Sony cancels Fairgames, its online heist shooter, after a player test falls short, and keeps the Haven Studios team for other PlayStation games

The stories

27 on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

1. 01

   Sony cancels Fairgames, its online heist shooter, after a player test falls short, and keeps the Haven Studios team for other PlayStation games

   3.5 years

   from Fairgames' first showing to its cancellation

   IGN counts from its first showing in 2023 [8]

   7

   of Sony's planned online games cancelled before release

   Helldivers 2 was the big hit among the rest [4]

   0

   jobs cut at Haven Studios

   the team moves to helping other PlayStation studios [5]

   What happened

   • Sony has cancelled Fairgames, an online heist shooter, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. [1]
   • Haven Studios, a Sony team in Montreal, was making it for PS5 and PC. [2][3]
   • No one at Haven will lose their job, a PlayStation spokesperson told Bloomberg. [4]
   • Instead, Haven will help other PlayStation studios make their games. [5]
   • The decision followed a recent test of the game with thousands of players. [3]
   • PlayStation bosses Sean Decker and John Doyle wrote that the results "fell short of the goals we had set". [4]
   • They also blamed "challenging market conditions" for shooters where players fight other players. [6]
   • Sony cancelled it 3.5 years after it was first shown, IGN notes. [8]
   • PC Gamer counts 7 of those planned games cancelled before release. [4]
   • Concord, one that did come out, was taken offline less than 2 weeks after launch. [4]
   • Helldivers 2 was a massive hit, PC Gamer notes. [4]
   • Sony still says these games are an important part of PlayStation's future, Kotaku reports. [6]

   Who is involved

   In the game, teams break into places to steal cargo while fighting other real players. [7]

   Jade Raymond, a producer of the early Assassin's Creed games, founded Haven in 2021. [6]

   • Haven Studios a Montreal games studio Sony bought in 2022; its staff stay on
   • Jade Raymond an Assassin's Creed producer who founded Haven in 2021 and left in 2025
   • Sony Interactive Entertainment the company behind PlayStation; it owns Haven and cancelled Fairgames
   • Sean Decker and John Doyle PlayStation executives; their memo said the test fell short

   How it unfolded

   Sony bought the studio in 2022, before it had released a game. [6]

   Fairgames was first shown in 2023, in a computer-made trailer with no real play. [7]

   Raymond left Haven in 2025. [6]

   Bloomberg says the game was reworked several times and was due to return under a new name. [7]

   In 2022 Sony planned a wave of online games that people keep playing for years. [1]

   1. 2021 Haven is founded
   2. 2022 Sony buys Haven [6]
   3. 2021 Jade Raymond founds Haven Studios [6]
   4. 2023 Fairgames is first shown [5]
   5. 2025 Raymond leaves Haven [6]
   6. 10 Nov 2026 Sony cancels Fairgames [1]

   Why it matters

   Haven's staff keep their jobs. [2] This week whole studios closed at Fortis Games and Reflector Entertainment. [9][10]

   PlayStation's only other big online game coming is 4:Loop, from Bad Robot, JJ Abrams' studio. [8]

   How it works

   Product analysts call it retention: how many players come back after they first try a game.

   Sony's memo said the game ran well, but fewer players came back than its goal. [4]

   Seen it before

   A cafe drops a new cake when people try it once and never order it again.

   The truth

   • What is really going on Sony stopped Fairgames because fewer players came back in its test than it had aimed for, and kept the whole team. [4]The same week, Las Vegas Sands shut Fortis Games, about 440 jobs, and Bandai Namco closed Reflector. [9][10]
   • Why it works on people A headline that leads with 'no layoffs' turns a cancelled game into relief, so the years of work thrown away fade from view. [2]
   • The reasons come from a memo Bloomberg saw, and no report gives the test's numbers. [11]
   • Who gains Haven Studios' staff — They keep their jobs and move to helping other PlayStation studios. [5]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How far Fairgames fell short in its test.

     Sony has not published the numbers; every report rests on a memo Bloomberg saw. [11]

   • Nobody knows yet

     How many online games Sony planned in 2022.

     Polygon says at least 10 by 2026, while PC Gamer says 12 by 2025, and we print neither as the plan. [1][4]

   What comes next

   Bungie is Sony's studio behind Destiny. [2] Its shooter Marathon gets a big update in December. [5]

1. 02

   Fortis Games closes, 440 jobs lost

   What happened

   • Fortis Games, a US maker of phone games, has closed, with about 440 jobs gone. [9]
   • Its boss, Steven Chiang, said the team could not reach "the goals we set". [9]

   Who is involved

   Its owner, the casino company Las Vegas Sands, ended its funding. [9]

   • Las Vegas Sands casino company, the owner

   How it unfolded

   Sands paid for Fortis from 2022 to help the casino brand grow beyond gambling. [9]

   On 4 November, Fortis said it would shut its game Twilight Towers. [9]

   1. 4 Nov Twilight Towers to shut
   2. A week later Fortis closes

   Why it matters

   A former director, Scott Butterworth, said the closure "abruptly" put more than 400 people out of work. [9]

   How it works

   Game makers call a small early release a soft launch: the game goes out in a few places first.

   A producer said both Fortis games had strong soft-launch figures, yet the owner still stopped paying. [9]

   Seen it before

   A band can play a great first gig and still lose its deal if the label changes plans.

   The truth

   • No figures were given, so the producer's claim cannot be checked. [9]
   • Who pays About 440 Fortis Games staff — Their owner ended its funding and every contract at once. [9]
   • Nobody knows yet

     What Fortis Games' early test figures were.

     A former producer called them very strong, but no figures have been given. [9]

2. 03

   Bandai Namco closes Reflector

   What happened

   • The games company Bandai Namco will close and wind up its Montreal studio, Reflector Entertainment. [12]
   • Bandai Namco expects a one-off loss of about 21 million euros from the closure. [14]
   • Reflector wrote that Bandai Namco "could not justify several more years of investment". [13]

   How it unfolded

   Bandai Namco bought Reflector in 2020. [10]

   Its only game, Unknown 9: Awakening, came out in October 2024 to mostly weak reviews. [10]

   A month after launch, Reflector cut 18% of its staff. [13]

   1. 2020 Bandai Namco buys Reflector
   2. 2024 its one game comes out

   Why it matters

   Staff cut in 2024 and again in 2025 now lose the studio itself. [12]

   How it works

   Lawyers call this liquidation: a company is closed, the things it owns sold and its debts paid, under local law.

   The closure must follow local law where Reflector is, so Bandai Namco has set no date yet. [10]

   Seen it before

   A shop that shuts must still pay its staff and suppliers before the doors finally lock.

   The truth

   • Who pays Reflector Entertainment's staff — Already cut in 2024 and 2025, they now lose the studio itself. [12]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How many people still worked at Reflector, and when it closes.

     Bandai Namco gave the 21 million euro loss, but no headcount and no date. [10]

3. 04

   Sony shuts its PlayStation PC app

   What happened

   • Sony will shut the PlayStation Plus app for PC on 10 December. [15]
   • The app let Premium members stream games from Sony's cloud catalogue to a PC. [16]
   • Sony says fewer than 0.4% of eligible Premium members used it. [17]

   Who is involved

   Premium, the level of PlayStation Plus that includes streaming, costs $160 a year, Kotaku notes. [16][18]

   Why it matters

   Without the app, PS5 games can only be streamed by Remote Play, which needs the console on the same network. [15]

   It comes months after Sony stopped bringing its big single-player games to PC. [15]

   How it works

   Managers call it pruning a product line: cutting what few customers use, to spend on what many do.

   Sony said dropping the app lets it focus on what "more of our members want to use". [17]

   Seen it before

   A school stops a club hardly any pupils attend, and gives its room to a busier one.

   The truth

   • One player said the app was little used because it needed a wired controller and was "janky". [18]
   • Who pays PlayStation Plus Premium members on PC — They lose streaming to a PC on 10 December, and Remote Play needs the console on. [15]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How many people lose Sony's PC app.

     Sony gave a share, under 0.4% of eligible members, not a count. [17]

4. 05

   Jurors' AI line catches Big Walk

   What happened

   • 19 jurors for the Independent Games Festival say they will not vote for any game that used AI tools. [19]
   • Their line covers code too, not only art, writing or voices. [19]
   • House House says AI was involved in well under 0.1% of the game's code. [20]
   • It was about 10 lines, to fix a shadow bug that made the game run 50% slower. [20]
   • Steam makes studios declare AI-made assets such as art, but code help is optional, GameSpot reports. [21]

   Who is involved

   Big Walk, a hit game by the Australian studio House House, then said it used AI "sparingly". [20]

   • House House Australian studio behind Big Walk

   How it unfolded

   Even an engineer at Unity, the maker of its game engine, thought the problem could not be solved. [21]

   Why it matters

   Big Walk was very likely in the running for the festival's top award, Kotaku writes. [22]

   Some jurors wanted a line with no exceptions, while others wanted to weigh how the game used AI. [22]

   The truth

   • Juror Sam Barlow said Big Walk was not the cause of the stand, only the "tricky edge case". [23]
   • The jurors say they speak for themselves, not for the festival as a whole. [23]
   • Who pays House House — Big Walk falls under 19 jurors' refusal to vote for any game made with AI help. [19]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the Independent Games Festival adopts the jurors' line.

     The 19 jurors say they do not speak for the festival, and finalists come only in January. [23][20]

   What comes next

   Finalists for the festival's 2027 awards will be named in January. [20]

1. 06

   A school game contest ends over AI

   What happened

   • The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge, a free contest for school students, will end after this year's round. [24]
   • Students worked alone or in teams of up to 4. [25] They sent in a game, a design plan and a trailer. [25]
   • One judge wrote that some students "completely generate their games with AI". [24]

   Who is involved

   Its organiser, the Australian Council for Educational Research, said AI made it "harder to judge what students made themselves". [24]

   How it unfolded

   It has run for 12 years. [24]

   Why it matters

   A parent wrote that their teenage son and friends had met for years to make games for it. [25]

   How it works

   Teachers call it validity: a test must measure what it claims to, here a student's own skill.

   If AI can make a whole game, a finished game no longer shows what a student can do. [24]

   Seen it before

   A spelling test means little if the answers are written on the desk.

   Why a no-exceptions rule caught a hit game over 10 lines of code

   Legal scholars call it rules versus standards: a fixed line is quick to apply, while weighing each case fits better but takes judgment.

   The twist

   A fixed line saves jurors from weighing every game. Games near the line, like Big Walk with about 10 lines of AI-helped code, are caught anyway.

   The picture

   123

   0% of a game's code made with AI50% of a game's code made with AI100% of a game's code made with AI

   1. 1The jurors' line0% of a game's code made with AI
   2. 2Big Walk, under 0.1%0.1% of a game's code made with AI
   3. 3Games made wholly by AI100% of a game's code made with AI

   Step by step

   1. 1 A group must decide which cases are out
   2. 2 A rule draws one fixed line, such as no AI at all
   3. 3 A standard asks a judge to weigh each case
   4. 4 The rule is quick to apply and hard to argue with
   5. 5 But it also catches small cases its makers never aimed at

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • The school game contest that ends

     Judging each entry for AI became too hard, so the organiser ended the contest rather than weigh every case.

   • Nexus Mods' one-a-day limit

     Nexus set a fixed cap of one new mod per author a day, a stopgap until it has tools that judge more finely.

   • Europe's draft loot box rules

     Loot boxes off by default for every child is a fixed line, while a game being 'directed at minors' is a test someone must weigh.

   • Steam's age check in Australia

     Steam treats any account at least 9 years old as adult, a fixed line that is quick to check and wrong for some people.

   Where you've seen this

   Speed limits

   a fixed 50 is easy to enforce, while 'drive safely for the conditions' fits better but needs a judge

   The voting age

   one birthday for everyone, though some 17-year-olds are readier than some adults

   Football's offside line

   a toe ahead is offside, even when it gave no real advantage

   The catch

   Weighing each case is fairer only when the judges have the time, the facts and people's trust. Without those, a fixed line can be the fairer choice.

   And the whole of it

   The 19 jurors, House House, the students in Australia and the Nexus modders each stand on one side of a line someone drew. Most of us live under lines like these at school, at work and online, and rarely see the cases their makers had in mind.

   The truth

   • A judge guessed money cuts mattered more, but the organiser says the reason was AI. [24]
   • Who pays Students in Australia's game contest — Their contest ends because judges could no longer tell their own work from AI's. [24]

1. 07

   Europe's draft rules for loot boxes

   What happened

   • A leaked draft of the EU's Digital Fairness Act would switch loot boxes off by default for children. [26]
   • Every player, not just children, could switch such offers off. [26]
   • Games aimed at children could not sell "pay-to-win" or "pay-to-progress" items. [26]
   • Prices in game money would show their real cost, and prize odds would be shown too. [26]

   Who is involved

   A loot box is a paid prize with surprise contents; the draft calls them "uncertainty-based rewards". [26]

   How it unfolded

   Earlier this year PEGI, Europe's age-rating body, began rating EA Sports FC 16 for its card packs. [26]

   1. 11 Nov proposal due
   2. 2027 could be adopted

   Why it matters

   Ultimate Team, the part of EA Sports FC that sells packs of player cards, could be under threat, Eurogamer writes. [26]

   How it works

   Lawyers call this a default rule: what happens unless a person changes a setting.

   With loot boxes off unless switched on, a child's game starts with no surprise prizes for sale. [26]

   Seen it before

   A phone that ships with alerts switched off stays quiet until someone turns them on.

   Loot boxes off by default for every child is a fixed line, while a game being 'directed at minors' is a test someone must weigh.

   The idea, in story 06: Why a no-exceptions rule caught a hit game over 10 lines of code →

   The truth

   • The text is a leak, first published by the French news site Contexte, and is not law yet. [26]
   • Nobody knows yet

     What the Digital Fairness Act will finally say.

     The text so far is a leaked draft, and an explainer site suggests adoption late in 2027. [26]

   What comes next

   The full proposal was due on 11 November. [26] An explainer site says adoption could come late in 2027. [26]

2. 08

   GTA 6 will run at 30 frames a second

   What happened

   • Rockstar says GTA 6 targets 30 frames a second on every console, including the stronger PS5 Pro. [27]
   • Rockstar says the game pushes consoles "to their absolute limits". [27]
   • On PS5 Pro it adds PSSR, a Sony tool for a better-looking picture, and ray-traced shadows, but no extra speed. [27]
   • On Xbox, the game can also be streamed from Microsoft's servers to the older Xbox One. [28]
   • The streamed copy uses the settings of the cheaper Series S, and cannot be streamed to a PC. [28]

   Why it matters

   Xbox One owners can play on launch day, 19 November, by streaming instead of buying a new console. [28]

   How it works

   Graphics engineers call it a frame budget: the time a machine has to draw each picture.

   Rockstar spends that time on a dense, detailed world rather than on more pictures each second. [27]

   Seen it before

   With a fixed time for homework, you can do many questions roughly or fewer neatly.

   The truth

   • Rockstar calls 30 frames a target, and players will only see the real speed from 19 November. [27]
   • Who gains Microsoft's Xbox cloud service — Xbox One owners can play GTA 6 only by streaming it from Microsoft's servers. [28]
3. 09

   GTA 6 breaks pre-order records

   What happened

   • Sony says GTA 6 is the most pre-ordered game in the history of its PlayStation Store. [29]
   • Microsoft says the same of its own Microsoft Store. [30]
   • Players could download it 9 days early, so it unlocks at midnight on 19 November. [29]
   • The launch rolls across the world at each country's midnight, starting in New Zealand. [30]
   • Take-Two's boss, Strauss Zelnick, told CNBC that the $80 game is "a real bargain". [31]

   How it unfolded

   GTA 5 launched at $60 in 2013, about $85 in today's money, GameSpot notes. [31]

   1. 9 days before download opens
   2. 19 Nov play from midnight

   Why it matters

   He pointed to dearer fuel and food, and said entertainment is "not immune" to them. [31]

   Consoles cost more than ever because of a shortage of memory chips, GameSpot adds. [31]

   How it works

   Behavioural economists call it framing: the same price feels cheaper or dearer depending on what it is set beside.

   Zelnick sets the $80 against how long people play, citing hundreds of hours in GTA 5. [31]

   Seen it before

   A cinema ticket and a book can cost the same, yet the book lasts far longer.

   The truth

   • Neither store gave a number, and Zelnick said raw figures "could be potentially misleading". [30]
4. 10

   Arc Raiders passes 17 million, then slows

   What happened

   • Arc Raiders, an online shooter by Embark Studios, has sold more than 17 million copies in its first year. [32]
   • Its publisher Nexon said only 1 million of those sold from July to September. [32]
   • Nexon expects the game to earn less this quarter than in the same months a year ago, when it launched. [32]
   • An update called Frozen Trail brought some lapsed players back, Nexon said. [32]

   Million copies

   All sales so far17

   July to September1

   Why it matters

   Nexon put most of its revenue growth this year down to the game. [32]

   How it works

   Market analysts call such sales front-loaded: most copies sell in the first months.

   Most of the 17 million sold early, so the launch months a year ago are hard to beat. [32]

   Seen it before

   A new film fills the cinema in its first week and half-empties it a month later.

   The truth

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Arc Raiders keeps a mode without fights between players.

     Embark has not said, though the game's Chinese version has one. [32]

5. 11

   Krafton's profit falls despite record year

   What happened

   • Krafton, which owns the battle game PUBG, made 35.5% less profit in its third quarter. [33]
   • It blamed the cost of going to Gamescom, a big games fair, and other events. [33]
   • Revenue still rose 11.6% to $725.9 million. [33]
   • PC sales fell 32.5%, while phone game sales rose 3.2%. [33]

   down 32.5%PC sales

   vsvs

   up 3.2%Phone sales

   Why it matters

   Krafton says its first nine months were its best ever for both sales and profit. [33]

   It calls itself "AI-first" and is building its own AI model for games, Raon-1. [33]

   How it works

   Accountants call it operating profit: what is left from sales after the costs of running the business.

   Sales rose 11.6%, but Krafton says spending on Gamescom and other events pushed profit down. [33]

   Seen it before

   A school stall can sell more cakes than last year and still keep less, if the stall cost more.

6. 12

   Webtoon loses readers in Japan

   What happened

   • Webtoon Entertainment, a seller of online comics, cut its quarterly loss to $7.5 million, from $11.1 million a year earlier. [34]
   • Revenue fell 4.0% to $362.8 million, which Webtoon blamed on a weak Korean won and Japanese yen. [34]
   • In Japan, its biggest market by revenue, monthly users fell 12.1% to 22.3 million. [34]
   • In Korea, monthly users rose about 4% to 25.6 million. [34]
   • Ad sales jumped 26.2% to $49.7 million. [34]

   down 12.1%Japan

   vsvs

   up about 4%Korea

   Why it matters

   Webtoon says it will focus on recovering in Japan, its biggest market by revenue. [34]

   How it works

   Accountants call it a currency effect: money earned in yen or won shrinks when counted in dollars.

   Without those currency swings, Webtoon says its revenue grew 0.2% instead of falling 4.0%. [34]

   Seen it before

   Pocket money saved in one country buys less when it is changed into a stronger currency.

   What comes next

   Webtoon plans to spend 10 billion yen, about $63 million, on Japanese comics over 3 years. [34]

7. 13

   Steam shows real Deck frame rates

   What happened

   • Valve's Steam store now shows the average frame rate players really get on its Steam Deck handheld. [35]
   • The figures come from players who chose to share their data, collected since February. [35]
   • Cyberpunk 2077 and Skyrim both carry a Verified badge, but average 30-40 and 50-60 frames a second. [35]
   • Some games Valve marks Unsupported run well, such as Assassin's Creed Syndicate, near 60 frames on the OLED model. [35]

   Why it matters

   Buyers can now see how well a game runs before deciding to pay for it. [36]

   How it works

   Statisticians pair an average with a histogram: a chart of how often each value comes up.

   Elden Ring averages 38 frames on the older Deck, but most play sits at 30 or at 60. [36]

   Seen it before

   A class's average height can match no pupil in the class.

   The truth

   • Valve warns that frame caps and V-Sync, a setting that stops the picture tearing, can skew the numbers. [35][37]
   • Who gains Steam Deck buyers — They can see real frame rates before deciding to pay. [36]

   Good news

   • Steam now shows the frame rates real players get on the Steam Deck, for thousands of games, before anyone pays.
8. 14

   Marathon adds a co-op mode and a free week

   What happened

   • Bungie's shooter Marathon gets a big update called Symbiosis on 8 December. [38]
   • It adds Expedition, a permanent mode where players team up against the game instead of each other. [38]
   • It also brings a test of a team deathmatch mode, and a social space called Limbo. [39]
   • The game will be free to play from 8 to 15 December. [39]

   How it unfolded

   1. 8 Dec free week starts
   2. 15 Dec free week ends

   Why it matters

   IGN says the new mode is for players who left because rival teams kept ambushing them. [40]

   Marathon launched this year and has had "a rough start", The Verge says. [5]

   How it works

   Marketers call a free week a trial offer: people try it, and some go on to buy.

   Progress from the free week carries over for anyone who then buys the game. [38]

   Seen it before

   A shop hands out free samples, so a shopper who likes the taste buys the box.

9. 15

   Nintendo closes the Switch 2 hack

   What happened

   • Nintendo's update 23.5.0, out on 10 November, closed a hole that let people copy and change Switch 2 games. [41]
   • Hackers had used it to put characters such as Hatsune Miku into Mario Kart World. [41]
   • The data-miner OatmealDome says copying games is now "impossible again", apart from some coming cartridge games. [41]

   How it unfolded

   The hack, first reported on 22 October, worked through SmileBASIC, a coding app once sold on the console's store. [42]

   The first Switch's hack came from a hardware flaw that Nintendo could never patch. [42]

   1. 22 Oct Switch 2 hacked
   2. 10 Nov update closes it

   Why it matters

   GamesRadar links the fix to copies of Nintendo's new Ocarina of Time remake appearing on PC. [41]

   How it works

   Security engineers split flaws into hardware ones, in the chips, and software ones, in the code.

   The Switch 2 hole was in its software, so a download could close it. [42]

   Seen it before

   A typo on a school website is fixed in a minute, but a crack in the wall is not.

10. 16

    Nintendo drops Google and Apple sign-in

    What happened

    • From 26 January 2027, players cannot sign in to a Nintendo account with Google or Apple. [43]
    • New Nintendo accounts cannot be made that way either. [43]
    • Missions in Nintendo's points scheme linked to Google accounts will also end. [43]

    Why it matters

    Anyone who signed up only through Google or Apple has until late January to set a password. [43]

    The truth

    • Nintendo says the change could be delayed, depending on how its system work goes. [43]

    What comes next

    Players who used those logins must set a password before then, or can add a passkey for extra security. [43]

11. 17

    Steam eases its age check in Australia

    What happened

    • Steam now counts an Australian account as adult if it is at least 9 years old. [44]
    • The account must also have kept the same email or billing details. [44]
    • Other stores use ID scans, or face scans by Yoti, an age-checking company. [44]

    How it unfolded

    Two months ago Steam began checking ages in Australia to follow local law, using only a credit card. [44]

    Why it matters

    Many Australians have no credit card, so they lost sight of adult-rated games such as Doom. [44]

    How it works

    Lawyers call this a proxy: one fact accepted as proof of another, here an old account for an adult.

    Valve says it wants to follow the law while "limiting the data we collect". [44] So it uses facts it already holds. [44]

    Seen it before

    A bus driver takes a school uniform as proof of a child's fare.

    Steam treats any account at least 9 years old as adult, a fixed line that is quick to check and wrong for some people.

    The idea, in story 06: Why a no-exceptions rule caught a hit game over 10 lines of code →

    The truth

    • Valve admits that not all Australians can verify their age with its options. [44]
    • Who pays Australians without a credit card — They still cannot see adult-rated games on Steam unless their account is 9 years old. [44]
12. 18

    Consumer group shames PlayStation

    What happened

    • Choice, an Australian consumer group, named Sony in its yearly "hall of shame" awards, the Shonkys. [45]
    • Choice says a digital PlayStation game buys a licence to play it, not ownership of it. [45]
    • Choice notes Sony recently removed several hundred digital films, taking back purchases with no refunds. [45]
    • Sony plans to stop selling games on discs, and Choice says buyers will have no alternative. [45]

    Why it matters

    Without discs there are no second-hand copies, so Sony takes a cut of every sale, analysts argue. [45]

    How it works

    Lawyers call a digital purchase a licence: permission to use something, which its owner can take back.

    Sony's licence let it remove those films from buyers' libraries without paying them back. [45]

    Seen it before

    A library card lets you read a book, but the library can still call the book back.

    The truth

    • Who gains Sony, if discs end — With no second-hand copies, it would take a cut of every sale, analysts argue. [45]
13. 19

    Nexus Mods limits bulk uploads

    What happened

    • Nexus Mods, a site for sharing fans' changes to PC games, now shows 1 new mod per author each day. [46]
    • An author who posts many at once gets one place in the list. [46] The rest sit behind it. [46]
    • The limit resets every 24 hours, so someone posting one mod a day is not affected. [46]
    • Rock Paper Shotgun saw up to 14 Fallout 4 mods by one author stacked into one place. [46]

    Why it matters

    Owner Victor Folmann said bulk uploads were "pushing everyone else down the page". [46]

    How it works

    Nexus set a fixed cap of one new mod per author a day, a stopgap until it has tools that judge more finely.

    The idea, in story 06: Why a no-exceptions rule caught a hit game over 10 lines of code →

    The truth

    • Folmann called it "less of an issue related to AI" than of mods being made faster. [46]

    Good news

    • On Nexus Mods, a modder who posts one mod a day now gets the same place in the new list as one who posts dozens.

    What comes next

    Nexus calls the limit an experiment, while it builds tools to let users choose what they see. [46]

14. 20

    McFarlane Toys sold to Gladstone

    What happened

    • Gladstone Investment, a publicly traded investment company, bought a majority of McFarlane Toys. [47]
    • Gladstone paid with a mix of loans and its own investment money. [47]
    • Gladstone also owns Schylling, the maker of NeeDoh squishy toys. [47]

    Who is involved

    Founder Todd McFarlane and co-owner Stephan Tetrault stay on as shareholders. [47]

    Tetrault, who also owns EB Games Canada, is now the chief executive. [47]

    • Gladstone Investment buys a majority
    • Todd McFarlane founder, keeps a share
    • Stephan Tetrault now chief executive

    Why it matters

    The money will pay for new kinds of collectables, licences for famous characters and growth abroad. [47]

    How it works

    Bankers call this a majority buyout: a buyer takes control, while the founders keep a smaller share.

    Gladstone now controls McFarlane Toys, while McFarlane and Tetrault keep stakes and stay involved. [47]

    Seen it before

    A friend buys most of your lemonade stand, but you keep a part and keep running it.

15. 21

    Wildwood gets a new Mexican dub

    What happened

    • Imagem Films, Wildwood's distributor in Mexico, will show a new Spanish voice track from 12 November. [48]
    • The first dub, released on 29 October, used an actress, an influencer and a TV host, not trained voice actors. [48]
    • Viewers said the voices lacked feeling, and a petition asked for a new dub. [48]

    Who is involved

    Wildwood is a stop-motion film by the animation studio Laika. [48]

    How it unfolded

    1. 29 Oct first dub opens
    2. 12 Nov new dub opens

    Why it matters

    Mexico has a huge audience for animated films, and the new dub comes two weeks after release. [48]

    How it works

    Film marketers call it stunt casting: hiring famous names to draw attention to a film.

    Here the attention became a backlash online, which pushed the distributor to make a second dub. [48]

    Seen it before

    A school play casts the most popular pupil, not the best singer, and the audience hears it at once.

    The truth

    • Imagem says the first dub met professional standards and was approved by everyone involved. [48]

    Good news

    • Viewers in Mexico asked for a better Spanish voice track for Wildwood, and its distributor made one, in cinemas from 12 November, two weeks after release.
16. 22

    Netflix runs ads to keep viewers watching

    What happened

    • Netflix launched a brand advertising campaign on Tuesday in the US, Canada, Brazil and Spain. [49]
    • Its line is "Find the thing you never knew you needed". [49]
    • The 3 ads are short films shot on 35mm film, starring an astronaut, a vampire and an axolotl. [49]

    Who is involved

    • Peter Rice Netflix's new content chief

    Why it matters

    Netflix's co-chief executive Ted Sarandos has said viewing has not been as strong as the company wants. [49]

    How it works

    Marketers call it brand advertising: selling the habit of using a service, not one show.

    The ads show fans finding their next show, to persuade members to keep tuning in. [49]

    Seen it before

    A gym's advert sells the feeling of getting fit, not one machine.

    What comes next

    A new content chief, Peter Rice, is expected to focus more on the US and Canada. [49]

17. 23

    DMM sets up an animation studio

    What happened

    • DMM, the company behind the DMM Pictures anime label, set up a new studio, Gleestone, on Tuesday. [50]
    • Gleestone will plan and animate TV series, films and shorts from the first idea to the finished work. [50]

    How it unfolded

    DMM Pictures has helped pay for and license over 120 anime, such as Fire Force. [50]

    DMM Pictures began as a label in 2017, and DMM set up another studio, CUE, in 2023. [50]

    1. 2017 DMM Pictures label
    2. 2023 CUE studio

    Why it matters

    DMM set up CUE as anime grew more popular around the world. [50]

    How it works

    Economists call it vertical integration: a company takes on the next step in making what it sells.

    DMM Pictures joined other studios' shows as a partner and licenser, and now Gleestone will make them itself. [50]

    Seen it before

    A cafe that buys its bread starts baking its own.

18. 24

    An AI film prize goes to Argentina

    What happened

    • PURGA Studio of Argentina won the $500,000 top prize at Higgsfield's festival for AI-made films. [51]
    • Every AI image and clip had to be made inside Higgsfield's own Cinema Studio tool. [51]
    • Entrants could still edit with ordinary tools such as Blender. [51]

    Who is involved

    Higgsfield, an AI video company, split $1 million among 14 winners. [51]

    The jury included Ed Catmull, a co-founder of Pixar. [51]

    • Ed Catmull Pixar co-founder, on the jury

    Why it matters

    The same week, 19 jurors at a games festival refused to vote for any game made with AI. [19]

    The truth

    • The count of 67,223 projects from 176 countries comes from the winners, PURGA, not from Higgsfield. [51]
    • Who gains Higgsfield, the AI video company — Its festival required every AI clip to be made in its own Cinema Studio tool. [51]
19. 25

    DC's Lanterns waits for a second season

    What happened

    • HBO's Lanterns, a DC series, has not yet been renewed for a second season, Variety reports. [52]
    • It averaged 19 million viewers worldwide an episode before its finale. [53]
    • An insider says the show is not quite "capturing the zeitgeist", the mood of the moment. [53]

    Supergirl's budget$170 million

    Supergirl's ticket sales$126 million

    Who is involved

    • James Gunn and Peter Safran out as DC Studios' heads

    How it unfolded

    It comes after James Gunn and Peter Safran left the top of DC Studios on 9 November. [52]

    Why it matters

    Variety says DC's films lost money: Supergirl took $126 million against a $170 million budget. [53]

    The truth

    • Variety first wrote that Lanterns was not renewed, then changed it to "has yet to be renewed". [52]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Whether Lanterns gets a second season.

      Variety changed its report from not renewed to not yet renewed. [52]

    What comes next

    Gunn still directs Superman: Man of Tomorrow, due next summer. [53]

20. 26

    Blizzard thins crowds in WoW: Forever

    What happened

    • Blizzard cut the number of players in the most crowded zones of WoW: Forever on 10 November. [54]
    • IGN says it was the biggest launch in World of Warcraft's history. [56]
    • The cut was bigger on the PvP rules, where players can attack each other. [54]

    Who is involved

    WoW: Forever, a new version of World of Warcraft, Blizzard's online role-playing game, launched on 4 November. [55]

    Instead of many servers, it puts players into copies of the world called layers. [56]

    How it unfolded

    1. 4 Nov WoW: Forever launches
    2. 10 Nov crowds thinned

    Why it matters

    Some players could not finish quests because so many others were hunting the same monsters. [56]

    How it works

    Engineers call it load balancing: spreading users out so no single place is overloaded.

    Blizzard lowered each layer's population, so a zone holds fewer people at once. [56]

    Seen it before

    A busy restaurant opens a second room so every table gets served.

21. 27

    Magic: The Gathering comes to Burger King

    What happened

    • Burger King in Italy is selling a Magic: The Gathering meal from 10 to 30 November. [57]
    • The meal comes with a burger-box card case and 100 card sleeves, for about $22. [57]
    • 9 Burger King restaurants will host qualifying rounds for Italy's national championship. [57]

    Who is involved

    Magic is a card game from Wizards of the Coast. [57]

    • Wizards of the Coast makes Magic: The Gathering

    How it unfolded

    1. 10 Nov the meal goes on sale
    2. 30 Nov the offer ends

    Why it matters

    Pokemon cards already come in McDonald's Happy Meals in the US, ICv2 notes. [57]

    How it works

    Marketers call this brand licensing: one firm lends its famous name to another firm's product.

    ICv2 says Wizards is testing restaurants as licensing partners, starting with one country, Italy. [57]

    Seen it before

    A cereal box with a film's characters on it sells to the film's fans.