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The Entertainment Software Association announced today that E3 is officially dead. After more than two decades, the long-running video game conference where developers, publishers, businesses, and press met to check out new games, watch reveals, and more, has been permanently canceled.  The first E3 took place in 1995 and the last in-person conference happened in 2019. The 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but E3 returned for one last bout in 2021 with an all-digital event. The 2022 show was canceled, and this year's event, which was set to happen with ReedPop, was canceled as well.  pic.twitter.com/y6dtVkBvNI — E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023 Personally, while this news comes as no surprise, I'm legitimately sad about it. E3 is one of the things that first pulled me into the idea of writing about games for a living – I...

The Entertainment Software Association has announced that its long-running Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is officially dead, as reported by The Washington Post. The last in-person E3 conference happened in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and other complications prevented it from coming back in full form since. Despite struggles, the ESA attempted to bring E3 back in various ways.  It was canceled in 2020 as a result of the pandemic; the 2021 E3 was an all-digital event; the 2022 show was canceled, and this year's attempt with PAX organizer ReedPop was canned, too.  pic.twitter.com/y6dtVkBvNI — E3 (@E3) December 12, 2023 "After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association has decided to bring E3 to a close," ESA president and CEO Stanely Pierre-Louis...

Hasbro, the parent company behind Wizards of the Coast, which itself is responsible for both Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, is laying off 1100 employees, as reported by Dicebreaker and The Wall Street Journal. The company, which is also behind the Transformers franchise (toys and other media),  announced this decision yesterday, on December 11.  Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks called the need for layoffs in an email sent to staff a "lever we must pull to keep Hasbro healthy" and "a last resort." As noted by Dicebreaker, Cocks became CEO of Hasbro in February of last year and earns roughly $1.5 million in salary in the position – his total earnings for 2022 amounted to $9.4 million, however.  "While we're confident in the future of Hasbro, the current environment demands that we do more, even if these choices are some of...

Terra Nil, the "reverse city builder" from developer Free Lives and publisher Devolver Digital, is coming to Switch next week. More specifically, it will hit the Nintendo console on December 18, as revealed in a new trailer you can watch below.  While many simulation games task you with creating a new metropolis or saving a colony of humans from post-apocalyptic conditions, Terra Nil instead tasks you with saving nature from climate change and the effects of humans. Instead of building roadways and buildings, you build windmills, calcifiers, and more.  As you can see, Terra Nil is not only a unique spin on the simulation genre, but a pretty one. It's sure to pop on Nintendo Switch OLED models, too, if you have one.  If you're unsure whether or not the game is for you, read Game Informer's Terra Nil review to...

Update, 12/12/23: Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, announced yesterday that it was shutting down. It said at the time that servers for the game, which launched last week on December 7, would remain operational but that the future of The Day Before is unknown. Now, less than 24 hours later, The Day Before is no longer available for purchase on Steam (although you can still visit the page).  Plus, anyone who purchased the game is eligible for a refund, according to Fntastic.  "Answer to those who ask for a refund," a Fntastic tweet reads. "[We and publisher Mytona are] currently working with Steam to allow refunds for any player who chooses to request one, regardless of the game time. Fntastic received $0 and will receive nothing from The Day Before sales."  Notably, Steam allows users to refund...

Hogwarts Legacy hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC back in February – you can read Game Informer's Hogwarts Legacy review here. Now, as 2023 comes to a close, Google has released the top 10 trending searches in games on Google over the year and in the top slot is Hogwarts Legacy.   While many were likely searching for new trailers, gameplay, and information about the game, there's no doubt some of the Google searching for this game stems from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's inflammatory statements about the trans community. Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive says Rowling was not involved with the creation of Hogwarts Legacy, which was developed by Avalanche, but given it's based on the Harry Potter franchise she created, she undoubtedly made money off of it. Nonetheless, it was the subject of many top trending searches on...

Fntastic, the studio behind The Day Before, is shutting down. It announced the closure today with a statement that arrives just four days after the The Day Before launched into Early Access on December 7.  The studio says servers for The Day Before will remain operational, but it also says at this moment, the future of the game (and its 2021 release, Propnight) are unknown. Fntastic opened in 2015 – its first game was The Wild Eight, released in 2017.  Here is Fntastic's statement on its closing, in full:  "Today, we announce the closure of Fntastic studio. Unfortunately, The Day Before has failed financially, and we lack the funds to continue. All income received is being used to pay off debts to our partners. We invested all our efforts, resources, and man-hours into the development of The Day Before,...

Developer Dlala Studios and publisher Walt Disney Games released Disney Illusion Island, a 2D Metroidvania-esque platformer, exclusively on Switch earlier this year. It was nominated for Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2023 – check out all the winners here – and now, Dlala has revealed it is launching new content this week.  More specifically, the Keeper Up update will go live in Disney Illusion Island for free on Wednesday, December 13. It includes new time trial challenges, quality of life updates like an improved map, and more.    "In this fast-paced new experience, players must try and beat the clock and show off their parkour prowess, thanks to a set of new challenges arranged by the 'Mavens of Monoth,' a group of 'old Monoth' enthusiasts who want to see if anyone knows how to navigate these lands...

Update, 12/11/23: Last month, VideoGamesChronicle reported that Free Radical Design, the team behind the TimeSplitters franchise, might be facing a complete shutdown. It seems that shutdown has happened, as the Free Radical Design website now leads to a 404 page. Plus, various employees have been posting about the studio, saying goodbye to it and more online.  It's been a great 2 and a quarter years at Free Radical Design, sad to see us go. Onwards and upwards! pic.twitter.com/VEfJ29g42D — Mark🥋🎨 (@KeighleyKicker) December 11, 2023 Gonna miss the folks at FRD 😔 Thank you and all the best for the future x pic.twitter.com/fsjFjM7I00 — Deanna / Jr Env Artist (@Sparrargh) December 11, 2023 The last day at FRD was very different from what I imagined. I don't think it sunk in properly just yet, but handed my keys in and left the building the last time....

At the top of the month, developer Epic Games launched Chapter 5 of Fortnite's popular Battle Royale mode. But with the start of this new chapter, the team also launched three new experiences within the Fortnite launcher. The first was Lego Fortnite, a survival Minecraft-like game, and soon after, the second, Rocket Racing, a new racing mode created by Rocket League developers Psyonix, went live. The third and final new experience of Chapter 5 (so far, at least) went live over the weekend – it's called Fortnite Festival and is basically Rock Band-lite but in the universe of Fortnite.  It launched Saturday, December 9, and allows players to use their various Fortnite skins and cosmetics on the Main Stage and Jam Stage to perform songs like The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" alongside Epic Games originals....