February 2023

Lycoris Recoil was one of the bigger surprises of the Summer 2022 anime season, and fans can now look forward to the series continuing in the future.

In a post made by the official Lycoris Recoil Twitter account account on Feb. 11, it was revealed that the anime would be receiving a follow-up project sometime in the future. It wasn’t confirmed whether or not any work had already been completed on this follow-up, or if its development would only be kicking off as of the announcement. Likewise, it’s still unclear how long it could be before the series is released, or when fans might receive more news about the series’ progress.

At the very least, a video was released alongside the announcement. While it may not feature any new footage from this upcoming series, it does highlight some more heartfelt and emotional moments from the first season between its protagonists Chisaki and Takina. This is accompanied by audio of the two talking to each other, and otherwise showing gratitude toward each other in the same way the series’ creators would like to thank viewers for supporting the series.

The full video can be viewed down below, both via the initial Twitter post and the video released on the official Aniplex YouTube account.

While the Attack on Titan anime does a good job of adapting the source material, in some cases, there was more nuance on the page than on the screen. On top of that, there is a larger world outside of the experiences of Eren Jaeger. The story has been further fleshed out through multiple light novel volumes and manga, most of which the anime has never acknowledged.

As the light novels still offer important story context, it would only improve the anime, but in many cases, it’s far too late. We have gone through the main manga and the spin-offs to bring you a list of important moments in the world of Attack on Titan that should’ve had a place in the anime adaptation.

The Atelier series and its mixture of potion-crafting and JRPG combat has only recently found success out west, but the series began in 1997 with the release of Atelier Marie in Japan. Now that first game is being remade with new graphics and released outside of Japan for the first time. It'll arrive on Steam this summer.

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Playerunknown's Battlegrounds has experimented several times with PvPvE modes, but it seems like the next project from developers PUBG Studios will mine the genre further. Specifically, the latest earnings report from publisher Krafton says the studio are working on an open world "extraction shooter".

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Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is over ten years old, and much of the game design that underpins it dates back to the original mod release in 2000. Yet it's arguably more popular today than ever, after breaking its all-time concurrent player record earlier today.

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I like a lot of Double Fine's games, but none as much as I like the documentary which charted the development of Broken Age. I can't get enough of watching funny, smart, creative people work, and Double Fine Adventure offered a one-of-a-kind, candid and thorough glimpse of game development.

It was one-of-a-kind until yesterday, when Double Fine released PsychOdyssey, a 32-episode documentary series charting the creation of Psychonauts 2. Each episode is typically between 20 minutes and an hour long, and I've had a great time watching the first three so far.

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Look, I am aware that I am talking a lot about the coming spring. But. Did you know that spring is coming? Because it is. This week I walked through woods shining with snowbells, and my heart soared. And oh, when I saw that crocuses are out in the local park too? Absolute joy. The greatest of thanks to the park gardeners who plant those so we know that spring is coming, please, hold on just a little longer, enjoy these flowers and know that spring is coming. But what are you playing this weekend? Here's what we're clicking on!

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At WonHobby 36, Good Smile Company shared an update on the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 figma Mio, as an unpainted prototype figure appeared. This meant that people could see her in one potential pose while wielding her chakram weapons. There’s no release date for her yet.

Here’s a closer look at how she is turning out. This Mio figma is based on her default look in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. This means she’s using her Zephyr class with usual chakram. She has one equipped in each hand.

#WonHobby36 Figure Update!

Good Smile Company
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
figma Mio

Web Gallery: https://t.co/7zcLv4j19N#XenobladeChronicles #figma #goodsmile pic.twitter.com/qijhqDCKgW

— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) February 12, 2023

WonHobby 36 kicked off in Japan, and with it an array of Hololive Nendoroid, figma, and miscellaneous figure announcements for Vtubers like Laplus Darkness, Gawr Gura, Amelia Watson, and Calliope Mori. These are in various stages of production, with some being unpainted prototypes and others further along and appearing as painted prototypes.

First, here are the Aki Rosenthal and Amelia Watson Nendoroid figure prototypes. Aki isn’t as far along and is unpainted. However, Amelia seems closer to being “done,” as she’s painted even posed holding a magnifying glass.

Getting the right gear is a staple of RPG-style character progression, and Forspoken's no stranger to "gear lust". But rather than the usual assemblage of helmets, armor, and weapons you might find in a typical fantasy game, Luminous Productions has leaned into the fact that Frey Holland's greatest weapon in Athia comes from her magic. Using her spells and the protective abilities of her talking vambrace Cuff, she brings war to the Tantas on their own terms. To add to that witchy feeling, the Best Forspoken gear items take the form of items suited to outfitting a magically-empowered demigod. Here's our quick guide to selecting the right items for you as you traipse around Athia.

What are the best Forspoken gear items and how do I optimize them?

Frey's gear in Forspoken comes in three varieties: Cloaks, Necklaces, and Nail Art. You'll earn them all over Athia, most often as rewards from activities. You'll be able to see which activity earns what kind of reward by checking the icon. The purple icon will indicate if you haven't earned an activity's reward yet, as well as what type of reward it is. A few items are also given out as quest rewards, or unlocked out in the open world.

A new anime for Lycoris Recoil is in production, with a short trailer for it appearing on A-1 Pictures’s YouTube channel. The video mostly uses clips of the first series, detailing the relationship between Chisato and Takina throughout the twelve episodes. As well, the voice-over for the trailer has them expressing their gratitude for each other. [Thanks, Crunchyroll!]

You can watch the announcement trailer for the new Lycoris Recoil anime here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R365_tkFBg

There are not a lot of details as of yet. The Twitter account for the Lycoris Recoil anime refers to it as a “new animation” rather than a second season. So it is still unclear if it is a continuation of the first series or if this is a new project. The words that appear in the trailer mention that Takina and Chisato’s story is not over yet, as well as bring up the special moments they’ve accumulated together and the future they chose.

Lycoris Recoil was an original action anime from A-1 Pictures that ran from July to September 2022. It follows Takina, who is part of the all-female assassin and spy group ‘Lycoris,’ and her new position as Chisato’s partner. Lycoris had assigned Takina to Chisato due to Takina jeopardizing her colleagues on a mission. The two of them work undercover in a cafe, though Takina wants to return to her old agency.

A new teaser visual has been revealed for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury ahead of season 2 arriving in April 2023. The visual features series protagonists Suletta Mercury and her partner Miorine Rembran posed before the kneeling Gundam Aerial. A colder palette and a wartorn landscape suggest we might be in for a harsher tone than much of the first season, following episode 12's violent cliffhanger.

Here’s the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury season 2 key visual.
[embed]https://twitter.com/G_Witch_M/status/1623970025576038400?s=20[/embed]

For those who missed the first season, The Witch from Mercury follows Gundam pilot Suletta Mercury attending the Asticassia School of Technology with her mobile suit, Aerial. She is swiftly caught up in a world of corporate espionage, family disputes and giant robot honor duels. For those new to the world of Gundam in general, it makes a good jumping in point due to taking place in a new “Ad Stella” timeline that requires no knowledge of the various other Gundam series. Veteran fans, however, will notice plenty of recurring tropes and designs sneaking their way in.

Vtuber agency Hololive's Gawr Gura will return from her streaming hiatus on February 11, 2023, following an extended break for health reasons. Her next stream will air at 5pm PT/8pm ET. She follows fellow myth member Ninomae Ina'nis, who also returned from a health-related hiatus in January 2023.

Gura is one of the most popular members of Hololive's English branch, and is a member of the 'Myth' generation. Although she has been absent from streaming since December 2022, she has been active on Twitter and was a non-streaming participant in the Hololive New Year Mario Kart Tournament. She previously announced her return would be before Valentine's Day. Gura was recently named a Tokyo Tourism Ambassador alongside Calliope Mori and Hololive Japan's Sakura Miko.

[embed]https://twitter.com/gawrgura/status/1624349661183242241?s=20[/embed]

Her return stream is not expected to feature any games and will likely be a relaxed recap of her time off and recent trip to Japan, where she met up with several other members of Hololive Myth. Expect lots of stories about food and meeting her Japanese colleagues.

Shift Up gave an update on the PC version of Goddess of Victory: Nikke, listing out the specs that you should have to run the game smoothly. Though “development for the PC is version is close to the end,” according to the official website, there is no actual date just yet. However, we do know that you can sync your account across multiple platforms.

In terms of the actual gameplay, both the PC and mobile versions of Goddess of Victory: Nikke are the same. You will have a larger screen on the PC, as well as have access to a keyboard and mouse. This could make things easier for those who are used to PC gaming. As for the specs that you should have, the minimum configurations are:

OS: Windows 7 64-bit

Processor: Intel Core i3 or similar

Memory: 8 GB

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti

DirectX: Version 11

Minimum Storage Space: 10 GB

Shift Up also notes that you technically can get away with specs lower than these, but you will experience lag. As for the recommended configurations, they are:

OS: Windows 10 64-bit

Processor: Intel Core i5

Memory: 8 GB

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER / GTX 1650

DirectX: Version 11

Recommended Storage Space: 20 GB

The Pokemon Company International announced the release date of the new season of the Pokemon anime series. It will come out in Japan on April 14, 2023. Additionally, the company shared a short clip in Japanese, with some information on Riko, one of the two main protagonists of this new story. Riko is a young girl born and raised in the Paldea Region, and she possesses a strange pendant. More announcements will come in the near future.

Riko and Roy are the new protagonists of the Pokemon anime. We still don’t know a lot about Roy, but we can expect more information about him coming soon. The three Paldea starters will be featured in the series. You can check out a short clip with information on Riko here:

https://twitter.com/Pokemon_cojp/status/1623992763602567168

While people wait for more information on this brand new Pokemon adventure, Ash’s journey is coming to an end with Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master, a special 11-episode arc. In some recent information shared by Oricon News, the Squirtle Squad from the original 1998 will make an appearance in the fifth episode of this special series, which includes Ash’s original Squirtle.

The new Pokemon anime series releases on April 14, 2023 in Japan. There is no information on when the English dub will release. Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master airs every Friday, and the episode featuring the Squirtle Squad will air on February 10, 2023.

It has been 15 years since the original Dead Space came out and since that day in 2008, it gained a reputation as a standout survival horror title. For me though, 2008 was all about assembling my ragtag group of Nintendo mascots to win as many games as I could in Mario Super Sluggers for the Nintendo Wii. The 2023 remake of Dead Space is my first experience with this supposed crown jewel of the survivor horror genre. Thankfully, it turns out Dead Space is just as, if not better than, Mario Super Sluggers, thanks to its rich array of tense moments, exciting gunplay and gorgeous visuals. 

This Week in Business is our weekly recap column, a collection of stats and quotes from recent stories presented with a dash of opinion (sometimes more than a dash) and intended to shed light on various trends. Check back every Friday for a new entry.

It's been over a year now and Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have officially become the worst "Will they or won't they?" of all time.

(Yes, even worse than Ross and Rachel.)

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When I began working on my first Early Access title, I was very sceptical about the whole model. As a marketer, I feel that Early Access games are a bit harder to promote as opposed to full releases. The press doesn’t show much interest in Early Access games and the consumers behind Early Access titles have a different mentality too.

Usually, consumers aren’t that thrilled over EA titles – although that’s changing – and those that do take the bite have high expectations of close ownership of the product and the development process itself. And if you make a few bad moves along the way, your game is on the back burner. Not to mention how hard it is to gain review coverage in the press once you hit 1.0. So an Early Access title is a different beast.

Now after working on a few EA titles (Dinkum, Inkulinati, Medieval Dynasty, and a few more), I feel like Early Access is a fantastic model that can help build a strong community and a great final game. Sure, it’s not for every game type, and some of the drawbacks are still there. But it is a viable option if the game is right.

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2.24 million video games were sold across the UK during January, the latest GSD data shows.

Tracking all physical games, plus digital downloads from most major publishers (see list below), sales are down slightly on last year (a drop of 4.4%).

The main reason for the drop is January 2022 saw the huge launch of Pokémon Legends: Arceus from Nintendo. Whereas this January didn't feature such a significant game release.

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Nexon has released its financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

Full year:

Q4 2022:

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Sony has characterised Microsoft's demands related to the US regulator's investigation into the proposed Activision Blizzard acquisition as "obvious harassment."

As reported by Axios, Microsoft had asked to see documents about seven Sony executives as part of the case and in the context of a subpoena it filed mid-January.

"Microsoft made the reasonable request that SIE begin collecting documents from agreed-upon custodians at various points during the negotiations, including in writing on January 26 and January 31," Microsoft said in a document filed earlier this week.

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Multiplayer has been part of the video game medium since its early years. Even back at the dawn of the 1970s, networked video games existed on the PLATO computer system – a technology that would also help found concepts like email, forums, screen sharing and online testing.

But that fascinating chapter in the history of connected games was just the beginning. Today, in the era of live games, esports, fan communities, streaming and online titles that can play host to all manner of shared experiences and events, the breadth of what counts as multiplayer has expanded tremendously.

bl “Multiplayer games today have taken on the role of something like a social network,” offers Jeff Collins, SVP and GM of Unity Gaming Services. “And if you think back to when Fortnite made its leap to fame in 2018, it emerged as a place for people to be – to spend time – rather than just a place to play games. So there's a trend in multiplayer now, where game developers are refining on that model, and looking to do more than the conventional multiplayer we’ve seen before.”

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It can be difficult keeping track of the various comings and goings in the games industry, which is why we compile them in semi-regular round-ups.

If you have new appointments or transitions in your company that belong here, please send the names of the appointees, new role and company, and prior role and company to newhires@gamesindustry.biz.

JumpButton Studio has appointed Jay-Ann Lopez as its chief operating officer.

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Jason Avent's newly launched game studio Hardball Games has raised £4.3 million ($5.2 million) in a seed funding round.

Avent's career experience includes a six-year stint as a non-executive director at FuturLab.

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GamesIndustry.biz Game Changers is a series of profiles on the groups and individuals going the extra mile to make the games industry a better place. These interviews encompass folks from around the world helping to improve conditions and attitudes towards diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, mental health and more. You can read more Game Changers interviews here.

When reviewing the many, many reasons why Ladell Smith has been nominated as a GamesIndustry.biz Game Changer, it's hard to believe they've barely been in the games industry a year.

Whilst Smith's entire industry experience has been in just one place so far – Auroch Digital – in the "one and a bit years" they've been in post as an associate social and community manager, Smith's peers say they've been an "outstanding" advocate for marginalised voices and has had "a huge impact on improving diversity and accessibility, not only in Auroch Digital but in the wider Sumo Group."

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I do often struggle with these digital showcase events.

I am told this is the future of game announcements, but why do they have to be so dull? The very nature of them requires me to sit through reams and reams of games that really aren't for me, before getting the one or two products that do suit my tastes. In this digital age, surely we can come up with something more creative or entertaining or bespoke? This is the video games industry after all.

It didn’t help that last night’s Nintendo Direct, sitting in its usual February slot, was lacking in big surprises. It was a Direct full of remasters and DLC, its Nintendo Switch Online service has been enhanced with Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games (both the base and enhanced tiers), and the big games that opened and closed the show were known to us already.

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The first Nintendo Direct of the year aired last night, offering plenty of release dates, several surprises, and another glimpse of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

The trailer for the sequel to Breath of the Wild showed off more gameplay, before Nintendo reiterated the May 12th release date and confirmed the $69.99 price tag that was reported earlier this week when a listing was erroneously posted to the Nintendo eShop.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will retail at $69.99, Nintendo confirmed.

Rumours on the Breath of the Wild sequel's price tag had been circulating for the past few days, with Nintendo finally revealing it after yesterday's Nintendo Direct.

Nintendo Switch top-tier first-party titles have historically been priced at $59.99, so it's the first time the platform holder increases its price point.

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Krafton announced its fourth quarter and full-year earnings today, showing declines for 2023 overall and mixed results for the fourth quarter, including the company's first quarterly net loss since it began trading publicly in 2021.

Krafton's 2023 marked the beginning of a major push beyond PUBG for the publisher, with the company pushing into new genres and platforms, most notably with the arrival of its AAA console and PC horror title The Callisto Protocol.

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The UK Competition and Markets Authority today released provisional findings of its investigation into the possible anti-consumer impact of Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard, going so far as to suggest the companies could address its concerns by breaking up the publisher.

Shortly after, Wedbush analysts Nick McKay and Michael Pachter released a note to investors saying the move suggests the merger is close to approval.

"We read today's release as a signal that the UK knows it has a losing legal argument," they said. "In our view, the FTC figured this out late last year, and rushed to file suit to block the merger in the hopes of being first to extract concessions from Microsoft. We believe that the CMA reached the same conclusion during its review, and accelerated its formal objection to the deal and proposed remedies in order to step in front of the FTC and gain bragging rights.

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Backend engine maker Snapser announced that it has closed a $2.6 million seed funding round.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz led the round.

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Anna Hollinrake and Pavle Mihajlović have unveiled games studio Electric Saint.

Creative director Hollinrake brings with her eight years of experience working within the game industry.

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PUBG developer and publisher Krafton has opened its first Canadian studio, GamesIndustry.biz can reveal, with the unveiling of Krafton Montreal.

The company will be led by head of studio Patrik Méthé (pictured above far left), one of many Ubisoft alumni on the team, and is currently working on a video game adaptation of The Bird That Drinks Tears, a popular series of South Korean fantasy novels by Yeongdo Lee.

Currently employing 12 staff, the team hopes to grow to 150 people within the next three years, adding another AAA studio to the already competitive Montreal development scene.

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When we think about starting and running a game studio, we know it's tough. We know that games are a creative audience-driven process which means there are no guarantees of success. Experience, skills, iteration and determination go a long way, but no matter how well things go, or how good your team or game is, you will have highs and lows. Building a business – or a game – is not a straight line from A to B.

What can you do to soften some of those bumps in the road? What can you do to increase your chances of surviving the tough times, so that you can stay around long enough to make the most of the good times?

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The Competitions and Markets Authority has provisionally found that the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft could reduce competition in console and cloud gaming.

The UK regulator says in its provisional report that it believes Microsoft would find it commercially benefical to make Call of Duty exclusive to Xbox -- or available on Xbox in an enhanced way -- which could result in 'higher prices, reduced range, lower quality, worst service and/or reduced innovation'.

It wasn't all about the console space. The firm believes that Activision Blizzard's titles -- including Call of Duty and certain PC titles such as World of Warcraft -- will prove to be vital components to cloud streaming as it grows. The CMA believes Microsoft would likely make these games exclusive to its cloud service.

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Finnish mobile game studio Fingersoft announced that it will now offer a six-hour working day option to its employees, for 90% of their full salary.

The company experimented with the four-day week and the six-hour working day five days a week throughout 2021 and 2022. About 50% of its workforce of 110 people took part in the experiment, with employees given the choice between the two options and the results surveyed by a third-party.

In its announcement, Fingersoft said that "the six-hour days showed more benefits for employees," which is why it decided to adopt it permanently.

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Nintendo has announced plans to raise its employees' pay by 10% despite its lowered financial forecast.

According to Reuters, this is in line with recommendations from the Japanese government, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida advising companies to increase wages alongside inflation.

Nintendo shared the information in an earnings call on Tuesday, with president Shuntaro Furukawa saying: "It's important for our long-term growth to secure our workforce."

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In a rare television interview, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said he believes UK regulators should "embrace" Microsoft's proposed acquisition of his company.

Appearing on CNBC's Squawk Box, the executive was asked about this week's story from the New York Times, which suggested Microsoft's legal team expected the UK's Competition and Markets Authority to oppose the deal.

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Screen Australia announced that it will fund 11 games for AU$1.5 million ($1 million) via the Games: Expansion Pack Fund.

The Games: Expansion Pack focuses on new and smaller-sized indie studios with game budgets below AU$500,000 ($348,000).

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