Guess it's Them's Fightin' Herds' time to shine

After two years of having to settle for online-only gaming tournaments, it looks like 2022 will finally be the year we get to see the best and brightest duking it out in person, _{even though this pandemic isn't anywhere close to over and could flare up again at any moment}. On March 8, the organizers behind Evo are going to announce which titles fans can expect to see at this year's shindig in Las Vegas. While we can speculate and guess on which game will show up *cough*King of Fighters XV*cough*, there is one specific fighter Evo organizers want fans to know in advance won't be appearing at this year's festivities: Super Smash Bros. In a statement issued ??today, the organizers confirmed the franchise will not be a part of the eve?nt.

//twitter.com/EVO/status/1497662793897721860

If any of this sounds familiar, it should. We've done this song and dance before. Many years ago, Nintendo shut down Evo streaming Super Smash Bros. Melee at the event before reversing course. Since then, it's seemed like Nintendo has had a decent relationship with Evo, allowing Melee and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to appear at the show. In 2019, Ultimate managed to bring in ??3,500 participants and was the most-watc??hed competition of the show.

But, things have changed since then. COVID-19 forced organizers to change the in-person event to an all-digital affair in 2020, which Ultimate would not be a part of, before canceling the whole shebang following sexual misconduct allegations that were levied at Evo CEO Joey Cuellar. Then, in March 2021, Evo got bought up by Sony, before holding another all-online version of the tournament?? that again excluded Nintendo's signature fighter.

It's pretty disappointing that we won't get to see the best-selling fighting game of all time be a part of this year's show, but it does make room for some of those smaller fighters to get a chance in the spotlight. Here's to hoping Persona 4 Arena Ultimax or Phantom Breaker: Omnia can help fill that sizeable gap.

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I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it and stick your head out and yell "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

The inevitable has happened. Late last night, Nintendo announced that starting in March of 2023, it will no longer allow purchases to be made on the Nintendo 3DS eShop and the Nintendo Wii U eShop. It will also cut off access to downloadable free content, including game demos and free-to-start titles, and will no longer allow people to make purchases in certain programs, such as Wii Sports Club, Pokémon Bank, and StreetPass Mii Plaza.

As was the case when Nintendo shut down the Wii Shop Channel and said goodbye to WiiWar?e games, anybody who has purchased an eShop game on either device will still be able to download it after March 2023. Nintendo says the ability to do so will continue into "the foreseeable future" and that Wii?? U and 3DS owners will still be able to receive any software updates that have been released and play their games online.

Prior to the March 2023 cutoff date, Nintendo will remove the ability for players to add funds to their eShop account using a Wii U or 3DS. Starting May 23, 2022, you will no longer be able to use credit cards to add funds on these devices, and on August 29, 2022, Nintendo will stop allowing you to add funds using a Nintendo eShop card on the hardware. If you have linked your Nintendo Network ID wallet that you use with your Nintendo Switch to your Wii U and/or 3DS, you will still be able to use funds from that wallet on either device. However, after March 2023, those funds will only be able to be used on ?Nintendo Switch. Players will also?? be able to redeem any download codes up until the March 2023 cutoff.

//www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video?/7069839261192801541

Yes, the Theme Shop too

Obviously, this sucks. Despite Nintendo saying it's "part of the natural lifecycle for any product line," you would hope that maybe we could develop a way to not lose access to so many great pieces of software. I know a lot of people will lament that we haven't received a Switch port of Xenoblade Chronicles X yet, but that's still a possibility given how much more popular that series is now than it was on the Wii or Wii U. You can't really say the same about something like Affordable Space Adventures or Dillon's Rolling Western or Sakura Samurai or those Denpa Men games that I told myself I was going to buy but ??never got around to doing so.

I guess I should be lucky I still have a working Wii U and New Nintendo 2DS so I can really take stock of all the great games that I can only play on those devices. I know that many of the best Wii U eShop games released by third parties have gone multiplatform in the years since their initial release, but I know plenty of great 3DS eShop exclusives, like Siesta Fiesta, haven't made the same move.

If you love either of these devices and the games available on them, don't be quiet about this. Make your voice heard, but not in a toxic, targeting individual people kind of way. I'm not so sure Nintendo can be as easily swayed as Sony was last year, but hey, we'll never know if we just sit idly by and let it happen. And if you need a reminder of how much you enjoyed either of these consoles, Nintendo has set up the My Nintendo 3DS & Wii U Memories website to give you a r??efresher on just how much time you spent with them.

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I, for one, welcome our new Astro Bot overlords

Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan has formally introduced its freshly re-branded Team ASOBI merger, bringing to an end a tumultuous period that has? seen the developer lose many successful and influential game pro?ducers.

"Following the release of Astro’s Playroom for PlayStation 5, Team Asobi is now spreading its wings and growing bigger!" said Team ASOBI in a press statement. "This is a very exciting time for the team, and we are very much looking forward to this next chapter. We wanted to take this chance to thank all of you, the PlayStation fans, for your kind words of support over the years, especially since Astro made its big debut on PlayStatio??n 5 alongside th??e DualSense wireless controller."

"While we are growing and chall?enging bigger things, our mission a?t heart remains the same as ever: bring you PlayStation magic, innovation and put smiles on your faces with fun, colorful games for all ages. We would like to send you all our biggest wishes of well-being. Thank you for being such a great community and we look forward to your comments."

The restructure process brings an end to the original Sony Japan Studio, that has worked on the design and development of PlayStation titles since the brand's 1994 launch. Over the past six months, Sony Japan's restructure plans have met with an exodus of amazing talent. This includes Silent Hill director Keiichiro Toyama, Bloodborne luminaries Maasaki Yamagiwa and Teruyuki Toriyama, Gravity Rush artist and character designer Shinsuke Saito, and veteran producer Kentaro Motamura, who had previously worked on Bloodborne, Dark Cloud, and Everybody's Golf.

Team ASOBI and Astro's Playroom will now become the driving force behind Sony Japan Studios' internal development. Software localization, IP management, third-party production, and other managerial matters now ??fall to PlayStation Studios' global network. It is most certainly the end ?of an era.

While I'm?? in no doubt Team ASOBI is packed full of passionate, talented developers, it feels like an important p??iece of the PlayStation puzzle has been lost.

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New studio led by former BioWare exec

Crystal Dynamics has announced the founding of a brand new studio in Austin, Texas. Officially dubbed Crystal Southwest, t??he studio has already set to work on multiple projects, with the fledgling studio expected to be "a?? major part of all current and future Crystal Dynamics titles."

Crystal Southwest is headed up by the fantastically named Dallas Dickinson, a 20-year indus??try veteran who has previously worked as a producer at Sony, as well as BioWare's Head of Production. Crystal Dynamics has already transitioned several staff members into the new offices, but is also currently recruiting for multiple company roles.

It's good news for the long-time developer, currently on the backfoot a little following the less-than-stellar reception to Square Enix' Marvel's The Avengers. Expected to be a long-term, service game title, the comic-book epic struggled to find its intended audience, failing to meet its publisher's expectations and seeing its next-gen editions hit with an unfortunate delay. Hopefully ??the new studio expansion will signal an upswing for the developer's future.

We’re excited to announce our new development studio in Austin, Texas!

We are recruiting! Check out //t.co/RkufS73S29 for more information. pic.twitter.com/nMwCY3lD71

— Crystal Dynamics (@CrystalDynamics) May 26, 2021

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Publisher finally lives up to its name

Rockstar Games has entered into a business partnership with club promoter CircoLoco to f??ound a new record label. Titled "CircoLoco Records", the la??bel will aim to promote and grow dance music and its surrounding club culture, a culture which has understandably seen a significant decrease in both status and revenue during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

CircoLoco's first release, a compilation album tit?led Monday Dreamin', will feature a mash-up of some of CircoLoco's most popular musicians. The record will feature tracks from established stars such as DJ Moodyman, Dixon, Luciano, and Rampa, while also featuring cuts from up-and-coming acts Red Axes, Sama' Abdulhadi, and Lost Souls of Saturn & TOKiMONSTA.

If you want to check out some of the tracks ahead of time, then you can pick up the first of numerous EPs that are set to launch in the run-up to the reco??rd's eventual release. The first EP will drop on June 4, and will feature tracks from Kerri Chandler, Seth Troxler, and Rampa. The remaining EPs will be released on a weekly basis, up until Monday Dreamin's official launch on July 7.

The partnership is a snug deal for Rockstar, for which music has always been a key component in the fame (or infamy) of its releases. It's almost impossible to picture the Grand Theft Auto franchise making the grade without its brilliant licensed soundtracks and virtual nightclubs, while titles such as L.A. Noire and Red Dead Redemption put as much purchase on t??heir own scores to defining the ??Rockstar vibes as the games' respective visuals, characters, script, or gameplay.

For full details on CircoLoco Records, check out the announcement on the Rockstar Games blog.

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But Remedy remains in Control

Chinese conglomerate Te?ncent has purchased a minority stake in developer Remedy Entertainment, amounting to around 500,000 shares?, or a stake of just under 4%.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the stake was sold to Tencent by holding company Accendo Capital, which itself retains 14% of the Finnish studio's shares — something in the region of 1.8 million shares total. Remedy itself was unaware of the ??transaction until after it had been completed, but has noted that the sale repre??sents typical stock movement, and should not be seen as any sort of commercial deal that directly affects studio ownership or future development plans.

"We are naturally aware that? Tencent has extensive expertise in the industry," said Remedy CEO Tero Virtala in a brief statement. "so we are honoured by their interest in Remedy and happy to welcome Tencent as a new shareholder."

Tencent Holdings Inc.'s portfolio includes bountiful stakes within a huge laundry list of international developers and publishers. As well as owning four internal game development studios, Tencent has varying stakes in companies such as Activision, Ubisoft, Supercell, Epic Games, Riot Games, PlatinumGames, Bohemia Interactive, Dontnod Entertainment, Klei Entertainment, and Funcom.

Lend us a tenner.

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Because it's all just one big mash-up of everyone and everything

Netflix is circling the video game industry, with an eye to getting deeper involved in the realms of interactive entertainment. The movie/TV streaming giant is now on the hunt for a new executive to lead a non-specific gaming division with??in the company.

According to The Information, sources state that Netflix is attempting to find avenues into the gaming industry, though whether this concerns game development, production, distribution, sales, rentals, or all of the above remains a mystery. Netflix has dipped its toe into gaming before — renting video games in its early years, producing TV series based on titles such as Castlevania and The Witcher and working alongside developer BonusXP for a Stranger Things tie-in title for Nintendo Switch.

Given that we now live in a media world where Everybody wants to do Everything with Everyone and earn All The Money, it figures that Netflix would look to expand into gaming's multi-billion-dollar industry, no doubt hoping to carve out a piece of that pie for i??tself. What exact form this expansion takes remains to be seen, but given the company's stranglehold on streaming, it would be wild if Netflix chose to launch its own Stadia-style cloud gaming service. Don't change that dial.

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Over 60 releases planned for the period 2022-2024

Publisher Take-Two Interactive has released its financial report for the fiscal period ending March 2021, revealing that the Grand Theft Auto publisher raked in a staggering, record-breaking revenue of $3.73 ?billion USD over?? the course of the past year.

Recurrent spending is the main driver of Take-Two's profits, with 68% of revenue coming from the communities of ongoing releases such as Grand Theft Auto Online and NBA 2K21, as well as microtransaction heavy mobile titles such as Borderlands 3, Two Dots, and WWE SuperCard. GTA Online was particularly successful, with a record number of players jumping into the MMO over 2020, and in-game spending up 30% on the pr??evious year.

"We believe that the pandemic initiated a transformational shift in entertainment consumption, revealing the possibilities of interactive entertainment to a much broader market, with interactive entertainment becoming the number one entertainment vertical," said Take-Two in its report. "We anticipate that the overall addressable market for our industry will be? notably larger going forward than it was pre-pandemic. However, as the world returns to a new normal, we expect a moderation of the trends that benefitted our industry over the past year."

An unsurprisingly robotic reflection ??of the past year's horribleness.

Take-Two has also offered a summation of its plans for the coming years, which will see the publisher lead much harder into new releases. Between the years 2022 and 2024, Take-Two expects to have launched around 62 games, 19 o??f which it describes as "immersive core" releases. Interestingly, seven of those titles are said to be sports-related, which will put Take-Two in direct competition with Electronic Arts, who itself is seemingly engaged in a strong push to sew up as much of the lucrative sports market as possible.

Take-Two's next major release will be the next-gen re-release of Grand Theft Auto V on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Now seven years old, Rockstar's magnum opus remains one of the greatest-selling games of all time, having sold over 140 million copies since its initial launch in 2013. The number is only set to grow and gr?ow once Franklin and friends return come November 11.

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I love how you do that Hocus Pocus to me

As if Epic Games wasn't already in and out of the courtroom enough, the company has filed a new lawsuit against augmented reality firm Nreal. The Fortnite developer is suing the Chinese company over the similarities between its name and Epic's game engine "??Unreal".

"Nreal was and is well aware of Epic and its Unreal marks," reads the su??it, which was filed last week i?n a North Carolina court. "Nrea?l does not just sell glasses, it has already developed and sold a game to be used with those glasses. Nreal is willfully trading off Epic's rights, causing confusion, and acting with? callous disregard for Epic's prior rights."

Once again, "customer confusion" is the lawyer-panicking problem here, with Epic concerned that people will confuse Nreal's Smart Glass products with its own "Unreal" engine and gaming brand. While Epic has been in protracted talks w??ith Nreal since the latter filed the trademark in 2018, Epic has decided to take the matter?? to the courts.

Epic is seeking damages and legal fees for "the harm it has suffered, is suffering, and will continue to suffer as a result of Nreal's infringement," in addition to Nreal cease-and desisting with its use of the term. Meanwhile, Epic Games continues its industry-changing trial with Apple. Busy times for the multi-bi?llion dollar corporation.

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Still on course for 100 games in 2021

Google ??has stated that cloud gaming platform Stadia is "alive and well." The statement comes from the industry giant following a slew of headlines that suggest ??the Stadia platform — still in its relative infancy — is suffering from numerous setbacks.

"We're well on our way to over 100 new games launching on Stadia in 2021, and we're continuing to make Stadia a great place to play games on devices you already own," said development marketing lead Nate Ahearn in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. "I'd tell any non-believers to take notice of how we're continuing to put our words into action, as we grow the Stadia Makers program and partner with AAA studios like Capcom, EA, Square Enix, Ubisoft? and others.?"

The words come in the wake of numerous eyebrow-raising headlines concerning Stadia's direction. Following disappointing first-year sales, Google announced it was closing its internal game development studios in February of 2021 — a decision that led to an exodus of developers, including producer Jade Raymond, who has since formed her own studio and with several former Stadia staff. This was followed by the news that Stadia's VP & Head of Product, John Justice, had also left Google. Justice's role has s?ince been fille??d by Stadia co-founder Dov Zimring.

"Dov has been instrumental as a senior leader in the product development for both Project Stream and Stadia," said a Google spokesperson. "He will be leading the team toward our goals of cr?eating the best possible platform for gamers and technology for our partners."

Google no longer publishes figures regarding Stadia sales, subscriptions, or users. As such it is difficult to accurately ascertain the status of the platform as of May 2021. While there are major releases joining the Stadia service this year, (Capcom's Resident Evil Village, for example), the proof of the pudding will not be in what Stadia is able to achieve in the remainder of 2021, but how many users — and importantly, publishers — continue to invest in the platform's future ?come 2022.

Google says Stadia is "alive and well" [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Take the elevator this time

Wasting no time at all, publisher 505 Games has leapt upon its recently purchased IP, Ghostrunner, excitedly announcing a sequel for the tower-climbing, limb-severing, cyberpunk adventure. Ghostrunner 2 is being developed for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, altho?ugh 505 Games did not offer any information regarding an expected release window.

"We are particularly excited about the future release of Ghostrunner 2," reads ??a statement from 505 Games' parent company Digital Bros. "Together with One More Level, we have created a thrilling and engaging video game. This new collaboration deepens 505 Games presence within the Polish video game market, a reality now among the firsts in Europe for the develo?pment of video games, new projects and talents. We will continue to pay close attention to the Polish market to constantly improve and expand our product portfolio with video games capable of satisfying the tastes?? of the entire gaming community."

505 Games worked alongside developer One More Level and publisher All-In! Games to develop and release the original Ghostrunner back in 2020. Though 505 were uninterested in purchasing the IP at the time, a change of heart came about once Ghostrunner launched — recouping its development costs in a single day? and going on to sell 600,000 copies to date.

Opening its wallet to the tune of $6 million USD, 505 Games added the Ghostrunner IP to its impressive portfolio, which now sees the Polish publisher hold licenses for brands such as Control, Terraria, Bloodstained, and the PC port of Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding. Ghostrunner is a great title, and with fully-revitalized confidence and the backi?ng of a major publisher, the stage is only set to get bigger and better for this incoming sequel.

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Max Zorin won in the end

Global tech giants including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft have banded together to form a lobby known as the "Semiconductors in America Coalition" with an eye to solving t??he mass electronic component shortage currently plaguing the U.S. manufacturing industry.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, the new super-duper friends club? also includes communication companies such as AT&T, Intel, Hewlett Packard, and Verizon — all of whom are seemingly holding a ceasefire over market dominance because nobody is making All The Money anymore. The coalition is asking government leaders to fund technological research and chip manufacture processes to the tune of $50 billion USD. The coalition already has the su??pport of U.S. President Biden.

"The current shortage of semiconductors is impacting a broad range of industries throughout the economy," said the SiAC in a letter addressed to U.S. congress Speaker Pelosi, as well as Leaders Schumer, McConnell, and McCarthy. "To address this problem in the short term, government should refrain from intervening as industry works to correct the current supply-demand imbalance causing the shortage. For the longer term, robust funding of the CHIPS Act would help Am??erica build the additional capacity necessary to have more resilient supply chains to ensure critical technologies will be there when we need them."

As well as Ensuring Critical Technologies, new funding for component manufacture will help get the machines rolling on next-gen platforms such as PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, both of which have suffered from a severe lack of stock since their respective launches in 2020. Further hind??ered by the ongoing?? COVID-19 pandemic, the component shortage is causing havoc for multiple industries in the development and production of global hardware.

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A Far Cry joint

Ubisoft announced that, effective immediately, all first-party titles will be branded "Ubisoft Origina?ls."

Ubisoft confirmed the new branding in a succinct statement to Eurogamer. "Moving forward the 'Ubisoft Original' mention is attached to all of Ubisoft's games created in-house by our talented developers," said the Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six Siege studio.

While Ubisoft does not currently p??ublish titles from exterior developers, the soundbyte-happy publisher is likely just looking for a trademark signifier, not dissimilar to "A Netflix Original Series". The mind boggles that it didn't go with "Ubisoft Iconics".

The first game to receive the sparkly new branding is Tom Clancy's The Division: Heartland — a new, free-to-play take on the non-political tactical shooter series. Developed by the series regulars, Red Storm Entertainment, The Division: Heartland is expected to launch on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox in 2021/2022, with a m?obile port also in the works.

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Down, R, Up, L, Y, B, X, A

Capcom has released its latest financial earnings report and, in news that will come as no surprise to anybody, the long-time developer/publisher's fortun??es continue to soar. The new report records a fourth consecutive year delivering record-breaking sales figures for the company, thanks to quality new rele??ases and continued steady sales of its back catalogue.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, overall net sales in?creased 16.8% on the previo?us year, raking in just over ¥95 million (or roughly $876 million USD). Meanwhile, operating income skyrocketed 51.6% on the previous year, which translates to around ¥34.5 billion (or roughly $317 million). This figure represents the eighth consecutive year that Capcom's operating income has grown, with the company forecasting growth to ¥42 million by 2022.

Capcom's core "Digital Contents" division sees the lion's share of the sales. 2020 remake Resident Evil 3 and 2021 Nintendo Switch release Monster Hunter Rise were both smash hits for the publisher, while Monster Hunter World and its expansion, Iceborne) — Capcom's most successful release of all-time — continues to see sales over three years on from its initial release. Quietly adding to the coffers in the background are dynamic actioner Devil May Cry V, 2019 remake Resident Evil 2, and Capcom's beleaguered-but-steadfast Street Fighter V.

Last week saw the launch of Resident Evil Village, one of Capcom's most anticipated releases in some time. Switch-owning Monster Hunter fans can look forward to Monster Hunter Stories 2 this summer, and it remains an open secret that Street Fighter VI has long been in development. While 2020 brought Capcom misfortune in the form of a serious ransomware attack, it seems that the legendary studio has much to celebrate for the past 1?2 months, with the party set to continue into 2022 and gaming's newest generation.

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Chips Challenge

In a p??rivate briefing with investors, Sony has reportedly told shareholders that it expects the short supply woes currently bothering its PS5 hardware to continue for the foreseeable future, throughout 2021 and leading into 2022.

While the PS5 has gotten off to an incredibly strong start sales-wise — even beating out the launch numbers of the previous generation's PS4 — a shortage of manufacturing components hangs heavy over the industry, with Sony expect demand to far exceed that of production. According to a report by Bloomberg, Sony Japan has openly addressed this problem in a meeting held not long after the release of its latest financial earnings ??report.

"I don’t think demand is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more u??nits of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn’t be able to catch up with demand," Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki reportedly told investors "We have sold more than 100 million units of the PlayStation 4 and considering our market share and reputation, I can’t imagine demand [for PS5] dropping easily."

The shortage of PS5 consoles is, essentially, a two-pronged attack on customers. At the supply level, a lack of internal components is causing slow production of the physical console itself, while at the retail level, customers have struggled in battles with scalpers and multi-buyers to bag what little hardware hits the market. Add to the mix production delays and distribution issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it's easy to see why all major publishers — not just Sony — are struggling to get their wares into ??the hands of the public.

Sony has shipped over 7.8 million PlayStation 5 units since its release in Nov??ember 2020. The corporation forecasts to have sold 14.8 million consoles by the end of the current fiscal year.

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'...And she's buying a Stadia to Haven'

Six additional developers have taken their leave of Google Stadia in order to join producer Jade Raymond in her new venture, Haven Studios. The new company was founded by Raymond?? following her own departure from?? the Stadia project back in February.

As spotted by eagle-eyed Resetera readers, the six developers left the Stadia project to take up new roles alongside Raymond's new Montreal-based studio, which aims to produce brand new ?games without fear of overlord interference. The?? name "Haven" was chosen by Raymond — formerly of Ubisoft and Electronic Arts — to represent the studio's ethos of being both a haven for gaming, as well as being a haven for developers to work unimpeded.

"It’s time for us to refocus on GAMES in a place where we can practice our crafts without any barriers or impediments," said Raymond in a recent interview with PlayStation Blog. "We want to create worlds where players can escape, have ??fun,? express themselves, and find community. We want to pour our passion into a project. We want to make something wondrous for people to experience."

Stadia has lost numerous executives and staff members in recent months. The exodus began around February, when Stadia announced that it was closing its internal game development studios. Just this week, we reported on how Stadia's Head of Product, John Justice, has also moved on from his role, leaving the project open for potential new leadership. While Stadia still has 100 titles lined up for 2021, including major releases such as Capcom's Resident Evil Village, the remainder of the year will clearly be vital in confirming S??tadia's future.

Six a????????????????????????????dditional staff leave Stadia to join Haven Studios [Gamesindustry.biz]

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Baseball checked off of EA's Big List of Sports

Electronic Arts has acquired Metalhead Software, adding the Super Mega Baseball deve?loper to its increasingly large portfolio of studios. The acquisition of the Canadian studio is part of EA's increasing efforts to increase its already momentous catalogue of sporting IPs.

In a press statement, EA noted its intention to work alongside Metalhead Software to further develop and grow the Super Mega Baseball series. In addition,? Metalhead will work alongside other teams in?? the EA Sports division to design and develop new sports titles.

"We’re all players of Super Mega Baseball, and we’ve long admired the work of the Metalhead team," said EA Sports GM Cam Weber. "It’s a unique and beloved franchise among sports gamers - the balance and depth of gameplay, and the unique style of the co?ntent, makes it super fun to play with friends. We look forward to supporting and investing in the team so they can continue to build out more amazing games that delight sports fans around the world."

The Super Mega Baseball series debuted back in 2014 on PS3 and PS4, where it was noted for its cartoony aesthetic but solid and easy-to-pick-up fundamentals. Since then, the series has seen two sequels, with the franchise transitioning into one of the finer baseball titles on the market. EA has not developed a baseball title since the MVP series in the mid-'00s, thus the purchase of Super Mega Baseball ?fills ??a gap in EA's ongoing efforts to retain leadership of the sports-related gaming market.

Electronic Arts has been forthright in its desire to become an omnipresent market leader. Recently, the publisher purchased British developer Codemasters, a sale which brings with it popular racing franchises Rally and Dirt. In a statement at the time, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen boldly re??marked how the acquisition of Codemasters was an "incredible opportunity [for EA] to own essentially all of the driving business there is."

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'Thank you for your candid feedback and support'

Humble Bundle has announced that it will abandon its plan to replace the storefront's dividend sliders with static, capped options. The Humble Bundle store will continue to allow its customers to? decide what portion of their purchases are donated to the store's many charitie??s.

The controversial plans were announced in April, and would have seen the current Humble Bundle sy??stem — which lets the customer plot the distribution of each sale between charity, publisher, and Humble Bundle itself — replaced with two flat-rate choices: "Default Donation" (5% to charity) and ?"Extra to Charity" (15% to charity). These options would see more money distributed to publishers, with an aim to encouraging more companies to volunteer titles for inclusion in future bundles. The community was disappointed with the change, however, and thus the original system will be retained.

"We’ve heard everyone loud and clear and apologize for the way these changes were rolled out," said Humble Bundle in a new statement. "We are now taking a moment to pause, collect constructive feedback and be more transparent about the path forward. Today, we’ll be turning sliders back on for all customers on our bundle pages whi??le we take more time to review feedback and?? consider sliders and the importance of customization for purchases on bundle pages in the long term."

The Humble Bundle store — which has raised almost $200 million USD for charities since its 2010 inception — will be undergoing something of an overhaul in the near-future. The redesign is expected to feature an improved storefront, as well as an optimized UI and new ways to incorporate charity into other parts of the Humble Bundle users'? experience.

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The Lootest of Boxes

In mind-blowing but completely believable news, it has been discovered that Epic Games' Fortnite — undeniably one of the biggest global phenomenons in the history of video game??s — raked in over $9 billion USD during its operation period of 2018 to 2019.

The ridiculous figure, brought to the forefront by The Verge, was released as part of the ongoing antitrust battle between Fortnite publisher Epic Games and industry overlord Apple. During the first day of the eyebrow-raising trial, a document was released from a January 2020 in-house presentation, revealing tha??t the battle royale title made $5.4 billion in 2018, followed by $3.7 billion the following year, for a total over $9.1 billion in? just two years.

Given the reduction in revenue between these two years, Epic predicted the downward trend would continue, and that Fortnite would make in the region of $2.7 billion in 2020. Instead, the figure actually increased, with players spending $5.1 billion in a year that turned out to be incredibly profitable for a large portion of the video game industry. The document also notes that Epic's sales platform, Epic Games Store, made $235 million during the 2018-2019 pe?riod, though i?t should be reiterated that, despite this, EGS currently operates at a loss.

The Epic vs. Apple trial continues, and will run Monday-Thursday throughout most of May. Already it feels like much of the internet is watching the unfolding events as one woul??d a sporting event, with reports, memes, and hot-takes coming in on social media like it's WrestleMania.

While it's understandable that people are gleefully watching two billionaire corporations go at it, ultimately, the outcome of the trial will have serious ramifications across the entire industry, setting precedents that will leave both parties very comfortably in the black, and will m?ost likely only have an impact?? on the gaming community itself.

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Perish the thought

Microsoft has re??spond?ed to recent reports that the publisher is planning to reduce the amount of money it makes on each and every Xbox game sale. According to the industry giant, it currently has no plans to take any less of a stake in the sales of any Xbox platform software.

The rumor came about following the publishing of a confidential document by The Verge. The presentation slide, which is titled "Microsoft Store Policies & App Store Prin??ciples" and was written in January 2021, seemed to suggest that Microsoft was preparing to readjust its revenue on each game to 88/12 in a developer's favor, down from?? the 70/30; the standard for most of the AAA gaming industry.

But in a new statement to The Verge, Microsoft openly said that it has no plans to adjust r?evenue share on Xbox games. The publisher originally stated "We have no plans to change the revenue share for console ga??mes at this time", before later returning with a far more definitive "We will not be updating the revenue split for console publishers".

It's easy to see why people could consider the adjustment a possibility. Microsoft recently adjusted the revenue share on PC games to 88/12, in keeping with similar schemes offered by publishers such as Epic Games Store. Applying this same strategy to consoles would have serious ramifications throughout the industry, possibly forcing the hand of both PlayStation and Ninte??ndo to follow suit or risk losing out to Xbox exclusivity deals. While such a strategy would be bold — not to menti??on better for developers — it seems that Microsoft is choosing to stick with the status quo.

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No Justice

Google has announced t?hat the VP & Head of Product for streaming service Stadia has left Google. John Justice was one of the faces of the Stadia brand, appearing in interviews and market?ing streams in the lead-up to the product's launch in 2019.

Following a report by The Information referencing Justice' absence, 9to5Google confirmed that the executive had in??deed left the company. "We can conf??irm John is no longer with Google, and we wish him well on his next step." reads a succinct statement on the website.

Stadia losing its Head of Product is just the latest in a series of rough optics for both the brand and the service. Justice' departure follows the closing of ?Stadia's in-house development studio back in February. The closure also saw the departure of high-ranking producer Jade Raymond, who left to found her own studio, Haven Entertainment.

Google has stated that it intends to reach out to third-party studios for Stadia's future titles, noting that it has over 100 titles coming to the platform over the course of 2021. These include major releases such as Capcom's Resident Evil Village. The Head of Product role wil??l be reassigned and, optimistically, there is a possibility that a change of leadership could see the Stadia service change course for the better. But there's no denying that's it's an uphill battl??e for Google's experimental service.

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You might confuse this cartoon dog with the video game series

In one of many tales of panicking billionaires surfacing this morning, Blizzard Entertainment is seeking to block FOX Media from its registration of the term "Diablo" as it pertains to tie-in merchandise related to upcoming animated series HouseBroken.

The new cartoon features a dog that shares a name with Blizzard's hellish video game franchise, and as such the latter is concerned that FOX's trademarking of the name will cause confusion among audiences. FOX' recent application for "Diablo" specifically concerns the usage of the ??character's name on crockery, beverage holders, pet treats, doggie bowls, and other merchandise — which has gotten Blizzard execs reaching for the 'phone.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Blizzard argues that FOX's registration of "Diablo" in regards to HouseBroken merchandise comes into conflict with Blizzard's own Diablo?? tradem??ark, which the developer/publisher has held since it launched the hugely successful RPG series way back in 1996. Blizzard has requested that FOX' request, therefore, be rejected by the United States Patent Office.

"Members of the public will erroneously believe that [FOX's] goods offered under the 'Diablo' mark originate with, or are in some manner connected or associated with, or sponsored by, [Blizzard Entertainment], all to the harm of [Blizzard's] goodwill and reputation." reads part of Blizzard's notice of opposition, which was filed on April 25.

Blizzard is currently working on three new titles in the Diablo franchise: remaster Diablo II Resurrected, free-to-play mobile release Diablo Immortal, and highly anticipated mainline sequel Diablo IV. Meanwhile, HouseBroken will premiere on the FOX Network May 31.

Disclaimer: HouseBroken is not a Diablo spin-off.

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Project remains under wraps for now

While Yoko Taro continues to furrow his brow over his new mystery project, the NieR?? creator has at least revealed one small update in the form of the unnamed game's composer, Ke??iichi Okabe.

Almost a "no introduction necessary" situation, Okabe is an industry veteran who has written fantastic scores for titles such as NieR: Automata, Ridge Racer, Taiko no Tatsujin and the Tekken series. While Taro's project is expected to be a small-scale, digital-?only title, having pedigree such as Okabe on board suggests that we're stil??l looking at something pretty special.

Taro's project has been described by the man himself as being "off-beat" and "nostalgic yet new". Taro also noted that although others have told him the game is sure to be a best-seller, he is unsure of how to get it into the players' hands. One thing is for certain, Taro is doing a great job at being baffling and obtuse, as one would expect from the Drakengard w??riter. We're just going?? to have to be patient and wait until the new game is finally unveiled.

In the meantime, fans can check out the recently released NieR Replicant. The updated action-RPG — which includes tweaked combat, re-recorded voice-overs, updated visuals, and a small selection of brand new content — is avai?lable now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

New Yoko Taro title composed by Keichii Okabe [Gematsu / Games Talk]

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Updates to arrive in the 'coming months'

Konami has announced that it will not be attending E3 2021 in any capacity. The long-time developer/publisher has noted that it is working on "key projects" and th?at players should expect updates pertaining to these titles over the coming months.

The full statement, posted yesterday to Twitter, reads as follows:

"Due to timing, we will not be ready to present at E3 this year. We want to reassure our fans that we are in deep development on a number of key projects, so please st??ay tuned for some updates in the coming months. Wh??ile we are not participating this year, we have great respect for the ESA and know that 2021 will be a great success. We will continue to support the ESA and wish the best to all participants at this year’s show."

The Entertain?ment Softwa??re Association (ESA) has acknowledged Konami's absence:

"We support our partner Konami's decision to not participate in E3 this year and are excited to see what they'll be announc?ing in the future when they're ready to do so," writes The ESA. "We can't wait for their return to E3 2022, but in the meantime, we look forward to sharing all of the hig?hly-anticipated reveals, programming and so much more at this year's E3."

Currently, Konami's only publicly known, in-development title is soccer sequel PES 2022.

E3 2021 is scheduled to take place (in ?an online capac??ity) between June 12-15.

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50% increase for the green-and-black brand

Microsoft has released its latest financial results for its most recent quarter, and thing??s are most assuredl?y looking up in The House of Xbox. Overall gaming revenue has been boosted by 50% year-on-year, driven by the launch of its next-gen hardware, Xbox Series X/S.

The 50% increase translates to an overall draw of $3.53 billion USD, as noted by analyst Daniel Ahmad. While Microsoft did not reveal specific figures regarding the sales of the new console platforms, it has stated that "demand significantly exceeded supply", which makes for a great soundbite from a corporate standpoint, but? undeniably sucks for customers.

The huge numbers include revenue gained from the sales of Xbox hardware and first-person software, as well as Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, Xbox Live Gold purchases and, importantly, revenue gained via ZeniMax subsidiaries — such as ga??mes developed by Bethesda Softworks. This latter factor alone places a large stake in Xbox Content & Services reven??ue, which increased 34% on the previous year.

Looking ahead, Xbox hopes to see its good fortunes continue. There's no denying that the brand has started the ninth generation in a stronger position — financially and reputation-wise — than the controversy that plagued the launch of Xbox One in the previous generation. Microsoft warns, however, that it expects Xbox Series X/S availability to be "constrained" for the coming months, as both Xbox and PlayStation struggle to get more stock onto store shelves and, ultimately, into the h??ands of the players.

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Next-gen console beats out PS4 launch

Sony has released its latest financial earnings report for the latest fiscal year — and?? it's a real doozy. The industry giant's latest hardware, PlayStation 5, has shipped a staggering 7.8 million units since its launch ba??ck in November 2020, exceeding its sales forecast and leading to record profits for Sony's Game & Network division.

Despite distribution issues and ongoing component shortages, PlayStation 5's launch was an incredible success for Sony, shifting more consoles in its release period than last generation's PlayStation 4 — though it should be noted that PS4 was made available in fewer territories at launch than PS5, which enjoy??ed a relatively global release. Combined sales of hardware, so?ftware, DLC, and PlayStation Plus subscribers led to overall record-breaking revenue of $24.4 billion USD for the fiscal year

Speak??ing of PS4, sales and shipments continue to slow on Sony's trusty black box, which now stands at a very impressive 115.9 lifetime shipments. One million PS4 consoles have still moved from store shelves since the start of 2021, showing that there is life in the old dog yet. In regards to software, PS4 and PS5 sold a combined 61.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2020, down a hefty 3.9 million units on the previous year, but?? still driving some $6.22 billion in revenue. Digital sales continue to dominate, with 79% of all software sales purchased as downloadable titles.

Paid subscription service PlayStation Plus continues to gro??w each year, currently standing at 47.6 million users, an increase of over six million users from the previous fiscal year. While the ninth generation of gaming has gotten off to a slow and troubled start &mda??sh; with issues concerning manufacturing, global distribution, scalpers, and a lack of first-party software — it seems that PlayStation remains firmly in the black, heading into gaming's new dawn in as strong a position as it has ever been.

FY2020 Consolidated Financial Results [Official]

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Expect Blanka in FGO presently

In a sudden and frankly surprising turn of events, Yoshinori Ono has been officially appointed President and COO of Delightworks, the company behind mobile phenomenon Fate/Grand Order, upcoming fighter Melty Blood: Type Lumina, and recent disaster Sakura Wars: Hanasaki Maidens.

Yoshinori Ono previously worked with Capcom for almost three decades, before leaving the company in the summer of 2020. During his time with the developer/publisher, Ono worked on top brands including Resident Evil, Onimusha, and Dead Rising, but his greatest achievement remains his incredible resurrection of the Street Fighter franchise. At the center of 2008's Street Fighter IV — a title his bosses at Capcom had zero faith in — Ono almost single-handedly bro??ught the legendary series back to the masses, a move which helped reignite the entire fighting game genre, particularly with mainstream audiences. As such, Ono is deservedly respected by both players and those ??within the industry.

From there, things got a little shakier. Handed the lion's share of Capcom's fighting game division, Ono bounced between good and poor decision-making, while developing a reputation for trolling fans — some of whom found this an endearing character trait, while others felt it was a "cute" facade to mask poor community treatment. Darkstalkers fans grew frustrated with Ono's endless teasing of new games which never arrived, while Street Fighter V would launch in notoriously rough shape: bar?e-bones, packed with monetization, and plagued with controversies.

In recent years, Ono has struggled with health issues due to his aggressive work ethic and non-stop, globe-trotting timetable. Reports suggest that Ono finally took his leave of Capcom after his design ideas for the upcoming Street Fighter VI were denied by the board.

Given this track record, Ono's new position at the top of Delightworks' ladder is already being treated with trepidation by the FGO community. In a brief message on Twitter, Ono openly stated that he plans to "look at development from a different perspective than in the past" — words that perhaps reflect on his twilight Capcom years. It's possible that being handed an entirely new project, a new team, and a new genre — away from the fighting games that dominated his days and nights — will allow Ono's magic to shine through once again, perhaps even leading to another "Street Fighter IV" moment.

Handing anyone the reins of your company is a risky play. We'll soon see if the Blanka-loving veteran is up to the task. If there's one thing Ono never lacked, it's ambition. Yoshinor?i Ono will assume his new duties on May 1, with Delightworks founder and current President, Akihito Shouji, moving into a new role as Chairman and CEO.

Dear FGC, World Warriors.

On May 1st, I will be moving from Capcom to another company.
I'm going to be working at a studio that is a little different from the one I'm used to.
I'm also going to be looking at development from a different perspective than in the past. pic.twitter.com/Hch7kkGZA0

— Yoshinori Ono (@Yoshi_OnoChin) April 27, 2021

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Polish developer increases U.S. presence

Polish studio People Can Fly, fresh off of the success of its sci-fi shooter Outriders, has announced that it has acquired U.S. outfit Phosphor Studios. The Chicago-based outfit is the third American studio in People Ca??n Fly's portfolio, and its seventh overall acquisi??tion.

"Taking over the Phosphor Games' team is simply an execution of our strategy," announced PCF CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski. "With the variety of ongoing projects, we need well-seasoned, ambitious professionals to bring our plans to fruition. Considering Phosphor's team ??experience and?? quality I'm sure they will be a great addition to the PCF family and will facilitate our growth. Welcome on board!"

Phosphor Studios, which describes itself as a purveyor of "dark, quirky, and whimsical games," is known for creepy titles such as 2011's Dark Meadow and 2017's The Brookhaven Experiment. The studio will now work with People Can Fly on its upcoming releases and projects under the new moniker of People Ca?n Fly Ch??icago.

"A new chapter opens for our team," said Phosphor CEO Justin Corcoran of the acquisition. "We are very excited to be joining People Can Fly to open a brand new studio. Our goal is to strengthen PCF's presence in the US and help build People Can Fly as a global br??and."

Welcome PCF Chicago!

We're excited to announce that we are taking over @phosphorgames development team with a newly established company?? - People Can Fly Chicago. It's our 7th location, 3rd in ?North America.

Read more and fly with us://t.co/yNGCWI0cPA pic.twitter.com/UlXxWRBfiO

— People Can Fly (@PCFPeopleCanFly) April 23, 2021

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Uncharted: The Lost Legacy director comes home

The creative director of Marvel's Avengers, Shaun Escayg, has left Crystal Dynamics to return to their prior studio of employment, Naughty Dog. Escayg's return was celebrated by the Naughty Dog team, who gifted their lo??ng-absent team-m?ate a postcard and a sweet-ass mug.

"Happy to be back with the Dogs!" remarked Escayg on Twitter.

Escayg had previously worked with Naughty Dog on flagship franchises Uncharted and The Last of Us, ultimately becoming director for the excellent 2017 spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Escayg would leave the studio shortly thereafter for a role at Crystal Dynamics, serving as creative director for Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers. The epic comic-book adventure - designed as a long-term, games-as-a-service title - immediately failed to find its playerbase, continuing to meander months after its initial September r??elease.

Now, back in the fold of the much-vaunted Naughty Dog, Escayg is expected to feature in a creative director/writer role on the studio's future releases. The studio is reportedly at work on a new Uncharted title, as well as a PS5 remake of The Last of Us, though neither of these ??projects have been confirmed.

Welcome back @ShaunEscayg!

Excited have you back at the studio and looking forward to doing awesome stuff together. //t.co/E23pQ00XjS

— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 19, 2021

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How can I forget?

IO Interactive, developer of the popular and critically acclaimed Hitman franchise, continues to flourish since stepping away from Square Enix to go independent. The Danish develope??r has recently announced that it is expanding its operations with a brand new studio, opening in beautiful Barcelona, Spain.

"There are exciting times ahead at IO Interactive and I am proud to announce the next step in our plans for the most desirable game company in Europe," said IO CEO Hakan Abrak in an official statement. "IOI Barcelona will become the third studio to join our efforts to ?create phenomenal experiences for our players and communities."

"All three of our studios have extremely talented developers who are passionate and driv??en towards making an impact in our industry. A core part of our philosophy is that everyone at IOI has a significant and impactful role to play in realizing our dreams, regardless of where they’re located. Think of it as one studio, in multiple locations.”

IOI Barcelona joins the developer's previous two studios IOI Copenhagen and IOI Malmo, and will be used for the development of IO's current and future releases. This is expected to include Hitman, the exciting James Bond title "Project 007" and a third, unannounced IP. IO notes ??that all three of its studios should be recognized as "elite," as all will be equally fo?cused on the developer's releases going forward.

In choosing to leave Square Enix to go it alone in both development and publishing, IO Interactive took an enormous risk at a fragile time in the industry. But having since bagged the sought-after James Bond license, delivered an excellent release in the form of Hitman 3, and the opening of ??its new Spanish studio, it seems that this risk has paid off - IO's future is looking sunnier than ever.

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