The Game Business
Games industry business news and analysis by Christopher Dring (ex-GamesIndustry.biz).
Documents
Is the Stop Killing Games Campaign Destined to Fail?
The Stop Killing Games campaign, which emerged in 2024 following the discontinuation of Ubisoft’s The Crew, represents a growing consumer rights movement seeking to ensure that video games remain playable after official server support ends.
- The 'Stop Killing Games' campaign is gaining global momentum by challenging the industry practice of rendering online games unplayable after server shutdowns, forcing a public debate on the distinction between purchasing a game and licensing access to it.
- Industry policy experts argue that a blanket legislative solution is impractical due to the extreme diversity of game architectures, ranging from small indie projects to massive multiplayer titles with complex, interconnected third-party dependencies.
- Legal hurdles for mandated game preservation include complex intellectual property bundles, GDPR requirements, and potential liability risks if player-led server takeovers result in controversial or unsafe content.
Is the Stop Killing Games Campaign destined to fail?
The Stop Killing Games campaign seeks to establish legal mandates for the preservation of online-only titles, aiming to protect consumers from losing access to purchased software when developers sunset servers.
- The 'Stop Killing Games' campaign faces significant legislative hurdles in the UK, EU, and California due to fundamental conflicts with existing intellectual property and consumer protection laws.
- Technical dependencies in live-service architectures, such as third-party assets, licensed music, and proprietary middleware, often prevent developers from legally releasing or preserving software even when they are willing to do so.
- Industry trade bodies oppose mandatory preservation initiatives, arguing that a one-size-fits-all legislative approach is incompatible with the diverse operational needs of studios ranging from independent developers to major publishers.
The survival of Sackboy and Crackdown developer Sumo Digital
Sumo Digital has fundamentally restructured its business model to prioritize co-development and the support of evergreen titles, effectively pivoting away from the high-risk strategy of self-publishing and large-scale original intellectual property development.
- Sumo Digital has shifted its business model away from high-risk self-publishing and large-scale AAA projects to focus on mid-budget, double-A titles with a target cost of approximately $15 million.
- The studio is mitigating financial risk by utilizing co-funding models and prioritizing the support of evergreen titles alongside its own original intellectual property.
- Operational stability is maintained through an agile, scalable development structure that leverages the Pune studio to remain competitive against lower-cost global markets.
The Survival of Sackboy and Crackdown Developer Sumo Digital
Sumo Digital, a prominent UK-based game developer, has undergone a significant strategic pivot in response to shifting market conditions and reduced investment from major publishers.
- Sumo Digital is pivoting from $50 million AAA projects to $15 million AA-budget games, citing a lack of demand for high-budget requests from major publishers.
- The studio has four to five full games currently in development, including new titles from the teams behind Sackboy and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, expected to launch within the next two years.
- Approximately 60% of Sumo Digital's work failed to qualify for the UK’s Video Games Expenditure Credit (VGEC) last year, placing the studio at a competitive disadvantage compared to regions like Canada with more accessible tax incentives.
Is Netflix a New Destination for Showcasing Video Games?
The emergence of Netflix as a platform for video game marketing represents a significant shift in how major publishers reach audiences.
- Rockstar Games will debut an extended look at Grand Theft Auto 6 on Netflix on August 27 at 3pm ET, marking the platform's first major video game showcase.
- The GTA 6 reveal content will transition to YouTube six hours after its exclusive Netflix premiere.
- Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled for a global release on November 19 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X.
Could No Physical Disc and a Trade Union Row Hurt the GTA 6 Launch? Take-Two’s CEO Doesn’t Think So
Take-Two Interactive remains confident in the upcoming November 2026 launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, dismissing concerns that labor disputes or the absence of a physical disc format will hinder the title's commercial performance.
- Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expects no negative impact on the November 19 launch of GTA 6 despite ongoing labor disputes involving the dismissal of over 30 Rockstar employees.
- Take-Two projects full-year net bookings between $8 billion and $8.2 billion for the 2026/2027 fiscal year, driven by strong performance from NBA 2K26 and the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
- The company is shifting away from physical media, with Zelnick noting that over 90% of their business is now digital and dismissing concerns regarding the lack of a physical disc for GTA 6.
The State of Games: June 2026
The gaming industry experienced a period of contraction in June 2026, characterized by a notable decline in console hardware sales and a quieter release schedule compared to the previous month.
- June 2026 saw a significant slowdown in AAA game releases compared to May, with only a couple of notable titles, one of which became the best-selling game of the year so far.
- A major sporting event (the World Cup) significantly impacted game charts in June 2026.
- The console hardware market's growth ended in June 2026, as comparisons began against the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the previous year.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake and the Most Anticipated Games of 2026
The gaming industry landscape for 2026 is defined by a tension between established legacy franchises and the overwhelming market dominance of upcoming blockbuster releases.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is projected to be the most anticipated game of 2026, excluding Grand Theft Auto 6, due to its status as one of the highest-rated games of all time and its potential appeal to a new generation of Zelda fans.
- The upcoming Ocarina of Time remake is expected to be a one-to-one remake, similar to the 3DS remaster which sold 6.4 million units, rather than a redesigned game like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom.
- Modern Warfare 4 is scheduled for release on October 23rd, just under a month before Grand Theft Auto 6, and is a key title for Activision Blizzard and Microsoft's strategy to focus on core franchises.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is the most anticipated game of 2026 (that isn’t GTA)
The 2026 gaming landscape is defined by a tension between the enduring appeal of legacy intellectual property and the evolving expectations of modern players.
- The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the most anticipated non-GTA title of 2026, with projected sales of approximately 10 million units.
- The industry is experiencing structural instability, evidenced by inconsistent financial performance where some publishers report growth while others face year-over-year declines and workforce reductions.
- Long-term engagement remains a viable commercial strategy, highlighted by Human: Fall Flat reaching 60 million units sold a decade after its initial release.
Destiny’s biggest rival Warframe has had ‘two years of massive growth’
Warframe has achieved a period of unprecedented expansion over the last two years, consistently defying internal projections that the title had reached its maturity.
- Warframe has experienced two years of massive, unexpected growth, defying internal projections that the game had reached its maturity phase.
- The studio is executing a dual-title strategy by positioning the upcoming fantasy game, Soulframe, as a parallel pillar to the science-fiction-based Warframe to capture distinct thematic audiences.
- Operational success is driven by a development philosophy of radical transparency and iterative updates, which has successfully balanced the needs of veteran players with new user onboarding.
Destiny’s Biggest Rival Warframe Has Had ‘Two Years of Massive Growth’
Warframe has entered a period of unprecedented expansion, defying industry expectations that the title had already reached its maturity.
- Warframe has experienced "massive growth" in the last two years, despite earlier internal concerns that the game had peaked.
- Digital Extremes is developing a new free-to-play fantasy RPG called Soulframe, which is described as a 'sister product' to Warframe.
- Warframe's development philosophy emphasizes 'trust-based development' with its community, incorporating feedback while maintaining creative vision.
Xbox, Amazon and Netflix Try to Make Game Streaming Relevant
Major technology and entertainment firms are currently re-evaluating the role of game streaming as a viable distribution and monetization model.
- Xbox is experimenting with a new ad-supported game streaming model for Xbox Insiders, allowing free streaming of their game library with two minutes of ads before gameplay and hourly, with sessions limited to one hour.
- Amazon has integrated its Luna game streaming service directly into the Prime Video app, enabling Prime members to stream games through the video platform.
- Netflix has launched two significant streaming games: the horror story game Unhinged and a FIFA World Cup game.