This Week in Games

Ubisoft axes 3 more executives. Sony makes a massive investment into Epic. I will be sharing my learnings over the last 2 ½ years. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://ubistatic19-a.akamaihd.net/comsite_common/en-US/images/pressrelease_downloadablemm_20200711_103822_20200711_pressreleaseen_tcm99-362812_tcm99-196733-32.pdf https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-08-manticore-games-launches-usd1m-creator-payout-pilot-program-for-propriety-game-dev-platform https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-09-electronic-arts-addicted-to-overpaying-executives-says-investment-group https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/technology/ninja-fortnite-youtube.html https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/9/21318965/sony-epic-games-investment-fortnite-unreal-engine https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/epic-games-2#section-funding-rounds https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2020/0710/2020071000536.pdf https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-10/tencent-is-said-in-talks-for-hong-kong-listed-gaming-firm-leyou https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/73862/traplight-9-million-usd-funding-launches-battle-legion/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/traplight-games#section-funding-rounds

Kongregate effectively ends its web portal. Sexual assault allegations hit the fighting game industry. Amazon Game Studios pulls down it’s only live game. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365842/COVID19_and_pivot_towards_game_development_lead_to_layoffs_at_Kongregate.php https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365787/Kongregate_shuts_off_game_submissions_as_Flashs_final_days_approach.php https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/2/21311251/nba-2k21-price-ps5-xbox-series-x-cover-athletes-special-editions https://kotaku.com/amazons-crucible-flopped-so-hard-its-being-un-released-1844222299 https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365769/The_Ubisoft_paradox_How_the_publisher_enabled_a_culture_of_abuse_and_control.php https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365922/Ubisoft_exec_Maxime_Beland_has_resigned_after_harassment_and_assault_allegations.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-04-ubisofts-maxime-b-land-resigns-amid-allegations-of-misconduct https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-07-03-nintendo-condemns-abuse-as-allegations-spread-across-smash-bros-community https://screenrant.com/smash-bros-pros-accused-sexual-assault-pedophilia/ https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2020/jul/02/joey-mr-wizard-cuellar-placed-administrative-leave-evo-staff-following-misconduct-accusations/ https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2020/jul/02/evo-2020-online-canceled-joey-cuellar-removed-ceo/ https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/gambling-committee/news-parliament-2019/lords-gambling-report-published/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2020/06/30/discord-was-once-the-alt-rights-favorite-chat-app-now-its-gone-mainstream-and-scored-a-new-35-billion-valuation/#9b50c76b6b2e https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/discord#section-funding-rounds

A large wave of allegations send ripples through the game industry. Twitch makes sweeping bans including one of their biggest streamers. Facebook acquires another top Oculus developer. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365581/Report_Ubisoft_has_suspended_two_executives_accused_of_sexual_and_physical_abuse.php https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/365316/Ubisoft_deeply_concerned_with_sexual_assault_allegations_against_multiple_employees.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-24-ubisoft-and-insomniac-face-dozens-of-allegations-over-mistreatment-of-women https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/24/21302033/assassins-creed-valhalla-creative-director-steps-down-ubisoft https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365416/Insomniac_responds_to_allegations_from_former_staff_about_culture_of_harassment.php https://kotaku.com/multiple-women-accuse-games-writer-chris-avellone-of-se-1844135498 https://kotaku.com/wizards-of-the-coast-cut-ties-with-sexual-predator-1844140031 https://kotaku.com/cards-against-humanity-co-founder-quits-after-complaint-1844139756 https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/22/21299032/microsoft-mixer-closing-facebook-gaming-partnership-xcloud-features https://kotaku.com/twitch-bans-dr-disrespect-1844182541 https://kotaku.com/twitch-finally-starts-banning-streamers-accused-of-sexu-1844164469 https://kotaku.com/a-wave-of-sexual-abuse-stories-is-causing-a-reckoning-i-1844122735 https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2020/06/24/an-update-to-our-community/ https://blogs.unity3d.com/2020/06/23/learn-premium-is-now-available-to-everyone-at-no-cost-forever/ https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/22/21299814/apple-app-store-policies-ios-bug-fixes-approval-dispute-appeal https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/22/facebook-acquires-lone-echo-vr-game-maker-ready-at-dawn/ https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/22/overwolf-acquires-mod-repository-curseforge-from-twitch/ https://www.overwolf.com/curseforge/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/treehouse-games#section-lists-featuring-this-company https://gamasutra.com/view/news/365510/Focus_Home_Interactive_acquires_Lords_of_the_Fallen_dev_Deck13_for_79M.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-26-admix-raises-USD7m-in-funding-for-non-intrusive-ads https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/advir#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-24-treehouse-games-lands-usd2-6-million-for-collaborative-games https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/treehouse-games#section-lists-featuring-this-company

Apple is in hot water with loot box lawsuits and app store policies. Stadia hopes a reprice reinvigorates Stadia interest. Epic Games is fundraising again but for what? Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/06/13/apple-sued-for-allowing-apps-with-loot-boxes-onto-app-store https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/technology/apple-ios-facebook-gaming-app.html https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/18/21296180/apple-hey-email-app-basecamp-rejection-response-controversy-antitrust-regulation https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/google-stadia-premiere-edition-price-cut/#:~:text=Google%20has%20slashed%20the%20price,online%20in%20Google's%20Chrome%20browser. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-15/fortnite-maker-epic-is-said-to-near-funding-at-17-billion-value https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/epic-games-2#section-funding-rounds https://www.pcgamer.com/star-citizen-has-raised-over-dollar300-million-now/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-15-ziggurat-interactive-acquires-bloodrayne-and-other-majesco-licenses https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ziggurat-interactive#section-overview

Sony drops a massive PS5 reveal. The Last of Us 2 makes us question modern game design. WB Games is reportedly looking for buyers at a pricy $4 billion. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NH4csfipes https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/11/21288494/sony-ps5-playstation-5-hd-camera-dualsense-charging-dock-pulse-accessories https://www.polygon.com/reviews/2020/6/12/21288535/the-last-of-us-part-2-review-ps4-naughty-dog-ellie-joel-violence https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=468&v=GB20A8CitRU&feature=emb_title https://www.shacknews.com/article/118614/exec-ron-johnson-no-longer-with-riot-games-following-comments-about-george-floyd https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/12/att-seeks-sale-for-warner-gaming-unit-could-fetch-4-billion.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros._Interactive_Entertainment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._Interactive_Entertainment_video_games https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/10/wave-raises-30-million-for-superstars-to-stage-virtual-concerts/#:~:text=Wave%2C%20the%20virtual%20concert%20company,animated%20characters%20in%20virtual%20worlds. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/thewave#section-funding-rounds https://www.playableworlds.com/news/playable-worlds-raises-dollar10m-for-the-creation-of-its-cloud-native-sandbox-mmo/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/playable-worlds#section-funding-rounds https://boom.tv/about https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-09-boom-tv-raises-USD10m-in-series-a-funding https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/boom-tv#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-11-luckbox-closes-usd3-8m-investment-round

Director of Product at Jam City Jenny Tai is here to co-host. Zynga acquires Peak Games. Playtika plans a $10 billion IPO. Playrix acquires a PC game studio. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Guest-host Jenny Tai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennywtai/ Show Notes: https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/01/zynga-acquires-turkeys-peak-games-for-1-8b-after-buying-its-card-games-studio-for-100m-in-2017/#:~:text=Social%20gaming%20company%20Zynga%20confirmed,%24900%20million%20in%20Zynga%20shares. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/peak-games#section-funding-rounds https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-playtika-plans-wall-street-ipo-at-10b-valuation-report-1001331200 https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/playtika#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-06-04-playrix-acquires-croatian-pc-developer-cateia-games https://www.cateia.com/games/games.php

Twitch signs more exclusivity deals, but from who. League of Legends is introducing in-game veiwerside advertisements. Tencent takes a large stake in a Japanese publisher. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2020/05/26/popular-streamers-summit1g-dakotaz-joshog-re-sign-with-twitch/ https://loaded.gg/ https://www.pcgamer.com/league-of-legends-is-about-to-get-in-game-ads-during-official-matches/ https://watch.lolesports.com/article/introducing-summoner%E2%80%99s-rift-arena-banners/bltfed23f2200f71ae7 https://venturebeat.com/2020/05/28/magic-leap-ceo-rony-abovitz-is-stepping-down/ https://www.magicleap.com/en-us/news/news/a-message-from-rony https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/28/21270647/madden-nfl-ea-renew-contract-license-football https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-25/tencent-to-become-largest-shareholder-in-japan-s-marvelous https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/marvelous-japan#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-29-netease-to-open-secondary-listing-on-hong-kong-stock-exchange https://www1.hkexnews.hk/app/sehk/2020/101923/documents/sehk20052900324.pdf https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/05/stockmultipleexchanges.asp https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-28-african-mobile-startup-carry1st-raises-usd2-5m https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/adg-technology-inc#section-funding-rounds

Amazon Game Studios abruptly releases a game. Take-two claims nearly 100 new game to be released by 2025. Magic Leap somehow raises a $350 million lifeline. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.reuters.com/article/esports-business-amazon-crucible/amazon-launches-first-big-budget-game-title-crucible-idUSFLM13S4tM https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-20-take-two-plans-to-release-93-full-titles-in-the-next-five-years https://igda.org/resources/game-industry-standards/ https://igda.org/resources/event-diversity/ https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2020/05/20/stadia-exclusivity-will-keep-serious-sam-4-off-ps4-and-xbox-until-2021 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/interview-platinumgames-on-next-gen-and-its-next-steps/ https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3085074/tencent-hires-big-names-including-ken-ichiro-imaizumi-scott-warner https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/news/development-update-self-refund-keyless-partner-integration-and-changes-to-ownership-authorization https://gamasutra.com/view/news/363410/G2A_to_pay_Factorio_dev_39600_after_allowing_illegal_game_key_sales.php https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/8879ae https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/magic-leap#section-funding-rounds https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/21/magic-leap-has-apparently-raised-another-350-million-in-spite-of-itself/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-20-amplifier-game-invest-acquires-destinybit

Epic unveils the next generation of their famed game engine. Marking platform AppLovin swoops up mobile. Keywords Studios positions itself discounted acquisitions. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5KtatMcUw https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/a-first-look-at-unreal-engine-5 https://gadgets.ndtv.com/games/news/gta-v-free-epic-games-store-crashes-upcoming-games-leaked-2229322 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-15/applovin-is-said-to-value-machine-zone-at-around-500-million https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/machine-zone https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/applovin#section-funding-rounds https://www.sumo-digital.com/sumo-group-announces-the-acquisition-of-lab42-limited/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-15-keywords-eyes-acquisition-of-firms-less-able-to-weather-the-disruption-of-covid-19 https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-13-maze-theory-raises-1-4-million-for-doctor-who-vr-trilogy https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/maze-theory#section-funding-rounds https://a16z.com/2020/05/12/sleeper/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sleeper#section-funding-rounds https://parsecgaming.com/features/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-12-streaming-startup-parsec-raises-usd7m-in-funding https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/parsec-2#section-funding-rounds

XBox shows off first gameplay footage of the Series X. YouTube signs one of gaming’s biggest content creators. Sensor Tower gets a massive cash injection from the private equity space. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REwzQraW7K4 https://www.polygon.com/speedrun-quibi/2020/5/8/21252025/inside-xbox-series-x-assassins-creed-valhalla-halo-infinite https://gamasutra.com/view/news/362666/Tokyo_Game_Show_2020_cancelled_amid_coronavirus_pandemic.php https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/4/21246658/pewdiepie-youtube-deal-exclusive-streaming-dlive https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-05-rektglobal-launches-talent-agency-for-esports-athletes-and-influencers https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-07-activision-blizzard-brings-in-anti-betting-firm-to-monitor-its-esports https://gamasutra.com/view/news/362588/Capybara_Games_cofounder_Nathan_Vella_is_now_at_Annapurna_Interactive.php https://sensortower.com/blog/sensor-tower-riverwood-capital-announcement https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/sensor-tower#section-funding-rounds https://venturebeat.com/2020/05/05/dazzle-rocks-raises-6-8-million-for-minecraft-like-mobile-mmo/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/dazzle-rocks#section-funding-rounds https://ludiq.io/blog/unity-acquires-bolt https://blog.applovin.com/applovin-welcomes-redemption-games/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-05-08-rogue-games-raises-usd2m-toward-expanding-its-publishing-business

Tencent makes its move to consolidate game streaming in China. A number of major eSports events have been delayed or canceled. Jagex, developers behind the long running MMO Runescape, has a new home. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://twitter.com/EVO/status/1256308529163452416 https://twitter.com/FNCompetitive/status/1255927727141593091 http://blog.dota2.com/2020/04/the-international-2/ https://gdconf.com/ https://www.egx.net/rezzed https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-27-jens-begemann-steps-down-from-wooga-after-11-years https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/04/09/tencent-gains-control-of-huya-what-does-this-mean.aspx https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/12/08/which-esports-stock-to-buy-huya-or-douyu.aspx https://gamasutra.com/view/news/361945/Macarthur_Fortune_Holding_acquires_Runescape_dev_Jagex_for_530_million.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-28-bohemia-interactive-shuts-down-dayz-studio https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-29-bublar-group-to-acquire-goodbye-kansas-for-approximately-usd5-7m-in-shares https://goodbyekansasstudios.com/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/01/guilded-raises-7-million-for-its-competitive-gaming-focused-chat-app/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/guilded#section-funding-rounds

Is Nintendo poised to take on Disney or Netflix, one hedge fund seems to think so. Epic concedes to the Google Play Store. Facebook aims at Twitch as it spinoffs Gaming into a separate App. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nintendo-valueact-exclusive/exclusive-valueact-eyes-nintendo-with-stake-of-over-1-1-billion-letter-idUSKCN2232VT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ValueAct_Capital https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/21/21229930/fortnite-available-on-google-play-android-mobile-devices https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-21/epic-games-is-said-to-be-fundraising-at-above-15-billion-value https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/19/technology/facebook-app-gaming.html https://kotaku.com/wwe-2k-is-skipping-2020-1843032399 https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-23-stillfront-group-acquires-candywriter-for-at-least-usd74m https://venturebeat.com/2020/04/23/transcend-fund-raises-50-million-to-invest-in-games/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-23-opera-event-raises-USD5m-to-expand-its-influencer-platform https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/opera-event#section-funding-rounds https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/73176/reworks-funding-round-redecor/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/reworks-ltd#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-23-1939-games-secures-usd1-9m-in-latest-funding-round

ESRB puts a bandaid on loot boxes. Virtual NASCAR turns into XBox Live. Animal Crossing stirs up UGC controversy. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://www.comic-con.org/cci https://twitter.com/gamescom/status/1250815640400773120 https://www.esrb.org/blog/in-game-purchases-includes-random-items/ https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52269671 https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-17-the-curious-case-of-animal-crossing-in-china-opinion https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-17-gaming-platforms-should-take-cues-from-nascars-response-to-kyle-larson-opinion https://beta.playvalorant.com/en-us/news/dev/valorant-esports-and-community-competition/ https://nianticlabs.com/blog/mq/ https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/04/14/mathematician-john-horton-conway-magical-genius-known-inventing-game-life-dies-age https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-16-riot-acquires-hypixel https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/hypixel-studio#section-investors https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/17/republic-acquires-fig-adding-games-to-its-startup-crowdfunding-platform/ https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/15/nifty-games-raises-12m-to-shake-up-mobile-sports-gaming/ https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/nifty-games https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-15-nordisk-film-invests-usd10-8m-in-nitro-games https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-15-superplus-games-raises-usd4-7m https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/superplus-games#section-funding-rounds https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/breakingwalls/away-the-survival-series-an-animal-adventure-game/posts https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/breaking-walls https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-14-unrd-raises-USD2-5m-toward-bolstering-its-interactive-story-platform https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/unrd#section-funding-rounds

Sony unveils a sleek new PS5 controller. Riot breaks Twitch records but with the help of outside forces. Sony drops $400 million for a stake in one of China’s top video platform. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That Show Notes: https://blog.us.playstation.com/2020/04/07/introducing-dualsense-the-new-wireless-game-controller-for-playstation-5/ https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21212567/valorant-riot-games-twitch-record-viewers https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-06-retro-console-amico-receives-10-000-pre-sales-in-one-week https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/04/07/project-xcloud-western-europe/ https://www.pcgamer.com/e3-2021-dates-announced-but-theres-still-no-word-about-the-2020-online-experience/ https://www.reddit.com/r/vainglorygame/comments/fqc2c1/update_from_the_lair/ https://gamasutra.com/view/news/360988/Sony_invests_400_million_in_Chinese_entertainment_platform_Bilibili.php https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-08-n3twork-announces-usd50m-fund-to-scale-published-mobile-games https://scale.n3twork.com/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-08-vela-games-closes-USD3-1m-seed-round https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/vela-games#section-funding-rounds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-04-08-embracer-group-raises-usd160m-for-acquisition-and-expansion

The BAFTA Awards held its annual award show digitally. E3 sets new dates as IGN tries to fill the 2020 void. Gearbox has been accused of withholding bonuses. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Epic makes big waves as it moves into publishing. GameStop continues to its massive decline in sales. Stadia reaches out to the indie community for content. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Indies took over the IGF and GDC Awards. Next-gen consoles hold strong to their Q4 2020 release windows. This was a week dominated by fundraising news. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

E3, the industry’s biggest conference, is officially canceled. GDC Online kicks off today on Twitch. Unity and Unreal both make critical art acquisitions. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Google pouches top talent from Sony to lead new LA studio. Australia eyes loot box regulation. GeForce Now loses another top publisher. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

COVID-19 and its impact on the game industry. An update on GDC. Roblox raises a giant fundraising round from powerful investors. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

More troubling update from Nvidia’s GeForce Now service. Kickstarter employees decide to unionize. We say goodbye to the phenomenon that was HQ Trivia. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Tim Sweeney tells off half the game industry, in Epic fashion. Activision-Blizzard pulls the plug on GeForce Now. The most untitled game wins big at the DICE Summit Awards. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Nivida launches their bet on the cloud gaming market. The second part of the Rockstar trinity leaves as Dan Houser departs the studio. An AI startup raises a hefty seed round in hopes of disrupting gaming QA. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

It’s the 100th episode of This Week in Games. Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs gets acquired by a digital service company. Blizzard earns the lowest Metacritic user score in history. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Activision-Blizzard signs a multi-year deal with Google. Major mobile game studios acquisitions go down. The world’s most valuable startup is rumored to enter games. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Details of Nintendo’s new interactive theme park are revealed. Epic Games Store combats review bombing. The Valve Index could spark VR’s 2020 comeback. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

EA taps Respawn for new DICE studio leadership. Alienware unveils a Switch inspired PC. Tencent is injecting cash into one of Japan’s top developers. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Celebrating 2019's biggest news, acquisitions and games. 2019 had some big shifts and big whimpers and we crown the best games of the year. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

The 2010's had so much to offer from indie games, eSports, Games as a Service, art games, Twitch, Kickstarter, AR, VR and more. I'll be covering everything that made the last 10 years transformative in the game industry. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Stadia purchases its first AAA game studio. Facebook buys its way into cloud gaming. An eSports platform raises a hefty series A. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

The Year’s Biggest Award Show went down this week. Twitch goes on the offensive against rival streaming platforms. Microsoft releases the first glimpse of what Scarlett is. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Things are getting worse at AR giant Magic Leap. Rumors of Microsoft’s two console strategy surface again. Nintendo and Tencent are launching a Chinese Switch much sooner than you think. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Google poaches Ubisoft leadership for its game studio. An eSports firm plans to IPO. Facebook acquires its biggest Oculus success. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Valve lights the VR world on fire with a new VR-only Half-life game. Stadia stumbles out of the gate to no one’s surprise. The game industry loses a legend with the passing of Brad McQuid. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Microsoft holds its annual X0 conference. Google makes Stadia’s launch as lackluster as possible. And VR has a mixed reality this week as two big stories drop. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

China adds further restrictions on minor playtime. Niantic launches a creator program, but is it too late. Twitch loses another star as YouTube enters the streaming talent draft. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusiarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Ubisoft delays 3 major titles due to missed earnings. The Modern Times Group is looking to float on the US stock exchange. Value shuts down money laundering in CS:GO for a second time. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

UK’s Children’s Commissioner takes regulation aim at loot boxes. Tencent takes majority stake Supercell. Mixer pouches another Twitch top dog. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Blizzard bows to China in eSports political conduct. Riot announces new games for the first time in their 10 year history. Google decides to wake up from its Daydream and end its consumer VR hardware. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Psyonix explores a world without loot boxes. The Writers Guild Awards give the ol’ middle finger to game writers. Industry legend Raph Koster is getting back to his MMO roots. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Facebook hires digital theme park employees. Gaming VC is alive and well as LVP raising $80 million. Is 2020 the year of AR board gaming? Maybe not. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

EU takes aim are digital games reselling. Riot release League of Legends concurrent numbers, yes they are impressive. A number of acquisitions, fundraising rounds and announcements. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Apple Arcade has its big announcement. The UK’s parliament deems loot boxes as gambling. Nintendo, does Nintendo and releases an eccentric peripheral. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Shakeups at Activision as Call of Duty 2020’s lead studio is changed. Nexon’s employee union has a demonstration. Collegiate eSports consolidates with a major acquisition. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Developers speak out against sexual assault in the workplace. Playtika acquires a top grossing studio. A pair of messenger and VR fund raising rounds close. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Respawn shows us how not to do community engagement. Sony acquires one of last independent AAA studios. GameStop starts its pivot with a massive round of layoffs. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

THQ Nordic has a massive week of acquisitions. Russian publisher My.Games announces a digital storefront. Activision Blizzard has a C-suite shuffle. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

FTC holds a public event on loot box regulation. President Trump offers up the game industry as a scapegoat. China may be the future destination for eSports. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Rockstar Games comes under fire over corporate taxes. Fortnite pays out one of the most lucrative eSports events in history. We answer the question of how much an Overwatch league spot is worth. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Pokemon and Tencent team up for new titles. Rockstar skates around gambling regulation. We learn how much a League of Legends LCS spot is actually worth. Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That

Tencent enters game streaming DouYu floats on the NY Stock Exchange A tale of two game retailers but on different continents Music by Proviant Audio: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Proviant_Audio/Welcome_Wilderness/Just_Like_That