RallyCarDelta Gaming
@gameoverthirty.bsky.social
MBA. Senior Technical Manager. I discuss the business of video games (and I have a game review podcast).
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RallyCarDelta
Podcast: https://concisegamereviews.podbean.com/
Long Form Writing: https://gameoverthirty.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RallyCarDelta
Podcast: https://concisegamereviews.podbean.com/
Long Form Writing: https://gameoverthirty.com/
Square Enix's shift in development priorities is a sign of the times (and somewhat their own doing). Regardless, less focus on PlayStation, more focus on cross-platform content.
youtube.com/shorts/V5Mld...
youtube.com/shorts/V5Mld...
Square Enix's multi-platform strategy. #PlayStation #FinalFantasy #gamingnews
YouTube video by RallyCarDelta Gaming
youtube.com
February 19, 2026 at 4:11 AM
Square Enix's shift in development priorities is a sign of the times (and somewhat their own doing). Regardless, less focus on PlayStation, more focus on cross-platform content.
youtube.com/shorts/V5Mld...
youtube.com/shorts/V5Mld...
Prediction:
Over the next decade, you are going to see the big legacy studios continue to downsize (even when successful) and lean heavier on contracts / outsourcing.
Over the next decade, you are going to see the big legacy studios continue to downsize (even when successful) and lean heavier on contracts / outsourcing.
February 19, 2026 at 4:08 AM
Prediction:
Over the next decade, you are going to see the big legacy studios continue to downsize (even when successful) and lean heavier on contracts / outsourcing.
Over the next decade, you are going to see the big legacy studios continue to downsize (even when successful) and lean heavier on contracts / outsourcing.
1/ There's little debate that Thunderful Group is struggling. They closed out 2025 with a significant accounting loss and negative cash flow (-43.6M SEK). This doubles up on weak performance in 2024.
thunderfulgroup.com/media/iyphvu...
thunderfulgroup.com/media/iyphvu...
thunderfulgroup.com
February 19, 2026 at 4:05 AM
1/ There's little debate that Thunderful Group is struggling. They closed out 2025 with a significant accounting loss and negative cash flow (-43.6M SEK). This doubles up on weak performance in 2024.
thunderfulgroup.com/media/iyphvu...
thunderfulgroup.com/media/iyphvu...
Square Enix medium term business plan contained guidelines to move the company to multi-platform for most games. PC is generally the lead spec now.
automaton-media.com/en/game-deve...
automaton-media.com/en/game-deve...
February 16, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Square Enix medium term business plan contained guidelines to move the company to multi-platform for most games. PC is generally the lead spec now.
automaton-media.com/en/game-deve...
automaton-media.com/en/game-deve...
Building a game with the #PlayStation version as the lead target is nothing new. It's not controversial. It's technical. High on Life 2 releasing across multiple platforms makes sense, especially for a game that probably expects to push units primarily on console.
www.techradar.com/gaming/despi...
www.techradar.com/gaming/despi...
February 15, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Building a game with the #PlayStation version as the lead target is nothing new. It's not controversial. It's technical. High on Life 2 releasing across multiple platforms makes sense, especially for a game that probably expects to push units primarily on console.
www.techradar.com/gaming/despi...
www.techradar.com/gaming/despi...
This entire article exists just to state the obvious:
Games should use a price model based on supply and demand.
And before you say, yes, flexible / dynamic price models are based on supply and demand (it's just a non-traditional version of it).
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Games should use a price model based on supply and demand.
And before you say, yes, flexible / dynamic price models are based on supply and demand (it's just a non-traditional version of it).
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Video Games Need to Be Cheaper to Buy
One way to get out of the video-game industry funk is to recognize that players aren’t spending $70 on most games
www.bloomberg.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:49 AM
This entire article exists just to state the obvious:
Games should use a price model based on supply and demand.
And before you say, yes, flexible / dynamic price models are based on supply and demand (it's just a non-traditional version of it).
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Games should use a price model based on supply and demand.
And before you say, yes, flexible / dynamic price models are based on supply and demand (it's just a non-traditional version of it).
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Sign of the times.
As far as I can tell, Konvoy ended their VC tracking & general newsletter for the games industry.
They moved over to A.I. 💲
As far as I can tell, Konvoy ended their VC tracking & general newsletter for the games industry.
They moved over to A.I. 💲
February 14, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Sign of the times.
As far as I can tell, Konvoy ended their VC tracking & general newsletter for the games industry.
They moved over to A.I. 💲
As far as I can tell, Konvoy ended their VC tracking & general newsletter for the games industry.
They moved over to A.I. 💲
Arc Raiders: 14M units when this presentation was posted.
Arc Raiders did so well that Nexon paid out higher than expected bonuses (cut into profits).
Nexon deferred revenue, likely to ease immediate tax burden.
You can view the full slide Nexon slide deck here:
pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/YpwX/M...
Arc Raiders did so well that Nexon paid out higher than expected bonuses (cut into profits).
Nexon deferred revenue, likely to ease immediate tax burden.
You can view the full slide Nexon slide deck here:
pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/YpwX/M...
pdf.irpocket.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Arc Raiders: 14M units when this presentation was posted.
Arc Raiders did so well that Nexon paid out higher than expected bonuses (cut into profits).
Nexon deferred revenue, likely to ease immediate tax burden.
You can view the full slide Nexon slide deck here:
pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/YpwX/M...
Arc Raiders did so well that Nexon paid out higher than expected bonuses (cut into profits).
Nexon deferred revenue, likely to ease immediate tax burden.
You can view the full slide Nexon slide deck here:
pdf.irpocket.com/C3659/YpwX/M...
1/ Embracer released their Q3 and 9 month report for FY25/26.
The quarter came in somewhat over expectations, with balanced free cash flow (slightly negative). In terms of 9 months, it signals a company that is slowly regaining profitability (but isn't there yet).
embracer.com/wp-content/u...
The quarter came in somewhat over expectations, with balanced free cash flow (slightly negative). In terms of 9 months, it signals a company that is slowly regaining profitability (but isn't there yet).
embracer.com/wp-content/u...
embracer.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:42 PM
1/ Embracer released their Q3 and 9 month report for FY25/26.
The quarter came in somewhat over expectations, with balanced free cash flow (slightly negative). In terms of 9 months, it signals a company that is slowly regaining profitability (but isn't there yet).
embracer.com/wp-content/u...
The quarter came in somewhat over expectations, with balanced free cash flow (slightly negative). In terms of 9 months, it signals a company that is slowly regaining profitability (but isn't there yet).
embracer.com/wp-content/u...
1/ It looks like Nexon is taking the same approach with Arc Raiders revenue as EA did with #Battlefield6.
Because of the "useful life" of the player (payer), Nexon is deferring 27.7B JPY (181M USD) revenues from Arc Raiders until 2026 (half of it will be taken in Q1).
Because of the "useful life" of the player (payer), Nexon is deferring 27.7B JPY (181M USD) revenues from Arc Raiders until 2026 (half of it will be taken in Q1).
February 12, 2026 at 6:42 PM
1/ It looks like Nexon is taking the same approach with Arc Raiders revenue as EA did with #Battlefield6.
Because of the "useful life" of the player (payer), Nexon is deferring 27.7B JPY (181M USD) revenues from Arc Raiders until 2026 (half of it will be taken in Q1).
Because of the "useful life" of the player (payer), Nexon is deferring 27.7B JPY (181M USD) revenues from Arc Raiders until 2026 (half of it will be taken in Q1).
It's not just you. There is a pattern of medium-to-large video game projects coming to market, and missing expectations. It all started years ago, and it's crashing together now.
Sample image from old Konvoy report. Cannot locate original.
Sample image from old Konvoy report. Cannot locate original.
February 12, 2026 at 5:56 PM
It's not just you. There is a pattern of medium-to-large video game projects coming to market, and missing expectations. It all started years ago, and it's crashing together now.
Sample image from old Konvoy report. Cannot locate original.
Sample image from old Konvoy report. Cannot locate original.
Circana released their US video game market projections for 2026.
- Projecting a 3% rise 2025 to $62.8B (new record).
Highlights:
- Switch 2
- #GTA6
- Subscription Spending
www.circana.com/post/circana...
- Projecting a 3% rise 2025 to $62.8B (new record).
Highlights:
- Switch 2
- #GTA6
- Subscription Spending
www.circana.com/post/circana...
Circana Forecasts a Transformative Year for Video Games in 2026
The 2026 U.S. video game market brings great opportunity — and risk
www.circana.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Circana released their US video game market projections for 2026.
- Projecting a 3% rise 2025 to $62.8B (new record).
Highlights:
- Switch 2
- #GTA6
- Subscription Spending
www.circana.com/post/circana...
- Projecting a 3% rise 2025 to $62.8B (new record).
Highlights:
- Switch 2
- #GTA6
- Subscription Spending
www.circana.com/post/circana...
Reality check: Remedy is in a precarious position.
Control Resonant is critical to their success.
While 2025 was an improvement in revenue and showed some slight profitability, Firebreak missed expectations. Control Resonant is basically "make or break" due to their increased cost base.
Control Resonant is critical to their success.
While 2025 was an improvement in revenue and showed some slight profitability, Firebreak missed expectations. Control Resonant is basically "make or break" due to their increased cost base.
February 10, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Reality check: Remedy is in a precarious position.
Control Resonant is critical to their success.
While 2025 was an improvement in revenue and showed some slight profitability, Firebreak missed expectations. Control Resonant is basically "make or break" due to their increased cost base.
Control Resonant is critical to their success.
While 2025 was an improvement in revenue and showed some slight profitability, Firebreak missed expectations. Control Resonant is basically "make or break" due to their increased cost base.
Remedy appoints a new CEO. This appointment comes in the midst of a company pivot to self-publishing that has proven costly, especially with Firebreak completely missing expectations.
investors.remedygames.com?publicationI...
investors.remedygames.com?publicationI...
February 9, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Remedy appoints a new CEO. This appointment comes in the midst of a company pivot to self-publishing that has proven costly, especially with Firebreak completely missing expectations.
investors.remedygames.com?publicationI...
investors.remedygames.com?publicationI...
Square Enix has repeatedly confirmed what many doubted would actually happen (this is not the first time this has been written):
Alternative payment methods significantly increased mobile profitability.
Alternative payment methods significantly increased mobile profitability.
February 9, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Square Enix has repeatedly confirmed what many doubted would actually happen (this is not the first time this has been written):
Alternative payment methods significantly increased mobile profitability.
Alternative payment methods significantly increased mobile profitability.
ICYMI:
#Towerborne is shifting to a one-time purchase model. Long term monetization is being removed along with automated matchmaking services. The product will be "complete game" at launch.
www.towerborne.com/FAQ/
#Towerborne is shifting to a one-time purchase model. Long term monetization is being removed along with automated matchmaking services. The product will be "complete game" at launch.
www.towerborne.com/FAQ/
FAQ - Towerborne
www.towerborne.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:41 PM
ICYMI:
#Towerborne is shifting to a one-time purchase model. Long term monetization is being removed along with automated matchmaking services. The product will be "complete game" at launch.
www.towerborne.com/FAQ/
#Towerborne is shifting to a one-time purchase model. Long term monetization is being removed along with automated matchmaking services. The product will be "complete game" at launch.
www.towerborne.com/FAQ/
1/ Here's what I want to know:
What becomes of the Xbox console segment of the DirectX development suite?
I suspect that Xbox console specific requirements will move to what we usually call "legacy support."
What becomes of the Xbox console segment of the DirectX development suite?
I suspect that Xbox console specific requirements will move to what we usually call "legacy support."
February 8, 2026 at 6:10 PM
1/ Here's what I want to know:
What becomes of the Xbox console segment of the DirectX development suite?
I suspect that Xbox console specific requirements will move to what we usually call "legacy support."
What becomes of the Xbox console segment of the DirectX development suite?
I suspect that Xbox console specific requirements will move to what we usually call "legacy support."
Expanding the hardware base in year 2-3 is important because it leads to expanded software sales (we all know this). #Nintendo doesn't want to get caught up in short term trends (making the Switch 2 more expensive immediately and losing momentum).
February 6, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Expanding the hardware base in year 2-3 is important because it leads to expanded software sales (we all know this). #Nintendo doesn't want to get caught up in short term trends (making the Switch 2 more expensive immediately and losing momentum).
At some point, Sony decided that the #Horizon franchise was their "do everything" product.
MMO, co-op, single player, Lego, movie, lunchboxes, clothes, umbrellas, toys, dishwashers, bulldozers, food, etc.
It's just not for me. I just don't "get" this franchise.
MMO, co-op, single player, Lego, movie, lunchboxes, clothes, umbrellas, toys, dishwashers, bulldozers, food, etc.
It's just not for me. I just don't "get" this franchise.
February 5, 2026 at 5:49 PM
At some point, Sony decided that the #Horizon franchise was their "do everything" product.
MMO, co-op, single player, Lego, movie, lunchboxes, clothes, umbrellas, toys, dishwashers, bulldozers, food, etc.
It's just not for me. I just don't "get" this franchise.
MMO, co-op, single player, Lego, movie, lunchboxes, clothes, umbrellas, toys, dishwashers, bulldozers, food, etc.
It's just not for me. I just don't "get" this franchise.
The rumored Horizon co-op action game (developed by Guerrilla) has been officially revealed. It will begin play testing at the end of February.
Title: Horizon Hunters
Platforms: #PS5 and PC
blog.playstation.com/2026/02/05/a...
Title: Horizon Hunters
Platforms: #PS5 and PC
blog.playstation.com/2026/02/05/a...
February 5, 2026 at 4:45 PM
The rumored Horizon co-op action game (developed by Guerrilla) has been officially revealed. It will begin play testing at the end of February.
Title: Horizon Hunters
Platforms: #PS5 and PC
blog.playstation.com/2026/02/05/a...
Title: Horizon Hunters
Platforms: #PS5 and PC
blog.playstation.com/2026/02/05/a...
It looks like #Nintendo confirmed that Q3 FY26 Switch 2 sales outside of Japan were slightly weaker than forecasted. Fortunately, demand in Japan made up the difference, and they are not adjusting guidance.
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...
www.nintendo.co.jp
February 5, 2026 at 4:33 AM
It looks like #Nintendo confirmed that Q3 FY26 Switch 2 sales outside of Japan were slightly weaker than forecasted. Fortunately, demand in Japan made up the difference, and they are not adjusting guidance.
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...
The revamp of #Overwatch is right in line with the plan we heard from Johanna Faries. They are focusing on their current IPs. In some cases that means more content, and in others it might mean new experiences. Point being, it will be within their core properties.
February 5, 2026 at 1:52 AM
The revamp of #Overwatch is right in line with the plan we heard from Johanna Faries. They are focusing on their current IPs. In some cases that means more content, and in others it might mean new experiences. Point being, it will be within their core properties.
To give you an idea of how much revenue EA deferred last quarter, here's a graph of the past three years.
Their total change in deferred net revenue for Q3 FY26 quarter was over $1B. Yes, it's mostly #Battlefield6 revenue.
Their total change in deferred net revenue for Q3 FY26 quarter was over $1B. Yes, it's mostly #Battlefield6 revenue.
February 4, 2026 at 10:08 PM
To give you an idea of how much revenue EA deferred last quarter, here's a graph of the past three years.
Their total change in deferred net revenue for Q3 FY26 quarter was over $1B. Yes, it's mostly #Battlefield6 revenue.
Their total change in deferred net revenue for Q3 FY26 quarter was over $1B. Yes, it's mostly #Battlefield6 revenue.
EA just posted an incredible cash quarter, with over $3B in net bookings.
They deferred over $1B of it, causing a serious disconnect with income.
s204.q4cdn.com/701424631/fi...
They deferred over $1B of it, causing a serious disconnect with income.
s204.q4cdn.com/701424631/fi...
February 4, 2026 at 9:43 PM
EA just posted an incredible cash quarter, with over $3B in net bookings.
They deferred over $1B of it, causing a serious disconnect with income.
s204.q4cdn.com/701424631/fi...
They deferred over $1B of it, causing a serious disconnect with income.
s204.q4cdn.com/701424631/fi...
The #Nintendo 9mo report for FY26 (ending March 2026).
Short Version:
An amazing start for the Switch 2 fuels large boost over previous fiscal year, despite costs.
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...
Short Version:
An amazing start for the Switch 2 fuels large boost over previous fiscal year, despite costs.
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...
February 3, 2026 at 9:37 PM
The #Nintendo 9mo report for FY26 (ending March 2026).
Short Version:
An amazing start for the Switch 2 fuels large boost over previous fiscal year, despite costs.
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...
Short Version:
An amazing start for the Switch 2 fuels large boost over previous fiscal year, despite costs.
www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...