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The Star
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Mobile games turn into boom-or-bust industry as spending rises
The most profitable and downloaded games for the year were almost all long-lived mobile titles – less than US$4bil (RM17.26bil) of the total US$65.7bil (RM283.46bil) spending came from games actually released in 2024. — Unsplash 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 US$1mil (RM4.31mil) 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 cancelling 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 US$80 (RM345) 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 US$4bil (RM17.26bil) of the total US$65.7bil (RM283.46bil) 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. "Monetisation 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 US$6.43 (RM27.74) per download, across iPhone and Android devices, more than four times the global average of US$1.52 (RM6.56) per download. Both figures increased by 11%, underscoring the underlying trend of increased spending. – Bloomberg
The Star
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Tariffs set to level up game console prices
Nintendo's hotly anticipated Switch 2 console appears for now to be spared a big price hike ahead of its June 5 release. — Reuters PARIS: The US tariffs barrage and the bounding cost of producing games have prompted manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft to announce price hikes on consoles, in an industry shift experts say is set to last. Sony's 2020-vintage Playstation 5 has seen its price hiked by tens of dollars worldwide in recent weeks, a move matched on Microsoft's Xbox Series X. While tech products usually fall in price as their release date fades into the past, games industry analysts say these are clear impacts of US President Donald Trump's border levies on major trading partners. Last year, "75% of all consoles shipped to the US... were made in China," market research firm Niko Partners wrote in an April note. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad said Microsoft's global price hike aims "to soften the actual price increase in the US, which is Xbox's largest market" – and the only one affected by Trump's swingeing tariffs on imports from China. Nintendo's hotly anticipated Switch 2 console appears for now to be spared a big price hike ahead of its June 5 release. The Japanese heavyweight moved some production to Vietnam in 2019 – a country hit by Trump with 46% additional tariffs which have been delayed for 90 days. If Vietnam does face such a steep trade bill "we're looking at costs increasing by hundreds of dollars" for every console, industry specialist Christopher Dring warned last month on his website "The Game Business". The United States and China agreed on May 12 to reduce massive tit-for-tat tariffs, also for 90 days – but the effect of the temporary pause on the games industry remains to be seen. Broad-based hikes As well as console hardware, games software is getting pricier too. Fans reacted angrily when Nintendo announced that flagship Switch 2 game Mario Kart World would bear its highest-ever price tag of US$80 (RM345) in the US and up to €90 ($102) across the Atlantic. Microsoft plans to increase prices of games developed by its studios to as much as US$80 (RM345) – a US$10 (RM43) hike. "These price points are set to become industry standard over the next two years," Niko Partners predicted. Behind the sticker shock is a crisis in growth for the games industry over the past two years, leaving developers scrambling to protect their profitability. For many gamers, especially the younger generation, that may mean cutting back. "I'm going to have to be a lot more selective" about purchases, said Nassim Amegrissi, an 18-year-old high school student in Paris. He said he had already decided to "pass" on the Switch 2, priced at €470 (RM2,263 or US$450 in the US). Matthieu Rodolphi, a 31-year-old French policeman, said price would be "the deciding factor" in which titles he picks up. Many gamers are turning to releases from smaller studios that are often less prohibitively priced, such as Split Fiction or surprise hit Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , both of which have shifted millions of copies. Other fans are signing up to major console makers' subscription services that allow access to a library of titles on demand for around €15 (RM72) per month. Inflation delayed Even with prices soaring, most experts agree that games are in fact historically affordable when looked at in real terms. Taking inflation into account, many consoles were far more expensive in the past, such as the €600 release price of the 2007 PlayStation 3 that would today put it at over €700 (RM3,371). "Game prices have never been lower in real terms than they are today," said Matthew Ball of consultancy Epyllion in a report on the state of the games industry in 2025. By contrast, "development costs have as much as tripled over the past five years," Dring wrote. If sold at US$70 (RM302) – the standard price for new video games in the United States – Grand Theft Auto VI "would be the cheapest-ever GTA" in real terms, Ball said. But the game cost significantly more to produce than the previous instalments, which is why Ball expects it to break the US$100 (RM431) psychological barrier when it is released in May 2026. – AFP
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guan Eng: Allocate RM1 to non-bumis for every RM10 to bumis for more equitable budgets
KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng has urged policymakers to adopt a balanced and fact-based approach to budget allocations, proposing that non-bumiputeras receive RM1 for every RM10 allocated to bumiputeras. In a statement today, Lim criticised divisive sentiments surrounding his suggestion and called for economic policies that prioritise national unity. 'Political parties serious about nation-building should focus on unity and facts, rather than stirring extremism over budget allocations for non-bumis,' he said, adding that such divisive tactics are typically employed by opposition parties but should not come from the ruling government. Lim highlighted the disparity in allocations under the 2022 Budget, where bumiputeras received RM11.4 billion compared to RM345 million for non-bumiputeras, amounting to only 3 per cent of the total. 'This mere 3 per cent is grossly unfair and inadequate, especially when non-bumis are significant contributors to nation-building as taxpayers and a vital part of the workforce,' he said. Lim argued that his proposal does not reduce allocations for bumiputeras but instead ensures a more equitable distribution. He said non-bumiputeras would receive 9 per cent of the total sum allocated, leaving 91 per cent untouched for bumiputeras. 'For example, if bumis are allocated RM12 billion, then non-bumis should receive RM1.2 billion. This RM1.2 billion does not come out of the bumis' RM12 billion, which remains intact,' he explained. Citing the Statistics Department's Poverty in Malaysia 2022 Report, Lim acknowledged that the majority of those living in poverty are bumiputeras, with an absolute poverty rate of 7.9 per cent compared to 1.9 per cent for Chinese and 5.4 per cent for Indians. 'This disparity justifies allocating 10 times more to bumis compared to non-bumis, which exceeds the poverty disparity of 4.2 times between bumis and Chinese,' he said. Lim also noted that in terms of absolute poverty, bumiputeras make up 85.2 per cent of households affected, compared to 14.8 per cent for non-bumiputeras. He argued that the current allocation of 33 times more for bumis than non-bumis should be revised to 10 times, which would be more equitable while still addressing poverty among bumiputeras. 'The moral imperative to redress poverty among bumis should not come at the expense of depriving other citizens of their just dues,' he added. Lim's proposal comes amid ongoing discussions about economic equity and fairness in budget distributions.
