consumer spending Archives

AppWizard

December 30, 2025

Battlefield 6, Arc Raiders, and a surprising MMO are among Steam’s best selling games of 2025

Valve has released its annual ranking of the best-selling games on Steam for 2025, based on revenue rather than player ratings. The rankings categorize games into tiers, with the 'platinum' tier including the top 12 earners, which are randomized. Notable titles in the top tier include Battlefield 6, Arc Raiders, EA FC 26, Dune Awakening, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Schedule 1, Monster Hunter Wilds, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remake, Civilization 7, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and Elden Ring Nightreign. The 'gold' tier features games ranked from 13th to 24th, including Europa Universalis 5 and Anno 117: Pax Romana.

AppWizard

October 18, 2025

I highly recommend grabbing NordVPN at a massive 77% discount in one of 2025’s first Black Friday deals

NordVPN is offering a special discount during the holiday shopping season, with a two-year plan available at 77% off and a one-year plan at 60% off. The discounts vary by region, and upfront payment for the entire contract duration is required. NordVPN allows users to secure up to ten devices simultaneously and includes features like traffic filtering, support for popular streaming services, and robust encryption. Additionally, Nord's password manager, NordPass, is discounted by 56% for a two-year contract, with a single plan costing .69 or .29 per month. These offers are valid until December 10, 2025.

Winsage

October 9, 2025

US PC shipments flat amid tariff shock and weak demand

The global PC market is experiencing a 9.4 percent increase in shipments during the third quarter of 2025, totaling 75.8 million units, driven by the upcoming end-of-life date for Windows 10 on October 14. The EMEA and Asia Pacific regions report a robust 14 percent growth, while the Americas see only a 1 percent increase due to tariff impacts and economic uncertainties. IDC's analysis indicates that PC shipments reflect systems dispatched from manufacturers, not direct consumer purchases, highlighting inventory challenges in the US. The first quarter of 2025 had a spike in shipments as manufacturers cleared stock before tariffs on Chinese imports. Despite cautious consumer spending, particularly on discretionary items, PC sales in the US have not drastically declined. IDC projects sustained demand for newer PCs as the deadline for Windows 11 approaches, with hundreds of millions of systems still on Windows 10. In terms of market share for Q3, Lenovo leads with over 25 percent, followed by HP with under 20 percent, Dell with approximately 13 percent, and Apple and Asus with 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

Winsage

September 18, 2025

Americans Put Off New PCs as Inflation Bites – Market Slips 2% in Q2

Groceries, gas, and rent are prioritized over new laptops in the US, impacting the PC market. Shipments declined by 1.4% year-on-year to 18.6 million units in Q2 2025. Inflation persists, with food prices up 3% and shelter costs at 4.3%, limiting discretionary spending. Many households are delaying PC purchases until their devices fail. In contrast, commercial demand grew by 4% as businesses upgrade systems in response to the Windows 10 end-of-support deadline and increasing AI adoption, which has more than doubled in the last two years. Apple achieved 15.5% year-on-year growth, while Lenovo grew by 5.1%. HP and Dell saw declines of 4.8% and 3.5%, respectively. Overall shipments in 2025 are projected to reach 71 million units, driven by commercial demand, while consumer demand is expected to shrink by nearly 4%. Government shipments are forecasted to grow by 9.9% this year, while education PCs are expected to remain flat in 2025 but surge nearly 10% in 2027. The market is projected to peak at 73.5 million units in 2026 before declining to approximately 70.8 million in 2027.

AppWizard

August 8, 2025

Net bookings up 17% for Take-Two

Take-Two reported a 17 percent increase in net bookings for the first quarter of its financial year, totaling .42 billion, up from .22 billion the previous year. Recurrent consumer spending also rose by 17 percent, accounting for 83 percent of net bookings. Key titles contributing to this growth include Grand Theft Auto 5, NBA 2K25, Red Dead Redemption 2, and mobile games. The company has adjusted its Fiscal Year 2026 Net Bookings outlook to between .05 billion and .15 billion.