Gaming · Thursday, 5 November 2026

Macronix, the chip maker behind Nintendo's Switch cartridges, quits game chips for data-centre memory after record profits

38 stories 75 sources

Signals on this beat

The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing, and the arrow is where it is heading.

Memory getting dearer High↑

Macronix is dropping game chips because data centres pay more for its factories. [2]
Nintendo raised Switch 2 prices in 3 countries, and sales fell 41%. [8]
Sony says it covered memory costs with price rises and cuts. [9]

Studios losing owners and staff High↑

33 bought game studios have shut since 2023, by one industry veteran's count. [10]
Arkane Lyon's 217 staff face closure unless a buyer appears by 13 December. [11]
A former designer says Mob Entertainment cut most of a game's team 2 weeks after launch. [12]

Big games taking longer Building↑

Tekken's director says one game a year has become one game that can take 5 years. [13]
God of War Laufey moved from February to May. [14]
The Elder Scrolls 6, first shown 8 years ago, is reported to aim for 2029. [15]

Fewer physical copies Building↑

78% of PlayStation game sales last quarter were full downloads. [16]
A survey puts physical copies at 30.4% of paid-for console games played. [17]
Publishers may ship more cards with only a download key on them. [5]

The stories

38 stories on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

01
Macronix, the chip maker behind Nintendo's Switch cartridges, quits game chips for data-centre memory after record profits

39%

fall in Macronix's sales of ROM chips in a year

its NOR memory chips for data centres rose 158% in the same year [3]

5% of sales

is all that ROM chips now bring Macronix

they were 26% a year earlier [6]

$337 million

record profit at Macronix last quarter

its boss credits demand from data centres [1]

38.5%

of Nintendo's game sales were physical copies

Nintendo's August figure, higher than rivals such as Capcom [3]
What happened
- Macronix, a Taiwanese chip maker, is phasing out the ROM chips used in Nintendo's Switch game cartridges. [1]
- It is moving its factories to memory for AI data centres, which pays more. [2]
- ROM sales fell 39% in a year, while its data-centre NOR memory chips rose 158%. [3]
- Nintendo says it has no plans to give up physical games. [3]
- ROM means read-only memory: a chip with a game written onto it for good. [4] A console can read the game straight off it, so games load fast. [4]
- Nintendo does not buy these chips from Macronix directly. [5] A firm called MegaChips designs them and pays Macronix to make them. [5]
- In its 2022 report, MegaChips got 87.8% of its sales from Nintendo. [5] Macronix took 67.8% of its factory orders. [5]
- ROM is now 5% of Macronix's sales, down from 26% a year earlier. [6]
- Macronix made a record profit of about $337 million last quarter. [1] Its boss, Miin Wu, credits data-centre demand. [1]
- "Customers are chasing us for more capacity," Wu told investors. [3]
Who is involved
- Macronix a Taiwanese chip maker; it is leaving ROM chips for data-centre memory
- Nintendo the Japanese maker of the Switch consoles; it says it will keep selling physical games
- MegaChips a firm that designs Nintendo's card chips and pays others to make them
- Rohm and Lapis chip makers that still supply Nintendo's cartridges
- David Gibson an analyst at MST Financial; he spotted the line in Macronix's results
How it unfolded

Nearly a year ago Micron, one of the 3 biggest memory makers, shut its shop brand, Crucial. [6] It wanted to serve AI data centres. [3]
Macronix gave the news in its results on 27 October. [1] An analyst, David Gibson, spotted it and posted it on 4 November. [1]
TeamGroup, which sells memory, says two thirds of its business now goes to other companies, up from a quarter. [7] Its boss expects no price fall in 2027. [7]
1. 27 October Macronix reports a record profit and says ROM is being phased out [1]
2. 4 Nov An analyst spots the ROM line
3. About a year ago Micron shuts its Crucial shop brand to serve data centres [6]
4. 4 November Analyst David Gibson posts the news and game sites pick it up [1]
5. January 2028 Sony's planned end of game discs [3]
Why it matters

Nintendo must now lean on fewer makers, such as Rohm and Lapis, so cartridges could cost more to make. [2]
Publishers may ship more Game-Key Cards, which hold a download key and not the game. [5]
Physical copies were still 38.5% of Nintendo's game sales in its August figures. [3] Downloads were 61.5%. [2]
Sony has already said it will stop making game discs from January 2028. [3]

How it works

Economists call it opportunity cost: each wafer of cheap ROM chips is a wafer not earning more elsewhere. [2]
Macronix can make 25,000 silicon discs, called wafers, a month, and its new space is a year or more away. [2] So ROM loses its place on the line. [2]

Seen it before

A baker with one oven bakes the cakes that sell for most and stops making the cheap buns.
The truth
- What is really going on Memory makers earn more selling to AI data centres, so game chips lose their place on the factory line. [2]Macronix is dropping cartridge chips. [2]
- The news rests on Macronix's results, as read by one analyst and the Taipei Times. [1] GameSpot asked Nintendo and had no answer when it published. [4]
- Who gains Rohm and Lapis, Nintendo's other chip makers — Nintendo must now rely on them for its remaining ROM chips. [2]
- Who gains Nintendo's download business — Analyst David Gibson expects more Game-Key Cards and digital-only sales, which earn it more on each game. [5]
- Who pays MegaChips — Its 2022 report shows most of its factory orders going to Macronix, so it now needs another factory. [5]
- Who pays Small publishers of physical Switch games — Inin committed to a full cartridge only after smaller card sizes made it cheaper, so a dearer card could stop a firm like it. [2]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether Macronix's exit touches Switch 2 cartridges at all.
  
  Ars Technica and Eurogamer say Macronix chips go in Nintendo's cards for both consoles. [2][6] GamesRadar says teardowns point to Rohm for Switch 2, and admits Nintendo's suppliers are poorly reported. [75]
- Nobody knows yet
  What this does to MegaChips, which designs Nintendo's chips.
  
  The only figures in print are from its 2022 report, and Tom's Hardware knows of no plan for this. [5]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether cartridges will really cost more.
  
  Sources say prices could rise, and digital sales may also cut the demand for cards. [2] Nobody has published new cartridge prices. [6]
What comes next

Macronix's $1.2 billion of new factory space will take a year or more to open. [2]

02
Switch 2 sales fall 41% after price rises
What happened
- Nintendo sold 2.67 million Switch 2 consoles from July to September, 41% fewer than a year earlier. [8]
- That was also down from 3.82 million in the 3 months before. [8] The total since launch is now 26.35 million. [18]
- During the quarter Nintendo raised the console's price in the US, Canada and Japan, because memory chips cost more. [8]
- Nintendo kept its forecast of 16.5 million Switch 2s for the year to March 2027. [8]
- Mario Kart World is its biggest Switch 2 game at 16.48 million copies. [18] Splatoon Raiders has sold 2.42 million. [18]
Why it matters

Investors are looking to the Ocarina of Time remake, out on Thursday, to lift console sales. [8]
"It's getting harder and harder to sell video game hardware these days, and only hits help," said analyst Serkan Toto. [8]

How it works

Economists call it price elasticity: how far sales fall when a price rises, as Switch 2's did. [8]
Nintendo raised the price to cover dearer memory, and CNBC links the fall in sales to those rises. [8]

Seen it before

When the school shop puts up the price of crisps, some children stop buying them.
The truth
- What is really going on Nintendo and Sony have both raised prices to cover dearer memory. [8][9]
- Nobody knows yet
  How much of the Switch 2's 41% fall comes from its price rises.
  
  CNBC links the two, and gives no figure separating price from anything else. [8]
- Nobody knows yet
  How many Switch 2 buyers are left once the Zelda remake has come and gone.
  
  Nintendo kept its 16.5 million forecast, and the months that decide it have not happened yet. [8]
03
Arkane's union blames Microsoft for the delays
What happened
- A French union says Microsoft froze hiring at Arkane Lyon for 19 months, slowing work on Marvel's Blade. [11]
- Arkane Lyon is the Xbox-owned studio behind Dishonored and Prey, and has 217 staff. [11]
- The union, STJV, says Microsoft now uses those delays and costs as its reason to close the studio. [19]
- The union says Arkane is "just not profitable enough for Microsoft". [20]
How it unfolded

Microsoft's deadline to find a buyer is 13 December, after a month's extension. [11] Ubisoft is reported to be among the bidders. [20]
1. 13 Nov the first deadline
2. 13 Dec the new deadline
Why it matters

If the studio closes, the union wants 200,000 euros per worker and 2 years of help finding work. [20]
It also wants staff to have a say in any buyer. [11]

How it works

Sociologists call it a self-fulfilling prophecy: a belief that causes what it predicted, as the union says happened here. [19]
With no new hires, work went slower and cost more, the union says. [19] It says Microsoft then named those costs as its reason. [19]

Seen it before

A coach who never lets a player train, then drops them for being unfit, has done the same.
The truth
- This is the union's account: Microsoft had not replied when GamesIndustry.biz published. [11] The union gave no figures for its claim that closing costs more. [20]
- Who pays Arkane Lyon's 217 staff and its freelancers — They wait until 13 December to learn whether they keep a job, and the union calls Microsoft's offer outrageously low. [20]
- Nobody knows yet
  Who buys Arkane Lyon, and for how much.
  
  Ubisoft is one reported bidder, and no sale has been agreed before the 13 December deadline. [20]

04
One in 3 bought game studios has been shut
What happened
- Sebastian Cardoso, who has worked at Riot, Crytek and EA, tracked 303 game studios bought by big companies since 2000. [10]
- One in 3 has since been shut, and half of those closed within 5 years of the sale. [10]
- Only 25.1% still make games as well as before and have kept their people and leaders. [10]
- Closures are speeding up: 1 from 2019 to 2022, and 33 since 2023. [10]
- Cardoso's biggest factor was the buyer. [10] EA's ownerships ended in decline or closure 83% of the time, Microsoft's 63%, Sony's 58% and Tencent's 50%. [10]
- All 17 of Activision Blizzard's ownerships ended that way. [10]
- Studios that big firms started themselves did worse: 87.5% declined or shut. [10] NetEase opened 8 between 2020 and 2023, and all 8 have closed. [10]
Why it matters

He published the full data, so staff at a studio being sold can look up the buyer's record. [10]
How it works

Forecasters call this a base rate: how often something happens across all similar cases, here 1 in 3 sales. [10]
A buyer's promise is about one studio, and Cardoso's table shows what happened to 303. [10]

Seen it before

Before joining a new team, a player asks how the last few new players got on.
Why big games come out later than their makers promise

Psychologists call it the planning fallacy: people plan a job from how it should go, and forget how long jobs like it really took.

The twist

A team knows its own game better than anyone, yet its first date is usually too early. It is looking at its own plan, and not at how long games like it really took.
The picture
1The Elder Scrolls 6 first shown2,018
2Marvel's Blade first shown2,022
3Today2,026
4The Elder Scrolls 6's reported target2,029
Look at the gaps between each first showing and today. Neither game has come out, and neither has an official date.
Step by step
1. A team pictures its own game and how the work should go
2. It adds up the steps it can see, assuming a good run
3. It leaves out what went wrong on games like it
4. So the first date is too early
5. The date moves when the real work catches up
The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.
- Tekken's director starts again
  
  Katsuhiro Harada pictured about 15 Tekken games by this point in his career, planning from one game a year, and one game can now take 5 years.
- The Elder Scrolls 6 is reported to aim for 2029
  
  Bethesda showed the game in 2018, and a report now puts it 11 years on from that first showing.
- God of War Laufey moves to May
  
  The date set for 16 February moved to 20 May, and Sony's only stated use for the time is finishing touches.
- One in 3 bought game studios has been shut
  
  Sebastian Cardoso's count of 303 sales is what forecasters ask for: what happened to jobs like this one, before anyone trusts this one's plan.
Where you've seen this

Students' essays

In a well-known 1994 study, students guessed they would finish a thesis in about 34 days and took about 56.

Big buildings

Sydney's Opera House was due to open in 1963 and opened in 1973.

Home repairs

A kitchen job is priced from the plan, and the old pipes behind the wall are found later.

The catch

Not every moved date is a bad guess. A studio can also move a game on purpose, away from a busy month, and Sony has not said which is true of God of War Laufey.

And the whole of it

Players, shops, staff and lenders all plan around a date that one team worked out from inside its own game. None of them can see how much work is left, and often the team cannot either.
The truth
- Some of the bad score is his own rule: a studio folded into its owner counts as decline. [10] Without those cases, 60.8% falls to 51.6%. [10]
- Independent studios look safer, with 2% closed against 12.6%, but that 2% is one studio out of 50. [10]
Good news
- Nintendo has bought 6 game studios in 24 years and has closed none of them.

05
GTA 6 pre-orders pass $750 million, one firm says
What happened
- Sensor Tower, a firm that estimates game sales, puts GTA 6 at 7.71 million pre-orders, 2 weeks before launch. [21]
- It says those are worth about $751 million. [22] GTA 5 made $800 million in its first 24 hours. [22]
- About 74% are on PlayStation 5 and 26% on Xbox: 5.74 million against 1.97 million. [21]
- The game comes out on 19 November, from Rockstar, which is owned by Take-Two. [22]
- A poll by the financial firm Piper Sandler found 90% of 9,000 teenagers intend to play GTA Online. [23] Rockstar has announced no online mode for GTA 6. [23]
Why it matters

Anything below 45 million may disappoint Take-Two's investors, Kotaku says, even though the launch would still be huge. [24]

How it works

Economists call it versioning: one product at several prices, so keener buyers pay more, here $80 or $100. [22]
IGN puts the high early money down to the $100 version. [22] In August Take-Two's boss said the keenest players were the ones pre-ordering. [22]

Seen it before

Front-row seats at a concert cost more, and the band plays the same songs to everyone.
The truth
- Why it works on people A figure like $751 million in pre-orders feels like a count, but it is one firm's estimate of a total only Rockstar knows. [25]
- These figures come from one tracking firm, and only Rockstar knows the real number. [25]
- Who gains Sony and Microsoft — Each keeps about 30% of what GTA 6 sells on its console, as a platform fee. [21]
- Nobody knows yet
  How many GTA 6 copies will be sold around launch.
  
  Sensor Tower points to up to 25 million pre-orders, and Piper Sandler to 45 million sales. [21][24] Neither has Rockstar's own numbers.
What comes next

Sensor Tower expects up to 25 million pre-orders by launch. [21] Piper Sandler expects 45 million sales around launch. [24]
06
PS5 sells less, while Sony's games business earns more
What happened
- Sony shipped 2.6 million PlayStation 5s from July to September, taking the total to 97.9 million. [16]
- Revenue in its games arm still rose 9%, to 1.208 trillion yen, on online services and game sales. [26]
- PlayStation Network had 127 million monthly users. [16] Marvel's Wolverine has sold 2.4 million copies. [16]
- Finance chief Lin Tao says the next console is "progressing as scheduled". [9] Sony has secured enough memory for next business year. [9]
Why it matters

Sony says it covered dearer memory through cost cuts and price rises. [9]
Eurogamer reports that the next console's memory and storage alone may cost over $680. [9]

How it works

Economists call that an installed base: people who already own a machine, and keep paying for what runs on it. [26]
Sony says new PS5 sales are "gradually declining". [9] Its growth came from online services and game sales, among 127 million monthly users. [26]

Seen it before

A coffee machine is sold once, and its owner buys pods for it every week.
The truth
- Games profit rose 83%, partly because of a low starting point. [26] A year ago Sony wrote off 31.5 billion yen on its Bungie studio. [26]
- Sony has neither named the next console nor dated it, saying only "at an appropriate time". [9]
07
God of War Laufey moves to May
What happened
- Santa Monica Studio moved God of War Laufey, a PlayStation 5 game, from 16 February to 20 May 2027. [14]
- Santa Monica is Sony's own studio behind the God of War series. [27] This is the first game in it led by Faye, not Kratos. [27]
- The studio says it will use the time for "finishing touches". [27]
Who is involved
- Faye the new lead
- Kratos the old one
How it unfolded
1. 16 Feb the old date
2. 20 May the new date
Why it matters

February 2027 already holds the Fable reboot, Persona 4 Revival and Metro 2039. [27]

How it works

Economists call it strategic timing: a seller gains by picking a date rivals avoid, as Eurogamer says Laufey did. [27]
By moving 3 months, Laufey no longer shares February with those 3 games. [27]

Seen it before

Two friends with birthdays in one week hold their parties on different days, so guests can go to both.

The date set for 16 February moved to 20 May, and Sony's only stated use for the time is finishing touches.
The idea, in story 04: Why big games come out later than their makers promise →
The truth
- The studio gave no reason for the delay; the crowded month is Eurogamer's observation. [27]
- Nobody knows yet
  Why God of War Laufey really moved.
  
  The studio named only finishing touches, and did not say whether a busy February played a part. [27]
08
The Elder Scrolls 6 is reported to aim for 2029
What happened
- Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier says The Elder Scrolls 6 is more than 2 years away. [15] "It's not a prediction," he says. [15]
- Jez Corden of Windows Central says he has heard 2029. [15]
How it unfolded

Bethesda, which Xbox owns, first showed the game in 2018. [28] It named it Sentinel this week, and gave no date. [15]
1. 2018 first teaser
2. This week the title, Sentinel
3. 2029 reported target
Why it matters

If 2029 holds, it comes 11 years after that teaser and 18 after Skyrim, the last game in the series. [15]
Another Xbox-owned studio, Blizzard, has named spring 2029 for Diablo 5 and 2030 for its StarCraft shooter. [28]
Its developers fear for their jobs amid Xbox's reset, GameSpot says. [29]

How it works

Recruiters call it employer branding: making a company's work known so people want to join, as an early reveal can. [29]
GameSpot says showing a game early can be done partly to recruit staff, and calls that common. [29]

Seen it before

A school club puts up its poster months before it starts, so people know to sign up.

Bethesda showed the game in 2018, and a report now puts it 11 years on from that first showing.
The idea, in story 04: Why big games come out later than their makers promise →
The truth
- Bethesda has not confirmed any of this, saying only "it'll be some time" before more news. [15]
- Director Todd Howard has said announcing so early was "not my preference". [29]
09
Tekken's director starts again
What happened
- Katsuhiro Harada, the driving force behind Tekken, said last December he was leaving Bandai Namco. [13] He has since started VS Studio. [13]
- Tekken is a long-running fighting game series. [13] VS Studio is paid for by SNK, a Japanese maker of fighting games with Saudi owners. [13]
Who is involved

Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda has joined him. [13] It began with 10 people, who brought in others they knew. [13]
- Katsuhiro Harada the Tekken director
- VS Studio his new team
Why it matters

He says Japan's usual retirement age of about 60 left him 10 working years. [13]
"We used to release one game a year, but now it can take five years," he says. [13]
He had pictured Tekken reaching about its 15th game by that point in his career. [13]

How it works

Economists call it human capital: skill built over years, which Harada says is why older developers win. [13]
Harada says a team in its 50s beats a younger one at making games, because experience matters. [13]

Seen it before

A cook who has made a dish a thousand times knows what goes wrong before it does.

Katsuhiro Harada pictured about 15 Tekken games by this point in his career, planning from one game a year, and one game can now take 5 years.
The idea, in story 04: Why big games come out later than their makers promise →
The truth
- Harada says SNK promised full freedom, and this interview gives only his side. [13]
Good news
- Everyone who has joined Katsuhiro Harada's new studio is over 45, and he says experience really matters in making games.
10
Most of a game's team cut, a designer says
What happened
- Mob Entertainment makes the Poppy Playtime horror games. [12] A former designer says it cut "almost the entire" Escape From Playtime team. [12]
- The spin-off, a survival game for 2 to 8 players, came out on 21 October. [12]
- A former lead designer shared the news on 4 November and asked for help finding the team work. [12]
- Communications manager Tyler Sanchez says Mob has parted ways with "some talented members" and that work on the game continues. [12]
How it unfolded
1. 21 Oct the game comes out
2. 4 Nov the team is cut
Why it matters

Those who remain must deliver those changes, and the people who built the game are looking for work. [12]
The truth
- "Almost the entire" comes from one former employee, and Mob gives no number and no reason. [12]
- Who pays Escape From Playtime's former team — A former lead designer was asking for work for the whole group on the day it happened. [12]
- Nobody knows yet
  Why Mob Entertainment cut the team, and how many people.
  
  The company gave no number and no reason, and promised more as it can. [12]
What comes next

The company has changed its plans after player feedback, promising better matchmaking and a more varied map. [12]
11
UK regulator bans fake game ads
What happened
- The UK's Advertising Standards Authority, which polices adverts, banned ads from King, Omnilojo, Vistrex and Scopely-backed Loom Games. [30]
- King's Farm Heroes Saga ad showed falling nails and a saw moving toward a cow. [30] None of that is in the game. [30]
- King said the extras were fiction to convey urgency, and pointed to its "Not actual gameplay" label. [30]
- Omnilojo's Dark War Survival ads showed film-like scenes, plus false award badges such as "2026 Survival Game". [30]
- Vistrex's ad showed a 60-second minigame as if it were the whole game. [30]
Why it matters

The regulator says people must be able to make informed choices about the games they download. [30]

How it works

Regulators judge the overall impression: what an ad leaves people believing, whatever its small print says, as King found. [30]
The authority ruled that King's label contradicted the ad and did not explain it. [30]

Seen it before

A menu photo of a huge burger, with "not actual size" in tiny print, works the same way.
The truth
- Who gains People choosing phone games — Ad makers now know a "not actual gameplay" label will not save a false picture in the UK. [30]
12
Steam adds a 5-minute test for new games
What happened
- Valve has tightened the checks game makers must pass before release on Steam, its big PC game store. [31]
- Makers must now run a game through Steam for at least 5 minutes. [31] Valve says some games it received had never been played that way. [31]
- They must also list needed add-ons, such as DirectX, and confirm that achievements and cloud saves work. [32]
How it unfolded

A Reddit user counted 49.9% of October's Steam releases as declaring that they used AI. [32] Valve itself does not mention AI in its post. [33]

Why it matters

Days earlier, Alexander Rehm of rival Epic Games said "keep improving" is no help to small teams facing AI copies. [34]
"It's a tax only the well funded can pay," he wrote. [34]

How it works

Quality engineers call this rework: a job done twice, as when Valve must re-check a failed game. [31]
Valve says much of its delay comes from re-checking games that failed, so it wants them to pass first time. [31]

Seen it before

A teacher who hands back homework with no name on it has to mark that homework twice.
The truth
- Former Valve developer Chet Faliszek called Rehm's post a "dishonest read", noting Epic's own AI push. [34]
13
Mass Effect petition reaches Canada's parliament
What happened
- A petition to save BioWare passed 500 checked Canadian signatures, so it will be put before Canada's House of Commons. [35]
- That means Canada's government must give some official answer. [35] MP Don Davies is sponsoring it. [35]
- It asks the state to give BioWare money to become independent of EA, which closed the Canadian studio last month. [35]
- A separate online petition is about to pass 300,000 names. [36]
Who is involved

BioWare made the Mass Effect games. [36] Co-founder Trent Oster says the campaign makes him want "some of the original band back together". [36]
Why it matters

The petition calls BioWare one of Canada's "most important cultural exports". [35]

How it works

Political scientists call this agenda setting: putting an issue before decision-makers, as this petition does, without deciding it. [35]
The signatures make the government reply, and they cannot make EA sell anything. [35]

Seen it before

A class petition can make the head teacher answer, though not agree.
The truth
- EA still owns BioWare and its games, and Kotaku notes EA has historically not sold either. [35]
Good news
- A petition from Canadians who want BioWare saved passed the 500 signatures that bring an official reply from their government.
14
A studio boss vows never to sell
What happened
- Dave Oshry, head of the small game studio New Blood Interactive, says he will never sell it. [37]
- New Blood is known for fast old-style shooters such as Dusk and Ultrakill, and is 12 years old. [37]
- His plan is to close it himself in about 20 years. [37] "I'm gonna go fishing now," he told PC Gamer. [37]
- He would close it before taking money from a publisher or investor to keep going. [37]
Who is involved
- Dave Oshry New Blood's boss
- New Blood 12 years old
Why it matters

He calls the industry "a machine that requires product and labour". [37]
His view comes in a week when one count says a third of bought studios have closed. [10]

How it works

Business schools call this a lifestyle firm, as Oshry runs New Blood: one run for what its owners want. [37]
New Blood stays small and remote by choice, and Oshry says he would not look for publisher or investor money. [37]

Seen it before

A family cafe can close on Mondays because no head office tells it otherwise.
The truth
- This is a promise about a future he has not reached, and New Blood is still going well. [37]
15
WoW: Forever launches without the usual crash
What happened
- World of Warcraft: Forever, a new version of Blizzard's online game, has opened with far less trouble than players feared. [38]
- GameSpot says that after about 30 minutes of queues the launch ran smoothly. [38]
- Blizzard says the game runs on 251,136GB of memory. [39]
- Anyone with a WoW subscription or a friend's code can now play. [39]
How it unfolded

Past launches of its older versions saw hours-long queues, so players expected worse. [38]

Why it matters

Most players who expected long queues got in, and starting areas are crowded but playable. [38]

How it works

Engineers call it load balancing: spreading users across machines, as Forever does, so none is swamped. [38]
Old WoW servers held 3,000 to 10,000 players each. [38] Forever puts everyone on one ruleset into one linked mass of servers. [38]

Seen it before

A shop with one queue feeding every till moves faster than a separate queue for each.
The truth
- IGN's live blog also lists payment trouble, AMD graphics crashes and people stuck at a menu an hour in. [39]
16
Zelda remake is 2026's top-rated game
What happened
- Nintendo's remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time came out on Thursday for the Switch 2. [8]
- It scores 96 on Metacritic, which averages reviews, after 42 of them. [40] That makes it the year's highest-rated game. [40]
- The 1998 original still holds 99. [40]
Who is involved

Some of the younger makers had never played the original, and producer Hidemaro Fujibayashi says they looked for "elegance". [41]
How it unfolded

Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma worked on both. [41] He says one person once designed the backgrounds, and that could not happen now. [41]

Why it matters

Console sales are down 41%, and analyst Serkan Toto calls this Nintendo's only real blockbuster this year. [8]

How it works

Hiring experts call it a blind audition, as Nintendo held: judges hear a voice and do not know whose. [42]
Nintendo chose the voices closest to the 1998 game. [42] One turned out to be the same actor, 28 years on. [42]

Seen it before

In a taste test with the labels covered, people may pick the brand they usually say they dislike.
The truth
- Nintendo has not named the actor; Eurogamer points to fans' guess and leaked credits for Kaori Mizuhashi as Navi. [42]
17
A flopped demo becomes a hit shop game
What happened
- Probably Stolen, a game about running a shop on a space station, drew over 162,000 players at once on Steam. [43]
- It began as Deepspace Emporium, whose demo peaked at 28 players at once, says publisher tinyBuild's boss, Alex Nichiporchik. [43]
- Players haggle over goods, some of them illegal, while a changing market decides whether the rent gets paid. [43]
How it unfolded

TinyBuild worked with the developers, Questing Goose, to change the art and focus on what worked. [43]

Why it matters

TinyBuild backed the game after that weak demo, when it seemed doomed to fizzle out. [43]

How it works

Marketers call it repositioning, as tinyBuild did here: keeping the product and changing how people see it. [43]
RPS says the two games are very similar in broad strokes: the same haggling under a cyberpunk look. [43]

Seen it before

A cafe that repaints, renames itself and keeps the same menu can suddenly fill up.
The truth
- The rescue story is told by tinyBuild's boss. [43] RPS says it is almost certainly more complicated than he makes it sound. [43]
Good news
- The team behind a demo that 28 people played at once now has what RPS calls a chart-topper. [43]
18
Phantom Blade Zero sells beyond China
What happened
- Alinea Analytics, a sales tracker, says 55% of Phantom Blade Zero's money came from outside China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. [44]
- That is about $123 million across Steam and PlayStation, it estimates. [44]
How it unfolded

The game is an action game by S-Game, a Chinese studio. [44] When Steam pre-orders opened in August, China gave nearly 70% of its Steam money. [44]

Why it matters

Alinea's Rhys Elliott says good reviews were the turning point for players elsewhere. [44]
Even with those 3 places left out, it ranks in the top 20 new games of 2026 by money. [44]

How it works

Marketers call early home buyers a beachhead, as China was here: a first group who buy before others. [44]
China committed almost sight unseen, Alinea says, and reviews then gave others a reason to buy. [44]

Seen it before

A local band's neighbours buy tickets first, and strangers come once the reviews are good.
The truth
- All of these numbers are Alinea's estimates, not figures from S-Game. [44]
19
Fortnite Crew pays more for staying
What happened
- Epic Games will raise the V-Bucks, Fortnite's in-game money, in its monthly Crew subscription from 5 December. [45]
- The base goes from 800 back to 1,000 a month, and the subscription itself costs no more. [45]
- Long-stayers get more: 1,200 after 3 months, 1,400 after 6 and 1,600 after 12. [45]
Why it matters

But after December, Crew members stop getting a monthly skin, an outfit for their character. [45]
Those skins were sold nowhere else, and GamesRadar calls them an enormous reason to subscribe. [45]

How it works

Economists call it a switching cost, as with these levels: something you lose if you leave. [45]
The extra V-Bucks depend on consecutive months, so a break in paying can cost a player their level. [45]

Seen it before

A coffee card with 9 stamps of 10 keeps you going back to the same shop.
20
Tripwire offers to help small game makers
What happened
- Tripwire Interactive, maker of Killing Floor, is widening its publishing arm to help small self-published games. [46]
- It will help with promotion, platform contacts, pricing, press and events, at any stage of a game's life. [46]
- The first 5 games include The Boss Gangster and Mars Attracts, a park management game. [46]
Who is involved

Tripwire is owned by Embracer, a big games group. [47]
Why it matters

Tripwire says the aim is to reach more players while "the developers who created them benefit the most". [46]

How it works

Economists call it a search cost: the effort of finding a game among too many, which Tripwire offers to cut. [46]
Tripwire says it will show these games to its own fans, who it expects will love them. [46]

Seen it before

A bookshop's staff-picks table sells books that would sit unseen on the shelves.
The truth
- Tripwire calls the deals "dev-friendly" but did not disclose the terms. [46]
21
Physical games: a share that depends on the count
What happened
- Research firm Newzoo asked just over 6,000 regular players in 6 countries how they got their games. [17]
- Physical copies made up 11% of all the games they played. [17] They were 30.4% of the paid-for console games. [17]
- Of the games they played, 38% were free-to-play, 43% owned and 19% through a subscription. [17]
- The top reasons to buy a physical copy were playing without a stable connection and wanting to own something. [17]
How it unfolded

The survey ran in August, after Sony said it would stop making discs from January 2028. [17]
1. Earlier Sony says discs will end
2. August Newzoo asks players
Why it matters

The report says older players are likelier than others to play games from physical copies. [17]

How it works

Statisticians call it the denominator: the group a share is divided by, which changes this survey's answer. [17]
Count all games and the physical share is 11%, and count only paid console games and it is 30.4%. [17]

Seen it before

Half the class passing sounds different from half of those who took the test.
The truth
- The survey was "supported" by a company called G2A. [17] It counts only people who played a big paid game in the last year. [17]
22
Guild Wars gets its first big update since 2007
What happened
- ArenaNet will release Afterlife, the first major update in nearly 20 years for its older online game, Guild Wars. [48]
- It adds a dungeon that changes after each run, and a new region called Xotecha. [48]
- It arrives on 13 January for PC and phones, priced at $29.99. [48]
How it unfolded

The last big addition was Eye of the North in August 2007. [48] ArenaNet then moved on to Guild Wars 2, leaving the old servers running. [48]
1. August 2007 the last big addition
2. Late last year Guild Wars Reforged
3. 13 January Afterlife
Why it matters

Eurogamer says Reforged and an April dungeon have already drawn new and returning players back. [48]

How it works

Marketers call it extending a product's life, as ArenaNet is doing: giving an old game a new reason to sell. [48]
ArenaNet first released an improved version, Reforged, then a new dungeon, then this paid update. [48]

Seen it before

A band re-releases an old album, tours it, then adds new songs.
Good news
- Servers left running since 2007 are now getting a new region and a new story. [48]
23
Stardew Valley's biggest update set for 2027
What happened
- Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, says its next update, 1.7, should come in 2027. [49]
- Stardew Valley is a farming game. [49] Barone says 1.7 is "looking to be the largest Stardew Valley update ever". [49]
- He said so on stage at the Red Rocks concert ending the game's music tour. [49]
- It lets players marry 2 more characters, Sandy and Clint. [49]
Why it matters

He is working on this old hit while also making a new game, which Kotaku says is larger. [49]
The truth
- Much of what is in the update is still under wraps, and 2027 is "likely", not a date. [49]
24
Xbox tests phone and Wi-Fi control for cloud games
What happened
- Microsoft is testing 2 new ways to control Xbox Cloud Gaming, which runs games on distant servers. [50]
- A phone can now act as the controller on a smart TV, outside the US. [50]
- In the US, the Xbox Nano controller can connect straight to the cloud server over Wi-Fi. [50]
Who is involved
- Xbox Nano controller
- Cloud server runs the game
Why it matters

The phone option means people can stream games on a smart TV without a Bluetooth controller. [50]

How it works

Engineers call it latency, which this aims to cut: the delay between pressing a button and seeing the result. [50]
Wi-Fi straight to the server skips the Bluetooth step to the TV. [50] Microsoft says that can reduce the delay. [50]

Seen it before

A message told directly arrives faster than one passed through a friend.
The truth
- Both are tests, and Microsoft says availability and supported games may be limited. [50]
25
A game composer loses; an anime one wins
What happened
- Marty O'Donnell, who wrote the music for Halo and Destiny, lost his run for the US House in Nevada. [51]
- He had 38.6% of the vote against 59.1% for Democrat Susie Lee, with about 86% counted. [51]
- In Texas, Democrat Nathan Johnson was elected attorney general, the first from his party since 1994. [53]
Who is involved

Johnson scored 67 episodes of the English Dragon Ball Z. [53]
- Marty O'Donnell Halo composer; lost
- Nathan Johnson Dragon Ball Z composer; won
How it unfolded

He ran as a Republican. [51] He came fourth in that party's 2024 primary there, and had US President Trump's backing this time. [52]
1. 2024 Fourth in the primary
2. This week Loses the seat race
Why it matters

Sites that cover games and anime ran these results, leading with the men's music and not their politics. [53]

How it works

Translators call it localisation, as Funimation did here: changing a show for a new market, not only its words. [53]
Funimation, which made the English version, thought constant music would hold US children's attention, so it replaced the Japanese score. [53]

Seen it before

A film trailer for one country can use different songs from the trailer for another.
26
Spider-Man hides a TV slump at Sony
What happened
- Sony Pictures' TV production revenue fell 31% to $483 million from July to September, from $701 million a year earlier. [54]
- Its channels and streaming, which include the Crunchyroll anime service, fell 2% to $896 million. [54]
- Sony's cinema revenue reached $1.28 billion, 11 times the year before, mostly on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. [26]
Who is involved

Crunchyroll is Sony's anime streaming service. [54] Finance chief Lin Tao names it among the platforms giving Sony "stable growth". [55]
Why it matters

THR says the film profits covered up big drops elsewhere at the studio. [54]

How it works

Economists call film hit-driven, as here: one title, Spider-Man, can swing a whole year's numbers. [54]
Operating profit at Sony Pictures was $581 million, mostly from one film. [26]

Seen it before

A school fair's one big raffle prize can make the whole day look good, even if the stalls sold little.
The truth
- TheWrap prints the TV fall as 45%, and Variety and THR print 31%. [56] From $701 million to $483 million is 31%. [54]
- Nobody knows yet
  How far PS5 shipments really fell.
  
  Gematsu says 0.9 million below a year earlier, which means 3.5 million. [16] Variety gives the year-earlier figure as 4 million, and THR as 4.09 million. [26][54]
What comes next

Next quarter looks harder, THR says, after 2 flops, though Jumanji: Open World opens on Christmas Day. [54]
27
Pixar gets a new president
What happened
- Jim Morris steps down as president of Pixar on 4 January 2027, after 12 of his 21 years there. [57]
- Jonathan Garson, at Disney for over 30 years and lately Pixar's general manager, will run Pixar's production and operations. [58]
Who is involved

Pixar is Disney's animation studio behind Toy Story and Inside Out. [58] Pete Docter stays as its creative chief. [58]
- Jonathan Garson the new president
- Jim Morris moves to emeritus
How it unfolded

Pixar's films under him took over $12 billion at cinemas worldwide. [57]

Why it matters

Garson takes over Pixar's production and staff while Disney is making massive cuts across its workforce. [58]

How it works

Managers call it succession planning, which Disney says this is: choosing a replacement before someone leaves. [57]
Disney's film chief, Alan Bergman, says the change "will ensure a smooth succession" before Morris retires. [57]

Seen it before

A head teacher may stay on as an adviser for a year after the new one takes over.
The truth
- Deadline says it understands this was always planned and is not part of Disney's buyouts. [58] Nobody is named saying so. [58]
What comes next

Morris stays as producer of Incredibles 3, due 16 June 2028, and will mentor staff. [58]
28
8 more executives leave Skydance
What happened
- Skydance, formed when Paramount took over Warner Bros Discovery, is losing 8 senior executives from its TV sales team. [59]
- The merger closed on 6 October. [59] The memo came from Ray Hopkins, its distribution president. [60]
- This team sells channels and streaming services to cable firms and device makers. [59]
Why it matters

Paramount+ dramas may also move to HBO, Deadline hears, though no decision has been made. [61]
Skydance owes almost $80 billion after the $110 billion deal, so it needs more cash from those partners. [60]
It wants $6 billion a year in cost savings. [59] Variety says mass layoffs are expected by the end of the year. [59]

How it works

Lawyers call this a consent decree: a court-approved deal to settle a case, with binding rules. [60]
Under one with US state attorneys general, Skydance must sell Paramount and Warner channels as if run separately. [60]

Seen it before

Two shops that merge could be told to keep quoting separate prices, so buyers keep a choice.
The truth
- Who pays Cable and device firms that carry Skydance's channels — Deadline says Skydance must wring as much cash as it can from its partners to cut its debt. [60]
29
The Pitt must face Crichton's widow in court
What happened
- A California appeals court ruled on Wednesday that a suit over The Pitt, HBO Max's hospital hit, can go ahead. [62]
- Michael Crichton's widow, Sherri Crichton, sued in August 2024. [62] She says the show breaks his contract because it is really a version of ER. [62]
- The court dropped claims against star Noah Wyle and producers John Wells and R Scott Gemmill. [63]
- The court named the emergency room, the fast pace and the young doctor as "clear and numerous similarities". [62]
Who is involved
- Sherri Crichton suing
- Warner Bros. Television defending
How it unfolded
1. August 2024 the suit is filed
2. This week the appeal is lost
3. Next summer a trial, at the earliest
Why it matters

Season 3 of The Pitt arrives in January 2027, with the case still running. [63]
Crichton says the case "affects writers, creators and their families and estates". [63]

How it works

Contract lawyers call it a frozen right: the studio may not make a spin-off or reboot without the creator's approval. [62]
She says the makers wanted to reboot ER, failed to get her permission, and changed course. [62]

Seen it before

A friend who lends you a recipe on condition you ask first may object to your "new" cake.
The truth
- The ruling says only that she has enough to proceed. [62] A jury could still decide whether it derives from ER. [62]
- Who gains Sherri Crichton — The ruling keeps her case alive and opens Warner Bros. to giving up evidence. [63]
What comes next

Warner Bros, now part of Skydance, faces a possible jury trial as early as next summer. [63]
30
UK orders a closer look at the Sky-ITV deal
What happened
- UK minister Lisa Nandy has asked 2 regulators, Ofcom and the CMA, to examine Sky's 1.6 billion pound ITV deal. [64]
Who is involved

Sky is the UK's big pay-TV company. [64] ITV is the UK's oldest commercial broadcaster. [64]
- Sky pay-TV
- ITV free-to-air
How it unfolded

She went further than with the Paramount-Warner deal, which she waved through. [64]
1. 27 January the two reports are due
2. Then she decides on an inquiry
Why it matters

She will also propose a law so that the test of a wide choice of programmes covers streaming. [64]

How it works

Media scholars call the idea plurality: enough separate owners that no one voice controls the news. [64]
Her concerns include "a sufficient plurality of views in news media". [64] The merger would leave one owner where there were 2. [64]

Seen it before

If one family owned every shop on a street, it could decide what the whole street can buy.

What comes next

The two regulators must report by 27 January. [64] She then decides whether to send it for a deeper inquiry. [64]
31
Hollywood's tax credit after the US vote
What happened
- A bill would give a 20% US federal tax credit on some film labour costs. [65] It is Hollywood's top request. [66]
- It has backers in both US parties, including Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Tim Scott. [65]
- Variety says Tuesday's vote probably does not help its momentum, and that US Republicans now have other worries. [66]
- Before the vote, US President Trump told a rally he would "probably do it", then asked whether he should. [66]
Who is involved
- Adam Schiff Democrat
- Tim Scott Republican
Why it matters

Supporters say it would bring film jobs back to the US. [65]

How it works

Economists call this tax competition: places offer tax breaks to draw work, as this bill would for the US. [65]
The credit would pay back 20% of certain labour costs, so filming in the US would cost less. [65]

Seen it before

Two shops next door keep cutting prices to win the same customer.
The truth
- Variety says US House Democrats may wait for the next Congress. [66] It names nobody saying so. [66]
32
Godzilla Minus Zero breaks Japan's opening record
What happened
- Godzilla Minus Zero sold 590,000 tickets for 910 million yen on its first day in Japan, Toho says. [67]
- That is the biggest opening day ever for a live-action film there, and 201% above Godzilla Minus One. [67]
- It opened in Japan on 3 November and reaches North America on 6 November. [67] No Japanese Godzilla has opened in both in one week before. [67]
How it unfolded
1. 3 Nov Japan
2. 6 Nov North America
Why it matters

That would make it just the fourth non-English film to top the US weekend chart. [68]
It opens the same week in Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. [67]

How it works

Economists call it vertical integration, as Toho has done: a company owning the next step in the chain. [67]
Toho bought GKIDS, a film distributor, in October 2024, and the two are releasing this film together. [67]

Seen it before

A baker who buys the shop next door keeps what the shopkeeper used to earn.
The truth
- The US figure is a forecast before release, and TheWrap says it depends on new viewers catching up at home. [68]
What comes next

TheWrap reports a forecast of $30 million to $35 million for its US and Canada opening weekend. [68]
33
Rome's market helps cartoons find the last money
What happened
- MIA, a film and TV market in Rome, ran its first money market for animated series this year. [69]
- It picked 19 projects from 15 countries, out of submissions from 24 countries. [69]
- Its director, Gaia Tridente, says buyers of shows are choosier and that producers need new sources of investment. [69]
Why it matters

The same talks heard there is little European animation for 10 to 14 year olds. [69]
Young people outgrow children's shows, and broadcasters use live-action for teens, which makes those cartoons harder to sell. [69]

How it works

Film financiers call it gap financing, MIA's new market: the last slice of a budget, once most is promised. [69]
Mergers leave fewer big studios to pay, Cartoon Brew says, so most projects there were shared between countries. [69]

Seen it before

Saving for a bike and asking your aunt for the last bit is the same idea.
34
A manga artist asks readers to pay first
What happened
- Manga artist Yayu Murata opens a Kickstarter on 19 November for an English second volume of Across the Strange Edge. [70]
- It seeks 7,000 euros by 17 December, and also funds a deluxe hardcover book of the first 2 volumes. [70]
- If funded, digital and print copies come in May 2027. [70] Rewards include an original art board and prints. [70]
How it unfolded
1. 19 Nov the campaign opens
2. 17 Dec it closes
3. May 2027 books out
Why it matters

English readers decide directly whether volume 2 exists in their language. [70]

How it works

Marketers call it pre-selling, as Murata is doing: taking payment first, so a seller knows there are buyers. [70]
The books come only "if funded", so nothing is printed before the 7,000 euros is there. [70]

Seen it before

A class that collects money before ordering hoodies never gets stuck with unsold ones.
35
Korean comics artist Seung-nam Ha dies at 68
What happened
- Seung-nam Ha, an artist of martial-arts manhwa, or Korean comics, has died at 68. [71]
- He was born in Busan in 1958. [71] His first comic, in 1980, was The King of Baseball Without a Nationality. [71]
- His best-known work, Goltong's Declaration of Departure, began in the newspaper Sports Today in 2001. [71]
- He also worked abroad, for magazines in Taiwan and Japan. [71]
How it unfolded
1. 1958 born in Busan
2. 1980 first comic
3. 2001 Goltong begins
Why it matters

In 2007 he became the first Korean comic artist to join the Japan Cartoonists Association as a full member. [71]
36
Critical Role plays with Hololive's vtubers
What happened
- Critical Role, a group who stream tabletop role-playing games, has made a 6-episode series with Hololive's vtubers. [72]
- The idea came from one of them, Nerissa Ravencroft, a long-time Critical Role fan. [72]
- Shattered Legends premieres on her YouTube channel in mid-November. [72]
Who is involved

Vtubers are performers who appear as animated characters. [72] Hololive is one big group of them. [72]
- Nerissa Ravencroft the fan who pitched it
Why it matters

The show uses Daggerheart, Critical Role's own game, and Ravencroft says it was her first time playing it. [72]

How it works

Marketers call it cross-promotion, as here: two audiences are each shown the other's favourites. [72]
Matt Mercer of Critical Role says it gave him "a deeper understanding and appreciation" of vtubers. [72]

Seen it before

Two football clubs play a friendly so each club's fans come to see the other.
37
Eros starts an AI unit for digital performers
What happened
- Eros Innovation, an AI company from the family behind India's Eros films, has hired Remington Scott to run a unit. [73]
- The unit, Eros Imagination, covers visual effects, AI-assisted films, digital humans and games. [73]
Who is involved

Scott led the motion capture for Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. [73] Motion capture records an actor's moves for a digital character. [73]
- Remington Scott new head
- Eros Imagination the new unit
Why it matters

An early project honours the Indian singer Mohammed Rafi, with an "authorized digital performance", under a deal with his family. [73]

How it works

Lawyers call it publicity rights, as in Eros's deal with the Rafi family: control over a person's voice and face. [73]
Eros signed with the Rafi family first, so it has permission to build the performance. [73]

Seen it before

A school asks a parent before using a pupil's photo in its brochure.
The truth
- Eros has given no budget or date for the Rafi project, and AWN's report comes from the company's own announcement. [73]
38
Wendy's releases a free role-playing game
What happened
- Wendy's, the burger chain, has released a free role-playing game on Steam with the studio 81monkeys. [74]
- In WendyQuest, players are the chain's mascot, fighting beside Baconator, Frygor and Sir Chicken. [74]
How it unfolded

KFC and McDonald's have backed free games with their mascots too. [74]

Why it matters

It sits on the same store as every other PC game, free to anyone who wants to try it. [74]

How it works

Marketers call it an advergame, as WendyQuest is: a game made to advertise something else. [74]
The game costs players nothing, because it exists to promote the chain, Siliconera notes. [74]

Seen it before

A cereal box with a free puzzle on the back works the same way.

Macronix, the chip maker behind Nintendo's Switch cartridges, quits game chips for data-centre memory after record profits

38 stories on this beat today.

Why big games come out later than their makers promise