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Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘GTA 6' Predicted To Make $7.6 Billion In 60 Days, But That's Impossible
GTA 6 There's a new story circulating about some predications regarding next year's Grand Theft Auto 6, some logical, some wildly off base. This is from Venture Capital firm Konvoy, where managing partner Josh Chapman makes a few predictions, mainly that GTA 6 will be the biggest gaming launch of all time, and that it will make $7.6 billion two months after release. The first one? Yeah, I mean, that's not really a question. GTA 5 did $1 billion in three days and GTA 6, due to the expansion of the industry and massive elevation of the series, will no doubt top that. It will be the biggest entertainment launch in history, not just among video games. However, getting to $7.6 billion in two months is…something else entirely. Assuming an $80 price point, which even with rumors about GTA 6 potentially costing $100, is a fair bet, that would mean GTA 6 would need to sell around 95 million copies in two months. To put that in context, that would be selling 20% of every Call of Duty game ever sold, combined, in two months. And for the GTA series itself, that would be close to 50% of its 200+ million sales over the course of 12 years. Again, in two months. It took five years for GTA 5 to sell 100 million copies. GTA 5 I will say Konvoy's estimation that GTA 6 will sell $2 billion over the course of its first month could happen. He says that will make up its reported $2 billion budget, but that has never been confirmed and remains an estimation. This is even with the data that GTA 5 didn't hit $2 billion until closer to nine months after launch. But I'm willing to say GTA 6 mania may speed that along. Maybe the full two months. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder However, this proves the point about just how fast things can drop after an initial rush of sales. If you are dying to pick up GTA 6, there is little reason you would not buy it day one, especially if this is now an era when 80% of players will be downloading the game, not waiting in line for it, so to think it would ramp up to $7.6 billion in two months is ludicrous. There are also simply…platform limits. And they are severe. GTA 6 is only releasing on Xbox Series X/S consoles and PS5. No last generation PS4s or Xbox Ones. And no PC, a huge market that Rockstar enjoys selling to separately later, causing many players to want to rebuy. It will not be on Switch or Switch 2 (maybe ever). So those 95 million sales in two months would be coming from…let's see, 77.8 million reported PS5 sales and an estimated 30-35 million Xbox Series sales. So we're talking about something near a 90% attach rate on ~110 million consoles for a single game for this console generation. Yeah sure, totally feasible… GTA 6 will set loads of records, and will past many of GTA 5's milestones easily, not to mention the rest of the entire entertainment industry. But when you're throwing around billions and billions of dollars in estimates, you have to actually look at the facts. And that simply does not add up. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia maintains its first rank across MENA for venture capital investment in H1 2025
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The "H1 2025 MENA Venture Investment Report" revealed that Saudi Arabia maintained its first rank across MENA in terms of Venture Capital (VC) funding in H1 2025, witnessing a total VC deployment of $860 Million (SAR 3.2 billion), surpassing the total VC funding of 2024 (full year). This achievement reflects the development the Kingdom is witnessing in various economic and financial sectors in light of the Saudi Vision 2030 and its goals to strengthen the national economy. According to the report published today by the venture data platform MAGNiTT, the Kingdom captured the highest share of total VC funding in the MENA region in H1 2025, accounting for 56% of the total capital deployed in the region. The report also revealed that Saudi Arabia achieved a record number of 114 VC deals for the first half of 2025. This confirms the attractiveness of the Saudi market, enhances its competitive environment, and consolidates the strength of the Kingdom's economy as the largest economy in MENA. Dr. Nabeel Koshak, CEO and Board Member at SVC, commented: "The Kingdom's leading position in the VC scene in the region comes as a result of many governmental initiatives launched to stimulate the VC and startups ecosystem within the Saudi Vision 2030 programs. We at SVC are committed to continuing to lead the development of the ecosystem by stimulating private investors to provide support for startups and SMEs to be capable of fast and high growth, leading to diversifying the national economy and achieving the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030." SVC is an investment company established in 2018. It is a subsidiary of the SME Bank, part of the National Development Fund (NDF). SVC aims to stimulate and sustain financing for Startups and SMEs from pre-Seed to pre-IPO through investment in funds and direct investment in startups and SMEs.
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Europe's VCs Are On Pace for Lowest Fundraising Year in a Decade
Venture capital-backed firms in Europe are on track for their worst year of fundraising since 2015, as investors avoid putting money in an industry that's struggled with returns. Venture funds based in Europe raised €5.2 billion ($6.1 billion) in the first half of 2025, according to data provider PitchBook.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why the Energy Sector Needs a Smarter AI Strategy
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the world around us as our systems get smarter, and the resource and energy use of large language models grow ever larger. In the energy sector, artificial intelligence represents a double-edged sword: AI could help the sector overcome some of the hurdles involved in maintaining global energy security while we transition to cleaner alternatives, but it could also pose an existential threat to vulnerable power grids if used indiscriminately. Artificial intelligence requires a staggering amount of energy to train and power its complex computations. Energy demand from data centers is on track to double by just 2030 as the sector explodes in growth. As a result, many world leaders are starting to see AI energy demand as an imminent threat to energy security, and are beginning to prioritize AI regulation and increasing energy production capacity. 'In the past few years, AI has gone from an academic pursuit to an industry with trillions of dollars of market capitalisation and venture capital at stake,' according to the International Energy Agency. The vast amount of energy needed to power this growth trajectory means that 'the energy sector is therefore at the heart of one of the most important technological revolutions today.' However, it's not entirely clear exactly how much energy AI is consuming – we just know that it's a lot. The sector is extremely opaque, and governing AI is therefore a tricky situation at present. As of May 2025, a whopping 84 percent of global large language model traffic took place using AI models operating with zero environmental disclosure. And that doesn't just include energy use – AI also has a major impact on water sources, as water is used in cooling systems for data centers as well as thermoelectric plants. But while policy, regulation, and transparency measures remain fuzzy, global industry leaders are already busily integrating machine learning into a broad range of sectors. In the energy sector, it is being used for automation of systems for nuclear plants, and in renewables for more accurate forecasting of energy supply and demand, which will help stabilize grids as variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar become more prevalent in global energy mixes. It's also enhancing energy storage through improved battery design, safety, and management strategies, and even futuristic innovations to give new life to dead batteries. AI is even being used to making coal mining more profitable in China. Clearly, global industry is off to the races to find out how AI can make their business more efficient, lest they be left behind. But a more methodical and structured approach – not to mention clearer policy and regulations – will be necessary to ensure that the technology is being used efficiently and responsibly. 'It is not uncommon for business units to get ahead of the curve by piloting or initiating proof of concepts on their own to keep up with AI advancements, states a recent Forbes report. 'But, when it comes to technology and transformation, rash, siloed decision making rarely produces the intended business outcomes and is often counterproductive.' Instead, more transparency and standardization will be critical to make sure that industry leaders aren't wasting money and resources chasing down the same pathways – or exposing our energy systems to cyberattack. Smart tech needs to work hand-in-hand with IT to make sure that AI innovations are based in good data management and cybersecurity. 'The investments needed to build that IT foundation, and ultimately to scale the [operational technology] and analytics that sit on top of it, will likely transcend business units and functional silos—and because of that, companies could need a structured way to think about them,' the Forbes report went on to say. On the energy-production side of the equation, the public sector is facing similar challenges. The United States Department of Energy (DoE) has acknowledged that AI could be invaluable in managing smart grids capable of handling increased flows of variable energies like wind and solar, but introduces significant risks if deployed 'naïvely. By Haley Zaremba for More Top Reads From this article on Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Serena Williams has backed 14 unicorns so far. Now she's adding a new role to prove hygiene and health can be big business
Ace move. Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist, is doubling down on her next chapter of backing the kinds of founders often overlooked by traditional venture capital: women, people of color, and entrepreneurs solving critical challenges in underserved markets. Last week, the tennis legend and investor was named the first-ever entrepreneur-in-residence at Reckitt, the British consumer health giant behind brands like Lysol, Durex, and Enfamil. In this new role, Williams will help mentor and scale startups focused on hygiene, maternal care, and health equity—sectors that remain chronically underfunded despite rising demand. Women-led startups receive less than 3% of global venture funding despite research showing they consistently outperform male-led companies. 'Bold, innovative ideas can solve some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges if given the right support to thrive,' Williams told me at Cannes Lions. 'This includes mentorship, funding, and strong belief.' Her appointment coincides with the launch of Reckitt Catalyst, a £10 million initiative aimed at supporting up to 200 underrepresented founders by 2030. The goal is to improve access to health and hygiene for five million people through scalable, locally led solutions across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. For Williams, the partnership is both tactical and deeply aligned. 'We realized we had the same thesis, [which is] that when you invest in women, when you invest in overlooked markets, the returns are there,' she said. 'It's not charity. It's smart business.' Since stepping away from tennis, Williams has built one of the most successful venture investment track records among athlete-turned-investors. She launched Serena Ventures in 2014 with a focus on diverse founders, raising a $111 million inaugural fund. At the time, she entered a venture ecosystem where only 5% of VCs were Black, and an even smaller share were Black women. Before formally launching the fund, Williams said she had already backed about six unicorns. Today, she says her portfolio includes more than 14 billion-dollar companies and several decacorns. 'I wanted to prove to myself that I could find the companies and that I had the connections to invest,' she said. 'Now we're scaling.' Serena Ventures has primarily invested in early-stage healthcare, fintech, and consumer technology companies. Through her new partnership with Reckitt, Williams is now doubling down on sectors that tend to be overlooked by Silicon Valley. 'Hygiene is routinely overlooked in venture,' she said. 'It's not flashy. But it's foundational, especially for women, mothers, and children. These are essential markets that drive real impact and real returns.' Her role will combine mentorship with access to a network. Williams will advise Catalyst entrepreneurs while helping them expand their reach and credibility through strategic introductions. 'At the end of the day, venture is about relationships,' she said. 'A 30-minute conversation can unlock new partnerships or investment opportunities. I want to offer that access to founders who aren't part of the usual power circles.' She has already started connecting Catalyst founders with companies in her existing portfolio. 'When you give women an opportunity, we often work twice as hard because we've been underestimated from the start,' she said, adding, 'This isn't about taking anything away from male founders. It's about expanding the pie.' Ruth The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune's daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today's edition was curated by Sara Braun. Subscribe here. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
