The economics of platforms and storefronts have become an increasingly significant talking point in the last decade, driven in large part by Epic's Tim Sweeney. His long-standing complaints about revenue share on digital sharefronts resulted first in the launch of the Epic Game Store, which charges developers 12% of sales revenue, and then broadly successful lawsuits against Apple and Google which compelled them to support alternative storefronts for games on their platforms.
Five years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted high-tech supply chains around the globe, gaming hardware was one of the sectors that felt the impact most directly. At exactly the moment when demand for games was soaring – what else are you going to do when your social life and normal activities are disrupted for months on end? – manufacturers found themselves unable to meet their existing production targets, let alone ramp up to meet that enhanced demand. PlayStation 5 was the poster child for these supply chain failures, and was almost universally sold out for the best part of a year after its launch.
Sony is shutting down Bluepoint Games, the studio that delivered a number of cherished reissues of games like Demon's Souls, Shadow of the Colossus and Uncharted. The studio will close its doors next month with the loss of 70 jobs, as first reported by Bloomberg.
Convergence, an indie game showcase hosted by indie game influencers and streamers, returns for its third outing today, showcasing 30 upcoming titles including an unspecified number of world premieres. A further 28 games will feature in the pre-show, according to show organiser Fourth Floor Creative.
As a composer, Filippo Beck Peccoz worked closely with the German studio Mimimi Games – known for titles like Desperados 3 and Shadow Gambit – until its closure in 2023. Beyond that, he has created music for a wide range of indie games, including Tavern Talk by Gentle Troll Entertainment and Innkeep by Boot Disk Games.
UK indie The Chinese Room, which divested from Tencent-owned Sumo Group last year, has announced a partnership with newly-mined publishing label Lyrical Games, which was itself launched last year by veterans of former Take-Two label Private Division.
Starbreeze Entertainment has released its 2025 financial results, with revenue rising from SEK 185.9 million ($20.5 million) to SEK 221 million ($24.5 million).
Full of Cats developer Devcats has expanded into publishing to "lend their expertise to indie developers." Its first published title is Feline Forensics and the Meowseum Mystery from Nobody Crown.
