Top Stories

Nintendo of Europe agrees to pay €35m fine for Joy-Con drift defects (2 min read)

Nintendo of Europe agreed to pay €35 million to France's DGCCRF after an investigation found the company knew of Joy-Con drift defects as early as 2018 but withheld disclosure from consumers until 2020, causing unnecessary controller purchases. Nintendo stated it did not intentionally mislead consumers and the settlement does not constitute an admission of guilt. The complaint originated from French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir in 2020. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Ninja Theory cancels Project Mara (2 min read)

Ninja Theory cancelled Project Mara, an experimental horror title exploring mental terror through real-world research and lived experience accounts. Studio head Dom Matthews said the decision consolidates all 85 creatives onto Senua, the third Hellblade instalment announced at Summer Game Fest, to "realise the potential of what Senua can be." Project Mara was announced in 2020 alongside Hellblade 2 and multiplayer title Bleeding Edge, which Ninja Theory halted updates for in 2021. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Business & Finance

"Product visibility needs a more cohesive and structural approach" – How VaultN aims to unify the digital distribution ecosystem (6 min read)

VaultN, a digital distribution platform used by Take-Two, Bethesda, and Team17, aims to unify publisher transactions across retailers and storefronts. The platform targets adding two to three partners weekly and claims additional channels can increase game sales by up to 20% over a game's lifetime. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Roblox partners with SuperAwesome to bring "brand safe advertising" to under-13s (2 min read)

Roblox appointed SuperAwesome as its sole third-party vendor for under-13 contextual advertising worldwide. The partnership ensures COPPA-compliant ads across Roblox Kids and Select modes, and includes a training program called 'Blox Aware' to educate brands on platform-specific advertising standards. (GamesIndustry.biz)

Studios & People

After a stint on Warzone, Toys for Bob is thrilled to be back on Spyro – "We were moving away from the types of games that are near and dear to our hearts" (9 min read)

Toys for Bob spun off as an independent studio after proposing a buyback of creative and financial control during Microsoft's Activision acquisition. The 37-year-old studio, which had shifted to support Warzone and Overwatch 2, is refocusing on joyful, character-driven games like Spyro: A Realm Beyond. (GamesIndustry.biz)

AI/Tech & Tools

Shadow Of The Colossus Director Fumito Ueda Says His New Studio Doesn’t Use AI For Development As Other Games Are Engulfed In A Backlash (4 min read)

Fumito Ueda's studio genDESIGN, developing Gen Atlas for Epic Games, does not use generative AI for game development work—only for administrative tasks like scheduling and meeting summaries. The stance distinguishes the project from recent releases like Crazy Taxi and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, which disclosed genAI use. (Kotaku)

Crazy Taxi: World Tour Lead Says Generative AI Will Continue To Be A ‘Hot Topic,’ But They’re Using It Anyway (4 min read)

Sega used generative AI as a reference tool for background assets in Crazy Taxi: World Tour, with artists generating ideas and then creating final artwork manually. All AI-generated content was reviewed by the development team. The studio emphasized AI was not used for performer reference. (Kotaku)

Culture & Community

After Starring in an AI-Generated Video for Prada, Hideo Kojima Says 'Maybe AI Could Create Art, but While I Live, I Don't Think I'll See It' (2 min read)

Hideo Kojima appeared in an AI-generated Prada video that drew backlash from fans calling it "AI slop." Kojima told The Washington Post he's "not interested" in AI creating art during his lifetime, though he previously said AI could enhance game systems like dynamic enemy behavior. (IGN)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie crosses $1bn worldwide, but its predecessor still retains the video game adaptation crown (3 min read)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie crossed $1 billion worldwide, becoming 2026's first film to reach that milestone. The original Super Mario Bros. Movie still leads video game adaptations with $1.36 billion. (Eurogamer)

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— james