Jonah is in LA, TJ is at EVO, and who knows where Scott is.
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Episode 432: Gaming ThunderEpisode 432: Gaming Thunder
This podcast has a little storminess to it, as it was recorded during a thunderstorm. There’s also tons of interesting news.
This week’s items include:
- Rainbow Six Siege Season 3 content arrives on August 2
- Sega announces two new Sonic games
- Nintendo loses billions in value after Pokemon Go truth bomb
- PlayStation Neo said to be coming in either September or October
Let us know what you think.
Episode 388: Off To E3 AgainEpisode 388: Off To E3 Again
It’s the last episode before the start of E3, which both Jonah and Paul will be attending, as Paul fantasizes about having some fancy footwear for the conference.
The abbreviated episode includes the following news:
- The $100 headset uses controversial electric shocks to make you a better gamer
- Oculus unveils final model of the Rift, due early 2016
- Xbox One exclusives Crackdown, Scalebound and Quantum Break will skip E3 for Gamescom
Question of the Week this time is, “Do you prefer a silent or voiced protagonist?”
Studios Closing: The Good, Bad and UglyStudios Closing: The Good, Bad and Ugly
Gamers around the world are going to feel the pain in the 2009 holiday season after the economy shakes apart many great development studios. Electronic Arts feels the pain of being a public company as their investors complain about lackluster revenue, THQ deals with closing studios to extend their runway and other firms will lose more headcount in the coming months.
It’s not all bad. But, it’s going to get ugly before it gets better.
The financial market has played tricks on everyone in our global economy and companies across all industries are going to feel a bit of a tightening around the belt. Investors are shaken and doing their best to protect their investments and cutting loose those that aren’t projecting profits in the near future. Game studios are going to slow their financial burn rates, trim a bit of the fat and hunker down the long term. The end result, next years holiday season will have a few less games because those games are being dropped to the floor now.
Mid-sized studios within larger firms may find their projects canceled or put on hold and their employees re-structured or let go while big studios assess what projects will make the long haul. This is the ugly side of the business, having to make a decision on what games stay and what games go with the grief of having to tell some of your best talent “goodbye.”
The bad part of the industry is occurring today, with publishers posting mediocre profits and trying to convince their investors to be patient and trust they’ve got a firm hold on their destiny. The game industry is not alone in this, many firms are reducing head count and many startups are finding themselves without series A or B funding; they’re closing their doors because the money is being directed to more stable ventures.
What’s the good in all of this?