Why has the Esports World Cup moved to Paris?, 28/05/2026
Don’t mention the war 😬
Latest Gaming Articles
George Haberberger
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7h
When I was in college the popular video game was Asteroids. The most recent video game I've played is Tetris. I just never got into video games.
What We Into This Week #3
Takes on a Plane!
Happy Wednesday, y’all! Remember when I said this was going to be a newsletter that drops on Mondays? Anyway, let’s get into this week on hump day. I sprint forward into my busiest season while somehow trying to add even more travel into it. If you didn’t hear, they’re taking down the Gundam Unicorn statue in Japan this August, so I’m going to force a w…
Why nudity still makes video games uncomfortable
What the gaming industry’s awkward relationship with the naked body says about us
I was sitting on my couch playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on my PS5 completely naked.
Your Guide to June's Family Friendly Video Games
Let's hope you (and your family) are into soccer this month. Or Star Fox. It's slightly slim pickings, as the summer kicks into gear.
Summer is not the kindest time for this roundup; the pools are open, the schools are closed, and there’s just a general downturn in video games targeted at families.
I can definitely recommend "to a T" for the children; my 9 and 6 year olds loved it when playing on Game Pass last year. So much so that I bought it in a sale and they're now replaying it, actually taking the lead in controlling it this time and taking turns.
Why video games cost so much to make
Scope, scope, scope
Last time, we showed that dev costs have genuinely skyrocketed. But “budgets are rising” is like saying “the patient has a fever.” We’re seeing a symptom.
Fascinating piece of analytics.
I think the central conclusion is directionally right: post-inflation budget growth is not simply a story of "the same games becoming more expensive".
A major part of the problem is that the industry keeps building broader, denser, harder-to-coordinate games.
That said, I would treat "scope" with some caution as an analytical category.
In AAA production, scope is not just content volume. It is not only the number of quests, hours, systems, platforms, cinematics, or supported languages. Those things matter, of course. But the deeper cost driver is dependency density: the number of systems, teams, assets, pipelines, approval layers, platform requirements, and content promises that must remain synchronized.
That is why the team decomposition section is, to me, the strongest part of the article.
Large games do not simply add more developers. They add more interfaces between developers. More handoffs. More reviews. More integration risk. More production management. More "coordination tax" you mention.
This is exactly the "kitchen sink game" problem you mention (and I can't agree more on the example chosen). The cost of a feature is not only the cost of that feature alone. It is the way that feature increases pressure across design, engineering, art, animation, QA, localization, certification, marketing, and live-ops readiness.
So I agree with the article’s broad framing, but I would phrase the conclusion slightly differently:
"AAA scope should be treated less as content volume and more as dependency density. And dependency density is ultimately a complexity governance problem".
There are also some methodological limits, which the article mostly acknowledges.
"Scope" has to be proxied through observable features, but many expensive AAA drivers are difficult to capture from public data: animation fidelity, systemic interdependence, quest reactivity, engine debt, production restarts, outsourcing complexity, cinematic density, management friction, anad so on.
The "other unobserved drivers" bucket is therefore important. It may contain real efficiency gains from tooling and pipelines, but it may also hide unmeasured scope expansion, technical debt, or production resets.
I would also separate "S-Tier" from AAA in future analysis. GTA VI and Call of Duty-scale projects operate under different capital-recovery, platform, franchise, and marketing logic than "ordinary" AAA games. They are not just larger AAA. They are a different strategic category.
Overall, though, this is a very useful analytical frame. The assumptions are stretched in places, and some classifications are necessarily rough, but the conclusion is valuable: modern game budgets are a scope-governance problem, not merely a labor-cost or inflation problem.
Video Games Industry Finance Cheat Sheet: Spring 2026, 14/05/2026
Console makers wobble, Tencent surges and Capcom breaks records 📊
Hasbro is spending $1bn making video games, and none of them are games-as-a-service
"There's always going to be demand for good games that deliver a nice 40 to 50-hours worth of content set at a fair price"
Wish them luck.
Could AI bring investors back to video games?
Plus, we speak to the head of a new $100m indie fund
The Game Business is Live in Los Angeles on Monday, June 8, where we will be interviewing industry experts Laura Miele, Jason Rubin and Matthew Ball live on stage. Tickets are available now.
Thanks for the great content and interviewers. Love seeing how down to earth important people can be.
Combatting antisemitism in games, 21/05/2026
We explore a new tool tackling anti-semetic hate crimes in games
Israel is a violent genocidal regime, and its supporters have been very effective at stifling dissent across the west. If you think this won't be weaponized to block political speech then you're very naive.
I think this is a good article, but one that's weakened by only talking about Nazism and White Power, not formally labeling the two actual attacks mentioned in the opening paragraph.
China's NPPA approves 158 video games in May 2026
Notable games approved include Tencent's Chasing Kaleidorider and ByteDance's Code: Atom
The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), mainland China’s regulator in charge of game approvals, issued ISBNs for 154 domestic games and 4 import games on May 26, 2026. This is the fourth batch of games approved in 2026 and takes total approvals to 754 domestic games and 25 import games The domestic batch included 135 mobile games, 2 PC…
Bungie ends Destiny 2 | Call of Duty launches on Switch 2 | Star Citizen hits $1B
Gies W21 | May 29, 2026
Bungie Plans Layoffs After Ending ‘Destiny 2’ Development
Let's Get These Made Into Video Games
It's Just A Thought, but it Would be New Content
So I was reading something yesterday, and it got me thinking. Brian Niemeier, over at Kairos on Substack recently threw up a post about the decline of remakes in the gaming industry. It’s a good one. You should check it out here.Jimbo's Awesome Science Fiction and Fantasy Reviews is a reader-supported publication. To r…
CORE 524: Wind’s Howling...
On this week’s CORE, we talk about the Witcher III getting a new expansion next year. Also, the games of June, Dragon Quest XII, the announcement of Unreal 6, Steam Deck getting a $300 price increase, Fable getting pushed again, the upcoming Sony State of Play and our coverage of it. We played Lego Batman: Legacy of The Dark Knight, 007 First Light, Duc…
PlayStation walks back PC single-player ports | Steam decrees ‘bullet heaven’ | Hasbro cancels Giant Skull D&D
Gies W20 | May 22, 2026
PlayStation boss says single-player games won’t come to PC going forward
The Wonder of Early Video Games: Arcades, Atari, and the One-Joystick Life
When a Single Joystick, a Handful of Quarters, and Blurry Pixels Delivered More Joy Than Today's 4K Overkill — And Why Our Wallets (and Thumbs) Were Happier for It.
There was a time when video games didn’t demand a PhD in controller design or a gaming PC that could double as a space heater. They asked for one quarter, one joystick, and maybe a single button. And…
May Was Busy. May Was Worth It.
🌍 Africa on the Map | Industry Report, GameDevMap & more...
Hello everyone, and happy last day of the month!
Getting Your Son Back in the Game
What to do when video games start replacing sports.
“I just want to play one more game,” he says. “Please?”
will be sharing widely, thanks for giving examples of how to implement this. I have friends who this is a real struggle for. appreciate your work
What Does the Bible Say About Entertainment?
Should Christians Play Video Games, Watch Movies, Listen to Secular Music?
Can a Christian actually watch a movie to the glory of God? Play a video game in the name of Jesus? It sounds almost absurd until you realize Paul's command in 1 Corinthians 10:31 doesn't stop at the church door, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That means entertainment too.
Excellent conversation! What you’ve said makes so much sense. Thank you. If you would be embarrassed doing what you’re doing in Jesus’ presence, you shouldn’t be doing it! But you’ve delved so much deeper than that in this podcast! Thank you!
Break time means pull out Animal Crossing to design a vacation home while listening to spiritual conversations online. Like right now. And feel conflicted.
you'll always be left watching the door
love languages, video games, prayers, and shame
Here is a little known fact about me -
Oh dear one, I have prayed for this for you for a very long time. God does want to heal you, but as you said, in a way that is so much more than physically. I love you and continue to pray for you.
What We Into This Week #1
Some Ify news for your digital letter
Ah. A weekly article that can’t be gunked up by perfection. This is like everyone else’s weekly newsletter. I show and tell some dope shit I’ve been into, and then drop some info about upcoming shows to keep you in the loop. This was supposed to drop yesterday, but ya boi was tired as hell when I got back on Sunday. Shout out to all the mothers, by the …
"My Husband Plays Video Games All The Time And I’m Worried For When Our Baby Arrives"
Some people do quit their addictive substances or behaviors when a child is born.
Reader Gaming Widow writes,
Video Games And Real Life Are Becoming One
How gaming stopped being an escape from reality and started redesigning it
If you’re looking for a shorter take, here’s the TL;DR. For all those looking to go deep, you’ve come to the right place!
How Sports Video Games Stopped Getting Better
The story of how sports video games went from the fastest-improving creative product in entertainment to a gambling platform
There was a summer, 2004, when two studios were swinging as hard as they could at each other and you got to benefit from every punch.
I feel like the problem is that they just re-wrap the same game every year and try to sell it every year just for profits. Similar to what’s happened with Call Of Duty.
If they took more time between games, maybe every 2-3 years, or even 4-5, then the game would be much more interesting and buying a new edition would be palpable.
Looking forward to watching! I was always more of a fan of the sports games that didn’t take themselves too seriously. NBA Jam and NFL Blitz were staples growing up and getting on fire in Jam against your buddy was peak.
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