To succeed as a lead, you have to be central to your team, not above it - Sitara Shefta, Studio Head, No Brakes Games

Hey there!

🎉 But we have so much more:

Almost 1700 PS5 consoles were sold every hour in 2023.

A new round of layoffs hits Phoenix Labs and Stardew Valley 1.6 update will bring a ton of progress.

Oh, and the first trailer of the next GTA game will be released tomorrow!

Play on:

Welcome to The Power-Up #46

Biz-Up

🏪 Activision Blizzard planned to launch its own Android game store, "Project Boston," to bypass Google Play and reduce transaction fees, but abandoned this plan after signing a lucrative deal with Google.

⚖️ CD Projekt has resolved a class action lawsuit filed by investors over the misleading launch quality of Cyberpunk 2077, with the US court granting final approval of a $1.85 million settlement without the company admitting to the allegations.

🏆 Games for Change, in collaboration with Google and HP, has launched the Diverse Voices, New Stories Challenge to support underrepresented creators in the mobile gaming industry, offering a $10,000 prize, mentorship, marketing, and promotional support on Google Play.

Industry Level-Up (or Down)

🤝 Blumhouse Games has strengthened its team by hiring industry veterans Jo Lammert and Clint Brewer, with Lammert as production lead and Brewer as technical director, to support the development of original indie horror titles.

😔 Phoenix Labs has conducted its second round of layoffs this year, affecting 34 employees from various support teams, while their games teams remain unaffected with ongoing projects.

Round-Up

🚨 After oh!, so many years of waiting, the next Grand Theft Auto’s trailer will be revealed tomorrow, December 5, at 9 a.m. ET. Can’t wait for it!

🔫 Fortnite attracted 100 million players in November, largely due to the reintroduction of the original map in 'OG' Fortnite, a nostalgic move that led to a record-breaking 44.7 million players in a single day.

🚫 Last week, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart said Microsoft wants Xbox Game Pass on "every screen that can play games", including Nintendo and PlayStation. But the very next day, Phil Spencer took it away. He said Xbox has no plans to bring Game Pass to PlayStation or Nintendo. 

🤑 He also said that Xbox invests over $1 billion annually on third-party content for Xbox Game Pass, which is a profitable service.

🎮 Sony is reportedly developing a new version of the DualSense controller, featuring enhanced accessibility with buttons, shoulder triggers, and analog sticks that light up to provide gameplay hints, alongside a touchscreen that replaces the touchpad.

✨ Starfield has reached over 12 million players since its launch in September, a significant increase from 10 million on September 19 and 6 million on September 7.

🕹️ In 2023, over 40,000 PlayStation 5 consoles were sold each day on average, with monthly sales averaging 1,238,109 units. This equates to around 1,696 consoles sold every hour and is expected to increase further during the holiday season.

Game-Up

🧟 Capcom has confirmed plans for more Resident Evil remakes following the success of the remakes for Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4, though the next title to be remade is yet to be announced.

🦾 The upcoming 2.1 update for Cyberpunk 2077, scheduled for release on December 5, will introduce a range of new features including a fully operational metro system, radioport, repeatable car races, enhancements to boss fights, accessibility options, and additional content.

🚀 Gearbox Publishing and Blackbird Interactive have set the release date for Homeworld 3 on PC for March 8, 2024, available on Steam and the Epic Games Store. Fans can pre-order the long-awaited sequel in four editions, with early access starting March 5, 2024. 

🐓 The Stardew Valley 1.6 update will introduce Big Chests for increased storage capacity and feature new festivals, items, crafting recipes, outfits, a new farm type, and possible upgrades to the Scythe to iridium.

Some of the games launching this week:

• December 4: Make Way (PC)

• December 5: Arms Race 2 (PC), Disney Dreamlight Valley (PS4/5, Xbox One/S/X, Switch, PC), Kingpin Reloaded (PS5, Xbox S/X, Switch, PC), Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (PC, PS5, Xbox S/X)

• December 6: Destroyer: The U-Boat Hunter (PC)

• December 7: Arizona Sunshine 2 (PSVR 2, PC VR, Quest), Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (PS5, Xbox S/X, PC), The Day Before (PC early access), Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (PC, PS5, Xbox S/X)

The Power-Up Chronicles

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Stay powered-up until next time.

Bobby & Andrei