Weekly Games Patch? That’s a brag not backed up by the facts. It’s been a quiet few weeks in January but now games are coming out again! Before we get into that, it’s time for some industry news.
The Regional Impact Report by UKIE, supported by research by Interactive Futures, suggests that 500 new jobs across the next two years will open up in the gaming hub of Leamington Spa. This has already begun to take shape as Mediatonic, one of the UK’s largest independent developers, has announced a new studio in the region. The expansion is said to open 60 new positions in the local area. If you’re looking to break into the games industry, there has never been a better time!
Wizards of the Coast have revealed that their new studio, Archetype Entertainment, will be headed up by ex-Bioware veterans James Ohlen and Chad Robertson. Based in Austin, Texas, the new studio will be developing an original Sci-Fi RPG. This is a step away from the Dungeons & Dragons license that they are known for, which should suit Ohlen well. He comes from RPG pedigree, best known for titles such as Dragon Age, Baldur’s Gate, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
In a surprising turn of events, trade tensions between the USA and China have cooled, resulting in the console tariff, a proposed 25% import tax on consoles, being taken off of the table for the foreseeable future. Before this backtracking, Sony and Mircosoft had both scaled back production within China, which was set to affect the base price of next-gen consoles for the consumer.
It has been known for a while now that Retro Studios have been expanding their development team for Metroid Prime 4 after development was started from scratch. Jhony Ljungstedt, former DICE Art Director, has now joined the studio as confirmed by MCV/DEVELOP. Back in October, VGC confirmed that former Lead Character Artist on Halo 4, Kyle Helfey, had also joined the team. If Retro Studios have only just filled roles for Art Director and Lead Character Artist it might be some time indeed before we actually see Metroid Prime 4 in any capacity, let alone release ready.
The BGI is also bringing back the ground-breaking GamesEd Summit for its second year. The event bridges the gap between games educators and the games industry. It returns in April with an inspiring line-up set to tackle much-needed solutions and deep-rooted problems. Based in Sheffield, you can sign up for the event (before ticket prices increase) here.
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