Byte Action - Issue 104
Byte Action is a newsletter for game developers and fans
Hello, and welcome to the 104th edition of Byte Action newsletter.
Last week in a major announcement from Poland, Techland, one of the biggest developers, revealed that Tencent will become its majority shareholder. Techland will retain the full ownership of their IPs and maintain the creative freedom.
In other news, Blizzard had laid off 50 people from their esports division which was quite unexpected by the employees.
Lastly, I also recommend a very interesting interview with Baldur’s Gate 3 Lead Writer Adam Smith, about the game and it’s 17,000 different endings.
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The Byte
The Action
Retro Byte
Studio Byte
Appeal Studios is a game development studio based in Belgium. Started in 1995 through the collaboration of Yves Grolet, Franck Sauer, and Yann Robert. their mission was to create a groundbreaking game fueled by new technology. Partnering with Infogrames, they developed "Outcast" in 1999. Despite moderate success, Appeal faced internal struggles, leading to bankruptcy in 2002. The founders ventured into new studios—elseWhere Entertainment and Fresh3D S.A.R.L. The studio resurfaced in 2015, releasing "Outcast 1.1" and the remake "Outcast: Second Contact" in 2017. Eventually, THQ Nordic acquired the "Outcast" IP in 2019, with Embracer Group AB acquiring the studio in 2021.
Legal Stuff
Acquisitions/Investments
New Game Corner
Gangs of Sherwood - 19/10/2023
Take on the forces of the Sheriff of Nottingham and lead a rebellion, whether alone or in co-op mode with up to 4 players. Step into the shoes of the Merry Men, unite your combat skills, and liberate the people in a futuristic dystopian world, drawing inspiration from the timeless legend of Robin Hood.
Resource Byte
Board game manual rates games on key factors like luck, player interaction, and replayability, so you can find the ones that match your style.
Who’s Hiring?
Senior Staff UI Programmer - Sony Bend Studio - Remote, US
Systems Programmer - Liquid Swords - Stockholm, Sweden
Senior AI Programmer - Sony Bend Studio - Remote, US
Senior Technical Artist - Yager - Berlin, Germany (Remote)
Lead Engine & Tools Programmer - Bright Star Studios - Copenhagen, Denmark (Remote)
Art Director - Anchor Point Studios - Barcelona, Spain (Remote)
Senior Tools Programmer - Bright Star Studios - Copenhagen, Denmark (Remote)
Senior Technical Animator - Remedy Entertainment - Helsinki, Finland
Lead Technical Artist - Playground Games - Royal Leamington Spa, UK
Rendering Programmer - Vertigo Games - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Senior Gameplay Engineer - Vela Games - Dublin, Ireland
Technical Art Director - Funcom - Oslo, Norway
HR Manager - Smilegate Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain
Online Programmer - Midnight Society - San Francisco, CA
Lead Game Designer - Avalanche Studios - Stockholm, Sweden
Rumours
Dev Talks
Interview with Stanley Pierre-Louis - Entertainment Software Association
“We found that video games remain a staple of American life. From our perspective, it’s the leading pastime that people have, but also the leading engagement tool we have. A lot of the numbers in our report, just to highlight a few–212.6 million Americans play games. That’s 65% of our population. It spans every age category. Just as many people 45 and over play as under 18.” Stanley Pierre-Lous
PG Connects - Helsinki (September 12th-13th 2023)
Pocket Gamer Connects stands as the premier international conference series catering to the global games industry. Their primary mission revolves around facilitating meaningful connections by bringing together delegates from every corner of the ecosystem.