Articles by Rob Fahey
Rob Fahey, Contributing Editor
Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.
Recent articles by Rob Fahey
Third-party NFTs in games are the latest unethical twist from Web3 | Opinion
Mojang joins many other firms in swearing off NFTs -- but more worryingly, it finds itself forced to police third-parties building NFT services on top of Minecraft
Will the EU's new law change the digital landscape? | Opinion
As the Digital Markets Act passes the European Parliament, legislation has caught up with many of the demands made by critics of Apple and Google's platform dominance
In praise of the second screen | Opinion
Gaming sessions are now routinely accompanied by the glow of a smart device to check hints and strategies online -- and many games are designed with this content ecosystem in mind
The coming recession will hit the industry hard | Opinion
It's a long time since the games business was called 'recession-proof' - and recent changes could have made it more vulnerable to economic downturns than ever before
New PS Plus heralds the battle of the streaming services | Opinion
Sony is still playing catch-up with its Game Pass competitor -- but no streaming service has yet hit the magic formula that will appeal to a wide swathe of consumers, so it's all to play for
The idea of regularly-updated console hardware seems dead in the water | Opinion
This generation was meant to see consoles become an evolving platform with regular upgrades akin to smartphones - has the idea been quietly abandoned?
Launching GamesIndustry.biz: 20 years ago
We're celebrating a milestone today as founding editor Rob Fahey reflects on what inspired the site's creation and what keeps it going
Is there an end in sight for the industry's merger mania? | Opinion
Enormously expensive acquisitions of industry giants have become commonplace in recent years -- but economic factors may be about to stamp on the brakes.
There's no hiding from the culture wars | Opinion
Sony and Disney's instincts to stay silent on culture war issues are understandable -- but among an array of bad and costly options, silence may actually be the worst of them all
Can a Switch successor be third time lucky for Nintendo? | Opinion
The question of what Nintendo does after Switch is increasingly important, but breaking the curse of unsuccessful console follow-ups is a major concern
Unionisation pushes reveal the industry's inequalities | Opinion
The pandemic has lit a spark under unionising drives across the industry -- but years of labour casualisation and abuse of sub-contracting relationships built up the tinder pile
Metaverse concepts should distance themselves from NFTs | Opinion
For all the unrealistic hype, metaverses are a useful way of thinking about the future of digital services - but being increasingly entangled with NFTs risks sinking with them
Subscriptions are the future - but nobody agrees on the details | Opinion
Industry consensus over the growing importance of this model disguises deep disagreements over how it will actually work
The 20-year nostalgia window | Opinion
With 2001's Max Payne the latest classic title to be slated for a full AAA budget remake, are the economics of the industry's remake boom starting to look precarious?
Sony's new service offerings change the PlayStation landscape | Opinion
PS Plus' new tiers reflect Sony's discomfort with subscriptions cannibalising game sales - but this industry shift now feels inevitable
Nintendo retreats to arm's length engagement with mobile | Opinion
The shutdown of Nintendo's only original mobile IP, Dragalia Lost, marks a further retreat from the firm's mobile ambitions - with IP licensing being the most likely way forward
Generation Overlap: The next-gen consoles learn to cohabit | Opinion
Supply and demand issues, coupled with some strategic moves from Microsoft and Nintendo, mean that PS4-era performance will be the industry's baseline for years
Will Steam Deck suffer from Valve's short attention span? | Opinion
Valve is building a track record of great hardware launches - but also tends to lose interest post-launch. Can Steam Deck break the streak?
Tournament licenses are a necessary step in taming eSports' Wild West | Opinion
Backlash to Capcom's community licenses for small tournaments highlights some genuine missteps -- but the general principle is sound
The costs of buggy game launches are mounting | Opinion
Consumers always hated the "launch now, fix later" approach, but the public is increasingly intolerant of low-quality launches
Nintendo's February showcase proves that nostalgia is big business | Opinion
As the generation who embraced PlayStation in their teens hit middle age, new leases of life for the games of the past are a smart strategy
Buying Bungie marks a strategic shift for Sony | Opinion
The $3.6 billon isn't just about competing with Xbox -- it's a sign of how Sony sees itself and the industry evolving
Halo Infinite is a trial balloon for Game Pass' future | Opinion
A strong start for Xbox' most valuable franchise creates an opportunity to experiment in keeping players engaged long-term
Buying Activision Blizzard is the industry's biggest gamble | Opinion
The sheer scale of Microsoft's acquisition shouldn't distract from how risky and difficult it will be - and some major questions won't have answers for years
Unit sales are only one factor in the sequel equation | Opinion
Decision-making over franchises can seem obscure, but there's usually solid logic behind such investment -- and sales are only part of the puzzle