Another week has passed, so it’s time for another Industry Intel to report the news! A lot has been going on in the video game business these last seven days - some in the limelight, but even more behind the scenes. Let’s do a quick rundown of some of the more interesting news.
Happy Birthday, Sega!
The massive game publisher turns 60. Wow, how time flies! The house of Sonic is celebrating its anniversary with sweet discounts on Steam, including its partnered studios such as Relic (great news for Warhammer fans!), as well as releasing some sweet exclusive tidbits such as Streets Of Kamurocho, a crossover between the Streets of Rage and the Yakuza series, a Sonic skin for Fall Guys, and Golden Axed, a canceled reboot of the classic 16-bit game by the same name. Unfortunately, this last one has been surrounded by controversy, as former SEGA programmer Tim Dowson has called the company a “parasite” for publishing an unfinished project, reportedly created after long hours and harsh crunch conditions.
Amazon Pulls the Plug on Crucible
The hero shooter that came out and nobody seemed to care will go out in about the same manner. Amazon has confirmed that their creation won’t ever leave beta and work has ceased just 5 months after it was first shown to the world. A full refund will be offered to all Crucible purchases, and the team will be transferred to New World - Amazon’s MMO debut scheduled for release next year. Better luck next time, Alexa!
Attention fellow game lovers, peers and enthusiasts: Behold the first Playstation 5 game! Hot off the presses, this is the first to manufacture next gen retail game in the world. Congratulations to Counterplay Games and the team here at Gearbox Publishing! pic.twitter.com/ki9YbynRIe
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) October 14, 2020
Randy Pitchford Has the First PS5 Game
Curiously, the Gearbox CEO (and a hobby magician) Randy Pitchford has stated that he owns the first commercial PS5 game ever produced. He displayed his copy of the upcoming looter-shooter Godfall on Twitter, showing off the game case and providing a little unboxing. What got people talking was the “No offline modes” labels, confirming the game will require internet access at all times.
Red Ventures to Buy CNET Media Group
ViacomCBS has agreed to sell CNET Media Group, the parent company behind GameSpot, GiantBomb, CNET, and Metacritic, to Red Ventures for $500 million. Unfortunately, this also means that GameSpot will be losing some staff, as layoffs were reported on Tweeter by Senior Social Producer Ashley Oh and Brand Content Editor Will Fulton. CBS originally purchased the gaming media conglomerate back in 2008 for $1.8 billion, making this a bitter exit.
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