Bernie Sanders is mad about the Xbox layoffs

by

US senator Bernie Sanders is famous as not-exactly-a-friend of powerful corporations: He’s previously called for OpenAI to be broken up, for instance, and earlier this year announced a bill that would pause the construction of data centers in the US, to give lawmakers a chance to catch up with, and regulate, AI companies. But AI … Read more

Xbox layoffs hit accessibility leadership, calling into question Microsoft’s continued commitment to accessibility initiatives

by

Yesterday’s 1,600 layoffs at Xbox—just half of the 3,200 job cuts Microsoft intends to inflict on its gaming division by the end of its 2027 fiscal year—seem to have taken a heavy toll on the company’s celebrated accessibility efforts. In the 24 hours since CEO Asha Sharma pronounced Xbox’s “reset,” senior and lead accessibility specialists … Read more

Former Elder Scrolls Online designer laments the destruction of layoffs: ‘There’s really no one left and no changing it now’

by

Yesterday’s layoffs at Xbox took, and will continue to take, a terrible toll. Some trumpeted the fact that no studios were closed, although the practical impact of spinning them out to independence or new ownership remains to be seen, but that has no bearing on the blow to morale caused by such deep cuts to … Read more

Analysts think SK hynix’s DRAM and NAND prices will finally drop by the end of 2028, but not before a huge rise over the next year

by

It often seems like there’s no light at the end of the memory crisis tunnel. That’s not just my opinion; it’s what I was told a few months ago by Maingear CEO Wallace Santos. But analysts from Bernstein have forecast something quite positive for DRAM at the end of 2028, as long as you can … Read more

IO Interactive says Project Fantasy isn’t dead, but confirms that layoffs are happening

by

Hitman and 007 First Light developer IO Interactive announced last week that it had lost funding for Project Fantasy, an “online fantasy RPG” first announced in 2023, and that as a result, “we have to adapt to this new reality and its short-term consequences, including staffing decisions.” That sure sounded like layoffs were incoming, and … Read more

John Romero commiserates with ousted id devs as around half the studio reported axed, says he hopes someone is preserving its work like he did before he left

by

New CEO Asha Sharma hit the reset button on Xbox yesterday, taking out 1,600 jobs at once with another 1,600 cuts still to come before the end of the year. Very few studios escaped the scythe: even id Software’s legendary name did not save it, and it quickly became clear the studio had been swept … Read more

Arc Raiders has finally added ‘one of the most requested matchmaking features’ meaning players can now Jekyll and Hyde their way through lobbies

by

Understanding matchmaking in Arc Raiders has been something of a white whale for players, especially since we first got confirmation that aggression-based matchmaking did actually play a part in creating lobbies. Since then Embark has been more open about what actually goes into its matchmaking and is more responsive to players who asked for changes, … Read more

‘Not once have we been asked to verify our age’: Study suggests companies falling under Australia’s under-16 social media ban are failing to verify accounts

by

Late last year, Australia implemented a social media ban for those aged under 16, and reports since suggest that things aren’t exactly going as planned. For one, companies reportedly don’t seem to be actually checking some accounts. Reuters spoke to a team of software testers, who report that several companies failed to ask for proof … Read more