Tag: game industry analysis

GTA 6 Propping Up Console Growth Shows The Industry Has A Concentration Problem

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, News

Grand Theft Auto 6 has become more than the biggest game release of 2026. It has become one of the assumptions holding up the console market’s growth forecast. As GamesIndustry.biz reports, Newzoo’s director of market intelligence, Emmanuel Rosier, believes console revenue would be flat or declining this year without Rockstar’s latest release. Newzoo currently forecasts console revenue reaching $46.9 billion in 2026, representing growth of 5.1% year-on-year. Switch 2 is contributing to that performance, but GTA 6 is the decisive commercial event. Newzoo expects full-game console spending to rise by 17.5%, with the release providing the strongest growth across any business model it tracks. That’s obviously impressive. It’s also slightly terrifying...

Rule Standards Teach Players What The World Believes

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Analysis, Blog, Game Design

Players do not learn a game world by memorising every object, enemy, room, and interaction one at a time. They learn by forming expectations. Fire usually burns. Sound usually attracts attention. Heavy things usually fall. Locked doors usually need a key, code, tool, route, or alternative solution. Once the player sees these relationships working often enough, they begin to treat them as part of the world’s normal logic...

Solo Dev’s $1.3 Million Steam Game Shows Why Sales Don’t Equal Income

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, News

Solo developer Michael Major reportedly saw his prank Steam game generate more than $1.3 million in potential sales after thousands of people bought it. Then reality arrived in the form of refunds. According to reporting, 6,717 people bought the game, but 6,707 refunded it, leaving the developer with just over $2,000...

PlayStation Ending Physical Discs Shows That Ownership Is Becoming A Design Problem

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, News

For years, the industry has treated the shift from physical to digital as a convenience story. No discs to swap. No shelves to manage. No midnight launches unless you enjoy standing in a queue with other people pretending they are not cold. Digital access is faster, cleaner, and easier to scale, so the direction has always felt inevitable. Now PlayStation has made that direction explicit. From January 2028, physical disc production for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will end, with new releases available digitally through PlayStation Store and retailers...

The Summer Showcase Season Revealed Gaming’s Biggest Titles!

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Blog, News

The Nintendo Direct, Xbox Games Showcase, State of Play, and Summer Game Fest delivered exactly what players hoped for. There were major sequels, long-awaited remakes, surprise reveals, and enough trailers to fuel gaming discussions for weeks. Social media exploded with reactions to Ocarina of Time Remake, Persona 6, Kingdom Hearts IV, Marvel's Wolverine, Resident Evil: Code Veronica Remake, and a host of other announcements...