Management

The editorial team at App2Top has frequently consulted developers for their opinions on neural networks and received highly polarizing responses. These range from "it's random that desperately needs human intervention" to "soon AI will create a grand hit for me." To understand which of these perspectives is closer to reality, we are discussing with representatives from MidHard, Beresnev Games, Playkot, and other studios

In March 2026, the founder of WN Media Group, Pavel Ryaykkonen, announced the launch of the investment syndicate GameXCap. The initiative aims to connect capital with potentially strong gaming projects. The GameXCap team has prepared an extensive FAQ about the syndicate, which includes answers to the most frequently asked questions concerning various aspects of its operation—from conditions and amounts to guarantees and exit strategies.

We continue to publish daily video presentations from the "Game Industry" conference, which recently took place in Minsk. Today, we have a presentation from HeroCraft. It was delivered by Daniil Kolesnikov, the business development manager at HeroCraft

Playtika plans to cut its workforce by 15% in a restructuring effort estimated to cost between $12 million and $15 million.

Japanese publishing powerhouse Sega has announced its plan to incorporate AI in its game development processes while emphasizing a careful approach to its application

A recent survey indicates that 51% of game developers in Japan are incorporating generative AI into their development processes

Last fall, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that its gaming division would focus on four franchises: Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC, and Game of Thrones. In line with this decision, the company has now updated the structure of Warner Bros. Games.

A new report on a possible Ubisoft buyout has emerged. The Guillemot family and Tencent have been discussing the terms of a potential deal.

CD Projekt has released its financial report for the third quarter ended October 31, 2024. The Polish company faced an expected decline in both revenue and profit following last year’s success of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

At the inaugural session of Gamescom Latam, Carolina Caravana, who serves as vice president of Brazil's gaming trade organization Abragrames, stated that the history of the country's gaming industry will be divided into two eras: before 2024 and after.

Microsoft has announced another round of layoffs this year. The company will cut around 650 roles across its gaming division.

Microsoft has taken issue with Apple's commission fees, claiming they hinder the ability to "effectively monetize its cloud gaming service" on iOS devices. In a statement to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as part of an investigation into mobile browsers and the cloud gaming sector, Microsoft noted that Apple's guidelines modifications between January and March 2024 still largely obstruct native cloud gaming applications. The company further stated that "Apple's in-app purchase commission fee is set at a level that is neither economically sustainable nor justifiable." Microsoft argued that the 30% fee creates an insurmountable challenge for properly monetizing its cloud gaming services, citing Guideline 3.1.3(b), which prohibits offering different content, subscriptions, or features, including consumables in multiplatform games, to iOS users compared to those available on other platforms

Square Enix has released a financial report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at the company’s business metrics and its new strategy aimed at rebooting its development processes and delivering long-term growth.

What approach to work on art is practiced in the R&D department of Belka Games, – said Anastasia Morzina, the company’s lead artist.

Bombora Publishing House announced the departure of Jeff Ryan‘s book “Super Mario. How Nintendo Conquered the World” (in the original — Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America). In the center of the narrative is the story of the development of the American daughter of Nintendo and the story of how the Japanese company itself was rebuilt into a gaming giant. We publish the first chapter of the book.

Vera Velichko, CEO of OWL studio, spoke about the tasks in which neural networks can help CG artists today, and in which – you should not expect much from them.

It will now be easier for foreign IT specialists to get a job in Russia. This was reported in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

How, during the change in the structure of the Belka Games teams, it was possible to increase the frequency of the release of updates and set two records for daily revenue, — said Vitaly Kuzmin, director of development of the company.

Oleg Tuzov, project manager of Belka Games, spoke about the experience of launching an R&D department, building processes in it, and also gave several recommendations to those who are interested in launching a similar department in the company.

In November 2020, Saber Interactive, a subsidiary of Embracer Group, acquired a 100% stake in the Italian studio 34BigThings. We contacted Valerio Di Donato, CEO of 34BigThings, to discuss the implications of the takeover for a studio that has always prided itself on its freedom and “strangeness.”

Developer and publisher Wargaming has closed the R&D division. Information about this in the letter App2Top.ru the company’s press service confirmed.

The business processes of gaming and non-gaming companies differ dramatically, according to SuperData co-founder Joost van Dreunen. An analyst with twenty years of experience tells about this in the newly published book “One Up: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games”. The pages contain an empirical analysis of innovations and strategies in the video game industry, refutation of industry myths and hundreds of case studies.

Has the amount of work increased during self-isolation? Do employees want to return to the office after the pandemic? How has remote work affected efficiency? These and other questions are answered by the results of a study that was jointly conducted App2Top.ru and the job search and recruitment service Talents In Games.

On the eve of the CEO Summit, we talked with Yulia Lebedeva. She is the permanent head of the organizing committee of all conferences White Nights. Among the topics are the working regime, management and, of course, the future summit.

A representative of the Russian office of Electronic Arts in the comments for App2Top.ru He told how the company will continue to work in the local market after the disbandment of the team in Moscow.

Why are there two producers on the project, what is wrong with product marketing and why a Wiki is needed during development, – App2Top.ru Olga Abashova, head of the Kaliningrad office of G5 Entertainment, told.