This Week In The Business: Cooks, Magicians And Other Video Game Things

This Week In The Business: Cooks, Magicians And Other Video Game Things

“This year a variety of talented people will explore engagement and how it deeply affects what they do…” — Martin Rae, president of DICE Summit organiser AIAS, explaining why this year’s edition of the gaming convention features presentations from a Las Vegas magician, automobile industry insiders and film and TV producers.

Elsewhere in the business of gaming this week…

QUOTE | “It’s a common occurrence to see men walking around with strollers in those cities as an example but that’s not the case in the US, and we want to change that.” — Unity Technologies chief people officer Elizabeth Brown, explaining part of the motivation behind the company’s increased parental leave benefits for US employees.

QUOTE | “I’m thrilled to welcome undoubtedly the most recognisable and accomplished figure in the culinary world to Glu’s family of celebrity partners.” Niccolo de Masi, CEO of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood publisher Glu Mobile, announcing his latest obnoxious celebrity signing, Gordon Ramsay.

QUOTE | “[H]onestly being a publisher is highly overrated these days.” — John Smedley, who left his job running Daybreak Studios (formerly Sony Online Entertainment) and recently founded indie studio Pixelmage Games.

STAT | 75 per cent — The portion of surveyed developers who feel that VR and AR are long-term sustainable markets in games. For eSports, the number was 88 per cent.

STAT | Four months — App Annie’s average estimated time to maturity (the point at which a game has reached 90 per cent of market potential) for iOS and Android games launched in 2015. For games released in 2012, the time to maturity was closer to three years.

STAT | 6 per cent — The portion of North American PC and console gamers surveyed who expect the PlayStation VR to provide the highest quality VR experience. The Oculus Rift was first with 53 per cent, followed by HTC Vive with 42 per cent.

QUOTE | “[I]n the competitive scene, we’ve seen the rise of a lot of very impressive pad players, which has pretty much shown that Street Fighter is a game that’s not necessarily dictated by the controller you play with; it’s the strategies and tactics you employ. And both of them are essentially on equal playing ground.” — Capcom director of brand marketing and eSports Matt Dahlgren, explaining why pricey arcade sticks aren’t as essential for Street Fighter fans as they once were.

QUOTE | “[A] 38cm monitor around two feet away.” — Microsoft tech evangelist Bruce Harris, suggesting a comparison for the visible display area of the company’s HoloLens.

QUOTE | “We would see women come into the eSports industry, be compelling and bright-eyed and wonderful and doing cool things and then six months later you turn around and they’re gone and we couldn’t figure out why.” — Twitch programming manager, broadcaster and partner Prosser Robertson at the company’s #GeekGirlDinner, saying the streaming scene needs to be more welcoming and diverse.

STAT | 10 days — How long it took Steam and iOS game Punch Club to raise $US1 million in revenue, thanks in large part to a Twitch Plays promotion that saw the game’s wide release withheld until Twitch users had collectively beaten it.

QUOTE | “[T]o usher in the next era of human-computer interaction by integrating computer vision and machine learning techniques into the expanding landscape of virtual reality.” — The stated goal of Oculus’ new offices in Pittsburgh.

Top image, some food Gordon Ramsay made, via Shutterstock.


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