Shigeru Miyamoto has been selected to receive Japan’s Order of Culture, becoming the first person from the video game industry chosen for the prestigious honor.
Video Games
Nintendo Legend Masahiro Sakurai Pushes Back Against Western Gaming Trends, Claims Japanese Developers Should Avoid Appealing to Western Tastes
Japanese gaming icon Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Super Smash Bros. and Kirby has made headlines for his sharp insights on the state of the gaming industry and the Western trends currently dragging it down. Sakurai was recently honored with Japan’s prestigious Art Encouragement Prize from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the gaming industry through his Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games YouTube channel. Following this achievement, Sakurai participated in an interview with Entax where he addressed a growing trend plaguing the gaming world: the prioritization of Western tastes over authentic, homegrown creativity.
Ubisoft Deploys Legal Team and Government Help to Silence Assassin’s Creed Shadows Critics and Combat Development ‘Harassment’
With Assassin’s Creed Shadows set to launch in just three days, Ubisoft’s mounting desperation has reached a new level. Reports now indicate that the company has quietly enlisted a special team tasked with shielding the developers from what they call “online harassment.” However, it’s the vague, undefined nature of what Ubisoft actually considers “harassment” that’s raising serious concerns—and has many questioning whether the company is simply using this initiative to silence critics and control the narrative around its latest, highly controversial title.
Ubisoft to Form New Gaming ‘Entity’ as it Scrambles for Survival—Seeks Outside Investors Amid Financial Freefall
In yet another sign of its deepening crisis, Ubisoft is reportedly seeking outside investors to back a newly formed gaming entity that will house its most valuable franchises, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
According to a Bloomberg report, the French publisher is reaching out to global and French-based investment funds, with bids expected by the end of the month. One name being floated once again is Tencent, the Chinese tech giant that already owns a nearly 10% stake in Ubisoft.
Kotaku Could be in Deep Trouble as Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick Sues Parent Company for Alleged Defamation on Controversial Gaming Site
In a move that could significantly impact Kotaku and its parent company, G/O Media, former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has filed a defamation lawsuit alleging deliberate misrepresentation by two of the media group’s outlets. Filed in the Superior Court of Delaware, the suit specifically targets Kotaku and Gizmodo, citing coverage that referenced long-withdrawn allegations unrelated to the topic at hand.
Unreal Engine’s Metahuman Tool May Be Behind ‘Man-Jaw’ and the Growing Trend of Masculine Female Characters in Gaming
A recently surfaced developer video is shedding new light on an issue that many gamers have noticed but few have fully understood—why do so many modern female characters in video games appear to have exaggerated masculine features like the dreaded squared off man-jaw? A game developer, speaking under anonymity, has provided evidence to YouTuber SmashJT that points to Unreal Engine’s Metahuman character creator as the source of the problem.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Faces Backlash in Japan Over Shrine Depiction, Politicians and Temple Priests Blast Ubisoft for Cultural Disrespect
Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows is facing a fresh wave of controversy, this time from Japanese politicians and religious leaders who are condemning the game for its portrayal of a real-world Shinto shrine. In a newly surfaced video, Nagase Takeshi, a member of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly, along with several Shinto officials expressed outrage, calling the depiction deeply disrespectful and culturally offensive.
Ubisoft Faces Shareholder Revolt as Financial Crisis Deepens, Minority Shareholder Plans Demonstration Outside Ubisoft HQ Citing Deceptive Tactics
Ubisoft is once again in turmoil as a minority shareholder prepares to stage a demonstration outside the company’s Paris headquarters. AJ Investments, led by CEO Juraj Krúpa, has accused Ubisoft’s management of severe mismanagement, lack of transparency, and allowing the company’s value to plummet.
Before Disney Sale George Lucas Wrote Scripts That Would Have Taken Star Wars in a Darker Direction With Gritty TV Show and Video Games
Before the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, George Lucas had reportedly created a large number of Star Wars scripts that would have taken the series in a much darker direction. In the lead-up to the purchase of Lucasfilm by Disney in 2012, fans could sense that...
Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet Appears to Target Christianity, Earthworm Jim Creator Slams Neil Druckmann and his Team
Naughty Dog’s upcoming sci-fi game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, has raised eyebrows for its seemingly deliberate focus on religion—particularly a critical portrayal of faith that echoes the company’s broader creative trajectory under Neil Druckmann. While the...
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Bombs on PlayStation Plus, BioWare Can’t Even Give This Game Away
If there was any doubt left that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is one of the biggest gaming failures in recent memory, this should put it to rest. Four months after launch of Veilguard, Electronic Arts gave the game away for free on PlayStation Plus, hoping to reignite interest in a title that had already been rejected by most of the gaming community.
Inside Sony’s Internal Battle, A Look at the East–West Clash Dividing Sony and the Gaming Industry
The ongoing Sony internal battle has become a massive issue in which eastern and western developers clash over the divisive issue of agenda in gaming.
Pokemon GO Game Studio Niantic Purchased by Scopely for $3.5 Billion, New Owner Has a Controversial Past With Contentious Player Relations
Niantic, the developer behind the groundbreaking augmented reality game Pokemon GO, has agreed to sell its gaming division to Scopely for $3.5 billion. This transaction encompasses popular titles such as Pokemon GO, Pikmin Bloom, and Monster Hunter Now, along with companion apps like Campfire and Wayfarer.