The GamesIndustry.biz Microcast

The GamesIndustry.biz team offer their thoughts on last week's Xbox Series X showcase. Recorded in the immediate aftermath of the presentation -- technically during some of the post-show interviews -- we offer our immediate reactions to the first glimpses of next-generation gameplay we saw. 'Glimpses' being the most appropriate word. Both Xbox and Ubisoft have since admitted it may have oversold how much insight into upcoming Series X titles the special episode of Inside Xbox would offer. During our discussion, we delved a little deeper into what people expect when companies promise to show "gameplay." We also weigh up the most promising titles in the round-up, discuss the impact this will have had on their publishers, ponder the next steps for Xbox -- beyond the planned first-party showcase in July -- and even how Sony might be able to improve on this with its first PlayStation 5 showcase. As always, you can find more news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Rebekah, Chris and James discuss the biggest news of the past week. We begin by unpacking Xbox boss Phil Spencer's comments in a recent interview, in which he talked about how Microsoft was taking care to ensure it was "not exploiting" the COVID-19 pandemic and the "big flood" of new users it has brought to gaming. Then, after a tangent about streaming services and the bizarre communications around the launch of Stadia's free version, we reflect on the ongoing success of Xbox Game Pass, which has already amassed more than 10 million subscribers. Finally, following leaks around The Last of Us: Part 2, we talk about the challenge of avoiding and preventing spoilers, not only in games but in any form of entertainment. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking a break from our usual weekly news discussion, the GamesIndustry.biz team carefully place their crystal balls next to their microphones for an unusual E3 predictions podcast. E3 is, of course, cancelled this year and the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in delays for several high-profile games -- and that's not counting all the unannounced ones lurking behind the scenes. Rumours suggest that game reveals and other news lined up for E3 will be spread out across the entire summer, with some big announcements expected in the next few weeks, so we figured we'd get in a little earlier with our predictions podcast and discuss what we expect -- or hope -- to see emerge over the summer. As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebekah, Matt, Chris and Marie gather around their mics to discuss the biggest issues of the past week. Firstly, we discuss the recent Kotaku report on Rockstar's attempts to change its internal crunch culture, with the prominent suggestion that the next Grand Theft Auto may be of a more moderate size but then expanded post-launch. Then we reflect on the mixed initiatives the games industry has launched to help raise money towards COVID-19 relief efforts. We reiterate some of the points Chris made in his editorial about how the larger players can help smaller businesses that may struggle and praise PlayStation's $10m fund for indie developers. Finally, we reflect on the ongoing success of remakes -- most recently, Final Fantasy 7 and Resident Evil 3. We also discuss whether there are any classic games left that could benefit from such treatment, and then suggest a few personal favourites we'd like to see. As always, you can get your news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of the podcast, the GamesIndustry.biz team shares our own experience of remote working. With so many countries around the world in varying stages of lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, almost the entire industry has shifted to a work-from-home model that is a far cry from the way it usually operates. We've already run a series of articles offering advice on how to adjust to this -- which you can read through the links below -- but we wanted to contribute in our own way. GamesIndustry.biz has always been run primarily from remote locations, as you might expect from a team distributed around the globe. While this means our experience may not be directly applicable to where everyone finds themselves now, there are tips, tricks and considerations we believe may be of value to those adjusting to working from home. -- PREVIOUS ARTICLES -- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-30-how-to-become-a-remote-games-studio https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-12-making-remote-work-work https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-10-building-ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-with-80-people-working-from-home Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt, Brendan, Rebekah, Chris and James gather to discuss the latest news from the games industry - this week, focusing on the three platform holders. First up, we discuss the delay to The Last Of Us: Part II and the various factors that would have influenced this. Sony will be contending not just with the distribution logistics of a disrupted world, but also the challenging of marketing a game about living in the aftermath of a devastating virus. Next, we unpack Phil Spencer's comments about how Microsoft aims to avoid a staggered launch for Xbox Series X -- a conversation that inevitably leads to the likelihood of one or both next-generation consoles being delayed. Finally, we touch on rumours that Nintendo will release a 35th anniversary Mario collection for Switch this Christmas, and how this might prove to be a strong counter to the launch of a new Xbox and PlayStation. Throughout the episode, we also discuss how video games are helping people cope with isolation, social distancing and lockdown measures in certain countries. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A bit of an unusual episode this week, taken from a livestreamed AMA-style session on YouTube. With EGX Rezzed postponed due to the spread of COVID-19, GamesIndustry.biz and a number of our sister brands ran a three-day online conference, Rezzed Digital. One of the sessions we hosted was a live edition of the podcast, where audience members were invited to ask us questions about the state of the games business in 2020 and beyond -- now presented in audio form. The discussion covered the impact of coronavirus, virtual reality after Half-Life: Alyx, the importance of killer apps in a console's launch line-up and more. (And for anyone curious about the interview with a new studio mentioned at the end, you can read the full article on Assassin's Creed actor Abubakar Salim's new venture Silver Rain Games here: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-03-27-from-character-to-creator-why-actor-abubakar-salim-is-trying-his-hand-at-development) As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebekah, Matt, Brendan, Chris and Marie are all on hand this week to discuss the biggest news and events in the video games industry. We kick off with reflection on the recent reveals for the technical specifications of Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Rather than getting caught up in the discussion of which machine is more powerful -- and whether that makes it 'better' than its rival -- we take a look at how they were revealed. Microsoft opted for a full breakdown via a third party, GamesIndustry.biz sister site Digital Foundry, while Sony delivered a lecture by its architect Mark Cerny that had been intended for GDC. We discuss who these reveals were aimed out, how effective they were, and what hints they gave as to the future of each console. For the rest of the episode, we turn to GameStop's stance on helping to combat the spread of coronavirus: initially labelling itself as "essential retail" before later closing its stores (note: closures occured after the recording of this podcast). This conversation takes us once again to the broader implications of coronavirus on the games industry, and particularly games retail. With the sector already under pressure from dwindling sales and the long wait for Xbox Series X and PS5, could months of shutdown be the final nail in the coffin for specialist games retail? As always, you can get your daily dose of news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James, Chris, Rebekah and Brendan join this week's podcast to discuss the biggest news from the games industry over the past seven days. Naturally, we start with the cancellation of E3 -- making 2020 the first time in 25 years the games industry has not descended on California in the summer. The team debates the impact this might have on the industry -- versus the loss of GDC, for example -- and how the cancellation may give the Entertainment Software Association the time to understand what the market really wants and needs from the future of E3. We also react to the recent reports of more crunch at Naughty Dog on The Last of Us: Part II, lamenting once again how slowly development practices are changing and how the success of these tentpole titles dissuades more drastic measures. Finally, we discuss the unexpected backlash surrounding the news that Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to PC, and suggest why Sony's decision may not be the cross-platform strategy some believe it to be. As always, you can get your daily dose of news, analysis and insight into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James, Brendan, Marie and Haydn gather around their respective mics to discuss the biggest games industry news of the week. The main topic is once again the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the consequences for games businesses around the globe. Another wave of events have been cancelled -- including one that pushes the event horizon beyond E3 -- and we have even seen the first hardware delay attributed to disrupted manufacturing. We debate whether E3 2020 will survive the turmoil and run as planned in June, before taking a more in-depth look at the implications for day-to-day work processes. With Microsoft, Nintendo and Bungie among the many companies encouraging their staff to work at home, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick predicts this could shift more businesses to a remote or more flexible model. Could this be the silver lining of the coronavirus outbreak? Finally, we reflect on the influence of  the world's best-selling home console, the PlayStation 2, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last week. We share our favourite titles and memories and discuss the influence Sony's device had on the industry going forwards. As always, you can get your daily dose on news, insight and analysis into the world behind video games at www.gamesindustry.biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices