The video game industry has been experiencing a wave of layoffs recently, with PlayStation being the latest company to announce drastic staffing cuts. Sony fired approximately 900 people from its PlayStation division and completely shut down its London Studio, which was working on a co-op multiplayer game for the PS5. This news comes as a blow, especially considering that Insomniac, Naughty Dog, and Guerrilla, all responsible for some of PlayStation’s most successful games, also lost employees. Firesprite, a first-party studio, was also affected by the layoffs and had to cancel a live-service Twisted Metal project. This year alone, over 7,000 video game workers have been laid off, following last year’s figure of over 9,000 job losses.
However, amidst the layoffs and turmoil, there are still exciting developments in the video game industry. On February 27th, Pokémon Day was celebrated, and Nintendo took the opportunity to reveal two new games: Pokémon Legends Z-A and Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. Pokémon Legends Z-A is set in Lumiose City, a familiar location for fans of Pokémon X and Y on the 3DS. The game is expected to feature Mega Evolutions and is slated for release on the Nintendo Switch in 2025. The other title, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, is a mobile game that will be available on Android and iOS devices by the end of this year. It aims to replicate the experience of opening physical card packs with flashy animations and sound effects, allowing players to engage in quick battles. Nintendo has clarified that the game will not include NFTs but will be “free to start,” indicating the presence of microtransactions.
In other news, Engadget’s video game section received some interesting and bizarre emails from startups and PR agencies. One email introduced GameScent, a device that enhances player immersion by releasing corresponding scents based on in-game actions. While the idea seems intriguing, it remains to be seen how practical and widely adopted such a device would be. Another email offered Engadget products related to Pickleball, which clearly missed the mark since Engadget is a tech-focused publication. Deconstructeam, the developer of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, sent a playful email promoting their game, which included a giveaway in partnership with an adult toy company. Although the email was amusing, it didn’t fit the general news feed of Engadget. Additionally, an email from Husqvarna caught the attention of Engadget’s writer with its infomercial-style pitch about playing the iconic game DOOM on their robotic lawn mowers. Surprisingly, this email turned out to be newsworthy and was covered by Engadget.
Amidst the layoffs and quirky emails, there have been other significant developments in the industry. Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn, laid off around 90 employees, while indie studio Die Gut Fabrik had to halt production due to funding issues. Nintendo is also involved in a legal battle with Yuzu, an emulator that allows players to run Switch games on other platforms. Nintendo claims that Yuzu facilitates piracy and is seeking to shut down the app and obtain damages. On a more positive note, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was released on February 29th and received a positive review from Mat Smith.
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Despite the ongoing layoffs and challenges in the video game industry, there are still exciting games and innovations to look forward to. While the industry continues to evolve, it’s important to remember the passion and dedication of the developers and teams behind these games, who strive to create immersive and enjoyable experiences for players worldwide.