The past five years of writing about the games business has come with a helping of cognitive dissonance so severe that it often felt like whiplash. Record success one week; record layoffs the next. Studios launch critically and commercially acclaimed games, only to make large swathes of their creative teams redundant a few months later. Every even-numbered headline is about financial doom and gloom; every odd-numbered one is about soaring demand and record-breaking sales. Read more

The games industry is stifled by a culture of fear that prioritises algorithmic trends and market research over the creative conviction and personal taste required to produce genuine hits. Read more

Ubisoft CFO Frédérick Duguet said it expects Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced to "deliver superior financial performance" due to lower production costs. Read more

Indie hit Meccha Chameleon was a breakout success in June, ranking as the second-highest PC title in revenue behind Fortnite, according to Newzoo. Read more

Ubisoft has published its first quarter financials, with net bookings reaching €255.8 million. Read more

The EU Commission has cleared the $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Read more

Microsoft has begun testing ad-supported game streaming on Xbox. Read more

Bethesda union OneBGS has said it has filed a legal complaint against the developer "for continuing to violate labour laws in Canada." Read more

Amazon's cloud gaming service Luna is now available for Prime Video subscribers with Fire TV in the US and UK. Read more

The ESA Foundation has provided 31 university students with scholarships worth $5,000 to $10,000 to support careers in game development and esports. Read more