Latest news with #Homeworld3
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'We're not going to sign every game': Lyrical Games aims to fill the gap between Indie and AAA
Image via: Lyrical Games In an industry of extremes, multimillion-dollar blockbusters on one side and low-budget indies on the other, Lyrical Games is betting big on the intermediates. Founded early in 2025 by industry veteran Blake Rochkind and Lyrical Media CEO Alexander Black, the newly minted publisher seeks to go far beyond mere clamoring in the noise: it wants to put at least half of the dialogue in perspective. A Publisher in Transition Rochkind's exit from the Private Division, once its Art Department for independent talent under the Take-Two umbrella came during times of turbulence. Layoffs, closures and a silent acquisition by Haveli Investments not only marked a watershed moment for the publisher but did so for Rochkind himself. After weathering the storm and directing the company through the internal private equity transition, Rochkind stepped down. "You're either all in or all out on the new thing," he recalled. "And I ultimately chose the latter." What came next wasn't a retreat, it was a reinvention. Bridging the Gap Between Indie and AAA Lyrical Games is not looking to be another mass-market juggernaut. Instead, it aims to fill that oft-overlooked space between top-tier indies and fully fledged AAA productions. Rochkind sees enormous value in the so-called Triple-I space, polishing games of great ambition by smaller teams with multi-million dollar budgets but without the bloat of AAA development. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jolie-Pitt Family Shows Support For Shiloh's Change Drivepedia Undo "We're not going to sign every game," cautions Rochkind. "We have to choose wisely." That sense of focus is really the core of Lyrical's identity. The publisher is intentionally selective, choosing to work with studios with proven experience shipping games together but that also come to development with a holistic or end-to-end vision: everything from creative direction to branding to pricing. A New Cycle for a Shifting Industry Although many publishers are getting tighter in the face of macroeconomic uncertainty, Lyrical has chosen to take a different stand: maybe this is the perfect time to build something new. Back when the industry flourished in its super cycle, all good days seemed to be constant; Lyrical, stepping inside an industry that has matured, now sees a more sustainable and creatively fertile period ahead. 'Developers were contacting us after we announced we were open for business all day, it was just overwhelming,' says Rochkind. 'We are like an oasis in the desert right now.' The Lyrical team absolutely acknowledged that scarcity. They are not chasing just any opportunity but rather investing in a few well-thought-through partnerships: this includes the upcoming game from Homeworld 3 developer Blackbird Interactive, along with two others shortly to be announced. Looking Beyond Graphics In a world where photorealism is no longer the main benchmark, Lyrical Games is interested in going beyond the superficial. One reference Rochkind gives is that of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is a very nice-looking title yet not photorealistic and thus owes much of its glory to good design, good mechanics, and a good story. Beyond the business model lies the difference in values: Lyrical places a heavy emphasis on giving developers a seat at the creative table. It goes beyond funding; it's about partnership. By going after smart, scalable, and creatively ambitious games, Lyrical Games thereby threatens not to be the savior of the supposedly "lost middle" but stands as a signal that the middle was never really lost; it was just waiting for someone to believe in it again. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
EA's Overlooked Monster Hunter-Like And 7 Other Games On Sale For Just $12
Calling all fans of Monster Hunter, creepy forests, awesome 2D action games, and/or intergalactic warfare, this month's Humble Choice selection is for you. We are only a few days into a new month. That means all the various video game subscription services out there are refreshing their catalogs to offer some fresh options. And this month's Humble Choice offerings are especially good. For those unaware, Humble Choice is Humble Bundle's $12 a month subscription service that grants you a selection of PC games every month while supporting charity, too. Here are the eight PC games you get this month if you are Humble Choice subscriber: Pacific Drive Homeworld 3 Wild Hearts Tales of Kenzera: Zau Gravity Circuit Sir Whoopass Racine Cavern of Dreams Pacific Drive is a fantastic and creepy car-based survival roguelike game set in the rainy and dark forests of the northwest. Avoid the strange anomalies and get out alive while upgrading your car with supplies you scavenge. Wild Hearts is a underappreciated and overlooked Monster Hunter clone that streamlines parts of the genre while also introducing some original ideas, too. Released in 2023, Wild Hearts was published by EA and developed by Omega Force, and while it has its fans, it's always felt like this game didn't get the love it deserved. Perhaps now that will change. But then, considering how everyone is playing a new Monster Hunter game, probably not. The other game I want to highlight is Homeworld 3. We don't get a lot of big budget RTS space games anymore, so it was nice to see this one from Blackbird and Gearbox last year. Sadly, the game isn't great, but as a freebie included with a subscription it might be worth checking out to see if its take on space RTS combat clicks with you. If you want to grab these games up, you can subscribe to Humble Choice right now and then cancel your subscription later and still keep all of these games. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
