In The News
Oh, Fallout 76. Some folks are happy, lots of folks aren’t happy, and then there’s the whole thing about potential lawsuits!
PC Gamer’s Andy Chalk reports there’s confusion over Bethesda’s refund policy: “Bethesda says it is not legally obligated to provide refunds for activated product codes, but it is anyway—in some cases … Bethesda so far it seems content to let its TOS speak for its refund policy, which may be legally sufficient but appears contrary to its recent acknowledgment that fans are ‘frustrated and angry at the state of things right now.’”
And don’t forget the canvas v. nylon bag debacle. The $200 Fallout 76 Power Armor Edition was originally shown with a canvas duffel bag. Recipients, however, are complaining because the duffel bag they got was nylon, not canvas. Bethesda tweeted about it here and created a support page here.
Nintendo:
Is feelin’ happy. “The company detailed that $250 million in Nintendo products were purchased over the four-day” Thanksgiving weekend, TechCrunch’s Lucas Matney reports. “The company also revealed that after 20 months, they’ve sold 8.2 million Switch units in the US, with this past week representing the best week of sales for the device yet.”
An analyst told Bloomberg’s Yuji Nakamura, however, “doubts are growing whether Nintendo Co.’s Switch can ever become a mass-market product … “‘All great consoles need a great second year, and Nintendo hasn’t delivered one for the Switch,’ said Cornelio Ash, an analyst at William O’Neil & Co.”
Creators Program is coming to an end, Nintendo announced. “We are ending the Nintendo Creators Program (NCP) to make it easier for content creators to make and monetize videos that contain Nintendo game content. We will no longer ask creators to submit their videos to the NCP, and creators can continue showing their passion for Nintendo by following Nintendo’s guidelines.”
Kirby survives because he’s the GOAT okay?
And congratulations to Super Mario Party on over 1 million U.S. copies sold.
Tencent and NetEase’s mobile games revenue rose “by 382% in 2018, from January through mid-November, compared to the same time last year … Their combined international revenues reportedly rose from $78 million in 2017 to $376 million during the same time frame this year,” Variety’s Stefanie Fogel writes.
Hello, Steam China. It’s “a new platform from Perfect World and Valve” that I’m sure isn’t subjected to all of China’s restrictive policies. “The new Steam China client would be operated in conjunction with the Shanghai government to get the relevant paperwork in order, as Asian markets insider Daniel Ahmad points out,” Unikrn’s Dustin Steiner reports.
An Xbox Family Guide is out for Xbox One. It’s “a pocket-sized leaflet that covers everything from the console’s online capabilities to a brief explanation of Xbox Game Pass,” GI.biz’s James Batchelor writes.
Matchmade raised “$4.8 million in funding for its platform to match influencers such as YouTubers and Twitch streamers with brands and game companies that want to market their products,” VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi reports.
Voice actors have started a program called Halp Network program in which they “offer game devs opportunities to hear their scripts performed during pre-production,” Gamasutra’s Alex Wawro reports.
The United Kingdom’s games industry “contributed £1.069 billion to the UK economy in 2017,” GI.biz’s Haydn Taylor writes. “It represents a solid 7.3% growth from 2016, and 148.9% increase since 2010.”
A screenwriter has been found for “a Gears of War movie,” Game Informer’s Imran Khan reports. “F. Scott Frazier, best known for 2016 action film Collide and 2017 equally-action film xXx: Return of Xander Cage, has been tapped for the project.”
DrawTwo and Articraft are merging their websites, according to an announcement.
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Extra Esports News:
DreamHack and Psyonix just announced DreamHack Pro Circuit for Rocket League. It will have “four stops for 2019. With a prize pool of $100,000 per stop, DreamHack Pro Circuit is sure to attract the best teams in the world, alongside many new challengers, as each stop also features an open bracket,” the press release reads.
Smartcall is investing in “South African esports organizer Mettlestate” to the tune of $720,000. “Mettlestate will look to organize more tournaments in the South African community,” TEO’s Max Miceli writes.
OUT: Games Done Quick indefinitely banned R. White Goose and Graviton over sexist and transphobic remarks.
Happy birthday Frederik “Hoej” Nielsen and Mariano “SquishyMuffinz” Arruda!