The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Microcast: The PS5 Pro and Ubisoft's woes Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to the weekly GI Microcast giving you the latest in video games news. Join James Batchelor and Chris Dring as they give you their take on the biggest stories in video games. Never miss an episode and subscribe to the GI Microcast on all podcasting platforms and YouTube.

This week, we are joined by Ampere Analysis' Piers Harding-Rolls to discuss Sony's unveiling of the PS5 Pro, its potential value as a product, and its sales prospects with that divisive price tag.

Elsewhere on this episode, we discuss Ubisoft's performance over the past few years and some of the biggest challenges the company faces, while in What Do The Numbers Mean? we look at the early performance for some key recent releases, including Astro Bot and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz, and you can get all the biggest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the GI Daily at www.gamesindustry.biz/newsletters.

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Microcast: Why Sony shouldn't give up after Concord Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

This week, we continue our discussion of Concord's troubles with Sony pulling the shooter from sale two weeks after launch. While some have seen this stumble as a nail in the coffin for PlayStation's live services strategy, we walk about why it's important for the platform holder to continue pushing forward in this space, and for the rest of the industry to take more risks and step out of comfort zones.

Elsewhere on this episode, we ponder Hiroki Totoki's comments that Sony has not fostered enough original IP, and in What Do The Numbers Mean? we look at the initial signs of a disappointing performance for Star Wars Outlaws.

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Microcast: Did Sony send Concord out to die? Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

This week, we talk about the struggles of Concord, PlayStation's latest foray into the live service space, and the potential reasons behind the hero shooter's failure to pull in the number of players seen by other multiplayer outings - including Sony's own recent hit Helldivers 2.

We also talk about Remedy's deal with Annapurna and the Alan Wake studio's move towards self-publishing, while this week's What Do The Numbers Mean? takes a look at how Astro Bot might perform when the PlayStation platformer releases later this week.

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So how was Gamescom in the end? Aug 27, 2024

Show notes

Chris and James recap their time at Gamescom and predict how Star Wars Outlaws might do next week

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Why do developers create huge expansions over standalone games? Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

For this podcast, we did something a little different: a live Q&A show recorded as part of the official Devcom 2024 Twitch stream.

Chris Dring and James Batchelor were joined by Altered Gene's Des Gayle, answering questions submitted by GamesIndustry.biz readers ahead of the show. Topics tackled in this episode included:

Why do developers create huge expansions over standalone games?
Can Nintendo maintain momentum with Switch 2?
How many concurrent users does a multiplayer game need to survive?
Will Grand Theft Auto 6 convert last-gen console owners to upgrade?

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Behind the reveals of Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

Continuing our Gamescom 2024 coverage, Chris and James look back at the biggest announcements from this year's Opening Night Live showcase.

We talk about Take-Two's packed 2025 line-up, the range of updates from Xbox's many studios, and some of the big surprises, such as the new fantasy god game Masters of Albion from veteran designer Peter Molyneux and his team at 22Cans. You can find out more about Molyneux's approach to this - potentially his final game - in his full interview with GamesIndustry.biz.

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The biggest challenges for indie developers, with Jason Della Rocca Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

As part of our series of daily podcasts from Devcom and Gamescom 2024, GamesIndustry.biz editor-in-chief James Batchelor is joined by Execution Labs co-founder and former IGDA Montreal executive director Jason Della Rocca.

Drawing on Della Rocca's years of experiences working with indie developers, we discuss the biggest challenges these studios face in today's market, from the impact of layoffs and studio closures to the shrinking indie publisher scene.

We also talk about what helps indies stand out in the market, why it's important to research your genre before committing to it, and what opportunities there may be for indies in the near future.

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Microcast: Epic's mobile marketplace and Plucky Squire's brave launch Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

Our main topic this week is the launch of the Epic Games Store on mobile, bringing Fortnite back to Android and (in the EU) iOS four years after Epic began its legal dispute with Apple and Google. We discuss the potential for alternative mobile stores, and Epic's goal to reach 100,000 installs before 2025 despite the 12 to 15 steps players must go through on each mobile ecosystem.

And in this week's What Do The Numbers Mean?, Chris takes a look at the long-awaited release date for Devolver Digital's The Plucky Squire, two fairly hefty (and one very similar) games coming out around it, and, of course, sales figures that offer a little more context.

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Microcast: Krafton saves Tango Gameworks, and numbers. All of the numbers Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

This week, we continue our look at the latest financial results, with highlights from Warner Bros, Bandai Namco, Sega and Remedy. We dive a little deeper into Sony and the decline it faces in PS5 sales, as well as our conversation with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick around the publisher's latest results and its future line-up.

We also discuss Krafton's acquisition of Tango Gameworks and the Hi-Fi Rush IP following closures at Xbox earlier this year, and we introduce a new segment, What do the numbers mean?, where we foolishly indulge Chris and his love of sales statistics.

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Microcast: Game Informer's closure and the state of games media Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

This week's packed episode covers the key takeaways so far from the latest financials season, included expected declines at Nintendo and Electronic Arts (and why 2023 is such a tough comparison year to follow), as well as Activision Blizzard's ongoing boost to Microsoft's results.

We also discuss the Bungie layoffs and the latest US monthly spending figures, with Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree helping to offset the potential year-on-year decline.

Finally, and for our main topic, we talk about the closure of Game Informer and the many, many challenges the games media - and journalism in general - faces in today's market.

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