Netflix, Microsoft, Bayonetta 3… the business news of the week

news business Netflix, Microsoft, Bayonetta 3… the business news of the week

Netflix wants to get into cloud gaming and is opening a new studio

Almost a year after the launch of its video game offer, composed of a catalog of titles playable on mobile phones and included on subscription, Netflix now wants to explore the cloud gaming market. This was announced at the conference by Mike Verdu, director of the video game industry at the SVOD giant. TechCrunch glitch.

Inevitably, during the discussion, the Stadia case, which will finally close its doors in January, was quickly mentioned. Verdu is clear on the subject: “Stadia was a technical success. It was fun playing on Stadia. But there were problems with the business model, that’s for sure.”, he explained. For him, the cloud gaming offer from Netflix will present itself “an added value”. It describes: “We’re not asking you to subscribe as a replacement for a console. It’s a completely different business model..

At the moment there are no concrete details on how this service will be offered (with a proprietary controller? by paying an additional fee for the normal subscription?) and on what date. On the other hand, Mike Verdu also made it known Netflix will open a new studio in California. It will be the company’s fifth development studio, after Night School Studio (Oxenfree), Boss Fight Entertainment (Dungeon Boss), Next Games (Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales) and the recently opened studio in Helsinki. This new team will be led by Chacko Sonny, a former Overwatch producer who left Blizzard in September 2021. “He could have done anything he wanted, but he chose to come here for all the right reasons.”commented Verdu.

The aim of all this is obviously to feed the catalog of games available on Netflix. Currently, subscribers can access 35 titles (including very good indies like Into the Breach, Moonlighter, Spiritfarer…) at no additional cost. 14 new games are currently in the pipeline at Netflix studios, the goal is to have them at some point “50% of titles developed in-house”. In particular, on the program: a game La Casa de Papel and another based on the Jeu de la Dame. Verdu also mentions licensed games like Stranger Things and SpongeBob SquarePants. Finally, remember that Ubisoft is developing several games exclusively for Netflix, namely a new Assassin’s Creed, as well as sequels to Unknown Soldiers and The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot.

Microsoft plans to open its own mobile game store

Microsoft has particularly stood out in the discussions about the takeover of Activision Blizzard and the many interested parties involved caused the opportunity to become a mobile giant. The issue was brought up again in a recently published document British competition authoritywhere we learn that The American giant plans to create its own mobile game store to compete with those of Apple and Google. Here’s what we can read:

The transaction will strengthen Microsoft’s ability to create a next-generation game store that works across a range of devices, including mobile, by adding content from Activision Blizzard. Building on Activision Blizzard’s existing gaming communities, Xbox will seek to extend the Xbox Store to mobile and bring gamers to a new Xbox Mobile platform. Distracting consumers from the Google Play Store and App Store, on the other hand, requires a profound change in behavior. Microsoft hopes that by offering familiar and popular content, players will be more inclined to try something new.

It should not be forgotten that Activision Blizzard also owns King, responsible in particular for the very lucrative Candy Crush. So, by acquiring Bobby Kotick’s group, Microsoft gets its hands on these, but also big mobile games like Call of Duty Mobile, Diablo Immortal and HearthStone, not to mention future projects (Warzone Mobile, Warcraft Arclight Rumble…). Enough to immediately turn the Redmond company into an industry giant:

Revenue from mobile games from King Division and titles like Call of Duty: Mobile accounted for more than half of Activision Blizzard’s revenue in the first half of 2022. Mobile customers make up about three quarters of the total number of monthly active players. Microsoft currently has no significant presence in mobile games and the transaction will bring much-needed expertise in mobile games development, marketing and promotion. Activision Blizzard will be able to share its mobile game development and publishing experience with Xbox game studios.

As a reminder, the UK competition regulator has opened an in-depth investigation into the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, with the findings to be reported by March 1, 2023. The American Federal Trade Commission, for its part, will give its opinion on the matter at the end of November; the European Commission has set itself the deadline of November 8th.

The Bayonetta 3 controversy takes a new turn

His video caused quite a stir in the video game and dubbing world, reaching almost 10 million views. Hellena Taylor, the iconic voice of the Bayonetta franchise, posted a five-minute video to Twitter last Saturday explaining that she won’t be reprising the lead in Bayonetta 3 while calling out to fans, which is slated for October 28th boycott the game. Questionable : an offer deemed offensive and too low for her liking, totaling $4,000 that PlatinumGames would have offered her.

Another version of the case surfaced this week. Supported by Andy Robinson from the VGC website and Stephen Totilo the Axios site, the sources of Jason Schreier contradict, supporting documents, the version of the actress. Actually, PlatinumGames would have offered between $3,000 and $4,000 for each necessary recording session, at least five, which would have guaranteed a fee of at least $15,000.. In response, Taylor reportedly tried to negotiate a six-figure salary as well as bonuses based on the game’s sales. In the end, the Japanese studio asked another actress, Jennifer Hale, to voice Bayonetta. He would have then suggested that Taylor make an in-game cameo to the classic tempo of a recording session, which she would have declined.

Hellena Taylor completely denies this version of the story, “an absolute lie” according to her and accuses PlatinumGames of wanting it “Save His Ass and His Game” keeping the words of his video. Representatives from Nintendo and PlatinumGames did not respond to requests for comment this case that revives the debate about the remuneration of voice actors in video gameswhose working conditions are considered particularly precarious. For example actor Bryan Dechart, who called Connor Become Human in Detroit uncovered that he turned down a voiceover project for the main character of an AAA game that paid $4,000 for the entire game. For his part, Sean Chiplock has written down Paid between $2,000 and $3,000 to voice three characters (Revali, Teba, and the Deku Tree) in Zelda Breath of the Wild based on the number of hours spent in the recording studio.

Briefly in the business news of the week

• Devil May Cry 5 has surpassed the 6 million mark since its release in March 2019. The game cements its status as the saga’s best-selling opus, ahead of Devil May Cry 4, which sold 5 million copies (including the Special Edition). With 26 million sales since its inception in 2001, Devil May Cry is Capcom’s fifth-biggest franchise behind Mega Man (38 million), Street Fighter (48 million), Monster Hunter (84 million), and Resident Evil (127 million).
• Riot Games is a revenge game by Wargaming Sydney, one of the largest studios in Australia, known as a specialist in the development of tools and technologies used in online games and in particular MMOs. It was renamed Riot Sydney “will use his expertise to further develop the League of Legends, VALORANT and Riot tech teams”.