Scope out a few of the news stories from the game industry this week below, hand-picked from across the world of games. This week’s focus is largely on consoles and related companies. We’re big fans of what the next generation of Xbox is shaping up to be, so we’ll start with a games showcase.
Index:
- Xbox Games Showcase Set to Show Off on July 23
- Sony Claims Minority Stake in Epic Games
- Should Loot Boxes Be Considered Gambling?
- Tencent is Interested in Warframe Developer, Leyou
- Mint Super Mario Brothers Cartridge Makes Big Bucks at Auction
Xbox Games Showcase Set to Show Off on July 23
Source: CNET
Through an online games showcase event, Microsoft is looking to drum up some excitement for its upcoming console, leading with the much-anticipated Halo Infinite:
“Microsoft plans to hold an event on July 23 at 9 a.m. PT / noon ET / 5 p.m. BST / 2 a.m. AEST during which it will show off many of the new games it’s planning to release for its new Xbox Series X video game console, which is due this fall.
The game maker will be holding its Xbox Games Showcase, as the event is called, over a livestream from its Xbox website and YouTube, much as it has for previous announcements this year. “
Sony Claims Minority Stake in Epic Games
Source: IGN
Just a few months ahead of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 launch, Sony has invested into the company’s vision for next-generation game development:
“Sony has acquired a minority interest in Epic with a strategic investment of $250 million. The minority stake will mean that Sony and Epic will be able to collaborate more closely together in areas of games, entertainment, and technology.”
Should Loot Boxes Be Considered Gambling?
Source: Business Insider
Loot boxes, a revenue-generating mechanic included in a wide range of games, has few allies and friends in the game-playing community. But are they a form of gambling, and should they be regulated as such? This story takes a look at the controversial topic from the UK perspective, where the government is evaluating regulation of loot boxes:
“Research from the University of York found in 2019 that 71% of the top games on Steam, a popular platform where people download games, contained loot boxes.
In some games, players are able to trade the rewards they get from loot boxes with each other for real money. Loot boxes and this accompanying practice of trading items are collectively known as “microtransactions.” In 2018 a report from analysts at Juniper Research found microtransactions generated $30 billion in sales for gaming firms or apps, and projected that the industry could be worth $50 billion by 2022.”
Tencent is Interested in Warframe Developer, Leyou
Source: VentureBeat
Tencent has entered an exclusive window to negotiate for the acquisition of games company, Leyou Technologies. Here’s a couple of the reasons why:
“Leyou is an appealing acquisition target because it has a number of talented game-development studios. Most notably it owns Dirty Bomb developer Splash Damage and 97% of Warframe studio Digital Extremes. Splash Damage is also currently working with Microsoft on Gears Tactics and Google Stadia on an unannounced project. And it’s that capability to build modern service games for PC that makes Leyou so attractive.”
Check out the story on VentureBeat to read up on all the details.
Mint Super Mario Brothers Cartridge Makes Big Bucks at Auction
Source: Screen Rant
Classic games are more than a hobby or nostalgia trip, they can also earn pretty significant money — if you happen to have the right game. Take Super Mario Brothers, for example:
“A 1985 copy of the original Super Mario Bros. for the NES recently sold for a ridiculous amount of money breaking the record for the most expensive video game ever sold. The copy of Super Mario. Bros sold for $114,000, beating the previous most expensive video game by $14,000. Incidentally, the previous most expensive title was also a copy of Super Mario Bros., which sold for $100,150.”
Do you have interesting news to share, or something coming up that would also fit into this regular feature? Let us know!
