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November 2020 Archive

    1. Supercell cancels Hay Day Pop
    2. UK mobile game spending reaches new single-day record on Black Friday
    3. Survey finds gaming by Americans over 45 has spiked in 2020
    4. Should the games industry go fully remote? | Podcast
    5. VR spending to pass $1bn in 2020
    6. Uri Geller retracts 20-year ban on Kadabra Pokémon trading cards
    7. Key questions to ask before hiring a QA vendor
    8. Super Nintendo World now opening in February
    1. Black Friday physical game sales drop 20% over 2019 l UK Boxed Charts
    1. How meditation and cooperation shaped Vela Games
    2. Crown prince of Saudi Arabia's foundation to buy 51% stake in SNK
    3. Itch.io gives its revenue share to developers for 24 hours
    4. Cyberpunk 2077 pre-orders "visibly higher" than any Witcher title
    5. TinyBuild invests $3m in Secret Neighbor developer Hologryph
    6. Remote work is here to stay -- but it won't be cheap or easy
    1. How 'buoyant' Sega Europe is helping Sega Sammy stay afloat
    2. Gunfire Games' Remnant: From the Ashes has sold 2.7m units
    3. Blizzard veteran Jeremy Dela Rosa launches new charity platform
    4. What are the biggest changes impacting the games industry?
    5. Nicalis issues DMCA against free Cave Story games
    6. The Witcher 3 is the bedrock of CD Projekt Red's financials one last time
    7. Kwalee's hypercasual games portfolio passes 500m downloads
    1. Square Enix confirms Avengers missed expectations
    2. Piranha Games acquired by Enad Global 7
    3. How to build your back-end in the cloud
    4. PS5 is biggest console launch in history
    5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gareth Bale question use of likeness in FIFA
    6. Sakuna: Of Rain and Rice passes 500,000 units shipped worldwide
    7. Keywords Studios acquires marketing agency G-Net Media
    8. Supercell invests $2.8m in 2UP Games
    9. Square Enix shifts eligible Japanese staff to permanent remote working
    10. Can game studios radically transform how they hire?
    11. Xbox experimenting with how to pay studios for Game Pass "because we don't think we have it figured out"
    12. Epic adds a subscription service to Fortnite
    13. Naughty Dog wins six at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020
    14. Red Dead Online gets a stand-alone release
    1. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity ships 3 million
    2. "The time is right to re-evaluate open worlds. We can do better"
    3. Game Workers Unite UK rebrands to IWGB Game Workers
    4. Bossa Studios confirms layoffs amid complaints against management
    5. Scalpers and bots reportedly driving PS5 shortages
    6. TikTok developer launches publishing arm and casual gaming platform
    7. Hugo Awards adds video game category for 2021
    8. The black art of platform conversions: The challenges of integrating and recreating engines and platforms
    9. Unknown 9's multimedia awakening
    1. Crowded field of racers drives Codemasters revenues up
    2. Games of the Generation | Podcast
    3. Controller use on Steam has doubled in past two years
    4. Bioware and Ubisoft veterans create Yellow Brick Games
    5. How to support players in constantly evolving live games
    6. Warner Music: "If artists want to be in the next James Bond, they should want to be in the next AAA game"
    7. Desert Bus for Hope 2020 raises $986,793 in 164 hours
    1. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is PS5's biggest launch game as Call of Duty grabs No.1 | UK Boxed Charts
    1. Genshin Impact leads October digital game spending
    2. Pokémon Go restores social distancing benefits to the game
    3. Esports company Blast receives £1.7m in funding from Edge Investments
    4. Epic Games' MegaGrants program surpasses $60m in financial support
    5. Bandai Namco invests $3m in avatars creator Genies
    6. Harassment costs this industry too much | Opinion
    7. Lightfox Games raises $3.3m
    8. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was the real No.1 last week | UK Digital Charts
    9. The ultimate guide to selling your indie game
    10. Flemish government embraces use of games in education
    11. Imvu to launch its own cryptocurrency
    12. GamesIndustry.biz writer Rebekah Valentine wins Journalist of the Year at GameHERs Awards
    13. Nintendo orders cancellation of Smash Bros tournament over mod use
    14. The $70 AAA price point -- it's about time | Opinion
    15. Unity Connect to shut down in February 2021
    16. Roblox files for IPO
    1. Kevin Lin departs Twitch
    2. Netease Q3 strengthened by multiple mobile game releases in China
    3. EA publishes first annual Impact Report
    4. More layoffs expected at Activision-Blizzard, this time at APAC offices
    5. Google Stadia begins public iOS test in a few weeks
    6. The Five Games of Mikael Kasurinen | Podcast
    7. As World of Warcraft enters the Shadowlands: "Why should it ever end?"
    8. Hitman developer IO Interactive teases Project 007
    9. GeForce Now arrives on iOS via Safari
    10. COVID-19 expected to boost investment in esports
    11. Nintendo suing yet another Switch hack reseller
    12. PlayStation 5 sold almost six times as many units as Xbox Series X|S in Japan
    13. Next-gen consoles have few answers to Argentina's longstanding reliance on piracy
    14. Tim Sweeney on Apple's 15% cut: "We're not fighting for a lower commission"
    15. Nintendo publishes Animal Crossing guidelines for businesses
    1. The Last of Us Part 2, Hades dominate The Game Awards nominations
    2. Survey finds growing harassment among US gamers
    3. Twitch sees record viewership in October - Report
    4. Ubisoft removes Singapore studio head
    5. How will the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 benefit indies?
    6. Iron Galaxy names Chelsea Blasko co-CEO
    7. Apple to cut down App Store share to 15% for small developers
    8. Conversation as the crewmate: Understanding the rise of Among Us
    9. Embracer Group H1 sales up 132% to $524.2m
    10. Embracer Group acquires 13 studios: Here's everything you need to know
    11. Nintendo faces yet another Joy-Con drift lawsuit
    12. Lucky's Tale franchise passes 3m players
    13. Google and My.Games launch mobile accelerator program
    14. Epic Games acquires real-time animation firm Hyprsense
    15. Seven questions to ask before creating a game trailer
    16. Epic Games files against Apple Australia
    1. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla sees the franchise's best launch sales so far
    2. Female-led Queens Gaming Collective raises $1.5m
    3. Gunzilla Games enters AAA shooter market with $25m in funding
    4. Graffiti Games leaders launch Indie Game Coach
    5. Wiggin acquires games law firm Purewal & Partners
    6. Microsoft suggests higher AAA price-point is "warranted"
    7. Thunderful Group prepares for IPO on NASDAQ First North Premier
    8. Four steps to making the most of outsourcing
    9. Microsoft expects Xbox Series X|S shortages until Q2 2021
    10. Mobile startup Lila Games raises $2.8m
    1. BAFTA announces 2020 Breakthrough participants
    2. Capcom confirms it was the victim of a ransomware attack
    3. USgamer staff laid off
    4. My.Games launches cloud gaming service
    5. Resolution Games launches VR publishing arm
    6. EA must reconsider its FIFA goals | Podcast
    7. What next-gen consoles really mean for audio
    8. Zynga to open new studio in its Austin office
    9. Help shape the future of GamesIndustry.biz digital events
    10. Oxford University study shows video games can benefit well-being and mental health
    11. GIC hosts talks from Blizzard composer Jason Hayes and UX expert Celia Hodent
    12. All eyes on esports: staying ahead of the legal hurdles
    1. Assassin's Creed Valhalla beats Call of Duty in race for No.1 | UK Boxed Charts
    1. Twitch streamers report DMCA takedowns for in-game sound effects
    2. Genshin Impact was the top-grossing mobile game worldwide in October
    3. Thunderful acquires Station Interactive
    4. Police operation underway at Ubisoft Montreal
    5. FIFA 21 debuts at No.1 in the US for October in a first for the franchise
    6. EA has loot boxed itself in with FIFA Ultimate Team | Opinion
    7. How to efficiently create a winning demo
    8. Microsoft to roll out Project xCloud in four new markets
    9. Respawn emphasises its no crunch policy
    10. Games industry rallies in fight against COVID-19
    11. Ghost of Tsushima passes 5m sold
    12. The challenge and promise of DualSense | Opinion
    13. The Switch had the second-best October sales in the US of any console ever
    14. Oculus publishes new set of VRCs for accessible design
    1. Unity shares first earnings following IPO with $201 million in Q3 revenue
    2. Double win for Valve at 2020 VR Awards
    3. Animal Jam data breach exposes personal info of approximately 46m accounts
    4. As lockdowns lift, Tencent gaming revenues continue to rise
    5. PUBG Corp. creating new PUBG Mobile for India to get around ban
    6. Why are there no James Bond games?
    7. EA launching FIFA spend-tracking tool
    8. Half of US and UK players want more diverse characters in games
    9. Xbox Series S|X launch, big releases drive new records for UK broadband use
    10. The Falconeer: An unexpected jewel in the Xbox launch line-up
    11. The Game Developer's Playlist: Metal Gear Solid 5, with Jeffery Thompson Jr | Podcast
    12. Yager: "The Cycle would not have been possible without AWS”
    13. Assassin's Creed Valhalla doubles Odyssey's player count at launch
    14. Hitman reaches 70m lifetime players
    15. Xbox Series X|S is biggest console launch in Microsoft's history
    16. The careful cultivation and localization of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
    1. Twitch apologizes for handling of mass copyright claims
    2. Original founder re-acquires OpTic Gaming
    3. ESPN ends its daily esports coverage, laying off at least eight
    4. EA faces yet another class-action lawsuit connected to loot boxes
    5. NPD says US consumers spent a record amount on games in Q3
    6. Xbox Series X|S is the beginning of the end for console generations | Console analysis
    7. Huawei reveals new guidance and services to help developers access China
    8. Mike Bithell: What I wish I knew when I started in games
    9. FIFA 21 and Star Wars: Squadrons come out top in October | EMEAA Charts
    10. Esports brand Fnatic raises $10m
    11. Amber opens new studio in Montreal
    12. Microsoft: Xbox Series S does not hold back the next generation, it advances it
    13. Xbox: Next-gen battle will "not be a reflection of demand -- it'll be a reflection of supply"
    14. Ubisoft apologises for ableist description in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
    15. Judge dismisses Apple's claim of theft in Epic case
    16. Light Brick, the once and possibly future Lego studio
    1. Tommy Tallarico, Roblox come to agreement over "oof" sound effect
    2. Grounded player base reaches 5 million
    3. Nexon posts its best Q3 ever thanks to mobile revenue surge
    4. Former Xbox head of trust and safety joins Twitch
    5. Assassin's Creed Valhalla | Critical Consensus
    6. MiHoYo reportedly discloses Genshin Impact players phone numbers
    7. Some Amazon Xbox Series X pre-orders may not arrive until December
    8. Composing the blockbuster soundtrack of Ghost of Tsushima
    9. Epic Games gauging interest in monthly Fortnite subscription
    10. Enthusiast Gaming plans to list on NASDAQ
    11. Take-Two acquisition of Codemasters expected to go through in early 2021
    12. Everyone Can: The UK charity helping disabled people to play games
    1. Griffin Gaming Partners raises $235m for gaming investments
    2. First impressions of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S | Podcast
    3. Sony debuts PS5 games ad as part of “memorable” launch efforts
    4. Descenders has sold over 250,000 units
    5. Ubisoft removing UK journalist from Watch Dogs over "controversial remarks"
    6. Steam adds frictionless playtesting feature
    7. Bloober Team's The Medium delayed to January 2021
    8. Maze Theory: “Doctor Who is a proof point for our approach to telling stories”
    1. Slight jump in boxed game sales as lockdown returns | UK Boxed Charts
    1. Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Avengers push Square Enix H1 sales up 43%
    2. Take-Two in talks to buy Codemasters
    3. Watch Dogs: Legion knocks down FIFA 21 | UK Digital Charts
    4. PlayStation 5 | Critical Consensus
    5. If Xbox is Netflix, then PS5 is cinema | Console analysis
    6. Sega Sammy raises forecasts, despite losses driven by COVID-19
    7. Sega Sammy calls for 650 staff to voluntarily retire
    8. FIFA leads renewed mobile strategy at EA
    9. Take-Two president "highly sceptical" about games subscriptions
    10. POC in Play champions Black talent with BHM 100 list
    11. Fortnite reportedly returning to iOS via GeForce Now
    12. Esports platform Edge raises $1.5m
    13. The last great console leap? | Opinion
    14. How Unreal Engine is helping artists achieve their next-gen potential
    1. EA quarterly sales slide due to later FIFA, Madden launches
    2. NBA 2K21 drives Take-Two earnings
    3. Xbox Series X|S | Critical Consensus
    4. Dontnod to embrace self-publishing for multiple future titles
    5. No day one stock for retail as Sony focuses PS5 launch sales online
    6. EA extends UFC, NHL licensing deals
    7. The Game Developer's Playlist: Full Throttle with Chandana Ekanayake | Podcast
    8. Find out how overseas app developers can thrive in the Chinese market
    9. Ten risks associated with the new EU Digital Content Directive
    10. Maze Theory opens studio in the US
    11. Nintendo raises forecasts as H1 profits triple to $2.8bn
    12. One Special Day raises over £500,000
    1. Zynga posts record quarterly revenues, bookings
    2. Bandai Namco, AtGames resolve legal dispute
    3. Tencent invests in Lockwood Publishing
    4. Sega Sammy sells arcade business Sega Entertainment to Genda Inc
    5. Control and Dreams win big at Develop:Star Awards 2020
    6. Developer talent representation evolving alongside the industry
    7. Newzoo raises its annual games industry forecast for 2020 once again
    8. Ubisoft investigating after ransomware group claims to have leaked Watch Dogs source code
    9. Four ways to improve your collaboration with another studio
    10. Does PlayStation need to buy more games studios? | Opinion
    11. Phil Spencer calls for more diverse leaders in games
    12. Judge rejects Google's attempt to push Epic case to October 2022
    1. Friday the 13th game shutting down dedicated servers
    2. Pokémon Go's 2020 revenues estimated at $1bn so far
    3. GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit comes to MEGAMIGS next week
    4. Game developers have too much job security | 10 Years Ago This Month
    5. Elastic Audio announces Intonal, a new audio programming language for games
    6. UKIE launches Get Set Go campaign to prepare parents for new consoles
    7. Amazon patents method of grouping toxic players together online
    8. BlizzConline will be "free to watch and engage in"
    9. Microsoft tightens Xbox security to prevent DDOS attacks
    10. Light Brick Studio splitting off from Lego
    1. Hasnul Hadi Samsudin appointed head of SIE Worldwide Studios Malaysia | Jobs Roundup
    2. Saved by Morrowind, striving for Starfield: Todd Howard and the story of Bethesda
    3. Black representation in games | Podcast
    4. Ex-Activision, Acclaim exec founds Accelerate Games
    5. Curve Digital acquires IronOak Games
    6. UK startup Sugar closes £1.5m pre-seed round
    7. Soft opening week for Watch Dogs Legion and Pikmin 3 | UK Physical Charts
    8. UK retail warns against launch day purchases of next-gen consoles
    9. Honor of Kings reaches 100m average DAUs
    10. Far Cry 6, Rainbow 6 Quarantine delayed
    11. Sony legal threat compels PS5 faceplate company to cancel all orders
    12. Is the games industry open to working class people?
    13. Scottish games industry grew 17% in 18 months