Microsoft Cuts Game Pass Price After Subscriber Feedback
Satya Nadella says on Microsoft's earnings call that "Last week's Game Pass changes are one example of how we're responding to customer feedback" referencing recent price cuts following presumed subscriber churn in the previous months. https://t.co/4RHep67piz
Gears Interest Higher than Expected, Questioning Xbox Exclusivity Strategy
The Gears estimate is very interesting considering people have been pointing to a presumed lack of Gears interest on PS5 as a reason for Xbox to keep E-Day exclusive and get an easy win with existing Xbox fans.
Union Accuses Nacon of Killing Spiders Studio
French union representing some Spiders developers blasts Nacon for "murdering" the studio. It says Spiders was not allowed to sign outside deals for contract work and multiple recent games were canceled with no plan B. https://t.co/NxQIdwg4YA
Niche, Low‑Cost, High‑Quality Games Define Gaming’s Future
The future of gaming is filling a niche, making games for less than the gross sales revenue, and making games that are better than everyone else's.
Veteran Exposes Rockstar's Crunch, Surveillance, and Leadership Chaos
Kotaku interviewed an industry veteran with credits on Hitman 3, GTA Online, and more who spent years working on MindsEye. He detailed concerns about crunch, spying on employees, and chaotic leadership that has quietly sidelined Leslie Benzies. https://t.co/fwjFkTsk7d
L.A. Noir 2 Uncertain, Future Plans Remain Vague
Will we ever get L.A. Noir 2? Zelnick at iicon: “You never know. The answer broadly is we’re looking at doing something in the future with all of our intellectual property, but nothing to announce.”
Steam Controller Blurs Line Between Console and PC Gaming
I don't know that any device will ever bridge the living room controller/PC mouse and keyboard divide for me but the Steam Controller is worth paying attention to even at its $100 price tag. Here's Kotaku's interview with one of...
Xbox's New Vision Expands Strategy, Prioritization Remains Key
New vision for Xbox laid out by Asha Sharma feels like a better messaged version of what Phil Spencer and the team already had been doing. It's very much an "all of the above" approach. Where the rubber meets the...
Polygon Sold for $20M, Triggers Mass Layoffs
It's been almost a year since Polygon was sold to Valent and hit with mass layoffs as part of the deal. Adweek now reports the sale price was $20 million. https://t.co/GuKFgrZsAx
Marathon Ranks Fourth in U.S. Sales Despite $40 Price
Marathon was the fourth best-selling game in the U.S. last month. That's by revenue, which is notable given it's only a $40 game. No one knows if that's good enough for Bungie and Sony but it's far from a dismal...
Cheaper Game Pass Signals Xbox’s Activision Bet Falters
This seems like a positive development. Making Game Pass more affordable is good for players in Xbox's ecosystem. But it also seems like another (big) admission that the thesis for buying Activision Blizzard did not pan out. https://t.co/Mq3w0Z7xTS
Network Effects and Exclusives Outweigh Digital Library Loss
Lots of good points here but I still fundamentally disagree with the Phil Spencer line that failure was inevitable after losing the digital library race in the PS4 generation. It's a factor for sure, but I think broader network effects...
Epic Games HR Chief Departs, Company Offers No Comment
The head of HR at Epic Games is no longer at the company. Her last day was April 15 but the Fortnite maker declined to elaborate further. https://t.co/pwzisIXP2c
Reviving Classics Prioritize Gameplay Feel Over Pure Immersion
Was similar with Kunitsu-Gami. Also coming at a time when Okami and Onimusha are coming back. A focus on feel and mechanics over immersion for immersion's sake.
Xbox's Co‑Dev Cycle Recycles Tech Across Studios
Matt Booty shares examples of how Xbox co-dev has evolved over the past five years with all of its acquisitions. Prime anecdote is State of Decay 3 persistent world tech being used for Grounded 2, than improved, then sent back...
Studio‑Hardware Collaboration Faces Launch Lineup Test
Matt Booty briefly mentions the reveal of Project Helix last month and talks about studios working alongside the hardware teams as one of the strengths of Xbox. Given the launch lineup struggles over two generations, that will actually be the...
Rockstar Refuses Ransom, Hackers Leak Files Early
Hackers who stole confidential files from Rockstar appear to have released them early after the GTA maker refused a ransom demand https://t.co/ylRE5FvZsz
Hines Says Microsoft Acquisition Made His Job Impossible
Hines suggests it became impossible to do his job after the Microsoft acquisition. He was part of the 2023 FTC trial over an email he circulated about Call of Duty getting to remain multiplatform while Bethesda games were made exclusive. https://t.co/Va6rvrrPPe
Xbox's Promised Shift May Be Marketing, Not Real Change
Will be important to distinguish marketing shifts from actual on the ground changes with Xbox. So far there's every indication this is the same post-platform future the company's been teasing, just with more buying from the community. https://t.co/ReCIHue4iz
Apologize, Then Pay: Simple Solution to Payment Complaints
One way to respond to people accusing you of not paying them for months is to simply apologize and send the money.
Steam Stats Plummet for Game I Crave at Lunch
I've never seen Steam trend lines so dire for a game I keep wanting to take lunch breaks to go play https://t.co/rjgsebXWNG
State
State of Decay 3 studio head Phillip Holt recently confirmed the 2020 reveal trailer ahead of the Xbox Series X/S launch was basically fake. Kotaku reported back in 2022 that developers were caught off guard by it, including the zombie...
Cover Art Triggers Impulse Buys Despite Low Ratings
Seeing a jewel case on the shelf with anime cover art for a game I've never heard of and deciding it's an absolute must-buy even though it's a 6.5/10 at best.
Reviewers Earn Less than Minimum Wage, Not a Conspiracy.
It's fine to disagree with scores. That's what they're there for. But I promise you someone who busted their ass to review 2 games requiring 150 hours between them for a rate that comes out to less than minimum wage...
PS5 Price Hikes Turn Console Gaming Into Luxury
Past PlayStation consoles used to be very affordable at this point in their life cycle. The PS5 price hikes aren't just bucking traditional console gaming trends, they're turning console gaming into a luxury. https://t.co/Nm5BSCY57t https://t.co/KOx4r86UMY
Game's Rave Reviews Drive Weekly Sales Doubling
“The game is being very well-reviewed. The sales are increasing organically, doubling almost weekly.” https://t.co/ESnpPcMe0s
Sony's Pricing Unrealistic, Counts on Fan Spending
There is no chance at these prices. Sony is banking on higher average spend among existing fans to make up the difference.
Warhorse Cites Talent, Stays Silent on AI Translator Replacement
Warhorse said it's a "talent driven" studio but won't comment on the translator who claimed he was fired and replaced with AI "out of respect for the privacy." https://t.co/5Fsh4PJROG
Gaming Costs Rise Amid Faster‑Growing Household Expenses
Looking at gaming prices in a vacuum fails to take into account how they fit into broader household spending as the costs of housing, health care, energy, and other big expenditures rise faster than median income https://t.co/mH45d16Hs1
Gamers Unprepared for $70 Four-Hour Rail Shooter
I don't think people are ready for a $70 4 hour rail shooter in 2026
Video Ads Out‑earn Print, Thanks to Google’s Monopoly
NYT is a subscription business so it's a much more complex calculus but for every other media company operating on the open web video CPMs blow written CPMs out of the water in part because Google's monopoly on programmatic ads
LLMs Fail at Fact-Checking, Acting Like Dumb Search Engines
Again, fact checking is literally one of the things the LLM is worst at, unless by fact checking you mean finding links to reputable sources in which case this Is just a search engine for dummies.
AI Speeds Writing, Not the Time‑consuming Reporting
Reporting new info takes time. Writing up the new info does not. Unless it's very complex info in which case the manner in which the info is presented is as important as the reporting part. Unclear what the AI achieves beyond the illusion...
Gaming Giants' Marketing Spirals Into Absurdity
Xbox: partner showcase is a bust PlayStation: where else you gonna play give us $600 Nintendo: what if Glenn powell was a fox that where's a Saiyan scouter and flies a space ship? https://t.co/uKtqXopYZs
Rising Console Prices Signal Switch 2 Could Hit $500
A new PS5 now starts at $600. A new PS Portal is now $250. This is absolutely unprecedented. There's no way we don't see the Switch 2 going up to $500. https://t.co/MJEFtycBBr https://t.co/D5peLfrfXe
Marathon PvP Etiquette Sparks Heated Debate on First Shots
Very curious for people's takes on Marathon PVP etiquette I've never not shot first and had someone else reciprocate. Exfil camping feels like it's gotten especially brutal Surprising range of opinions in this thread compared to what I've seen in game https://t.co/j6oOWA6YJd
Developers Reflect on Dark Outlaw's Closure, No Sony Grudge
Blundell and JCbackfire talk about what Dark Outlaw Games was working on and how they're processing the sudden closure. The project was not live service and while they were enthusiastic about the game they don't hold a grudge against Sony. https://t.co/IQgT8TjoAK https://t.co/sb1tus9xS5
Marathon Needs Sony's First‑party Commitment to Thrive
Marathon is the textbook example of a first-party franchise you nurture until it blossoms. If Sony's not willing to do that then what's the point. https://t.co/n1RGCTnk9p https://t.co/rLyuki5pLs
Marathon PVP: Ruthlessly Competitive Even Without Stakes
Marathon PVP is another level of ruthless, even when the opposing player has nothing to gain. https://t.co/8EDMckdFuv
Culture War Ignites Over AI in Crimson Desert
I mentioned the anti-woke fault lines in the Crimson Desert discourse and some people were like what the hell are you talking about, but now there is a culture war freakout about sites reporting on AI in the game that's...
AI Art Suspected in Crimson Desert Sparks Quality Concerns
Seems very likely that at least some of the in-game art in Crimson Desert was generated with AI. Whether that's by design or poor quality control over a sprawling development pipeline, it's really gona poison the well for some https://t.co/q8ogbsvWII
Solo Queue Makes Assassin Contracts Easier than Group Play
I actually strongly disagree with the take on solos. Feels way easier to tackle multi-step contracts as Assassin in solo queue where people play much more cautiously and aren't hunting in groups.
Crimson Desert Doubles Nioh 3's Two‑Week Sales in One Day
In just one day, Crimson Desert has already sold double what Nioh 3 sold in its first two weeks
Intuitive Controls Make You Feel Godlike in Marathon
Instinctually knowing to hold triangle to activate a consumable when it's on the ground but square when it's in the inventory screen has made me feel like god in Marathon.
Crimson Desert's Unexpected Political
The rallying around Crimson Desert as a game that NEEDS to succeed and be really fun in order to somehow own the libs is a generally fascinating and confounding phenomenon that seemed to come out of nowhere. https://t.co/9ODNH1Du5E
Cozy Tower Defense Delight, Perfect Family Gaming
Super lovely little cozy tower defense sim I've had a ton of fun playing with my kids during the early access phase.
Gamers Are Fiercely Rejecting AI-Driven Game Trends
I don't think the industry gets just how viscerally the average gamer is rejecting the AI race https://t.co/wESXnzkamo https://t.co/NQvmfVuwXD
Microsoft’s Starfield Exclusivity Backfire Costs
As a reminder Starfield was coming to PS5, Microsoft bought them and made it exclusive, then had to explain to a judge why it did that, then decided to ditch exclusives to improve margins and now everything is as it...
IO Interactive Ends Partnership, Hitman DLC Canceled
Hitman maker IO Interactive confirms it's cut publishing ties with MindsEye and the Hitman DLC is dead. https://t.co/zw5PpjdHE3
Bethesda Rushes Damage Control as AI Backlash Intensifies
Bethesda is already doing damage control on DLSS 5 slop face. Not sure anyone fully grasps how deep the AI backlash runs within gaming spaces. https://t.co/zaQwlVB4LK