Here are the Games Industry Highlights | Week 6-7 | 2024

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀

🌍 Xbox will inform everyone about the future plans of its game studios in a podcast tomorrow (15 February) to calm rumours about all of their titles potentially going multi-platform.

🌍 InvestGame reports that 2023 marked a four-year low in the value of private investment deals, totalling only $2.7 billion compared to $10.7 billion the year before. Similarly, both mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and public offerings experienced significant drops in comparison to past years. Despite these declines in deal values, the volume of deals has stayed relatively stable, even as average deal sizes have diminished. Check the report here:
https://lnkd.in/djJM8MeG

🌍 CVC Capital Partners and Haveli Investments confirm plans to buy Jagex (Runescape) for £900 million.

🌍 PlayStation generated $9.3 billion for Sony in the holiday quarter, but platform holder expects hardware decline in 2024 with no major franchise launches until April 2025

🌍 Monumental will acquire gaming publisher and web portal Kongregate for an unknown sum. The acquisition will combine both studios’ portfolios of over 40 games.

𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀

👉 The next Flanders Game Hub expert talk is on audio in indie games by François Fripiat from Demute.
(15 February at 15h CET – https://lnkd.in/eh8NrAcS)

👉 Belgium boasts several Master’s Degrees in the field of gaming. Howest – Digital Arts and Entertainment is now set to join the ranks of LUCA School of Arts and Haute École Albert Jacquard (HEAJ) by offering a master degree “Game Technology”, under the umbrella of Breda University of Applied Sciences.

👉 Myron Games is working on a new VR title: Underworld Overseer. Imagine a Dungeon Keeper-like game, but in VR!

👉 The Global Game Jam took place at the end of January across 800 locations worldwide. In Antwerp, they hosted the event for the 14th time and welcomed over 40 people with various talents who teamed up to make 11 games, around the theme “Make Me Laugh”. (The last 8 of which organised by Pepijn Willekens!) https://lnkd.in/eBrtV_gw

👉 Please, Touch the Artwork 2 by Thomas Waterzooi is releasing on Steam, iOS & Android on the 19th of February. Thanks to the support of the Flemish Government, on the occasion of the Belgian EU Presidency 2024, the game will be 100% FREE for all to download. https://lnkd.in/eU8PrXSN

👉 Rogueside released Hidden Through Time 2: Myths & Magic on consoles on the 25th of January and is now gearing up for a mobile release on the 21st of February.

👉 Good news for collectors: Hubris by Cyborn is launching physically on PSVR2 on Feb 16th!

👉 Larian Studios‘ Baldurs Gate III has got over 500K reviews on Steam, an impressive number! The game brought in $90 million for Hasbro in 2023, fueling the company’s growth in the Digital Gaming segment.