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Good Morning. It’s Friday, July 19. In today’s feature story, we delve into the ambitions of The Finals as it turns its sights to India. Our survey of Indian gamers, coupled with a comprehensive analysis of the gaming ecosystem, reveals whether the market is ripe for this new entrant. Additionally, we report on the reunion of former developers from the Indian shooter title "Rogue Heist" as they join forces to secure funding for a new first-person shooter.
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The Finals Targets India: The Next Big Thing in Esports or Another Flash in the Pan?
What does it take to shake up the crowded FPS market? Money? Innovation? Technology? Creativity? Embark Studios’ The Finals, a brainchild of Nexon born in December 2023, might just have the answer. Armed with a $300 million budget, cutting-edge AI, machine learning, cloud computing, and groundbreaking server-sided destruction, The Finals delivers a fully destructible environment unlike anything seen before.
Imagine being in a 'Hunger Games'-like virtual reality game show—unique game modes have made The Finals a sensation. Minimal marketing couldn’t stop it from becoming Steam’s most wishlisted game, hitting over 10 million installs within two weeks of its debut. Yet, seven months and three seasons later, despite a 75.3% approval rating on Steam, player numbers have plummeted by more than 90.5%.
Now, Embark Studios is eyeing a game-changer: India. With a thriving FPS community and a booming esports scene, India is the next battleground. Partnering with Skyesports, The Finals aims to dominate, leveraging India’s gaming café culture and influencer power to reignite interest.
In our latest feature, Aditya explores whether The Finals can conquer the Indian market and become the next big thing, or if it will fade into the background and become just another case study.
Ex-Rogue Heist Developers Launch New FPS Project, Seek $6.8 Million Funding
Former team members of Indian shooter title "Rogue Heist," have reunited to develop a new first-person shooter under Shortgun Games. The new venture aims to raise $6.8 million to establish a benchmark in the Indian gaming industry with a unique FPS game for PC and console, integrated with immersive storytelling to attract a global audience.
Shortgun Games plans to allocate 80% of the funds to game development and 20% to marketing. The funding round targets venture capital firms, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals, both domestic and international. Early interest from gaming funds indicates strong industry support.
Co-Founder Vidhit Mehta believes they are on the brink of a gaming revolution, emphasizing their commitment to quality and innovation. The devs promise a fresh take on traditional FPS models, incorporating elements that ensure dynamic and unpredictable gameplay.
Quick Bytes
Mastercard Partners with Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced Mastercard as an official partner for this year's Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mastercard's involvement aims to enhance the festival experience with seamless digital payments and the chance for attendees to win prizes. A dedicated Mastercard booth will feature activations and meet-and-greets with Saudi esports stars.
EA Expands Monetization in EA Sports FC 25 with New Premium Tier
Electronic Arts is adding a new Premium Tier of in-game rewards to EA Sports FC 25, expanding monetization efforts for its flagship football series. This new tier, which complements the existing free rewards, offers additional card packs, players, and cosmetics that can be unlocked through in-game challenges. Players can access these premium rewards using Ultimate Team coins or FC Points, the latter purchasable with real money. Ultimate Team design director Richard Waltz stated that paid tier rewards can also be earned for free. EA Sports FC 25 launches on September 27, amid ongoing scrutiny over EA's monetization practices, which have previously led to legal disputes in Belgium and Austria concerning the use of randomized card packs.
Valve’s Employment Figures Revealed Amid Antitrust Lawsuit Against Steam
New details about Valve's structure and employment practices have surfaced as part of an antitrust lawsuit against Steam. Despite redactions in Wolfire's lawsuit, SteamDB's Pavel Djundik discovered accessible data revealing Valve's employee numbers, pay, and financial metrics from 2009 to 2021. In 2015, Valve's Steam operations employed 142 people, shrinking to 79 by 2021, despite nearly 10,000 games launching on Steam that year. By 2021, Valve's total headcount was 336, down from a peak of 371 in 2016. Valve, generating approximately $6.5 billion annually, employs far fewer staff compared to EA’s 13,000 employees, with its payroll remaining flat at around $425 million to $450 million annually.
Ubisoft Reports Strong Q1 Performance Driven by GaaS
Ubisoft reported a strong start to its financial year, driven by a 15% growth in session days across consoles and PC, largely from games-as-a-service (GaaS). Key highlights include XDefiant reaching 10 million players and Rainbow Six Siege's robust performance. Monthly active users rose 7% year-on-year to 38 million. The quarter saw a 24.6% increase in player recurring investment to €158.7 million, boosted by Assassin's Creed Shadows pre-orders and The Crew Motorfest's engagement. Sales for Q1 reached €323.5 million, up 12%, with net bookings at €290.0 million. CEO Yves Guillemot highlighted solid performance and a strong pipeline for future releases.
Did You Know
Did you know that Devil May Cry originally began as an early version of Resident Evil 4? The project started in December 1999 when Hideki Kamiya was asked by producer Shinji Mikami to create a new entry for the Resident Evil series. Initially, the game was set to follow the story of Tony, an invincible man with superhuman abilities explained by biotechnology. However, as development progressed, Kamiya and his team at Capcom Production Studio 4 realized the game's dynamic action style did not fit the survival horror mold of Resident Evil.
Kamiya decided to scrap the fixed camera angles typical of Resident Evil and opted for a dynamic camera system, leading the team to gather inspiration from European Gothic architecture. Despite efforts to integrate the game's "coolness" theme into the Resident Evil universe, Mikami and the team ultimately agreed that the game had diverged too much from its roots. This led to a complete rewrite of the story, introducing a world filled with demons and renaming the protagonist Dante, giving birth to Devil May Cry.
Quote of the Day
Life isn’t just about passing on your genes. We can leave behind much more than just DNA. Through speech, music, literature and movies... what we’ve seen, heard, felt anger, joy and sorrow, these are the things I will pass on. That’s what I live for. We need to pass the torch, and let our children read our messy and sad history by its light. We have the magic of the digital age to do that with. The human race will probably come to an end some time, and new species may rule over this planet. Earth may not be forever, but we still have the responsibility to leave what trace of life we can. Building the future and keeping the past alive are one in the same thing.”- Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2
