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Monster Hunter Wilds players can test their machines ahead of release with PC benchmarking tool - Related to benchmarking, 20%, drop, bandai, shares

Bandai Namco reportedly lost over 100 staff in the last year

Bandai Namco reportedly lost over 100 staff in the last year

Bandai Namco has reportedly lost over a hundred staff in the last year.

As , 's Pension Service, the business's staff headcount dropped from 1294 on 1st April 2024 to 1177 on 4th February 2025 - a decrease of 117 people.

It's unclear which projects these employees were working on, or whether they left the corporation voluntarily or not.

The news follows a investigation from Bloomberg last year stating the corporation was cutting its Japanese workforce and cancelling a number of projects due to lacklustre demand.

What's more, while staff had not been directly laid off, around 200 employees were sent to what's known as "oidashi beya" - rooms where staff are left without a project to work on, often used instead for job hunting. These rooms are utilised in Japan due to strict labour laws making layoffs difficult to enforce.

At the time, Bandai Namco denied using these rooms. "Our decisions to discontinue games are based on comprehensive assessments of the situation. Some employees may need to wait a certain amount of time before they are assigned their next project, but we do move forward with assignments as new projects emerge," mentioned a representative from Bandai Namco. "There is no organisation like an 'oidashi beya' at Bandai Namco Studios designed to pressure people to leave voluntarily."

Eurogamer has once again contacted Bandai Namco to confirm this latest loss of staff, but the enterprise declined to comment.

However, these numbers from Japan's Pension Service do appear to line up with Bloomberg's study.

The Japan-only MMORPG Blue Protocol was cancelled by Bandai Namco in August last year, ahead of its Amazon Games . Mobile game Tales of the Rays was also shut down last year.

Several other projects have reportedly been cancelled or paused, including a project commissioned by Nintendo.

Last month, the Bandai Namco-"didn't come near" expectations.

Next for Bandai Namco will be the network test for Elden Ring spin-off Nightreign later this month.

The news also follows the bizarre LinkedIn upgrade from Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada who, after posting he was looking for new job opportunities, claimed he just wants to "meet more people and expand my horizons in the future".

EA has become one of the first publishers to discuss - in broad terms - its plans for Switch 2, now Nintendo has finally lifted the lid on its next co......

The Like a Dragon series returns in two weeks with a swashbuckling spin-off for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii plac......

Outside The Blocks is a diorama building game so beautiful I was initially distrustful of it, as if it was some sort of dazzling carnivorous plant try......

Roblox shares drop by 20% as platform misses target active users

Roblox shares drop by 20% as platform misses target active users

Roblox shares have dropped by 20 percent after the platform's reported daily active individuals fell short of analysts' estimates.

For the fourth quarter (ending 31st December), the number of daily active clients fell by four percent to [website] million compared to the previous quarter, Bloomberg has reported. Wall Street analysts had forecasted [website] million. Overall player engagement also declined by [website] percent in the same period to [website] hours.

Bookings, the firm's measure of sales, totalled $[website] (£[website], also falling shy of its forecast of $[website]£[website].

In an earnings call, Roblox CFO Mike Guthrie noted growth in Eastern Europe was "quite a bit slower" than anticipated, owing to a ban of the platform in Türkiye over child safety concerns.

That ban took place in August last year, with Roblox responding at the time: "We respect the laws and regulations in countries where we operate and share local lawmakers' commitment to children. We look forward to working together to ensure Roblox is back online in Türkiye as soon as possible."

Now, Guthrie has stated this last quarter was "the first full quarter where Türkiye has been off".

On a more positive note, in this quarter Roblox shared a record $281m with its game developers. CEO David Baszucki noted in the earnings call this reflected the organization's commitment to paying creators.

Back in 2021, a analysis by People Make Games accused Roblox of exploiting children as young developers. Roblox Studio head Stefano Corazza further discussed this with Eurogamer last year, with the corporation later clarifying it does not hire minors.

Sniper At Work is the work of Cherrypick Games, hitherto known for.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been out in the wild for just over 24 hours and folks are already finding nice surprises waiting in its huge open worl......

Monster Hunter Wilds players can test their machines ahead of release with PC benchmarking tool

Monster Hunter Wilds players can test their machines ahead of release with PC benchmarking tool

Capcom has released a PC benchmarking tool for Monster Hunter Wilds so players can test out their machines ahead of release.

Performance has been a big concern for players since the game's last beta, with erratic framerates and visual glitches across both PC and console. Capcom released the PC specs last September, but has since stated it plans to lower GPU requirements.

Now, following last night's Capcom Spotlight, the business has released a benchmark tool on PC you can download via Steam.

The free tool provides a score of your computer's performance, from Excellent down to Difficulty Playing, along with an average frame rate.

The benchmark comes ahead of a second beta, operating across two weekends in February before the game's launch on 28th February.

However, various improvements made to the game won't be included in this beta, including performance, weapon changes, Hitstop, and quality of life tweaks. As such, the benchmark tool is the best way for PC players to truly see if their machine is up to scratch.

Last night, Capcom confirmed this beta will give players a chance to go up against flagship monster Arkveld for the first time. A new trailer (above) provides a look at the Iceshard Cliffs biome and new monster Hirabami.

For console players, director Yuya Tokuda previously confirmed performance targets across PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. There will also be a day one PS5 Pro patch, for which further details have been revealed.

On PS5 Pro, PSSR will be used to upscale the resolution with added ray-tracing effects. Unlike on base consoles where two settings will be available to prioritise resolution or framerate, the PS5 Pro will have an additional Balanced mode for a 40fps frame rate with ray-tracing enabled.

Performance Settings Ray Tracing Output Resolution (Rendering Resolution) Frame Rate Prioritise Resolution Enabled 3840 x 2160 (3072 x 1728) 30fps Balanced Enabled 3840 x 2160 (1920 x 1404) 40 fps Prioritise Frame rate Disabled 3840 x 2160 (1920 x 1080) 60fps.

Monster Hunter Wilds will release across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 28th February. I went hands-on at Gamescom last year and was impressed by its more streamlined approach.

Avowed will include the option to play at 60fps on Xbox Series X, developer Obsidian has now confirmed, after previously saying the game's.

Nightmare Kart is set to receive an expansion, despite a DMCA takedown from Sony against the developer's Bloodborne PSX demake.

The Like a Dragon series returns in two weeks with a swashbuckling spin-off for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii plac......

Market Impact Analysis

Market Growth Trend

2018201920202021202220232024
6.0%7.2%7.5%8.4%8.8%9.1%9.2%
6.0%7.2%7.5%8.4%8.8%9.1%9.2% 2018201920202021202220232024

Quarterly Growth Rate

Q1 2024 Q2 2024 Q3 2024 Q4 2024
8.5% 8.8% 9.0% 9.2%
8.5% Q1 8.8% Q2 9.0% Q3 9.2% Q4

Market Segments and Growth Drivers

Segment Market Share Growth Rate
Console Gaming28%6.8%
Mobile Gaming37%11.2%
PC Gaming21%8.4%
Cloud Gaming9%25.3%
VR Gaming5%32.7%
Console Gaming28.0%Mobile Gaming37.0%PC Gaming21.0%Cloud Gaming9.0%VR Gaming5.0%

Technology Maturity Curve

Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity:

Innovation Trigger Peak of Inflated Expectations Trough of Disillusionment Slope of Enlightenment Plateau of Productivity AI/ML Blockchain VR/AR Cloud Mobile

Competitive Landscape Analysis

Company Market Share
Sony PlayStation21.3%
Microsoft Xbox18.7%
Nintendo15.2%
Tencent Games12.8%
Epic Games9.5%

Future Outlook and Predictions

The Bandai Namco Reportedly landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements, changing threat vectors, and shifting business requirements. Based on current trends and expert analyses, we can anticipate several significant developments across different time horizons:

Year-by-Year Technology Evolution

Based on current trajectory and expert analyses, we can project the following development timeline:

2024Early adopters begin implementing specialized solutions with measurable results
2025Industry standards emerging to facilitate broader adoption and integration
2026Mainstream adoption begins as technical barriers are addressed
2027Integration with adjacent technologies creates new capabilities
2028Business models transform as capabilities mature
2029Technology becomes embedded in core infrastructure and processes
2030New paradigms emerge as the technology reaches full maturity

Technology Maturity Curve

Different technologies within the ecosystem are at varying stages of maturity, influencing adoption timelines and investment priorities:

Time / Development Stage Adoption / Maturity Innovation Early Adoption Growth Maturity Decline/Legacy Emerging Tech Current Focus Established Tech Mature Solutions (Interactive diagram available in full report)

Innovation Trigger

  • Generative AI for specialized domains
  • Blockchain for supply chain verification

Peak of Inflated Expectations

  • Digital twins for business processes
  • Quantum-resistant cryptography

Trough of Disillusionment

  • Consumer AR/VR applications
  • General-purpose blockchain

Slope of Enlightenment

  • AI-driven analytics
  • Edge computing

Plateau of Productivity

  • Cloud infrastructure
  • Mobile applications

Technology Evolution Timeline

1-2 Years
  • Technology adoption accelerating across industries
  • digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream
3-5 Years
  • Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
  • new digital business models emerging
5+ Years
  • Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
  • emergence of new technology paradigms

Expert Perspectives

Leading experts in the gaming tech sector provide diverse perspectives on how the landscape will evolve over the coming years:

"Technology transformation will continue to accelerate, creating both challenges and opportunities."

— Industry Expert

"Organizations must balance innovation with practical implementation to achieve meaningful results."

— Technology Analyst

"The most successful adopters will focus on business outcomes rather than technology for its own sake."

— Research Director

Areas of Expert Consensus

  • Acceleration of Innovation: The pace of technological evolution will continue to increase
  • Practical Integration: Focus will shift from proof-of-concept to operational deployment
  • Human-Technology Partnership: Most effective implementations will optimize human-machine collaboration
  • Regulatory Influence: Regulatory frameworks will increasingly shape technology development

Short-Term Outlook (1-2 Years)

In the immediate future, organizations will focus on implementing and optimizing currently available technologies to address pressing gaming tech challenges:

  • Technology adoption accelerating across industries
  • digital transformation initiatives becoming mainstream

These developments will be characterized by incremental improvements to existing frameworks rather than revolutionary changes, with emphasis on practical deployment and measurable outcomes.

Mid-Term Outlook (3-5 Years)

As technologies mature and organizations adapt, more substantial transformations will emerge in how security is approached and implemented:

  • Significant transformation of business processes through advanced technologies
  • new digital business models emerging

This period will see significant changes in security architecture and operational models, with increasing automation and integration between previously siloed security functions. Organizations will shift from reactive to proactive security postures.

Long-Term Outlook (5+ Years)

Looking further ahead, more fundamental shifts will reshape how cybersecurity is conceptualized and implemented across digital ecosystems:

  • Fundamental shifts in how technology integrates with business and society
  • emergence of new technology paradigms

These long-term developments will likely require significant technical breakthroughs, new regulatory frameworks, and evolution in how organizations approach security as a fundamental business function rather than a technical discipline.

Key Risk Factors and Uncertainties

Several critical factors could significantly impact the trajectory of gaming tech evolution:

Technological limitations
Market fragmentation
Monetization challenges

Organizations should monitor these factors closely and develop contingency strategies to mitigate potential negative impacts on technology implementation timelines.

Alternative Future Scenarios

The evolution of technology can follow different paths depending on various factors including regulatory developments, investment trends, technological breakthroughs, and market adoption. We analyze three potential scenarios:

Optimistic Scenario

Rapid adoption of advanced technologies with significant business impact

Key Drivers: Supportive regulatory environment, significant research breakthroughs, strong market incentives, and rapid user adoption.

Probability: 25-30%

Base Case Scenario

Measured implementation with incremental improvements

Key Drivers: Balanced regulatory approach, steady technological progress, and selective implementation based on clear ROI.

Probability: 50-60%

Conservative Scenario

Technical and organizational barriers limiting effective adoption

Key Drivers: Restrictive regulations, technical limitations, implementation challenges, and risk-averse organizational cultures.

Probability: 15-20%

Scenario Comparison Matrix

FactorOptimisticBase CaseConservative
Implementation TimelineAcceleratedSteadyDelayed
Market AdoptionWidespreadSelectiveLimited
Technology EvolutionRapidProgressiveIncremental
Regulatory EnvironmentSupportiveBalancedRestrictive
Business ImpactTransformativeSignificantModest

Transformational Impact

Technology becoming increasingly embedded in all aspects of business operations. This evolution will necessitate significant changes in organizational structures, talent development, and strategic planning processes.

The convergence of multiple technological trends—including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and ubiquitous connectivity—will create both unprecedented security challenges and innovative defensive capabilities.

Implementation Challenges

Technical complexity and organizational readiness remain key challenges. Organizations will need to develop comprehensive change management strategies to successfully navigate these transitions.

Regulatory uncertainty, particularly around emerging technologies like AI in security applications, will require flexible security architectures that can adapt to evolving compliance requirements.

Key Innovations to Watch

Artificial intelligence, distributed systems, and automation technologies leading innovation. Organizations should monitor these developments closely to maintain competitive advantages and effective security postures.

Strategic investments in research partnerships, technology pilots, and talent development will position forward-thinking organizations to leverage these innovations early in their development cycle.

Technical Glossary

Key technical terms and definitions to help understand the technologies discussed in this article.

Understanding the following technical concepts is essential for grasping the full implications of the security threats and defensive measures discussed in this article. These definitions provide context for both technical and non-technical readers.

Filter by difficulty:

ray tracing intermediate

algorithm

AR intermediate

interface

platform intermediate

platform Platforms provide standardized environments that reduce development complexity and enable ecosystem growth through shared functionality and integration capabilities.