Historically, the game industry is a cycle of boom and bust, with ten-year trend cycles. We’ve just emerged from the era dominated by creatives and publishers, marked by mergers and consolidation, to a world where platform holders dominate. Some of them, like Apple, are demanding large platform fees for creators, and taking large legal swings at other platforms in the competitive space. In the real world, games are no longer just about play. An entire generation grew up with multiplayer games as a natural place to socialize, hang out and entertain themselves. Player demand is at an all-time high, but companies are scrambling to find new ways to distribute, monetize and reach customers in this landscape.
“The question is, are you ready for that?” asked Joost van Dreunen, entrepreneur and CEO at Aldora, featured speaker during the fifth stop of the GamesBeat Global Tour in Seattle, presented by Xsolla. “What’s the model we’ll be facing as we go?”
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How does the video game industry move forward?
“Given the soft market, the answer, simply put, is that you have to go elsewhere,” van Druenen said. “You have to find other channels where you can entertain, build communities, build audiences, figure out how to reach them and offer them a different entertainment experience than we have before.”
Becoming multi-platform. Large companies, which tend to move slowly, are starting to launch new ways to connect with their players, as the industry starts to think more broadly about what it means to play. Games like Fallout now offer collectibles and trading cards, and both Xbox and Sony are pivoting to a multiplatform publishing model, instead of locking themselves in the traditional distribution channels.
“Is it always successful? Absolutely not. But at least some larger companies are willing to spend their time and money and expose their IP to build this out,” van Druenen added. “When the large platform holders start to think more creatively about different revenue models and different distribution channels, you can set your clock that the industry is shifting. The walled garden model is ending.”
Finding (and charging) your best fans. The ultimate curve model revolves around identifying your whales, your biggest and most loyal fans — and charging them more. Two years ago, the industry was still arguing about a $70 price point for premium games. Nowadays, users happily spend $100 to have the game a week or two earlier, with some exclusive digital assets. Fans want that VIP treatment, the velvet rope and the front seat. Large publishers with premium IPs can command a premium price.
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Identifying new and exciting IP. Another key model is bringing more IP into the gaming space, like Lego has been doing for years, to reach a non-endemic audience and bring them into the fold.
Reaching out to mainstream audiences. Along those same lines, large companies are leaning on traditional advertising as games become more normalized as entertainment for anyone. For instance, Genshin Impact announced $6 billion in revenue and is still partnering with McDonald’s.
Embrace fan content. Finally, these days, customer engagement is more than just booster packs and in-game currency – it’s become about supporting the fanbase in making new content. For instance, The Sims, made by one of the largest independent game makers publicly traded in the U.S., is embracing fan creators now, some of whom have been creating skins and items since the first title.
“Any way you slice it, in my mind it’s always about the audience,” van Druenen said. “We can build any kind of game, any kind of revenue model, any kind of device that is super-fast and beautiful. But it’s the people themselves that will tell you what’s what. It’s giving them some degree of ownership, whether that’s organizing events, whether that’s esports or a competitive thing, a fan event. They’re successful components of a long tail, a decades-long strategy. They are the stewards of the brand and the experience overall.”
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The future of gaming and innovation
Learn more about the future of the game industry at the next stop of the GamesBeat Global Tour, happening in San Francisco on October 28, as part of GamesBeat Next 2024. GamesBeat Next is a premier gathering for game developers, publishers, investors, executives and industry visionaries. Whether you’re an industry veteran or a rising star, this is the event aimed at redefining your gaming journey, so don’t miss your spot — register now!
And on December 12 in Los Angeles, don’t miss the GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood & Games 2024, which will explore the dynamic collaborations between film, music, television and video games. Register here to be part of the conversation.
Sponsored articles are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. For more information, contact sales@venturebeat.com.
‘Hundreds’ of AMD’s fastest CPUs are on sale on eBay with a staggering 70% discount, but why would vendors in China dump these 128-core EPYC processors?
In June 2023, AMD launched its EPYC “Bergamo” 9754 server-grade processor from the EPYC 9004 series, a powerhouse featuring 128 Zen 4c cores and 256 threads, with a base clock speed of 2.25 GHz and a maximum boost clock of up to 3.1 GHz.
At the time of release, the EPYC 9754 had a suggested retail price of $11,900, which is still the listed price on AMD’s website.
Just weeks after its launch, however, we found it selling in the US for well under $9,500 from retailers like Wiredzone and Tech-America, which seemed to be the standard asking price. If you thought you were getting a bargain back then, wait until you see how much you can buy it for now. On eBay, you’ll find the processor listed for just $3,525 – a discount of 70.38% off the official price.
Buyer beware
There are several listings for the “brand new” processor on eBay, and while the main ones are priced at $3,525, it’s available for a few dollars more from other sellers. All of the listings have one thing in common – the processors are coming from China with free international shipping.
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For your money, you’ll get the processor without a box, although in some listings you can request the original packaging if needed. So, where are these processors coming from, and why are they being sold so cheaply? We reached out to a few eBay sellers but (unsurprisingly) haven’t heard back yet.
The obvious answer is likely going to be due to a variety of factors, such as gray market sourcing, surplus inventory, or sellers attempting to offload stock quickly. If you’re tempted to put in an order for a cut-price EPYC 9754, be warned that purchasing from these sources may come with risks like limited or non-existent warranties, potential counterfeiting, and (of course) little-to-no support.
The EPYC 9754 boasts 256MB of L3 cache, a default TDP of 360W, and supports a configurable TDP (cTDP) range between 320W and 400W.
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The CPU is designed for SP5 sockets and supports both single- and dual-socket configurations, making it ideal for high-performance server applications. Aimed at cloud-native workloads, AMD stated at launch that it would deliver performance gains of up to 160% compared to its closest competitor.
The sci-fi selection on Netflix is getting even thinner, as Starship Troopers, Star Trek Beyond, andEdge of Tomorroware all leaving by the end of October. Some of the replacements are Elysium and A Quiet Place Part II, both of which are very good movies. Having said that, Netflix really needs to beef up its available titles for science-fiction lovers, because we shouldn’t have to go on a scavenger hunt through the algorithm just to find worthy additions.
Keep reading for the rest of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix. We’ll always update the list every month to reflect the latest additions and subtractions from Netflix’s lineup. Hopefully, we’ll have a wider selection in November.
Apple products are usually among the most reliable on the market. However, that doesn’t exempt them from occasional problems, which in some cases can be serious. Fans of the brand have been able to test the iPhone 16 series since September, discovering new features and improvements, but also bugs. According to reports, some iPhone 16 Pro units are suddenly freezing and restarting with no apparent explanation.
A few days after the release of the iPhone 16 lineup, complaints about the problem flooded social platforms and support forums. Most of the reports about restarts and freezes come from owners of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models, so those variants would be more prone to manifest them. Not all users experience the issue, but the number of complaints about it is enough to draw attention.
A bug is causing freezes and reboots on some iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max devices
Affected people claim that the screen of their iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max suddenly stops responding to touches. Soon after, the device will automatically reboot itself. There are also cases where phones suddenly reboot when in standby mode. The bug is present on iPhone 16 Pro models running iOS 18/iOS 18.0.1 stable and iOS 18.1 beta. So, it doesn’t seem to be the same case of the battery drain issue affecting more generations of iPhones where iOS 18 seems to be the cause.
The fact that the bug is only present on some units, regardless of their software version, may raise concerns about potential hardware-related issues. Anyway, there is nothing confirmed about it yet. Some of the affected customers claim to have managed to get a replacement device after resorting to their warranty. Sadly, in some cases, the issue was still present even on the replacement units.
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Also, not all affected phones are experiencing the issue in the same way. There are cases where the freezes and reboots are sporadic, while there are others where they happen up to 20 times a day.
There’s a workaround that could help
Some reports suggest that a factory reset without restoring your backup helps resolve things. This suggests that a potential bug during the restoration of iCloud backups could be the cause of the frustrating situation. However, the workaround will make the setup process for your new device more tedious.
There is still no official word from Apple regarding the cases of iPhone 16 models freezing and restarting. Hopefully it won’t take long for updates to emerge regarding the problem.
Amazon has given its basic Fire TV Stick what seems to be a rebranding and has even shaved off a few dollars from its pricing. When you visit its old listing on the website, you’ll see a note that says “There’s a newer model of this product,” which links to the new Fire TV Stick HD. We call it a “rebranding,” since its specs seem pretty much identical to the company’s old basic streamer. It can stream in full HD resolution, comes with HDR support and ships with an Alexa-powered remote control. You can press the Alexa button on its remote to search for shows and launch apps with just a voice command.
The device can run the most popular streaming apps, like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Peacock, and its remote comes with special buttons for Netflix and Prime Video. Unlike the old version that set you back $40, though, the new Fire TV Stick HD has a base price of $35. That’s only $5 more than the version that ships with a “lite” remote that has few buttons for control. If you want a streamer that’s capable of handing 4K shows and movies, though, this isn’t the model to go for. Amazon has several options to choose from, namely the Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max with 16GB of storage and the Fire TV Cube that offers hands-free streaming with its built-in mic and speakers.
The games industry’s economic struggles are not exactly an unknown — by now, it’s been over a year since the layoffs, studio closures and game cancellations began in earnest. Somewhere in the midst of this, game companies have become somewhat more transparent about the goings-on behind the scenes. And recently, that’s taken the form of admitting when they’ve simply run out of money. Surgent Studios revealed today it’s put its staff on notice as it’s having trouble securing a publisher for its next game. This is after it’s already had a round of layoffs following the underperformance of Tales of Kenzera: ZAU.
Surgent is not the only studio that has gotten frank about its inability to secure stable funding. Earlier this month, Orphan Age developer Studio Black Flag revealed its deal with its publisher fell through, and the French government shut it down when its funding disappeared. It called itself “another casualty of the current downturn in the video game industry.” Similarly, Italic Pig, developers of Paleo Pines, said in a social media statement that it couldn’t find a production partner for its next game, and said the whole indie gaming scene was facing “a sudden drying up of publishing and investment opportunities.”
I feel that the first instance of a game company being so honest was last September, when Pieces Interactive delayed Alone in the Dark and flat-out admitted that it didn’t want to release the game in the already over-crowded month of October: “Horror games thrive on the eerie embrace of solitude, something that is impossible to achieve in a gaming month as busy as October.” But being honest about the reasons behind delays is one thing — being honest about money troubles is another level of sincerity.
In personal news, I’m ready to get properly spooky this season with the release of A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, which reminds me of Alien: Isolation in the best way. I’m not sure I’m up for replaying Until Dawn again — keeping those shrieking brats alive for one playthrough was difficult enough — but if I need a palate cleanser, Piranha Games just dropped MechWarrior 5: Clans. And if nothing else, there’s always the new Mario Party title, Super Mario Party Jamboree.
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What to play this week
What’s new:
Super Mario Party Jamboree
MechWarrior 5: Clans
A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead
Neva
Just Dance 2025 Edition
Unknown 9: Awakening
Drove – Forsaken Kin
New World: Aeternum
Killing Time: Resurrected
RetroRealms: Ash vs. Evil Dead
RetroRealms: Halloween
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed
Arsene Lupin: Once a Thief
New on subscription services:
South Park: The Fractured but Whole (Xbox Game Pass)
Donut County (Xbox Game Pass)
Dead Island 2 (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Two Point Campus (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Gris (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Return to Monkey Island (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Firefighting Simulator The Squad (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Overpass 2 (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Tour de France 2023 (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (PlayStation Plus Extra+Premium)
The Last Clockwinder (PlayStation Plus Premium)
Dino Crisis (PlayStation Plus Premium)
Siren (PlayStation Plus Premium)
R-Type Dimensions EX (PlayStation Plus Premium)
Mystery Box: Hidden Secrets (Prime Gaming)
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness (Prime Gaming)
Through the Darkest of Times (Prime Gaming)
Killing Floor 2 (Prime Gaming)
Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol (Prime Gaming)
Assassin’s Creed Mirage (GeForce Now)
Artisan TD (GeForce Now)
ASKA (GeForce Now)
Dungeon Tycoon (GeForce Now)
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions (GeForce Now)
Star Trucker (GeForce Now)
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What if I told you the Meta Quest 3S is in some ways just a more powerful Quest 2 with color passthrough? “Yes, of course it is,” someone who’s read our coverage might say, but iFixit shows just how true that is in the teardown video it published today.
The first hint of that is the headset’s Fresnel lenses, which iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari writes in a blog post are “100% compatible” with those used by the Quest 2. The headset has the older headset’s IPD adjustment mechanism, as well; and it shares the same single LCD panel, rather than using one panel per eye, like the Meta Quest 3.
This is what sits behind the faceplate of the Quest 3S.Screenshot: YouTube
Legacy parts aside, iFixit found that the 3S uses two IR sensors for depth mapping instead of a single depth sensor. That “rare iterative improvement over the Quest 3” performed “exceptionally well in unlit spaces,” Mokhtari writes in the blog. And of course, it uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 SoC as the Quest 3, and works with Meta’s newer Touch Plus controllers, which are sold separately.
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As iFixit notes, none of this should be considered a bad thing. The changes make the headset cheaper — the Quest 3S costs $299.99, while the Quest 3 is $499.99. It also means that if those reused parts break, it’s not hard to find replacements for them, since the Quest 2 has already been around for four years.
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