Negotiations between the ZeniMax Workers Union and Microsoft have led to all employees under the ZeniMax banner getting to take Juneteenth off as an additional vacation day.The CWA-backed union added that contractors transitioning to full-time work will also benefit from Juneteeth as a paid day off after the agreement becomes ratified. Furthermore, Christmas Eve has also been reinstated as a paid holiday for union members."Recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday was a priority for our union members," wrote ZWU member Veronica Martinez. "That’s what having a union is all about: taking collective action to improve our workplace."Now that it has Juneteenth off, staff at ZeniMax's Austin office will hold a celebration on June 19. Additionally, ZWU members in Rockville, M…
Pieces Interactive, the Embracer-owned studio behind the recent Alone in the Dark remake, has seemingly shut down.The studio shared an image on social media and its website that reads "Pieces Interactive: 2007–2024. Thanks for playing with us."One former employees appeared to confirmed the closure on Linkedin. "Hello everyone! Unfortunately Pieces Interactive is closing down, so I'm looking for new opportunities," wrote former character artist, Gustav Pethrus.Pieces released over 10 titles on PC, console and mobile including Puzzlegeddon, Fret Nice, Robo Surf, and Kill to Collect. It also worked on multiple expansions for Titan Quest. The company's latest release was Alone in the Dark.The Swedish studio was formed in 2007 and acquired by Embracer in 2017 for…
A new report from The Verge reveals Xbox's current marketing chief Jerret West will be leaving on June 30. Afterwards, he'll be working at Roblox as its chief marketing officer and marketing expansion head.The outlet obtained a memo revealing the changes to hit the marketing departments after West's exit. Per Xbox head Phil Spencer in that memo, there'll be an "expanded" game marketing team led by integrated marketing VP Kirsten Ward.Currently, West leads marketing strategy for Xbox games, hardware, and Game Pass. He previously worked at the studio from 2003-2011, and after a seven-year Netflix stint, returned in 2019 to lead marketing for the Xbox Series X|S.His leave comes a few months after the exit of corporate VP Kareem Choudhry in early April. Like West,…
Downloads for the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy on Netflix have reached 30.3 million, per a new report from MobileGamer using data from AppMagic.The remastered collection of classic GTA games launched on Netflix's mobile game platform in late 2023. Back in January, the streamer called the trilogy its biggest game launch to date, with MobileGamer then alleging 18 million downloads.As is the case with January, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the most downloaded of the three at a reported 20.5 million downloads. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto 3 trail behind at 6.5 million and 3.3 million respectively.Platform-wise, iOS was the dominant between it and Android. San Andreas was again the most downloaded at 18.5 million vs. Android's 4.7 million. A wide gulf between iOS an…
Rundisc and Focus Entertainment will continue working together. The two companies renewed their business deal, meaning Focus gets publishing rights for the next project from the Chants of Sennaar studio.Per Focus, that project is a "brand-new indie IP" rather than a sequel to the 2023 hit. While sales numbers on the adventure game haven't been disclosed, it received strong reviews, and was one of 2023's best games, according to Game Developer's Holly Green.That the two are teaming up again speaks to how Focus sees Rundisc as a valuable partner to have on hand. Being a smaller studio isn't easy these days, and the relationship between indies and large publishers can be beneficial beyond sales.Chants of Sennaar was published through Focus' Indie Series labe…
South Korean studio Challengers Games has closed down after amassing over 2.4 billion won ($1.73 million) in debt and failing to pay staff for months.The Illang and Second Wave developer shared the news on its website and explained it has shuttered after months of production struggles and financial challenges that left it unable to pay or retain employees.CEO and studio head, Koji Tamura, explained the studio's core projects failed to attract concrete publisher interest or win over players. Despite securing some investment, the studio quickly slipped into debt. By the time multiplayer hero shooter Second Wave was being beta tested in late 2023, Challengers already owed around 2 billion won.At around the same time, the entire animation team and half of the studio's artists also de…
Steam revealed its 20 most-played Steam Deck games for the month of May, and at the top of the list was Hades II.Supergiant Games' sequel had a surprise Early Access release on May 6, and opened to over 100,000 concurrent players. As determined by play time, a lot of players put time into the game, which will remain in Early Access through the rest of 2024.The original Hades, which has also gotten a player boost thanks to its successor, was the fourth most-played game of May. Regarding both, Supergiant thanked players for putting time into them.
Roguelikes roll high on Steam Deck
Roguelikes (either of the action or deckbuilder variety) appear to d…
Making games is expensive, and that includes airing trailers for particular events. A new Esquire report on Summer Game Fest explores how much studios pay to bring a trailer for the now annual showcase run by Geoff Keighley.On the low end, developers will pay $250,000 for a one-minute trailer. The price goes up depending on length, from $350,000 for 90 seconds to a high of $550,000 for two and a half minutes.Previously, this information wasn't transparent, so this offers some interesting insight on what studios (or their publishers) are willing to pay to get eyes on their projects.Esquire notes the 2023 Game Awards had a similar pricing structure. However, it's unclear how shorter trailers less than a minute are priced, or if there are additional costs if a game's actor or c…
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.