For our final podcast of the year, the entire editorial team gathers around their microphones to discuss our favourite games of the year. The selection varies greatly from first-party franchise extensions and AA blockbusters to Switch ports of classic RPGs and innovative indie games. (And some members of the team may have shoehorned in namedrops for multiple other picks as well). Download now and listen to discover the games that made the biggest impact on our team this year, and be sure to keep...
Dec 16, 2019•1 hr 10 min
It’s time for the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, and this week James, Brendan, and Rebakah are on hand to discuss all the big news while still leaving plenty of room to reminisce about the GameCube. The industry is once again overflowing with complaints regarding toxic work environments, after former Razer employees accused CEO Min-Liang Tan of abusive behaviour. These allegations were joined by two court rulings which saw Quantic Dream pay a former employee €7,000 over an offensive photoshopped ima...
Dec 09, 2019•48 min
The industry may grind to a halt during Thanksgiving week, but there’s still plenty going as we take a look at unconscious bias, diversity, and the perceived failings of virtual reality. Following last week's articles by Rebekah (Brass Lion Entertainment and the critical business of diversity) and Haydn (Overcoming unconscious bias in the games industry), we discuss both the barriers and benefits of inclusion. From hiring and industry blind spots, to why diversity is important and how to better ...
Dec 02, 2019•41 min
In this week’s bumper pack episode, Rebekah, Matt, and Haydn discuss the troubled Google Stadia launch, Half-Life: Alyx, and Pokémon. Google made big promises with the Stadia, and now it’s here the response has been notably muted. Plagued by fidelity and performance issues, the Stadia is struggling to fulfill its potential. As it stands, Stadia is widely considered the best game streaming platform available, but is still a long way from being complete. The long-awaited next entry to the critical...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 6 min
A short but special episode in which James and Chris discuss the biggest announcements from Microsoft's event in London this week. Recorded on the show floor itself, this discussion actually took place a few hours ahead of the reveals, but thanks to handy pre-brief notes we were able to weigh up the highlights. Highlights included new IP from Rare and Obsidian, as well as a partnership and ambitious new protagonist from Dontnod Entertainment. We also talk about the updates from Xbox's streaming ...
Nov 15, 2019•23 min
Rebekah, Chris, Matthew and Brendan gather round their mics to discuss the biggest news and topics of the games industry. This week, we start by considering the new appointments at Sony Interactive Entertainment and the insights from our recent interview with PlayStation boss Jim Ryan. Having previously discussed Sony's stategy to hold back from detailing the next generation, we now have a better understanding of what's happening behind the scenes. Of course, the industry still has questions -- ...
Nov 12, 2019•58 min
James, Brendan and Rebekah discuss some of the biggest topics from the past week, starting with the controversy surrounding the latest Call of Duty. For months, Infinity Ward and Activision have promised a gritty, realistic take on today's global conflicts, and yet critics report these attempts lack substance and are undermined somewhat by a game that remains focused on delivering high-octane setpieces around a super soldier fantasy. Combine that with the controversy over its child soldier, wate...
Nov 04, 2019•57 min
In this brief podcast excursion Rebekah, Brendan, and Haydn unpick last week’s industry events, starting with the surprise delays from Naughty Dog and Ubisoft. Just over a month after announcing a release date, Naughty Dog revealed it would be pushing The Last of Us II back by around three months. Then, just a few days later, Ubisoft announced it was delaying Watch Dogs Legion, Gods & Monsters, Rainbow Six Quarantine to sometime between July 2020 and December 2020. Though the news hit Ubisof...
Oct 28, 2019•34 min
We have a special episode for you this week, recorded live from the show floor of EGX 2019. Matt, Chris and James took to the stage to answer a series of consumer questions with the aim of giving a little more insight into how the business of games works and the state of the industry today. Topic covered include the decline of games retail, expectations for Google Stadia and streaming services, the future of free-to-play, Nintendo's mobile strategy, the notion of platform holders releasing games...
Oct 21, 2019•44 min
James, Brendan, Rebekah and new starter Marie discuss the ongoing fallout of Blizzard's punishment for pro Hearthstone player Chung 'Blitzchung' Ng Wai. We discuss the severity of the original punishment, the apparent lack of process through which this was reached, and how widespread the backlash has become. We also touch on the implications for other publishers with direct ties to China and its companies, and consider the long-term impact for Blizzard, especially with Blizzcon around the corner...
Oct 14, 2019•57 min
Haydn, Chris and Brendan are on hand to talk through some of the latest industry news, starting out with the messy story of Video Game Tax Relief in the UK. It was revealed earlier last week that global games companies had claimed millions upon millions in tax relief, sparking a debate about whether the scheme was working as intended. Meanwhile, Monument Valley developer Ustwo Games faced accusations of union busting after it allegedly fired key programmer Austin Kelmore over his involvement in ...
Oct 10, 2019•51 min
Matt, Brendan, and Rebekah are on hand this week to discuss all the hottest industry haps, starting with the Oculus Quest. Accounting for 20% of Oculus' $100 million lifetime revenue from software in just a few short months, the Quest appears to be a resounding success. Things are looking more positive already though, after Oculus announced it was adding hand-tracking to the hardware as a free update. It's been a big week over at Nintedno's house too though, following the launch of the Switch Li...
Sep 30, 2019•48 min
James, Matt, Rebekah and Haydn are on hand to discuss the biggest news of the past week, starting with the future of E3. The emergence of a pitch deck from the ESA gives some insight into the direction the trade body would like to take the industry's premier showcase, but mentions of celebrities, influencers and "queuetainment" are raising more than a few eyebrows. Next, we weigh up the potential for Apple Arcade and whether it's the saviour of premium mobile games -- or their last chance. We al...
Sep 23, 2019•58 min
It's a smaller team this week, but no less meatier a discussion. Haydn and Brendan debate the potential fallout from the DCMS committee's recommendations that the UK government regulate loot boxes under gambling laws. While these remain recommendations at the moment and are not enforceable laws, it's nonetheless a concerning direction for the ongoing debate around how the games industry monetises its audience. We discuss the various responses to the report, the implications such laws might have ...
Sep 16, 2019•41 min
After a troubling week in the games industry following multiple abuse allegations, we’re back with a lighter episode of the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast. Haydn pulls hosting duty this week, joined by Brendan and Chris to discuss the absolute bumper pack of announcements from Nintendo’s latest Direct, and reminisce about the Dreamcast glory days. On Wednesday, Nintendo wheeled out a barrel-load of announcements that didn’t warrant much on their own, but combined shows the platform holder continuing ...
Sep 09, 2019•37 min
Though marginally delayed thanks to the UK taking a day off on Monday, the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast has arrived. Gathering around the podcast campfire this week is Rebekah, Matt, Brendan, and Haydn who dive into all the industry happenings last week. Kicking off, a discussion about Game Informer editorial cuts in the wake of mass layoffs at parent company GameStop turns into a wider debate about what it takes for print media and online publishing to survive in 2019. Following that, the team get...
Aug 27, 2019•59 min
Rebekah, Matt, Chris and Haydn weigh in on one of the most divisive topics currently discussed across the industry: the relationships between politics and games. As our contributing editor Rob Fahey recently wrote, simply asking 'Is you game political?' misses the nuances of a deeper conversation that could be had about the evolution of video games and their place in the world. We explore those nuances, and ponder why this misinformed questions has become so prevalent when the media meets with A...
Aug 17, 2019•46 min
Rebekah, Brendan, Chris and Haydn are on hand for this bumper episode to discuss a long, complicated and frustrating week in the games industry. We start with the leak of thousands of journalists, analysts and content creators' personal information -- including phone numbers and postal addresses -- via E3 media lists. We discuss the ESA's handling of the situation, the impact it may have on next year's E3, and the potential for abuse against those affected. From one form of abuse to another, we ...
Aug 09, 2019•1 hr 16 min
Rebekah pulls hosting duties again, joined by Matt, Brendan and Haydn. This week we discuss the future of Improbable and SpatialOS after another game built using the tech gets cancelled. It's got potential, but developers are struggling to deliver. Also on the agenda is Rockstar's questionable tax returns, following a report from investigative think thank TaxWatch UK, which found the Grand Theft Auto V developer hasn't paid any corporation tax in ten years, while also claiming £42m in Video Game...
Aug 02, 2019•52 min
Rebekah, Brendan, Chris and James are on hand to discuss some of the biggest industry stories of the week, starting with (yet again) crunch. We reflect on Brendan's fascinating interview with creative director Lorne Lanning about the irony of Oddworld: a game that focuses on the exploitation of workers at a time when developers themselves were frequently exploited. Talking about what (if anything) has improved leads to another hard look at the impact of crunch on the industry, the potential solu...
Jul 26, 2019•49 min
As the old saying goes, “It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday.” That, of course, can mean only one thing: the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast is here. This week Rebekah takes up hosting duties and is joined by Matt, Brendan, Haydn and, if you listen very closely, a selection of our assorted pets. We kick things off with the crumbling world of brick and mortar game stores, and what they can do to slow their seemingly inevitable decline. Following the example of UK retailer Game, struggling US ...
Jul 19, 2019•47 min
Matt, James and Haydn discuss the biggest stories of the past week, including the ongoing dispute between indie developers and divisive marketplace G2A. Recorded hot off the heels of G2A's proposal for a key-blocking tool, we discuss the various roots of the debate and why indie developers -- and the industry in general -- has such a rocky relationship with the company. The core principle of G2A -- that players can sell on games they own -- is not all that controversial, but years of allegations...
Jul 12, 2019•43 min
Load up your ears with the GamesIndustry.biz podcast, this week featuring James, Matt, and myself chatting about the big industry news. Matt is in trouble this week for not using headphones while recording, so apologies in advance for the slightly wonky audio in places. But don't let that deter you from downloading this white knuckle thrill ride of all the hottest industry “haps.” EA doesn't see itself as the "bad guys" but it's an image the publisher just can't seem to shake. We discuss EA's lo...
Jul 05, 2019•53 min
It’s Friday, so what better way to end your week than with the GamesIndustry.biz Podcast? This week Rebekah takes up the mantle of host once more, joined by Haydn, Brendan, and occasionally his dog. We kick with a discussion on the state of streaming after Razer cut ties with one of its female content partners over some Twitter remarks she made about men; the return of Dr Disrespect to the Twitch despite being banned for filming inside the bathrooms at E3; and how subscriber only Twitch streams ...
Jun 28, 2019•39 min
Rebekah, Matt, Brendan and Haydn discuss two of the biggest issues the industry faces in this week's podcast. First up, following comments from Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick and even US senator Bernie Sanders, we discuss the ongoing debate around unions. Zelnick's discussion with GamesIndustry.biz kicked off a debate this week about whether games professionals who are comfortably compensated would even be motivated to unionise. We weigh up the many other reasons why the call for unions is getting...
Jun 21, 2019•51 min
It's a bumper podcast as we reflect on everything we saw (and didn't see) at E3 2019. First up, Chris and Brendan record a segment in Los Angeles reporting on the mood on the show floor and how the lack of Sony, EA and other have made for a somewhat quieter, almost underwhelming show. They discuss the impact of E3 swag, the art of the 'one more thing' at a major press conference, and why more industry professionals are talking about subscriptions and streaming that next-generation consoles. Fina...
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 9 min
The entire GamesIndustry.biz team assembles as we prepare for the biggest week in the gaming calendar. Rather than plucking arbitrary predictions out of the air, we instead focus on the core areas that are likely to be hottest topics of the upcoming week. First off, we debate whether the next generation of consoles will have any sort of presence at E3 2019 -- or whether it even needs to. With Sony absence, the show is open for Xbox to dominate but that means the platform holder can share as much...
Jun 06, 2019•55 min
Almost the entire team is assembled for this week's episode of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, with Matt, James, Chris, Haydn and Rebekah (on holiday in the UK) gathering around the mic to discuss the latest gaming headlines. The big topic of the week is World Health Organisation's decision to classify 'gaming disorder' as a recognised illness. We debate whether the industry trade bodies could have done more to defend against this, or whether it even needs defending against. This conversation als...
May 30, 2019•56 min
Matt, James, Haydn and Chris discuss the biggest stories of the week, starting with the surprising partnership between rival platform holders. As announced yesterday, Sony has partnered with Microsoft to share technologies and improve each other's cloud-based offerings -- a deal that has promising implications for the future of game streaming (even if it isn't the console wars ceasefire some might have thought). Elsewhere, the European Court of Justice has proposed a ruling that may help to elim...
May 17, 2019•41 min
James, Rebekah and Brendan discuss the latest industry headlines, which inevitably means continuing to talk about crunch. Picking up from our earlier episode, we discuss the latest stories of crunch and punishing work practices at NetherRealm Studios (as Brendan revealed in his article here: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-05-03-netherrealms-self-sustaining-culture-of-crunch). We also touch on how developers themselves may be inadvertently perpetuating the cycle of crunch (as Brendan...
May 10, 2019•53 min
