Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
Why game discs need a huge download
Some game discs function more like licenses than complete games: they may contain outdated files, while a large download supplies the rest.
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Mobile releases account for more than half of global revenue
More than half of global gaming revenue comes from mobile releases, with casual phone games bringing in more than big-budget graphical titles.
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Prima's strategy-guide business moved from the bookshelf to the browser
The publisher faced closure after decades of printed guides, but a new owner kept the brand operating online in 2019. Players still needed help; the place…
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Ferrari created a racing team for drivers behind screens
In 2019, Ferrari established an esports team within its Driver Academy to compete in the F1 esports series. Virtual racing became an official branch of a…
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Why packed esports stadiums can still lose money
A packed arena and millions of viewers don't guarantee enough revenue: some competitive esports scenes still burn through venture capital while operating at a…
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Twitch was acquired by Amazon for just under one billion
The deal gave Amazon a livestreaming platform whose millions of viewers watched streamers play and chat live.
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Spider-Man sold 3.3 million PS4 copies in its first three days
The 2018 game gave players an original story and an open-world New York to swing through. Its opening demonstrated how a superhero could draw a huge paying…
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Corporate product placement actively costs massive millions
A prominently placed energy drink in a game cutscene can be a paid brand sponsorship, not an incidental prop.
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Batman Arkham Asylum holds records for highest rated title
It helped overturn the reputation of comic-book games as disposable tie-ins, showing that a licensed adaptation could be critically acclaimed.
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Why investors are hoarding old game cartridges
Some investors see old cartridges as assets to resell for profit, storing them in climate-controlled vaults. Their speculation has turned a casual hobby into…
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Disney Infinity plastic figures generated over one billion
The toy-to-life game used physical figures to unlock digital content, giving players a reason to buy toys even when they already owned the game disc.
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Better digital services can beat piracy
When digital stores are more convenient, consumers may choose to pay rather than download illegally. Piracy can reflect poor access, not just an unwillingness…
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When marketing costs more than making the product
Publishers sometimes spend more promoting a release than creating it, betting that a big campaign can matter more to sales than the product itself.
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PewDiePie built a media empire strictly off playing on camera
His dramatic reactions to independent games became the draw, showing how on-camera play could attract an audience without traditional high production.
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Nearly half of gaming's money was on phones
Newzoo's 2023 market report projected about $90.5 billion in mobile-game spending, or 49% of the global games market. That was almost as much as consoles and…
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Skylanders practically pioneered the lucrative toys to life
Players placed a physical figure on a portal to bring it into the game, making toys part of the gameplay. Kids could end up needing a pile of figures to…
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Subscription services for online access generate massive cash
Some hardware makers require a monthly subscription for online play, making access to friends’ games a recurring expense.
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Why Porsche vanished from rival racing games
A licensing agreement kept competing racing-game publishers from including Porsche models for nearly two decades, until they were allowed to render the cars.
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Tony Hawk refused $500,000 to keep his game royalties
He recalled Activision offering a buyout of future royalties when his finances had finally become comfortable enough to take a risk. Hawk kept the ongoing…
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Angry Birds became a global hit on a tiny budget
A small studio built the game around a simple physics mechanic, and it dominated pop culture for a decade.
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Epic's free games are a way to build your next shopping habit
Giveaways bring people into the store and add titles to their libraries. Returning to claim another game creates another encounter with the storefront, its…
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Tomb Raider once used real-life models
Early Tomb Raider promotions used real-life models to pose as Lara Croft, bringing the low-polygon heroine to life off-screen.
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Last of Us television series swept award shows entirely
The adaptation stayed close to the game’s acclaimed story, showing that a TV version didn’t have to discard the narrative that made the original a hit.
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Google Stadia was unceremoniously completely shut down
Google’s streaming service was an ambitious attempt to change how people played, but the company eventually abandoned it.
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