Microsoft has tapped Embracer-owned studio Eidos-Montreal to assist with development on Fable.The franchise reboot has been in development at Playground Games, best known for its work on the Forza franchise, for some time. It was unveiled by way of a brief teaser back in 2020, but it was another three years before the studio offered another look at the long-gestating project during the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase.Another trailer was bundled into this year's showcase, this time spotlighting a retired hero played by UK actor Matt King (who you might recognize for his turn as Super Hans in Peep Show) alongside a fresh-faced protégé. It also provided us with a more detailed look at the world of Albion and the people, creatures, and monsters who call it home, but actual gameplay was notably…
Sports Interactive, the studio behind the Football Manager series, has struck a deal with the Premier League organization over the next four years worth of games.Starting with the 2024-2025 season, the 20 clubs that make up England's football league will be fully licensed within the games, from player photos to team logos and kits.The sports management series is a football fixture in the UK, and access to the equally important Premier League helps expand the audience for both. For publisher Sega, the multi-year deal could lead to a renewed, potentially longer deal down the line.
Everyone scores when sports games get to l…
The future of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an unknown, but at the very least, it'll finish the road map for its debut year.Speaking to IGN, a Warner Bros. Games spokesperson said Rocksteady would complete and release the game's post-launch content. Even so, the spokesperson stated WB is "not yet discussing anything that is not announced."Rocksteady first unveiled the four-season roadmap in January ahead of the game's launch. While only the first has released so far, each season will have a free DLC character and storyline for players to go through.Last week, a Bloomberg report dug into Squad's troubled development. Writer Jason Schreirer later implied the studio was preparing to provide "barebones support," reportedly a far cry from its …
VRChat, the studio behind the virtual reality social platform of the same name, has laid off 30 percent of its workforce.The company described the layoffs as a "proactive step towards securing the future success of our business, community, and mission.""We believe it positions us strongly for the years ahead, allowing us to navigate challenges effectively and continue delivering on our mission," reads a statement posted on X."Our founders made this difficult choice to support VRChat's future, and we are so deeply sorry for the impact this decision will have on our team."VRChat said it's currently focused on supporting impacted employees by providing assistance including extended severance packages, extended healthcare coverage, and career placement a…
Jackbox Games is creating a singular hub for its Party Pack series.Dubbed the Jackbox Megapicker, it'll release for free on Steam in July and serve as a launcher for any and all Party Pack titles that players have. Per business development VP Andy Kniaz, the feature has been heavily requested for years.As he notes, the series now has 50 games under its stable. For players, finding games to play and having to switch between packs "takes a lot of effort," which this aims to help mitigate.Once the Megapicker releases, players can view their Jackbox library and pick whatever game directly from there. More information will arrive in the coming weeks, and Jackbox is taking requests on social media for other features to add.
Sinn Studio has raised $2.5 million in funding, all of which is going to put be toward its next project.Per GamesIndustry, most of the money came from investment firm Hartmann Capital. CEO Alek Sinn called it and other contributors like Boost VC and Republic "the right partners" to help "redefine the future of combat in this exciting new era of spatial computing.""We spent seven years surviving the ups and downs of VR as a bootstrapped company, waiting for that industry-defining moment," he wrote. "We're incredibly grateful to Hartmann Capital and everyone else who joined our seed round."
Sinn's VR history
Sinn Stu…
Sinn Studio has raised $2.5 million in funding, all of which is going to put be toward its next project.Per GamesIndustry, most of the money came from investment firm Hartmann Capital. CEO Alek Sinn called it and other contributors like Boost VC and Republic "the right partners" to help "redefine the future of combat in this exciting new era of spatial computing.""We spent seven years surviving the ups and downs of VR as a bootstrapped company, waiting for that industry-defining moment," he wrote. "We're incredibly grateful to Hartmann Capital and everyone else who joined our seed round."
Sinn's VR history
Sinn Stu…
Before there was Balatro, developer LocalThunk was hard at work on the card game known then as Joker Poker.On Twitter, the creator behind 2024's breakout card game released a series of early prototype videos. The first dates back to December 2021, just weeks after he began working on the project.Much of the differences in the initial version are UI-based more than mechanics: the "Play Hand" option is on the right-hand side rather than the left, and there's no readout for antes, money, or information on the current run.The second video from August 2022 (which was eight months into development) looks more like Balatro in its final shape. Along with additional UI, it opens with players selecting card packs from an in-game shop and a blind to go up against.Also, the main me…
When Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 releases on Xbox Game Pass, it's coming to the subscription service with no strings attached.Before its actual reveal, many wondered if the shooter would be used to launch a new, pricier tier. In a statement to Eurogamer, Microsoft explained that isn't the case, and it'll be fully playable on Xbox and PC for all three of the current tiers.It's been previously reported that Microsoft was looking to increase Game Pass Ultimate's price after previously doing so last July. If there were any game to test that with, it'd arguably be the newest installment in the best-selling, money making shooter franchise.While Black Ops 6 isn't the kickoff point for a new Game Pass tier or price hike, that doesn't mean either are off the ta…
Panic has recovered a bunch of stolen Playdates worth $400,000 after the purloined consoles were hastily dumped near a random restaurant."Did you hear the story about how $400k worth of Playdates were misdelivered by FedEx to a construction site near our warehouse? And then someone just… stole them? Seriously. Well, guess what got hastily dumped at a random restaurant this morning? Welcome back stolen Playdates!" tweeted Panic."More details—and likely a very good Playdate Podcast episode—in the future. For now, this was our best possible outcome, the result of lots of time and detective work. (Which, ok fine, we enjoyed.) The real question is, can we sell these as a limited edition? Playdate Hot™."
The closures of Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games and OlliOlli World maker Roll7 are imminent, according to a report from IGN. The publication also states that Take-Two intends to either sell or shut down indie publishing label Private Division, which houses those studios.Multiple anonymous sources have told IGN that Intercept will shut down on June 28, 2024. Those same sources claim Roll7 is also closing, although it's unclear when exactly the UK studio will be officially laid to rest.Earlier this year it was reported that parent company Take-Two Interactive was making layoffs at both studios with a view to potential closures. A WARN notice filed in Washington revealed Take-Two intended to lay off 70 workers in Seattle–where Intercept is located–as part of a "…
The closures of Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games and OlliOlli World maker Roll7 are imminent, according to a report from IGN. The publication also states that Take-Two intends to either sell or shut down indie publishing label Private Division, which houses those studios.Multiple anonymous sources have told IGN that Intercept will shut down on June 28, 2024. Those same sources claim Roll7 is also closing, although it's unclear when exactly the UK studio will be officially laid to rest.Earlier this year it was reported that parent company Take-Two Interactive was making layoffs at both studios with a view to potential closures. A WARN notice filed in Washington revealed Take-Two intended to lay off 70 workers in Seattle–where Intercept is located–as part of a "…