General Gaming News III: Gotta keep paying those CEOs

[Anoat]

I guess this will hit the hard nostalgia for a certain generation of gamers. I only remember playing the original Toy Story for SNES and I do remember it fondly. Never played or even heard of the other games though lol

https://twitter.com/geoffkeighley/st...40267389632900

[6souls]

https://bsky.app/profile/gematsu.com/post/3mnd7skd7n22c

[Kaisha]

I guess this will hit the hard nostalgia for a certain generation of gamers. I only remember playing the original Toy Story for SNES and I do remember it fondly. Never played or even heard of the other games though lol

Why did it have to be fucking Digital Eclipse. All of their "ROM collections" have an embarrassing amount of input lag.

[Gokulo]

The high res UI looks so jarring together with the sprites, lol

[Tyrath]

Man I played that way back when it was Tales of Destiny 2. Had no idea what Tales was at the time.

[Ayn]

Funny thing: I imported Eternia years ago thinking "nah, there's no way they'd bring this stateside"

Then they did. What was jarring to me was it felt like this game had a mix of the most unlikable Tales cast ('cept for Rid/Reid) alongside one of the best worlds/stories.

[6souls]

https://www.theverge.com/games/94774...cards-scammers

Steam is ending sales of physical gift cards due to scamming

[Athas]

Are digital versions somehow not also vulnerable to scammers?

[6souls]

Are digital versions somehow not also vulnerable to scammers?

Vulnerable adults and the elderly aren't buying digital gift cards.

[6souls]

https://kotaku.com/ubisoft-closing-t...ues-2000704940
https://insider-gaming.com/ubisoft-w...ens-layed-off/

Ubisoft is closing their Winnipeg studio (Rainbow Six Mobile) & Belgrade studio (Steep/Skull & Bones) with about ~380 job losses.

[Malithar]

Are digital versions somehow not also vulnerable to scammers?

To expand on 6souls' answer since not everyone knows, it's a common scam/fraud tactic to get someone to purchase gift cards of various things as "payment" for something. In reality, the victim is being tricked into shelling out for nothing at all and once they've given the gift card code over, they're cooked. I work in banking and there hasn't been a day that has passed in the last 6 years that I haven't dealt with an account of someone who was convinced the [insert entity here] (IRS is popular but I've seen FBI, police, local firefighter donations, computer repair person, a school for their grand kids, a contest they're entering, a random person they met on social media/dating websites that needs money, etc) needed paid in [insert brand here] gift cards. The more obscure the gift card company, the more likely they won't know what it is and buy it without asking questions, it's just another tactic to confuse the victim - questions mean interaction, interaction means shame or judgement for what they're doing, etc. Banks are not doing much of anything to help willing participants and the scammers are pros at finding the most gullible.

[6souls]

Apple gift cards are the most popular, Sephora, too. Retailers put a hard cap on a dollar value of cards that can be purchased and the scammer is always asking for more than that. Besides the scammer situation Malithar mentioned, it's also used to launder money. There was a regular at the Walgreens I worked at that used Steam & Apple cards to launder his bank account overseas to prevent his then wife from draining him as he was preparing for a divorce. We only learned about his intent towards the tail end of my career there.

Another step further on the laundering, Visa gift cards are a popular card to launder via Western Union. If you're not trained on how a a GC looks compared to a regular card, it's easy to miss (I know from personal experience). They pay for a transfer with the gift cards, then an hour or two later, they will send a friend in to cash out in US bills.

[6souls]

https://news.ea.com/press-releases/p...e-Experiences/

EA introduces EA Advertising. "Launching Brands Directly Into Gameplay and Live Experiences"

Spoiler: show

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), the global leader in interactive entertainment, today announced the launch of EA Advertising, a new platform transforming how brands connect with audiences through digital and real-world experiences across its global portfolio of games.

EA sits at the intersection of entertainment, sports, technology, music, and culture. Across console, mobile, and PC, our games and services reached more than 120 million players1 each month during fiscal year 2026. Together, this scale and frequency of engagement create meaningful opportunities for brands to connect with audiences through authentic, interactive experiences. EA SPORTS is one of the largest interactive sports platforms in the world, connecting hundreds of millions of players across console, PC, and mobile each year. Fans engage with EA SPORTS at extraordinary scale playing the equivalent of 23,000 NFL seasons every day in Madden NFL and completing more than 1 billion matches each month in EA SPORTS FC. Through a portfolio spanning globally licensed franchises EA SPORTS gives brands access to highly engaged sports audiences at scale. EA builds spaces where players play, watch, and connect with one another, creating participatory experiences where brands come to play alongside them.

EA Advertising is expanding EA’s ecosystem by enabling brands to integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content, designed to enhance, not disrupt, the player experience. In these interactive gameplay environments, brands become part of the game itself, reflecting how players engage with advertising in real-world contexts. Brands can activate across live environments, tailoring placements to meet campaign objectives, and update campaigns with ongoing optimization informed by aggregated engagement insights.

“Players come to EA’s games and live experiences every day to play, watch, create and connect,” said David Tinson, Chief Experiences Officer at Electronic Arts. “That gives brands a meaningful opportunity to show up in ways that add value and respect the player experience, while maintaining authenticity in the worlds our teams are building. With EA Advertising, we’re helping brands become part of those moments in ways that are relevant and built for players.”

As part of the launch, EA Advertising is introducing new ways for brands to reach audiences and measure performance across its ecosystem:

• Brand Partnerships and Gameplay Integrations: EA Advertising partners directly with brands and agencies to create custom integrations designed for specific games and audiences. These collaborations bring brands into the experience through interactive moments, like in-game challenges, reward-driven objectives, and branded content. Brands can also opt into customizations like curated vanity items. Each integration is designed to reflect how fans engage with sports, games and culture, helping drive deeper engagement and brand connection.
• Ad Units in 3D Sports Simulations: Advertisers can now reach fans through native ad units in select EA SPORTS games, including digital ad boards, scoreboards, and brand broadcast overlays. Ads are dynamically served within the 3D environment, with impression measurement aligned to IAB standards for greater targeting and consistency.
• Enhanced Targeting and Measurement Capabilities: Brands can connect with relevant audiences across EA’s franchises using advanced targeting powered by EA’s new proprietary ad server and SDK, custom built for EA’s Frostbite game engine. Advertisers can now collaborate with EA in a privacy-safe way to improve targeting and gain deeper campaign insights. EA ensures ads are viewable, delivered to real audiences, and measured using industry-accredited standards in partnership with Integral Ad Science.
• EA SPORTS Partner Program: As part of EA Advertising, the EA SPORTS Partner Program introduces a new model for how brands participate in sports culture—moving beyond traditional sponsorship into co-created fan experiences built in, around, and beyond the game. Designed as a premium ecosystem for a select group of official partners, the program gives brands access to one of the world’s most engaged sports communities through opportunities ranging from live events like EA SPORTS Presents Madden Bowl and franchise tentpole moments such as Ratings Reveals, to in-game integrations, live service activations, creator tools, social play experiences, and community-driven programs. The program also extends into broader cultural and athlete-driven initiatives, including GEN / EA SPORTS, the company’s next-generation athlete platform focused on shaping the future storytelling and participation across sports fandom.

EA Advertising has already started to partner with leading brands to deliver in-game experiences across the EA Portfolio, including:

• Visa, a proud partner of EA SPORTS FC™ and EA SPORTS™ College Football, is partnering with EA SPORTS to deliver immersive, participatory experiences in and beyond the game, connecting its global network with a community of hundreds of millions of players.
• Lowe’s, which integrated into EA SPORTS FC, Madden NFL, and College Football through Ultimate Team challenges and branded player content, driving more than 987,000 games played and more than 200,000 challenges completed.
• Red Bull engaged EA SPORTS FC players through branded in-game objectives, team kits, and athlete ambassador collaborations, driving more than 128 million matches played, 1.2 million objectives completed, and strong in-game and social engagement.
• Xfinity and Peacock, which activated through dynamic in-stadium and broadcast-style integrations, custom vanity kits, Ultimate Team Packs, and personalized rewards through the Rewards program, in EA SPORTS FC 26, bringing the energy of live sports media into gameplay.
• Mountain Dew’s “DEW University,” a fully playable team experience in EA SPORTS College Football 26, complete with a custom stadium, mascot, and reward ecosystem.

EA Advertising works directly with brands and partners to create bespoke integrations across its portfolio, spanning in-game, community, and real-world experiences. This hands-on approach enables tailored executions built for each title and audience, with expanded buying capabilities planned as the platform continues to scale.

[Zealot]

XBox reportedly about to close Arkane and Compulsion studios. Arkane is behind Deathloop and was working on the Blade video game.

[6souls]

https://bsky.app/profile/shinobi602..../3moefjaylrk2w
https://www.dontnod-bourse.com/fr/in...blee-generale/

Don't Nod (Life is Strange/Vampyr) will run out of cash reserves by November. Tencent is divesting from the developer.

[Tyrath]

First they kill Gang of Dragon, now this

God, I hate Tencent

[Kaisha]

Gang of Dragon was NetEase, unless I'm missing something. Wonder if we'll see Tencent also backing away from any of their other 100 some investments/acquisitions over the Western gaming market in the last decade.

[Tyrath]

You're right, I mixed up the names

[Weltall]

Sounds like Sony is going to lay off 50% of Bungie soon.

[6souls]

Sounds like Sony is going to lay off 50% of Bungie soon.

The rumor also includes layoffs at Bend, Haven, Media Molecule, Nixxes, & Team LFG. Probably happening around the same time as the XBOX layoffs.