shareholders Archives

AppWizard

April 3, 2025

PlaySide is making layoffs

PlaySide Studios, an Australian game developer, is reducing its workforce as part of an operational restructuring due to challenges in securing new work-for-hire projects. The layoffs will primarily affect work-for-hire and non-project specific personnel, with an undisclosed number of positions being cut. The restructuring is expected to save between AUD 4 million and AUD 5 million annually, but will incur a one-time cost of AUD 1.5 million. Ongoing projects, such as Mouse: PI for Hire, will not be impacted. The company plans to provide outplacement support and counseling services to affected employees. CEO Been Skender emphasized the need for resilience in the business model while acknowledging the difficulties faced by staff.

AppWizard

March 1, 2025

Games revenue dipped 53% at Warner Bros during 2024

Warner Bros reported a 53% drop in revenue for its gaming division in 2024, as disclosed in its 10-K filing with the SEC. The overall content revenue declined by eight percent, primarily due to the decrease in gaming revenue, which saw a 29% year-on-year drop in the final quarter of 2024. The decline is attributed to underperforming titles in 2024, following the success of previous releases like Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1. The company plans to close several studios, including Monolith, Player First, and its San Diego studio, and will focus on four key franchises: Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat, and DC Comics. Warner Bros aims to restore profitability to its Games division by 2025 and enhance its contribution to the company's growth.

AppWizard

February 18, 2025

Liquid Swords latest NetEase-backed studio to lay off staff

Sweden's Liquid Swords is reducing its workforce due to challenges in the gaming industry, as stated by CEO Christofer Sundberg. The studio, founded in 2020 and backed by NetEase, has not disclosed the number of layoffs but expressed regret over the impact on employees. Sundberg noted that shifting market conditions have hindered the studio's ability to meet its success timeline, leading to the difficult decision to part ways with talented individuals. Liquid Swords is part of a trend among NetEase-backed ventures facing similar struggles, including Worlds Untold and Jar of Sparks, highlighting the volatility in the gaming industry.

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.

AppWizard

February 15, 2025

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has almost hit 2 million sales, a ‘reminder’ to parent company Embracer ‘to bring great products to the market’

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has sold nearly two million units across all platforms within two weeks of its launch, following one million units sold on its first day. Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors emphasized the importance of focusing on core competencies and delivering quality products. The Embracer Group has faced challenges, including layoffs and project cancellations, particularly with Daedalic Entertainment's troubled project, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. The company has also experienced layoffs and the cancellation of a new Deus Ex game amid an aggressive acquisition strategy.

AppWizard

February 14, 2025

Koei Tecmo’s new CEO is Hisashi Koinuma

Koei Tecmo has appointed Hisashi Koinuma as its new chief executive officer, effective April 1st, 2025. The company is undergoing a strategic restructuring, dividing into two entities: Koei Tecmo Games and Koei Tecmo Corporate Finance. This transition aims to streamline operations and enhance focus on core competencies, with the goal of becoming the world’s leading digital entertainment company. The new management structure will take effect in the fiscal year 2025.

Winsage

February 4, 2025

Why users still couldn’t care less about Windows 11

Users are hesitant to adopt Windows 11, with some comparing its promotion to selling sand at a beach. Although there was a slight increase in Windows 11's market share last month, the transition is not smooth. Windows 11 has strict hardware compatibility requirements, including a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2 and modern CPU, which frustrated many users at launch. Microsoft added the Surface Studio 2’s Intel Core i7-7820HQ to the compatibility list to address some concerns. As older computers become less common, finding incompatible PCs is becoming rare, yet Windows 10 still dominates the market. The impending end of support for Windows 10 is one of the few reasons users might consider upgrading, but many features in Windows 11 are already available in Windows 10. Organizations question the need to upgrade due to missing features and functionality complaints in Windows 11. Microsoft announced that support for most versions of Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. The lack of standout features in Windows 11 makes users reluctant to upgrade, despite hardware vendors shifting focus to AI PCs. Historical transitions between Windows versions were driven by compelling reasons, but the case for Windows 11 lacks persuasive incentives. IT departments may feel pressured to upgrade due to support expiration, but motivation must go beyond compliance. Microsoft needs to offer more than basic features to encourage adoption of Windows 11 and future AI PCs.

BetaBeacon

December 21, 2024

Satya Nadella says, “We’re redefining what it means to be an Xbox fan” to Microsoft shareholders

Xbox's content strategy is contentious, with fans questioning the exclusivity of games on the platform. A poll showed that almost 55% of respondents care about Xbox having exclusive games, while 46% of gamers said they haven't left Xbox. Some gamers are waiting to see what Xbox's exclusivity strategy will be.

AppWizard

December 19, 2024

Sony will shortly own 10% of Kadokawa

Sony will acquire a 10 percent stake in Kadokawa by purchasing 12,054,100 new shares at Y4,146 each for a total investment of Y49.98 billion (approximately 7 million) on January 7, 2025. This will increase Sony's ownership in Kadokawa from 2.01 percent to 9.68 percent, making it Kadokawa's largest shareholder, although still behind Korea Securities Depository - Samsung and The Master Trust Bank of Japan in terms of major shareholders. The partnership aims to enhance collaboration on adapting Kadokawa's intellectual property into live-action films, television shows, and anime projects.

Winsage

December 18, 2024

Google Makes More Money on Windows Than Microsoft, says Satya Nadella

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Google generates more revenue from Windows than Microsoft does. He discussed the competition in the browser market, noting Google's dominance with Chrome and Microsoft's efforts to regain market share with Edge and AI tools like Co-Pilot. Nadella highlighted the open nature of Windows, which allows various AI tools to compete. He expressed satisfaction with OpenAI's partnership with Apple, which he believes benefits Microsoft. He acknowledged the competitive landscape involving major players like Google, Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI, emphasizing that success is not a zero-sum game. Nadella pointed out the shift in consumer expectations from traditional search engines to AI-driven tools and recognized Google's advantage in mobile distribution. He expressed confidence in Microsoft's strategies to reclaim market share and warned of the potential consequences of Google's monopolistic practices, emphasizing the need to change user habits to alter default search engine choices.