In The News
What looked to be a Splinter Cell announcement is being called a joke, Game Informer’s Suriel Vazquez writes. “Julian Gerighty, who was the creative director on The Division 2, has revealed through a tweet celebrating drinks with a few of his colleagues at Ubisoft that he’s working on the next game in the franchise,” the original story reads. Now, Ubisoft is saying “‘Julian was obviously joking as Julian likes to do,’ the company said in a statement to Game Informer. ‘It looks like our creative directors are having fun right now. We do not have any announcements to make at this time.’”
Paradox Interactive “saw both revenue and profit fall year-on-year,” GI.biz’s Haydn Taylor reports. “According to the company’s Q1 2019 financial report, revenue for the period was down 11% year-on-year to SEK 238.3 million ($24.7 million), from SEK 267 million ($27.7 million).”
Sweden is reviewing “consumer protection measures for lottery- or casino-like elements in games to ensure they are sufficiently protecting customers, particularly children and young adults. The agency has been directed to produce its findings by October 1 of this year,” GI.biz’s Brendan Sinclair reports.
Project Prelude Rune has been cancelled and Studio Istolia is closing, USGamer’s Eric Van Allen reports. “Square Enix has confirmed to USgamer that the studio is no longer in operation and its game is canceled.”
Nier: Automata passed 4 million copies “shipped and sold digitally,” Alissa McAloon at Gamasutra reports.
Pre-production for the next Mortal Kombat movie starts in May, Engadget’s Kris Holt writes. “South Australia Premier Steven Marshall said it’ll be the biggest film production in the state’s history.”
Interviews: Blizzard’s J. Allen Brack (VentureBeat).
Extra Esports News:
NHL 19 revealed sponsors and plans for the NHL Gaming World Championship 2019, TEO’s Andrew Hayward writes. It “will have seven sponsors, each of which will activate at a Regional Final and/or the World Final. Honda and Scotiabank are returning sponsors from 2018, with Adidas, ASTRO Gaming, Brisk, Great Clips, and MGM Resorts added for this year’s tournament.”
AOC and Red Bull are partnering, Esports Insider’s Laura Byrne reports. The partnership “will see them provide monitors for all Red Bull esports events.”
IN: OverActive Media hired Jason Toledano as its CFO.
Interviews: Universal Music Group’s Gustav Käll (TEO).