The California-based studio was a promising endeavour as Netflix delved more into gaming. Netflix had even brought in new and expensive hires for the studio. One of these hires was Chacko Sonny, an executive producer who previously worked at Overwatch. The company also hired Joseph Staten, creative director of Halo and Rafael Grassetti, art director of the God of War video game series. These names are just among some of the experts that Netflix hired for their gaming studio. Unfortunately enough for Netflix, all of the hires left the studio shortly.

Netflix has not released any statements regarding the reasons why it shut down its AAA gaming studio. However, some have speculated that the company may want to push towards releasing more mobile game titles. The company has been releasing mobile games since 2021 and they also recently acquired a mobile game studio based in Helsinki. But the future of Netflix gaming is looking quite grim, especially with the closing down of AAA and its scraped games.

AAA Gaming Studio: More on the closure of the studio

Netflix was developing more around 80 video game titles just recently in July. They planned on releasing a new game each month for its subscribers. But Greg Peters, one of the CEOs of Netflix had also acknowledged that Netflix’s games garnered very little engagement. Peters stated that success in their gaming endeavour would be dependent on popular and successful Netflix intellectual properties.

The co-CEO added that those 80 games that were in development will undergo refinement and be based on the already existing IP from Netflix. These games will follow an interactive narrative format called Netflix Stories.

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Image Credits: Screenshot Taken From Netflix Games

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Microsoft is continuing its streak of laying off its employees. This is especially apparent in its gaming venues. This recent layoff comes months after Microsoft closed four game studios: Alpha Dog Studios, Arkane Austin, RoundHouse Games, and Tango Gameworks. The four studios were subsidiaries belonging to Bethesda. Additionally, around 1,900 jobs were laid off from Activision back in January.

It should be of note that the Xbox Games layoff does not include any game development positions as it only focuses on the corporate and support functions. It came after the acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023 so the job cuts are due to Microsoft’s aim to integrate teams and save on resources.

Xbox Games Layoff: More companies are laying off game studios

Microsoft is not the only company cutting down jobs as companies such as EA (Electronic Arts), Sony Group Corp., and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. have all partaken in shutting down huge projects. For instance, Sony withdrew Concord, a multiplayer video game a mere two weeks after the game was officially released. It has been said that Sony did not have the patience to wait around for the game to take off. The company might have expected an instant hit especially since it allocated a big budget towards Concord’s development.

Most of the time, budget cuts are the reason these bug companies go ahead with the job layoff. Most of the time, job security is not provided. Microsoft has stated that it would provide its laid-off US employees with exit packages to help them in their transition period. Exit packages may differ outside the US.

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Among the announcements being made, Roblox is introducing a new Party system expected to launch in October. This new party system will allow players to play and communicate with their friends. This feature can be accessed for players above the age of nine. Roblox Groups will also be rebranded into Roblox Communities. The team behind Roblox is also working on making music more discoverable for the players. 

The Roblox Developer’s Conference also saw the unveiling of a Creator Affiliate Program. This program will be one way for creators to make money off Roblox. The Creator Affiliate Program will give the creators monetary rewards if they manage to pull new Roblox users. The creators will be provided with a personal link which then rewards the creators when the link has been used. This is applicable when new users sign up with their link or when users apply the creator link to buy Robux. 

Roblox Developer’s Conference: AI and Creator Assistance 

The Roblox team has also announced that a 3D foundational model that powers generative works on Roblux is in the works. The generative model is expected to be open-source and multimodal. The AI model is being introduced with the intent of optimising the creative process. It should be noted that this generative model does not aim to replace game development at all. It is simply a way to streamline some aspects of game development. Roblox will also be launching Harmony, a technology that will assist developers to optimise Roblox into various devices.

The team behind Roblox is working on helping creators earn their fair share of money. The company has teased a new tool which tests prices and recommends the best pricing strategies. Creators will also be able to put up their merchandise for sale with Roblox’s new partnership with Shopify. 

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LinkedIn is introducing puzzle-based games within the LinkedIn experience. The professional networking platform owned by Microsoft is focusing on gaming. The platform is planning to enhance user engagement by investing in the trend of on-site puzzle games.

Everything You Need to Know

LinkedIn is introducing a new feature where player scores will be associated with their workspaces, resulting in companies being “ranked” based on these scores.  As reported by Tech Crunch, LinkedIn currently is in the process of developing three puzzle-based games titled “Queens’, “Inference” and “Crossclimb”. LinkedIn is introducing these new structures of ideas as a step to creative hiring.

No specific Launch date has been confirmed yet.

Non-gaming platforms Adapting Gaming

LinkedIn is not the only or the first non-gaming platform to introduce such a creative process.  Platforms like Wordle in 2022 had made a successful impact with a similar foundation of work. This motivated Newspaper companies to include a broader platform of online puzzles and games focused on attracting user’s attention.

However, the introduction of gaming into non-gaming platforms has not always been that successful. Meta, formerly known as Facebook is one of the world’s largest social networking sites. A bad decision in social gaming caused the usage and engagement to fall.

Is This A Good Step By LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a platform that is primarily intended for professionals. People on LinkedIn put in a lot of effort, sometimes even for months, to display their accomplishments and work experience. A lower status in the company ranking can discourage candidates from even considering applying for a job at that company.

The concept of using games as a tool to rank companies or employees can revolutionize the hiring process. Today’s technologically advanced generation loves to participate in platforms that use activities like games to help them build connections. Thus, LinkedIn introducing games can serve as an excellent introduction to the hiring process and bring about a positive change in how hiring is approached.

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Evolution of PlayStation 5 Design

If any PlayStation cried out for a transformation, it’s the PS5. Sony’s white-and-black monolith is an immense console, its design something you adapt to rather than adore. The prospect of rectifying the PS5’s design, akin to Sony’s correction with the grill-style PlayStation 3, should have been straightforward. Yet, what we now have with the $499.99 new PlayStation 5 and $449.99 for its Digital Edition are peculiar half-measures.

In terms of design, the novel “slim” PS5 is undeniably reduced in size. Sony claims a volume reduction of “more than 30 percent.” However, my perception oscillates between “Oh yes, that’s noticeably smaller” and “Alright, it’s smaller… but it’s still a substantial entity!” The undulating curves and intricacies of the new PS5 can prompt a change in your viewpoint on its design, varying from minute to minute based on your vantage point. This stems from a design that is intricate, bustling, and, frankly, somewhat unappealing.

Intricacies and Peculiarities

The sleek appearance of the slim version surpasses its bulkier, more cumbersome predecessor, thanks to its abbreviated white covers, concave upper curvature, and panel lines intersecting its sides, demarcating shiny and matte finishes. Nevertheless, the new PlayStation 5 also incorporates perplexing design choices: the disc drive appears even more like an anomalous growth protruding from the console’s side; the absence of vent fins at the top lends a prototype-like or incomplete aesthetic, and the cat ear-shaped supports for horizontal placement are a mockery of a “stand” included with the console. The stand is an additional $29.99 if you prefer a vertical stance. (The original PS5 had a versatile stand for both horizontal and vertical orientations.)

Despite its strange design decisions, the new PS5 has more to offer, including 1TB of integrated storage (an improvement from the original’s 825GB) and two front-facing USB-C ports instead of one USB-C and one USB-A. Another practical enhancement is the relocated eject button for the removable disc drive, finally eliminating confusion with the power button, a similarity persisting since the PS4 era.

Is the PlayStation 5 Slim Worth the Upgrade?

Concerning the detachable disc drive, Sony deserves credit for its tool-free attachment and detachment. However, one is left pondering, “Why?” While a Digital Edition PlayStation 5 owner with buyer’s remorse can attach a disc drive, the cost is higher since the Digital Edition now retails for $449.99, and the drive add-on is $79.99.

Moreover, the setup of the disc drive mandates an internet connection, even if the disc drive comes pre-installed with your console. Although this scenario may be improbable for most users, playing anything is only possible once the console connects to Sony’s servers at least once. A warning emphasizes that factory resetting requires an internet connection to correctly unpair the disc drive, raising questions about the consequences of purchasing or selling a secondhand unpaired drive. This convoluted DRM implementation lacks tangible benefits and may lead to preservation challenges in the distant future.

The disc drive intricacies and the perplexing design decisions render the PlayStation 5 slim a somewhat bewildering mid-cycle refresh. Beyond its reduced size, modest storage upgrade, and revised port selection, this update serves Sony’s interests more than those of its customers, enticing them to spend more on accessories. For current owners of the original PS5, upgrading seems unwarranted, and for prospective buyers, opting for the “full-sized” PS5 may be a prudent choice at least until the slim version becomes the sole option.

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