The Situation in the EU: Overbearing Bureaucracy With Deep Pockets Stephan Steininger April 11, 2025 – 3 min read Share this post © European Union 2024/Dennis Lomme This team photo was taken in January 2022 at the launch of Nagoshi Studio. Toshihiro Nagoshi can be seen in the bottom row, second from the right © Daisuke_Komori (NetEase) Business Nagoshi Studio Finally Closed Nagoshi Studio, founded by Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, has closed down. Prior to this, media reports had suggested that NetEase Games was planning to stop funding the studio. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read Stefanía Halldórsdóttir, CEO and Ásgeir Kröyer, CFO at Nordisk Games © Nordisk Games People Nordisk Games Appoints Stefanía Halldórsdóttir as CEO and Ásgeir Kröyer as CFO Alongside their existing leadership roles at Avalanche Studios Group, Stefanía Halldórsdóttir and Ásgeir Kröyer will assume leadership positions at Nordisk Games Group, following Allan Mathson Hansen's concluding tenure as interim CEO. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read Tim Schmitz, CEO of astragon Entertainment GmbH / Seafarer: The Ship Sim © Sabrina Weniger / astragon Business Astragon Development Closed as Part of a Strategic Realignment As part of a strategic realignment, astragon Entertainment GmbH, part of everplay group, has decided to close its subsidiary, astragon Development GmbH. Astragon had acquired the studio, formerly known as Independent Arts, in 2023. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read Empire: Four Kingdoms © Goodgame Studios Funding Federal Funding Goes to Stillfront Germany The German Federal Government's Video Game Funding Programme has awarded Stillfront Germany GmbH just over one million euros in funding for Empire New Horizons. This is the company's second grant, despite the fact that the period for the first one is still ongoing. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read Products Borderlands Joins the 100-Million-Sales Club for Gaming IPs Thanks to the continued success of Borderlands 4, more than 100 units of games from the Borderlands IP have been sold to date, according to 2K and Gearbox. Further content updates are planned. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Probably Stolen - Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim © Questing Goose Studio and tinyBuild Products Probably Stolen - Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim Indie publisher tinyBuild is going strong at the moment. Sand: Raiders of Sophie in June, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs in August, and Graveyard Keeper 2 in September, were all commercial successes. However, Probably Stolen – Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim easily tops them all. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 © Activision Products Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Black Ops 7 was not particularly well received by players or critics, and it did not perform well in terms of sales like its predecessors. It is now up to Infinity Ward to restore the shooter franchise to its former glory with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – and they have certainly succeeded. By Marcel Kleffmann • 7 min read Helen Chiang during an interview on Bloomberg (Screenshot from Bloombergs YouTube channel) Helen Chiang Responds to Speculation Surrounding Her Departure In a LinkedIn post, Helen Chiang has spoken out for the first time since leaving her role as COO of Xbox after just three months. In it, she dismissed speculation in the press about her departure. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Daily GamesMarket Daily – 02 Nov 26: Astragon Development, Stefanía Halldórsdóttir, GAMEinander, Karsten Lehmann, Headup A new visitor record in Bangkok, bad news for Germany as a software development hub, and plenty of staff-related news as the month gets underway – November is off to a busy start in terms of the news. By Team GamesMarket • 7 min read
This team photo was taken in January 2022 at the launch of Nagoshi Studio. Toshihiro Nagoshi can be seen in the bottom row, second from the right © Daisuke_Komori (NetEase) Business Nagoshi Studio Finally Closed Nagoshi Studio, founded by Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, has closed down. Prior to this, media reports had suggested that NetEase Games was planning to stop funding the studio. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Stefanía Halldórsdóttir, CEO and Ásgeir Kröyer, CFO at Nordisk Games © Nordisk Games People Nordisk Games Appoints Stefanía Halldórsdóttir as CEO and Ásgeir Kröyer as CFO Alongside their existing leadership roles at Avalanche Studios Group, Stefanía Halldórsdóttir and Ásgeir Kröyer will assume leadership positions at Nordisk Games Group, following Allan Mathson Hansen's concluding tenure as interim CEO. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Tim Schmitz, CEO of astragon Entertainment GmbH / Seafarer: The Ship Sim © Sabrina Weniger / astragon Business Astragon Development Closed as Part of a Strategic Realignment As part of a strategic realignment, astragon Entertainment GmbH, part of everplay group, has decided to close its subsidiary, astragon Development GmbH. Astragon had acquired the studio, formerly known as Independent Arts, in 2023. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Empire: Four Kingdoms © Goodgame Studios Funding Federal Funding Goes to Stillfront Germany The German Federal Government's Video Game Funding Programme has awarded Stillfront Germany GmbH just over one million euros in funding for Empire New Horizons. This is the company's second grant, despite the fact that the period for the first one is still ongoing. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
Products Borderlands Joins the 100-Million-Sales Club for Gaming IPs Thanks to the continued success of Borderlands 4, more than 100 units of games from the Borderlands IP have been sold to date, according to 2K and Gearbox. Further content updates are planned. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Probably Stolen - Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim © Questing Goose Studio and tinyBuild Products Probably Stolen - Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim Indie publisher tinyBuild is going strong at the moment. Sand: Raiders of Sophie in June, ReStory: Chill Electronics Repairs in August, and Graveyard Keeper 2 in September, were all commercial successes. However, Probably Stolen – Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim easily tops them all. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 © Activision Products Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Black Ops 7 was not particularly well received by players or critics, and it did not perform well in terms of sales like its predecessors. It is now up to Infinity Ward to restore the shooter franchise to its former glory with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – and they have certainly succeeded. By Marcel Kleffmann • 7 min read
Helen Chiang during an interview on Bloomberg (Screenshot from Bloombergs YouTube channel) Helen Chiang Responds to Speculation Surrounding Her Departure In a LinkedIn post, Helen Chiang has spoken out for the first time since leaving her role as COO of Xbox after just three months. In it, she dismissed speculation in the press about her departure. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Daily GamesMarket Daily – 02 Nov 26: Astragon Development, Stefanía Halldórsdóttir, GAMEinander, Karsten Lehmann, Headup A new visitor record in Bangkok, bad news for Germany as a software development hub, and plenty of staff-related news as the month gets underway – November is off to a busy start in terms of the news. By Team GamesMarket • 7 min read
