This is EarlyGame’s Industry Intel, a blazing-fast round of all the major gaming industry happenings from the past week. Let’s get straight into it!
Welcome back!
This week has been marked by returns, unions, and reunions. Most of the news is really positive, too!
Electronic Arts have returned to Steam. Not only are their games available to buy and play on PC’s largest digital storefront, but they also offered pretty nice discounts to boot. Origin, EA’s own platform, seems to be here to stay, but more availability is always good for the gamers.
Sony, on the other hand, has parted ways with 3.5 million Australian dollars. The console maker was handled the sizable fine after a lawsuit in which Australian consumers protected their right to refund video game purchases, something that was difficult to do prior to the legal dispute.
Speaking of consoles, right after the official release of Valorant, a prototype for a console port is reportedly at work. Riot won’t be rushing it, though. Reportedly they want to make the PC version better before they proceed with other platforms. Looks like Overwatch will have an even tougher time keeping its crown as the hero shooter king.
Paradox are back in Industry Intel for a second consecutive week. The company’s employees have successfully struck a Collective Bargaining Agreement, which Paradox was totally on board with. They will now have clearly defined benefits to make your working conditions even better. Unionization in games is not exactly common, and it is great to see a company really wanting the best for the people who work there.
Lastly, some older games are welcomed by players, and mostly their wallets. PUBG Mobile (hey, when was the last time you heard that name?) reported a 41% year-on-year increase in sales and a whopping $226 million in revenue in May, and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night reported 1 million in sales.
That’s it for this lightning-fast round. More to come next Friday!
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