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Bosskey Newsletter 2

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Nov 10, 2023 — 5 min read

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Layoffs are still happening and its sad. Maybe indie game deevelopment might be the way forward. HTMAG Chris wrote a post that encouraged AAA devs on jumping to indie games

https://howtomarketagame.com/2023/11/06/my-advice-to-aaa-developers-trying-to-make-indie-games/

Game Dev News

Take Two CEO AI Caution, MOVIES, MOBILE GAMING, AND MORE

AI cannot make hit games

Zelnick seemed optimistic about the technology but caveated by saying that he believes “it may be better, but it almost certainly will not be faster and cheaper,” as he foresees that a race to adopt AI will force Take-Two to make major investments in developing its own.

Take 2 CEO

On Cloud

He emphasised that cloud gaming is a distribution technology, not a business model, and described it as an evolution rather than a revolution of the games business.

"Broader distribution is always a good thing in the entertainment business," he said. "If we can reach more consumers with our properties, we're happy to do it as long as the terms make sense. And I think broader distribution over time probably benefits us in any number of ways, including the cost of distribution, which I believe will go down over time.

Layoffs, Mobile and Movies

On layoffs spreading across the industry and affecting Take-Two in March as well, Zelnick blamed the job turnover on gaming companies being too optimistic about growth fueled by people staying at home and online in the past few years and “were really having champagne and cocktails a little too aggressively and had to pull back.”

Zelnick also explained why he’s been resistant to adapting Take-Two’s multiple franchises, such as Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and more, into movies and TV. (New details emerged in September around a BioShock film that has lagged behind in production.)

“Make no mistake about it. It is a very risky move, and I’m pretty risk averse with regard to our intellectual property,” Zelnick said.

Zelnick sees the obvious upside, pointing to the estimated $125 million in toy sales that Mattel is projecting thanks to the success of its Barbie movie. But the risk may not be worth the reward. If Take-Two licenses its films and those movies flop, they could even hurt the existing franchises. So for the most part, the company is sticking to gaming.

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/take-two-ceo-strauss-zelnick-cautious-on-ai-game-to-film-adaptations

Grand Theft Auto 6 reveal incoming

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-rockstar-plans-to-unveil-grand-theft-auto-vi-this-week

We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto. We look forward to many more years of sharing these experiences with all of you.

Thank you,
Sam Houser
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 8, 2023

Sam Houser on Rockstar X / Twitter

Microsoft Xbox AI

AI is the wild west right now and developers are rejecting it even though Microsoft is using the narrative to "Empower Creators". I am watching AI Closely as it will be affecting many industries to come.