August
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Documents about August
Creator of Horror Game Summer of ’58 Leaves Games Industry Due to Steam Refund Policy
The independent developer behind the horror title Summer of ’58, Aleksandr Reshetnikov of Emika Games, announced an indefinite hiatus from game development in August 2021.
- Aleksandr Reshetnikov of Emika Games announced an indefinite retirement from game development due to financial losses caused by Steam’s refund policy.
- Steam’s policy allows users to refund games if they have played for less than two hours, which negatively impacts short-form games like the 90-minute horror title Summer of ’58.
- Despite receiving positive reviews, the developer reported that many players completed the entire game and then requested a refund, preventing the studio from generating sufficient revenue to fund future projects.
Everywhere
This analysis examines the state of the video game industry as of August 2021, focusing on the centralization of influence, shifting release schedules, and significant corporate developments.
- Apple settled a 2019 class-action lawsuit allowing developers to communicate alternative payment methods to users via email, bypassing the standard 30% App Store commission for those transactions.
- Geoff Keighley has achieved significant industry centralization by managing major events including E3 Judges Week, the Game Critics Awards, The Game Awards, and headline roles at Gamescom.
- The first quarter of 2022 is heavily congested with major releases, including Horizon Forbidden West, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Sifu, and Saints Row all debuting within a single week in February.
Undead: Live-Service Game Analysis
The proliferation of live-service games is fundamentally altering the nature of major industry events and consumer expectations.
- Live-service games are increasingly dominating major industry showcases, often at the expense of new announcements, which risks alienating audiences seeking fresh content.
- Microsoft is expanding its xCloud streaming service to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles by the end of 2021, with over 100 titles available at launch.
- California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing has expanded its lawsuit against Activision Blizzard to include testimony from temporary workers and allegations of document destruction.
German Games Market Grows by 22 Per Cent in the First Half of 2021
The German games market experienced significant growth in the first half of 2021, with total sales revenue for computer and video games and associated hardware reaching 4.6 billion euros.
- The German games market grew by 22% in the first half of 2021, reaching a total sales revenue of 4.6 billion euros.
- In-game and in-app purchases were the primary growth drivers, with revenue rising 34% to approximately 2 billion euros.
- Hardware sales, including consoles and graphics cards, increased by 24% to reach 1.7 billion euros in the first half of 2021.
Plus: Next Week in Hype? Aliens, Kings... & Psychonauts
This analysis examines the performance and market anticipation of video game releases across Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox during late August 2021.
- Steam remains a strong platform for diverse hits, evidenced by Humankind reaching 55,000 peak concurrent users (CCU) and over 4,400 reviews shortly after its late August 2021 launch.
- Xbox indie developers face significant challenges in driving unit sales, as the dominance of the Game Pass subscription model appears to cannibalize traditional paid downloads.
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite and Psychonauts 2 are positioned as the primary high-anticipation titles for the end of August 2021, with the former gaining 24,000 followers in a short timeframe.
Why Pokémon Unite Must Succeed, Degraded Blockchains, and Fortnite Impostor Mode
This analysis examines the strategic outlook for the mobile game Pokémon Unite, the broader implications of industry trends, and the ethical debates surrounding game design replication.
- Tencent is positioned to ensure the success of Pokémon Unite as a strategic move to align with Chinese government mandates for family-friendly, non-violent gaming content.
- Pokémon Unite is expected to leverage Nintendo’s globally recognized IP to secure a strong market position, following a historical trend where Tencent uses major IP to drive global success.
- Honor of Kings, Tencent’s flagship mobile MOBA, remains the world's top-grossing game, with China accounting for approximately 96% of its $2.19 billion in net revenue over the past year.
No More Robots Reached $12 Million in Revenue in 12 Months Without Releasing New Games
The indie game publisher No More Robots achieved $12 million in revenue over a 12-month period ending in August 2021, despite releasing no new titles during that timeframe.
- Indie publisher No More Robots generated $12 million in revenue over a 12-month period without releasing any new titles.
- The company achieved this performance by selling over 800,000 units and reaching a total player base of more than 4 million people.
- Revenue was distributed evenly across platforms, with PlayStation accounting for 26.3%, Xbox for 22.1%, Steam for 21.7%, Nintendo for 20.1%, and retail for 9.8%.
Plus: Stealth Launches, Xbox Charts, New Hype Tag Details
This analysis examines current trends in game discovery and performance across Steam, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, focusing on the efficacy of "stealth launches" and the utility of platform-specific metadata.
- Stealth launches are often counterproductive because they bypass Steam’s 'Popular Upcoming' traffic and prevent potential buyers from psychologically preparing for a purchase.
- Standalone titles can still achieve high volume on Xbox without Game Pass, as evidenced by Death’s Door reaching the top spot for recent paid games in mid-August 2021.
- High-performing Steam titles like Naraka: Bladepoint demonstrate significant market reach, achieving 70,000 concurrent users at launch.
Player Two Enters the Game
This analysis examines the mid-August 2021 landscape of the global video game industry, focusing on corporate acquisitions, regional market shifts, and quarterly financial performances of major publishers.
- The gaming industry is increasingly central to global entertainment, with traditional media structures like the Olympics and broadcast television relying on gaming ecosystems to maintain relevance.
- Electronic Arts outperformed expectations with $1.34 billion in bookings, while Take-Two Interactive maintained strong performance through legacy titles like GTA V.
- Krafton’s share price dropped 20% following its IPO due to Chinese regulatory scrutiny, despite achieving 34 million downloads for Battlegrounds Mobile in India.
Raccoon Logic faces criticism for mostly white male staff, causing debate on diversity in games industry
The formation of the new game studio Raccoon Logic in August 2021 sparked a significant industry debate regarding diversity and hiring practices.
- The newly formed studio Raccoon Logic faced public backlash in August 2021 after a promotional group photo revealed a staff composition consisting entirely of white men.
- Journalist Jason Schreier and industry figures like Rami Ismail criticized the lack of diversity, arguing that a company's commitment to inclusive hiring must be established at its inception rather than added later.
- Raccoon Logic creative director Alex Hutchinson and studio head Reid Schneider defended the team, stating that the studio is still in its formation phase and actively seeking diverse talent.
Lights Out
The gaming industry faces a pervasive crisis of workplace culture and corporate ethics, as evidenced by recent controversies surrounding independent and major studios alike.
- The game industry is facing a widespread cultural crisis as allegations of toxic work environments and misconduct emerge at prominent studios like Fullbright and Activision Blizzard, leading to the departure of key leadership figures.
- Xsolla fired 150 employees based on AI-driven analysis of their activity in workplace software like Jira and Gmail, citing low productivity as the primary justification.
- Epic Games has invested $500 million into the Epic Games Store to secure market share and does not anticipate the platform becoming profitable until 2027.
U.S. Mobile Tabletop Game Spending: 2021
The mobile tabletop gaming sector in the United States experienced significant financial growth between August 2020 and July 2021, with total player spending rising by approximately 40 percent to reach $703.8 million.
- U.S. mobile tabletop game spending increased by 40% year-over-year to reach $703.8 million between August 2020 and July 2021.
- The Solitaire/Mahjong subgenre was the top revenue generator, contributing approximately $310 million in spending, a 44% increase over the previous year.
- Card games were the fastest-growing subgenre by revenue, with spending rising 83.6% year-over-year to $101.3 million.