Today's newsletter focuses on the decline in hardware sales and the increase in software sales across all three console providers. Also covered are the winners of the SAE Awards 2026 and a new dashboard from the US trade association ESA, which illustrates the industry's state-level impact.
The latest quarterly reports, dear readers,
from the three major console manufacturers paint a remarkably consistent picture of the market: while the hardware business is struggling, monetisation through software and services is doing well. At first glance, the hardware figures are disheartening: Sony has sold 35% fewer PS5 consoles than last year; Nintendo's sales have fallen by 41%, following a strong post-launch quarter for the Switch 2 last year; and Microsoft has recorded a 14% drop in revenue from Xbox hardware, although the company stopped disclosing specific sales figures a while ago. Consumers are primarily hesitating due to the high price levels, which are driven by the ongoing memory crisis and expensive components. Nevertheless, the existing installed base continues to spend money very willingly on content. Although individual first-party flagship titles such as Wolverine, Star Fox and Halo: Campaign Evolved have recently underperformed, strong digital sales and services are offsetting the dip in hardware sales. The key question for the upcoming holiday season is whether blockbuster titles such as GTA VI, Gears of War: E-Day or the Ocarina of Time remake can overcome the price barrier for consoles. The figures clearly show that people are playing a lot, but customers are thinking carefully about whether they need new hardware and are reluctant to pay higher prices. Strong software could ultimately provide the decisive selling point here.
Yours Marcel Kleffmann
With the aim, above all, of making the achievements of the US games industry transparent to policymakers, the US trade association ESA has launched its new dashboard, which illustrates the industry’s impact right down to state level.
(Read more...)
by Stephan Steininger
The SAE Institute is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and has presented the SAE Awards 2026 for media productions created by students and alumni from around the world.
(Read more...)
by Marcel Kleffmann
In October, two successful PC projects – BeamNG.drive and Enshrouded – launched on PlayStation, and did so with great success. Both made it into the top 20 of the PS Store charts in North America and Europe, with one even beating EA Sports FC 27.
(Read more...)
by Stephan Steininger
In the first half of the current financial year, Nintendo sold fewer consoles than in the previous year. However, operating profit has increased thanks to consistent software sales. The company is maintaining its prior outlook.
(Read more...)
Despite declining PS5 console sales and mediocre performance of Marvel's Wolverine, Sony's Game & Network Services segment (PlayStation) continues to perform so well that the company has revised its business forecast upwards.
(Read more...)
Following a sold-out first year, the Slow Game Club is back in 2027 with twelve hand-picked indie games, one a month, and a new theme celebrating "stories that only games could tell". 100% of the proceeds will go to charity.
(Read more...)
Tripwire Presents, the publishing division of Tripwire Interactive, is expanding its business to offer scaled publishing support for games from smaller independent developers.
(Read more...)
With huge billboard ads at Tokyo's Shibuya Scramble, Rockstar is aiming to insure the success of Grand Theft Auto VI in Japan.
(Read more...)
Marcel Kleffmann
05.11. - 08.11.2026: Games Ground (Berlin)
07.11. - 08.11.2026: AdventureX (London)
10.11. - 11.11.2026: MIGS - Montréal International Game Summit (Montréal) 04.11.2026: Invest in Games (Stockholm)
12.11. - 13.11.2026: The Games Forum Roma (Roma)
14.11. - 22.11.2026: Dutch Games Week (Breda)
17.11. - 18.11.2026: DevGamm Lisbon (Lisbon)
18.11.2026: DevGamm Awards (Lisbon)
18.11. - 21.11.2026: Play26 Festival (Hamburg)
21.11.2026: Card Galaxy Europe (Heidelberg)
21.11. - 22.11.2026: VIECC - Vienna Comic Con (Vienna)
26.11.2026: The Pre-Show (London)
27.11. - 29.11.2026: Milan Games Week (Milan)
28.11. - 29.11.2026: Be A Hero Gaming Zone at CCON | Comic Con Stuttgart (Stuttgart)
Find more events in our GamesMarket calendar.
