industry Archives - PSX Extreme

PS5 Sales Trending Ahead PS4 Life-To-Date Sales

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger August 29, 2023 News 0 Comments

Over the last year, the PlayStation 5 has seen a huge explosion in adoption after a lengthy battle to bring the console steadily to homes across the world. Component shortages during the early years of its life made it difficult for early adopters as scalpers swooped in to take advantage of desperate people looking to get in on the new generation of gaming.

According to Circana (previously NPD) (via GamesIndustry.biz), the PS5 is now trending ahead of the PS4 when compared to its own life span at the time. Meanwhile, it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the PS3, clocking in at a whopping 87% ahead of the hardware. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, though, as the PS3 was a disastrously scuffed console launch.

What do you think? Have you made the leap to the current-gen and if so, how are you enjoying it?

“We’re Very Proud Of The Actual Term JRPG,” PlatinumGames’ Hideki Kamiya Says

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger August 9, 2023 News 0 Comments

Earlier in the year, Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida went on record on Skill Up as someone who doesn’t like the term JRPG, feeling like it’s a discriminatory term. But, as of late, PlatinumGames’ Hideki Kamiya has come forward to defend the term as something Japanese devs should be proud of.

In an interview with VGC, Kamiya was asked if he shared Yoshida’s views, in which he noted that he had a lot to say on the matter. He believes the cultural differences between Japan and the West is big enough that the term JRPG and standard RPG are warranted, using Fist of the North Star’s localization woes as a big talking point. He used Ultraman as another example.

He believes Japanese developers can incorporate their own unique sensitivity and experiences and thinks this subgenre should be celebrated moving forward.

“So when it comes to the term ‘JRPG’, this is something that ties into this – these are RPG games that, in a sense, only Japanese creators can make with their unique sensitivity when it comes to creating these experiences. I think it’s certainly something that should be celebrated moving forward, and someone should actually aim to make a ‘king of JRPGs’ game to express that. As Japanese game creators, we’re very proud of the actual term JRPG.”

Another term that was brought up was J-Action, a term used when some people discuss games like Bayonetta, which he quite frankly doesn’t feel strongly against. In fact, he’s proud of the term. He believes the distinction of J-Action is more focused than just the standard Action genre.

Outside of working on the Nintendo-exclusive Bayonetta franchise, PlatniumGames has dabbled in PlayStation work like the failed Babylon’s Fall, and helping with the development of Final Fantasy 16.

Striking Distance Struck With Layoffs

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger August 3, 2023 News 0 Comments

The Callisto Protocol developer, Striking Distance Studios, is facing a wave of layoffs following the middling reception of its debut Dead Space-esque game. The layoffs affected 32 employees.

Striking Distance asserted to IGN this was a matter of “strategic changes” to better the studio’s future projects. They also claim to have offered meaningful severance packages and outplacement services.

The Callisto Protocol failed in a lot of ways. Higher-ups snubbed meaningful contributions after employees left early, the studio supposedly had a lot of crunch time, sales reportedly didn’t recoup development costs, and the thing most people found off-putting — its major performance issues across the board. Even playing on PC, people found many, many issues that shouldn’t have been in a finished product.

The game has since been patched, but no one will forget the state it launched in. In the time since launch, the studio has moved on to developing a DLC for the action horror. It isn’t immediately clear how this affects its development.

Striking Distance Studios’ full statement

Striking Distance Studios and KRAFTON have implemented strategic changes that realign the studio’s priorities to better position its current and future projects for success. Unfortunately, these changes have impacted 32 employees. Honoring the invaluable contributions of each departing team member with material support in the form of outplacement services and meaningful severance packages is our top priority during this difficult moment.

Firesprite Vows To Be A “Creative Powerhouse”

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger July 9, 2023 News 0 Comments

Following a move to a new office, PlayStation Studios subsidiary, Firesprite, is vowing to become a “creative powerhouse” for its parent.

The studio made this lofty goal public during a Thursday post about the studio’s new, flashy office in Liverpool.

The studio has yet to put out a solo project under the PlayStation Studios banner so far, but it was an essential helper in the production of Horizon: Call of the Mountain alongside Guerrilla Games.

Since its acquisition in 2021, the studio has grown significantly, boasting 250 developers. It’s also not too hard to see the studio achieving its goals with a horror game supposedly in its future as well as a shooter. It’s also supposedly working on a new entry to the Twisted Metal franchise.

Production Company Launches Gaming Division, Blumhouse Games

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger February 22, 2023 News 0 Comments

If you are a fan of horror films, you’ve probably come across a film made by Blumhouse Productions at least once. Its legacy spans the likes of Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge, and more recent films like Get Out and M3GAN. Well, it looks like the multimedia company is looking to branch out with Blumhouse Games.

As reported by Bloody Disgusting, it looks like the horror company is launching a gaming division. As expected, the studio will put a focus on “indie-budget” horror games that “enable innovation” and push “creative boundaries.”

The world of indie horror is pretty wide and ever-expanding. Indie games often feel like the only time games ever take chances and, especially with horror, this concept spans entire studios focused on the medium to singular individuals dedicating their time and effort into tailoring a spooky and meaningful experience for all players. We can’t be sure if Blumhouse Games will capture that same feel or if it will feel more like a big-shot company trying to force itself into a field that it’ll end up “playing it safe” in.

Mass Effect Writer Leaves BioWare After 19 Years

Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger January 23, 2023 News 0 Comments

BioWare veteran Mac Walters took the new year as an opportunity to leave his current employer for greener pastures. He has been working for the Mass Effect dev for 19 years.

He held a rather large role in the company. Per Eurogamer, he originally started as a Jade Empire writer before moving onto a senior role when BioWare started work on Mass Effect. He then ended up as the game’s next two entries’ lead writer.

He wasn’t just shackled to writing, though, as he worked as the project director of Mass Effect Legendary Edition and before his departure was branded the production director of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

It wasn’t sunshine and rainbows in his nearly two decades at the company, he did have some bumps in his career, like overseeing Mass Effect: Andromeda, which was pretty divisive amongst the community. He was also, for a time, involved in the remarkably average multiplayer RPG, Anthem, which was a disastrous failure for Electronic Arts.

According to Walters’ LinkedIn, he seems to be taking a breather and will likely return to the gaming sphere in a few months. He thanked all of his co-workers, calling his time at BioWare a “life-changing experience.”

Full Statement On Leaving BioWare

With a new year comes new adventures.

As some of you already know, at the end of last year I decided to leave BioWare. These past 19 years have been a life-changing experience to say the least, and it made the choice to go very difficult. I’ve worked with so many wonderful people and had the privilege to be a part of the most amazing teams and projects. It’s hard to fathom it all, and I know I’ll be reflecting on it for years to come.

Thank you to everyone I’ve had the joy of working with, and I wish everyone at BioWare the very best in everything you do. It’s truly been a pleasure.