Alan Wake

Plus: A Great Steam Start for Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 has achieved a record-breaking launch for Sony-published titles on Steam, reaching over 81,000 concurrent users (CCU) and securing more than 12,000 positive reviews.

• Helldivers 2 set a record for Sony-published titles on Steam, peaking at over 81,000 concurrent users and garnering more than 12,000 positive reviews.
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Tekken 8 are currently leading the console charts on PlayStation and Xbox, while Hogwarts Legacy maintains its position as the top third-party performer on Nintendo Switch.
• Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor is positioned for a strong launch with a pre-release follower base of nearly 30,000 users.

Game Annual Charts: The Most Successful New Games in Germany in 2023

The annual charts published by the German Games Industry Association identify the most successful PC and console game releases of 2023 within the German market.

• EA SPORTS FC 24 was the best-selling PC and console game in Germany for 2023, consistently ranking in the top three monthly charts following its September release.
• Hogwarts Legacy secured the second position in the 2023 annual sales charts for PC and console games.
• Diablo IV, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom rounded out the top five best-selling new releases in Germany for 2023.

Game of the Year: Blockbuster Edition

The Video Games Industry Memo’s year-end review serves as a community-driven retrospective on the most significant titles of 2023.

• Epic Games secured a landmark antitrust victory against Google in late 2023, signaling a major shift in digital storefront competition and platform dynamics.
• The E3 trade show officially dissolved in 2023, marking a transition toward decentralized promotional models for the video game industry.
• Top-performing titles of 2023 included The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Super Mario Wonder, Alan Wake 2, Marvel Snap, and Resident Evil 4 (Mercenaries mode).

Remedy Entertainment Plc Business Review: January–September 2023

The business review for Remedy Entertainment covering January through September 2023 outlines the company’s financial performance and strategic progress as it transitioned into a major product launch phase.

• Remedy Entertainment reported a 21.1% revenue decline to EUR 23.6 million and an operating loss of EUR -15.9 million for the first nine months of 2023, driven by increased internal investment in game development.
• The company maintains a strong financial foundation with an equity ratio of 86.4%, despite the deliberate strategy to prioritize long-term growth over short-term profitability.
• The launch of Alan Wake 2 served as the primary operational milestone for the period, with management now shifting talent to accelerate development on other projects.

Alan Wake 2 Sees Debut Live-Streaming Success

The release of Alan Wake 2, published by Epic Games and developed by Remedy Entertainment, achieved significant live-streaming success during its October 2023 debut.

• Alan Wake 2 generated 2.2 million hours watched on its release day, October 27, 2023.
• The game outperformed Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 in day-one viewership, which recorded 1.9 million hours.
• Strategic release timing just days before Halloween significantly boosted the horror title's visibility and audience engagement.

Cities: Skylines II Builds Its Playerbase Starting Next Week

Analysis of current and upcoming video game market performance reveals a landscape defined by high-profile sequels and a surge in regional hits.

• Cities: Skylines II is launching with significant market anticipation, evidenced by nearly 190,000 Steam followers and over two million wishlists, though developer warnings and mixed reviews indicate potential release volatility.
• Chinese-developed titles including Love Is All Around, Yog-Sothoth’s Yard, and Legendary Creatures 2 are outperforming many Western indie games in peak concurrent users, highlighting the growing influence of the Chinese market and regional pricing strategies.
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has rapidly secured the top position on PlayStation charts, while Madden NFL 24 and Assassin’s Creed Mirage continue to hold strong performance metrics on Xbox.

Remedy Q2 and H1 2023 Financial Results Presentation

The Remedy Entertainment financial results for the second quarter and first half of 2023 reflect a strategic investment phase characterized by increased spending on a multi-project development portfolio.

• Remedy reported a Q2 2023 revenue of 8.9 million EUR, a 5.3% decrease, and an operating loss of 4.8 million EUR, representing an operating margin of -53.8%.
• The company is prioritizing long-term growth over immediate profitability, leading management to reaffirm a 2023 outlook of year-over-year revenue decline and negative operating results.
• Remedy is currently managing a multi-project portfolio that includes Alan Wake 2, Control 2, Condor, Vanguard, and the Max Payne 1 & 2 remake.

Remedy Entertainment Half-Year Financial Report: January–June 2023

Remedy Entertainment, a Finland-based developer publicly traded on the Nasdaq Helsinki, experienced a challenging financial period during the first half of 2023.

GMTK Reading List: July 2023

The July 2023 industry digest serves as a curated collection of essential media focused on game design, development history, and cultural analysis.

• Game design is shifting away from legacy-based mechanics toward intentional, systemic development choices.
• Industry discourse is increasingly focused on balancing high-difficulty gameplay with robust accessibility standards, as seen in recent Nintendo design strategies.
• The thirteen-year development cycle of Alan Wake 2 and the unique production history of Vampire Survivors serve as primary case studies for modern development challenges.

The Biggest Moment in Video Games

This analysis covers the mid-2023 landscape of the video game industry, centered on the high-stakes antitrust litigation regarding Microsoft’s proposed $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

• Microsoft’s proposed $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard became the central focus of mid-2023, triggering high-stakes antitrust litigation with the Federal Trade Commission in San Francisco.
• The gaming industry is undergoing a structural shift as traditional trade shows like E3 are phased out in favor of newer event formats such as the Summer Game Fest.
• Creative leaders, including Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake, are navigating the complexities of long-term project management and evolving storytelling standards for major titles like Alan Wake 2.

Sale of the Century

The Summer Game Fest, established as a successor to the E3 trade show, is criticized as a commercialized venture that prioritizes corporate monetization over industry curation and journalistic value.

• Summer Game Fest has transitioned into a heavily commercialized event, characterized by intrusive brand partnerships with companies like Samsung, Porsche, and DoorDash rather than a focus on game industry curation.
• The event's shift toward a pay-to-play model for developers and publishers has resulted in a showcase that prioritizes revenue over the quality and relevance of the games presented.
• Despite the decline of E3, Summer Game Fest failed to provide a cohesive industry showcase, with major platform holders like Nintendo being absent and others like Microsoft and Sony having minimal or ineffective presence.

News Mash-Up - Week #21

The weekly roundup highlights key movements across the gaming ecosystem, focusing on corporate actions, product launches, and regulatory developments.

• Nvidia shares surged 27%, adding $200 billion in market value due to high demand for GPUs driven by AI and gaming performance.
• Embracer Group’s share price dropped 40% following a $2 billion deal, leading to delayed releases and a revised profit outlook of $7–9 billion, despite a 42% increase in FY23 EBIT to $497 million.
• Sony’s recent showcase featured 33 titles, including the announcement of Project Q, a new streaming handheld that will compete with devices like the Logitech G Cloud.