The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Chris and James recap their time at Gamescom and predict how Star Wars Outlaws might do next week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this podcast, we did something a little different: a live Q&A show recorded as part of the official Devcom 2024 Twitch stream. Chris Dring and James Batchelor were joined by Altered Gene's Des Gayle, answering questions submitted by GamesIndustry.biz readers ahead of the show. Topics tackled in this episode included: Why do developers create huge expansions over standalone games? Can Nintendo maintain momentum with Switch 2? How many concurrent users does a multiplayer game need to survive? Will Grand Theft Auto 6 convert last-gen console owners to upgrade? As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube. This week, James reports back from the first ever Gamescom Latam and gives a little insight into the growth of both the Brazillian games market and Gamescom as a global show. We also discuss Don't Nod's decision to delay new IP Lost Records: Bloom & Rage to avoid clashing with its previous IP Life Is Strange, which returns this October. The history of the industry is filled with examples of rival titles going head-to-head to the benefit of no one (and we list quite a few), so we discuss the need for smarter release scheduling going forward. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories from across the video games business. This week, we're taking Xbox's 20th anniversary as a chance to reflect on the evolution of the brand and the impact it has had on the wider industry - something we've explored in detail here. We also share our first and fondest memories of the original Xbox, and discuss why it's the Xbox 360 that will trigger the biggest nostalgia moment for Microsoft's console business. And if you haven't already, be sure to check out our interview with Microsoft VP Sarah Bond about the future of Xbox and how it is still trying to change the games industry. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories from the business of video games. This week, we start with a discussion on the wave of name-dropping for NFTs and blockchains in major publishers' recent financial results - a trend on which we have made our stance very clear. As our contributing editor Rob Fahey observes, there is something of an agenda behind why even the execs that are somewhat skeptical about this new technology are referencing it in their earnings calls. Then we move to the upcoming release of Skyrim: Anniversary Edition and the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, and explore why re-releases of certain titles - even those that have been made widely available over the years - continue not only to sell, but also appeal to us personally. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses some of the biggest stories of the past week, where the phrase "Surely you can do better than this" applied in various ways. We start by discussing the changes promised by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who seeks to address the many concerns about the publisher's workplace culture with investment into diversity initiatives and recruitment as well as a voluntary paycut to his salary and compensation. The plans have been declared as "a huge win" by the ABK Workers Alliance, but SOC Investment Group still believes more needs to be done -- at least in terms of executive pay -- and it throws into sharp relief the lack of a similar response by Ubisoft. And speaking of Ubisoft, the direct source of this podcast's title is a marketing email in which Far Cry 6's villain goads the player for not spending more time on the game, among other things. We discuss the many perils of chasing engagement, both in terms of this email and the reaction to Brendan's tweet about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses the biggest stories of the past week. First up, we discuss the ongoing dance between Electronic Arts and football association FIFA. While EA has claimed it's considering a rebrand for its best-selling football series, FIFA has suggested it's considering licensing out its brand to additional parties. We ponder what each side has to lose or gain, or whether ultimately these are just negotiating tactics and the world's biggest-selling game will likely remain just the way it is. Then, following complaints from Metroid Dread developers who did not receive credit in the final game, we explore what should earn a place in any project's staff roll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021. In our final episode, we speak to Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart about working with publishers. The discussion offers advice to studios on what they should look for in a publishing partner, and also explores the road to Microsoft's acquisition of Obsidian and the interested parties that came before it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021. Today's episode is our exclusive interview with Jade Raymond, best known for her work leading studios at Ubisoft and EA and launching franchises such as Assassin's Creed.  Raymond is currently building up her new company, Haven Studios, which has already received investment from PlayStation. We speak to her about the studio's progress, forming a team of former Assassin's Creed and Stadia developers, and Raymond's hopes for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021. Today's episode is the keynote fireside chat between our own Christopher Dring and Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan. The discussion explores Jim's career at PlayStation throughout its history, his thoughts on the future of PS5, and his hopes for the growth of the video games industry. (As this is ripped from the session on the day, Chris ends with a teaser for a discussion with Warner Music. There will not be a podcast version of this session, but you can find the full video on our YouTube channel) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices