The Games Industry's Perspective on 2025 - Part #5: Products & Distribution Pascal Wagner December 20, 2024 – 2 min read Share this post Distribution Channels for Games © GamesMarkt, PP Business The Safe-Bet Crisis: Why Live-Service ”Wrappers“ Are Imploding In this week’s “Update”, Zoran Roso asks whether the industry is still designing games for pure enjoyment, and he suggests that the industry may have fallen into a dangerous corporate trap of designing for operational efficiency instead of creative taste and is facing a brutal reality check. By Zoran Roso • 4 min read John Hight, President of Wizards of the Coast, has sent out letters to unionising workers at the company. (Hasbro) Business Wizards of the Coast Not Voluntarily Recognizing Union With letters urging workers to "consider" their decision, Wizards of the Coast's President John Hight has made clear that the company will not voluntarily recognise the unionisation efforts of the Magic: The Gathering Arena team. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read Spellcasters Chronicles is going to be shut down on 19 June (Quantic Dream) Business French Union STJV Reacts to Probable Layoffs at Quantic Dream After Quantic Dream and NetEase have shuttered Spellcasters Chronicles after only four months of live service, french game workers union STJV has published demands to halt layoffs and for management to take responsibility. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read Campus Europe-Wide Skill-Evaluation Gamebadges Looking for Educators and Testers The EU-funded skill evaluation system GameBadges by universities and associations from Finland, Belgium, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Denmark are looking for educators and game workers to refine their Europe-wide skill badge system. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Team Germany © esports player foundation Esports National Roster for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 Team Germany has finalised its national roster for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. Over the coming weeks, Team Germany E-Sport's members will be introduced gradually, beginning with the Rainbow Six Siege X team. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read C-Beams © Distant Light Games & Hooded Horse Products Hooded Horse Signs C-Beams From Distant Light Games Hooded Horse is expanding its portfolio of strategic and tactical games to include the space action RPG C-Beams from Distant Light Games. In this game, players can pilot one of several ship types, each with realistic handling and Newtonian physics controls. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read Franziska Giffey, Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs, is playing a key role in promoting esports in the capital. In June 2025, she unveiled the first "Esports Team Berlin", funded by the Senate. In its second year, the programme will be renamed "Esports Academy Berlin". © esports player foundation (epf) Funding Esports Academy Berlin Enters Its Second Round For the second year running, the State of Berlin and the esports player foundation are jointly supporting young talent on their journey to becoming professional esports players, with up to 25 places available this year. The programme also has a new name. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read Babymetal x Resident Evil 30th Anniversary Collaboration merchandise collection © Capcom & Babymetal Products Babymetal X Resident Evil Collaboration To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Resident Evil series, the metal dance group Babymetal and Capcom have announced a collaboration, releasing a joint merchandise collection. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read Nordic Game 2026's moderator Zahrah Isaacs at the conference opening (GamesMarket) Events 22. Nordic Game Starts in Malmö Today, the 22. Nordic Game conference opened in Malmö, Sweden. Four days full of program and exhibition were debuted by Program Director Jacob Riis, moderator Zahrah Isaacs and a walk through Jesper Kyd's career by Kyd himself and Laced Music's Mat Ombler. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Business The Safe-Bet Crisis: Why Live-Service ”Wrappers“ Are Imploding In this week’s “Update”, Zoran Roso asks whether the industry is still designing games for pure enjoyment, and he suggests that the industry may have fallen into a dangerous corporate trap of designing for operational efficiency instead of creative taste and is facing a brutal reality check. By Zoran Roso • 4 min read
John Hight, President of Wizards of the Coast, has sent out letters to unionising workers at the company. (Hasbro) Business Wizards of the Coast Not Voluntarily Recognizing Union With letters urging workers to "consider" their decision, Wizards of the Coast's President John Hight has made clear that the company will not voluntarily recognise the unionisation efforts of the Magic: The Gathering Arena team. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Spellcasters Chronicles is going to be shut down on 19 June (Quantic Dream) Business French Union STJV Reacts to Probable Layoffs at Quantic Dream After Quantic Dream and NetEase have shuttered Spellcasters Chronicles after only four months of live service, french game workers union STJV has published demands to halt layoffs and for management to take responsibility. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Campus Europe-Wide Skill-Evaluation Gamebadges Looking for Educators and Testers The EU-funded skill evaluation system GameBadges by universities and associations from Finland, Belgium, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Denmark are looking for educators and game workers to refine their Europe-wide skill badge system. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Team Germany © esports player foundation Esports National Roster for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 Team Germany has finalised its national roster for the Esports Nations Cup 2026. Over the coming weeks, Team Germany E-Sport's members will be introduced gradually, beginning with the Rainbow Six Siege X team. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
C-Beams © Distant Light Games & Hooded Horse Products Hooded Horse Signs C-Beams From Distant Light Games Hooded Horse is expanding its portfolio of strategic and tactical games to include the space action RPG C-Beams from Distant Light Games. In this game, players can pilot one of several ship types, each with realistic handling and Newtonian physics controls. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Franziska Giffey, Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs, is playing a key role in promoting esports in the capital. In June 2025, she unveiled the first "Esports Team Berlin", funded by the Senate. In its second year, the programme will be renamed "Esports Academy Berlin". © esports player foundation (epf) Funding Esports Academy Berlin Enters Its Second Round For the second year running, the State of Berlin and the esports player foundation are jointly supporting young talent on their journey to becoming professional esports players, with up to 25 places available this year. The programme also has a new name. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Babymetal x Resident Evil 30th Anniversary Collaboration merchandise collection © Capcom & Babymetal Products Babymetal X Resident Evil Collaboration To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Resident Evil series, the metal dance group Babymetal and Capcom have announced a collaboration, releasing a joint merchandise collection. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Nordic Game 2026's moderator Zahrah Isaacs at the conference opening (GamesMarket) Events 22. Nordic Game Starts in Malmö Today, the 22. Nordic Game conference opened in Malmö, Sweden. Four days full of program and exhibition were debuted by Program Director Jacob Riis, moderator Zahrah Isaacs and a walk through Jesper Kyd's career by Kyd himself and Laced Music's Mat Ombler. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
