Ascendant Studios, the developers of Immortals of Aveum, have reportedly furloughed most of their staff, following a round of layoffs that affected almost half of their employees. The studio's rough launch and poor sales of their debut title led to these actions, despite initial plans to continue supporting the game. The future of the studio and the game remains uncertain amidst the challenges faced by the video game industry.
Immortals of Aveum, a first-person shooter with magical elements, is now available on PlayStation Plus, offering a chance for the game to gain the recognition it deserves. Despite initial criticism, the game offers a unique experience with a blend of combat mechanics and Metroidvania elements. While it has its flaws, its innovative approach and fresh ideas make it a standout in the gaming landscape.
Sony's PS Plus Essential update brings three new games, including Immortals of Aveum for PS5, Minecraft Legends for PS5 and PS4, and Skul: The Hero Slayer for PS4. Immortals of Aveum receives praise for its semi-open world approach and visuals, while Minecraft Legends is noted for its appeal to a younger audience. However, the update has received mixed reviews from users, with some expressing disappointment in the selection.
The April 2024 PS Plus Essential games lineup includes Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul: The Hero Slayer, with some feeling it's one of the weaker months in recent memory. Immortals of Aveum, despite struggling upon its release, may find new life on PS Plus, while Skul: The Hero Slayer is well-regarded. Gamers are encouraged to vote and share their opinions on the lineup.
Sony has revealed the April 2024 PS Plus Essential lineup, featuring three free games including Immortals Of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul The Hero Slayer. While the titles have mixed reviews, Skul The Hero Slayer stands out as the most exciting with its 2D platformer rogue-lite gameplay and positive ratings. These games will be available for download on April 2nd for PS Plus subscribers.
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus games for April 2024, including Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul: The Hero Slayer for PS4 and PS5 members, with a bonus Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle available. Members can add the games to their library from April 2 to May 6. Additionally, March's games – EA Sports F1 23, Sifu, Hello Neighbor 2, and Destiny 2: Witch Queen – are available until April 1.
PlayStation Plus has revealed the free games lineup for April 2024, which includes Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul: The Hero Slayer. Subscribers can claim these games starting April 2. Additionally, a bundle for Overwatch 2 with various skins and tier skips is available. Players are reminded to claim the March 2024 games before they expire, featuring titles such as Destiny 2: The Witch Queen and Sifu.
PlayStation Plus announces free games for April 2024, including Immortals of Aveum, Minecraft Legends, and Skul: The Hero Slayer. Subscribers can also get Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle with exclusive skins and unlocks. PlayStation Plus Essential membership offers online multiplayer, free monthly games, cloud storage, and discounts on PlayStation Store purchases.
Sony has revealed the PlayStation Plus games for April, including Immortals of Aveum for PS5, Minecraft Legends for PS4 and PS5, and Skul: The Hero Slayer for PS4. The Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle is also available to subscribers. While Immortals of Aveum and Minecraft Legends received mixed reviews, Skul: The Hero Slayer was positively received.
Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed the April 2024 Monthly Games lineup for PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers, featuring Immortals of Aveum for PS5, Minecraft Legends for PS5 and PS4, and Skul: The Hero Slayer for PS4. Subscribers will also have access to exclusive downloadable content for Overwatch 2, including legendary skins and battle pass tier skips.
Sony has announced the PS Plus Essential games lineup for April, featuring Immortals of Aveum for PS5, Minecraft Legends for PS5 and PS4, and Skul: The Hero Slayer for PS4. Additionally, PS Plus members will have access to an exclusive Overwatch 2 Mega Bundle.
The magical first-person shooter game Immortals Of Aveum, which cost around $125 million to make, failed to attract an audience, leading to significant layoffs within its development team. Despite positive reviews, the game's sales were far below projections, with developers attributing its underperformance to being overscoped for a debut project and struggling to find its core fantasy or target audience. The industry-wide layoffs also affected other game developers, such as those at Relic impacted by the underperformance of Company Of Heroes 3.
The development and subsequent failure of Immortals of Aveum, a single-player shooter, highlights the challenges faced by single-player games in the current AAA market, where large budgets and the need for continuous revenue streams make it difficult to recoup costs. Despite positive reviews, the game's overscoped, bloated campaign and lack of in-game purchases led to poor sales, resulting in layoffs at developer Ascendant Studio. The industry trend towards massive budgets and live-service elements is making it increasingly difficult for single-player games to succeed, leading to thousands of layoffs and a collapsing business model.
EA and Ascendant Studios reportedly invested $125 million in creating a new singleplayer IP, Immortals of Aveum, with no microtransactions, no grind, and a shorter running time. However, the game failed to meet sales expectations, leading to severe layoffs at Ascendant Studios. Despite positive reviews, the game sold poorly, highlighting the challenges of launching a new IP in the gaming industry.
A former developer of Immortals of Aveum criticized the decision to spend $125 million on the game, stating that creating a triple-A single-player shooter with a new IP and leveraging Unreal Engine 5 was a "truly awful idea." Despite reasonable review scores, poor sales led to layoffs at Ascendant Studios, with one employee noting that the game failed to meet player expectations despite ticking many boxes. The industry's volatility and capital requirements were also highlighted as contributing factors to the studio's challenges.
