This Week in Videogames

Bonus Hit Points - The Lure of Subnautica 2's Car Crash Energy The veil of secrecy that usually surrounds the games industry means we can't resist catching a glimpse of the Subnautica 2 situation.

Why is the Subnautica 2 feud so fascinating? Probably because the games industry is so strangely shrouded in secrecy, reasons Nathan Brown.

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/bonu... [PAYWALLED]

Nintendo Raises US Prices for Switch Consoles, Switch 2 Controllers US price increases impacting Nintendo Switch consoles, Switch 1 and 2 controllers, amiibo, and Alarmo have now taken effect.

Nintendo has now implemented its price increases for various products in the US.

The hikes affect all Switch 1 consoles, Switch 1 and 2 controllers, Switch Online classic controllers, amiibo, and Alarmo.

Here's a list of all the price changes:

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/nintend...

Nintendo Reports Sharp Sales Increase, Sells 6 Million Switch 2 Consoles Nintendo said the 132.1% increase in sales was attributed to the release of the Switch 2 console, and its higher price point.

Nintendo has sold over 6 million Switch 2 consoles globally in seven weeks, while reporting a sharp 132.1% increase in quarterly sales.

The company still expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles between now and March 2026.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/nintend...

Battlefield 6 Is "The Spiritual Successor to 3 and 4," Says Vince Zampella Series boss Vince Zampella has invoked fan-favourite titles in promoting Battlefield 6, amid reports of lofty player targets for the title.

Battlefield series boss Vince Zampella has invoked fan-favourite entries in promoting Battlefield 6, amid reports of high stakes and lofty player milestones.

“Being the spiritual successor to [Battlefield] 3 and 4 is how we look at it," he said.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/battlef...

Microsoft's Xbox Hardware Revenue Continues 18-Month Decline Xbox hardware revenue saw a 22% decline in Q4 FY2025, continuing an 18-month trend, while Game Pass revenues reached “nearly $5 billion for the first time.”

Microsoft has reported a 22% decline in Xbox hardware revenue for Q4 FY2025, continuing an 18-month trend as it deemphasises consoles.

Meanwhile, Xbox services continue to grow, with Game Pass revenue reaching “nearly $5 billion for the first time.”

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/microso...

Microsoft Achieved Record Annual Profits, Increased Xbox Revenue, Prior To Layoffs Quarterly Gaming revenue also grew by 10%. The company's 9000 layoffs occured days after the reporting period.

Microsoft has reported record annual revenues and profits, increased quarterly Gaming revenue, and strong Xbox Game Pass performance for the financial reporting period ending two days before it made 9000 layoffs.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/microso...

EA Talks 'Rematch' and Impact on EA Sports FC – "We Love Competition" CEO Andrew Wilson asserted the dominance of EA Sports FC in the football genre, but said they were always evaluating "new needs."

EA CEO Andrew Wilson has commented on the success of Sloclap's football game Rematch, which hit 5 million players this month.

"We love competition," he said, while assuring that EA is "always evaluating where there are new needs being met for new players."

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/ea-talk...

Sony Sues Tencent Over 'Horizon' Clone, 'Light of Motiram' Sony Interactive says it rejected a pitch from Tencent regarding a Horizon mobile game in 2024, but Tencent developed it regardless.

Sony Interactive is suing Tencent over its "slavish clone" of Horizon, the upcoming 'Light of Motiram'

Sony alleges that Tencent pitched them a Horizon mobile game with during GDC 2024, which Sony rejected, and Tencent developed regardless

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/sony-su...

Why Aren't Japanese Indies Taking Over The World? Japan's influence on the videogame industry can't be understated. But why aren't we seeing many Japanese indie games make their way overseas?

In his latest column, @nomoredaniels.bsky.social looks at the new Japanese indie publishers springing up (funded by kabuki theatre and real estate!) and answers the question:

"How come Japanese indies aren’t taking over the world already?”

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/para... [PAYWALLED]

Why Aren't Japanese Indies Taking Over The World? Japan's influence on the videogame industry can't be understated. But why aren't we seeing many Japanese indie games make their way overseas?

In his latest column, @nomoredaniels.bsky.social looks at the new Japanese indie publishers springing up (funded by kabuki theatre and real estate!) and answers the question:

"How come Japanese indies aren’t taking over the world already?”

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/para... [PAYWALLED]

Australian Games Industry Body On Steam and Itch.io Crackdown – "Artistic Freedom Is Essential" IGEA has expressed support for developers following payment processor crackdowns on Steam and Itch.io, supposedly spurred by Australian lobby group Collective Shout.

Australia's peak games industry body IGEA has commented on the recent Steam and Itch.io crackdowns, events claimed by Australian lobby group Collective Shout

“Creativity and artistic freedom are essential to a thriving and diverse games industry,” says IGEA

Parallax: Japan - Why Nintendo Is Still King in Japan Longtime journalist and former IGN Japan editor Daniel Robson shares some perspective on what that Japanese gaming scene is like today.

The Japanese console market is dominated by Japanese games, and within that, no one can touch Nintendo — not even Sony.

The bigger threat? Mobile games, especially from juggernauts like Hoyoverse. Some insight from @nomoredaniels.bsky.social :

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/para... [PAYWALLED]

'Returnal' Studio Housemarque Discusses Challenging Transition from Indie to AAA CEO Ilari Kuittinen shared his experiences in figuring out how to manage growth and meet greater demands in becoming a PlayStation studio.

The CEO of Housemarque recently discussed the growing pains that come with transitioning from indie to first-party AAA.

“There seems to be some kind of threshold of the company size when things start to… break down a bit."

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/returna...

How Stadia Helped Make Cyberpunk on Switch 2 Possible CD Projekt Red details the process of porting, talks Game-Key Cards, and explains why they chose to squeeze all that data onto a 64GB cartridge.

CD Projekt Red very briefly considered Game-Key Cards for Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2, but a passionate physical game collector on the tech team and the company's philosophies stopped them.

Here's our interview with the studio's VP of Technology. [PAYWALLED]

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/cd-p...

Sony Acquires 2.5% of Bandai Namco In “Strategic Partnership” The partnership is set to focus on anime and manga, and comes as part of Sony’s bid to expand its anime business.

After Sony acquired a 10% share in FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa (for the anime), it's now acquired a 2.5% in Bandai Namco (also for the anime).

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/sony-ac...

Itch.io Deindexes Adult NSFW Content For Audit, Following Payment Processor Pressure Itch.io has removed all adult NSFW content from its search and browse results, to undergo an audit in which some games may be removed.

Games marketplace Itch.io has removed “all adult NSFW” content from search results and browse pages, following scrutiny from payment processors.

The platform says the content will undergo a comprehensive audit, with "some pages being permanently removed."

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/itch-io...

Microsoft Backpedals on US $80 Pricepoint for The Outer Worlds 2 After enacting price hikes across all its gaming offerings, Microsoft has reversed its decision to price The Outer Worlds 2 at US $80.

After flagging price hikes for its first-party games in May, citing "market conditions," Microsoft is reducing the $80 price tag for The Outer Worlds 2, citing "market conditions."

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/the-out...

Splitgate 1 Cost 1047 Games ‘$40–50K’ per Month to Maintain CEO Ian Proulx shared additional context around the decision to shut down Splitgate servers, citing costs, lack of revenue, and low player numbers.

1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx has shared additional context around the decision to shut down Splitgate 1 servers, citing high costs, a lack of revenue, and low player numbers.

thisweekinvideogames.com/news/splitga...