KUALA LUMPUR: Earlier this week, Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch made scornful remarks about a writer who said she was fired by management in favour of artificial intelligence (AI) halfway through a video game’s development.
Never mind the fact that this is an unfortunate business practice that is trending across all industries, but to have a CEO be this candid about a person’s job, you would think a person of his stature would be a bit more respectful and take the high road.
This is one in a long line of examples where executives and higher-ups who run video game companies think in a different state of mind that sometimes defies common sense.
It is understandable that one needs to keep people in line and keep private information confidential.
But to be above the law and not disclose technology in your game while lying about its involvement, no matter how controversial – that is not a good look for business.
While not all CEOs are like this, there are too many infamous examples where C-suite executives lead their companies astray or even rub their consumers the wrong way.
Former Xbox lead Phil Spencer loves being a public spectacle to fans and the media, but his leadership led the company downwards.
PlayStation’s CEOs have been controversial to say the least, with the recent “no physical, digital only” mandate making them a public figure in online discourse.
EA is notorious for its CEOs with “foot in mouth” syndrome.
The fact that EA has a lot of debt to cover thanks to recent acquisitions means that the once-private publisher and game maker will have to make ends meet by cutting staff and relying on AI to do the job efficiently with fewer people.
In theory at least; no role is more soulless than a CEO who has to make these decisions while sleeping soundly at night, under the pretence of a golden parachute when they bail. EA spearheads the charge of portraying video game CEOs in a bad light for a long while, and it’s not changing anytime soon.
Having said that, there was one CEO who stuck to his principles and made sacrifices for his company for the greater good of both consumers and the business: the late but great Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata.
Unfortunately, we will not see anyone of his high stature appearing in this generation of gaming; the myth of the benevolent CEO died with him and hasn’t resurfaced since.
Short Beats
Sony has announced a new State of Play livestream on Aug 18 at 10am GMT+8 which will talk about Phantom Blade Zero. The question on everybody’s mind is whether the livestream will allow chat input, given their recent “no physical media & disc, pure digital” stance.
The upcoming Disney D23 expo will feature a Kingdom Hearts panel with Sora and Riku voice actors Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher, as well as insight on the long-running role-playing game series. The show will go live Aug 16 at 7.30am GMT+8 on YouTube.
Warhammer 40K Dawn of War 4 will be delayed to Dec 3. The upcoming strategy title was originally due to be out on Sept 17.
Developer Pearl Abyss has stated that it will release its open-world creature-collecting game DokeV by the end of 2028.
Twitch is using its streamers’ content to train its generative AI programmes by default. Users will need to manually turn off the setting to stop their content from being used for this.
Disney stated that the Square Enix-made Kingdom Hearts franchise will be the future of the former’s game business. The series has grossed over US$1 billion at retail.
Games of the Week
Duskfade is an indie-made 3D action platformer title taking place in a clockwork-themed fantasy world. Play as Zirian as he traverses through five different worlds in search of his sister while dealing with a lingering spirit named Despair. Out for PC and consoles.
Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns is a remake of a classic medieval-era strategy game featuring knights, armies, castle-storming, and jousting. Out for PC and consoles.
Echoes of Mystralia is an action-heavy isometric roguelite title where you mix spells and effects to create your own magical arsenal of doom. The game is currently in Early Access, but you can play up to three different biomes with a huge assortment of customisable spells in a mystical world filled with ephemeral dangers.
Servant of the Lake is an adventure game where you play as a titular helper in the mysterious Vanderboom estate. Solve puzzles, serve the family, and uncover their dark alchemical secrets in point-and-click adventure format. Out for PC.
Wild Blue Skies is a classic on-rails shooter arcade title where you control a jet squadron dealing with airborne threats. Play as Bowie Stray and the Blue Bombers as they fly high to save the world against the forces of Grimclaw in on-rails shooter combat & dogfighting. Made for PC and consoles by Chuhai Labs, who consist of the same folks who made the original Star Fox on Super Nintendo.
Recommended Viewing
Content creator and historian Strafefox has published a video detailing the artistry in 8-bit and 16-bit pixel art for console and PC gaming. It is a fascinating study in how limitations back then helped spark creativity that has prevailed and has historical value up until today.
