Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. © GamesMarkt, Marcel Kleffmann Business Strategic Refocus, Record Net Bookings, a Thriving Back-Catalogue and 1,700 Job Cuts at Ubisoft Ubisoft reports record net bookings of over 2.3 billion Euros last fiscal year. More than 1,700 jobs have been cut over the last 18 months. The Heartland Division has been cancelled. The company believes it is well positioned for the future and is increasing its focus on open- By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
Assassin's Creed Shadows to be released on 15 November 2024. © Ubisoft Publishing Assassin's Creed Shadows to be Released on 15 November 2024 Following the launch of Star Wars Outlaws at the end of August, Ubisoft will be releasing Assassin's Creed Shadows this year as well. Set in Japan, the AAA game is scheduled for release on 15 November 2024 and is designed from the ground up for the current generation By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
Markus Oeller, co-founder and co-CEO of 1SP Agency. © Sven Jakobsen Business MSM.digital Implements MR Concept for Meta and Lufthansa Meta Business Partner MSM.digital has developed a concept for Lufthansa's in-flight entertainment. The programme is based on the Quest 3 Mixed Reality headset and offers passengers a new type of in-flight entertainment experience as part of a six-month test phase on selected flights. The By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
The three co-founders of Second Stage from left to right: Matthias Mirlach, Christian Szymanski, and Egemen Arslan. © Second Stage Business Mirlach, Szymanski and Arslan set up Marketing Agency Second Stage Matthias Mirlach, Christian Szymanski and Egemen Arslan have founded Second Stage, a new marketing agency offering marketing intelligence solutions for games companies and the gaming market. A self-service advertising platform is also in development. The newly formed marketing agency Second Stage is explicitly targeting publishers, developers, agencies and brands By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Jake Solomon, CEO and Creative Director © Midsummer Studios Business Midsummer Studios Established After two decades at Firaxis, Jake Solomon and Will Miller have founded Midsummer Studios. They are joined by co-founder Nelsie Birch and former Maxis director Grant Rodiek. The team plans to revitalise the life sim genre. The company has already raised six million dollars from investors. A team of By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Prime Video has ordered a Tomb Raider series with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) set to write and executive produce. © Crystal Dynamics Business Crystal Dynamics Partners with MGM Studios to Develop Tomb Raider Stories in Streaming and Film In addition to the new Tomb Raider game, Crystal Dynamics is partnering with Amazon MGM Studios to develop Tomb Raider stories for streaming and film. Phoebe Waller-Bridge will write the script. The Embracer Group, through its wholly owned subsidiary Crystal Dynamics, has entered into a partnership with Amazon MGM By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Travel Mode visualisation. © Meta Business Travel Mode for Meta Quest and Partnership with Lufthansa The Travel Mode for Meta Quest 2 and 3 will be released in summer 2024. In collaboration with Lufthansa, Meta has also announced a Mixed Reality variant for selected Lufthansa Allegris Business Class Suite flights. Mark Zuckerberg has announced a Travel Mode for Meta Quest 2 and 3. In this By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
SpielFabrique seeks Bridge partners. © SpielFabrique Development SpielFabrique Seeks Bridge Partners Bridge by SpielFabrique is a programme to promote matchmaking and collaboration between game studios in Africa and Europe. European studios interested in participating are still being sought. The Coproduction Market programme "Match" by SpielFabrique is getting bigger this year, in particular by the inclusion of more countries for By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
The Game & Network Services division's results. © Sony Group Corporation Business Nearly 60 Million PlayStation 5 Consoles Shipped, Third-Party Games Continue to Drive Sales Sony shipped 20.8 million PS5 consoles and sold 286.4 million games last fiscal year, but only 13.9 per cent were first-party titles. Hardware sales are expected to decline this year, but sales of third-party games will continue to grow. The PlayStation division accounts for 33 By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed: Codename Red, set in feudal Japan, will be released as Assassin's Creed Shadows. © Ubisoft Publishing Ubisoft Unveils Assassin's Creed Shadows on 15 May The working title is history. Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed: Codename Red, set in feudal Japan, will be released as Assassin's Creed Shadows. It is the first title to be included in Assassin's Creed Infinity. At the very first Assassin's Creed Showcase By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Hideaki Nishino (left) and Hermen Hulst (right) named as new CEOs of Sony Interactive Entertainment © SIE, Sony Group Corp Business Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino named as new CEOs of Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has announced a new leadership structure. Hideaki Nishino will become CEO of the Platform Business Group. The Studio Business Group will be led by Hermen Hulst as CEO. The new management structure is designed to ensure sustainable growth. Sony Group Corporation and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Results for the last three fiscal years for Square Enix's Digital Entertainment division. © Square Enix IR Publishing Square Enix to Focus on Quality, Multi-platform and a new Organisation Structure Square Enix is reorganising its business in the medium term. The Japanese publisher plans to focus on quality rather than quantity and to release its games on multiple platforms in the coming years. The company's organisational structure will also change. Square Enix has announced a new medium-term By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
