franchises Archives

AppWizard

November 8, 2024

Warner Bros admits games business is “substantially underperforming”

Warner Bros Discovery's video games division is facing significant challenges, described as "substantially underperforming," with losses exceeding 0 million due to underperforming titles. The free-to-play game MultiVersus has been particularly problematic. CEO David Zaslav acknowledged the need for more consistent performance from the games business and identified four strong and profitable franchises: Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and the DC Universe, particularly Batman. The company plans to recalibrate its strategy by focusing on these core franchises and leveraging the strengths of proven studios.

BetaBeacon

November 8, 2024

Best new mobile games on iOS and Android – November 2024 round-up

Bloons Card Storm is a turn-based card collecting game with multiplayer at its core, where players need to think about both attack and defense. The game has some balancing issues and a problem where if your opponent quits, you get a smaller reward.

AppWizard

November 7, 2024

Take-Two CEO says Grand Theft Auto 6 is on track for ‘fall’ next year, GTA 5 has sold over 205 million, and ‘PC will be more and more a part of [our] business going forward’

Take-Two Interactive reported net bookings of .47 billion for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, within its projected annual target of .55 to .65 billion. The company attributed its success to the popularity of its franchises, particularly Grand Theft Auto and Borderlands. Grand Theft Auto 5 has sold over 205 million units globally, and Grand Theft Auto Online's membership in the GTA+ service has grown by 35% over the past year. Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold over 67 million units. The anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected in the fall of 2026 at the earliest. The recent Borderlands film has been criticized but positively impacted catalogue sales.

AppWizard

November 7, 2024

Death Stranding: Directors Cut out now on Xbox Series Consoles

505 Games has announced that Death Stranding: Director's Cut is now available on Xbox Series X|S, currently on sale for 50% off at £17.49 in the UK. The game includes the 'Play Anywhere' feature, allowing access to both console and PC versions. Enhancements include high frame rate performance modes, a dedicated photo mode, and ultra-wide support for PC. The game features crossover content from Valve's Half-Life series and CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077. The release follows a five-year exclusivity period with Sony, which has now ended. A sequel, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, is in development exclusively for PlayStation 5. Kojima Productions has reportedly re-acquired the rights to the Death Stranding franchise, allowing for potential future releases on Xbox. Additionally, Hideo Kojima's upcoming project, OD, was announced for Xbox consoles, featuring a cast that includes Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schaffer, and Udo Kier.

AppWizard

November 7, 2024

Take-Two has sold Private Division

Take-Two Interactive has divested its indie publishing label, Private Division, as part of a strategic refocus on larger-scale projects. The sale price and new ownership details are undisclosed, but CEO Strauss Zelnick indicated that more information will be revealed soon. The decision aligns with Take-Two's commitment to its core and mobile businesses, aiming to create sequels to established franchises and develop new intellectual properties. The projects handled by Private Division were deemed too small to fit with Take-Two's ambitions. Private Division was established in December 2017 and has supported independent developers successfully.

AppWizard

November 6, 2024

The StarCraft Games Have Officially Joined PC Game Pass

StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft II: Campaign Collection are now available on PC Game Pass. The original StarCraft was released on March 31, 1998, and became a cornerstone of the real-time strategy genre. The remastered version was released by Blizzard in 2017. The announcement was made via the official StarCraft Twitter account and Xbox Wire. Currently, these games are exclusively available on PC Game Pass, marking a significant step in the integration of Activision Blizzard titles into Xbox’s services.

BetaBeacon

November 4, 2024

Pokémon TCG Pocket hits over 10 million downloads

Pokémon TCG Pocket has been downloaded over 10 million times on all platforms since its release in late October.

AppWizard

November 4, 2024

Remedy revenue more than doubles year-on-year

Finnish gaming company Remedy Entertainment reported a 128.6% increase in revenue for the quarter ending September 30th, reaching €17.9 million, up from €7.8 million the previous year. EBITDA improved to €6.6 million from a loss of €4.2 million. The growth is attributed to strategic partnerships, including a deal with Annapurna to co-finance Control 2 and funding from Rockstar for remakes of Max Payne. Remedy also announced a €15 million convertible loan agreement with Tencent to strengthen its financial position.

AppWizard

October 31, 2024

PCs Rule And Consoles Drool As Capcom Confirms A Shocking Game Sales Stat

Capcom's latest financial report indicates that sales from PC games accounted for approximately 54% of their total revenue, while console game sales made up about 40%. Mobile gaming sales surpass both PC and console markets. Sony has released several exclusive titles from its PlayStation catalog onto PC, including Ghost of Tsushima and God of War. Microsoft's Game Pass service has gained popularity, bridging the gap between PC and console gaming. Projections suggest the gaming player base could exceed 3.3 billion individuals. The trend of cross-platform game availability is increasing, benefiting the overall gaming ecosystem.

AppWizard

October 31, 2024

Circana: Best-Selling PC/Console Games in the U.S. by Year in the 21st Century

The Call of Duty series has led video game sales charts 12 times over the past 23 years. The Madden NFL series has reached the top sales position four times and has never fallen below the top 20, maintaining a position in the top five for the last 22 years. Grand Theft Auto has secured the top spot three times with titles Vice City (2002), San Andreas (2004), and GTA V (2013). Call of Duty had a four-year streak at the top from 2009 to 2012, interrupted by GTA V, with subsequent titles like Red Dead Redemption II (2018) and Hogwarts Legacy (2023) also taking the lead. There is speculation that Call of Duty could reclaim its top position in 2024. Between 2007 and 2009, music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band dominated the charts, with DJ Hero also breaking into the top 20.