Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced its latest free PlayStation Plus online multiplayer weekend.
505 Games parent Digital Bros lays off 30% of staff due to fears that players don't want new IP
15.11.2023 - 16:55 / rockpapershotgun.com / New Ip / Lays Off
505 Games parent company Digital Bros have announced - you guessed it - a round of mass layoffs. Following in the wake of Microsoft, Epic, CD Projekt, Sony and, well, take your pick, the company aim to cut roughly 30% of their workforce to shore up profits. The specific reasoning here is that Digital Bros think that people aren't interested in playing original new games; they'd rather get to grips with fictions and franchises they know and love already. As such, the company plan to "limit" their big budget projects in future, though no specific cancellations have been announced.
"The videogame market has evolved since the pandemic to be more selective in terms of new games, with consumers increasingly reverting to well established Intellectual Properties and playing these same games for longer periods," reads a statement. "Digital Bros strategy has had to adapt to this new and evolving competitive scenario and will focus its efforts moving forward on the release of sequels and new versions of previously successful and established games, with a limited number of new larger budget productions."
"In order to prioritize high-quality and long-standing successful titles, Digital Bros has reconsidered the number of projects under development and as such, will review the organization structure accordingly to align with the evolving competitive environment in the medium to long-term to ensure maximum operational efficiency," it continues.
It's not clear which teams are on the chopping block, but according to the statement, the "predominant portion" of the Digital Bros layoffs will be "concentrated within the studios". Aside from 505 - publisher of the PC version of Death Stranding, together with Control, Dead by Daylight, and Abzû, among many others - Digital Bros are the owner of Monopoly Tycoon devs DR Studios, Assetto Corsa devs Kunos Simulazioni, Last Day of June devs Avantgarden, Warlords devs Infinity Plus Two, Crime Boss devs Ingame Studios, RPG specialists Nesting Games and FPS specialists Supernova Games.
Digital Bros say the reductions won't impact the company's expected profit-and-loss statement for fiscal year 2023 to 2024, with any restructuring costs being offset by all the money they'll save on payroll.
According to a recent Challenger, Gray & Christmas study passed on by Forbes, 2023 has been a banner year for layoffs in the United States, with the technology industry by far the most affected. It’s a similar situation in Europe, according to Reuters. I've read a few explanations for the bloodshed - some point to the knock-on effects of Russia's war on Ukraine, while others argue that companies are cutting back after staffing up too dramatically during a Covid-era consumption boom
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
blog.playstation.com
04.12.2023 / 18:19
Get ready, PlayStation Plus Season of Play starts tomorrow
Starting from tomorrow through January 5, 2024, we’re celebrating the holiday season with a month full of activities for our PlayStation community. As part of the PlayStation Plus Season of Play, PlayStation Plus members can redeem free avatars for PS5 and PS4 consoles, join eSports tournaments, earn points on PlayStation Stars, save on PlayStation Gear merchandise, and enter a competition for your chance to win amazing prizes. Activities for those who are not PlayStation Plus members are available as well.
tech.hindustantimes.com
04.12.2023 / 04:47
Kiss is the first US band to go virtual and become digital avatars, courtesy George Lucas’ IL&M
On Saturday night, Kiss closed out the final performance of their “The End of the Road” farewell tour at New York City's famed Madison Square Garden. But as dedicated fans surely know — they were never going to call it quits. Not really. During their encore, the band's current lineup — founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as well as guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — left the stage to reveal digital avatars of themselves. After the transformation, the virtual Kiss launched into a performance of “God Gave Rock and Roll to You.”
gadgets.ndtv.com
01.12.2023 / 16:59
GTA 6 Trailer Coming This Tuesday, Rockstar Games Confirms
Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer release date is finally upon us, as confirmed by Rockstar Games via a tweet. The first footage from the highly-anticipated crime odyssey sequel will be out on Tuesday, December 5, at 7:30pm IST in India/ 9am ET in the US, with the publisher only posting an image of a sunset and palm tree silhouettes — confirming previous claims that it's set in a fictionalised version of Miami, which franchise veterans might recognise as a return to Vice City. With that, it is clear that Geoff Keighley won't be presenting the trailer at The Game Awards 2023, though a teaser or some screenshot drops are always possible.
destructoid.com
29.11.2023 / 19:19
Hit TV show Taskmaster is getting its own VR game
Fans of the UK-based comedy panel show Taskmaster will have just finished up watching series 16. The program itself just seems to go from strength to strength, so it’s not surprising that it’s being turned into an official video game. Specifically, a VR game.
gamedeveloper.com
28.11.2023 / 20:51
Gamescom is branching off to Brazil in June 2024
Next year, Gamescom will be spinning up a new event set in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Appropriately dubbed Gamescom Latam, it'll run from June 26, 2024 to June 30 and provide "a unique opportunity for gaming fans and for the digital entertainment industry from Brazil, the whole Latin America and beyond."
gamesradar.com
28.11.2023 / 20:39
As it sends off Cyberpunk 2077 and eyes The Witcher 4, CDPR wants its games to be "something that we've never made at this scale"
With work on Cyberpunk 2077 winding down post-Phantom Liberty and more resources now being shifted to The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red hopes to expand its development operations to a scale "not precedented in the history of our company."
gamespot.com
27.11.2023 / 16:01
The Game Awards' Security Is Getting Beefed Up This Year
The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley has secret security plans to prevent yet another stage invasion incident.
gamesindustry.biz
24.11.2023 / 16:52
Gabe Newell ordered to make in-person deposition for Valve v. Wolfire Games lawsuit
Valve CEO Gabe Newell has been ordered to attend an in-person deposition regarding an antitrust lawsuit filed by Wolfire Games.
gamingbolt.com
23.11.2023 / 18:13
PlayStation Portal Sales in Spain Were Nearly 3x Higher Than Xbox Series X/S Last Week
The PlayStation Portal launched last week, and early sales for the remote play handheld have been impressive all over the world. So impressive, in fact, that it’s outselling other active platforms by quite a margin in some regions of the world.
gameranx.com
23.11.2023 / 15:23
Felix The Cat Games For NES/Game Boy Get ESRB Rating
A new rating has emerged for the most unlikely retro video game revival: Felix The Cat.
gadgets.ndtv.com
23.11.2023 / 12:59
GTA 6 Trailer Countdown: Rockstar Games Removes ‘Social Club’ Branding From Site Ahead of Release
Rockstar has removed the Social Club branding from its website, presumably in anticipation of GTA 6. As per the news account @videotechuk_ on Twitter, the publisher has replaced the nomenclature with simply ‘Rockstar Games' and scrapped any references to ‘Social Club members.' The online gaming service is also missing the old logo now, though players can still engage in multiplayer elements and accrue member-exclusive rewards from games like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. For now, it's unclear whether Rockstar would launch a new platform or simply update the existing application to usher in the new era, but traces of the branding still remain in-game.