2010: News Stories of the Year Part One

More Big Names Leave the Building

As the economies of the Western world continue to reshape post-downturn, purchasing habits, new platforms, free games and continued problems with new IP have all taken their toll. Among the names gone or under threat are Bizarre Creations, Krome Studios and Monte Cristo, while numerous companies closed individual offices or studios, and many publishers reshuffled.

But probably the swiftest and most surprising collapse was that of former UK powerhouse, Realtime Worlds.

2010 was always going to be a crucial year for the much-awarded developer of Crackdown, with the release of its big-bet MMO APB looming - but as the launch neared one or two troubling rumours started to appear.

First of all the company slapped a review embargo on the game which expired only several days after it had been released in some territories, notably the US. While the developer argued that a proper impression couldn't be formed without a strong multiplayer experience, it meant that potential players in some areas wouldn't have been able to assess the game's strengths before purchasing.

Following GamesIndustry.biz coverage of the issue, Realtime Worlds relented, but the ensuing reviews weren't glowing - although they often noted the game's potential.

Not long after release the game had failed to secure the level of subscriptions required, and the company fell into administration almost immediately, meaning the loss of hundreds of jobs and the central pillar of Dundee's games hub.

A scramble for assets followed, with K2 Network picking up the main APB game for around £1.5 million, and the other title in development, Project: MyWorld also saved from the ashes.

With a host of other developers and publishers holding recruitment events in Dundee in the aftermath of RTW's demise, it's hoped that a proportion of those affected will have found work elsewhere.

But if one learning rang clear industry-wide, it was that the hundreds of millions of dollars ploughed into the company had failed to produce a hit game, and for anybody that had failed to spot the trend previously, the chances of other big studios landing huge cash deals from that point on were dealt a massive blow.

Social Media Acquisitions; or, How to Spend Lots of Money Really Quickly

While the industry continued to see studios close down, we also saw huge amounts of money being spent of certain types of businesses - namely social gaming companies.

Following hot on the heels of the Playfish acquisition by EA in 2009, Playdom was snapped up by Disney for up to $763 million in July, along with iPhone developer Tapulous.

DeNa bought Neil Young's ngmoco in October for $403 million, and while another rumoured deal fell through for a major publisher to buy up browser game specialist Bigpoint, it's not unthinkable that another suitor will make a move in early 2011.

Meanwhile, one big publisher in particular continued to flex its financial muscle, as Zenimax pushed forwards in its acquisition programme. The company already owns Bethesda Softworks and id Software, but added Tango Gameworks, Machinegames and Arkane Studios for undisclosed sums.