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Gamescom gathers with GTA VI looming in the background
Gamescom gathers with GTA VI looming in the background
The videogames industry meets on Tuesday in Cologne at the Gamescom trade show as concerns mount for its future amid job cuts, cut-throat competition and the end of discs.
Though the latest instalment in the smash-hit Grand Theft Auto series will not be on show at Gamescom, developers are under pressure to make their games stand out from the crowd as developers bring releases forward to try and avoid the GTA behemoth.
After a launch event showcasing the main upcoming releases with the latest instalment in the Final Fantasy saga as the centrepiece the gaming gathering opens its doors to industry on Wednesday and to the public on Thursday, running through Sunday.
About 360,000 people attended last year's jamboree.
In the shadow of GTA VI
The sixth instalment in the hit Grand Theft Auto series likely to smash records when it comes out on November 19 is giving rival publishers nightmares.
Other studios have pulled releases forward to try and avoid clashing with Rockstar Games' GTA release which has so far enjoyed an "unprecedented and astonishing" number of pre-orders according to Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive.
Some games would struggle in the flurry of releases, Rhys Elliot of Alinea Analytics, a specialist consultancy that focuses on the games industry, told AFP.
"Some games will not sell as well because they're competing with, you know, some of the other biggest games," he said. "It's tough."
Game over for the disc
One hotly-debated topic at the trade show will be Sony's decision to discontinue video games on physical discs from 2028.
The Japanese giant popularised discs with the PlayStation in the 1990s, but digital sales for the PS4 and PS5 made up nearly 82 percent of sales at the beginning of 2026.
Some players fear the decline of the disc could mean the end of the second-hand market as well as the loss of a tangible part of video gaming heritage.
Microsoft's U-turn
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Xbox games console this year, Microsoft will showcase more than 25 games, including "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" and "Gears of War: E-Day."
"Gears of War" will be an exclusive release for Microsoft consoles, the US giant said in June, marking a change from a previous strategy that had seen it make major titles for various platforms in an effort to pay off rising development costs.
"The U-turn is about winning hearts back," Elliot told AFP, adding Microsoft would expect the move to boost Xbox brand loyalty.
Revenue at Xbox last year fell seven percent and Microsoft in July said it would cut 3,200 jobs at its gaming division by the end of June next year.
Tough times
Faced with a period of relative bust after lockdown-fuelled pandemic boom times came to and end, studios across the world have cut jobs.
US publisher Epic Games, maker of "Fortnite", in March laid off 1,000 and Sony's US studio Bungie, which makes "Marathon", in June cut nearly 300 jobs.
Long-established studios in France, including giant Ubisoft as well as Nacon, are also struggling.
Nearly 10,000 people have lost their jobs and the industry is on course for 15,000 lay-offs this year, according to the ASGC Games Industry Layoffs Tracker, a figure which if reached would be close to the 2024 record.
Although the global video game market continues to grow, reaching nearly $200 billion for the first time in 2025, players' time is dominated by a handful of hit games like "Roblox" and "Fortnite".
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This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
