Latest news with #consolelaunch
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Yahoo
The Switch 2 pulled off something no console maker has before
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It's been more than a week since the Nintendo Switch 2 has come out, and it's proven to be a resounding success. Not only did Nintendo have the biggest launch for one of its consoles, but the Switch 2 also broke the record for a console launch in the U.S. and worldwide. It also appears that Nintendo figured out how to deal with the scalper problem: flooding the market. Nintendo announced on Tuesday that it had sold more than 3.5 million units in the first four days since the Switch 2's launch. The company says this makes the Switch successor the fastest-selling Nintendo game system ever. But the record-breaking doesn't stop there. Matt Piscatella, executive director and video game industry analyst at Circana, says the Switch 2 launch in the U.S., with 1.1 million consoles sold, broke the PS4's record for launch sales back in November 2013. And Daniel Ahmad, director of research and insights at Niko Partners, says the Switch 2 is the fastest-selling home video game console of all time, again, beating out the PS4, which took six weeks to sell 4.2 million units. As this is great news for Nintendo and gamers, it turned out to be bad news for scalpers. You may purchase Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle for $499 in-store at Best Buy. Check your local Best Buy locations for stock status. This bundle includes: a Nintendo Switch 2 Console, a full game download of Mario Kart World, a light blue Joy-Con 2, a light red Joy-Con 2 (R), a Nintendo Switch 2 AC adapter, a USB-C charging cable, a Nintendo Switch 2 Dock, a Joy-Con 2 Grip, 2 x Joy-Con 2 Straps, and an ultra high-speed HDMI cable. Key specs: 7.9-inch 1080p LCD touch screen, HDR support, up to 120 fps, TV dock supports 4K, GameChat, 256GB of storage, expandable via microSD Express Deal The last major video game console launch was the PS5 back in 2020, and anyone who was trying to get one had to deal with scalpers. These sellers were using bots to procure dozens of consoles at one time from retailer restocks and then selling them on eBay and StockX, where prices ranged close to $2000 for the $500 system. After the announcement of the Switch 2 in January, Nintendo said it was making preparations to make sure there are enough consoles for anyone who wants one. Among those preparations Nintendo took was shutting down Switch 2 reseller listings in Japan, and creating a pre-order system for its Nintendo Store that required individuals to have a Nintendo Online account that was made a year prior and have recorded playtime hours on it. While there were eBay listings for Switch 2 pre-orders prior to the June 5 launch, with some reaching more than $700, since launch, the price of those sold Switch 2 consoles has dropped considerably. The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is now available for $85 in stores. It features HD Rumble 2, motion controls, built-in amiibo support, a capture button, a C Button for GameChat, mappable GL/GR buttons, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Price check: Best Buy $85View Deal A quick look at sold Switch 2 consoles on eBay shows most sales range from $600 to $700, with the ones selling for higher amounts tending to come with free shipping, which can range from $10 to $20 depending on the buyer's location. The reselling site StockX shows similar pricing with the current Buy Now price for a Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle sitting at $630—which, with sales tax, shipping, and processing fees—totals up to more than $700 depending on the state you live in. While the $100 to $200 over the $500 retail price seems worth the effort for sellers, there is a matter of fees that the seller deals with. This includes sales tax, which can be zero in a few states but can reach up to $50 in others. There are also eBay and StockX seller fees that can range from 10% to 13%, although both sites do offer some discounts. This also doesn't include payment processing fees. This means if someone bought a Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle at retail, and if they sold that system for $600, they could maybe profit around $40, depending on sales tax and other fees. That's definitely not a way to get rich as a scalper, and those listings won't go up in price as long as Nintendo keeps restocking more consoles, which it has been since the Switch 2 launch.
The Guardian
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Guide #194: Six things you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 came out this week. Depending on your familiarity with gamer culture, that sentence will either mean absolutely nothing to you, or have you bouncing up and down in your seat with excitement. Nintendo fans have endured an eight-year wait for this new console, so anticipation has been high: pre-orders have sold out everywhere and Nintendo wants to sell 15m of the things over the next year. I've only had my Switch 2 for a few days but if you're wondering whether this £400 new toy is worth your attention, I've got your answers. Why is this a big deal? First: you can race around as a little penguin in Mario Kart World. Second: the first Switch sold 150m units and pre-orders for the Switch 2 have sold out everywhere, so everyone is hoping that this will be a bit of a shot in the arm for the games industry. But most importantly: a new console launch is like Christmas for gamers, promising exciting new worlds to immerse ourselves in over the coming years, and they don't happen as often as they used to. The last major event was the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Is it any good? Yes! It's everything you could want from an upgrade to the Switch: the screen is bigger and clearer, games look much better on a TV, the controllers are better and sturdier with less finicky buttons. Both the machine itself and its menus have a sleek look, with a tasteful pop of colour on both Joy-Cons. It still has all the Switch's old advantages: you can take it with you when you're travelling, it's family-friendly, and the quality of the games is high. However, if you were hoping for something truly new and boundary-breaking, you won't find that here – the most significant new features are voice and video chat, which every other console has been doing for ages, and the fact that you can pop the controllers down on a flat surface and use them like a mouse. What games should I get? Mario Kart World is the biggie. About 65 million people bought the last Mario Kart, and it remains one of the world's most popular and easy to enjoy games. In this new one, the courses are run into each other in one huge world that you can explore freely in between the traditional grand prix and time trial races. It's got squillions of characters and costumes and karts to collect to keep kids busy; adults who grew up with Mario Kart will be more interested in mastering the new wall-riding and rail-grinding tricks that make the courses feel more challenging. Two other good recommendations: Survival Kids (above), a multiplayer game about working together to survive on a desert island (it's a bit like Overcooked, the chaotic game about trying to get dinner ready while everything collapses around you); and, for the hipsters, Deltarune, a surreal indie game about talking your way out of fights with kooky monsters. What games shouldn't I get? Nintendo Switch2 Welcome Tour is a little £7.99 introduction to the console's new features, rather than a proper game, but I found it bafflingly tedious. It's a cute-looking little virtual museum that almost bored me to death with information about the Switch 2's fine technical details. And be aware that almost all the launch games are updated versions of games that are already out, rather than brand new experiences. Will I like this if I basically haven't played a video game since the 1990s? Actually, you can play games from the 1990s on the Nintendo Switch 2 if you want – Nintendo's online subscription service includes a library of old-to-ancient games from its massive back catalogue, from the NES to the GameCube via the Nintendo 64, SNES and Game Boy. They're all lovingly emulated, complete with the scan lines you used to get on old TVs, for maximum nostalgia punch. Step away from the eBay listings, there's no need to spend half your life savings amassing a collection of rare retro cartridges. Should I get one for my kids? Sign up to The Guide Get our weekly pop culture email, free in your inbox every Friday after newsletter promotion With all the justified worry about young children playing Roblox and other online games, a Nintendo console is a much better option (if also vastly more expensive). A Switch has long been the safest and highest-quality family gaming choice, and the Switch 2 continues that legacy: parental controls are easy to use, there's a huge selection of imaginative and creatively interesting child-appropriate games to draw from with more to come in the future, and it's even got Fortnite on it for when your 11-year-old starts complaining that Mario is for babies. Each week we run down the five essential pieces of pop culture we're watching, reading and listening to PODCAST – Missing in the AmazonEven Guardian readers familiar with the story of journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira should listen to this new six-part investigative series about the pair's disappearance in the Amazon three years ago. Narrated by the Guardian's Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, who reported on the incident, and featuring insight from those close to Dom and Bruno for the first time, it goes deeper into their story than ever before, while offering a celebration of the pair's vital ecological work in the region. The first two episodes are available now, and can be heard on the Guardian's new investigations feed, along with other great investigative pods such as Black Box and Can I Tell You a Secret?Want more? Sara Pascoe and Cariad Lloyd return with series three of Sara and Cariad's Weirdos Book Club – and, as ever, they are happy for you to listen, regardless of whether you've read the book! Plus, here are the best podcasts of the week. TV – What it Feels Like for a GirlThis adaptation of Paris Lees' memoir about the journalist and activist's chaotic teenage years prior to transitioning will inevitably be viewed by many through the prism of this most inflamed of culture wars. Which is a shame because, while this is a story about the trans experience (and a valuable one at that), it's about much more besides: class, sex work, the long-tail impact of abuse. What's more, it does all this without being political or preachy – instead offering up a drama that is at times bracingly morally ambiguous, caustically funny and utterly compelling. Available on BBC more? Owen Wilson is at his breezy, slackerish best as a failed golfer-turned-mentor in Apple TV+'s cheery comedy Stick. For even more, here's seven shows to stream at home this week. BOOK – A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda ArdernThe former New Zealand prime minister's memoir tells the story of her rise to power, and how she tried to govern in a new, different way, while privately battling with the emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatment. 'I closed the book feeling a pang of nostalgia for a time when scrapping tax cuts and spending the money on a more generous safety net, or clasping immigrants to a nation's heart (as she did after Christchurch) still seemed completely plausible things for a prime minister to advocate,' wrote Guardian reviewer Gaby more? We lost a literary great this week in Edmund White, beloved for his groundbreaking depictions of gay life. If you're unfamiliar with his work, Neil Bartlett has put together this handy guide to his books. And here's the rest of this week's books reviews. ALBUM – Turnstile: Never EnoughAn endorsement by Charli xcx, who declared that the next few months would be 'Turnstile summer' underscores the intriguing position this Baltimore hardcore group finds themselves in. A scene success story, attracting ever-swelling audiences with their enticing mix of bright, melodic vocals and brutal breakdowns, they now are on the cusp of mainstream success. Their fourth full length album reckons with the tension between those two worlds, expanding on the more pop-adjacent sound first heard on last album Glow On, with dreamy washes of synths, and at one point Mariachi horns, interrupting the heavy stuff. As ever, it's best experienced live: you can catch them headlining Outbreak London next Friday (13 June). Want more? Just the 24 years since their last album, Pulp return as sharply observational as ever, with More, also out today. For the rest of our music reviews, click here. FILM – BallerinaConsidering it started out as a simple story of a man going loco on the crims who offed his dog, John Wick has grown into quite the universe. After three much-loved sequels and one already long-forgotten TV series (The Continental), the latest hyper-stylised, hyper-violent addition is this spin-off film which is set between Wicks 3 and 4, and stars Ana de Armas as a ballet dancer/ruthless assassin on the hunt for her father's killer. Probably best not to expect anything that deviates too far from the revenge thriller template, but it's nice to see de Armas given a bone-crunching action role after the sad debasement of Blonde. In cinemas more? After grimy, low-budget horror? Take your pick between Dangerous Animals (serial killer tries to feed surfer to sharks) or Clown in a Cornfield (killer bozo slashes his way through a small town). Or for something truly horrifying, opt for the rerelease of Michael Haneke's still-twisted 2001 drama, The Piano Teacher. Plus, here's seven films to watch at home this week. A half-century on from their heyday, Fleetwood Mac are still as massive as ever, riding high in the charts and the inspiration for a hit West End play. Michael Hann looks at why they endure. Musical AI fakery isn't just limited to talent show carpenters: streaming services are rife with it – and indie artists are bearing the brunt. Eamonn Forde looks at a growing problem. Semafor speaks to Jonathan Nolan, brother of Christopher, and a pretty big Hollywood player in his own right, about how his forgotten early 2010s series Person of Interest predicted our AI age. Vulture's big Hollywood issue looks at a traditional film industry in a death spiral – and the new one that is replacing it. Over at the Guardian print shop, you can buy some rather fetching limited edition prints from one of our sister newsletters, Well Actually, which covers health, relationships and the wellness industry. They're available until Saturday. Get yours here. Last week we asked for your favourite 1960s films. Here are a few of your favourites, including some stone-cold classics and one under-seen film that I really need to catch up on: 'So many to choose from but I am going with A Hard Day's Night which came out when I was 11 and a huge Beatles fan. Ordering tickets and then standing in a long line to see the film was such a thrill.' – Marsha 'Released in 1970, so made in the 60s, I still love Borsalino starring Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. A fun French gangster movie with a sparkling soundtrack.' – Rob Taylor 'Billy Liar. It perfectly expresses the conflicting and yearning and fantasising of the teenage/early 20s mind. Brilliant script by Keith Waterhouse, while Tom Courtenay and Julie Christie perfect in the lead roles. I can never forget Leonard Rossiter as 'Shaddy, Shaddy Shadrack.' 'Get on the train, Billy!' – Paul Howard 'Lawrence of Arabia is not only my best film of the 60s but my best film of all time. No women, questionable – to put it mildly – makeup and accents (looking at you Anthony Quinn and Alec Guinness). But thanks to David Lean, Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Freddie Young's iconic cinematography and Maurice Jarre's unforgettable score, it beats everything else hands down. @ me if you like but you will never change my mind.' – Sharon Eckman Prompted by Turnstile, this week we're after songs that you can't help but headbang to. Which tracks have you starting a one-person mosh pit in the living room when they come on? Let us know your choice by contacting Gwilym on
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
How to get a Nintendo Switch 2 at Best Buy, GameStop, Target and more
The Nintendo Switch 2 has officially landed. Midnight launches took place across the U.S., with the likes of Best Buy and GameStop hosting events. Whether you missed out on pre-orders or are just hoping to grab one at launch, you have a chance. Best Buy and GameStop are exclusively selling the console in stores, so your best bet is to ring your local store before heading over. Target has stock available for collection and will be launching its online sales tomorrow (June 6). Elsewhere, Sam's Club members can order the bundle online with shipping by June 10. Walmart listings hinted at a possible online drop on launch day, but that's yet to materialize — we'll keep refreshing the landing page. Below, we've rounded up everything you need to know about each retailer's restock plans to help you secure the Switch 2 as fast as possible. Nintendo Nintendo opened Switch 2 pre-orders on May 8 through an invite-only system. If you missed out, you can still register your interest on the My Nintendo Store, but not everyone's eligible. To be considered, you'll need an active 12-month Switch Online membership and at least 50 hours of gameplay on your linked account. Invitations are still being sent out, though they're rare. If you receive one, you'll be able to head straight to the product listing, log in, and check out (assuming it hasn't already sold out). For those without an invitation, your best chance to purchase a Switch 2 on launch day is through select retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart. Walmart Walmart didn't do a traditional midnight launch. Most stores opened at 6 a.m. local time on June 5, but stock varies by store, so it's worth calling ahead. The online listing says 'out of stock', but it's worth keeping an eye on it. If you've already pre-ordered, Walmart's promised delivery by 9 a.m. local time on launch day — assuming your order didn't get canceled in the recent system error. Target Target stores are opening at 8 a.m. local time on June 5. Staff will be handing out digital and physical tickets to people in the queue. If you get a ticket, you'll be reserved a console. Ticketing stops either when Target runs out or 10 minutes before opening, whichever comes first. Stock is limited, so don't bank on being able to casually walk in and get one. There's no online availability, but Target says it will restock the console and bundle online on Friday, June 6. If you miss out in-store, that's your next best shot. Best Buy hosted a midnight launch for the Switch 2. Doors opened at 12:01 a.m. ET on June 5 (that's 11:01 p.m. CT, 10:01 p.m. MT, and 9:01 p.m. PT). Some lucky buyers also walked away with a commemorative coin. Best Buy's confirmed there will be no online stock for the console, only for games and accessories. If you've pre-ordered, you've already chosen between home delivery or in-store pickup. And if you're a My Best Buy Plus or Total member, there's a bonus offer: you'll earn a $20 reward for every $150 you spend on Nintendo gear, up to $100. GameStop dropped a bundle this morning — it was huge, containing the Nintendo Switch 2 console, Mario Kart World, a Joy-Con 2 grip, a Joy-Con 2 steering wheel, and a 256GB microSD. It has now sold out. The listings online state that it's not available, but it's worth checking the stock regularly in case of future drops. GameStop's midnight launch kicked off early. Stores opened at 3 p.m. local time on June 4, with Switch 2 pre-orders ready for pickup at 9 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. ET. The retailer is exclusively selling the console in its store, so your best bet is to find your local store. To avoid disappointment, call ahead to check stock levels. Sam's Club Sam's Club plus members can buy the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle online with delivery in a few days. If you want to get your hands on it today, you might have some luck at your local store, but stock levels are unknown. The best bet is to ring your local store before heading over. Costco's got a launch-day bundle that includes the Switch 2, Mario Kart World, and a 12-month Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. It'll be available in select warehouses on June 5, but not everywhere, so give your local warehouse a ring first. You'll need a membership to buy it, obviously. The listing is marked 'coming soon' on Costco's site too, so there's a chance it'll go live online on launch day.
CNN
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Fans wait for hours to buy Nintendo Switch 2
Fans wait for hours to buy Nintendo Switch 2 Eager gaming fans lined up for hours to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 after it hit shelves around the world on June 5. It's Nintendo's first major console launch since the original Switch arrived roughly eight years ago. 00:25 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 14 videos Fans wait for hours to buy Nintendo Switch 2 Eager gaming fans lined up for hours to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 after it hit shelves around the world on June 5. It's Nintendo's first major console launch since the original Switch arrived roughly eight years ago. 00:25 - Source: CNN Cassie Ventura's friend testifies Diddy held her over a balcony Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Cassie Ventura who goes by Bana, testified today about an incident with Sean 'Diddy' Combs in 2016 when she said that she was 'held over a 17-story balcony' by the music mogul. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister reports. 01:48 - Source: CNN 'Good Night, and Good Luck's' scenic designer discusses how he created George Clooney's Broadway newsroom Scenic Designer Scott Pask recreated the CBS newsroom and Edward R. Murrow's set for "Good Night, and Good Luck," the play that brings the 1950s McCarthy-era drama to life. Pask tells CNN why architectural accuracy is important for a play that's about 'speaking truth to power.' Tune in to CNN on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm to watch the play broadcast live from Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre. 02:13 - Source: CNN Police shut down All-American Rejects backyard gig in college town The All-American Rejects played a backyard gig in Columbia, Missouri, as part of their House Party Tour protesting against expensive arena shows. Police eventually shut it down, but not before letting the band play one final song. 01:05 - Source: CNN Bringing 1950s style to Broadway Costume Designer Brenda Abbandandolo mixed vintage, thrifted clothing with precise recreations of 1950s style to bring the Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck to life. She tells CNN how she approached dressing George Clooney and Ilana Glazer with historic authenticity. Tune in to CNN on Saturday, June 7 at 7pm to watch the play broadcast live from Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre. 01:53 - Source: CNN Trans high school athlete wins events amid controversy A transgender athlete, whose participation sparked a national controversy and a temporary rule change, took first place in two of her three events in the California High School Track and Field Championship. 01:09 - Source: CNN How fish skin saved this child's life Eliana DeVos received a dressing made with fish skin to help her recover from a serious bacterial infection that left an open wound on her neck. CNN's Jacqueline Howard spoke with Eliana's mom and her health team at Driscoll Children's Hospital about the healing process. 02:30 - Source: CNN Millions of bees buzz around Washington state roads after truck overturns Millions of bees escape after a truck carrying honeybee hives overturned in Whatcom County, Washington, and rolled into a ditch. Local beekeepers were called to the scene. 00:42 - Source: CNN Taylor Swift buys back her entire music catalogue Roughly six years after Taylor Swift protested the sale of her master recordings by her former record label, she now owns her entire catalog of music. Swift announced the news in a letter posted to her website. 01:28 - Source: CNN 108-year-old submarine wreck seen in new footage Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution captured close-up images of a WWI-era submarine lost at sea 108 years ago. 00:40 - Source: CNN Car flies off the road, crashes into a roof Video shows a car fly off the road and into a veterans hall in Missouri, police say as a result of speeding. This is the second time in three months a car crashed into the same building. The veterans hall will be closed for months for a second time after the latest crash, according to CNN affiliate KCTV. 00:38 - Source: CNN 'The Handmaid's Tale' star reacts to parting scene with June O-T Fagbenle reflects on wrapping "The Handmaid's Tale," Luke's evolution, and the emotional final scene with June as the series ends after six seasons. 02:04 - Source: CNN Elephant seal in Cape Town wanders into suburbia, stops traffic and wins the hearts of locals A Southern elephant seal makes a surprise visit to the residential neighborhood of Gordon's Bay in Cape Town, South Africa, and triggers an almost nine-hour rescue effort to return him to the coast. 00:57 - Source: CNN Why e.l.f. just bought Hailey Bieber's beauty brand for $1 billion e.l.f. Beauty is buying Hailey Bieber's makeup brand, Rhode, for $1 billion. Founded in 2022, Bieber's brand racked up $212 million in net sales in its last fiscal year. 01:11 - Source: CNN
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Nintendo Switch 2 launches today - should you invest in the world's leading video game brands?
Gaming fans queued up outside tech stores worldwide on Thursday morning, in a bid to get their hands on the latest big launch in the gaming world. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to the original Switch - the third best selling games console in history, and its launch is the first of a major console since 2020. Nintendo's original Switch console has sold 152million units. The firm is no doubt hoping its new offering can surpass this original figure. The gaming industry is bigger than ever before and is expected to reach $236.9billion in 2025, according to Midia Research. By 2031, the sector could be worth $280.1billion as gaming firms continue to grow. Nintendo has seen its share price rise by 32 per cent in the past year. Over the past five years, the firm is up 151 per cent. This growth is largely reflected across the board, according to figures from Etoro, with gaming stocks far outpacing the US' S&P 500 index. A gaming stocks basket compiled by Etoro show the eight leading gaming firms have grown at four times the rate of the S&P 500, up 46 per cent over the past year compared with 12 per cent for the index. Over the past five years, these gaming stocks have risen 141 per cent, compared to 101 per cent for the S&P 500. Over the same period, the FTSE 100 and Nasdaq increased by five per cent and 13 per cent respectively. Lale Akoner, global market analyst at Etoro, said: 'Gaming stocks' outsized returns in 2025 aren't just a function of cyclical tailwinds from blockbuster launches like GTA VI or the upcoming Switch 2. 'What we're witnessing is a structural revaluation of the sector. The shift to digital distribution and live‑service models has turned what used to be hit‑driven publishers into recurring‑revenue machines.' Akoner added that an increase in recurring revenue models have helped to stabilise growth and is 'enabling publishers to generate predictable cash flows while reducing dependence on hit releases.' On top of this, he says, gaming continues to become more mainstream, 'with smartphone penetration, 5G connectivity, and the rise of online gaming making games more accessible and social.' How have the leading gaming brands performed? Brand Returns 1 year Returns 3 years Returns 5 years Nintendo 32% 97% 151% Sony 42% 59% 171% Capcom 52% 132% 338% Electronic Arts 17% 16% 26% Take-Two 57% 105% 69% Roblox 151% 158% 17% Ubisoft -52% -78% -85% Konami 69% 116% 438% Source: Etoro Etoro's basket is made up of Nintendo, Sony, Capcom, Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, Roblox, Ubisoft and Konami. While Call of Duty maker Ubisoft has fallen some 85 per cent over the past five years, and 52 per cent in the past year, this downturn is massively outweighed by the gains seen by other firms. Japanese firm Konami, which produces the Metal Gear titles alongside Pro Evolution Soccer, has surged some 438 per cent over the past five years, including growth of 69 per cent in the past year. Meanwhile, fellow Japanese producer Capcom, know for Street Fighter and Resident Evil, has risen 338 per cent in the past five years and 52 per cent in the past 12 months. Akoner said: 'The standout performers, such as Capcom and Konami, have surged by pairing monetisation maturity with strategic global expansion and operational discipline. 'Capcom, for example, now derives 70 per cent of its revenue from legacy titles, a reflection of how back-catalogue monetization and digital distribution (78% digital share) have buffered the company from new-release volatility. 'Unlike some US counterparts, these firms avoided over-hiring and aggressive cost expansion, instead optimizing for long-term, scalable growth that aligns with gaming's shift toward predictable, tech-like revenue models.' Playstation producer Sony has risen 171 per cent since 2020, while Roblox has grown 151 per cent over 12 months. The latter has more than 85million daily active users, equivalent to Germany's entire population playing the game each day. Gaming firms are also increasingly expanding beyond just video games themselves, most recently with the Minecraft movie and the second season of HBO's The Last of Us. Akoner said: 'These franchises are breaking out of the console box – from cinematic releases and mobile spin‑offs to entire theme‑park attractions – creating multiple monetisation lanes that cushion earnings volatility. 'Japanese publishers in particular have paired this monetisation maturity with cost discipline and steady hiring, avoiding the over‑expansion that is now forcing many US peers to retrench. 'As a result, investors are beginning to view gaming less as a speculative bet on the next big hit and more as a durable, long‑term growth story.'
