investor call Archives

AppWizard

April 25, 2025

Intel confirms layoffs, reports point to 20% cut

Intel plans to cut approximately 20 percent of its workforce to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy. This follows a previous reduction of 15,000 positions. The layoffs are expected to begin in the second quarter of the year, although the exact number of affected employees has not been disclosed. New CEO Lip-Bu Tan aims to revitalize the company's engineering functions and has emphasized the need for strategic investments in engineering talent and technology. He acknowledged the necessity of cost reductions and mentioned that Intel's current cost structure exceeds competitive benchmarks. The company has revised its operating expense and capital spending targets, with further details to be shared in an upcoming investor call.

AppWizard

March 3, 2025

WhatsApp says technical issue reported by thousands now resolved

On Friday afternoon, WhatsApp experienced a disruption affecting users' ability to send messages, with Downdetector reporting over 50,000 incidents shortly after 15:30 GMT. A WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed the issue was resolved. While some users reported problems with Facebook and Facebook Messenger, the complaints were significantly lower than those for WhatsApp. WhatsApp, which has nearly three billion users, was previously affected by a mass global outage in December. CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed optimism about the company's growth during a recent investor call. The recent issues were not as severe as the 2021 outage that lasted nearly six hours.

AppWizard

February 17, 2025

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 closing in on two million sales

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is nearing two million sales, as reported by Lars Wingefors, CEO of Embracer Group, whose subsidiary Plaion publishes the game. It sold one million copies within the first 24 hours of its release on February 4th. The game also secured the top spot on Steam last week.

Winsage

February 3, 2025

Windows 11 turns the tide against Windows 10

Windows 11's market share increased to 36.6 percent in January from 34.12 percent in December, while Windows 10's market share declined to 60.37 percent from 62.7 percent. Microsoft is approaching the end of support for Windows 10, scheduled for October 14, 2025, which has led to renewed interest in Windows 11. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood reported a 4 percent year-on-year revenue increase in the Windows OEM and Devices unit, attributed to preparations for the end of Windows 10 support. TrendForce projects a 4.9 percent increase in shipments in 2025 as businesses transition. CEO Satya Nadella noted that 15 percent of premium-priced laptops sold during the holiday season were Copilot+ PCs, and analysts predict that by 2026, acquiring a PC without AI silicon will be increasingly difficult. Initially, Windows 11's adoption was hindered by strict hardware requirements, but many users now have upgraded hardware that supports it. Microsoft is optimistic about solidifying Windows 11's market position as the transition from Windows 10 progresses.

AppWizard

November 11, 2024

Sony’s president says forcing PC gamers onto the PlayStation Network is about keeping them safe

Sony has mandated that players must sign into the PlayStation Network (PSN) even for single-player titles such as God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, which has raised concerns about accessibility, particularly in regions where PSN is not available. This requirement has led to significant criticism as it limits access to PlayStation games for some gamers. In an investor call, Sony's president, Hiroki Totoki, stated that the intention behind this move is to enhance player safety, acknowledging that it could "invite pushback." The PSN sign-in requirement has resulted in the delisting of certain titles, such as Ghost of Tsushima, in nearly 200 countries. Some industry analysts suggest this requirement may be a strategic move for Sony to inflate its monthly active user metrics.

AppWizard

November 8, 2024

PlayStation CEO Shares Learnings from Concord Failure, Reckons PSN Requirement Will Keep PC Games Safe

Sony's Q2 2024 financial report revealed that the PlayStation 5 has sold a total of 65.5 million units, prompting a revision of the full-year forecast for the gaming segment. During an investor call, PlayStation Co-CEO Hiroki Totoki discussed the closure of Firewalk Studios and acknowledged a setback with the Concord project, which cost over 0 million. He emphasized the need for better organizational structure and earlier user testing in the development process. Totoki also addressed PC gamers' concerns about the requirement for a PlayStation Network account to access single-player titles like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, stating that this policy is necessary for safety in live service games, despite the titles in question not being live service games.

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

August 12, 2024

GTA 6 release date update quietly confirms PC version’s fate isn’t good

Take-Two Interactive confirmed during an investor call that Grand Theft Auto VI is set for release in the latter half of next year, specifically for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X, but there is currently no PC version in development. The release timeline remains intact despite concerns over potential delays from the SAG-AFTRA strike. Historically, Rockstar has released PC versions of games like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 after their console launches, with the original Red Dead Redemption still not available on PC. The gaming community has expressed disappointment over the lack of a simultaneous PC release, with some users highlighting a trend of console-first releases followed by delayed PC versions.