Layoffs in gaming industry send shivers down spines of many

Heavy gaming news this July so far, starting with the once-former first-party game company, Xbox.

The big picture

“I sincerely doubt employees who fear they may be laid off will be able to develop software titles that could impress people.” – Satoru Iwata, former Nintendo president.

This is true in any industry. Motivation and morale will decline if you constantly feel your job is threatened.

That is likely evident at Microsoft Gaming and among the people behind the Xbox brand, with studios like Rare and The Initiative toiling away at passion projects such as Everwild and the Perfect Dark reboot.

A company as experienced as Microsoft, and its gaming division, should know better than to rely on hiring practices – like using contractors – that could harm the brand in the long run.

In the meantime, the executives who failed these laid-off developers remain in place and unaccountable. They are not even making cuts to their own salaries or accepting other penalties to ensure the health of their studios.

That’s probably what happens when you pay too much for a bunch of game studios like Activision Blizzard.

Short beats

Microsoft will be laying off thousands of its staff, including those at Microsoft Gaming. As a result, Rare’s game Everwild is cancelled.

After seven years of development, the Perfect Dark reboot is cancelled following the layoffs. Its studio, The Initiative, is also shut down.

Hollywood actor Michael Madsen has passed away at the age of 67. He starred in various major game roles, including Grand Theft Auto III, the first Yakuza/ Like A Dragon entry, and the first Dishonored.

A new My Hero Academia fighting game has been announced. No release date has been mentioned, but it is coming out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.

Sega will be opening its flagship merchandise store in Tokyo, Japan.

The Upin & Ipin Universe game will be released on July 17 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

Neil Druckmann will be stepping down from The Last of Us HBO TV adaptation to focus on Naughty Dog and its upcoming game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophecy.

Games out this week

Mecha Break is out now in version 1.0 and is free-to-play on PC. It is a multiplayer third-person shooter offering players three game modes with high-octane ground and aerial combat. Pilot your Striker into the breach and take on enemies across worldwide hotspots.

Irem Collection Volume 3 is a retro game compilation of past arcade titles from Irem, including Mr. Heli, Mystic Riders, and Dragon Breed.

Game releases are sparse this week, so here are two free-to-play games that have been trending on social media since last week:

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is now available in English for global release on iOS and Android devices. It’s a racing simulation game where you train horse girls as they race to the top. The characters are based on real-life Japanese racehorses, which explains its huge fanbase.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is the mobile sequel to Persona 5, a Japanese role-playing game set in modern Tokyo. You play as Phantom Thieves, fighting corruption through stylish turn-based battles. The game is available for iOS and Android.

Recommended viewing

Here’s a level-headed take on the recent Microsoft Gaming layoffs, courtesy of MrMattyPlays and LordCognito.

The #StopKillingGames petition is going strong, at least in the UK and EU. Here’s a recent update.