Latest news with #NintendoCo.
Yomiuri Shimbun
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nintendo, Online Marketplace Operators Join Hands to Prevent Scalping of Switch 2, Craze for New Video Game Console Going Wild Before Release
Courtesy of Nintendo Co. The new video game console of a Nintendo Switch 2 from Nintendo Co. Nintendo Co. will cooperate with three major e-commerce companies — Mercari, Inc., LY Corp. and Rakuten Group, Inc. — in an effort to prevent scalping of Nintendo's new home video game console Nintendo Switch 2, which will go on sale on June 5, at their online marketplaces, Nintendo officials said Tuesday. Switch 2 is the first new video game console to be released from Nintendo in eight years, with a recommended selling price of ¥49,980, including tax. Nintendo Switch 2 is already red-hot in popularity as those wishing to buy the console have inundated Nintendo's and electronic retailer's advance lottery sales sites with applications. There are concerns that once the console has gone on sale, fraudulent activities, such as unauthorized resale on online marketplaces, may become rampant. Nintendo will cooperate with the three companies in alerting users and requesting the removal of products listed against their sales guidelines from their online marketplaces. 'We'd like to prevent unauthorized listing of Nintendo products [on online marketplaces], including the Nintendo Switch 2,' a Nintendo employee in charge said.
Malaysian Reserve
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
Apple to debut dedicated gaming app within days of Switch 2's arrival
APPLE Inc. is planning a dedicated app for video games on its devices, seeking to sell gamers and developers on the idea that it's a leader in the market. The company will preinstall the app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV set-top box later this year, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The software will serve as a launcher for titles and centralize in-game achievements, leaderboards, communications and other activity, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been announced. The move is meant to enhance the experience on Apple devices at a time when gamers have plenty of alternatives, including cloud services and consoles. Nintendo Co. is preparing to roll out its much-anticipated Switch 2 device just days before Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9, when the new app will be introduced. The new app will feature editorial content from Apple about new titles, offer access to the App Store's game section and promote Arcade, the company's $6.99-a-month subscription offering. And it will replace Game Center, an existing social network dedicated to this category that debuted in 2010 but never gathered serious momentum. Apple is also planning a Mac version of the app that can tap into games downloaded outside of the App Store. A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment. 9to5Mac reported last year that the company was working on a new games app for a future software update. As part of its gaming push, Apple has acquired RAC7 Games, a two-person studio behind the popular Sneaky Sasquatch title. The move was previously reported by Digital Trends. By market share, the iPhone remains one of the world's most used devices for gaming — a category that has been central to the App Store since 2008. In recent years, developers have added high-end games like Resident Evil, Death Stranding and Assassin's Creed. About two-thirds of Apple's App Store revenue currently comes from games and in-app purchases. That includes tokens, levels and other upgrades bought within the titles themselves. The Mac platform has made strides in recent years as well. Speedier chips have allowed better graphics, and the company released tools that make it easier for developers to port existing games over to the Mac. But Apple isn't generally seen as a gaming giant, and many developers and players say that the Mac in particular leaves a lot to be desired compared with Windows computers. While the new app will likely make Apple products easier to use for gaming — and make the category more prominent — testers of the software say it probably won't change the perception among players and makers of high-end titles. The app is one of several features planned for the next version of iOS, which will be released to users in September — around the same time as the next iPhone lineup. Apple is also planning a revamped user interface code-named Solarium, which will make the interface more cohesive across different devices and more similar to the Vision Pro's operating system. Other new features include AI-powered battery management and health capabilities, a revamped Translate app, and live translation of conversations via AirPods and the Siri voice assistant. The company is also expected to announce a new bidirectional Arabic and English keyboard, a virtual calligraphy pen for Apple Pencil users and a new system for syncing hotel Wi-Fi login details across devices. The Vision Pro, for its part, is getting a new eye-scrolling feature. –BLOOMBERG
Bloomberg
20-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Nintendo Turns to Samsung to Make Chips, Ramp Up Switch 2 Output
Nintendo Co. has turned to Samsung Electronics Co. to help make the main chips for the Switch 2, a move that may help the Japanese company ramp up production of the gaming console enough to sell a higher-than-projected 20 million units by March 2026. The decision marks a key win for Samsung, which is trying to compete with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in making chips for the world's electronics, people familiar with the matter said. Securing a contract for one of the summer's hottest new gadgets will likely help lift utilization or boost business for the Korean conglomerate's chip foundries.
Mint
13-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Mobile Games Turn Into Boom-or-Bust Industry as Spending Rises
(Bloomberg) -- Mobile gamers ramped up their spending by 4% last year even as the number of downloads and new releases fell, highlighting the narrowing of the industry to a handful of huge titles that dominate users' time. New hits took less time than ever to reach their first $1 million in revenue — 106 days — but competition from evergreen titles meant there were fewer of those standouts than before, according to Appfigures data. Only 399 new games achieved that threshold, and there were 43% fewer games released overall in 2024, the researchers said. The games industry is struggling to develop a sustainable economic model, with many publishers and studios in recent times canceling projects and cutting staff after the pandemic-driven boom in entertainment faded. The surging cost to develop and promote new titles has dampened investment and pushed console makers Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp. to announce the first $80 retail games. On mobile, Tencent Holdings Ltd. earned roughly four times as much as the second biggest publisher in 2024, Monopoly Go! creator Scopely Inc., with longtime favorites Honor of Kings and Peacekeeper Elite in the top four highest global earners. The most profitable and downloaded games for the year were almost all long-lived mobile titles — less than $4 billion of the total $65.7 billion spending came from games actually released in 2024. Among those, eight came from Chinese developers, including Mihoyo Co.'s Zenless Zone Zero, and two from Japan. Appfigures researchers said developers seeking a slice of the industry are fighting to retain existing players and recruit new ones. One strategy is to use cross-promotional work and other forms of entertainment. 'Collaborations between mobile games and major IP from TV and movies to comics and fashion are nothing new. But in online multiplayer and live service games they shine, boosting both player acquisition and spending,' according to the Appfigures report. 'Monetization through branded events has grown more sophisticated over time and is now a core strategy in top titles.' American gamers were once again among the world's most valuable, as they spent an average of $6.43 per download, across iPhone and Android devices, more than four times the global average of $1.52 per download. Both figures increased by 11%, underscoring the underlying trend of increased spending. More stories like this are available on
Yomiuri Shimbun
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nintendo Aims to Sell 15 Million Switch 2 Units in First Year; New Video Game Console will be Released in June
Yomiuri Shimbun file photo The Nintendo Switch 2, which will be released in June Nintendo Co. announced on Thursday that it plans to sell 15 million units of its new home video game console, the Nintendo Switch 2, in the first year following its planned June release. In its consolidated earnings forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2026, the company projected sales of ¥1.9 trillion, up 63.1% from the previous year, and a final profit of ¥300 billion, up 7.6% from the previous year, thanks to the launch of the Switch 2. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, who held an online press conference on the day, said of the expected sales volume of the Switch 2, 'The unit sales price is high and there are reasonable hurdles to overcome, but we would like to aim for a launch comparable to that of the [current] Switch.' The current Switch sold 15.05 million units in the year from its launch in March 2017 to March 2018, which is on par with predicted sales of the Switch 2.
