Brendan Sinclair (Page 5)

News

China to ban some monetization and engagement tactics in games

Daily log-in rewards, loot boxes for minors, auctions for in-game items among the prohibited mechanisms; spending limits also imposed

Dec. 22, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

A close-up picture of a bunch of green peas

Feature

Tearing up the pea patch | This Year in Business

2023 was a difficult year for many, but our annual recap of 52 quotes and stats finds reasons to look on the bright side

Dec. 22, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

The key art from Riot Games' Legal Mumbo Jumbo page, showing a blue creature in a fancy suit and tie at an office desk with a "Mundo" name plate, a #1 coffee mug and a chart with a cartoon picture of him on it

News

A poor job of Riot control | 10 Years Ago This Month

League of Legends maker overplays its hand by trying to ban pro players from streaming other companies' games

Dec. 20, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

It's a dog. A very good dog, yes it is. Who's a good dog? This is a good dog. Such a good dog. On a couch. Its mouth is hanging open a bit to look like it's smiling, like it just told a joke and is waiting for you to laugh.

Feature

GamesIndustry.biz is in the doghouse again | Creature Comforts

Our pet pics column returns as we scrape the bottom of the idiom barrel for pun-based headlines

Dec. 19, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

A collage of game logos for titles built using EA Frostbite, including games in the Battlefield, Madden, and FIFA series

Feature

Why does EA's internal engine Frostbite have a public-facing brand?

As EA rolls out a new logo for the tech, EA's Tim Cowan explains the strategy behind the engine, and why the publisher backed off efforts to make every game on Frostbite

Dec. 18, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

News

Godus, Godus Wars removed from Steam

22cans blames decision to halt PC sales of game on an upcoming Amazon Web Services technical change

Dec. 18, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

A picture of the LACC with the sun low in the sky behind it, casting long shadows through flags that fly in front of the building

Feature

End of an E3ra | This Week in Business

With the show officially gone for good, we recap the Winners and Losers of E3 one last time

Dec. 15, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 screen showing a man and a woman in high-tech equipment holding guns

News

November game spending slides 7% | US Monthly Charts

Hardware drops 24% as new release slate can't measure up to last year's God of War and Pokémon games

Dec. 13, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

News

ZeniMax strikes tentative deal with union on AI

Microsoft subsidiary commits to AI uses that "enhance worker productivity, growth and satisfaction without causing workers harm"

Dec. 11, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Feature

Pikmin 4 | Games of the Year 2023

There were plenty of great games this year, but Brendan Sinclair felt none of the others fit the year quite so perfectly

Dec. 11, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Feature

Where to get illegally pirated games | This Week in Business

A look at who is allowed to profit off counterfeit games and how the industry goes after everyone else

Dec. 8, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Realm Royale Reforged screenshot with four players on horseback on a cliff's edge, looking out across a world under a bright blue sky with a few scattered clouds. A dragon flies away from them a little in the distance

Feature

The industry will rally soon, says RallyHere head

Hi-Rez president and RallyHere CEO Stewart Chisam says we're seeing a bullwhip effect from COVID and the recovery will begin this quarter

Dec. 7, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

A picture of the exterior of a GameStop store taken in a suburban Toronto mall in June of 2023

News

GameStop posts lower sales, reduced losses

Retailer sees sales slump across the board, but narrows losses from $92.6 million in the year-ago quarter to $3.1 million

Dec. 6, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Fae Farm screenshot showing a player character in a farm yard brushing a sheep-like creature and surrounded by other cute fantasy creatures

News

Phoenix Labs lays off 34 staff

Fae Farm and Dauntless developer makes second round of cuts this year

Dec. 1, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Product shot of two Atari Speakerhats against a blue background

Feature

Speakerhats off to Atari | This Week in Business

Too many big companies cutting staff this year should have followed the example of the most debased brand in gaming

Dec. 1, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

News

Ex-Xsolla exec sues company

Monetization and payments firm "vehemently denies" allegations it fired accounting VP for reporting violation

Nov. 30, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Feature

Atari's re-focus on retro

CEO Wade Rosen explains how the company's recent investments and acquisitions fit into the bigger picture

Nov. 29, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Feature

PS4 and Xbox One launches underwhelm, but overperform | 10 Years Ago This Month

People were so eager for new consoles they didn't mind waiting a bit longer for games that would justify the purchase

Nov. 28, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Red Trigger screenshot showing a white-walled sci-fi room with a red banner strung across a doorway. It reads, "Humanity thanks you for your sacrifice."

Feature

Be thankful this didn't happen to you | This Week in Business

The cautionary tale of Red Trigger developer Bold Spirit Game Studio, and a look at ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear's short-lived new job

Nov. 24, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Four men on a stage sitting in chairs while one speaks into a microphone. There is a sign behind them for MIGS 2023 and a TV screen showing the name of the session -- "Mergers & Acquisitions - How They've Changed the Game" in French and English

Feature

What's the gaming M&A market like in 2023?

MIGS panel of experts say deals are taking longer, but there's still "plenty of cash" and buyers looking to add

Nov. 22, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Graph from Niko Partners' China Games Market 2023 Half-Year Update Report showing gaming revenues increasing 5.2% to $47.7 billion in 2023 and up to $56.7 billion in 2027. Also, the number of gamers in China will increase under 2% to 710.3 million in 2023 and up to 734.6 by 2027.

News

China's game market to grow 5.2% this year

Niko Partners projects Chinese game revenue to hit $47.7 billion, more than offsetting last year's 2.5% dip

Nov. 21, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Feature

Has 2023 been a good year for new games? | This Week in Business

We compare the number of new games on the US Top 10 best-seller charts this year with previous ones and see how the numbers square up with overall industry sales

Nov. 17, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

A dozen staff for the studio Worlds Untold pose for a picture on a set of steps

News

NetEase launches Worlds Untold

Mass Effect dev Mac Walters to lead new remote studio working on AAA action-adventures with narrative emphasis

Nov. 16, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Feature

Osama Dorias: Progress fighting crunch is at risk

Brass Lion developer says the industry has made progress when it comes to burnout and mental health, but some are reverting to old habits during a difficult year

Nov. 15, 2023 Brendan Sinclair

Data

Strong release slate can't avoid sales dip in October | US Monthly Charts

Spending down 5% as Spider-Man and Super Mario can't offset the impact of Call of Duty's move back to November

Nov. 15, 2023 Brendan Sinclair