Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.
Skillfull's report this week highlights a long-term problem that's only deepening; between layoffs and AI threats, industry careers are a harder sell than ever
The move to $70 has highlighted the games industry’s "missing middle" – the gulf between indies and premium games that was once occupied by a wealth of AA titles
Technological progress once swept games into the retro bin within a few years, but no longer – publishers must learn about how to support, not destroy, their older titles
Even as digital platforms battle low-quality dreck, the bigger problem remains intractable – too many products, and not enough consumer attention to go around
Pulling Epic’s developer account is the latest twist in a melodrama where Apple seems content to play the villain – but the European Commission is a much more dangerous foil
Few companies have been impacted by piracy as badly as Nintendo, so its litigiousness is understandable – but there are no good possible outcomes from this new legal action
A Switch successor may not appear until next year and Sony may be prepping a Pro model of the PS5; after a quiet 2024, console hardware looks set for a very busy 2025
Players are voting with their wallets – like any other industry trend or fad, live service games have seen their moment pass; companies able to pivot away should do so fast
Protests against underwhelming in-game rewards should be treated as valuable feedback on a monetisation strategy gone awry, not as ingratitude or entitlement
Larian boss Swen Vincke is the latest industry figure to push back against subscription models; the growing mess in TV and movies makes clear why that perspective is important
The three-year path from one of the industry's most catastrophic launches to widespread acclaim is the story of a miracle, not a case study to be emulated
A constant tolling bell of industry layoffs defined 2023 – with job losses for thousands being in stark contrast to a stellar release schedule and record-beating acquisition numbers
With pandemic-delayed titles finally arriving in 2023, and GTA 6 not due until 2025, next year could see a slump in blockbuster games – creating opportunities for other titles
Microsoft's CFO reiterates a vision for Game Pass on rival consoles – but the obstacles make it a near-impossibility, and go far deeper than questions of revenue sharing
Valve's new policy of using USD denominations in countries with unstable currencies will hurt consumers there – but the real target is region-spoofing consumers elsewhere
In the absence of the low-interest economic climate that created it, the recklessness and unsustainability of Embracer Group’s aggressive acquisition strategy is laid bare
One of the most interesting experiments in esports history comes to an expensive close – with the game itself struggling, the writing was on the wall for the league
PlayStation's studio system is world-class today – but with reports of cost-cutting and cracks showing in the expensively-acquired Bungie, there are concerns about tomorrow
By adding Activision Blizzard to its existing studios, Microsoft has created a publishing behemoth – and in its financials this week, it was keen to underscore the commitment this represents to gaming
Bethesda's latest is a bona fide hit, topping US sales charts – but for Microsoft's plan to use exclusives to drive Game Pass subscriptions, that success is a double-edged sword
Capcom's impressive port shows once again that cloud streaming isn't required for high-end mobile gaming – but it might be the only path to commercial success