Tag: video games

Union files labour board complaint over closure of Ubisoft’s Halifax video game studio | CBC News

image via cbc.ca
image via cbc.ca

The union representing employees at the Halifax office of international video game giant Ubisoft has filed a labour board complaint over the Nova Scotia studio’s closure.

The union, CWA Canada, was certified last month to represent 61 of the studio’s 71 workers. Three weeks after certification, the France-based company announced Jan. 7 the Halifax office would be shuttered, citing cost and efficiency concerns.

The union filed its labour board complaint on Tuesday, accusing the company of closing the studio in order to keep out the union, in violation of the Trade Union Act.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/union-files-labour-board-complaint-over-closure-of-ubisoft-s-halifax-studio-9.7044915?cmp=rss

Steam Machine: Valve rivals Xbox and PlayStation with new console

image via bbc.com
image via bbc.com

Valve, the company behind PC gaming platform Steam, has revealed a new console to rival Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation. In an unusual move, Valve has also announced further hardware – its Steam Frame virtual reality (VR) headset. The device is entirely wireless – and it described it as a "streaming-first" device – but it is also itself a PC running SteamOS.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd679n9lnx5o

When will physical video games go away?

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

The writing has been on the wall since 2020, when Microsoft and Sony introduced their (at the time) next-generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles with versions that didn’t have a place to put your discs. Ultimately, they were responding to the emerging trend of people buying fewer physical games for consoles. Can you even remember the last time you bought a physical game for PC?

https://www.theverge.com/games/638535/physical-digital-video-games-nintendo-xbox-ps5-disc-cart

Sony closes Concord studio and permanently shuts down the game

image via theverge.com
image via theverge.com

Sony is closing Firewalk Studios, the studio behind its PlayStation Concord game that it took offline last month after a disastrous launch. In a message to PlayStation staff, Hermen Hulst, CEO of the PlayStation studio business group, says Firewalk Studios will close alongside Neon Koi, a mobile game studio. The shutdowns will affect about 210 jobs, Bloomberg reports. “We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options,” says Hulst. “After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio. I want to thank all of Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit and dedication.”

https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/29/24282900/sony-shutting-down-concord-firewalk-studios

Flappy Bird’s creator disavows ‘official’ new version of the game

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

A decade after the wildly popular game Flappy Bird disappeared, an organization calling itself the Flappy Bird Foundation announced plans to “re-hatch the official Flappy Bird® game.” But this morning, the game’s creator, Dong Nguyen, posted a characteristically terse comment stating that he has nothing to do with the revival and that he “did not sell anything.” He added, “I also don’t support crypto.”

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/15/flappy-birds-creator-disavows-official-new-version-of-the-game/

Uber Planning to Add Mini Games to iPhone App to Play During a Ride

image via macrumors.com
image via macrumors.com

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered several references to the ability to load games in the latest version of the Uber app, released on Monday. One line of code says that the gaming feature will require an internet connection. It is unclear when Uber will make the mini games available to the public, and there is no guarantee that the feature will launch.

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/04/uber-planning-mini-games-in-iphone-app/