Software developer Yellow recently raised $5 million in seed funding from A16z Games to build out its 3D modeling tool YellowSculpt, which is powered by generative AI.As Yellow explains, the tool lets artists and designers create "clean, animatable, pre-rigged 3D character meshes" in minutes. Its aim is for YellowSculpt to make 3D creation more accessible and help prepare 3D characters to be used in games proper.In its press release, Yellow noted how genAI tools are typically made for 2D art and characters. To founder Mandeep Waraich, YellowSculpt will help 3D artists and also "further our societies" as more people use the tool.A16Z's Jack Soslow gave a similar sentiment, saying Yellow's focus is on "empowering human creativity through AI…[and] making …
Xbox president Sarah Bond claims Microsoft's decision to shutter key studios such as Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks is about ensuring the company's video game business is "healthy for the long term."Bond was addressing the closures during an interview at Bloomberg Live and described the decision to wind down major studios as "extraordinarily hard." In justifying the move, she claimed Microsoft has a "deep responsibility" to ensure its games, devices, and services can survive moments of transition within the game industry. "The news we announced earlier this week is an outcome of that," she said.Bond said the industry has been "flat" over the last year despite a lot of "tremendous releases" in 2023. "The growth di…
What could help triple-A games get even bigger right now? According to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, the answer lies in ads.During a recent earnings call Q&A, Wilson was asked by an analyst about "dynamic ad insertion" in triple-A titles as a means of revenue. While he thinks it's "still early" for that, he noted its potential as a "meaningful driver of growth" for the publisher.In fact, internal teams at EA are already exploring "very thoughtful [ad] implentations," Wilson revealed. For him, the important thing is to build up communities in games, then figure out how ads are potential growth drivers."We have looked over the course of our history to be very thoughtful about advertising in the context of our play experiences. […] As we start t…
Blizzard Entertainment revealed it's canceled this year's BlizzCon, where it typically shows off big reveals for its current and future games.The axing was made after "careful consideration," and was one the studio says it didn't make lightly. It marks the fifth cancellation following the ones in 2022 (due to the studio's workplace harassment allegations), 2020 (COVID), 2012, and 2006.In the showcase's absence, Blizzard says it'll reveal more information on its games at events like Gamescom. It also plans to have several in-person events around the world specifically to commemorate the Warcraft series, which turns 30 years old.Blizzard hopes those appearances will "carry the same spirit of celebration and togetherness.""Our hope is tha…
Another Crab's Treasure has only been out for a day, and the crustacean soulslike has already sold 30,000 copies across all systems.Developer Aggo Crab revealed the news on Twitter, saying it was "happy to see you all having fun (but not too much, it IS a souls game)." The title released on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S (where it's also on Game Pass.)While Aggro Crab didn't single out a particular system the game is thriving on, it appears to be doing well on Steam. At time of writing, it's the eighth topselling title behind games like Fallout 4 and Persona 3 Reload."A HUGE thank you for all the love and support for day one of Another Crab's Treasure," it wrote. "We can't believe we're actually watching y…
A new report from Digiday reveals Roblox players will be able to buy real-life items from Walmart within the platform itself.The Walmart Discovered server, which goes active later today, will let players visit a digital replica of the store. There, they can try on in-game items and load an "ecommerce experience" that links to the retailer's website.Companies like Meta and X have openly talked about wanting their platforms to be one-stop destinations for banking, socializing, and more. With this Walmart partnership, Roblox Corp. is making a statement and (challege) to other companies with those aims.Roblox is at an advantage and disadvantage here. The platform is big with teens and young adults, but this may raise further questions about it exploiting its own playerbase.In th…
Rise of the Ronin has been out for over a month, but Koei Tecmo is already singing its praises.In its writeup for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the developer singles out Team Ninja's newest action title. It claims sales have already surpassed the two Nioh games, and has a "high valuation" with players.It's worth noted both Nioh games collectively sold 7 million units as of October 2022. It may be the studio is comparing Ronin's sales to those games' initial start—within a month, those games sold sold over 3 million and 2 million units, respectively.Like both Nioh games, Sony Interactive published Ronin, which is currently a PlayStation 5 exclusive. It's unclear when it'll be ported to PC, and if Koei Tecmo will handle publishing duties for it.
Various staff members were laid off at Very Very Spaceship, the Seattle-based studio that handles "tentpole features" for Pokémon Go.While specific numbers haven't been revealed, those affected include producers, recruiters, and artists, who have reportedly been at VVS for three-to-five years.Very Very Spaceship's most recent claim to Pokémon Go fame is the game's updated character creator. Senior character artist Kelsey Martin expressed pride in it, noting the changes "made it more inclusive and expressive for players."Similarly, HR manager Sara Carmen said that despite her sadness, she won't allow it to "take away from all the amazing work I did, or the team I built."At time of writing, it's unknown what prompted Very Very Spaceshi…
Rare's Sea of Thieves comes to PlayStation 5 at the end of the month, having amassed 40 million players in its lifetime.Per executive producer Joe Neate, the game's "amazing" milestone covers all three versions on Xbox (One and Series X|S), Windows, and Steam. It's unclear how that translates into sales, given its prominence on Xbox Game Pass.In 2020, Microsoft reported that Sea of Thieves had 10 million players and dubbed it the studio's most successful new IP. 40 million is fairly high for a six-year-old game and supports Microsoft's reasoning for taking it to PS5.When Microsoft first unveiled its multiplatform plans in February, Sea of Thieves was described as a "community-driven" title. PlayStation's community can boast some pretty high…
33 people were laid off from Belka Games at the end of April, according to PocketGamer.The social game studio cut 20 percent of its headcount across divisions such as level and narrative design, programming, and community. Lead narrative designer Alexander Pugachev assembled a list of all those let go for potential recruiters to see.In a statement provided to WNHub, Belka explained the reductions were reflective of the company adjusting its business strategy. Going forward, it'll be "more critical" of its games' performance.As spotted by WNHub, data from AppMagic alleges Belka had revenue fall by $5-6 million per month in 2023. By February of this year, its mobile earnings decreased to a reported $4.6 million.CEO Alexander Bogdanov wrote that Belka was "grateful to…