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Fallout: New Vegas level scaling is designed to teach players that "this is not actually Fallout 3," Josh Sawyer says: "You're going to get your ass handed to you if you're not careful"
Fallout: New Vegas director Josh Sawyer explains that the game's level scaling was intentionally designed to differ from Fallout 3, aiming to teach players that the world is more dangerous and unforgiving. This approach, inspired by the original Fallout, allows for more open-ended exploration with difficulty gates, encouraging players to level up before tackling certain areas.
New Doom Title in “The Early Stages,” Despite Extensive Layoffs at id Software – Rumor
Despite significant layoffs at id Software, reports suggest the studio is in the early stages of developing a new Doom game. While some outlets claimed the studio was reduced to a support role, id Software has confirmed it remains roughly the same size as when it developed Doom (2016). The future direction of the new title remains speculative, with possibilities ranging from continuing the Slayer's story to returning to an old-school Doom experience.
Warframe lead Rebecca Ford says Destiny 2's death is "horrible news" for everyone: "Not the first time it's happened, and it'll happen again"
Warframe's creative director Rebecca Ford expressed concern over the halt of active development for Destiny 2, viewing it as a negative sign for the live-service game industry. She highlighted how business decisions can override developer passion, even for established titles. Ford also touched upon the broader industry anxieties surrounding layoffs and studio closures, referencing the impact on games like The Elder Scrolls 6.
'Surprised there was anyone left to post this': Fans react as The Elder Scrolls Online debuts seasonal content days after hundreds laid off from studio
ZeniMax Online Studios has launched its first-ever seasonal content, 'Return of the Thieves Guild,' for The Elder Scrolls Online. This launch occurs just days after the studio reportedly laid off 213 employees, more than half of its development team, as part of wider layoffs at Xbox. Player reactions on social media and forums have largely focused on expressing sympathy for the affected developers and criticizing Microsoft's timing and actions, rather than discussing the new content itself.
Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls 6, Blade, and More: As Xbox Layoffs Hit Hard, What's Going on at Bethesda?
Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios were affected by recent Xbox layoffs. The cuts impact development teams working on titles such as Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls 6, and Blade.
Weekend PC Download Deals for July 10: Palworld exits Steam Early Access
Palworld has officially launched version 1.0 out of Early Access on Steam, accompanied by a launch discount. This article highlights various PC game deals available this weekend across multiple digital storefronts, including Steam, Epic Games Store, Amazon Luna, Fanatical, Gamebillet, GamesPlanet, GOG.com, Green Man Gaming, Humble Bundle, and 2K Publisher Sale.
Comings and Goings
The union representing Bethesda employees confirmed participation in Xbox layoff protests, stating they will not 'quietly disappear.' This action highlights ongoing employee concerns regarding recent job cuts within Microsoft's gaming division.
Bethesda's last Skyrim concept artist has been laid off after "almost 18 years of dedication to The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield" amid Xbox cuts: "It has been my honor"
Ray Lederer, the last concept artist from the original Skyrim team at Bethesda Softworks, has been laid off after nearly 18 years. His tenure included work on The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Starfield. This layoff is part of broader restructuring and cuts within Xbox's gaming division.
Summary: what's happening at Xbox?
Xbox announced a major restructuring involving 3,200 job cuts, with 1,600 immediate layoffs, primarily affecting ZeniMax studios like Bethesda and id Software. Several studios, including Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs, are being sold off or spun out as independent entities. This move aims to refocus on high-earning franchises and improve profit margins, impacting the development of upcoming titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 and potentially State of Decay 3.
Xbox After The Layoffs: Studios Left And What They’re Making
Xbox has undergone significant restructuring, including layoffs and the divestment of five studios, as it aims to increase profitability and focus on major intellectual properties. This shake-up impacts numerous development teams and projects across Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda, with a renewed focus on core franchises and a shift in business strategies like the exclusion of Call of Duty from Xbox Game Pass day-one launches.
Xbox needs to make a choice, says former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden: be a publisher or a platform, but you can't be both
Former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden argues that Xbox must choose between being a major game publisher or a platform holder, stating it cannot effectively be both. He highlights the need for exclusive content to support a platform, contrasting it with the multiplatform approach required for a top publisher, a dilemma exacerbated by recent Xbox layoffs and strategic shifts.
"We mean business" - Bethesda union members to march in protest of sweeping Xbox job cuts
Bethesda Game Studios union members are planning protests against recent layoffs impacting Microsoft's Xbox division. The union criticizes Microsoft's framing of the cuts and asserts their legal right to bargain over the impact of these layoffs, demanding preferential transfers, stronger severance, and recall rights for affected workers. The layoffs have reportedly caused plummeting morale and may significantly affect the development of The Elder Scrolls 6.
Can a top-down, focused software strategy save Xbox? | Opinion
Xbox has undergone significant layoffs and studio closures, impacting 20% of its workforce and five internal studios, including Compulsion Games and Double Fine. This strategic shift, led by Asha Sharma, aims to address financial issues and improve first-party development, though the article questions the effectiveness of these measures and criticizes the company's past spending and treatment of developers.
Unionized workers at Bethesda studios plan a nationwide protest against recent layoffs on July 15
Unionized workers at Bethesda Game Studios, known as OneBGS, are organizing a nationwide protest on July 15th against recent layoffs at studios like ZeniMax Online Studios. The union accuses Microsoft and Bethesda of attempting to circumvent their legal obligation to bargain over these decisions by reframing them as business scope changes. Separately, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has joined a Federal Reserve task force focused on the economic impact of new technologies like artificial intelligence.
"They want us to accept this as a done deal and quietly disappear" – Bethesda union members organise protest in response to Xbox layoffs
Union members at Bethesda Game Studios, Id Software, and ZeniMax Online Studios are organizing protests and a strike in response to recent layoffs affecting 440 employees. The OneBGS union accuses Microsoft and Bethesda of attempting to circumvent bargaining obligations by framing the cuts as an 'entrepreneurial change.' They are demanding preferential transfers, stronger severance packages, and recall rights for affected workers.
'I find myself in the novel position of looking for a job' — 27-year Bethesda veteran who designed Skyrim's humanoid races and a Microsoft dev behind Xbox backwards compatibility have been laid off
Xbox has undergone a significant restructuring, leading to the layoff of thousands of employees, including industry veterans Christiane Meister from Bethesda Game Studios and Kevin LaChapelle from Xbox. Meister, who designed races for The Elder Scrolls series, and LaChapelle, a lead developer for Xbox's backward compatibility, are now seeking new employment. This wave of layoffs also affected studios like Compulsion Games and Ninja Theory.
Bethesda union staff to march outside studios over Xbox layoffs: 'The company wants us to accept this as a done…
Bethesda developers, organized as the OneBGS union, are planning a protest march across studios on July 15th to oppose recent layoffs by Xbox. The union criticizes these layoffs as a recurring issue and aims to show management the adverse impact on remaining staff and studio talent, citing significant staff reductions at Zenimax Online Studios and id Software, and the closure of studios responsible for games like Hi-Fi Rush and Prey.
Own goal specialist Xbox rifles another into the roof of the net - Patch Notes #60
Xbox announced significant layoffs, impacting approximately 3,200 employees across various studios including id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs. Xbox boss Asha Sharma cited a need to eliminate management layers and create a flatter organization, though many of the affected employees are senior staff integral to game production. This marks the fifth major round of layoffs at Xbox in three years, with unions like CWA Canada criticizing Microsoft's handling of the situation.
Elder Scrolls 6 faces delays as Microsoft lays off people that were making it
Bethesda Game Studios employees are concerned that The Elder Scrolls 6 may face significant delays following recent layoffs impacting over 50 staff members, including a 27-year veteran. These cuts, part of broader Xbox layoffs, have raised fears about project timelines, potential reliance on contract labor, and a decline in studio morale, especially after the reception of Starfield.
"We are the best allies to game devs": Skyrim modder shows solidarity with laid off Bethesda workers by draping union logos across Tamriel
A Skyrim modder named Elianora has created a mod called 'United Front' to show solidarity with recently laid-off Bethesda workers. The mod adds union logos to shields and banners within the game, encouraging players to raise awareness for the 'Save Our Devs March' organized by the OneBGS union. This action aims to send a message to Microsoft regarding the recent layoffs affecting Bethesda and other Xbox-owned studios.
