470°

Sony Names New Head of Santa Monica Studio

Sony Santa Monica names 19-year veteran Yumi Yang as new studio head after Shannon Studstill joined Google Stadia's new studio.

Smokehouse1503d ago (Edited 1503d ago )

Whaaat that sucks. Stadia? But that’s cool, good luck to them.

bouzebbal1503d ago

Yumi is awesome.. I saw that making of God of war

Smokehouse1503d ago

I’m sure but the other chick was cool.

darthv721502d ago

It could be that Harrison and Studstill got to talking and he said there was an opening and Google could really use all the help they can get. I wouldnt be surprised if Harrison poached someone from a MS studio next. He has connections.

Smokehouse1502d ago

I’m more surprised she didn’t go across the street to the initiative studio if anything. Money is money though and she obviously knows her shit when it comes to producing.

derek1502d ago

Why join Stadia, it's the equivalent of boarding the titanic as it sinks.

Smokehouse1502d ago

They just saw the iceberg and they are calling in more lifeboats.

TheGamez1001503d ago

Yumi's pretty cool but Shannon was awesome too. Odd she went to stadia though....just why lol.

mkis0071503d ago

Wonder if she'll be back within a year

TheColbertinator1503d ago

Easy Google money then leave before the ship sinks.

brrdat1502d ago

you're smoking something good if you think google is paying their devs more than sony.

wraith99991502d ago

@brrdat

alphabet (the parent company of google) has around ~12x the market cap of sony lmfao.....

rainslacker1503d ago (Edited 1503d ago )

Money, and the chance to be part of something different. Probably a good amount of stock options as well. That's usually how these silicon valley deals work out.

Don Mattrick went to Zynga knowing they were going to fail. Even Zynga knew they were going to fail. But him taking over, after his relative success with 360 made Zynga appear that they were going to be prosperous. In the screwed up world that is tech investment, the potential is worth more than the actual product. You'd think they would have learned this is a bad way to do business after the last tech bubble burst, but here we are, and stupid crazy deals are made every day because people see potential that really isn't there more than half the time. The creators cash out, investors are left footing the bill, until they sell it off to the next guy who pays a stupid amount of money for it.

Lilrizky1503d ago

Sometimes people just want to do something new, which i think this is. Shannon has been at Santa Monica doing God of War for a number of years now.

All the best to her

loxim1503d ago

I don't see Stadia surviving the long term, it can't with how crappy internet can affect it so much.

KwietStorm_BLM1502d ago

To leave a studio like Santa Monica for Stadia, especially after the length of time she's been with PlayStation, Google had to have paid her a retirement check. I'm not gonna judge the woman for her own decisions, but I don't comprehend it. Definitely a big get for Google though.

GameStallion1502d ago

I bet you they gave her a giant raise. But yeah, like others said, we’ll see how long it lasts.

Edito1502d ago

She is probably regretting joining Google Statia team lol.

UltraNova1502d ago

I hear Google Paychecks are irresistible...

TKCMuzzer1502d ago (Edited 1502d ago )

Why? just taking shot in the dark.............$$$$$$

1Victor1502d ago

More money for less work is a high motivator to leave a job

1502d ago
+ Show (12) more repliesLast reply 1502d ago
timotim1503d ago

Studio head huh...yeah...it happens. Good luck to this person though.

1503d ago Replies(2)
ShadowWolf7121502d ago

lol you ain't even subtle are you?

At least TRY, Tim.

timotim1502d ago

Dude, I'm being honest...all i did was read the story like Everyone else...i did not smile at all...but his reply really did make me laugh because i know exactly what he thought.

spicelicka1503d ago

As long as Cory Barlog is still there, I don't care.

KwietStorm_BLM1502d ago

Cory doesn't do everything himself, nobody does. It's a team effort, and Shannon was still with Sony Santa Monica back when Cory left for Crystal Dynamics. There's a reason she spoke and held the award when God of War won game of the year.

solideagle1502d ago

but biggest ideas come from director. how he fought for this son/father story and changed everything took a lot. It's not like everyone had same idea. that is why Directors are super important.

1502d ago
spicelicka1502d ago (Edited 1502d ago )

Of course not, but he's been a key figure for a long time and was responsible the story and direction of the latest GOW, which are arguably the most important components. I'm just saying it would a huge hit if he left.

AK911503d ago

No idea who she is hope she helps the studio to make great games.

MasterCornholio1503d ago (Edited 1503d ago )

She was the project manager for GOW 2018. Not to mention she was there for almost 20 years so I believe she is capable of doing the job.

Show all comments (47)
390°

Former Blizzard President Suggests Players Should Have Option to Tip Developers

Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra recently suggested an interesting concept that has sparked a debate among gamers - the idea of being able to tip developers after completing a game.

LG_Fox_Brazil1d 15h ago

If I had a 100% way to be sure that this money would go to a fund or a reserve dedicated only to the guys who develop the games, be them designers, artists, programmers and so on, I could think about it.

But we all know that this 'tip' would only end up in a publisher's CEO pocket to buy a new yacht, so, no, I ain't tipping anyone anytime soon on this industry

neutralgamer199219h ago

Exactly these companies were raising money for good causes and gamers were donation and come to find out they are keeping a good chunk of be pie

PapaBop10h ago

Yeah tip your developer, 5% proceeds go to developer, 95% to the publisher or whoever. Isn't tipping for staff not making minimum wage? How about they just pay their developers properly and like you know, give them fair bonuses? Too much to ask from Blizzard these days, Kotick saw to that and is now laughing all the way to the bank.

MrDead19h ago(Edited 19h ago)

It's the t**ts at the top looking at ways to cut devs wages and get the players to tip them like waiting staff, and I'll guarantee a percentage is skimmed and kept by Activision Blizzard. This is 100% for shareholder and CEO playouts.

Popsicle18h ago(Edited 18h ago)

I have to agree with this. On the surface tipping devs sounds like a great idea, but in the end it leads to pay cuts and subsidization of pay. Tips then become an expectation or the devs “can’t make a living.” Lastly, especially in the US, tip culture has gotten out of control, and it serves as an excuse not to properly pay employees. Sounds good but doesn’t end well.

1Victor15h ago

Uh so they’re trying triple dip or more we buy the game that they’re already withholding/cutting content for dlc we was told that season pass would help the developers thrive we felt for it.
Now on top of all that plus their sales bonus they want tips enough is enough whatever happens to you create/built a good game get a bonus for sales milestones you care about your game and community we reward you with more sales not for doing 3/4 of a game then save the other 1/4 for dlc and passes after

raWfodog13h ago

The 'tip' is me buying your game in the first place.

S2Killinit10h ago

Very well said. If it was possible to send the money to either the developer or some organization for the betterment of gaming, sure. But we all know that will not be the case.

Rynxie8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

No, it would go to those on the top. They will still fire developers, have a bunch of microtransactions, raise prices of games and so on.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 8h ago
H91d 14h ago

So they eventually don't pay their workers and depend on our tips to pay them like the case with waiters!

Deeeeznuuuts18h ago

That kind of practice is only normal in the states, as far as I know anyway, what a backwards system

H917h ago

No it's as well in a every country that wants to amercanize

bloop15h ago

Ireland is literally the first stop across the pond and we don't have a tipping culture. The only establishments here that would expect a tip are the tourist haunts that Americans visit. Other than that, you might tip in a restaurant as a sign of gratitude for great service and waiting staff would be paid a full wage anyway.

Rebel_Scum9h ago

Tipping is not customary iin most countries dude. Get a passport lol.

Jin_Sakai1d 14h ago

Is this a joke? How about the big wigs giving up some of their pay for their hard working developers.

MrBaskerville20h ago

Maybe the CEO could earn his money based on tips.

mastershredder1d 13h ago

good god. The devs are not baristas dude. Total 1% ideals. Fing Chadosaurus.

Show all comments (74)
70°

Avalanche Studios Staff Reach Two-Year Union Contract

After six months of negotiating, Avalanche Studios staff have successfully unionized with a new two-year collective bargaining agreement.

Read Full Story >>
insider-gaming.com
thorstein3d ago

Sega unionized, now Avalanche. Rafiki: It is time

320°

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Expected to Release Around 2027, Says Square Enix

It's fairly common knowledge that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth enjoyed a relatively smooth development cycle, owing to the fact that Final Fantasy 7 Remake's team was largely kept intact, and the first game had obviously laid the foundations in terms of visuals and gameplay systems. It took Square Enix around three years to craft Rebirth, and it expects the same kind of timeline when it comes to the third (and final) title in the trilogy.

Read Full Story >>
pushsquare.com
lucian2293d ago

Soooo long. Sigh lmao gonna be a long long wait.

Cacabunga2d ago

Yes but better they take their time with such game. A good argument to get PS5 Pro

Sonic18812d ago

The PS6 might be out by then

Cacabunga2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

In 2,5 years? No way .. Pro will be around for at least 2 years..

RaidenBlack2d ago

Might be an unpopular opinion here, but I wish the remake was a 2-parter not a 3-parter.
Die-hard fans will disagree and I get it but ... I think they're stretching the project abit too much imho.

lucian2292d ago

considering how much story is in the original, i think it's fine. Everything is very well elaborated and the connection to those characters are much greater thanks to it. Like, i like seeing tifa and aerith as best friends for example. the fact the first 2 games in this trilogy basically only covered the first disc of the original is kinda crazy tho lol

Becuzisaid2d ago

@lucian That first disc was a whopper though. I don't remember the second being as long, and the third is basically just the final dungeon.

I'm glad they did 3 games. The first 2 have been absolutely phenomenal. Looking forward to the Weapons (the real ones) waking up and attacking, the underwater exploration (they set that up pretty good with the lore of Under Junon), and finally Cloud's big reveal. It'll be real interesting to see how they handle the repercussions of Cloud's behavior from Rebirth and what he's going to do in Part 3. Like the party should realistically just abandon him for being such an a-hole, and after what he did to a Tifa. They really played up the whole Sephiroth mind control thing in Rebirth. They really need to nail the emotional payoff to that. Hope it's not just swept under the rug by the party and just move on post Lifestream.

-Foxtrot2d ago

Also 3 games and then a Crisis core remaster

Then god knows what else

It’s overkill

I’d under the trilogy if they lived up to their excuse about it being about expanding the lore. Like they said the first game would heavily expand the lore of Midgar through side missions but the side missions didn’t do that at all, they were all pretty generic. Felt like a bad excuse to justify 3 games.

-Foxtrot2d ago

Least we have a potential date

Although now I’m just thinking

“Damn 3-4 years to see if we’ll ever get a FFVIII remake next”

VersusDMC2d ago

Apparently there is a IX remake getting made. You need that to come out and be successful before a VIII remake is even possibly green lit.

But if you're thinking the FF7REMAKE team is making a FFVIII remake after part 3...that is not happening. They are definitely making a new FF after.

-Foxtrot2d ago

Well apparently IX is coming first because the VIII team are working on the VII remakes

So if they get finished then hopefully they will work on VIII next

You say it won’t but I’m hoping they will…just something less ambitious

TheEroica2d ago

Yikes.... Sales are already lower than expected for the sequel. Third game is gonna be lower....

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2d ago
GoodGuy093d ago (Edited 3d ago )

I really think it should've been just one game or two at most, kept to the simple turn based combat, and no crazy changes to the story. But it's whatever. I liked rebirth but man was it bloated with so much unnecessary and repetitive stuff. Square is really betting their money on the remakes. I do admit the remakes have been the only mainline ff games Ive actually quite liked since probably 10 lol.

Lexreborn22d ago

I don’t feel like it’s bloated, it’s more or less all the same content that was in the original for mini games but they expanded everyone’s narrative better.

I am glad they expanded even on the characters that came in later games that wasn’t in the original. It’s a weird position we keep putting devs in when one moment we say give us a complete game with tons of content. They deliver said content and then we treat it like it’s overwhelming or to much.

Crazy part is you could just focus on the story and do none of the “bloat”. Gamers really seem to never be happy when you look online forums

rambot892d ago

Wouldn’t make sense financially. 1 game would involve a mammoth amount of development time and a gamble to say the least. Making one part of the game and seeing if it makes $$$ gives reason to justify making a part 2 and 3 and make more money too.

OtterX2d ago

That's pretty crazy if you think about the 2005 PS3 tech demo that started this all! I'm not sure if they ever intended to remake the game at that time, but the fan outcry for it was so incredible that it eventually became a reality! Now imagine all of the fans who have died waiting for this. :\

GamerRN2d ago

That's how you turn an 80$ game into a $240 game

jambola2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Which game is 240?
You must've bought from a bad scalper because I got both games for normal price each

GamerRN2d ago

How much did each part cost?

Lionsguard2d ago

I mean not too surprised, they already have most of all the assets already made. I just hope it's UE5 and they crank it to 11 and finish strong. I also hope they go back and upgrade Remake and Rebirth to UE5 too. BUY THE DAMN GAME PEOPLE!!

franwex2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

For all the complaints about GAAS and same thing getting released every year. It’s almost dumb that gamers here don’t support a game like Rebirth.

MrNinosan2d ago

Rebirth is selling great and is supported. Don't worry.

MrNinosan2d ago

It won't be UE5.
If that wad the case, we wouldn't play it in 3 years.

Becuzisaid2d ago

And it would likely play like trash compared to the first 2, at least on PS5.

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