We've got another gaming business roundup for you, and this week has seen some pretty big companies embroiled in (admittedly fairly minor) controversies, as well as a new indie startup, the listing of a major Korean developer on the stock market, and more.
Here's what's been happening on the business side of the industry in the past week!
EA gets a wrist slap for failing to disclose loot boxes
This week, the UK Advertising Standards Authority gave EA a slap on the wrist for failing to adequately disclose loot boxes in an ad for the mobile game Golf Clash.
The ASA's ruling proclaims that the text declaring loot boxes in the Golf Clash ad in question isn't sufficiently visible, as it's too small and appears for too brief a time for consumers to understand what it's trying to tell them. Better luck next time, EA.
Notably, this isn't the first time EA has been in trouble for Golf Clash ads, although in the last ASA ruling, the studio said the ad in question was mistakenly released, a defense to which it has not returned this time.
Shift Up listed on the South Korean stock market
Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: Nikke developer Shift Up saw its first day of public trading on the South Korean stock market this week.
According to Bloomberg, the company's initial performance on the market was strong, with Shift Up jumping 18% on its first day and ending on 71,000 won (about $51) per share.
Recently, Stellar Blade's sales topped a million, according to Shift Up itself, and a PC version of the hack-and-slash game is currently being mooted. We'll have to wait and see what happens on that front.
Fae Farm dev now lets staffers show off unreleased projects
In a rather unexpected and encouraging development, Phoenix Labs, the developer behind Fae Farm and Dauntless, is now allowing staffers to show off assets from unreleased projects.
As noted by external development director Dave Sanderson, samples from the studio's unreleased projects have begun to appear online, with a view to helping former "colleagues and suppliers" find new work.
New indie publisher First Break Labs reveals its first games
This week saw the formation of a new indie publisher and investment firm by the name of First Break Labs, and it's staffed partly by former Nintendo and Sega execs.
The company's staff includes ex-Sega product marketing head Alfonso Cubias, as well as former Nintendo product specialist Derek Seklecki. Its first four games will be the Vampire Survivors-esque Entropy Survivors, turn-based strategy game Warside, side-scroller Baseless, and adventure game Particle Hearts.
Nintendo is having issues with secrecy
Dataminer Yakumono this week uncovered the identity of the developer behind Nintendo's speedrunning compilation Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, prompting questions about Nintendo's apparent policy of secrecy.
Indieszero is just the latest developer not to be obviously credited for a Nintendo project; other recent examples include Good-Feel for Princess Peach: Showtime! and ArtePiazza for the Super Mario RPG remake.
It's not a great look for the company; the lack of developer credit harks back to the dark days of early gaming, when developers often weren't credited for their work, leading to the creation of the first Easter egg.
Dying Light 2 dev Techland adopts a back-to-office approach
Techland, the developer behind Dying Light 2, has become the latest developer to mandate that "most" employees return to the office or adopt a hybrid working approach.
The studio confirmed its decision to GamesIndustry.biz earlier this week, telling the site that the decision was made in order to "create a more collaborative work environment". This also includes staff working overseas.
Techland does, however, insist that it's still possible for workers to "request home office days on demand as needed", and that "remote work remains an option".
Also in the news this week
Embracer Group has secured a new credit facility for itself, which the company says will "reduce interest expenses" and make Embracer a "leaner and more focused company".
Xbox announced the introduction of a new Game Pass tier and a price hike for some of the existing tiers this week, adding further confusion to what's becoming a less and less streamlined system.
Sony and Palworld developer Pocketpair signed a new deal to help the creature-collecting survival game go beyond the world of gaming, so expect more Palworld media very soon.
That's all we've got for you this week! Join us again next week for another look at what's been going on in the world of gaming business.
