Open APIs, Easy Paid Services Drive Market Dominance
An enlightened digital ecosystem company would offer all store features to all developers without obstructions, and profit by offering optional services that are so easy to use and priced so attractively that they gain large market share.
Take‑Two CEO
I've waited 20 years to interview Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, so we had a lot to discuss - He's feeling better about BioShock - Says a planned NFL game didn't come together - Admits criticism of NBA2K micro$ Plus: Switch, Civ, my marital...
Twitch Bans Off‑platform Bit Use, Tightens Enforcement
Twitch has updated the Bits Acceptable Use policy for the first time since 2018. Changes: - Bits can ONLY be used for things on Twitch. (A ban on anything off-platform or of monetary value.) - Much stricter enforcement, including a new "forfeiture clause". -...
Supreme Court Forces Apple to Reveal App Review Costs
The Supreme Court has considered Apple's delaying motion and found it unworthy. Now Apple will have to come clean with the District Court and show exactly what its costs are for reviewing apps with competing payment systems, so they can bill...
Master LinkedIn’s New Ultra‑Casual Game ‘Patches’
The newest game to join the ultra-casual games lineup at @LinkedIn is "Patches". Here's how to play Patches, and some simple tactics to help solve every puzzle: https://t.co/Vw2wAUKqdJ #games #puzzles #linkedin https://t.co/jklx27BTgh
Indie Games Push Boundaries with Bizarre Protagonists
You get to play as a severed arm or a zombie child. How's that for indie creativity? https://t.co/ZSuky2Qm1v
Griffin Launches Project Financing Fund for Indie Studios
Good news for indie game studios. Griffin is turning to project financing with a new fund, in addition to its traditional VC investments. https://t.co/47axlCnNYv https://t.co/cS1gcIJjLn
Mortal Kombat II Sacrifices Action for a Weak Plot
The kicks, punches & fatalities fail to land in MORTAL KOMBAT II, which puts a dumb, dense plot above action and spectacle. My review: https://freshfiction.tv/mortal-kombat-ii-review-feel-the-chill-of-despair/
When Creation Costs Collapse, What Remains?
Been looking forward to this one for a while. Mitch and I talk AI + games, and try to answer the question that matters most: What survives when the cost of creation collapses?
Kano's Humor Saves Mediocre Mortal Kombat 2 Debut
#MortalKombat2: a to-be-expected amalgam of fights, flimsy story & forced coolness which nevertheless will please target aud. Surprisingly good amount of humor driven by Josh Lawson's Kano who steals every scene. A few wild kills, but battles are mostly uninspiring....
Xbox Gets Fresh Boot Animation and Sound Next Week
Xbox consoles are getting a new boot animation next week, complete with a slightly tweaked boot-up sound. Microsoft’s new Xbox CEO continues to make changes that are designed to please fans https://t.co/sLz2RLRjr1 https://t.co/ZiybbhTnKP
Free‑to‑play Games Now Charge Absurd Prices for Items
Is it just me being cheap, or have F2P games' in-game items gotten really overpriced lately?
Starfield Lands Top‑5 in April PlayStation Downloads
Starfield debuted at #4 in the PlayStation Store download charts for April in the EU, and #5 in the US / Canada https://t.co/TZHPFYL9Kc https://t.co/7UD8UfjUyW
Visionary Awards Winners Announced Ahead of GamesBeat Summit
I'm very pleased to reveal our Visionary winners ahead of our May 19 ceremony at GamesBeat Summit. Congratulations to Susanna Pollack of Games for Change and up-and-comer winner Amir Satvat of ASGC and Tencent. https://t.co/MfAWQUeqd2 https://t.co/DJd5iUw4Lg
Final Countdown: Beat Manbreaker by Friday or Take Stairs
The final countdown is on. If I do not beat the Manbreaker in Baby Steps by the end of Friday's stream, I must simply accept help and take the stairs. Can I do it? I guess, in a sense, I...
Buy on Weakness: Gaming Ad Consolidation Gains Momentum
Macro: gaming ad consolidation Key: Super League closed Misfits Ads—adds programmatic & rewarded video, Roblox reach >100M. Risk: negative LTM EBITDA, tiny market cap, Q4 miss. Trade: buy on weakness — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
Disney Says Epic Games Partnership Key to Youth Engagement
Amid questions about Disney's commitment to Epic Games, D’Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston said “our collaboration with Epic Games is central to our efforts" to reach younger consumers: Disney characters are “among the most popular across the Fortnite universe” https://t.co/v57KYoi9Gh
3D Nostalgia: Modern Visuals Echo Classic Sierra Games
The visuals make me think of 3D versions of the old Sierra DOS games. Friggin love it!
Mortal Kombat 2021 Flops; only Animated Legends Shine
It’s really something how terrible MORTAL KOMBAT (2021) is. I seemed to recall everyone just stuck in some room for forever and…yep. Every single MK adaptation is garbage, save for a couple of the “Legends” animated movies. It’s incredible. Nowhere to...
Modder's Gaming PC Takes Up an Entire Room
This modder's gaming PC build meets the definition of unique, as it's quite literally the size of a room. https://t.co/0Q9qrmd4xf
Mouse P.I. for Hire Shines, Switch 2 Lags
Mouse P.I. for Hire’s gameplay and visuals are like a beautiful vintage cheddar — it's just a shame that the Switch 2 edition grates some performance problems on the top. https://t.co/WCKdntOHVh
Jared Palmer Joins Xbox, Brings AI Guitar Hero Vision
Jared Palmer just joined Xbox as an engineering VP and technical advisor to CEO Asha Sharma. He comes from the product side at CoreAI. Here's a snippet from an interview last summer where he riffs on AI and uses a...
Summer Game Fest Streams June 5 Featuring Rolling Stones
✨It's in the stars... just one month until #SummerGameFest streams live everywhere on Friday, June 5 at 5p ET / 2p PT / 9p GMT. Let's celebrate some great games of 2026 so far — featuring "In The Stars" from @rollingstones Special thanks...
Microsoft Pulls Xbox Copilot After Platform Reorg
wow. Microsoft is scrapping Copilot on Xbox, just hours after a big Xbox platform reorg. Xbox Copilot on mobile is being killed off and development of Copilot on Xbox consoles is over https://t.co/hCBlQAfScV
Xbox Revamps Leadership to Blend Legacy and Fresh Expertise
Microsoft's Xbox chief says today's Xbox platform changes are all about "promoting leaders who built Xbox and bringing in new leaders with consumer and technical expertise we do not yet have." https://t.co/w1w8EJy23P
GitHub AI Leaders Jump to Xbox, Defying Growth Expectations
Several GitHub / CoreAI execs move to Xbox What is going on at Microsoft This is very odd to see, you'd expect the other way round given that AI growth *should* be several times that of gaming growth (in the optimistic playbooks...
Astrocade Secures $56M to Democratize AI Game Creation
So proud of you guys @_amirabs @sadeghian_ali ; it's been wonderful working with you guys, and seeing the progress of @PlayAstrocade !🚀
Tim Cain Warns Players Have Lost Independent Game Judgment
Timothy Cain, the co-creator of Fallout and the co-developer of The Outer Worlds, has shared his opinion on online discourse and how some players can't form their own opinion about games anymore. https://t.co/Sei66Dr6NI
Steam Machine Near Launch, HDMI 2.1 Firmware Update Planned
Valve's Steam Machine may be close to launch –and a post-launch firmware update may deliver HDMI 2.1 https://t.co/U8MvLjCtVZ
Blizzard Cashes in on Pricey Virtual Real Estate
Blizzard is the only company that has figured out how to make a killing off metaverse real estate. The company has released another housing item in the in-game shop. The Cozy Treehouse Retreat will set you back $75 USD. Despite player complaints, many...
Need Workflow for Realistic Soldier Rigging and Animation
✨ Renamed it to https://t.co/btJ7Ln5MOJ now I need X's help to make my soldiers rigged and walk and crouch and prone and run etc. and hold a gun and point a gun etc? I tried lots of platforms and I can't get...
Widow's Bay on Apple TV Is Absolutely Awesome
I am here to report that Widow's Bay on Apple TV is [checks notes] fucking awesome https://t.co/7nX61QxZSS
Next Call of Duty Skips PS4, Activision Confirms
Activision has confirmed that the next Call of Duty game will not come to PS4. https://t.co/JycY4DwTZq
Explaining Dungeon Crawler Carl Without Sounding Crazy
Has anyone figured out how to describe Dungeon Crawler Carl to your friends without sounding like a completely insane person? 
Esports' Global Impact Analyzed in New Book
Now published & being dispatched... The Geopolitical Economy of Esports https://t.co/ZEI85yArWJ BIG BIG BIG thanks to everyone who contributed - chapter authors, publisher, proofreaders https://t.co/K7HEhPJ64w
Modern Warfare 4 Skips Xbox One, PS4 Launch
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 won’t launch on Xbox One or PS4. A truly Modern Warfare
Star Wars May‑4th Drop Becomes Disney Pinnacle Record
Star Wars drop for #MayThe4th is already one of the fastest-selling @DisneyPinnacle drops ever I got 10 packs no dupes but send me trade offers: https://t.co/8DCbvHkgJW
PowerWash Simulator's Dream Falcon Becomes Star Wars DLC
In 2021, the producer of PowerWash Simulator told me his dream item to let players clean in-game would be the Millennium Falcon https://www.axios.com/2021/06/04/futurlab-power-wash-simulator-game Last week: PWS2's Star Wars's DLC revealed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc-Sf7-MOn0 I guess, read my stuff for hints about what'll happen in 5...
Gamescom Leaders Reveal Future of Gaming Expos
I got a chance to see how the leaders of Gamescom view the world of gaming expos. https://t.co/nkTwzX3n4r
Teen Drives Cross-Country with PC for LAN Tournament
i remember having to explain to my mom at 16 why we needed to load the family pc into the car cause I needed to play an unreal tournament lan halfway cross the country
Gaming Industry Battles Misinformation and Review Bombing Worldwide
In South Korea, some video game companies have filed complaints & lawsuits against YouTubers that have purposefully spread misinformation. In China, the government ran a clean up campaign to curb review bombing / fan wars between gaming communities. Growing issue globally.
Xbox Series X Gets 4K Sharper Game Graphics Update
Microsoft is improving the sharpness of gamerpics and some game and achievement art at 4K resolution on the Xbox Series X. It’s being tested with Alpha and Skip-Ahead Alpha testers today https://t.co/ASBmJQ9pFa
Great Gameplay, Terrible Story—Split Fiction Wins
Started playing "It takes two" , my takes so far: - Hate the book - The parents are both psychopaths and their misery is self inflicted - the daughter is either deeply traumatized or dumb - the gameplay is peak - graphics are really cool,...
Gearbox Bans Visible AI After Borderlands 4 AI Rumors
Some Borderlands 4 fans thought recent patch notes read suspiciously like AI, and yesterday Randy Pitchford shared a "selfie" of ChatGPT. He says Gearbox has a blanket ban on using AI for stuff that can be seen by players. https://t.co/tfMl0LPWIS
IO Interactive Delivers Smart Spy Action and Unique Chase
Our time with IO Interactive’s take on James Bond was filled with smart multi-approach spy action, intense shoot-outs, and one of the most unique vehicle chase sequences in the franchise. https://t.co/BMNqs9NdKw
Voice Chat Added, AI Communicates in Native Languages
Added voice messages now, and AI players also send them, and you can hear your enemy radio (in their language), and your own radio in English so you know what's going on Some things I still need to do are add...
N64's Powerful 2D Potential Overlooked for 3D
One of the real bummers of the N64 software library is that despite being extraordinarily capable as a 2D system, almost all of the effort went into 3D games. Makes sense, that was the shiny new selling point, but...
Innovation Thrives by Remixing Existing Tech, Not Chasing New
We tend to think innovation means chasing the newest technology. At Nintendo, Gunpei Yokoi saw something different. Instead of competing at the frontier, he combined older, reliable tech in new ways. The Game Boy was outdated on paper, but it focused on...
Embracing Language‑agnostic Development Across Node, Python, Rust
Oh yes all the time, like my https://t.co/stNvarWNRq game server is Node JS, front end is full JS And https://t.co/6TyHKaj8lb last year was a Python server, and I'm trying Rust too So I have become (like many) language ambiguous
GameSir G8 Galileo: Wired USB‑C Controller with Hall‑Effect Joysticks
The GameSir G8 Galileo is a wired USB-C mobile controller with full-size grips, Hall effect joysticks and triggers, and a pair of programmable back buttons. https://t.co/yJlMe5Svtl