024, the Swedish conglomerate indicated it must improve profitability within its PC / Console Games segment by focusing on its "own and controlled key IPs, which typically have better unit economics." That comes with net sales in the unit decreasing by 34 percent year-over-year to SEK 2.65 billion ($253.2 million).Elsewhere, Mobile Games net sales decreased by 3 percent to SEK 1.39 billion. Tabletop Games net sales fell by 5 percent to SEK 3.04 billion, and Entertainment & Services net sales tumbled by 54 percent to SEK 848 million.Combined, those downturns resulted in consolidated net sales falling by 24 percent to SEK 7.9 billion ($754.8 million) across Q1. Adjusted EBIT totaled SEK 0.8 billion ($76.4 million). Pro forma net debt stands at SEK 14.3 billion ($1.36 billion).Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors said performance is "in line with management expectations," and highlighted "growing profitability year-on-year …
Mobile game studio Jam City has laid off around 85 workers (or 10 percent) today, according to Polygon's Nicole Carpenter.Last we heard of layoffs for the studio was almost two full years ago, wherein 17 percent of staff was let go. As in 2022, blame was placed on the current market.In an email to staff, CEO Josh Yguado acknowledged that game industry analysts predicted an "upward trend" in 2024. But despite some "moderate improvements, " he said that upswing hasn't "materialized as expected."Carpenter noted that Jam City also acknowledged its games had "lower-than-expected" performances. Said games include Lovelink and Jurassic World Alive.While Jam City marks some of the first layoffs for the month of August, it's the newest round of cuts this week, preceded by 220 employees cut from Bungie and Lively Games, plus today's just-announced closure of Game Informer.…
After 33 years, Game Informer will be no more.The publication announced its end on social media, and according to Kotaku, is finished effective immediately. It was mid-digital coverage of The Casting of Frank Stone, while its final print issue covers Dragon Age: Veilguard."From the early days of pixelated adventures to today's immersive, virtual realms, we've been honored to share this incredible journey with you," reads the magazine's statement. "While our presses may stop, the passion for gaming we've cultivated together will continue to live on."That statement, according to sources speaking to Kotaku, was not written by any now-ex staff. In fact, one staffer was reportedly on a business trip when everyone was told about the magazine's closure.
The short history of Game Informer
Game Informer debuted in August 1991 as a six-page magazine, and was published every two months. From 1994 onwards, it was a monthly magazine, and soon became a fixture of video game culture.Every month, the magazine would …
Valve has rolled out a new update for Steam that bumps up the size requirements for banner images. The changes were made to help developers "show off their game in the best light," particularly on high-res monitors and the Steam Deck OLED.The OLED was further cited as the first place where the new size would be most noticeable, as the smaller sizes stood out on the updated handheld.Under the new template, assets for the Steam store (small, header, main, and vertical capsules) and library (header) will doubled in size. New high-resolution asset usage will roll out over the next few months, while the previous sizes lose support on November 1.Until that date, Valve is accepting asset uploads with the previous size to avoid "disrupting developers that are in the process of building and shipping games."For previous releases, developers aren't required to update graphical assets with the new size. Past capsules will remain supported even after November 1.Valve has already posted the latest asset templates, along with a detailed overview of the new specifications.…
Piranha Bytes veterans Jennifer Pankratz and Bjorn Pankratz have left the Embracer-owned Risen developer to establish Pithead Studio.The news comes after a report from CD-Action indicated that Piranha Bytes has been shut down by Embracer. Those rumblings haven't been confirmed by the studio or its parent company, but come months after Piranha Bytes admitted to being in a "difficult situation."In January, the German studio indicated it was in trouble with Embracer looking to cut jobs, torch projects, and divest assets in a bid to reduce debt after an era of free-wheeling mergers and acquisitions.At the time, it was reported the studio was in danger of being shuttered, but despite acknowledging the situation Piranha Bytes also seemed defiant. "There are a lot of news [stories] about us circulating right now and this is our answer: Don't write us off yet," it wrote on X.Game Developer has reached out to Embracer for more information, but it's evident that key talent has departed Piranha Bytes.Between them, both Jennifer and Bjorn Pankratz spent almost four decades at the Gothic and Elex developer, with the former joining in 2008 and the latter in 199…