Pixel P&L: Japan-India Ties Get Anime Boost as Embassy Festival Returns to Delhi

Welcome to another Pixel P&L edition. This issue takes 4 minutes to read. If you only have one, here are the 5 most important things:

• Japan's Embassy brings back its massive anime festival to New Delhi this September, expecting even bigger crowds than last year's 47,000 visitors.

• Ubisoft executive producer leaves the gaming industry entirely as XDefiant officially shuts down after tech debt struggles.

• Nintendo Switch 2 launches today with disappointing HDR performance, hitting only 450 nits peak brightness.

• Dune: Awakening hits nearly 100,000 players within hours of early access launch, despite costing $70+. The real test comes next week.

• U.S. court rejects Apple's bid to halt app store fee injunction in ongoing Epic Games battle. 

Let's get into it.

Japan Anime Festival Returns to New Delhi in September

Japan's Embassy in New Delhi will hold its second annual Mela! Mela! Anime Japan!! festival on Sept. 13-14 at Pacific Mall in Tagore Garden, organisers said. The festival drew more than 47,000 visitors in 2024 during its inaugural run as part of Japan Month, according to the event's official Instagram account.

The two-day cultural celebration aims to strengthen Indo-Japanese ties through anime screenings, Japanese food and pop culture exhibitions. Last year's programme included films such as "Your Name" and "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" screened in English and Hindi.

Japanese artists including Spira Spica, Haruna Luna and Takayoshi Tanimoto performed live, while companies like streaming service Crunchyroll hosted exhibitions alongside traditional Japanese craft and cuisine experiences.

The embassy designed the festival to encourage Indians to explore study, work and travel opportunities in Japan.

Organisers expect the 2025 edition to be larger than last year's event. Entry will remain free, with artist lineups to be announced as September approaches.

Ubisoft Executive Producer Leaves Industry as XDefiant Shooter Shuts Down

Ubisoft executive producer Mark Rubin announced his departure from the video game industry as the French company officially shuttered its live service shooter XDefiant.

Rubin, who led development on the free-to-play title, said on social media he was leaving to "spend more time with my family" and would not be "making another game."

Ubisoft announced XDefiant's closure in December, shuttering two production studios and laying off nearly 300 employees. Chief studios officer Marie-Sophie de Waubert said the game was "too far away from reaching the results required to enable further significant investment."

Rubin had dismissed shutdown reports in October 2024, saying the team was planning a second season. In his departure post, he cited technical challenges including "crippling tech engine debt" and insufficient engineering resources.

"The cards were heavily stacked against you, but you managed to produce a really fun and terrific game," Rubin told developers who worked on the project.

⚡Quick Bytes

Nintendo Switch 2 Launches Today With Below-Par HDR Display Performance

Nintendo's Switch 2 console delivers subpar HDR performance with peak brightness limited to 450 nits, according to GamingTech analysis. The LCD display struggles with black levels due to backlighting issues. Docked mode performance proves marginally better, though games like Zelda appear washed out. The console launched worldwide today with a day-one update.

U.S. Court Rejects Apple Bid to Halt App Store Fee Injunction

A U.S. appeals court rejected Apple’s request to halt an injunction barring the iPhone maker from collecting fees on purchases via alternative app stores. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling continues Apple's legal dispute with Epic Games over app store competition policies. Apple said it would pursue its appeal.

Encore Partners With BLAST to Bring Esports Content to Airline Passengers

In-flight entertainment company Encore partnered with esports producer BLAST to distribute gaming content on commercial flights worldwide. The deal marks the first time premium esports programming, including BLAST.tv Paris Major documentaries, will be available to airline passengers. Encore serves major carriers including Emirates and British Airways.

⚔️Side Quest

📺 Listen: Discover how a debut RPG's soundtrack achieved the rare feat of topping Billboard's Classical Charts with 90 million streams. GXM (Games X Music)’s Mat and Tom break down the musical phenomenon behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's critically acclaimed score.

🎮 Play: Cultist Simulator blends narrative storytelling with strategic card mechanics in a haunting 1920s occult setting. This challenging rogue-like rewards patience with deep mysteries and atmospheric storytelling. Perfect for players who enjoy cerebral games and don't mind repeated failures while learning. Currently 75% off on Steam.

📚 Read: After two decades focused solely on engine development, Unity built a complete game to "production-verify" their technology and better understand developer challenges firsthand. Here’s a fascinating look at how Unity Studio Productions developed Survival Kids as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch exclusive.

💡Did You Know

Dune: Awakening hit nearly 100,000 players within hours of its early access launch, despite only being available to deluxe ($70) and ultimate ($90) edition buyers. The survival MMO's impressive head start numbers came before its official June 10 launch, when base edition ($50) players join the desert planet of Arrakis. Like many online game launches, Dune faced typical day-one hiccups including server browser issues and performance problems, reflected in initially "Mostly Negative" Steam reviews that improved to "Mixed." The real test comes next week when the full player base arrives for the official launch.

📜 Quote of the Day

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