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Slim pickings
An ominous dark cloud has descended over the video games industry in 2024 still, SCOTT ALSWORTH finds a handful of silver linings


THERE’S an expression doing the rounds in the videogame industry right now; survive till ‘25. And that’s not an age thing. This year’s seen more studio closures and mass layoffs than the last.

To add that those of us in the biz are getting angry is something of an understatement. And yet, our anger’s failing to hold capitalism to account in the games we’re creating.

A glance at this month’s Game Awards says it all. The latest cash grab of overly ludocentric games, centring on cutesy robots and infantile, male fantasies, apparently developed for the likes of undiscerning shut-ins, aren’t really doing it for me.

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