The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast

The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses some of the biggest stories of the past week, where the phrase "Surely you can do better than this" applied in various ways. We start by discussing the changes promised by Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who seeks to address the many concerns about the publisher's workplace culture with investment into diversity initiatives and recruitment as well as a voluntary paycut to his salary and compensation. The plans have been declared as "a huge win" by the ABK Workers Alliance, but SOC Investment Group still believes more needs to be done -- at least in terms of executive pay -- and it throws into sharp relief the lack of a similar response by Ubisoft. And speaking of Ubisoft, the direct source of this podcast's title is a marketing email in which Far Cry 6's villain goads the player for not spending more time on the game, among other things. We discuss the many perils of chasing engagement, both in terms of this email and the reaction to Brendan's tweet about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team discusses the biggest stories of the past week. First up, we discuss the ongoing dance between Electronic Arts and football association FIFA. While EA has claimed it's considering a rebrand for its best-selling football series, FIFA has suggested it's considering licensing out its brand to additional parties. We ponder what each side has to lose or gain, or whether ultimately these are just negotiating tactics and the world's biggest-selling game will likely remain just the way it is. Then, following complaints from Metroid Dread developers who did not receive credit in the final game, we explore what should earn a place in any project's staff roll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021. In our final episode, we speak to Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart about working with publishers. The discussion offers advice to studios on what they should look for in a publishing partner, and also explores the road to Microsoft's acquisition of Obsidian and the interested parties that came before it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021. Today's episode is our exclusive interview with Jade Raymond, best known for her work leading studios at Ubisoft and EA and launching franchises such as Assassin's Creed.  Raymond is currently building up her new company, Haven Studios, which has already received investment from PlayStation. We speak to her about the studio's progress, forming a team of former Assassin's Creed and Stadia developers, and Raymond's hopes for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're bringing you podcast versions of the best sessions for GI Live: London, which ran alongside EGX 2021. Today's episode is the keynote fireside chat between our own Christopher Dring and Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan. The discussion explores Jim's career at PlayStation throughout its history, his thoughts on the future of PS5, and his hopes for the growth of the video games industry. (As this is ripped from the session on the day, Chris ends with a teaser for a discussion with Warner Music. There will not be a podcast version of this session, but you can find the full video on our YouTube channel) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics and discuss the biggest news of the past week. First up, following an article by Kotaku's Carolyn Petit and a call from OutMakingGames, we discuss how Rockstar Games should handle the transphobic elements of Grand Theft Auto 5 as it prepares to release the best-selling title on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. OutMakingGames and Petit both call for the content's removal, or a context disclaimer decrying transphobia in today's society, but whether or not that's something Rockstar will do is another matter. We also delve deeper into the topic of accessibility, not only following the discussions around Deathloop but also our in-depth guide on how to make your game more accessible to a wider audience and why it's important to do so. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers around their mics and discusses the biggest stories of the past week. On this episode, we take a deeper dive into the announcements from the recent Nintendo Direct -- particularly the decision to lock N64 and Genesis/Mega Drive games to a new, more expensive tier. We discuss Nintendo's approach to online and the subscription model, the value of making retro games available on modern platforms, and the baffling price tag for those classic controllers. Elsewhere, we discuss other highlights of the Direct -- such as Kirby's The Last Of Us -- and the lowlights (hello, Mr Pratt). As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GamesIndustry.biz team gather around their mics to discuss the biggest stories of the past week. First, we're joined by indie developer Shahid Ahmad to pay tribute to Sir Clive Sinclair, the inventor of the ZX Spectrum who passed away last week. Then we reflect on the Epic vs Apple judgement and the reactions that have emerged since it was released. Finally, we discuss the launch of Arkane's acclaimed Deathloop and how, for all the praise it has garnered from critics, it's an example of certain aspects where AAA is still lacking. As always, you can get more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK. In our final podcast of the week, we continue our tradition of interviewing last year's winner of the Best Boss award before this year's winner is revealed. During this chat with GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring, Creative Assembly studio director Gareth Edmonson talks about taking over a team during a pandemic, and the lessons he's learned about being a good manager. You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're presenting audio versions of the panel discussions from this year's Best Places To Work Awards UK. For our third session, we focus on mental health and share best practices on supporting staff. The panel features Third Kind Games' Heidi Slee, Creative Assembly's Sarah Howell and Safe In Our World's Sarah Sorrell, and is hosted by GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring. You can find the full video at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices