GAMING TREND » Alan Au

Layoffs at Trion Worlds

Alan Au — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:53:01 +0000

Reports are coming in from multiple sources that Trion Worlds has laid off approximately 100 people from their Defiance development team. The RIFT team suffered similar layoffs in December, but that team was not affected by this round.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 coming in July 2013

Alan Au — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:51:20 +0000

PopCap released a new video today poking fun at player questions about a sequel to its popular Plants vs. Zombies game. The video’s tagline is “it’s about time” and indeed, many players have been waiting for details since the sequel was revealed last fall.

The post Plants vs. Zombies 2 coming in July 2013 appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Hopes, dreams in short supply as EA literally decimates employee population

Alan Au — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:19:44 +0000

Electronic Arts has conducted another round of layoffs, with estimates stating that as much as 10% of their workforce has been let go.

In recent weeks, EA has aligned all elements of its organizational structure behind priorities in new technologies and mobile. This has led to some difficult decisions to reduce the workforce in some locations. We are extremely grateful for the contributions made by each of our employees – those that are leaving EA will be missed by their colleagues and friends.

The official statement from EA is pretty sparse, but the move is unsurprising considering the recent shutdown of a number of EA’s Facebook games. It looks like there are tough times ahead for the company, which was recently cited as the “worst company in America” just a few weeks ago.

The post Hopes, dreams in short supply as EA literally decimates employee population appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Gearbox Gets Homeworld License

Alan Au — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:06:54 +0000

As previously reported, teamPixel was unable to secure the Homeworld license. However, a recent announcement from Gearbox Software reveals that they are the new owners of this classic space strategy franchise.

The post Gearbox Gets Homeworld License appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Disney Closes LucasArts

Alan Au — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:15:16 +0000

Reports are coming in that Disney has closed down veteran game development studio LucasArts and canceled all ongoing development projects. This announcement comes on the heels of Disney’s recent acquisition of LucasFilm and its subsidiaries.

Gas Powered Games Shuts Down

Alan Au — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:32:28 +0000

In another bit of disappointing industry news, Kotaku is reporting that Gas Powered Games has closed down its offices.

We’ve heard from two more sources saying that almost everyone at the company has been laid off. According to one of these sources, the company has let go of everyone except CEO Chris Taylor and one or two people.

This is surprising news for the veteran studio which just launched a Kickstarter for the new Wildman project only a few days ago. Of course, this raises uncertainty about the project; what happens if they hit their $1.1M funding goal? In any case, best of luck to the developers.

The post Gas Powered Games Shuts Down appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Square-Enix Cancels Controversial Hitman App

Alan Au — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:48:46 +0000

There have been weird promotional campaigns in the past, and occasionally someone crosses the line from tacky to offensive. This appears to be the case with the Facebook app being used to promote the latest Hitman game.

The post Square-Enix Cancels Controversial Hitman App appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Steam Big Picture

Alan Au — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:34:38 +0000

Valve has rolled out a new controller-friendly “Big Picture” interface for their Steam client, catering to folks who like to play Steam content in their living room.

Steam gamers may easily experience Big Picture on their televisions by connecting their PC or Mac, typically with a single HDMI cable. Big Picture also includes a new web browser designed for televisions and game controllers. It is accessible from anywhere within the Big Picture UI, and even while playing Steam games on a TV. It supports Big Picture’s new method of typing with a gamepad, which is useful for entering URLs, filling out forms, chatting, and other functions.

Steam is also running a sale on some controller-friendly games. I wonder if this has anything to do with the rumors of a future Steam-based console? Anyhow, head on over to the official Steam Big Picture website for complete details.

XCOM Slingshot DLC Released

Alan Au — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:26:42 +0000

Firaxis and 2K Games have announced the release of a new DLC pack for their recently released XCOM strategy game, available for both the Xbox 360 and PC.

With the Slingshot Content Pack, players will meet an enigmatic Triad operative, divert an alien ship’s course, and do battle with the aliens in the skies over China in a new set of linked Council missions. The Slingshot Content Pack includes three new maps tied to the Council missions, a new playable squad character with a unique story and voice, and new character customization options.

I’m personally a bit underwhelmed by this, since for me XCOM has always been about replayability and not about the story. Still, it’s nice to see 2K Games continuing to support the title.

The post XCOM Slingshot DLC Released appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Desert Bus for Hope 2012

Alan Au — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:04:49 +0000

It’s Desert Bus time again, with the charity fundraiser gaming marathon entering its 6th year. Basically, the Loading Ready Run crew plays the most boring game ever and entertains spectators through this week-long gaming marathon. You can bid on cool stuff, or just make a straight donation. And of course, all proceeds go to the Child’s Play Charity.

Read more on Desert Bus for Hope 2012…

The post Desert Bus for Hope 2012 appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Valve Announces Start of Voting for 2012 Saxxy Awards

Alan Au — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:49:58 +0000

Valve sends word that voting is now open for the second annual Saxxy awards, which are awarded to videos submitted by the community as determined by popular vote.

Every video entered in the 2012 Saxxy Awards can be viewed and voted on at the Saxxy Awards voting page. Head over now to vote! We’ve randomized all the entries to keep things fair; however, you can filter by category if you’re more interested in some genres than others. After you’ve watched an entry, simply upvote it or downvote it and move onto the next one. Vote as much as you like, but remember: you’ve only got one vote per entry.

Head on over to the official voting page to check out the videos and vote for your favorites. Voting goes until November 27th, 2012.

The post Valve Announces Start of Voting for 2012 Saxxy Awards appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Layoffs at Zynga

Alan Au — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:58:21 +0000

There are confirmed layoffs of around 100 employees at the Zynga offices in Austin, and unconfirmed reports of simultaneous layoffs at the Chicago and Boston development offices. This affects many of Zynga’s game properties and the people responsible for developing them.

BioWare Founders Retiring

Alan Au — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:58:01 +0000

As spotted on the BioWare blog, Drs. Muzyka and Zeschuk say they plan to retire from the company they founded.

As the legend goes, Ray and Greg went to medical school together here in Edmonton before trading in the stethoscopes to pursue their true passion of games. What followed was an explosion of creative energy that delivered epic games from Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights in the early years to Dragon Age, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Mass Effect most recently.

We wish them all the best as they transition into retirement. Visit the BioWare blog to find out more and read some personal words from Dr. Ray, Dr. Greg, and from BioWare’s general manager Aaryn Flynn.

Read more on BioWare Founders Retiring…

The post BioWare Founders Retiring appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Epic Games Adds Seattle Office

Alan Au — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 22:42:48 +0000

Epic Games has announced plans to open an office in Seattle to work on Unreal Engine 4.

“The proximity to key partners, the density of world-class talent and all the factors that make Seattle an attractive place to live convinced us that it is the perfect locale for Epic’s West Coast operation,” said Epic Games President Dr. Michael Capps. “We are looking to hire even more of the best engineers around to contribute to Unreal Engine 4, which we believe is set to change the way we all make games.”

If you’re an aspiring develop looking to work on the Unreal Engine, head on over to Epic’s career site.

The post Epic Games Adds Seattle Office appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Layoffs at PopCap

Alan Au — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:39:10 +0000

Sad news at PopCap today as they announce the layoffs of ~50 people at their Seattle office.

Electronic Arts-owned game developer PopCap has seen a round of layoffs that may include a considerable number of employees and the shuttering of one of its international studios.

PopCap is also evaluating their overseas offices in Dublin and Shanghai. Thanks to Gamasutra for the heads up, and best of luck to those developers affected by the layoff.

Nintendo Power Shuts Down

Alan Au — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:54:01 +0000

After more than 20 years of publication, Nintendo Power magazine will be shutting down.

Nintendo Power‘s shuttering comes during a time of continuing struggles for the US magazine industry, which saw overall circulation numbers decline 10 percent in the first half of 2012. Gamers have increasingly come to rely on online sources for more timely and less space-limited gaming coverage, leading the venerable GamePro magazine to stop publishing late last year after 23 years in print.

Originally published by Nintendo, the magazine was handed off to Future Publishing in 2007. Now the long-running magazine has fallen victim to the decline in print media. Thanks to Ars Technica for the heads up!

Read more on Nintendo Power Shuts Down…

The post Nintendo Power Shuts Down appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Blizzard Security Notice: Change Your Password!

Alan Au — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:38:31 +0000

Blizzard is reporting a recent security breach, where some data was extracted from their internal network. They’re recommending that you change your password and personal security question just to be safe.

The post Blizzard Security Notice: Change Your Password! appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Steam to support non-game software?

Alan Au — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:56:22 +0000

Valve has revealed plans to support software other than games on their Steam platform.

“The 40 million gamers frequenting Steam are interested in more than playing games,” said Mark Richardson at Valve. “They have told us they would like to have more of their software on Steam, so this expansion is in response to those customer requests.”

At first I thought April 1 had arrived really early, but the news comes directly from Valve itself. This sounds really interesting, although I wish the Steam web-browser was better.

The post Steam to support non-game software? appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Ubisoft DRM is a security risk

Alan Au — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:35:07 +0000

RockPaperShotgun is reporting that the PC browser plugin for Ubisoft’s Uplay software contains a software vulnerability that could allow someone to run pretty much anything they want on your machine.

Ubisoft may have plugged the hole, but it’s difficult to know for sure as they don’t appear to be discussing the issue. There are reports on the Ubi forums (thanks, Imperial Dane) that Uplay has been updated to version 2.04, which if the commenter is accurate bears the note “‘Fix addressing browser plugin. Plugin now only able to open uPlay application.” If your Uplay hasn’t/won’t update to version 2.04, I’d get rid of it and its plugin for now. To be honest I’d get rid of the plugin regardless, until we’re sure the problem’s been resolved.

This only appears to be a problem with the PC browser plugin, and indications are that it has been patched, but you might want to keep an eye on it anyway.

The post Ubisoft DRM is a security risk appeared first on GAMING TREND.

Warner Bros. Seattle Layoffs

Alan Au — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 23:00:13 +0000

In more sad news from the development front, Warner Bros. has announced layoffs at its Seattle-area studios.

An unknown number of layoffs are affecting WB Games Seattle staff – the umbrella name “WB Games Seattle” comprises Monolith Productions, Snowblind Studios, and Surreal Software. A source close to the studio confirmed reports to us this afternoon, following statements from 3D Realms founder George Broussard on Twitter, stating, “Another Warner Brothers layoff going on as we speak. In progress now. Shame. Hope people land safely.”

This is troubling news in an already-tight market. Thanks to Joystiq for the heads-up.

The post Warner Bros. Seattle Layoffs appeared first on GAMING TREND.