In a move nobody wanted, Steam has announced they will begin allowing games that feature AI generated content, either pre-generated or live-generated, to be published on the platform. Don't run away just yet, as they also announced developers will have to disclose AI use and that Steam users could actively report illegal content found in any AI generated content. They also reserved the right to revisit this decision down the line.
In ANOTHER move nobody wanted, SAG-AFTRA has signed a deal with digital voice company Replica Studios to use AI voicework in their games. Voice actors represented by SAG-AFTRA had voted to approve a strike back in September 2023 and a great many members took to social media to voice their displeasure with this decision. This coming off the backs of Tencent and Ubisoft announcing they'd use NVIDIA's AI NPC generation tech. Time will only tell what results from this divide between the union and its members.
If you often find yourself decrying a lack of dinosaur games... TeamKill Media, the developer behind Quantum Error, has revealed Son and Bone, a PS5-exclusive first-person shooter where you're a sheriff chasing down bandits and also... shooting dinosaurs.
Minecraft Legends, the real-time strategy take on Microsoft's iconic block-building series, will no longer see another block placed on its development... tower. Mojang announced, just nine months from release, that they'd officially be stepping back from developing any new content from the game.
Theorists around the world are in mourning... because the Game Theorist himself, MatPat, has announced that he's officially retiring. In an emotional video, MatPat cited the retirement of other prominent YouTubers as a motivating factor and his general desire to spend more time with his wife and child. Personally, we think he'd achieved all he wanted in the field and is going out on top... but that's just a theory.
Controller enthusiasts rejoice! According to leaked Best Buy Canada listings, the PlayStation DualSense controller is getting a revision. Not a major one though. Listed as the "V2" DualSense, the description promises a boosted 12-hour battery life but no other major changes.
Master Chief's battle royale shenanigans are reserved for Fortnite it seems, as a Halo Battle Royale has been reportedly cancelled. According to XboxEra co-founder Shpeshal_Nick on the XboxEra Podcast, the battle royale project (codenamed Project Tatanka) was shelved after nearly two years of development.
Two classic Game Boy Advance games, magic-wielding RPG Golden Sun and its sequel, Golden Sun: The Golden Age, will be added to the Nintendo Switch Online library on January 17, joining a growing list of games available with the subscription.
Physical media retailers are down bad...
GAME (UK) has announced an end to the company's trade-in system, with the current stock of pre-owned games sold until it runs out. A once prominent part of the company's profits, many on social media speculate this being another blow to the overall physical media landscape.
GameStop (US) has officially closed its crypto marketplace a year and a half after launching it. Citing "continuing regulatory uncertainty," the NFT marketplace will officially shut its doors in February. (L, and if I may be so bold, MAO.)
The latest layoffs impact both game developers directly and tech companies that rely heavily on gaming audiences...
Discord is laying off 170 employees, 17% of its staff, with its CEO claiming the workforce had ballooned and become 'less efficient' since its 2020 growth. This comes after the app laid off 4% of staff last August.
Amazon-owned streaming company Twitch laid off 500 employees, or a staggering 35% of its staff. These cuts join an additional 400 positions cut at Twitch last year.
While Gearbox and Embracer have not disclosed the total number of employees impacted, layoffs have hit a "sizable portion" of Lost Boys Interactive, a Gearbox-owned developer that employed over 400 people.
Games firm Playtika is laying off 300-400 people, or around 10% of its staff. Its business decisions last year included halting all of its mobile game development "until the ROI for new games is economically viable" while spending millions to acquire studios and laying off nearly 1,000 staff in the back half of 2023.
Also in mobile game news, mobile studio Double Loop Games is shuttering after four years. Some of its staff were picked up by mobile game developer and publisher Scopely.
And to close with some silly (and scary) news, Sony and Honda announced a new collaboration at this year's CES: the AFEELA car. This prototype smart car touts the ability to play PS5 games, to display AR monsters stomping on the roads in front of you, and... to be driven with a DualSense? CES is chock full of strange technology every year but this one catches my eye because the only driving I'm capable of is controller based so... licensed Nate in the near future?
