Ustwo Games is revisiting the series that launched it into the stratosphere over a decade ago with Monument Valley 3. The threequel was unveiled at Gamescom 2024, but unlike its forebears will be shunning the App Store and launching exclusively on Netflix Games.This isn't the first time Ustwo has collaborated with Netflix. The studio launched Desta: The Memories Between exclusively on the platform, which grants all subscribers access to a growing roster of video games on smartphones and other devices, before eventually bringing it to PC and Nintendo Switch.Monument Valley, though, is a different beast. When it launched in 2014, the atmospheric puzzler became a poster child for Apple's digital marketplace. The inevitable sequel, Monument Valley 2, debuted exclusively on iOS in June 2017 before shuffling onto Android a few months later. So, what's changed?Speaking to Game Developer about Ustwo's decision to renew its partnership with Netflix on Monument Valley 3, lead producer John Lau says the current incarnation of the App Store is a very different beast to the one that connected the studio with new audiences all those years ago.
PlayStation maker Sony and other investors have pumped $10 million into Double Jump Tokyo to finance the development of blockchain games.Double Jump Tokyo said the investment round was led by Japanese venture capital firm SBI Investment with backing from Sony Group Corporation, Taisu Ventures, Gate Ventures, TM Capital, Bing Ventures, and a "high-profile entity that wished to remain anonymous.""The capital will be deployed to further develop and support blockchain games, blockchain infrastructure, and related services, as well as to strengthen the company's organizational structure and talent base," reads a press release.Double Jump is currently working with Ubisoft to "accelerate global web3 game adoption" with Champions Tactics. It also partnered with Sega to create Battle of Three Kingdoms, a blockchain title based on the Sangokushi Taisen franchise.Blockchain and NFT projects have proven controversial in the video game industry, with detractors pointing to the speculative nature of the technology and environmental concerns. Yet, some major studios continue to flirt with a concept they feel can deliver "innovative" and "engaging&…
Nearly 20 years since its closure, Argonaut Games has returned.The British studio is now a "boutique publisher" looking to release remasters of its previous works and make original titles for "current and retro platforms." First on the docket is a remaster for the well-known classic Croc: Legend of the Gobbos."I’m thrilled to see the Argonaut name back after twenty years away," wrote founder Jez San. "[We were] always about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in gaming, and I’m excited to see how the relaunched Argonaut Games builds on that legacy."
The history and legacy of the original Argonaut
Argonaut first launched in 1982, and debuted with 1984's Skyline Attack for the Commodore 64. In addition to the two Croc games, its best-known works include the original Star Fox and its sequel, and the Starglider series.The studio's reputation is also owed to how it incorporated 3D technology into 2D games. Its Brender toolkit and graphics engine were used in several of its ga…
The response to Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox is apparently strong enough that Square Enix is considering a more balanced multiplatform approach.Speaking with Eurogamer, producer Naoki Yoshida said the MMO's arrival on Xbox Series X|S in March had a "pretty good" reaction. With communities growing on the platform, the publisher is looking to "further deepen" its relationship with Xbox."Now we are moving towards the policy of releasing our games on a multiplatform basis," said Yoshida. "We want to release more Square Enix games on Xbox, and there will be more of our titles released on Xbox. I hope players will look forward to future things to come on the platform."His comments build on similar ones made by CEO Takashi Kiryu in late July, shortly after Octopath Traveler II's release on the console; Kiryu said it would put games on Xbox "when possible."
Square Enix and Xbox need each other
Last year, documents accidentally leaked by Microsoft revealed it had considered acquiring Square Enix…
Financials for the first half of the 2024-2025 fiscal year show CD Projekt had "strong" results in multiple areas from January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024.Revenue-wise, the Polish studio boasted 424.8 million PLN (or $109.8 million), up 30.6 percent from the first six months of the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Cyberpunk 2077 and its Phantom Liberty expansion were deemed the primary drivers for this growth.This has been the case previously in May and March, and it looks to continually sustain CD Projekt, much like The Witcher 3 did as Cyberpunk was being improved on.Financial reserves and net profit were also said to have grown during the six-month period. Reserves increased to over 55 million PLN, while net profit hit 170 million PLN, up 88.4 percent from 90.2 million PLN in 2023-2024's first half.Additionally, CFO Piotr Nielubowicz revealed CD Projekt has allocated over 150 million PLN to work on "future projects."Those projects include "Polaris," the fourth mainline Witcher game that he said is nearing full production. As of July 31, 410 (out of 639) developers are working on it, and the project recently made "substantial progress" in pre-produ…
Bloomberg is reporting that Christopher Barrett, a top-level executive and director at Bungie, was fired in March following a series of misconduct allegations.Barrett previously served as director on Marathon and held a seat on the Bungie board before the company was acquired by Sony. Bloomberg claims he was accused by at least eight women of "behaving inappropriately" towards them in the workplace.He allegedly "called lower-level female employees attractive, asked them to play truth-or-dare and made references to his wealth and power within the studio," suggesting he could help "advance their careers."Sources speaking to Bloomberg claim he befriended several women across various departments within the studio. He then reportedly sent a "barrage" of texts that "blurred the lines between professional and personal."Barrett joined Bungie in 1999 as an artist but eventually became an integral figure within the studio, serving as a director and designer on key projects including Destiny 2 and Marathon.It's reported that Bungie staffers weren't informed why Barrett had been let go, with the Marathon team initially being told he w…
Take This, a non-profit dedicated to decreasing stigma and increasing support for mental health in games, will be forced to shut down unless it can secure vital funding.The organization needs to raise $80,000 by September 30, 2024. After that, it will require "substantive, ongoing support" to become sustainable in the long-term.Take This runs a variety of programs designed to increase mental health awareness within the game industry, including an AFK Program that provides support spaces at major conventions and workshops that aim to educate studio managers and staff on mental health culture. The group has also authored a white paper on the topic of mental health in the game industry, spotlighting topics such as crunch culture and burnout.That's just the tip of the iceberg. Other initiatives include mentorship programs, free educational materials and resources, hundreds of panel and media appearances, and more.
Take This requires serious support
Yet, the group claims it will simply "disappear" if it cannot secure a fin…
Roblox is updating its marketplace to enable creators to grow their business on the UGC platform.Upcoming changes will allow creators to sell avatar bundles–consisting of bodies, clothing, and accessories—in both Marketplace and within experiences themselves. Roblox said the tweak represents a "big step forward for creators" and will debut in the "coming months."Currently, it's only possible to publish and sell individual items in Marketplace and experiences, but Roblox claims the addition of bundles will make buying and selling a more "convenient" experience."Selling avatars and items as a bundle is much more convenient for people, as they'll be able to shop for full looks all at once rather than piecemeal. We recently launched a new way to search for avatar bundles and have already seen a positive uptick in people shopping for full looks, rather than individual accessories," added the company."For creators and brands alike, that means new ways to showcase their full creative vision, build connections with their audience, and grow their earnings."
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Developer Rogue Snail has outlined a set of changes for its Early Access game Relic Hunters Legend, and the biggest will see the removal of its free-to-play elements.On the game's Steam page, Rogue Snail explained that the game's 1.0 launch will turn it into a full-fledged $20 title. Since it no longer has backing from Gearbox, the studio realized it couldn't stick to its Kickstarter promise of not charging for the game.Being blunt about it, the team also admitted it "had to focus our limited resources," and "just can’t spare the effort that goes into monetization.""New challenges have been presented to various development studios, ours is no exception," wrote Rogue Snail. "With all these challenges in hand, we needed to think of a monetization plan for the game that would be fair to our players and sustainable for us."Hand-in-hand with this news is the removal of Relic's online requirements. With the upcoming 0.11 update, the game will now feature save slots, and players will choose manually whether or not to play with others.This "significant change" is already being implemented into the Early Access version,…
Metaphor: ReFantazio is easily one of the best JRPGs of the year (and ever, if you ask me), and since its release last Friday, fans have been pouring dozens of hours into it across PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and, uh, 3DS.You read that right – despite not officially releasing on Nintendo’s previous-gen handheld, that’s not stopped at least one player from seeking out the crunchiest possible way to explore Euchronia. Well, I say ‘crunchiest,’ but in this clip posted to Reddit, user bjatman8008 shows the opening cinematics, as well as a little bit of gameplay running around in one of the earliest dungeons, displaying surprisingly well on their New 3DS XL. It might not be quite as crisp as on, well, literally any other platform, but you can’t deny that it’s workable.Playing it on my new 3ds xl from r/MetaphorReFantazioIt’s worth pointing out that in the clip above, technical wizardry hasn’t been deployed to get Metaphor: ReFantazio running natively on the handheld – I’d genuinely fear for the console if it was. Instead, as explained by the user themselves in the thread, they’re streaming a copy of the game from their PC to their New 3DS XL, which explains how, despite b…