2023-10-29 13:00:02
Business news A figure from PlayStation is leaving, Xbox is reorganizing… The business news of the week
Published on 10/29/2023 at 2:00 p.m.
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This week has proven to be quite important for the industry of our favorite hobby: while departures continue at PlayStation, Xbox is reorganizing itself and moving certain people up in order to better manage the recent absorption of certain entities. Then, there is also Ubisoft, which is finally breathing a little…
Connie Booth, emblematic figure of PlayStation, announces her departure
Despite excellent figures, the internal situation at Sony continues to be severely disrupted. At the beginning of the week, we announced the sudden and abrupt dismissal of many developers.causing the amazement of those concerned, but also of the entire web which was quick to react.
For his part, David Jaffe, an iconic figure in the industry notably behind the creation of Twisted Metal and God of War and having worked for years with the Japanese team, admitted on We all knew he was practically dead.” He notably announced, unofficially, the hasty departure of Connie Booth. The latter has therefore formalized her departure and Sony has also just done the same.
But then, who is Connie Booth? His name may mean nothing to you, but However, he is one of the important figures of PlayStation. It was in 1996 that she began her career at Sony as Senior Producer on a certain Crash Bandicoot: subsequently, it multiplies its successes with major franchises like Siphon Filter, Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, Jak, Sly, Uncharted, inFamous, Resistance… In fact, she actively worked on the main strong exclusives of the Japanese manufacturer, becoming a key member. And yes, The Last of Us, Death Stranding, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ghost of Tsushima were also able to rely on his work.
Connie Booth
A work substantial enough for Booth to be included in the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science’s Hall of Fame in 2020. In totalthe producer has a 34-year career at Sony Interactive Entertainment, a long career which therefore ends in a nebulous way: in fact, we don’t even know the reasons for his departure and whether it was really voluntary or contentious. In the current context, that of massive layoffs at PlayStation, it must be admitted that this announcement has every reason to cause ink to flow.
David Jaffe, again, predicts in any case his replacement by Angie Smets, currently officiating at Guerrilla Games (Horizon, Killzone). In fact, there was a rumor last summer that the latter would move up the ranks at PlayStation Studios very soon.
Xbox: a big internal reorganization
There is definitely something new at Xbox. A few days after the validation of the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, which directly places Microsoft among the largest video game publishers in the world, it seemsclearly needed to reorganize a few sections and place a few heads in new positions.
Matt Booty
We thus begin with Matt Booty, the current head of Xbox Studios, who is moving up the ranks by becoming President of Content and Game Studios. The differentiation is not necessarily clear, but Booty is really gaining ground and is now in charge of the Bethesda Softworks studios in addition to those of Xbox. This new link between Bethesda studios and Xbox is also explained by Phil Spencer, big boss of Microsoft Gaming:
We believe that an expanded gaming content organization – one that allows Xbox Game Studios and ZeniMax development studios to collaborate effectively together – will allow these world-class studios to do their best to expand our portfolio of games that players love it. ZeniMax will continue to operate as a limited-integration entity led by Jamie Leder, President and CEO, who will report to Matt.
Sarah Bond
Then, Sarah Bond also rises in the hierarchy by becoming president of Xbox, no less. A real elevation which now means it can manage hardware and software platforms. “To manage the platform of today and build the platform of tomorrow, we are bringing together the teams that will make it possible. Sarah Bond will lead this team as President of Xbox, bringing together the departments of Devices, Player & Creator Experiences, Platform Engineering , Strategy, Business Planning, Data & Analytics and Business Development,” says Phil Spencer.
Finally, we can also cite other changes:
Chris Capossela, marketing director at Xboxannounces his departure. He is replaced by Takeshi Numotowho previously worked on cloud gaming. Yusuf Mehdi becomes Executive Vice President and Director of Consumer Marketing at Xbox. A new team within Xbox has been created, dedicated to global sales. It is led by Ami Silverman. “The team will focus on transforming game sales and attracting new audiences across geographic markets,” we’re told.
Ubisoft: finally results in the green!
The period was not good for Ubisoft which, due to cancellations and numerous delays, and perhaps some bad creative or strategic decisions, saw its results historically plunge into the red. A somewhat critical position, but the French publisher intends to get back on track and his recent video game releases have already allowed him to get his head above water.
So, for the last half-year (which ended on September 30), Ubisoft announces good news:
A turnover of 836 million euros (+14% compared to last year) A net result of 822 million euros (+18% compared to last year) An operating profit of 16 million euros (counts 215 million euros in the first half of last year)
These progressions can be explained in particular by the release of The Crew Motorfest and Assassin’s Creed Mirage, released in September and October respectively, contributing to revenue growth. Ubisoft states that The Crew Motorfest recorded record sales for the series; AC Mirage had a solid launch.
Let’s also remember that Ubisoft’s older games – but still expertly maintained – also participated in the above figures. For example, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege increased its net bookings by approximately 50% this semester!
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot spoke enthusiastically on the subject:
Ubisoft had an excellent second quarter, well above our expectations. The activity was mainly driven by the performance of our back-catalogue, thanks in particular to the remarkable growth of Rainbow Six Siege, in a globally competitive environment for first-person shooter games.
In brief in the business news of the week
Branch VR by Meta saw his turnover drop by 26% during the third trimester. The massacre continues at Embracer: the Digic studio announces the departure of 35 employees.Capcom’s first half numbers are good, with net sales of $498 million (+53%). Street Fighter 6 notably sold 2.47 million units, Exoprimal exceeded one million units and Resident Evil 4 Remake is at 5.45 million sales.Lords of the Fallen has sold over a million copies ; its budget was also revealed, being $66 million. Lords of the Fallen has sold over 5 million copies.
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