Games industry roundup: Activision Blizzard job cuts could have negative impact, Blockchain Games Next mini-summit, and Fortnite revenue dwindles

• 1 PC game news and insights

  Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site PCGamesInsider.biz for the last week.

  Activision Blizzard says job cuts could have possible negative impact on financial performance

  SEC filing cites the effect of the company's eight per cent workforce cull might have as a risk factor

  INSIGHT: How effective were Failbetter's trailers for Sunless Skies?

  Haley Uyrus - now working at Mediatonic as marketing and communications manager - tells us about the trailers for Failbetter's latest release

  Meet Klang: the Berlin-based indie studio with ambitious MMO dreams

  Co-founder and CEO Mundi Vondi talks building single-shard MMOs with the help of Improbable's cloud tech

  THQ Nordic PR and marketing director Brock apologises for controversial 8chan AMA

  "I do not condone child pornography, white supremacy, or racism in any shape or form. I am terribly sorry for the short-sightedness of my (!) decision, and promise to be far more vigorous in my assessment of these activities in the future"

  Inside Track: Making moves with 3D animation tech firm Ikinema

  Technical director Ahmed Elhasairi dives deep into its procedural animation technology and how to monetise your moves

  
  

• 2 Mobile game news and insights

  Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site Pocketgamer.biz for the last week.

  Disney collaborates with Glu Mobile on new card game Disney Sorcerer’s Arena

  Glu has nabbed the licence to Disney and Pixar characters for a new mobile game called Disney Sorcerer’s Arena. It’s Glu’s first title since the Disney partnership was first revealed in 2018.

  Fortnite revenue declines 48% month-on-month in January

  It’s clear that Epic’s Fortnite had a stellar Christmas period, as revenue declined significantly month-on-month in January. However, sales were still up year-on-year.

  Tencent and NetEase see non-China mobile game revenue soar 500%

  After last year’s big China games freeze (which is now back on while the country’s regulator clears through an extensive backlog, the big publishers continued to expand the businesses international. In Tencent and NetEase’s cases, the two companies earned a combined $472m outside of China, according to IHS Market.

  Riot, Amazon, PlayStation, EA, and NaturalMotion vets join RuneScape developer Jagex

  Despite a possible sale incoming, Jagex is not slowing down its recruitment drive of key senior staff. The latest hires include Nathan Richardsson, Agatha Bejan, Pete McKay, Mitchell Goodwin and Alan Krause on board.

  Report: EA, Amazon, and Comcast all submit acquisition bids for publisher Nexon

  The race for games publisher Nexon has heated up. Previous challengers Kakao and Netmarble now reportedly face stiff competition from a number of Western companies. It could be a while before we see the victor.

  
  

• 3 Blockchain game news and insights

  Here are the five hottest stories from our sister-site BlockchainGamer.biz for the last week.

  Enjin gets a special feature from Samsung in showcasing its flagship Galaxy S10

  Enjin has become an interesting centerpiece for mobile users and blockchain enthusiasts alike. Whether that’s from the collaborative multiverse that it’s helped create, or thanks to the likes of Samsung.

  TRON, Cocos BCX, and BlockchainGamer.biz combine for free Blockchain Games Next conference on 19 March

  This blockchain gaming mini-summit will explore the current state of play and opportunities in the sector. It’s all about having the big discussions in a relaxed setting, uniting blockchain developers and platform partners.

  HyperSnakes becomes latest to join TRON Arcade

  With the conclusion of its pre-registration period on 27th February, the PvP retro hybrid Hypersnakeshas an interesting surprise. According to the team, that game will now be the latest to integrate into the TRON Network.

  Game On! Blockchain – From 2018’s winter to 2019’s optimism

  2018 has been a bitter winter for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, investors and blockchain developers alike. And it’s something that the blockchain gaming space has not been exempt from.

  Block and Chain Studios officially announces a release date for BlockFight!

  Some of the biggest problems that game developers face is creating a project that can draw in mainstream users. Block and Chain Studios intends to do this both through the design of its platform, and titles such as BlockFight, the latter of which will be released soon.