Stephen Totilo

@stephentotilo

Reporter covering video games at Game File (). Previously launched games coverage at Axios and MTV News. Was Kotaku EiC. stephen(at)gamefile(dot)news he/him

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Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· 19d

I hadn't heard someone make this gaming/theater connection before The gaming guy describes how they're patching their FIFA game regularly based on feedback Former Disney CEO Eisner realizes it's like how they'd tweak The Lion King on Broadway based on audience reactions, well after opening

Eisner says he was surprised that Netflix shared that data. Daugaard points out that data for a video game, especially one that is streamed and can be updated on the fly by its developers, is particularly useful. It can help a studio understand what’s working, what isn’t, what might need to be tweaked.

This triggers one of Eisner’s most interesting asides of the afternoon:

“The one place I’ve seen that is Broadway. We do a movie, and it’s locked. Yes, we preview it… we’ll go down to Long Beach, we’ll make changes.

“But in the theater, and we’ve done Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and a couple others, every night we change it. Even after opening.

“So if you can change it, make it better, constantly…that is a real game-changer for that business. I never thought of that. I love that.”

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· 20d

South of Midnight just won Game of the Year at the Games For Change festival Microsoft recently said it was selling the studio back to its management From the dev team's speech tonight: "South of Midnight is about raising up to challenging times when it gets tough, about growth, about resilience

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· 25d

Among our problems, Superman is now powerless

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· 27d

One hell of a chart... Via @superjoost.bsky.social superjoost.substack.com/p/ubisoft-an...

Char titles "Share price history for Take-Two and Ubisoft against each CEO's comments on emerging tech

The chart shows Take Two's stock rising as its CEO is quoted expressing skepticism about cloud gaming, VR, and gen AI making games, while Ubisoft's fades as its CEO enthuses about each

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 10

This extraordinary post from Microsoft's head of comms appears to be in reference to an Xbox lay-off narrative by Fox News and others that does not appear to be grounded in reality

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 9

Maryland info is now out (wasn’t yesterday when I asked for it) MD - Zenimax Online Studios eliminating 213 jobs; Zenimax Media (Bethesda, not sure anyone else) another 166

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 8

PSA: If you're playing Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, do not leave any Templar Hunt sidequest chains unfinished. It produced a glitch that cost me five hours of playing time. The game's really fun and some of the new bits are interesting in unexpected ways. But my write-up is delayed!

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 7

I elaborated on a couple of Xbox topics for Game File readers (in the reader chat). Figured I'd post them here, too, for those interested. Re: the two studio sales and the Roblox/Minecraft comparisons...

A couple of notes about yesterday's Xbox cuts/plans/news, given some reactions I saw to what I ran in Game File

1) The studios (Undead Labs and Ninja Theory) being sold to new buyers... One detail that I reported that got a lot of attention on social media and in other outlets was about the new owners not being obligated to put their announced games, State of Decay 3 and Senua, on Game Pass. The way it was explained to me by sources familiar with Microsoft's overall restructuring plans, is that the deal terms are for the sale and the continuation of the games' development, with the Game Pass piece of it essentially to be determined later. They could stick with it, drop it. Point is--and it's a fairly minor point in the context of everything else that happened yesterday--is that it's a discussion still to come, hence the lack of "obligation," as I put it. These deals, as I understand it, aren't being set up for Microsoft to profit from the studio sales and are more about unwinding them from Xbox and getting them new homes. I don't know who the buyer or buyers are. I don't know what their intentions are beyond to own the studios and support the development of the announced games. I'm expecting we'll find out more later this summer.

2) The Roblox element. I had a bit in the piece about the new Xbox leadership feeling that Microsoft has under-invested in Minecraft. As I wrote, that's very much in comparison to how much money they've seen Roblox pour into their platform. When I then saw Sharma end a paragraph about the divestment of some of Xbox's smaller studios with the line "we will help independent creators succeed by providing open development tools and audiences to realize their vision," that certainly sent another signal that Sharma's Xbox will be pushing to use Minecraft and other tools to develop the kind of creative platform that has fueled Roblox's explosive user growth. This won't be the first time Microsoft has tried to position itself as the platform for amateur and indie game creation. See XNA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_XNA
). See Kodu. (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/kodu/

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 6

Microsoft's big E3 2018 new studio reveal is a shot of a bygone era - Then-new studio Initiative shut in 2025 - Undead Labs / Ninja theory now spinning off to new owner/owners - Compulsion returned to management DoubleFine, acquired in 2019, also back to management Playground remains

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 3

NEW: Sony's private message to publisher/dev partners about discs also cited a consumer "shift" But it included more explicit confirmation that, after Jan 2028, partners "will still be able to place re-orders for existing PlayStation disc games” More in item 2 www.gamefile.news/i/204901261/...

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 3

You finally get your chance to ask Capcom managers a question at the annual Capcom shareholders meeting. Your question is: How can I ask a question via the internet ahead of the next meting? (Time was better spent by the person asking about the CEO's winery)

I would like to ask where specific guidance is provided regarding how to submit questions
in advance via the internet.
A． For this fiscal yearʼs General Meeting of Shareholders, this information is provided in the
leaflet titled Guide to the Hybrid-Participation Virtual General Meeting of Shareholders,
which is enclosed with the Notice of Convocation for this Ordinary General Meeting of
Shareholders.

Q． Chairman Tsujimotoʼs winery appears to have a strong reputation. Could collaboration or
coordination with Capcom be a management option going forward?
A． Kenzo Estate Winery is a company managed by Chairman Tsujimoto and has no capital
relationship with Capcom. As such, we are unable to provide any comment. We will
continue working to expand our business as a game company.

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 3

No plans for a big Capcom theme park, Capcom says

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 1

Let's see what kinds of new threads players are starting over on the Xbox Player's Voice forum today... feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/for...

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 1

Like many others, Sony ditching discs reminded me of that E3 2013 moment when two now-former PlayStation execs made a mockery of Xbox's convoluted digital gaming rights Xbox One plans by showing that you could share a PS4 game by simply handing it to someone But I'd forgotten about this...

Screenshot of PlayStation's E3 2013 press conference from the moment when PlayStation exec Jack Tretton showed a massive image labeled "Disc based games". Accompanying that are the lines: "Trade in games at retail" "Sell it to another person" "Lend it to a friend" "Or keep it forever."

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jul 1

In 2016, less than 3 of every 10 PS4 game purchases were made digitally. By this year, it was nearly 8 of 10 for PS4/PS5 That shift likely showed Sony it could do this, drop the cost of making/shipping discs, improve its software profit margins a bit, potentially de-emphasize a next-gen disc drive

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 26

This is the list of jobs cut at Bungie in the state of Washington today. I had to scroll through a lot... Item 2 of today's Game File: www.gamefile.news/i/203624241/...

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 25

292 people laid off from Bungie in the state of Washington, where the studio is based. Effective July 9.

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 25

Did some morning news today

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 24

“The first one,” he told me through a translator. “Only because I spent so much time with it and made so many tweaks and changes–it feels like I've lived with it for the longest.” He added that he believed the fans of the game have a different answer: “Probably the most popular one is the bird.”

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 24

While interviewing Fumito Ueda in Los Angeles earlier this month, I couldn’t resist asking him a fun question about one of his previous games: Which colossus was your favorite?

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 24

The upcoming racing game Star Wars Galactic Racer has a roguelite campaign inspired by Hades and Slay the Spire I asked Game File readers for a good pun and someone suggested Slay the Empire, which I think is better than Rogue(Squadron)Like Got a better one? www.gamefile.news/i/203322538/...

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 24

hmmm. could be?

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 24

United States....that last word's not America. .... something paranoia?

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 24

Anyone recognize this face on the GTA VI $100 bill? (I don't, but it's early!)

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 19

When you have a million games in a history-spanning franchise, it can be fun when they connect. Here’s a note from the antagonist featured in the new ending that was added to Assassins Creed Shadows this week. (Don’t read it if you don’t want to be spoiled!)

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 18

Absolutely floored that Rockstar put a helicopter in the upper left corner of the GTA VI box art (the collage of older boxarts is via reddit: www.reddit.com/r/GTA/commen...)

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 17

Writing about Xbox, two images came to mind: 1) a set of headshots of Microsoft's "Gaming Leadership Team" circa the Activision Blizzard deal. Half of that team is now gone 2) a collage of studios from that time, many now gone, slashed or on the chopping block www.gamefile.news/p/xbox-studi...

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 11

Nintendo's showcase on Tuesday was very focused on the summer. Time-limited challenges expiring Sept 1. A Treehouse showcase of June/July games. Compare to 2019's E3 Treehouse event, with them playing games set to release through the following March substack.com/chat/66124/p...

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 11

From the article:

An AI post-script: Our demo was on Saturday. On Sunday, Sega announced the game and listed the game on digital storefronts, including Steam where, per the shop’s policy, it disclosed that the generative AI was used in the game’s development. That’s why some people who got demos were able to ask Kanno about it. Their sessions were after that; mine was not. But Sega sent me a statement: “At SEGA Corporation, generative AI is available as an optional support tool for developers, enabling our teams to focus more on creative tasks and ultimately focus on what matters most: delivering better games to our consumers. Generative AI was used to support our teams during the development of background assets for ‘Crazy Taxi: World Tour. Assets generated were still subject to review by the development team. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game.”

Stephen Totilo@stephentotilo· Jun 9

Just noticed this after publishing. On Nintendo Today, Nintendo apologized for the Direct starting late, blaming a "system error." I assume they mean it aired late in the app because it didn't seem late to me on YouTube