BGM Daily Download DLC - 9 August 2024
Big Games Machine
PR and marketing agency for the global video games industry, covering both B2B and B2C audiences
Friday’s here, so it’s time for another BGM Daily Download that’s got all the essential news over the last week to keep you informed with all the latest from the world of gaming.?
Welcome to The Daily Download DLC.
This week’s notable stories include the upcoming Like A Dragon Amazon series, layoffs at Armor Games Studios and Bungie, and Xbox’s Gamescom lineup.
Game Informer, one of the last remaining gaming magazines, has shut down after 33 years, the GameStop-owned publication announced on Friday. The magazine’s entire staff is being laid off, with both magazine and website operations shutting down with immediate effect. All content on the site is no longer available, redirecting to a statement on the closure.
Sony Santa Monica, the studio behind the God of War franchise, is working on its first new IP in over 20 years. As spotted by a member of ResetEra, a developer at Sony Santa Monica mentioned they've been working at the studio "looking after the entire character development pipeline on their new IP." The studio's debut game was PS2 racer Kinetica in 2001, but since the first God of War in 2005, Sony Santa Monica has worked solely on that series.
SAF-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland claims the union's 2,500 plus video game performers could continue to strike for “a full year.” The sticking point in discussions circulates around using AI based on on-camera performers. Last year’s Hollywood actor strike lasted 118 days and was believed to have cost the film industry around $5bn, and a previous SAG-AFTRA strike video game strike in 2017 lasted 340 days, so there’s definitely precedent for long-term action.
Meta is shutting down Ready at Dawn, reportedly to keep the struggling Reality Labs within new budget restraints. A Meta representative has claimed that these cuts are not heralding a larger culling for its first-party studios. Ready at Dawn was originally formed in 2003 by Naughty Dog and Blizzard alumni and was known for its work on? God of War spinoffs and The Order: 1886.?
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Roblox has been blocked in Turkey due to child safety concerns. The decision was made following findings from an investigation led by Turkey’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office that accused the game of containing content that could lead to the exploitation of children. While Roblox has been enhancing its child safety measures in recent years, a number of current and former employees claimed that the company is prioritising growth over the well-being of its users.
Alongside this week's highlights, here are some other notable stories from the world of video games.
Monday 5th August
Tuesday 6th August
Wednesday 7th August
Thursday 8th August
Friday 9th August
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And that’s a wrap! We’ll be back next week with our regularly scheduled roundup of all the biggest gaming news, rumours, acquisitions and more.?
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