In The News
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Obsidian Entertainment announced in a blog post there will be no microtransactions “of any kind” in its upcoming game with Take-Two Interactives’ new indie label, Private Division.
New Zealand’s Gambling Compliance office says loot boxes are not gambling, Gamasutra’s Katherine Cross reports. “‘The Department is of the view that loot boxes do not meet the legal definition of gambling.’”
Eidos-Montréal intends to focus more on online gaming, Game Informer’s Imran Khan reports. “Eidos-Montréal, the studio behind the Tomb Raider reboot and the modern Deus Ex franchise, released a statement on their website announcing a change in focus to online play.”
Infinity Ward is opening a new studio in Poland. “The new studio will become home to ‘a talented team of developers’ who will focus on research and development while working closely with Infinity Ward LA,” GamesIndustry.biz’s Haydn Taylor writes.
Dead or Alive is a little more dead for the moment. “Dead or Alive series creator Team Ninja said it is ending support for at least Dead or Alive 5 and potentially the series overall for now,” GameSpot’s Eddie Makuch reports. “Developers said during the livestream that Team Ninja is moving on from the Dead or Alive franchise as it looks toward what it might make next.”
Sales news:
GamesIndustry.biz’s Brendan Sinclair reports that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds “sold more than 1 million copies in its first two days on sale” for Xbox One.
Call of Duty: WWII took the top spot for United Kingdom sales. That marks the 4th year in a row the franchise has won the holiday race, according to GamesIndustry.biz’s Matthew Handrahan. “It is the eighth Christmas number one overall for Call of Duty, drawing level with the amount amassed by EA’s FIFA franchise since records began in 1984.”
Luxbet.com is done for, and that’s not good for Unikrn. Unikrn’s “current licenses for real-money betting in the UK and Australia are through Luxbet,” The Esports Observer’s Angelos Anastasopoulos reports. “As of now, wagers in Unikrn can be made either by using the ‘Unikoin’ cryptocurrency, or with real money in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, but Luxbet’s closure means the licenses will be lost.”
Hearthstone did a behind-the-scenes video of the making of its new expansion, Kobolds & Catacombs. Watch it here.
Congratulations to Luminosity Gaming on winning Call of Duty: WWII’s Northern Arena Showdown.