Former PS head on disc future 💿 Meta AI game maker launches 🤖

Top Stories

Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden on Sony's years-long debate over scrapping discs, and why this time it's probably "a straight spreadsheet decision" (6 min read)

Former PlayStation Worldwide Studios leader Shawn Layden characterized Sony's disc discontinuation as a 'spreadsheet decision' driven by the shift from near-zero digital sales decades ago to digital dominance today, accelerated by the pandemic. He expects the PS6 will likely lack a disc drive. (Eurogamer)

Meta has released an app for making generative AI games (1 min read)

Meta has soft-launched Pocket, an app for creating minigames using generative AI and "vibe-coding." Available on iOS and Android since June 29, the app is currently in limited regional availability. The platform appears to be based on technology from Gizmo, an AI-powered interactive experience creator whose team Meta hired earlier this year. (Engadget)

Studios & People

Is yet another Microsoft studio, Obsidian, negotiating with Xbox to avoid closure? Conflicting reports emerge (4 min read)

The Game Business reported that Obsidian Entertainment is negotiating with Microsoft to avoid closure as part of a broader studio reassessment affecting Arkane, Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs. However, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier contradicted the report, stating Obsidian is not in negotiations to shut down. (Eurogamer)

Destiny 2 community manager calls out "leaders who made multiple years of poor decisions" as former Bungie VP shares post blaming industry implosion on the market (3 min read)

Destiny 2 community manager Dylan Gafner publicly criticized Bungie leaders for "multiple years of poor decisions" amid recent layoffs, while a former VP blamed the industry's downturn on market conditions rather than studio management. (GamesRadar)

CEO of major Japanese studio says employees get pay raises if they ace a quiz about its games, because that's "a genuine skill" (3 min read)

Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino said the studio rewards employees with substantial pay raises for acing quizzes on its games, arguing that product knowledge is a genuine skill that improves workflow efficiency and reduces need for peer review. (GamesRadar)

"The goal isn't to build something that burns brightly for a few years and disappears" – Cosmic Division CEO on launching a "responsibly ambitious" studio (5 min read)

Former Housemarque game director Harry Krueger launched Cosmic Division, an indie studio in Helsinki focused on sustainable growth. Co-founded with design director Henri Mustonen and COO Mika Laaja, the studio aims to be "responsibly ambitious," prioritizing long-term stability, talent, and measured project scope over aggressive expansion. (GamesIndustry.biz)

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