Let’s dive into this week’s industry developments with our regular roundup of MMO and gaming-adjacent business news, featuring significant legal decisions and growing player advocacy efforts.
Ubisoft Executives Convicted: The high-profile French trial of former Ubisoft executives Serge Hascoet, Tommy Francois, and Guillaume Patrux concluded with convictions for all three defendants. Libération reports suspended prison sentences ranging from 10 months to 3 years, combined with fines totaling €85,000.
Preservation Petition Milestone: Ross Scott’s Stop Killing Games campaign surpassed 1 million signatures for its EU petition despite concerns about authenticity. The YouTuber advised supporters to verify participation through official channels, while sharing updates about the parallel UK petition crossing 100K signatures.
Industry Challenges Revealed: Two critical perspectives emerged about AAA game development’s sustainability. Ars Technica’s deep dive into the next Battlefield title reveals cultural tensions and ballooning budgets at DICE, while a GamesIndustry analysis warns of potential consumer spending declines due to rising hardware and software costs.