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Amazon opens the IP tap for its Audible to Prime Video pipeline — your move, Apple

Cover image for Amazon opens the IP tap for its Audible to Prime Video pipeline — your move, Apple
Rutger Rosenborg
Marvel proved that spinning out intellectual property (IP) from comic books to movie franchises could be incredibly lucrative. With the growth of video games, this transmedia strategy has expanded to streaming video on demand (SVOD) with successes like The Last of Us on HBO Max and, most recently, Fallout on Amazon Prime Video.
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Collector’s editions are becoming a backdoor for monetising early access

Cover image for Collector’s editions are becoming a backdoor for monetising early access
Rhys Elliott
Since publishers first increased AAA game prices from $60 to $70 in 2020, many people have asked MIDiA if publishers will raise that price further. Our answer: they already have – sort of, anyway. Via collector’s editions – more expensive versions of games with extra content – publishers are already leveraging superfans’ FOMO to grow launch revenues.
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Game budgets have gone out of control – let's shrink the scope

Cover image for Game budgets have gone out of control – let's shrink the scope
Rhys Elliott
AAA game development budgets and timelines for single-player games are getting out of hand. This was not always the case, but there has been an insidious creep over the past 20 years. While the cost of game development is a black box, leaks and disclosures around court cases and acquisitions show that budgets are now in the hundreds of millions for many AAA games.
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