Subscription services like Xbox Game Pass turn developers into ‘wage slaves’, says former PlayStation boss

Former Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shawn Layden thinks subscription services like Xbox Game Pass are a “danger” to the industry, and that the model risks turning developers into “wage slaves”. In a wide ranging Games Industry interview on the state of the industry, Layden compared gaming subscription services unfavourably with music subscriptions services. While products…

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New report suggests that there are 3 million fewer PC gamers in Japan than 10 years ago, despite the market having at least tripled in size

As reported by Automaton, Famitsu has released a preview of its annual Famitsu Game Hakusho, a survey of the games industry by Kadokawa ASCII Research Laboratories. One confounding takeaway from the data is that the games market in Japan is bigger than ever, with the PC space nearly matching consoles for economic impact, while there…

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Roblox explains crackdown on ‘vigilantes’ after ban of a popular YouTuber sparks furor: ‘They are acting in ways that could be harmful to others, both on and off our platform’

Following an uproar over its ban of a popular YouTuber who purportedly pursues and exposes child predators on the platform, Roblox has posted an update saying it became necessary to remove “vigilantes” from its platform after their behavior “evolved” and began conflicting with Roblox’s own systems. Roblox banned YouTuber Schlep earlier this week, saying in…

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