Game Control: Pays Cuts, Chloe Zhou Directs A Live-Action Diablo IV Trailer
Console: Private Division and Pokémon developer Game Freak have established a new publishing agreement. In a press release, Game Freak and Private Division announced that the new IP, codenamed "Project Bloom," is slated to release during Private Division parent company Take-Two's Fiscal Year 2026. This will be Private Division’s first IP. In addition to this announcement, Game Freak unveiled the first piece of concept art for Project Bloom. Game Freak director Kota Furushima expressed, "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prior work," adding that Private Division was the first publisher Game Freak had in mind to collaborate with on its new game. Private Division was established in 2017 as Take-Two Interactive's third publishing label. Private Division's notable titles include Hades, The Outer Worlds, Rollerdrome, and more.
Tencent, China's entertainment, social media, and technology conglomerate, resumed profit growth in the first quarter of 2023, following its first decline in 2022. Its revenue exceeded financial market expectations as China's reopening following COVID-19 boosted economic activity. Overall revenue reached RMB150 billion ($21.4 billion) in the three months from January to March 2023, a rise of 11% year on year and 3% quarter on quarter. Net profits in the period were RMB25.8 billion ($3.69 billion), a 10% increase year on year. Tencent is the world's largest games company in terms of revenue which underwent a return to growth in that area. It experienced an increase in music subscriptions, where it already leads the market in China. International gaming revenues climbed by 25% to RMB13.2 billion, owing to the excellent performance of the recently launched Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Triple Match 3. Valorant had gained monthly average users and revenue receipts by more than 30% year-on-year, owing to the popularity of Japan-themed and alien-themed weapon products.
The Tribeca Film Festival recently released the official list of video games nominated for the Tribeca Games Award. The 2023 ceremony will be the third time Tribeca honored games at its annual film festival. The event spotlights future titles with "potential for excellence in art and storytelling through design, artistic mastery, and highly immersive worlds." These titles are typically smaller, budget/indie works. Chants of Sennaar, Despelote, The Expanse: A Telltale Series, Goodbye Volcano High, A Highland Song, Nightscape, and Stray Gods: The Role-Playing Musical are the 2023 selections that will be highlighted with new trailers and developer interviews. In addition, Hideo Kojima - Connecting Worlds, a new documentary, will be shown at the festival. The film delves into the mind and creative process of the man behind the Metal Gear and Death Stranding franchises and features appearances from Guillermo del Toro, Norman Reedus, Grimes, Chvrches, and others. The Tribeca Film Festival runs from June 7-18, 203, with the Games showcase airing on June 9.
Chloe Zhou - Cara Robbins
PC: Full-time Microsoft employees will not receive their planned annual compensation raises this year, despite the company's large profit for 2022. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated in a note to employees that the lack of an increase in compensation this year is due to economic difficulties. "We don't take this decision lightly," Nadella added, "and we've thought about it for months." Microsoft reported sales of $52.9 billion (up 7%) and profit of $18.3 billion (up 9%) for the quarter ended March 31. Despite the good news, Microsoft employees are not getting wage raises, but Nadella's salary climbed by 10% between 2021 and 2022, reaching $55 million. Microsoft announced intentions in 2022 to pay certain of its employees more in salary and shares since skill "is in high demand," but in 2023, Nadella stated that the world's "economic conditions" are "very different." Meanwhile, Microsoft is seeking to buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, which is being held up in court and is being fought by Microsoft.
The first trailer for the film Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) has been released, displaying vintage VHS effects, spooky animatronics, and lead actor Josh Hutcherson having an unpleasant time in the notorious pizza shop. Hutcherson plays Mike Schmidt, a troubled security guard who takes a night job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, a once-thriving but now abandoned family entertainment center, where he discovers that its four animatronic mascots — Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy — move and kill anyone who remains after midnight. On October 27, 2023, the film will be released in theaters and on the Peacock streaming service. The project for the FNAF film was first reported to be in the works back in 2015 but fell out of touch with fans. After that, the rights got picked up by Blumhouse, but that ran into delays when production was delayed until a script was settled on.
Elden Ring has won the Best Game Writing award for George R.R. Martin, Hidetaka Miyazaki, and FromSoftware at the Nebula Awards. The Nebulas are one of the most prestigious awards in English-language speculative fiction writing, given out by the Science Fictions & Fantasy Writers Association, or SFWA. It's Martin's third coveted Nebula award, being the first for Miyazaki and FromSoftware. The Nebulas have only had an award for Best Game Writing since 2018. Elden Ring is preceded in videogame winners by Supergiant's Hades in 2020, Obsidian's The Outer Worlds in 2019, and House of Tomorrow/Netflix's Black Mirror: Bandersnatch for the inaugural award in 2018. Elden Ring has won a slew of awards in the last year, including PC Gamer's Game of the Year 2022, as well as accolades from the British Academy Game Awards, the DICE Awards, the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards, the Steam Awards, and others.
Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled the horror trailer Saviors Wanted, shot by Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao and co-directed by Kiku Ohe, ahead of the global release of Diablo IV on June 6, 2023. Saviors Wanted, set in the dark world of Sanctuary, captures the immersive and dark world that the series is known for. The video takes viewers on a journey of destruction at the hands of Lilith, the Blessed Mother determined to reclaim Sanctuary. “Working with Blizzard, we had the wonderful opportunity to bring the dark, thrilling, and imaginative world of Diablo IV to life,” said Zhao, adding, “We want to do right by the fans, honor the game’s rich lores and visceral world-building while evoking the strong emotions the players feel while immersing in the game.” Saviors Wanted was released in more than 20 countries. The trailer will air on ESPN/ABC linear broadcast TV in the United States, as well as premium digital, social, and streaming media.9
Mobile: Ankama, the mobile game company best known for the successful MMOs Dofus and Wakfu, has revealed Waven, a new tactical RPG. Ankama plans to release it for iOS, Android, and PC by the end of 2023, with an early access period beginning this summer. Ankama intends to combine aspects from classic RPGs and deck builders. Battles take place in turns, and each turn, players can cast spells by drawing cards from their deck or summon mythological creatures to battle alongside them. There are various classes to select from, each with its own list of subsets. Regardless of which is chosen, players can upgrade their deck and the equipment their character dons in each fight. Players can also team up with their friends and battle together. Waven will be a free-to-play game with in-app purchases. To stay up to date with the latest developments, players can sign up for the game’s newsletter on the official site.
Peridot, Niantic's new and unique AR-infused pet sim, is now available for iOS and Android. After primarily working with well-known entities such as Pikmin, Pokémon, and, most recently, the NBA, this is the first time the developer has generated its own IP since Ingress. Players begin the game by receiving their first Dot, which contains the name of the critters they will be caring for. Each critter is 100% genetically distinct, drawn from the several Archetypes players might discover. These Archetypes are a mix of real and legendary animals including wolves, unicorns, and peacocks. After obtaining their Dot, players will raise them by playing fetch with them, massaging their bellies, dressing them up, and so on. The game also allows the player to take pics and videos, which they can then share on social media. Players can breed their friends to Hatch new Dots that take distinct elements from each of their parents, creating another unique creature. Peridot is now available for download from the App Store and Google Play.
VR: Meta has set June 1, 2023, as the date for its third annual Quest Gaming Showcase. This comes just a few days before Apple's speculated XR headset unveiling at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Meta's choice to live stream the Quest Gaming Showcase on June 1 is uncommon for the company, as the yearly event is usually held in late April. Starting 15 minutes before the presentation, Meta will provide over 40 minutes of information, including a brand-new pre-show featuring game updates and debut trailers. Meta promises new game announcements, first peeks at gameplay, changes to old games, and more. There will also be a developer roundtable discussion following the program, which will focus on upcoming titles. The Quest Gaming Showcase will be broadcast live on Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, and Meta's Horizon Worlds on June 1, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. PT.
QUANTAAR, a new VR party brawling game from developer PumpkinVR, will be released on SteamVR, Pico 4, and Meta Quest headsets on June 7, 2023. The cross-platform battle royale challenges people to compete against one another in PvP games. To keep players interested, the game promises a variety of modes, characters, and features. The Assassin, Fighter, Generalist, and Shooter are some of the dimensional characters that players can command. QUANTAAR will allow players to blast through various modes of play, including 2v2, Brawler, and Soccer. In-game tokens can also be earned for skins and outfits, allowing players to create their own unique avatars. This Super Smash Bros.-esque game sees the player deeper into the Quantarverse, discovering exotic locations, from the frozen mountains of Eternal Winter and the barren Desert Tombs to the faraway alien world known as Temple Ruins. Along the way, players will learn how to class attributes, outfit their heroes, and balance their groups to maintain a competitive edge.