Gaming - Page 187

The Nintendo Switch platform has generated more than $85 billion in cumulative revenues, our data analysis has revealed.

Nintendo's latest Q3FY25 financials gave us more numbers to add to the Switch's cumulative performance. According to the data provided by Nintendo and cataloged by us, the Switch handheld-and-console family has made $85.431 billion in total lifetime revenues from launch to Holiday 2024. This value includes total game sales, hardware, and all earnings from the Switch platform both digitally and physically.

The Switch's megaton success has been profitable for Nintendo every step of the way. The 3-console family has now sold-in more than 150 million units worldwide, making it the third best-selling video games hardware of all time.

Nintendo's president tells investors that the Switch 2 console will be priced with consumer affordability and company profitability in mind.

The original Switch was sold at a profit on day one and has maintained some level of per-unit sales profits since. Nintendo wants to replicate that success with the Switch 2. Analysts are predicting that Nintendo could produce up to 20 million consoles in year 1, but will anyone be able to afford the system?

Our data analysis shows that consumers are willing to pay more for premium hardware--in just 40 months, Nintendo shipped nearly 30 million Switch OLEDs, boosting the OLED's total hardware share to 19%. Comparatively, it took the base Switch over 90 months to achieve 92 million sales. This led us to believe the Switch 2 will release in 2025 for at least $399.

Nintendo has announced when it will finally satisfy hungry fans with delicious details on the Nintendo Switch 2 -- and it's right around the corner.

Nintendo has taken to its website and social channels to confirm it will be hosting a Nintendo Direct on April 2nd dedicated to showcasing the Nintendo Switch 2. The event will give viewers a "closer look" at the upcoming console, which will presumably be the unveiling of its all its features, how it differentiates itself from the original Nintendo Switch, and (hopefully) a price. It was only recently that Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa spoke to investors about the price of the Switch 2, along with the expected unit shortages.

Furukawa said Nintendo has learned from the problems the company faced with the original Nintendo Switch and plans on combating scalpers and the reseller market by simply meeting the demand for the new console with an abundance of units. The upcoming Nintendo Direct is part of Nintendo's production plan as it intends to gauge the demand for the new console after the Direct is concluded. But Furukawa admits, "it will not be easy to rapidly increase production capacity."

The rumors were true that Xbox was planning on bringing more first-party titles to the PlayStation 5, with two more iconic titles now confirmed to be transitioning.

Xbox has kept to its plan of not ruling out any Xbox title as a potential candidate to be brought over to competing platforms, and as part of the company's plan, Xbox has now confirmed Age of Mythology: Retold Edition and Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition will be releasing on the PlayStation 5. For those who don't know, Age of Mythology: Retold is the recent remaster of the 2002 original, and according to the announcement, Retold will launch on the PS5 on March 4.

In celebration of the transition, a new DLC for Retold was announced that will introduce a Chinese pantheon of gods. The DLC will also launch alongside the PS5 version of the game, and those who purchase the Premium Edition will get five days of early access on PS5, meaning they can start enjoying the remaster of the classic title on February 27. As for Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, there hasn't been an official release date announced for the PS5 version of the game, but it's slated to drop sometime in Spring 2025.

FromSoftware is slated to reveal more details about the highly anticipated Elden Ring Nightreign next week, according to a source familiar with the developer's plans for the title.

Insider Gaming, a reputable source for gaming-related leaks and news, has learned through an unnamed source that FromSoftware is planning on revealing the release date for Elden Ring Nightreign on February 12. According to the publication, the February 12 date will also include more details about the title, such as media previews. Moreover, Elden Ring Nightreign is undergoing a network test on February 14 - 17, which will undoubtedly lead to some of the contents of the game being leaked online.

So, it would make sense for FromSoftware to get ahead of any leaks by officially revealing more details about the game in the days before the online playtest is conducted. Furthermore, and this could simply be coincidental, rumors have suggested PlayStation could be hosting a State of Play event next week. Perhaps these are the same event?

Over the years, it has become a growing trend to get the original DOOM game to run on as many unconventional devices as possible, with programmers in the past being able to get the iconic game to run on a pregnancy test, calculator, thermostat, an ATM, and now an Apple Lightning adapter.

YouTube channel Nylan Satan uploaded a video titled "DOOM running on Apple Lightning to HDMI dongle," which, for those that don't know, is a $50 adapter that's designed to convert Apple's Lighting male connector into a HDMI, enabling Apple devices such as an iPhone, iPad or other Lightning devices to be connected to HDMI-equipped displays. To make the signal conversion, the Lightning to HDMI dongle contains a tiny System-On-Chip (SoC), which runs a very cut-down version of iOS.

Since the SoC is designed to take a video file and convert it so it's compatible with an HDMI signal, the SoC seemingly has enough power to run DOOM. The struggle here would be gaining access to the SoC itself, as Apple, unsurprisingly, has security protections on the device. Once jailbroken, it's then possible to install DOOM on the SoC and, using the processing power of the device, output DOOM onto a display.

As part of EA's latest earnings report, the publisher has revealed the release window for the next Battlefield game, which comes after a slew of Battlefield-related announcements.

According to the earnings report, EA is planning on releasing the next Battlefield, presumably called Battlefield 6, during its 2026 fiscal year, which means the game could be released anywhere between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. For those who missed the slew of recent Battlefield announcements, EA is planning on the next Battlefield being designed around community feedback under a new program called Battlefield Labs.

The new program is the largest beta testing program EA has ever entered into, with those managing to get into the program having to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) preventing them from sharing details on the game. The first aspects of the new Battlefield that the community will test are combat and physics, with the plan being to eventually get almost every aspect of the game tested by the community. The first playtests will begin in the coming weeks.

The early access model has been a staple for game developers who want to secure both funding and player feedback throughout the development process. In a recent update, however, Valve aims to hold developers accountable by introducing a new warning feature that informs players if a title hasn't been updated in over 12 months.

Sightings of the feature first appeared on Bluesky, with SteamDB's account uploading a screenshot of the new warnings.

Valve appeared to have shadow-dropped the feature, with no official statement or patch notes issued regarding the update. On the surface, it appears to be driven by a need for consumer protection, as many players have been burned by early access games that are dead, abandoned, or never finished. However, accountability for developers, and improving the quality control of Steam's library are also potential factors.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, the highly anticipated RPG sequel set in Medieval Europe, is already a smash hit on PC - with the game garnering an impressive 159,351 within the first few hours of its launch. The game's open-world environments and simulation levels of Medieval-life immersion are unlike anything else, and the visuals are also stunning.

With its Very Positive user review rating on Steam, many praise the game's optimization and overall performance, which is enhanced thanks to its support for DLSS Super Resolution. And all GeForce RTX gamers can enable the brand-new DLSS 4 'Transformer' AI model for even better image quality via the 'DLSS Override' feature in the NVIDIA App.

Launching alongside the new GeForce RTX 50 Series, DLSS 4's updated Super Resolution and Ray Reconstructions 'Transformer' AI model significantly improves image quality - making it a game changer for DLSS. It makes the DLSS Performance and Balanced presets look as good as the previous AI model's Quality preset, opening the door to 4K gaming to more gamers.

Ahead of announcing the official release date for the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo has revealed it's currently preparing countermeasures against scalpers.

The news comes from Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, who spoke to Japanese News outlet Nikkei and said the company has learned valuable lessons from the release of the Nintendo Switch and, behind the scenes, Nintendo is implementing countermeasures to mitigate rampant re-selling of the new console when it debuts.

Furukawa stated back in July 2024, during a Q&A with investors, Nintendo struggled to produce a sufficient number of Nintendo Switch hardware due to a shortage of semiconductor parts, "but this situation has now been resolved" and that the same problem won't present itself with the Nintendo Switch 2.

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson tells investors and analysts that the publisher is willing to delay the new Battlefield game to ensure the FPS can deliver on all fronts.

Following two consecutive lackluster releases, EA is going all-in on the next Battlefield game. The project's four teams--DICE, Ripple Effect, Criterion, and EA Motive--came together and formed the hugely ambitious Battlefield Labs, which aims to get direct feedback via community playtesting. EA wants your help to build the next Battlefield.

The game is currently in pre-alpha phases of development yet EA is confident about a FY26 release window, which runs from March 2025 - 2026. The next Battlefield could be out during the holiday season if all things go well. But assuming they don't go well, or for any reason EA is skittish about launching in the year, the company says it's prepared to simply delay the game until it's ready.

It sounds like singleplayer RPGs may be harder to greenlight at Electronic Arts moving forward as the publisher doubles-down on more guaranteed bets.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the third major BioWare game to miss the mark and EA has taken notice. The game did poorly enough to trigger a rare forecast adjustment from EA's executives, who had significantly lowered full-year earnings targets to reflect the disappointing sales of Veilguard (and the underperformance of EA FC25).

The magnitude of Veilguard's miss is even more pronounced when considering that EA had previously assigned a $20 billion market value to action RPGs. The news triggered a fresh wave of layoffs at BioWare, which has now been culled to a team of less than 100 people. BioWare is currently working on the next Mass Effect game, a singleplayer project that's entering pre-production phases of development.

Nintendo wants to avoid shortages of its new Switch 2 console and tells consumers it is working hard to produce enough systems to meet high demand.

The Switch is reaching peak market saturation and Nintendo is ramping up a new console successor. The Switch 2 is due out sometime in 2025, and consumers are wondering if the Switch 2 will be yet another typical Nintendo hardware launch where excessive demand quickly outstrips supply.

Nintendo wants the Switch 2 to be different and doesn't want a repeat of the Switch's launch. The company is readily producing millions of Switch 2 consoles to meet the all-important Holiday 2025 sales surge. Company president Shuntaro Furukawa tells investors that Nintendo is accelerating production so it can make a "head start" over the original Switch.

While the Switch 2 is fast approaching, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa confirms that the company will keep supporting and selling the original console as long as consumers buy in.

Eight years in, the Switch is finally starting to wind down. The Switch is a combination of Nintendo's megaton console and handheld businesses, leading to an incredible $85 billion in lifetime platform revenues and over 1.3 billion games sold. Nintendo wants to replicate this success one more time with the Switch 2, but unlike its forebear, the successor will carry forward games, content, and services to a new generation.

Nintendo doesn't plan to leave the original Switch behind. The company will keep producing and selling Switch consoles and games for the foreseeable future. According to Japanese newspaper Sankei, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa says that Switch 1 sales will continue after the Switch 2 is released "as long as there is demand."

The Switch family of consoles has shipped over 150 million units worldwide as of December 2024, Nintendo has announced.

Nintendo's latest Q3'FY25 results gives us a refresher on how well the company did during the critical Holiday 2024 period. Switch sales finally broke 150 million, putting the system in closer proximity to the age-old best-selling titans the Nintendo DS (154.02 million) and the PlayStation 2 (160 million), but if trends are any indicator, the system may not break the DS' record.

Switch shipments are starting to peter out as Nintendo gears up for its next-gen Switch 2 console. The company shipped just 4.82 million Switch consoles in the holiday period, a substantial reduction of 30% year-over-year, or more than 2 million units. This is the lowest-ever holiday period for Switch sales, predictably downwardly weighing the holiday Q3'25 results, which were likewise down to their lowest point in the Switch generation.

The Entertainment Software Association, a coalition of gaming's top publishers and platform-holders, wants to get ahead of any potentially adverse effects from U.S. tariffs.

The ESA warns that trade tariffs could heavily disrupt the already-shaky video games industry. The lobbying group, which is made up of the likes of Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation, Ubisoft, and Take-Two Interactive, is imploring the Trump administration to consult with the interactive entertainment industry before passing any potentially devastating tariffs.

"Tariffs on video game devices and related products would impact Americans of all ages across the country. We urge the administration to consult with the private sector in a transparent process to avoid causing significant harm to everyday Americans and to one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors in the United States," the ESA has said in a statement to Kotaku's Ethan Gach.

Nintendo has reported its lowest-ever holiday net sales revenues in the Switch's lifecycle.

Nintendo's Q3FY25 earnings results show signs that the Switch lifecycle is gearing down. The company saw $2.76 billion in total net sales during the Holiday 2024 period (Q3'25 runs from October - December 2024), a new low for any holiday quarter during the Switch's lifespan.

The previous holiday quarter, Nintendo made $4.2 billion in net sales, but Q3'25's results show a -35% decline. Nintendo has since downwardly revised its full-year earnings forecasts, but it's worth noting that FY25 will not be impacted by the Switch 2. The new Switch 2 console is expected to launch in the second-half of 2025 and will instead be a part of Nintendo's FY26 period.

Nintendo's Q3 results have led the company to decrease its annual earnings, sales, and profit forecasts.

Nintendo has just reported its Q3FY25 results, showing big year-over-year declines as Nintendo's new Switch 2 console looms. The company has now downwardly adjusted its metrics to reflect holiday Q3's results, even farther from the previous forecast.

Nintendo now expects to make in Fiscal Year 2025: 1.19 trillion yen in net sales (-7%), 280 billion yen in operating profit (-22.2%), and 270 billion yen in net profit (-10%). The revision was driven by a slash in hardware and software sales; Switch sales predictions are now at 11 million units, down 1.5 million from the original forecast, and 150 million game sales, down 10 million units from the previous prognostication.

Valve is reportedly working on a next-generation Steam console, with new rumors suggesting it'll pack an RDNA 4-powered GPU from AMD.

In a new video from Spanish leaker 'exta1s' working from a video released from HandleDeck.com, Valve is working on drivers for AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 series "RDNA 4" graphics cards. It was only a couple of months ago that we heard about the new SteamOS-powered Valve Fremont console, and this could be it.

In a translated excerpt from the YouTube video, we're learning that: "It turns out that Valve is openly working on drivers for the AMD 9070 graphics cards. These cards are currently designed just for desktop devices. These AMD 9070s are the first to feature RDNA 4 technology and FSR 4. So yeah, that's the scoop! This RDNA 4 architecture is currently designed only for desktops. It's expected that, many years down the line, it might make its way to portable devices, but right now, it's strictly desktop. Valve is already working on it; in fact, from what my friend has heard, Valve is putting a lot of effort into the drivers for these RX 9070 GPUs with RDNA 4. And the question he raises in his tweet, which we all might be wondering, is why Valve is so interested in collaborating on this".

Earlier today, EA formally announced Battlefield Labs, the community testing platform for the next mainline entry in the long-running Battlefield series. Many call it Battlefield 6 and look at it as a spiritual successor to the excellent Battlefield 3. To get the community excited to help test and shape the next game in the series, we got a 10-second video showcasing multiplayer gameplay from the next Battlefield at the end of the following video.

With destruction everywhere and some impressive visuals, many gamers and longtime fans of the franchise are decidedly excited about this new game in the series - but also cautiously optimistic due to the poor launch state of the last game in the series, Battlefield 2042.

The good news is that the new game's motto is "Let's build Battlefield together" and that Battlefield Labs represents the most extensive pre-release community testing program in EA's history.