Microsoft acquires game studios Obsidian and inXile, giving Xbox two independent RPG powerhouses This weekend marked Microsoft’s X018 conference, the fourth-annual showcase for the Xbox family of products, held in Mexico City. A… Read More
Play Podcast ‘It just brings the fantasy to life:’ Wizards of the Coast president on D&D, Magic, and what’s next Play Perhaps no other company has had such a guiding influence on geek culture as Wizards of the Coast. The Renton,… Read More
Microsoft’s Twitch competitor Mixer doubles down on audience participation with ‘Season 2’ features It’s been more than two years since Microsoft bought the Seattle game-streaming service Beam, later rebranding it as Mixer, and now… Read More
From little kid to president of the company, Wizards of the Coast leader stays in the ever-evolving game RENTON, Wash. — There’s something special about a workplace where you meet with the president of the company, ask to… Read More
Nintendo Switch tops 3M units in latest quarter, surpasses GameCube in lifetime sales Nintendo sold 3.19 million Switch consoles worldwide in the September quarter, up from 2.92 million units in the same period… Read More
First startups, then goblins! Tech CEOs unite around Dungeons & Dragons, embrace their inner geek Intriguing and quirky characters flock to the tech industry. But how many of them would happily classify themselves as a… Read More
Dungeons, dragons and diversity: How the world’s most influential RPG turned the tables on inclusion Dwarven wizards. Dragon-born clerics. Orc wizards. There’s plenty of diversity in the world of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), the oldest… Read More
Develop video games in Seattle? A panel ponders recruitment, stability, and a lack of connection While Seattle has its benefits for the games industry culture — such as relative stability and plentiful job opportunities —… Read More
Amazon-owned Twitch adds a new verse to the same old song by developing a karaoke game Twitch is getting into the karaoke world with what it calls a new category of game by the name of… Read More
Exato Games’ ‘Elo Hell’ is a video game sitcom about e-sports athletes, and it’s about the struggle A term that describes video game frustration has itself inspired a game from a Seattle-based independent studio. Elo Hell is a new… Read More
Inside Niantic’s Seattle-area engineering office, the future of Pokémon Go is taking shape When throngs of Pokémon Go fanatics took over Downtown Bellevue Park two summers ago during the height of the augmented… Read More
Sounders soccer stars compete for video game bragging rights at FIFA 19 tournament There were slick passes, booming shots, big saves, and tough tackles. But this time, Seattle Sounders soccer stars took their competition… Read More
‘Plants vs. Zombies’ creator PopCap and parent EA put down new roots in Seattle, and tease next game When Ken Moss started at the video game company Electronic Arts a little more than four years ago, he was one… Read More
HBO vets raise cash from top VCs for immersive augmented reality startup Leaftail Labs Top venture capital firms are making an early bet on a new Seattle startup that is pushing the envelope with… Read More
TLDR: Microsoft partners with Indian cricket legend on smart bat Today’s featured stories Microsoft partners with Indian cricket legend to develop a smart bat that tracks live analytics Alexa and… Read More
Holospark announces ‘The Haunted Graveyard,’ a newbie-friendly experience for VR arcades A new virtual-reality title from Holospark, an independent developer headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., is working to expand the audience for… Read More
TLDR: Microsoft unveils Project xCloud game streaming service Today’s featured stories Microsoft will launch Project xCloud game streaming service in 2019, powered by custom servers built from Xbox… Read More
Ex-Bungie engineers aim to steal your heart through a sword-wielding VR mouse called Quill More than a week after my almost-10-year-old daughter met Quill, she’s still talking about her. They spent only about an… Read More
TLDR: Amazon ends warehouse worker bonuses & stock awards Today’s featured stories Amazon criticized for ending warehouse bonuses and stock awards in shift to $15/hour wage Nintendo plans new… Read More
Nintendo plans new Switch hardware for 2019 release, report says Nintendo is gearing up to release a new version of the smash hit Switch console as soon as next summer,… Read More
TLDR: GeekWire Summit Highlights — Nintendo, eBay, Boeing Today’s featured stories How Nintendo learned from a Wii U disappointment to create the popular Switch console eBay CEO: ‘I… Read More
How Nintendo learned from a Wii U disappointment to create the popular Switch console For Nintendo, the past six years have been a lesson in learning from disappointment and rebounding with record-breaking success. Speaking… Read More
Vancouver’s Liquid Media acquires rights to 65 classic video game titles, opening door to revivals Vancouver, B.C.-based production studio Liquid Media Group has announced that it has acquired 65 video game properties, many of which are… Read More
Microsoft adds Xbox One keyboard and mouse support, partners with hardware maker Razer Microsoft is enabling keyboard and mouse support for Xbox One, adding a new way for gamers to play and more… Read More
Nintendo unveils Switch Online service and (finally) a new Animal Crossing game for Switch Last week, Nintendo’s corporate headquarters in Japan was damaged by Typhoon Jebi, which knocked the N off the Nintendo sign… Read More
Nintendo sets a start date for Switch online service The much anticipated online gaming service for the popular Nintendo Switch has a start date: Sept. 18. Nintendo plans to… Read More
The Tim’s PAX Indie Game Awards [Editor’s Note: Tim “The Tim” Ellis is a regular GeekWire contributor and perennial PAX attendee.] Every year at the PAX… Read More
Explainer: Riot Games’ summer of controversy continues at PAX West in Seattle Riot Games, the California-based studio behind the mega-popular PC game League of Legends, is having a rough summer. After an expose… Read More
Steam adds new tools to help users find games they want — and avoid ones they don’t — in its store It’s been a strange summer for Steam. Since the implementation of the Steam Direct program last year, the service has… Read More
TLDR: Amazon HQ2 hints? Today’s featured stories Amazon is staffing up in these HQ2 finalist cities as second headquarters decision nears ‘Alexa, start Halo’:… Read More
