Games Journalism is Dying - GameLinked Nov 7, 2023

[JakobRush]

 

ZERO VOCATIONS

The Escapist staff resign after editor-in-chief fired

https://twitter.com/PaulTassi/status/1721689641370206632

Including Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-67348861

Owned by Gamurs, company that laid off a bunch of people… https://esportsinsider.com/2023/03/layoffs-gamurs-group

…then tried to replace them with AI https://futurism.com/the-byte/gaming-sites-writers-ai-editor

Zero Punctuation is dead https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/11/07/zero-punctuation-ends-as-the-escapist-faces-mass-resignations-after-eic-firing/?sh=8a337dca3498

Escapist is just one of many, many casualties https://lmg.gg/oR1Aw (Gamesindustry.biz)

Calandra and Croshaw launch new venture https://twitter.com/SecondWindGroup/status/1721934761621381168

 

A CAN OF ALPHABET SOUP SUIT

Epic v Google lawsuit starts

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/06/google-set-for-second-antitrust-trial-in-two-months-as-it-faces-epic.html

Day One recap https://venturebeat.com/games/a-recap-of-epic-games-vs-google-trial-day-one/

Google claims Galaxy Store proof of competition https://lmg.gg/hn0DD (Venture Beat)

Epic points out 90% of app installs are from Play Store https://lmg.gg/atM77 (Venture Beat)

The Verge thinks Epic might actually have a shot https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/7/23949849/epic-google-trial-day-one-recap-summary

Might be good, since the Epic Games Store still isn’t profitable https://kotaku.com/epic-games-store-pc-profitable-google-court-case-apple-1850996972

It’s only been 5 years https://www.pcgamer.com/5-years-after-trying-for-a-valve-counterstrike-moment-with-fortnite-the-epic-games-store-still-isnt-turning-a-profit/

 

AUSTRALIA VIOLATES KOREAN COPYRIGHT

Australian ratings board leaks details about previously leaked Silent Hill: The Short Message

https://www.eurogamer.net/silent-hill-the-short-message-plot-leaks-from-australian-classification-board

Risking identity theft charges from Korean Ratings Board https://www.gematsu.com/2023/06/lego-2k-goooal-rated-in-korea

Especially since the Korean ratings board LEAKED the game’s existence https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/a-new-silent-hill-game-has-been-rated-in-south-korea/ Posted to Gaming Leaks and Rumours SPOILERS AND REFERENCES TO SUICIDE AND SELF HARM https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/17psuzd/australian_classification_board_outlines_major/

Best Buy Canada listing implies Silent Hill 2 Remake will include origin story for Pyramid Head

https://www.inverse.com/gaming/silent-hill-2-rumor-pyramid-head

Spotted by this twitter user https://twitter.com/bobvids/status/1720858320213266677

Konami says Best Buy goofed it https://www.ign.com/articles/konami-says-best-buy-had-incorrect-info-regarding-pyramid-head-origin-story-in-silent-hill-2-remake

 

QUICK BITS

 

INFORMATION BLIZZARD

BlizzCon lightning round-up

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/3/23944811/blizzcon-2023-news-trailers-diablo-warcraft-overwatch

Worldsoul Saga https://twitter.com/Warcraft/status/1720525660983030142

Starting with the War Within https://youtu.be/o03STclgxSc

Play 3 days early by paying more https://www.dexerto.com/world-of-warcraft/wow-the-war-within-early-access-sparks-furious-debate-among-players-2371010/  

Warcraft Rumble https://lmg.gg/nJWJI

Announced Diablo IV expansion https://youtu.be/gHuaCwmx-Rg

Details on leaked hero https://youtu.be/AQfRHycUsmQ?t=17

Next two heroes and new game mode https://twitter.com/PlayOverwatch/status/1720510120084353195

Overwatch World Cup https://twitter.com/owpathtopro/status/1720979323317059880

K-pop collab https://www.tiktok.com/@le_sserafim/video/7297861831257820424

 

DOUBLE THE JOHN, DOUBLE THE FUN

John Carmack and Romero teaming up for livestream for Doom’s 30th anniversary

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/11/dooms-romero-and-carmack-will-reunite-for-30th-anniversary-streaming-event/

https://twitter.com/romero/status/1720489883590939047

Sigil 2 https://romero.com/shop/p/sigil2usb

Keen AGI https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/19/john-carmack-agi-keen-raises-20-million-from-sequoia-nat-friedman-and-others/ 

https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1720495497926840523

 

SUFFERING FROM SUCCESS

Bandai Namco game financial results decline because Elden Ring sold too well

https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/ir/index.html

https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/bandai-namco-announces-declining-financial-results-for-games-as-armored-core-6-cant

Discontinuing sales for Taiko No Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun!

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/11/bandai-namco-ending-sales-of-taiko-no-tatsujin-drum-n-fun-later-this-month

 

EX-INTEGRATION

PlayStation removing Twitter integration

https://mp1st.com/news/playstation-removing-twitter-x-integration-for-ps4-and-ps5-on-november-13

https://www.polygon.com/23949334/playstation-twitter-x-ps4-ps5-ps-app

https://www.gameinformer.com/2023/11/06/playstation-ending-twitterx-integration-next-week

 

SHOCKING: GAME GIANTS DON’T LIKE EVIL SANTA

“Christmas Massacre” game “Too crazy” for Xbox and Nintendo Switch

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/11/only-sony-will-allow-crazy-ps5-ps4-indie-horror-christmas-massacre

Third “Massacre” Game from Puppet Combo, after:

-        Power Drill Massacre https://store.steampowered.com/app/2027030/Power_Drill_Massacre/

-        Nun Massacre https://puppetcombo.itch.io/nun-massacre

Dev says game too crazy for Xbox, Switch  https://twitter.com/PuppetCombo/status/1720432017727197594

Prolly cuz you play as the killer this time, Nun Massacre was fine for Switch https://www.nintendo.com/en-ca/store/products/nun-massacre-switch/

[Si3Rra_7]

I'm kinda tired of these game companies not recognizing when some growth is temporary.

Elden Ring was a sensation it's not going to be the status quo stop expecting it.

Same thing for the COVID boom, gaming companies and hardware manufacturers all overextended expecting the growth to continue, but it was just everyone being inside and having nothing better to do than play videogames.